Well, we tried out our gear in my back yard at the end of December and were hoping to get out into the woods within a week or two for another camp trip. Well, the weather didn’t cooperate for a few weeks.  There was a sub-zero spell that made us hesitant to stay out all night.  I knew we could survive but -20 degrees Fahrenheit didn’t sound fun.  So we practiced.  We made lists of things we needed, packed our bags to make them as efficient as possible and went on hikes with our full packs to train.  We tried not to double up on gear if we could help it.  I had a cook stove, she had the compact saw etc.  We seem to be very good at having what the other doesn’t.  Our camp out in my yard helped us when packing for this trip.  We realized we needed to vent the tent to avoid condensation that turned to ice, having a space blanket below use was a must, and putting hand warmers in our boots before we put them on in the morning would keep our feet so much warmer.  I’ve done this before but as I’m super into efficiency I stuff my sleeping bag into a dry bag for two reasons, one  if my pack gets wet my sleeping bag will still be dry, and two  once camp is set up I use the dry bag to put our food in at night and suspend it in a tree to keep it our of reach of bears or other hungry critters.

Dog not included

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

So we packed up and layered up and went out to enjoy our day in 0 degree weather.  This time we went up Kootenai Crk.

We got up to the trail head and decide we would try to fish for a bit.  Finding a bit of creek that wasn’t frozen over we cautiously made our way down.  We couldn’t get too close to the edge because we weren’t sure where the shore ended and the ice started. We didn’t catch anything, turns out the hook becomes an ice sickle pretty quick in this weather.

Ice Sickle

We continued up the trail for a few miles and decided to make a fire.  I had made fire starters out of egg cartons, dryer lint and paraffin wax.  We busted out the compact saw and downed a standing dead tree. What an adventure that was! We got the tree down and sawed into shorter lengths and my hiking buddy got the flames going.  Those fire starters are awesome! We used two to get the fire going.  We made coffee  and ate skittles while we were there and had a nice break.

Even with the fire going we got chilly after a bit. Our hair was even frozen. We packed up and headed home, even though we didn’t camp we had a great day! By the time we got back to the truck it was -11 degrees Fahrenheit!  bbrrrrrrrr

I have not posted anything in awhile to the great dismay of my Georgia bestie.  However, I have not been idle.  I have had a great many adventures so sit down and get ready for some fun up Bass Crk!  I’ve posted pictures of the falls up Bass creek and as luck would have it someone who ice climbs up there saw them on facebook and offered to take me along!!  I could barely contain my excitement in the two weeks before we went.  It had been bitter cold for most of January, but the week leading up to the climb the temperature started to creep towards the 30’s which was concerning for the ice stability.

The morning of the climb was warm and snowing big fluffy flakes.  I met my guide and one of his friends at the trailhead and we started the 3 mile hike back to the falls.  It was pleasant, quick hike and before I knew it we were standing at the base of the falls.  The warm weather had caused some damage to the main falls and they decided we would steer clear of it.  They picked a smaller fall to the right that they had climbed a few weeks before.

Bass Crk Falls.  You can see the large crack in the falls on the left

View from my ‘hideout’

We left most of our gear at an overhang below the falls and started up.  I didn’t realize how steep it really was going up and how grateful I was to have my poles for stability.  I found a small overhang next to where they were belaying.  It was my hide out for when ice fell which I learned happened quite often and would hurt immensely if hit. Which I found out later in the day……

The bottom left is my view from my hiding spot.  The other two are the views of the falls we climbed and my guides

I have a background in rock climbing and found ice climbing to be similar.  It’s almost easier in that you get to put your ax where ever you want.  Your hand holds aren’t limited for the most part.  I loved the axes and the the large spikes of the cramp-ons.  They use large screws to anchor into the ice as they climb.  It was fun to watch the first ascent,  the rhythm of hand, hand, foot, foot and a pause for putting in a new screw.  Ice would cascade down as the climber went up.  Looking up you could see when pieces were coming and take cover.  Both my guides climbed and  while I had insisted that I was along as an observer only since this was my first time out, I was offered the chance to actually climb and jumped on it.  As I didn’t have any climbing gear of my own I was graciously lent boots, axes and a harness.  I switched boots,  got harnessed up and started up!!

Boot Switch lol!!!

I began a bit below where the guys had because it was sloped a little less.  It turns out it was a lot harder to get the ax into the ice than I thought it would be.  I had to really swing and put a lot into it to get it to stick.  Kicking in my boots was no problem though.

I made it about 1/2 way to the top before my hands were completely frozen.  I also didn’t realize how cold they would get.  My guide said it was because I was holding on to the axes too tight while I climbed.  I was holding on to the axes super tight though because I was terrified of dropping one.  If I had dropped one it could have hit some one or it would be very dangerous to go out on the snow field to retrieve it.  They don’t let you have a leash for your axes either because if you fall and the ax is attached it could stab you.  So tightly I held on to the detriment of my fingers.  It took quite a while for my hands to regain normal feeling and it was a painful process but totally worth it!

My guides climbed a couple more times before we called it a day.  It was during one of these climbs that I got hit in the back with a piece of ice.  They had told me to always be looking up and it was a good thing I was.  I saw that piece of ice coming and had just enough time to get my head down.  I’m glad I did because if that sucker had hit my face I would have had to be carried off the mountain.  I had a sore shoulder for a few days but that won’t stop me from going again.

When we arrived that morning you could hear water falling behind the big falls, by the time we left you could see water running over the big falls and on the rocks around them.  It was getting warm.  The next week was even warmer. I went up 2 days later and there were even bigger cracks in the falls and it sounded like rice crispies, snap crackle and popping.  We seem to have had the last climb of the season up Bass Crk. I am so happy I got to be a part it!

The view from our ‘base camp’

Going to school in Montana it took a blizzard for school to be cancelled. Here in the south if the weather even says that something may happen, we aren’t sure yet but there looks to be something blowing in, then school shuts down. A dusting of snow is a big deal. No bread and milk for miles and people hole up in their homes and wait out until the weather turns back to the upper 40s. I say this only in jest because living here and knowing that the roads here turn treacherous very quickly and staying off of the roads until they are clear is a good idea. But this Montana girl still has to chuckle a little I just can’t help it. Notice the difference in weather in both mine and Sierra’s write ups this week!

Given a snow day with my kiddos and me off of work what ever can this momma do after being holed up for a weekend? Go for a hike you ask??? Of course what better way to stretch your legs. My kids have grown up playing in the woods. They were both carried in a backpack hiking, camping, huckleberry picking etc. They are no stranger to it. There was a point that they reached where they wanted to just stay home and play with their toys. That is why this momma started bribing her kids. Yes I do and I have no shame in it.

I’ll take you to your kind of playground for a little while if you will indulge Harley (our four legged family member) and me for a little play time in our kind of playground.

That works wonders!! The whining I find quickly subsides as soon as they step foot onto the trail and I very rarely now need to bribe them to go. They may still whine a little bit before going but as soon as they are on the trail it’s done. They like to mountain bike much better ,than to walk on trails.

I enjoy watching my kids in the woods. Gavin likes to hit trees with sticks. Ok, be a boy all you want in the woods!! Climbing trees, running and looking for bugs he is all boy. Although he looks like he isn’t doing much other than playing he is incredibly observant. He had us looking at a bird’s nest neither Aislynne or I would have seen, we pay more attention to the ground. Aislynne is more a silent observer. The things she finds interesting and she notices I find fascinating to pay attention to as well. Caterpillar bite holes in leaves, lightning hollowing out a tree, different patterns in the bark of different trees. She hiked while making a snow man this time around. There were patches of snow where she could make a big enough section and pieced it together as she went. The wood here is fun to look at all of the different types of trees and the way the bark looks. There are lots of questions and there are perks to living in this day in age. Everything is a touch screen away. Google is our best friend. I have learned so many things in the last few years having kids than I thought I ever would, and most of it is about bugs… It has made me want to further my education to know more about what I am looking at while in the woods as well!

I should tell you the point of this long winded story now. My point is get the kids out. Don’t let whining detour you from fun and fresh air. They will love it.

He hurt his knee 😦

Make a game of the outing. Pick themes for your hikes. This summer our theme was “Waterfalls” all of our hikes that we went on had a different waterfall. We even drove into North Carolina to find a waterfall that we could walk behind. My nieces and nephew were with me so it made it even more special during the summer. That was fun for all of us we got our hike in and got to play in the water. Given Georgia is very hot in the summer that was a must!! Secret tip: Hike with a friend with kids. You can hike much longer if your kids are entertained by other children and they don’t even notice. Point things out and get them to try and tell you what it is or look it up together. Not in cell service make sure to take a tablet and pen write things down you want to look up. Plan trips together. Go to your local library and check out hiking trail books. Do give in to them though when they are ready to turn around given it is a reasonable hike, it will make them want to go more if they know they know they won’t get overwhelmed every time you go out. Every now and then you do find yourself with a kid on your back but if it was a good hike then having one hitching a ride was worth the trip.

So in my First Winter Camping post I mentioned we were moving to phase 2 of winter camping, actually hiking up and camping. We’ll that didn’t happen this past weekend. We have had a week of sub-zero temps and Saturday was no exception. We made the call to hold off on camping and I think we made right choice. We have limited experience and both felt safer camping in warmer temps. We were not idle though!! Strapping on our snowshoes and bundling up we braved the -5° weather and had a great day hike!

All Bundled Up

We started up Bass crk around 11 am enjoyed the crisp day. 2 miles up we came to a Beaver pond that was mostly frozen over. We scouted a camping spot for next weekend and found a super sweet spot.

We continued on another mile until we reached ‘The Big Rock’ as I call it. It is one of my favorite features of Bass crk. It stands alone and I’ve often wondered how it made its way to the creek crossing. So I present….

The Big Rock

The Big Rock was happy to see us as well and tried to steal my friend’s hat!

Once we escaped from the clingy rock we decided to try to make it back to the ice falls. I’ve been up to the falls in the early spring but never at this time of year. We picked our path and headed off trail for a trek though waist deep snow. Our snowshoes helped but it was still slow going as we broke a fresh path through the woods. We climbed, scrambled, and laughed our way up to the falls.

View of the falls and the terrain we broke through

Ice Falls

This is as close as we got to the falls. We could hear the water running under the ice and it got rather steep going down to the base of the falls. We didn’t feel comfortable getting closer when we didn’t know where the ice of the stream started. I turned around from the falls and this was my view!!

The views were amazing and the company good but the fading light forced us to turn around and head for home. While we didn’t roll down the hill like we expected, we did slide quite a bit and I only fell on my butt once. Not too bad!

Heading down

By the time we got to the truck we were pretty chilly, but excited that we made it up to the beautiful falls! We will try the camping this upcoming weekend when the temperature is more favorable. Stay tuned!!

I was born in Ellijay, Ga but moved to Montana when I was 15. From the moments we set foot in Montana it felt like home. For being a brat of the military that was a pretty big deal. The Mountains call me and I feel most at peace walking through the quiet solitude of what God created.

Meeting Sierra can be added to the top things that I am most grateful in my life. You know when you meet someone and you just know they will be there for the rest of it, she and her family that is how I feel. To her I owe much gratitude for being my friend and my partner in crime (and by partner in crime I mean by stealing views and blazing trails) Big things are in the works and I can’t wait to see where our adventures will take us!!

Due to some life changing circumstances I packed my kids up and we moved to my roots for a year, thought it would be longer than that but we miss home far to much. We needed a change of scenery to settle our souls and calm our minds and we got just that. In all the years I spent coming here growing up I never got to experience it as I am now, and not only that I get to involve my kids in the exploring. The feeling I get hiking in the south is magical, it is much different than the awe striking feeling I get hiking in the mountains in Montana. Although both are very different in feeling the same importance is there. There is so much to be seen out there.

The North

and The South

My kids like the bugs here. I like the feeling of when the sun is shining down through the leaves while hiking or biking down a wood covered trail it almost feels like fairies will come out at any moment. Although we are counting down the days until we can return home we are enjoying all of the water falls we are finding and all of the different crazy bugs we are finding as well. We just keep checking them off of our list as we bike them or hike them.

I even found a fairy house on this hike!

For new year’s eve I took my kids out on a trail that I had taken their grandparents out on in October. It was such a different hike from the change of the seasons. Getting to experience it all with them is an amazing feeling. I have been on trails in Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, Canada, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Big and small they have all been wonderful and I look forward to finding many many more. As well as meeting many interesting people along the way. Photos from October’s hike except for the hammock one that was New Year’s eve.

I love the fungus on the trees

December 31 enjoying a relaxing moment

Stay tuned the Appalachian trail is on my list and I am starting at the very bottom on the 17th for a full day hike. But come the end of summer I am looking forward to planning a full week on the trail!

Happy New Year!!

New year new me right?? Nope, that’s not realistic! I am all for self improvement and becoming a better you, however to make multiple major life changes once a year and maintain them is setting your self up for failure. Small changes over the courise of the year or even multiple years will lead to the big changes people seek this time of year. It will take work and time but it will pay off.

Last year my vague goal was to be more active. I found small ways to move more at school and then this summer jumped full force into hiking. This year I joined ‘Run the Year 2017’ I will over the course of this year run 2017 miles. It breaks down to 5.5 miles everyday. Being able to run 5 miles is something I’ve had to work up to.  I started running in october and could barely run (it was very very slow) for 30 minutes. I could hike for hours but running was totally different. I was determined and have been fairly consistent with it and am now able to run over 6 miles! The thought of doing something like this last year would have been crazy for me but here I am this year!

I’m not gonna lie 5.5 EVERYDAY will be challenging. My job, kids, the weather (the high today is 3° F) and life in general but I will make the time and do the best I can. There will be some days I fall short but I’m doing better than I was last year at this time and that counts for something.

So keep your heads up, make those small steps towards your better you and Happy New Year!

“There’s no bad weather you just don’t have the right gear” ~random inspirational  quote I saw on facebook. It sums up how I’ve approached the outdoors the last few years though. I’m not letting the weather stop me. I’ll hike in the sun,  rain (got a raincoat), and snow (use snow shoes or yak traks).  So this attitude has expanded towards camping. I’ve wanted to winter camp for a long time but schedules and life circumstances haven’t allowed it but now the time has come!

Since this is a new thing for me and my friends we are aren’t jumping in full force. Many things can go wrong quickly when in the woods even without snow. We want to go out but we also want to make it back to our families. Safety First!! The extra level of preparation the snow requires has us going about winter camping in phases to get us comfortable. My husband has many reservations so phase 1  is my friend and I camping in my field. It didn’t seem as cool as hiking but it gave us a chance to test our gear and have a warm house to go to if we chickened out. *Spoiler Alert* we didn’t bail!  The high for the day was 25° F and that night temps dipped to 10° F. Here’s what we used to stay warm.

Gear: My Eureka timberline ‘A’ frame tent that my dad got me years ago. I love the fly on it! My friend and I had  REI down blend sleeping bags with outer shells. We both had foam sleeping pads as well. I put a space blanket in between the tent and the fly to help keep the heat in. We also put a space blanket over our sleeping bags. We looked like burritos.  We layered up and hoped for the best. Yoga pants and nylon blend long sleeve shirt then my vest, snowpants and down Jacket, hat and thin gloves. I stayed warm!! And so did my friend! She didn’t go with the snow pants but it worked for her. I woke up a few times but not because I was cold!

We woke up to a chilly morning and enjoyed coffee in our tent. 

The frost had crept in during the night and as it warmed up started to melt. If we were going to stay multiple nights we would have to find some way to either dry out the tent a bit or make sure our sleeping bags stayed dry. I don’t see a multi-day winter camping trip in the near future so I think we have some time to figure that out.

With our first attempt a success we are moving on to phase 2: planning a real snowshoeing camping trip next weekend. Again keeping it simple we will only be hiking 2 miles in.  Once we get more comfortable we will move to phase 3!

I was born at the base of a mountain in Montana.  I have always been  drawn to mountains and the woods. I love everything about being out in the woods, the sights, smells and feeling you get when you’re far far away from anyone.  One of my favorite things is the smell of a ponderosa pine tree in the middle of summer.

While its great to go hiking alone sometimes its better and even safer to take some one with you.  However, its can be hard sometimes to find some one who has the same skill level, work schedule, and crazy level as you to go on adventures with.  I met Erin eight years ago and could tell from the beginning she had the same skill and crazy level as me.  She was always ready to go on an adventure and we quickly made our work schedules sync so that we could escape to the mountains as often as possible.  We have had many adventures together ranging from quick day hikes to multi-day camping outings.  We get along great and push each other to get out and do new things and go farther and be better.

So get ready to hear about all of our adventures!!

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