Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

wow! that shadow monster is AMAZING! I've seen some pretty amazing visual strangeness since climbing in the Pacific NW. On the summit of Sahale peak there was a circular rainbow surrounding my shadow on the pinnacle like a crown. And near Mt Jefferson there was this weird phenomenon where a shadow of yourself projects upward into fog and appears to be a giant standing above you, spookiness! I'll have to try to find my photos.....

_________________
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive. What the world needs is people who have come alive."
~Omar "PureHeart"

http://www.jessiloveslife.com

Yowza--I'd love to see that glory! That's what the rainbow around your shadow is called, a glory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_(optical_phenomenon) Saw my first one scoping out Mt. Sniktau http://www.summitpost.org/mount-sniktau/152332 on the Continental Divide on New Year's Eve. I always had to scope it out first because I'd start climbing again in the dark around 3 AM on New Year's Day so that my view at the top would be the first sunrise of the new year. Not so easy to do in the Pacific Northwest when you're socked in with clouds most of the winter. (sigh)

The first time I did this was on the mountain on the other side of Loveland Pass from Mt. Sniktau a few years prior. It was near blizzard conditions and I had no decent gear, not even a headlamp. I carried one of those massive Maglites all the way up and all the way down; I think my pack must have tipped the scales at 35 pounds or so. At the summit, I had to strip down completely naked and change into a dry set of clothing I had brought along because I hadn't heard of Goretex or Thinsulate yet. Go ahead, strip down in a blizzard some time and see how it feels--Yipe! Right after I got warm, the storm broke at sunrise and I was treated to a specTACular view, not to mention snow devils full of whirling diamonds in the sun. Not bad.

Man, I'm ready for snowshoe season!

Baby Herc

_________________
Power [][][][][][][][][][]
Speed [][]
Stamina [][][][][][]
Smarts [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
http://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.wordpress.com/

When I'm not afraid of the outside world, yes.

OK, I found the answers to my questions; the trip report has been updated. Some really great folks came to my aid.

Dallas, the wilderness is relatively harmless...relative to the city, that is. :wink: Try it sometime, I look forward to hearing about your adventures.

Baby Herc

_________________
Power [][][][][][][][][][]
Speed [][]
Stamina [][][][][][]
Smarts [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
http://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.wordpress.com/

Anybody getting out in the snow yet and having fun? Not much but rain here in the Pacific Northwest but you can always get out to the coast for some storm watching. It's a favorite hobby among the locals.

My latest attempt at storm watching here: http://allthoughtswork.wordpress.com/20 ... -10-24-10/ Another trip with snowshoeing coming soon.

Baby Herc

_________________
Power [][][][][][][][][][]
Speed [][]
Stamina [][][][][][]
Smarts [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
http://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.wordpress.com/

Wow. That is so awesome.

I have a very high appreciation for the outdoors.. I think it would vastly improve my mood if I got out more and saw stuff like this. I haven't gotten out nearly enough in my life and spent way too much time in front of a computer.
My husband and I want to go hiking.. I'm not sure when. I'm always hoping to see snakes and things yet haven't seen much... there are some woods around here, and I saw a wild snake only once (it was in Oklahoma).. I think it was just like a garden snake or something but I didn't get a good look because my mom freaked out and wanted to leave.

I love da schnekkies, too! (schnekkies = snakes) Here's one of my favorite hikes with a schnekkie adventure within it: http://allthoughtswork.wordpress.com/20 ... d-ladders/

This is not really the time of year to see them but it's still a fabulous time to begin scoping out trails you'll want to do in the summertime: the trails have fewer people on them now, they are quieter, there's more parking at the trail heads, and your body needs as much sunlight as it can get right now. Even a dark overcast day is many times brighter than the most brightly lit indoor room. Put on some clothes you don't mind getting a little muddy and get out there!

Baby Herc

_________________
Power [][][][][][][][][][]
Speed [][]
Stamina [][][][][][]
Smarts [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
http://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.wordpress.com/

Another great snowshoeing trip under my belt. Now, I only have about a dozen more adventure reports to catch up on and edit. (sigh) http://allthoughtswork.wordpress.com/20 ... -12-16-10/

Baby Herc

_________________
Power [][][][][][][][][][]
Speed [][]
Stamina [][][][][][]
Smarts [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
http://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.wordpress.com/

I am a person who has always wanted to be super outdoorsey so I am working on becoming that now. I am learning to white water kayak and rock climb and hike/backpack. It is helping me get back in shape too. An organization I am involved with is summiting Mt. Hood in June, and I would love to do it but I am just not sure if I am up for that one yet.

I keep vowing that I'm going to be more outdoorsy but I'm too obsessed with jiu jitsu and that's mainly indoors. Maybe this summer ill actually do it.

Theres nothing like doing some yoga in the wide open spaces.

Lisa, that is awesome! Mt. Hood is so amazing; I'll be up there, myself, all summer, bagging the rest of the trails that connect to Timberline Trail. It's the closest place that offers above-treeline views and actual geothermal activity. I'll be scoping out fumeroles as I hike. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumarole

Regarding summiting Mt. Hood: know how to tell when you are ready to summit something? When it seems like the most natural thing in the world to do and you are so excited, you look forward to it constantly. If your mind is mostly filled with fear and what-if's, you're not in the sweet spot yet. When you get to the place of "I was MADE to do this! Why haven't I done this earlier?" you know you're there. You can get someone else to teach you climbing technique but only you can train you mentally, and trust me, that's the biggest part of scaling a mountain. Ain't nothing like standing on that summit, girl! You're gonna love it! Woo-HOO!

Plenty of good stuff to do on Hood in the meantime--as soon as they open up Cloud Cap Road to vehicles this spring, get up to Cooper Spur and hang out as much as you can at elevation. It will condition your body as well as acclimate your mind to that kind of topography. When it feels "normal" to be hangin' out with eagles and glaciers and rocky precipices, it'll be an easy walk over to the wilder side. Barrett Spur is another fun little pointy spot that you can get to from Elk Cove Trail, Pinnacle Ridge Trail, or Vista Ridge Trail. The roads for those will suck for a while yet, though. If you can get to the Sisters, I have a lot of friends who like to train there, too. Then, there's always the ultimate, Smith Rock. http://www.smithrock.com/

Baby Herc

_________________
Power [][][][][][][][][][]
Speed [][]
Stamina [][][][][][]
Smarts [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
http://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.wordpress.com/

Mmmmm...that sounds delish, Jacob. I'm imagining Corpse Pose in a field of tall waving grass on a mild summer's day. Of course, it can easily turn into Nap Pose!

Baby Herc

_________________
Power [][][][][][][][][][]
Speed [][]
Stamina [][][][][][]
Smarts [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
http://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.wordpress.com/

I'm with you. I experienced a shift wherein my need to live out of a tent was exchanged for a need for hot showers and a dry, warm room to stretch in each morning. I'm a daytripper now, with occasional overnights in friends' houses on the coast. Nothing like a six-bedroom mansion on the beach for a Base Camp.

Baby Herc

_________________
Power [][][][][][][][][][]
Speed [][]
Stamina [][][][][][]
Smarts [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
http://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.wordpress.com/

I'm going hiking in Muir Woods this weekend for the first time ever! It made me think of this thread. I hardly ever go hiking, so I'm really looking forward to it.

_________________
vegan for the win!