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“Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
Butterfly at Bootjack Mountain – July 28, 2007
Butterfly at Bootjack Mountain – July 28, 2007
On April 11, 2012, I made my first blog post. I was inspired by words from a podcast.
Now, one year later, this blog continues to be an enjoyable endeavor. I appreciate every blog follower and visitor.
In this anniversary post, I’m still inspired by podcasts. What can I say…I listen to lots of them!
The following quote, from Vinnie Tortorich’s Angriest Trainer podcast, really sums up the FREEHEEL VEGAN lifestyle.
“Put life into living, and do it with enthusiasm!”
FREE YOUR HEELS…
Elisa at Mission Ridge
Elisa at Long’s Pass – May 2004
Can’t Telemark? Sucks to be you!
PLAY IN SNOW…
Eric at Mission Ridge – February 27, 2010
Mt Bachelor – December 26, 2009
LIVE LIFE…
Eric’s 1974 BMW – LIVE LIFE!
Eric in Kauai – May 24, 2008
Elisa at Lake Chelan Slidewaters – July 23, 2010
Elisa at Galbraith – August 27, 2011
BE SILLY & LAUGH…
Silly nephew – June 24, 2011
Silly niece – December 24, 2012
APPRECIATE THE “LITTLE” THINGS…
Wenatchee, WA – July 29, 2011
Bellatazza Coffee in Bend, OR – October 27, 2012
HANG OUT WITH A BUDDY…
Goats at New Moon Farm Goat Rescue & Sanctuary – April 16, 2010
Roosters at New Moon Farm Goat Rescue & Sanctuary – February 15, 2013
Eric makes a chicken friend in Kauai – May 8, 2011
LEND A HELPING HAND…
Member of the NMF Manure Management Team since Fall of 2008!
Eric gets some love from Opie while scooping the poop – March 19, 2010
LOVE SOMEONE…
Millie – December 5, 2011
Love them all. Eat plants!
FREE YOUR MIND. FREE THE ANIMALS…
Think about the animals. Don’t eat them!
“Put life into living and do it with enthusiasm!”
I love that quote and I love Vinnie’s podcast. But, I have a little more to add.
Yes- put living into your own life. But- also allow others to live their own lives.
To the fellow listeners and fans of the Angriest Trainer podcast:
Don’t be a “carnivorous vegan,” be an actual vegan. You can do NSNG (No Sugar No Grains) VEGAN style!
Adopt the FREEHEEL VEGAN lifestyle…and do it with enthusiasm!
I don’t have many pictures from the current ski season, so here is a backcountry trip down memory lane…
The time was January 1-2, 2011.
The place was the “Back Bowls” of Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort, in Wenatchee, WA.
The weather was bluebird.
The solitude was magical.
The skiing was exceptional.
The snow was our art canvas.
Our Telemark turns were the brush strokes…
DAY ONE – JANUARY 1
DAY TWO – JANUARY 2
The conditions were a little different when we came “Back” to the bowls this year, Skiing Among Burnt Trees.
WOW…what a fabulous first day of 2013 at Mission Ridge!
This is a little place we like to call “Kevin’s”…
Mt Stuart
Shadow in Snow
Towers
Snowy Trees
View of Windy Ridge
Morning Sky
Views from the edge
Trees burned in the Autumn 2012 forest fire
It’s over too fast!
Our Winter Wonderland
Alder Ridge – Mountain Bike – September 15, 2012
This mountain bike ride to Alder Ridge (trail 1523) was actually “Plan B.” Our intended ride was Chickamin Tie (trail 1561) via Minnow Ridge (trail 1524). Although the Chickamin trails were open when we checked, they were closed at some point before we arrived at the trailhead. The closures are/were due to extensive forest fire activity in the area.
The Alder Ridge trailhead is located just down the road from the Chickamin trails. This is near Lake Wenatchee, WA. To get there, turn off Highway 2 onto Highway 207, then take the Chiwawa River Road to the well-marked trailhead. This general area is called the Entiat/Mad River/Lower Chiwawa area.
This was a solid day trip and worthy of a repeat. We started at 2400 ft and climbed steadily to a high point of 6200 ft in about 8 1/2 miles. The singletrack tread was mostly smooth toward the bottom and a bit more rocky toward the top. It was “steepish” but mostly “rideable.” (Subjective, I know!) I felt strong and I didn’t have to get off my bike too many times 
. Due to dry conditions, the trail was sandy in places, but not bad. Dust…yes, there was plenty of that. The descent was a blast and over too fast!
This is a multiple use trail system…which means that our fresh air was briefly fouled with the toxic fumes of several motorcycles on the ascent. (Cough, cough – deep, forceful exhales!!) That was the only negative part of the trip. Fortunately, the motor traffic was probably “light” due to the fire closures.
Our biking group of 3 vegans and 1 omnivore also met a pair of hunters. They seemed nice enough, though I’ll never understand how anyone can take pleasure in killing a deer.
After that, I rode on, repeating silently in my mind over and over…
“I manifest good luck to the animals in the forest.”
Click on an image to enlarge and view the photos in a gallery. In the photos, you will see maps of the area, views of Glacier Peak, and views from our high point of 6200 ft. (We didn’t quite make it to Mad Lake.) We photographed the Basalt Peak fire to the north and the Wenatchee fires to the south.
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- Alder Ridge Trailhead
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- Chiwawa River Valley
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- Devils Backbone, Entiat, Mad River, Lower Chiwawa Sign
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- Alder Ridge Trail Map
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- Green Trail Map #146 – Plain, WA
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- Basalt Peak Fire
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- Alder Ridge Trail
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- Alder Ridge Trail
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- Downy Woodpecker
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- Glacier Peak
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- Glacier Peak
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- Old Forest Fire on Alder Ridge
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- What kind of mushroom?
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- Santa Cruzin’ the Forest
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- Wenatchee Fire View 1
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- Wenatchee Fire View 2
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- Wenatchee Fire View 3
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- Glacier Peak
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- The Boys at 6200 ft
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- Basalt Peak Fire
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- Glacier Peak & Basalt Peak Fire
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- Elisa & Eric
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- Elisa & Eric
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- Elisa & Eric
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- Flat Tire on Alder Ridge
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- Burned Tree
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- Wenatchee Fire
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- Wenatchee Fire (Zoom)
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- Elisa at Alder Ridge (Photo Credit: Ken H)
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- Elisa at Alder Ridge (Photo Credit: Ken H)
Cutthroat Pass – Mountain Biking – August 7, 2009 & August 14, 2010
This trail is a favorite on the bike. The first 1.7 miles climbs a mellow 400 ft as it follows Cutthroat Creek to Cutthroat Lake. (Take a peek at Cutthroat Lake by taking the 0.2 mile spur trail.) From the lake, the trail climbs another 1900 ft in 3.8 miles to Cutthroat Pass (6800 ft). Prepare for gorgeous mountain views!
The trail is really nice for biking: the grade is never too steep and the singletrack is basically smooth and firm, with variable sections of sandy, or loose rocky Eastern Washington tread.
To get here, take Road 400 from Highway 20 (North Cascades Highway), about 3 miles east of Washington Pass. Trail 483 starts at 4500 ft.
(Click on a picture to enlarge the images and view in a photo gallery.)
Vesper Peak, WA – Backcountry Ski
This was a trip to remember…Lucky Sevens! 7/07/07. Vesper Peak is accessed from the Mountain Loop Highway, just before Barlow Pass. Take the Sunrise Mine road (#4065) and Sunrise Mine trail (#707).
(Click on a picture to enlarge and view in a photo gallery.)
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- Del Campo Peak
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- Wertz Basin
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- Sperry Peak
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- Sperry Peak
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- Wertz Basin
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- Headlee Pass
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- Headlee Pass
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- Vesper Peak
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- Vesper Peak
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- Mt Rainier
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- Summit
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- Glacier Peak
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- Copper Lake
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- Three Fingers & White Horse
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- Big Four
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- Glacier Peak
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- Sperry Peak, Headlee Pass, Morning Star Peak
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- Del Campo Peak
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- Foggy Pass
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- Descent tracks
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- Headlee Pass Gully
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- Wertz Basin tracks & ’74 BMW
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- Tracks from the road
Some videos of the descent. Despite the sun cups and rain runnels, the corn (snow) was nicely cooked!
I love the following video! I didn’t know that I was being filmed, but this was a euphoric moment. I had to take a minute to savor it, because the descent from Headlee Pass was steep, narrow, and not a place where I wanted to fall!
Here is a video of the main creek crossing:
Mission Ridge, WA – April 16 & 17, 2011
We really enjoyed our PM Gear skis during the 2011-2012 ski season at Mission Ridge and Alta ski areas…
(Click on the first picture, then the photos will appear large, in an image gallery.)
Mountain biking – Whistle Lake trails, Anacortes, WA – Sept 18, 2010
Respect all life forms.
