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Thirsty Thursday: Flying Solo

Rambler: Beth Drink at Hand: Prospect 49 Boomtown Red (thanks BevMo 5¢ Wine Sale!)

Hey hey hey! Thirsty Thursday is here! Time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. I've already made my plans and I'm super excited. I've caught the mountain bug, so I'm headed up to the Sierra again this weekend. Time to take Massey on her first overnight backpack trip. The bummer is that Terry is stuck in a computer nerd training class this weekend, so he can't go along. Just me and the dog. That's right, just me and the dog. Alone. In the wilderness.

The reaction I get when I say I'm headed out backpacking alone is always interesting. I normally get a gasp, followed by the following conversation...

Concerned bystander: Your husband isn't going with you?

Me: Well, yeah, he 100% would be going with me if he were free, but he's not, and I want to go to the mountains before it starts snowing for the year. So, no, he's not going with me.

Concerned bystander: Does he know you're going by yourself?

Me: Yes, he knows I'm going. And I am taking my dog so I won't be alone.

Concerned bystander: And he's okay with it?

Me: Yeah, he's perfectly fine with it...this isn't the first time I've done this. 

Concerned bystander: I don't know if its a good idea. You better be careful. Do you know what you're doing? 

It goes on and on. Every time it's the same conversation. I have snarky, sarcastic replies to every one of these questions, but I keep them to myself. My favorite part is right after they ask if my husband is going and I answer no. They look at me as if I just said its okay to come to work naked on Friday. I love Terry to death and I would love to have him right there along with me, but let's be honest, when it comes to outdoorsy stuff, Terry isn't the authority in our house. He's very competent in the woods and can figure stuff out, but I'm normally the one making the outdoor decisions around here. Besides, he's the guy that smashes his face on rocks, or snaps a lens off the front of the camera while tumbling down a mountainside, or thinks that hanging precariously off a cliff over a raging river to get a shot is just fine...honestly, he requires more tending to out there than me. Yet I guarantee that no one would look at him incredulously and ask him why his wife isn't going along when he says he's headed into the woods for a weekend by himself. Funny little social nuance, isn't it?

Ironically, I was planning to be in the mountains all fall. Earlier this summer I had filled out the application to do the NOLS Outdoor Educator Semester in Lander, WY. The course I planned to attend actually started this week. My GI Bill would have covered the tuition costs. The skills I would have learned would lend themselves perfectly to our dream business plan of accompanying people on their adventures and expeditions as documentary photographers. The same week I was all set to submit my application package and buy some new long underwear, I got a call for a job interview. The interview turned into a job. I really like my job. And I love that I have a paycheck again. Plus I get to see Terry all fall rather than spending 50-some days apart while I went through the course. But a little part of me wishes I was somewhere in the Wind River Range right now, learning how to climb...and I was really looking forward to the snow cave part of the course. Someday...

So I'm headed out to the Sierra as a little consolation prize for me. Besides, I love a solo adventure every now and again. I like being able to wander and think. I used to get my alone time on the bike throughout the week while I was training for Leadville, but with the new job and no bike racing, I've been without that regular solo release. Plus my solo backpacking trips are always centered around some photography work, and I the freedom to work independently while sizing up a subject and lining up a composition is quite nice.  I know I'll miss having my favorite hiking / photo buddy along, but I'll be just fine. And I have my guard dog to keep me company.

And at the end of the day, if you're out there doing what you love, even if there is a hint of danger involved, that's what matters. So I'll be doing what I love in the Kaiser Wilderness this weekend. Its going to be awesome!

Thirsty Thursday: Eastern Sierra Recap

Rambler: Beth Drink at Hand: 2008 Ventana Chardonnay...oh so buttery yummy!

Its Thirsty Thursday once again...time to pur something yummy and make those weekend plans...or in this case, re-live an awesome weekend gone-by.

I brought work home every night this week, and every night I played with photos from our latest trip to the Sierra instead. Work will always be there, right? But there will soon be more trips to the Sierra and I can't have unedited photos hanging in the queue. As you've probably already noticed from our previous posts or rambles/rants on twitter, facebook, etc, we had a great time in the mountains, despite the boring skies and lack of dramatic light. I told my boss when I got back that Tuesday, it was an incredibly beautiful weekend in the mountains and a horrible weekend for photography! But nevertheless, we still came away with a few nice images. Aaaaand, we didn't have to worry about frostbite, getting drenched in a thunderstorm, or wind blowing the tripod over (all things that have happened before!).

These are my favorites from the weekend. Perhaps you'll see something you like. If you do, leave a comment. And as always, thanks for stopping by!

Sunrise at Silver Lake.  

Terry working his magic at Convict Lake. 

 Mono Lake is always a challenge for me. I rarely come away happy at sunrise or sunset. I suppose it didn't help that a bratty kid threw rocks at me this time around while I was composing a shot. He was lucky his parents called him back over not long after. This was from a hidden parking lot where there were no people, thank goodness.

 Terry had never been to Bodie, so I was more than happy to show him around the old mining town. Love shooting here, just wish the park hours were a little more photographer friendly. Some morning light here would be fantastic.

 On our last morning we went to Convict Lake again. We shot from the dam this time...a cliche composition of this lake, but I hadn't shot this angle before. Afterwards we hiked the trail around the lake, mainly so Massey could get a good run in before the 6-hour drive home. Some of my favorites from the weekend are from this hike.

 Finally, in the last 10 minutes of our last hike, some clouds moved in and gave us a few shadows and a hint of drama. And then it was time to drive home.

Massey Monday: Conversations

Massey loved her weekend in the Sierra. This scene is from the far side of Convict Lake. Convict Creek fingers out before it dumps into the lake, and this boardwalk helps to keep a hiker's boots dry. Massey doesn't mind getting wet though...she loved these little mountain streams. Terry and Massey had a quick conversation before she unleashed her energy on the shady grove of aspens and cottonwoods fingered with rushing mountain run-off.

Thirsty Thursday: Eastern Sierra - A Preview

Rambler: Terry Drink in Hand: Chicken Noodle Soup (recovering from a cold I caught last weekend)

If you happened to follow our Instagram feed (or twitter or facebook) you probably realized that we were in the Eastern Sierras last weekend. Long story short, we slept in our Honda Element (the two of us and Miss Massey), woke up early early to catch the morning light, hiked around all day (Miss Massey enjoyed this part), photographed the sunset, and the drove to the next place and started it all over. What a great three days. Needless to say we (I) took way too many pictures. Neither of us have really done much editing but here are a couple that I did tonight. More to come later!

Thirsty Thursday: Eastern Sierra

Rambler: Beth Drink at Hand: Marilyn Remark 2009 Rose de Saignee...if you haven't had a Marilyn Remark wine yet, you owe it to yourself to try one if you can find it. Joel and Marilyn make some fantastic wines...and if you can splurge for the Grenache, do it! Or come visit us and we'll take you to the tasting room just around the corner from us.

Now that I got the free plug for the local winery out of the way, its time to get down to business. Another Thursday here, another night to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. I haven't gotten to write a TT for a couple of weeks, but now that all my bike racing is out of the way for awhile, I have a little more time to write bloggies and a lot more time for weekend adventures of the non-pedal-powered variety.

This weekend Welliver Photography is headed to the Eastern Sierra! I've been there a few times but Terry's only been there for a few hours...miserable and expensive hours at that. The plan for the weekend is "there is no plan!" We got a cabana for the Honda Element so we can throw down the therm-a-rests and sleeping bags and cuddle up with Massey in the back of the car to sleep. We'll drive around searching for good stuff during the day. Should be fun.

I remember my first time in the Sierra. I headed out of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite for 4 days of solo backpacking. Having grown up with family vacations to Colorado followed by 5 years of living in Colorado Springs, I've always had a thing for the Rockies. But that first time I went to the Sierra blew me away. After those 4 days, I was hooked. The mountains are gorgeous, the alpenglow and twilight colors are phenomenal, the clouds are fantastic. I fully embrace any opportunity I can to get there, and I can't wait to share some sights with T.

Like I said, there is no plan. I pulled a few of my favorites from my visit there last fall. So many things we could check out this weekend...Bodie, Mono Lake, the June Lake Loop, Buttermilk Valley, Bristlecone Pines, Owens Valley, Alabama Hills, countless sub-alpine lakes, canyons, aspen stands...the choices are endless. I think we'll be tired on Monday evening!

 

 

 

 

Thirsty Thursday: Wine

Rambler: Terry Drink in Hand: 2009 Talbott Pinor Noir

Typically, TT has been about traveling to some gorgeous location or just simply getting out of the house. But today, the theme is listening to good music and sipping yummy wine. So, this weekend, listen to the music you love. Listen to it loud if you want. Enjoy whatever it is you like to drink. Enjoy the weekend and relax for a change. We're definitely going to try to.

Thirsty Thursday: Wildflowers

Rambler: Terry Drink in Hand: 2008 Titan Hills Fiasco (recommended by the local grocery store manager...and it's excellent!)

Last Thursday I posted some images of the gorgeous and grand landscapes that we were able to see during our week in Leadville, CO.  This week I thought I'd post a few photos of the many, many flowers we saw.  I still have a dozen or so photos process and I hope to post them at a later date...but I hope you enjoy these!

Massey Monday: Excitement

I've taken too many pictures of her over this last week. I'm sure I'll eventually end up being posting them as a Massey Monday; but, I think, this picture sums up Massey's Colorado experience. As much as she misses her Ft. Ord stomping grounds, I'm sure she doesn't want to go back just yet (and neither do we). Too much fun.

Thirsty Thursday: Thin Air

Rambler: Terry Drink in Hand: 2007 Rascal Pinot Noir (Oregon - Willamette Valley)

I don't know what you're doing this weekend, but we're up in the Colorado mountains. Beth has her 100 mile Mountain Bike race (aka, the Leadville 100) this Saturday and we (the Wellie Wheel Folks) are the support crew. She's been out training all week adjusting to the altitude and I've been out hiking (with Massey of course -- a story for another time, but she is a ninja-dog-warrior) and shooting. I know, my life is tough. Most of my evenings are spent editing the pics and sipping wine. Again, rough life. Anyways, I need to get back to editing (and drinking). . . enjoy the few photos taken in the thin air up here. Oh, and if you remember, support Wellie (aka Beth) on her quest to finish the 100 miles of hell that is the Leadville 100!!!