Crevasse Rescue Practice

Just for some practice I have been pulling the kids and E up into the tree, all the while pretending that they have just fallen into a deep cold crevasse.

The first victim, the expedition leader, an experienced climber born in the desert country but always drawn to the cold bitter environments:





Working to get the frozen climber out (who would just jump back in).



The second victim, the professor. Who was on a grant to measure the rate of melting on the glacier, why? Because the man who invented the Internet claimed it was melting too fast.



The third victim, the hot shot climber who has a long list of first ascents in the Alaskan range, Himalaya, and Karakoram. The only man alive today who has climbed K2 alpine style and then skied off the face completely without any bottled oxygen.



Working the Z-pulley system to get them all out:



...and some backup (the professor has a lot of heavy gear that needs to come up):

American Fork Twin Peaks

E really likes me to post my mountain activities so here is the latest. The following pictures are of the American Fork Twin Peaks which make up the highest in Salt Lake County. This summit is the most prominent as seen from the Snowbird Ski Resort. During this trip we hit a few more peaks that are part of the Bullion Divide.

We used the Pipeline Couloir route to get up to the Twin Peaks.



During the hike up to the couloir which is hidden from view until you are almost right under it, we crossed through many a spring run off...



... and over the top of it hoping not to fall through the snow and into the cold water.



This is a view looking down from the top of the couloir



I am not sure why some of the group isn't climbing with their mountaineering axe, it was very steep and would be very difficult to self arrest with a ski or trekking pole. If one lost their balance here, it would have been a quick slide down.

A view from the top with Timpanogos in the background:



A view of Silver Lake Flat:



The Pfeifferhorn and Lone Peak:



This is a ridge that we crossed that leads over to Mt. Baldy and the Snowbird Tram.



In a few weeks I hope to have some pictures of Mt. Rainier from the Liberty Ridge route.

BFRE, Days 2 & 3

(Note to readers: You can skip the BFRE posts. They're mostly for me so I can log my progress. Truly, my feet are not so fascinating that you need to spend a few minutes of your life reading about them each day!)

So, yesterday I ran 1 mile in my Vibrams and 1.5-ish today. Feeling pretty good. My calves don't tighten up as much, which is good. No injuries to speak of. I can tell that I favor my left foot. I think it's because it's weaker and can't run correctly yet. Hopefully that will change. Tomorrow I will wear my Sauconys with my orthotics to run 3 miles. When I get home I plan to cool down a nice and easy 2 miles in the Vibrams. We'll see how it goes

Wasatch My...

Beginning.

We awoke at 4 AM after 2 hours of sleep to drive to the start in Logan. It was cold and dark when our first runner took off at 5:45 AM.

All our runners did an AMAZING job! They conquered uphills, downhills, long runs, heat, cold, dusty roads that kicked dirt into mouths, sunburn, no sleep, tummy aches, vomiting, side aches, no showers, and 188.2 miles.

Finish!


(The medals from last year were bottle openers too. I wonder if I should be opening more bottles...)

We loved it so much, we are already signed up for the Wasatch Back 2011 and the Las Vegas Ragnar in October.

Anyway, I'll post more pictures when I've caught up on my sleep and my stomach stops trying to eat itself.

Don't Think. Just Run!

Pictures

Pictures added to the post entitled, "Mountain Man." Enjoy.

The Barefoot Running Experiment, Day 1

This evening I began The Barefoot Running Experiment. These are my Vibram Five Finger Running Shoes:


I've been researching Minimalist Running and decided to give it a shot. I respect my podiatrist and believe that he really knows what he's doing. I am glad he sliced open my foot and removed my extra navicular bone. I'm just not so sure about the orthotics and all the orthotic-tweaking he's been doing. I made it through the Wasatch Back with Naproxen, Tylenol, my Keens, and my running shoes (complete with orthotics), but now it's time for something completely different.

It's important to ease into barefoot running. Tonight I ran 1/2 mile in my Vibrams. Tomorrow, if I don't notice any discomfort from today, I will run 1 mile. My goal is to run the Freedom 5K on July 5th in my Vibrams.

My observations through and after tonight's run:

Don't think. Just run. This, in addition to being my personal and our Wasatch Back team motto, held true for me tonight. I was trying to pay close attention to my feet -- how I was landing on my heel, trying to lighten my heel strike, how my calves were feeling, etc -- it was too much attention. When I quit worrying about my feet so much, I fell into a natural rhythm that was comfortable and even. I wanted to go further, but I knew if I overdid it I could hurt myself pretty badly.

After the run my calves were a tiny bit tight, but not too bad.

Other than that, I feel really good. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's run and to increase my mileage.

Mountain Man

For Father's Day the kids and I made J a coupon wallet full of coupons like: "Good for 3 glasses of water when Daddy's working in the yard" and "Good for 3 back massages (the kicking kind*)" and "Good for helping Daddy weed as much as he wants"

For Father's Day I got J a box of See's Dark Chocolate Molasses Chips and 2 whole days with just his boys while I ran the Wasatch Back. While I was running the Wasatch Back a skirt came in the mail for me. J texted me once while telling me that "It is like Lord of the Flies" when I asked him how things were going at home. Tonight for dinner we are going to have peanut butter sandwiches. This Father's Day seems a little backwards, but J seems ok with that, so I am too.

Once again blogger is not letting me post pictures of my mountain man, network engineer, amazing father, sweetie, so I'll find a good one later.

Found one:


* This involves J lying face down while the boys lay on their backs and pummel his back with kicks. I'll post a picture of that too.

Here you go. It's all blurry because, well, they're kicking. The pictures I took after this one are funny because someone is crying because he got kicked too. Life with boys...

Happy Father's Day, Grandpa Kim!

So, this morning when my parents called to wish J a happy father's day, my dad told J, "You need to convince E to have Father's Day everyday and Mother's Day just one day a year." Hmm. Mission Accomplished.



I've always been a daddy's girl. I followed my dad around helping him with projects -- building bookshelves, staining the deck (I did abstain from his tree-felling adventures though -- didn't approve of those). I love my dad's gentle nature and his funny laugh. When my first boyfriend came over, my dad proudly showed him the recently installed chin-up bar and told him to do some chin-ups. Mike did 19. My dad did 3. So then, Dad asked Mike to hit him in the stomach to see how hard and awesome his stomach muscles were. I'm glad Mike refused. Dad regularly asks guy relations and friends to hit his stomach. It's great! I love my daddy.

We're Off...

...to run the Ragnar, the wonderful Wasatch Back!

Tomorrow evening we leave for Logan. Friday morning, impossibly early, we wake up and begin our 188.2 miles to Park City. Wish us luck! Yee Haw!

Inconvenient

To my recently acquired allergies: You have picked a very inconvenient time to manifest yourselves. Don't you know that I will be outside all day Friday and Saturday running 180 miles along the back of the Wasatch Range? Do my 5 van mates and 11 other teammates really want to hear me sniffling, sneezing, and rubbing my eyes? You have 2 1/2 days to clear up. Got it?

Innovation

What do you do when you can't find socks? That's right. You use aluminum foil.



J fashioned himself a set of aluminum foil gaiters in which to weed whack our yard. My dad, who cuts off tube socks to make arm warmers, would be proud.

Orem Somewhat Fest

This year (as we did last year), we walked to the Orem Summerfest. This year (as we didn't get a chance to last year), we rode the Ferris Wheel. This is S, H, and J before the Ferris Wheel started. Once it went up up up and then down down down, S started screaming, "I WANT TO GET OFF! LET ME OFF THIS THING! I HAVE TO GET OFF!!!"


So we stopped and they were let off to watch O and mom ride up and down and around and around 17 times! O keeps saying to me, "Riding on the Ferris Wheel was fun! It was my favorite part!" After which S and H say, "No! It was scary!"


This year (as happened last year), a big, black storm cloud came upon us while we were Summerfesting. This year (as we did not do last year), we stayed to use up all of our tickets. J and O went on the swings. (See that lovely black cloud in the background?)


H and S rode the merry-go-round. (The longest merry-go-round known to man.) When O got off the swings and wanted to go on the merry-go-round, S decided he'd rather not. He just wanted to stand in the freezing cold, pouring rain, and get soaking wet.


Here are my monkeys riding the boats. S is in the boat behind O and H. He only decided to do it at the last minute because the ride was covered. It was fun trying to make him smile as he went around. He was being tenaciously grumpy.


This year (as we did not do last year) we walked home in the rain. (Last year, J ran home and came back with the van). This year we splashed in puddles, sent maple "helicopter" boats down the gutter, and had a fun walk home with the kids. This year (as we did last year) we had a pizza (homemade this year, Papa Murphy's last), had hot chocolate, and watched a movie. I feel a tradition in the making. Hopefully it storms next year for the Summerfest!

Missive to My Left Foot

Left foot. Hi. How's it going? I'm doing pretty well. A bit of fatigue that I haven't been able to figure out. Fighting a tiny cold. Other than that, things are good. Oh yeah, except for one thing -- YOU. I don't know if you heard the podiatrist two visits ago, but I know you were there. You can't have missed the "... a little too symptomatic for being almost 5 months out from surgery..." Even the threat of a steroid shot didn't straighten you out. Now, I love you. We have been together for what, 32 years? You've caused me no end of problems, but you've also really supported me, even when you were in pain. I hate to do this to you, but I thought you might like to know -- I am considering chopping you off and getting a prosthetic foot/ankle. There. I said it. I've almost run out of patience with you. The Wasatch Back is this week. 5 -- count 'em -- 5 more days. As of now, I am scheduled to run 21 miles in 24 hours. My heart can take it. My lungs can take it. My legs, knees, and hips can take it. Can you take it? Please do this for me, freaky left foot. I promise I will take you out barefoot running next week. I know you like my Vibrams. That's right. I am going to begin "The Barefoot Running Experiment" just for you. Just hold on and get me through this weekend. We can do this together. And the whole prosthetic thing? I didn't really mean it. I know we can work this out. We're a team. I'll take my Naproxen. I'll bring Tylenol and ice. We can do this. Do this for me, left foot. Please, just do this for me.

O Milestones

O figured this one out all by himself. I was picking things up here and there in the playroom when I heard S say, "Wow, O! Mom! Look what O wrote all by himself! I didn't even help him!" There he was, just quietly working on his own little project. He is just like his dad.


When O showed me this one, I knew that our vacation to Moab and Arches National Park had gone straight to his heart!


My technology-savvy boys. O was Zombie Farming on J's phone, J was working, and S was playing a block puzzle on my phone. H is in the tub.

Busta Move

Remember this priceless bit of booty-shaking?

H is at it again.


At the end he stepped on a random thing on the floor (an easy occurrence around here) and that's why he's screaming. He's fine. Now he walks around singing, "Kung Fu Fighting."

Potty Talk and Bath-es

We are finally, officially, wonderfully out of diapers! H is completely toilet trained! We decided one day to put underwear on him, cautioned him to not poop or pee on Lightening McQueen, and that was it. He was done. Hallelujiah!

One day, when he was on the toilet taking care of business (and a rather loose and runny "business" at that) he looked at me and said, "It's like my bum is throwing up!" I couldn't help it; I had to laugh.

And all of a sudden, this little one, who has been terrified of baths and water for the past year, has decided that he must have a bath every day, multiple times a day. First thing in the morning, "Can I have a bath?" In response to my, "A bath? We haven't even had breakfast yet!" or "But you're not dirty!" or "We need to get our chores done and make sure the house is clean before we do anything;" he says, "Well, let's have breakfast!" As soon as breakfast is done, "Can I have a bath?" Or he'll head out the door or downstairs, smear his hands in sand or soot from the fireplace, come upstairs and say, "I'm dirty now. Can I have a bath?" When his chores are done, he'll say, "My chores are done. Can I have a bath?" But the most important stipulation he has is this: "But DON"T wash me!" So, the whole bath time battle? Well, we're halfway there.

Ancient Life

My boys are outside right now playing a game they have entitled, "Ancient Life." This game involves hunting (for crackers in the pantry), gathering (maple "helicopters" as their fuel for their heat source), and, of course, strutting around our backyard in their underwear. Ahh, summer!

I've asked them, as they've crossed my hunting grounds, "You know, ancient people did make their own clothes to protect themselves from getting sunburned, and to keep themselves warm, right? Okay. Just checking." To be true to the concept of ancient life, they'd have to make themselves clothes from plastic cracker wrappings and boxes, so I guess they're ok to be out there nearly in the buff.

How I love these kids! They make me laugh, smile, worry, cry, and thank Heavenly Father for them on a daily basis. What blessings!

Pictures

There are now a few pictures in the post entitled "May."

Water

Ahh, warm weather. It is finally here in Utah, hopefully to stay for a little while. Warm weather at the Judd household means water. We drink a lot of it and we play in a lot of it. Our flood irrigation comes once a week to nourish our crunchy grass and the weeds we have in our garden. The monkeys need my permission to turn on the hose, which is usually granted unless we have somewhere to go later on. H, after months of screaming his head off every time we've tried to give him a bath, has now decided that he likes baths enough to ask for them at least 3 times a day. Water is good. Water is good.

Water, running out of the toilet and down the heating/cooling vent in the floor (not fond of that idea, person who built this house); out of two vents in the level below onto my dryer and into the downstairs bathroom; out of the ceiling into the furnace room; and out of the corner of my house outside, that water I'm not so fond of.

H, who decided all of sudden that he was done with diapers (more on this in a different post), urgently needed to pee. He's a big boy, capable of managing by himself, so I sent him upstairs to pee before he wet his pants. Then a friend came to the door. Chat chat chat, talk talk talk. A little while later, S went upstairs and came down yelling, "Mom! Mom! Your bathroom is flooded! I heard a funny noise, so I went in and looked, and there's water all over the floor! Who did it? I didn't do it! That's a lot of water, Mom!"

H had peed, then put all of the toilet paper on the roll into the toilet. Of course it wouldn't flush so, independent do-it-yourself-er that he is, had fetched the toilet plunger from another bathroom to "fix" the overflowing toilet. When that didn't work, well, he just went out back -- either to play or hide I'm still not sure. There was almost an inch of water on the floor in my bathroom. It was seeping under the carpet in my bedroom and making its way under the vanity in the bathroom. The thick bathmat I have was soaked all the way through and water was cascading down the vent. In my calmest -- and possibly my scariest --- voice I sent the boys outside to play. Four towels and about 20 wringings in the toilet later I was no longer sloshing around in extremely diluted pee/toilet water. I gathered the towels and bathmat up and brought them down to the laundry room to find the top of my dryer wet with more dripping from the ceiling. I switched on the light in the downstairs bathroom to find the floor covered in water, which was seeping under the vanity in there. When I finally mopped all of it up, I opened the back door to take the towels out to dry before I put them in the washer. Water was dripping about a foot in front of my face from the overhanging ledge of the upstairs level of my house.

I think I called J's cell phone 4 times in an hour leaving scary quiet messages like, "I am managing ok but there is toilet water everywhere and I think that maybe you should come home as soon as you can." And, "I love you and hope your afternoon is going well. Mine is not going so well. I am mopping up toilet water. Please come home." You get the picture. Great day, yesterday. But today I'm laughing at it. I'm still proud of H that he tried to fix it himself. Now to work on the asking for help part...

May

The 3rd Grade put on their program a few weeks before school let out. It was entitled, "We Make a Rainbow" and was so neat! They had been learning their songs and practicing for weeks and it showed. S did so well. He was so serious throughout the whole thing because, during the performance for the school, he missed one cue to stand up and was still living in the shame of that experience. We tried waving and yelling and pointing at him, but he would not look away from the teacher in charge. Funny boy. I'll post pictures of the program and S with his teacher as soon as I am able.

(Now I am able)
Here is O waiting for the program to begin, wearing a hat that Grandpa Kim custom made.


J & H waiting. (And looking exactly the same, I might add.)


There's S in the middle. There are a number of girls who think he's cute and that's one of them right next to him.


Mother's Day was nice. J bought me a really soft pink fuzzy robe from Bath & Body Works. When I opened it, he asked me if I remembered what I had said a few weeks earlier when we were in the store just looking around. I didn't, so he reminded me, which totally explains why he bought the robe: "If I had a robe like this, I would never wear clothes!" Apparently that translates to, "Must buy wife robe. Must buy wife robe," in J-speak. Men.

Here are some pictures with the three stupendous reasons I get to celebrate Mother's Day:


Here's a picture of one of the best pizzas I've ever made. Mrs. Renfro's jalapenos make all the difference.

May Some More

This is what I woke up to on the first day of the last week of school:

Gotta love Utah!

Our little H. He was running around our house and slid on the floor right into the corner of a wall. Ouch. If you look carefully at his right eye you can see the shiner he got. That plus the necklace (velveteen rabbit) and his swagger when he walks makes me think that some of the NJ that is part of who I am transferred pretty well to him.


Yes, that is a tomato cage that O has wedged over his head.


I bought our kids a wagon and I mean a wagon. This wagon has seatbelts, drink holders, a detachable cooler, a canopy. It can convert to a bench, and the handle folds neatly under the thing for compact storage. It has drains in the bottom for when it gets filled with water (which it will). It is one amazing wagon. The only thing it doesn't do very well? Turn. Yeah, we figured that out when I dumped O and H onto their heads on the asphalt. Nice.

Anyway, we spent an hour putting it together...


...before posing for a picture and taking off on a walk.

The Stupidest Article I've Ever Seen...

...can be found here. I am flabbergasted. Nearly speechless. Read it. It's incredible.