Steamboat Without the Kid Appendages

Had an adventure sans kiddos. Can't remember the last time I was without the buggers for 3 days. Lin & Tim made the most of it, lots of hiking, great dinners, bike rides, Strawberry hot springs...gushy romantic stuff.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

A really tight spot, can you catch me?

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Haven't seen these gals in a while. Poudre Canyon.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Gilpin Lake. 9 Rainbow Trout in <1 hr.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Bad shit. Crappy photographer.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Good shit. Romancing the stones.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Black Hills Vacation

The Wilders recently spent 5 days in the Black Hills. We were overwhelmed by the contrasting beauty of the landscape and the ugliness of the towns and highways. The BH are beautiful in a mostly subtle way, with rolling hills topped with granite pillars and lush undergrowth in stream bottoms.




However, the towns and highways can be downright hideous. The aesthetic in me wondered how people could mess up a beautiful area so badly, with oversized billboards and tacky Flintstones-type tourist traps. All in all, though, we had a great time.


Caving. Pretty cool, much more interesting than I expected.


"Wild" Burros in Custer State Park. A highlight event.




Mickelson Trail. What a good feeling it is to be going downhill, finally!



Yes, the Ibis did get out for a very rocky, technical part of the Centennial Trail...definitely need to come back some day to explore some more.

AGSM

This is what AGSM (A Great Saturday Morning) Looks Like:

- Good nights sleep: check
- Bike ready to roll: check
- Sunshine & cool breeze: check
- Sweet singletrack close to home: check
- Scenery for miles: check
- Issues left at home: check
- Hordes still in bed: check

The Rise and Fall of Biker Man

Tim & David on Group Ride, circa 2006
Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

He lines up at the front of the starting line, ridiculously fit and ready to crush the field...the fancy jersey and expensive bike attests to his prowess on 2 wheels. He instills fear in the field as he blasts off up the hill, turning over his big 48X16 up the 8% grade, reaching the top of the hill in front. The way is clear to the finish, a fast and easy flow, and this supposes to be his day to shine and impress his mortal buddies back home...

...little does he realize that the world has other plans for him, of the humbling kind. The first sign of trouble occurs on a long technical descent, when his mojo comes spewing out, releasing him into a 3-foot deep mud pool. It is merely the beginning of a long 70 mile long struggle, as he fights fatigue and mud and confusion and chain suck, see-sawing his way back and forth through the field. Before the day is through he realizes that he is just some anonomous junior geezer who can afford an expensive bike, fitter than 90% of the population but no real natural biking talent. Has he watched too much of the dreamy, TV world of The Tour? Doesn't he realize that he's no longer 20 something and that actually he does need a recovery week, a reasonable diet, 8 hours of sleep a night, and that in the end it all doesn't matter because it's all in his fucking mind anyhow? 6 hours, 43 minutes later he finishes. Well that was interesting. 12 of the last 20 hilly miles without granny gears. Legs like rain-soaked logs. Stomach that felt like St. Helens before it blew. A defeated ego. But still...a finish, a no-dabs HQ climb, a complete lack of cramping, a time within a few minutes of last year despite all the walking and bitching and stopping. Get over it, what's the problem?

Copper Triangle V-1 Ride

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Beautiful scenery, great friends, good weather...what more can you ask for in the Colorado Rockies. The 80-mile loop is a classic mountain tour, and one of my favorites. About 15 Velo-One riders, plus my buddies Toby & Bob, had a great time as we chased each other up and down the mountain passes.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

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4th of July Family Trip

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

The Wilder family had a great 4th, with an awesome hike up Mosquito Pass outside Alma, Colorado, followed by a parade & fireworks in Breckenridge. I participated in the Firecracker 50, a 50mile mtb race outside Breckenridge.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Clash of the Titans

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

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Two Warriors battle it out for supremecy of the Wilder staircase...

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Red Desert of Wyoming

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

We spent the weekend in the Red Desert of Wyoming (in the middle of nowhere!) Rain threatened to strand us due to bentonite clay roads that turn to goo when wet. We had a harrowing drive out with the entire vehicle and popup slipping sideways on the banked road when a storm came out of nowhere. Headed up to Lander area where the roads were better and went to South Park City to explore. Despite the rain, loved Adobe Town spires, wild horses and the short-horned lizard we saw.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

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Hail Vs. Jack Rascal

One dog's quest to rid Colorado of hailstorms.

Bike to the Top of Colorado

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Climb up Mt Evans. Over 8,000 feet of climbing, 75 miles, up to 14,130 feet.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Bergen Park - Mt Evans - Idaho Springs at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trail Maps

PWD

The boys finished their first Pinewood Derby event with the cub scouts. Heres a little video of the event:

Spring Break-Out

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Today I'm on paid leave enjoying nice deep flat-lander powder but just a short week ago I was out in California with the rest of the family seeing Gramy/Pappa Donn and Grandpa Jim and Jane.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed visiting the relatives. The gold mine tour was a highlight, with hardhats and the jeep ride underground. We adventured to many historical sites, including the Indian Grinding Rocks and gold mining tailing wheels.

The boys really improved at skiing at Tahoe-Donner. It was all well and good until unbeknownst to Hanna and me, Sam tried to follow us while snow shoeing and got lost. While returning, Hanna heard a strange howling and lo and behold, we discovered Sam alone in the woods.

Kamakaze Squirrels & Etc

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Last week I was on an apparently normal lunch time loop ride, minding my own beeswax cruising along on my road bike when all of a sudden a small shape appeared from out of the riparian woods...AND

bounded up into the air, a furry bundle of flesh and blood, about the size of a squirrel...in fact, it was a squirrel...who had formulated a desperate plan to cross the bike path in front of my whirring wheels in search of...whatever. But Ka-POW!!! he launched a moment too late and collided, the entire fur-ball, into my leg, pushing me an entire millimeter out of my chosen path. The surprise was mutual, and I don't suspect I'll ever see the confused critter again.

Eiseman Hut

Bald Mountain Backcountry at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Great 5 day trip with the DWEAM Team (aka Depth Hoar Research Society), higlighted by the Bald Mountain expedition and the north ridge carving festival (see photo below). Eiseman Hut deserves its great reputation, helped by great powder and plenty of skiable terrain.

Skiing with Kids

Had a fabulous day at Loveland this weekend, with the buddies 3rd time trying the slopes. We had had loads of fun though the drive to the mountains on 1-70/1-25 is still a real bummer.

Six Word Memoirs

From the Book, Not Quite What I Was Planning, some 6 word family memoirs:

Secret agent of entropy, blamed brother.
Never delicate flower, always hearty weed.
She wins hearts whereever she goes.
Passed gas till poop came out.
Bed games great till kids came.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Never a Bad Snowflake

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Having some fun this year with friends in the great white uplift known as the Rocky Mtns. Could just as well be the Windy Mtns most times, but there have been some really stellar powder days.

Me, I'm bi - enjoying mixing it up with some AT & some Tele. Seems like the snow doesn't really care what I do. Lots of smiles all the way around.

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Originally uploaded by Wilderwomn

Catching Up

Back on line after a long break...time to catch up.

Youngling jedis battling out with their xmas presents.




Summer solstice at the Gould cabin..