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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.
Ski road trip time!
In this post, let’s talk about what vegan skiers can do to eat a quick, healthy breakfast without leaving the hotel room.
We just spent a long weekend at Big White Ski Resort. Thanks to my Visa Rewards, we stayed for free in the White Crystal Inn.
When we arrived on Thursday March 14th, our view looked liked this:
Sunday March 17th we woke up to this:
Our “standard” room had no kitchen, but it did have a coffee maker, mini fridge, microwave, and toaster.
For our trip, I packed a couple bins full of the essentials, including a small cutting board and knife.
We brought a cooler to transport our green leafies, celery, apples, non-dairy milk, nut butter and jam. I brought our Vitamix blender so we could make green smoothies right in the room.
Large “beer cups” are handy for smoothies in the morning and apres ski beverages in the evening.
I brought our toaster, not realizing that the room already had one.
Eric likes to have toast with his breakfast smoothie.
I could have brought some oats to make oatmeal in the microwave,
but this time I opted for cold cereal with walnuts, raisins and non-dairy milk.
Segmented grapefruit is easy to prepare in the room.
I brought my grapefruit knife, some travel bowls and a set of utensils.
Time to get some untracked powder…
Today we passed through Kelowna on the way to Big White Ski Resort.
We’ve never been to this part of Canada before. Of course, every trip away from home is a fun opportunity to check out new vegan/vegetarian restaurants. That’s definitely part of the fun of being vegan!
In Kelowna, we were excited to find (on Happy Cow) a completely vegan restaurant. Spoiled! I have a vegan life of abundance, not deprivation.
We ordered some pan-fried dumplings for an appetizer.
For dinner, we split an order of sweet & sour veggie meat.
It was very dessert-like, actually!
We also split an order of stir-fried vegetables. I adore broccoli and cauliflower.
Along with the bill, we were served a small “pineapple donut.” YUM!
You can find this restaurant at:
1958 Kirschner Rd., Kelowna, BC V1Y 4N6
Telephone: 778-478-9931
January 5, 2013 – Mission Ridge Backcountry
In lieu of skiing in-bounds on Saturday, we decided to spend the day further exploring slopes we like to call the “Back Bowls.” Eric modified our climbing skins so they would fit our new(ish) skis. Yay!
The last time we skied the “Back Bowls” was January 1-2 of 2011. At that time, we were treated to absolutely perfect fluff on a bluebird day.
Saturday…not so much. You could describe the avalanche conditions as “welded.” HA! It was fun, but in a different sort of way. It was immensely enjoyable just being out there exploring. (Truth be told, we did find a few soft spots.)
We skied into some trees that were burned during the huge Ellensburg/Wenatchee forest fires of Sept/Oct 2012. The fire line stopped just short of the Mission Ridge ski area. Whew!
There is something starkly imposing about burnt trees that remain standing after a fire goes out. It’s fascinating how something beautiful and impressive can emerge from such destruction. The black char against white snow in winter is particularly striking…
Lighting captured with the Go Pro 3.
Lighting captured with the digital camera.
We like to call this area the “Back Bowls.”
Skiing among burned trees.
A tree that survived the forest fire.
Char
We decided not to ski lower than this. We’d already dropped about 1300 ft!
Typical rock formations.
Enjoying the skin up.
Midday light.
Skin track.
Entering the burn zone.
Burned tree silhouette.
Black against white.
A bigger tree in the group.
My favorite image.
This is where we first skied the “Back Bowls,” in 2011.
Pretty needle coloring.
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
December 2012 was an epic month for snowfall in the Pacific Northwest…
December 9th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 16th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 16th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 23rd – Mt Bachelor, OR
December 24th – Bend, OR
December 24th – Bend, OR
December 29th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 29th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 29th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 29th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 29th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 29th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 29th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mt Rainier, from Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Glacier Peak, from Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
December 30th – Mission Ridge, WA
And the beverage of the month was The Abyss, by Deschutes Brewery…
The Abyss – Deschutes Brewery
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:
Heliotrope Ridge, Mt Baker, WA – August 4, 2007
This trip sticks out in my mind as one of my all-time best backcountry ski days. The Heliotrope Ridge trail and Coleman Glacier are accessed from the Glacier Creek Road, off the Mt Baker Highway (542). (Click on a picture to enlarge and view in an image gallery.)
Mission Ridge – February 26, 2010
