Personal Snowflakes

It has been a while since I have had enough time to justify sitting down to my computer and updating this thing...I suppose school occupied a fair amount of my time and Haylee took the rest. Sorry to those of you who may feel neglected or lacking in "Cody time." Know that I still do care about you and hope that things are going well for you!

Today, I had a great time skiing with my dad at Lookout Ski hill. We were lucky enough to have a bluebird day with a skiff of new snow to soften the blow of the not-so-new snow underneath.The mountain really was spectacular today. There is one thing that really will never get old for me and that is the mountains. Occasionally, I feel like living out in the mountains forever would be the greatest thing ever and then I remember that I have desires to be a contributing member of this world. Maybe in my next life right?

Anyhow, at one point my dad and I found a run nearly untouched by skis or dirty snowboards. We happily embarked down the hill enjoying the quietness the new snow brought with the stability of fresh groomer laying beneath. It was a high-speed powder rush, perfectly legal too. As I skied down this run I couldn't even begin to comprehend how awesome it all was. The snow sparkled, literally, like a million twinkling lights. I thought about how each one of those twinkles was really just one snowflake. How all of this snow I was gliding on was just a bunch of those single snowflakes piled together. It is pretty amazing how something so small, such as a snowflake, can create something incredibly large and beautiful. So large that it is impossible to completely comprehend.  Each individual snowflake perhaps not that remarkable to the casual observer, but stunning upon further investigation, created a scene that words simply cannot aptly portray.

While skiing I had the opportunity to reflect on events over the last year and I have realized that I have a few snowflakes of my own. While each individual snowflake may not be all that "amazing," combined they make something I call, 2013. So much has happened it is pointless to even try to describe the thousands of miles on the bike, the hundreds of miles ran/hiked/swam, the countless climbing routes, and the amazing people I have met (And I guess the things I learned in school). I am incredibly grateful for the memories that I have of 2013 thus far. I feel that it has created a great springboard for 2014 to be even better. I have a hunch that is is going to be a great year. One thing is for sure, there is a REALLY big snowflake on the horizon for Haylee and I at the first of the year.

I couldn't be happier thinking about the events which will occur in the next couple of weeks. I feel very blessed for the things which have led to this point. I suppose that I did not realize what each of those snowflakes was creating, but now it's quite clear what they've been up to. I wish I could describe it to you so you could begin to understand, but my selfish side wants to keep it private and yet another side of me is quite sure there are not strong enough words to describe such emotions. Suffice it to say, I am purely and utterly, completely, totally, and hopelessly in love with my best friend. I can't wait to spend eternity with her. It will be the greatest journey I have had yet.

May you all have a Merry Christmas! Please don't forget to stop and look at your personal snowflakes. Especially, don't forget to look at the fantastic portrait they create! You may be surprised by how much Heavenly Father has blessed you.

Technology Almost Killed My Joy

Haylee forgot her sunglasses in Idaho...

Nowadays we have technology involved in basically everything we do almost every single day. Cool right? Well, maybe not so much if you are the one who got rear-ended by that chatter box on their cellphone. Or maybe you are the one who texts all through class and doesn’t actually get the education you pay for. Or perhaps you are so obsessed with Facebook that you neglect the friends that are actually physically present in your life. While we are all guilty of letting technology creep in on us a little too much I don’t blame us. I mean, they invented it to make life more interesting and exciting. Or maybe it was just to make a whole ton of money off all of us suckers…regardless, we use it. I had an experience that happened over the last year or so that I thought I would share concerning technology. My experience with technology nearly killed one of the joys in my life. Here’s what went down:

About a year ago my brother, Taylor, showed me a new app called Strava. It is used on a smartphone to track distance, elevation gain, average speed, and compare your time on certain segments with other cyclists. Definitely a cool idea and a ton of fun! I decided to try it out late last fall while I was living in. Lewiston. My first segment was the Lewiston grade hill climb. I think I placed 14^th out of 80 on my first ride. What ensued was a battle inside of me that kept longing for a faster time, a higher place on the ranking board. What did I stand to gain? Basically nothing.

A screenshot of what my latest ride felt like

Over the next 10 months I began to ride for time. I rode to try and beat other people, or at least give other people a time to beat. I rode faster and enjoyed riding less. It seemed like every time I headed out with two wheels underfoot it was to out do someone or try and do a ride faster. Yeah, riding was still fun, but it didn’t feel like it was the motivation that got me out the door to ride anymore. Then something happened early in the summer that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, two somethings actually. First, I crashed on my road bike and injured myself to the point that I couldn’t ride for about two months. Second, my smartphone decided to be dumb and died. What this essentially did to me was reset my riding back to square one.

Once I was finally able to get some time in the saddle I didn’t have Strava, because I had a new phone and didn’t download the app yet. I went out riding, because I missed it. I took it slow compared to my previous riding mode. I rediscovered why I loved bicycles. It was as if I had forgotten the reasons I loved to ride bikes before and I was able to experience it for the first time ever, all over again! I hadn’t even noticed that technology had killed the joy I had previously found in riding bikes. I am so glad I found out before it was too late and my joy of bikes was possibly ruined.

The view from one of the lookouts I rode to

Don’t get me wrong, I love technology, I even still use Strava. I do think that we as a society let it run our lives way too much though. I think it is healthy to step back and evaluate my relationship with technology and discovering the places that it doesn’t need to be. It is refreshing to rediscover a sense of freedom that somehow a form of technology was able to rob me of. I plan to continue searching for that stolen freedom. Happy trails!

Words Never Tasted So Good

Haylee and I hanging out on the swings in Harrison, Idaho

There have been many times in my life that I have eaten my own words. Like saying I’d never hit a tree skiing or that I would never live in Lewiston, Idaho. While both of those events, when they occurred, were not the most pleasant times in my life I still walked away with something. The tree left scars and Lewiston gave me asthma. It is funny how often it happens that I say I will NEVER EVER do something and then not too long after that I turn around and do just that. I suppose that’s just karma doing its job. 

Recently, karma has kicked me square in the bottom and changed the way I think, the way I live, and the things I want in life. All for the better. I don’t expect anyone to completely understand what has happened in my life during the last six months. How could you anyways? After all, you are not me. All I can tell you is that I’m happier now than I have ever been in my whole life. If you can’t understand that then, likely, we aren’t close friends. 

The evening I proposed

The words that I recently ate that seemed to satisfy some hunger deep within my soul were the following, “I will never get engaged/married quickly.” Yep, that’s right, I’m engaged. And I couldn’t be happier. I have to apologize to anyone who I ever gave a hard time to who progressed quickly in a relationship, I get it now. Haylee and I have had many experiences that have led us to this point in our lives and that is all that needs to be said. 

Skiing at Grand Targhee Ski Resort, Wyoming

Just in case you are wondering how we met it goes like this: The first time was rock climbing. A few months went by and we met again in a ski class. We saw each other each week but nothing more. Then we were snowed-in in Driggs and spent the evening together while waiting for roads to open. First date was March 2012 in Ashton, Idaho we went snowmobiling. The semester ended and I was transferring so things ended. A year went by and we decided we wanted to make things work. So we did. 

Our first date March 2012

This past week was a pretty monumental week in our relationship as we became engaged. I don’t feel like sharing all the details with the world, because really it’s not for the world to know. I will say a few words about that day though. While we were rock climbing earlier in the day I had a knot of excitement in my stomach and it was hard to contain myself. When Haylee began to realize what was happening it was so much fun to watch her face light up. I fell in love with her all over again at least 100 different times that evening. And most importantly, she said “Yes!”

 

While eating words can be painful and humiliating at times I am happy to report that the words that I’ve been eating as of late are the best I’ve ever eaten. I’ve learned more about myself in the last six months than any other time in my life. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I found the one person that literally means everything to me. It is really a very small thing to eat a few words in order to experience all of that. I’m sure that I will eat my own words many more times in my life, but I have a hard time thinking that any could taste better than these…

Watching Taylor water ski on lake Coeur d' Alene

Sadie should float right?

Hanging out on the boat

Mountain biking on Moscow Mountain

On the trail

The lookout we biked to

Climbing in Post Falls, Idaho

Post Climbing, still smiling

Deathfall Wall

At the boardwalk in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

Random band playing in downtown Coeur d' Alene

Our ride to dinner

All smiles here!

Views over Lake Coeur d' Alene

Haylee being really happy

We made it to dinner with time to spare

The best ice cream in all of Harrison...maybe the only ice cream too.

This is for the girls.

Not a bad spot for dinner if you ask me.

Haylee in the wheat field by my parent's home

Dropping Haylee off at the airport, definitely not fun!!

Just For The Hill Of It

 

"Semper Fi"

Saturday was a good day. It's as simple as that. Some times I feel like that's all that really needs to be said after a good bike ride surrounded by good company. I mean really, can I even begin to touch on all the fine details. As life would have it though, people enjoy hearing about the fine details, such as: a bee that somehow flew UNDER my sunglasses while I was descending the White Bird Grade cruising at a speed of about 32mph or the fact that I have a pretty killer spandex tan line, I'm sure you all wanted to know that.

This was the first time I've done the White Bird hill climb in a few years, it's been at least four or five since I last rode in it. My previous time for the ride was right under an hour at 59 minutes and some change. I had two goals in mind when I lined up Saturday morning to begin the ride: I wanted to beat my previous time and finish in the top five. Well, I got one of them.

At the end of the ride

The ride begins on a gravel road for about 3/4 of a mile and while we were riding the last 20 feet of gravel I just about went down hard due to some serious slippage in the deep stuff. Recovering my dignity and getting back in the pace line I continued down the road. When the hill really started to unveil its ugly 2300 foot face I began to wonder why in the world I was doing this, FOR FUN on a Saturday? To be frank, I don't have an answer that would make much sense to you. If I had to put into words it would go something like this, because I think it is fun to make my muscles hurt bad and get sweat in my eyes. Something about it revs my engine....or pedals my cranks...

The actual hill is about 10 miles long and contains 23 gnarly switchbacks. It's a big enough hill that some people's cars aren't fit to make it to the top, and here I am on a bicycle. Awesome. In reality, riding up a big hill on a bicycle is just like riding up a small hill, just doing it several times over. You put your head down, spin fast, don't look too far ahead, and enjoy the scenery. I think that everyone should try something like it at least once in their life, maybe even twice. You never know where you might find happiness and fulfillment.

This sculpture was made from junk pulled from the salmon river. Good use of trash I'd say!

 The last mile and a half of the ride I decided that I really really wanted to beat my time so I should sprint to the finish. It was a great feeling to cross the line knowing that I had given every last ounce of energy that I could muster to beat my time. When it was all said and done I was the sixth person to cross the end and my time was two and a half minutes behind the first finisher at 53 minutes and 33 seconds. Not only did I beat my time, I destroyed it. Like I said, it was a good day.

There are four people to be seen in this sculpture: a rafter, hunter, fisherman, and a jet boat driver. Do you see them?

Photo Bombing Dog

Sadie and her baby turtle endearingly named "Nicole" (After her mother, so they could be twins)

This weekend was a blast! I always forget how exhausted little kids can make me, but I still love the little buggers. My sister and her family were able to come down for the weekend and have a few adventures. My nephew is an avid fisherboy who seems to have the endurance of a migrating goose when he is fishing. In the past he has had a difficult time catching fish, but this weekend we really wanted to help him catch a nice fish. And catch a nice fish we did indeed. And we caught a few turtles too!

A nice trout that Carson caught!

Another nice trout

Jake photo bombing Carson and his turtle

My first fish...that we got in the boat anyways

Kenzie had her arm out like this the whole hike, so I followed suit

 We were able to take a quick jaunt up the mountain after our fishing expedition. It was a great time on the mountain. The baby carrier somehow ended up on my back and then a baby landed in it...good thing she isn't very big. She absolutely loved the hike. I'm sure I would love a hike that I was being carried too.

The group minus my dad

Got Nemesis?

The Snake River Flowing Eloquently

Years and years ago when I was in my early beginnings of high school, okay it wasn’t really that long ago, I found a place that a piece of my heart still remains. It is nothing too spectacular. In fact, it’s not even worth going to see, in my opinion, unless you are so out of things to do that you are spackle watching (similar to cloud watching). It’s a very small bulge of granite squeezed between the Snake River and a highway. Why, you may ask, does a piece of my heart reside there? No, it’s not because I fell in love there. In reality, it’s almost the exact opposite. It’s all because of two things named “Hand Over Hand” and “Rotten Crack.” This was my first 5.11 route that I ever led and my first lead climb ever, respectively.

The day that my friend Daniel taught me to lead climb is a day that I will not soon forget. I will spare you the boring details and skip straight to the good parts. The route I was attempting to lead was a 5.10a with one very committing crux. As I made my way up the first section of the face my heart raced and my palms became soaked. I had climbed this on top rope before, but this was different, if I fell on lead the consequences were much more noticeable. I made the first clip and chalked my hands. I made the second clip, more chalk. I’m now too far up to worry about decking (hitting the ground) if I take a fall. I commit and throw big for the crux and am well on my way to finishing the route clean, and using all my chalk. I reach the final clip and panic. In my head I’m basically in tears and screaming like a little girl. When I spoke, though, I attempted to conceal my concerned mind, “Daniel, I don’t think I can do this.” I don’t remember what he said after I told him that, but I do remember that it left my pride no choice but to finish the route.  My first lead climb was now under my belt. It’s been years since that first time and I’ve had climbed hundreds of routes on lead, but each time I go back to Rotten Crack I run through that entire scene in my mind. That’s piece #1.

This is Granite Point from the parking lot looking West

Piece #2 resides on Hand Over Hand. It took me months of falling and climbing to final reach the top of this route. During one of my attempts I took a nasty fall from the final clip and fell about 20ft and bounced off an adjacent wall resulting in a minor injury and scared silly. Needless to say, once I finished the route I didn’t have much of a desire to return. While there yesterday with a friend I had a desire to climb my “nemesis” despite being very afraid of it. I’ve climbed more difficult routes in my life, but we all have our “difficult” routes. It’s like the problem child in the family, you don’t want to deal with it, but you still love it.  When we reached the wall it felt like the route was speaking to me, inviting me back for a dual. I accepted the challenge with a bit of a smirk, ‘bring it on’ I thought to myself. I sailed through the first ¾ of the route and when I reached the clip where I had taken a nasty whipper I paused. This was no longer a strength or technique route for me, it was all mental. I ran through the scenario of my previous fall and switched my feet in order to prevent a repeat fall. As I pulled my way through the mantle it felt very familiar, this was my nemesis afterall. The final move requires more balance than 12 house cats combined, good thing I had the balance of 13 that day. I finished the climb and the oh so familiar rush of adrenaline coursed through my veins making it complete. I don’t see myself returning to climbing this route ever again, some things are better left in the past. It will, however, always remain as one of my historic personal battles that I can refer to for learning in later time.

Another Adventure. Another Sunset.

Snakes On A Pla...Bike??

I ride bikes a lot. Riding bikes comes with many risks such as; the lady who almost ran me over last week, bees flying down your jersey, rocks to the face, weird tan lines, dogs chasing you, moose chasing you, other cyclists, broken glass, disabling cramps, examples of how gravity works, and a broke pocket book (I've experienced all of these). You would think that after a while you run out of new scenarios while riding a bicycle, but this is not true. Each ride is unique. Each time you ride a hill you are the only cyclist that will ever get to experience that ride. There will never be another one that is the same. Now imagine that for thousands of miles, mind blowing right? Well I had another one of those mind blowing experiences this past week that I have to share with the world.

It was a hot Tuesday afternoon, I had just got off work and was beginning my 6.2 mile commute back home. I hadn’t made it more than ¼ of a mile from my work place when I spotted a two foot snake on the road. He happened to be in the path of my trajectory. I was tired and not wanting to accommodate for a mere snake in my way so I veered slightly to the right thinking he would stop his risky slither across the boiling tar and gravel. As I approached the snake at a speed of about 20mph I realized he wasn’t going to stop and I quickly brake checked and attempted to veer further right. As I did that, the snake had his own idea of how to evade me. What follows is a dialogue of what was likely going through my head and the snake's head:

Snake: Stupid cyclist going so fast and won’t even move over.

Me: It's so hot. I'm hungry. Oh hey, a snake in the road, he'll stop.

Snake: I’m not stopping, this asphalt is scalding my scales. I see a hole in those wheels, I can make it.

Me: He’s not stopping. Is he going to try and go…

Snake: Here goes nothing!

Me: Aaaaaaah Nasty!!! 

Essentially, this two foot snake attempted to nutmeg me via the spokes of my bicycle. This ended very badly for him and very messy/sticky for me. As he stuck his nose in my spokes he was sucked into my wheel like a spinning vortex. He quickly went around and around and around. Each time, he became a little shorter. Each time he went around I became a little less clean. I slammed my brakes as hard as I could without making myself endo and came to a halting stop. I attempted to pick as many pieces of snake off of me and my bike and continued my ride home. Like I said, each ride is unique and no other rider will ever experience that ride. I mean seriously, that’s not even possible, that snake got shredded. Lesson learned: Wildlife typically wins in a dual. 

This isn't me of course, but I thought it was pretty wild and fitting for the topic at hand.