Shakaka Unbound

Smoke Storm.

For the past week fires have raged in Eastern Washington.  The "Wenatchee complex" as it is known, is contributing to hazardous and unhealthy air quality in Wenatchee and Leavenworth.  Another fire on Mt. Cashmere in the Icicle canyon has lead to road and trailhead closures.  For Liz and I, this has meant a second look at our objectives and goals for these last few weeks of our stay here in Leavenworth.

Burn it down.

Family and Friends.

Fall is underway here in Leavenworth.  Kids are back in school, the light is softer and the air has a chill.  Liz and I are finished with work for the season and for us this means an opportunity to use the changing of the seasons as a time for personal reflection and growth.  For a lot of climbers this much time off would warrant road trips or weekend visits to nearby destinations, but for Liz and I, this time is a stay-cation. We've been reading, catching up on the missed yoga, enjoying using our oven again, and generally enjoying life.  The cooler temperatures mean we've been able to get back down to the crags and domes that line the canyons, the rubber on our shoes is feeling a little stickier and our palms a little less sweaty.  We've had some visitors this week as well, my brother Taylor managed to make it our for a short visit, getting a quick tour of the area with a hike up to Stuart Lake and a lap up the tireless Castle Rock, sending the six pitches of Catapult and Midway with ease.  Scotty's back with Shakaka and has fallen right into our routine of climbing and laughing, and drinking coffee.

Salt Lake City and Back

This last week we spent visiting family and friends in Salt Lake City.  For a weeklong vacation, even to drive the 800+ miles from Leavenworth to SLC is a hefty undertaking.  When you don't have a car, things get interesting.  You've got to get creative for these types of across the country get-togethers.  Bicycling isn't really an option for traveling such a long distance in a short amount of time.  When Liz and I started considering our travel options for this trip, a lot of larger questions started to arise.  Would we be compromising any of our beliefs or newfound passion for this lifestyle?  Would there be anything wrong with that?  What are our options and what do they mean for us, our family, and our society?  Compromise is a part of any relationship, and so far the sacrifices have been on our side.  We're not evangelical about what we're doing, but we are serious, and this (life) is all an experiment right?  We're trying to explore the concepts of mobility that so many of us take for granted.  Well let’s go...

How many miles per gallon?