How to Get it Done!

When we first got pregnant my wonderful husband was so excited to buy an Osprey Poco. This is the premier child carrier for hiking. He researched and researched, became an expert, and finally settled on which model he wanted. It got to the point of annoying before he made his choice. But, he's thorough like his father. Well, decision made or not there were other priorities. So LD came and no Poco in our home.

After a promotion, and relocation, the hubs found one at his store's Used Gear Sale for a great price. So he got it for LD for Christmas. LD likes it and so do we! Hiking made possible, walking the dog made easier, and even laundry. Since he hates his carseat the Poco makes a great alternative! That is...until he falls asleep and you need to get him out.

Where's the maps? Why are the maps gone!?

In all the relocations I've made in my life I've never been more disappointed than the move to Fresno. It's not that its a terrible place, I actually like it here. We are members of the VW club, beard and moustache club, disc golf group, I'm a member of the local LLL chapter. It's nice...as long as you don't want to hit a trail (with a map) in any of the city or county parks, including recreational areas maintained by the county. There are no maps.

When we first ventured over the highway to the park, I asked the park attendant for a trail map. I got a map of the roads and that was about all that was on it. I was fairly disappointed, so I asked a different attendant...same map. I went online to find a map, surely someone has a map. I mean this park has 13 acres of land with nothing but trails. No. No trail maps anywhere. Not even a map of the cross country course, which is terrible since the CC CIF championships are held at this park. I gave up trying to find a map and figured my Garmins would end up mapping the park as we explored it. Fast forward to today. Now, one of our new years resolutions was to get out with LD into nature (the disc golf course doesn't count, neither does the park) at least once a month. I pulled up Google maps and hunted around for where to go that our bug could make the drive to.

Enter todays destination, a recreational area just about 10 miles out of town, Lost Lakes Rec Area. I found the place last week and started doing my research for what there was to do. According to the research there are hiking trails, nature trails, camping sites, fishing areas, backpacking, picnic areas etc. Sounds pretty great. I then started to try to find myself a map of these trails or at least the area. No dice. How the fuck does the county not have a damn map!? I searched and searched and came up dry. So we went and decided to live dangerously: map free. I didn't even bring my Garmin.

It was fun, cold and a short stroll along the nature trail. Our ever faithful dog got let off leash and had a ball! Very tired when we got home. LD was up in the Osprey Poco bundled up in a bunting suit and his knit wool beanie. We ran into another member of the beard and moustache club, he was out fly fishing, and chatted a bit. It was a short day out given that the temperature was below 45f and we wanted to make sure LD didn't get cold, or catch one. But its close enough that we may make a return trip in the next week or so and explore the other side.

I've started researching possibilities for our next outing and I may make it a requirement that they have a map. I want to enjoy nature and the wild life, not get lost and disappear in it.

Climb on!

The local park near us has all the usual park features: jungle gym, grassy areas, ponds, picnic areas, bathrooms etc. However, it also has some pretty awesome other features: disc golf course (complete with moving baskets, 18 holes, and putting area), cross country course, equine trails, BMX training area, BMX competition area, mountain bike skills area, freaking huge amphitheatre (shaded), dog park, 13 undeveloped acres with trails, Japanese garden, and one of the jungle gym areas has a boulder complete with holds. It's a outdoor freak's sanctuary in the city.

This morning we walked over (luxury of living just over the highway from the park) to the park with Little Dude and our dog for some time at the bouldering area. It's clearly posted, multiple times, its for ages 6+ with spotter and adult supervision at all times. We supervised ourselves. We tool turns traversing the boulder while the other walked the stroller and dog. It was a good little workout and free! It has some loose holds, but otherwise its perfect for being free-if you walk in. There's a spot to practice smearing, crack climbing, over hangs, chimney etc. This was our first time out there...probably shouldn't have chosen a Saturday, there were lots of little kids.

After lunch LD and I pulled out the hang board and laid it on his quilt for a little test to see how he felt about it. I had to eventually take it away as he kept using it to pull himself towards it. I think in a few short months we'll need to build him his own climbing wall for the apartment, once he's mastered that we can take him to the boulder at the park. Maybe take him after a round of disc golf just to show him. Let's face it, right now he can't truly decide if he will like it or want to do it. But what kid doesn't like climbing all over things?

Section Hiking and Vaccinating

Two hot topics from vastly different realms, but so much in common.

Now, if you're going to vaccinate you do it a little at a time. There are lots of "schedules" so there's definitely more than one way to skin a cat. Just as there are loads of ways to section hike the JMT, AT, & PCT. Let's take the CDC schedule and the JMT for sake of discussion and we'll start @ Happy Isles.

At birth babies receive the HepB vax, and when starting the JMT you have to get going from one end or the other-this case Yosemite NP. Now at 2 months baby is slated to get 5 different vaccinations. Or the back packers must get up and over the falls, past Half Dome and to Tuolomne Meadows. Now, these schedules leave little room for error, like only having 20 vacation days to section hike the JMT  throughout the year. You have 200+ miles to traverse and you don't want to do any back tracking persay. So you try to get off trail and back on in the same place. But sometimes its not possible, and you may have to (for whatever reason, say meeting up with a friend for that particular section) cover the same ground twice. And that is what we were faced with at our 4 month appointment today.

Who knew that not all vaccines were created equal, or compatible with the same vaccine from another manufacturer? I now know these things as we moved and the little dude (LD) got his 2 month vaccines from his old pediatrician and now his 4 month from his new pediatrician. I know this because the two offices use different brands and they are suggesting that LD receive extra doses of some vaccines so that their records show him fully vaccinated. Well, I want a vaccinated child, not an over vaccinated child. I don't want to go back to Happy Isles just to cover the same ground to get out of YNP, when getting back on trail were I got off will do just fine and cost me less time. So one would think with vaccines. And one might be wrong.

Our new pediatrician doesn't have contracts with the manufacturer of the vaccines LD already received, so they can't even order them. To facilitate vaccinating him he will have to get extra (read: unnecessary) doses of certain vaccines. The question is, how many extra doses? Well as mom and dad that's entirely up to us to decide. The full set, 2/3 of the set, or calling our old pediatrician in hopes of not over vaccinating at all (just the 8he round trip drive to see the old pediatrician). It would be so much easier to meet that friend at the postal service in Tuolomne than to start at Happy Isles again, but permits may not work out that way. What's a back packer to do?

Teething Stars and Whisky

I'm sure I'm not the first mama to think of this but is certainly entertaining. I have been looking about for those ice cube shaped cubes for liquor. The ones you throw in the freezer then put in your drink instead of ice to chill your drink without diluting it. Those. Haven't found them yet. But tonight as I sat holding a teething ring (star rather) for our little man it dawned on me: teething rings aught to work just as well!

I shot my hubs a text with my brilliant realisation and awaited the moment he would tell me I'm a sick and twisted person. It never came. Instead he told me it was a good idea. Ya buddy! Then we quickly discussed how long both our days were and that perhaps we'd share a glass of crown chilled via teething ring later after the little dude is asleep. But of course, that's after showers, daddy time, and story time. So that drink is still a few hours away.

p.s. Teething rings also make great ice packs for minor injuries. Just in case you ever need an ice pack stat and all you've got is teething rings.

These are like crimpers, Not yet, but someday

"Okay, grab a hold of my fingers. These are kind of like crimpers, well, you can grip all the way around my fingers but someday they will be like crimpers." The words I spoke to my son the other night as he has decided, at 4 months of age, that he doesn't want to sit, he wants to stand. So I was talking him through this standing thing. Which, I'm sure to those around me, was rather amusing.

"Okay, you're up now drop your heels...and you're down...and you're up, drop those heels, you'll be much more stable. This is a valuable piece of knowledge for climbing, always better grip when you drop your...and you're down." I'm probably not winning any awards for motivational speeches given to 4 month old children. But we continued.

"Grab a hold, just like that. Whenever you're ready get yourself up and remember to drop your heels. There you go, up and now drop your heels. And you're down again...and up, okay now drop the other heel. Stability is crucial in standing, as it is in climbing, and dropping your heels will be a huge hel...and you're down. Okay, next time. You'll get it next time." No you most likely won't. However, we'll keep working on it and you'll get it eventually.


It all happened when I let my son scoot around the carpet without putting a blanket down. Our apartment has thick shag carpet and he grabbed a hold and pulled himself along instead of scooting himself along. It was at that moment that I decided climbing was definitely in our sons future. I started putting the blanket down after that, but climbing jargon has been a part of raising him ever since.

breathe through it...

When you plan a home birth you usually get lumped into the crazy mother earth hippie category of people out there in this world. That's cool with me, I didn't mind. But in truth there was a lot of scientific reasoning behind my decision. 98% of all births in the United States do not require a hospital-the epidural is not necessary, it's a nice option though. 2% of birth require a hospital, and as it turned out my son's birth was one of those 2%. I had HELLP Syndrome at 36 weeks and it very often fatal. By the time I was induced my liver and kidneys were shutting down (hardcore shutting down, on a time table to deliver before permanent damage would be done) and my blood platelet levels were dismal. I was at risk of seizure and my son was at risk to lose everything. Luckily, I have amazing doctors and midwives . My midwives caught it early enough, my doctor had me induced as soon as she saw my blood work and my little dude and I did just fine. In fact, he was born perfectly healthy, every mothers dream. We were even able to have a fairly natural birth. I had two rounds of induction meds and that was it. My doula and husband supported me through the birth.

Which brings me to the title of this blog post. At some point during labor as I was experiencing coupling in my contractions my husband said, "just breathe through it." To which my response was something along the lines of, "Ron Kauk can breathe through it my ass." I'm pretty sure my husband then repeated himself and I likely threatened to smack him. Ron Kauk...climbing legend, and a man who has personally influenced my rock climbing technique. Back when my husband and I met (rock climbing in Yosemite National Park) we also met Ron. Ron had me on belay for some sport route and as I am afraid of heights (bad phobia for a rock climber, I know) I was struggling at some point on that route. Ron's words of wisdom, "Just breathe through it". I did, I was fine, he was stoned. Ever since its been a bit of an inside joke when faced with something that seems insurmountable (like spelling that word). It is at that moment that, my husband invoking Ron's words, that I should have known we would not be mainstream parents. We aren't anywhere near mainstream.

It's one heck of a journey being a parent, and I am often telling my son a variety of things that are important to climbing. Most parents probably wouldn't think they are important to greater scheme of life. So this is our journey of raising our son (and someday we will add to our family) our way.