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Posted by on Nov 18, 2018 in Destinations, Featured, Personal Stories, Routes | 0 comments

Climbing in Squamish BC 🏔🧗‍♀️⛺️ Mom’s Take Away!

Climbing in Squamish BC 🏔🧗‍♀️⛺️ Mom’s Take Away!

One of the best perks, for me, as a mature climber, is that I get to climb with my adult children 😊 Both our daughter and son are excellent climbers. Our daughter, Alex, began just two years ago, but as a former, nationally ranked gymnast, it did not take long for her to pass her parents in both ability and passion for the sport. Ryan, our son, began as a little boy. He joined the climbing team for a few years, and now is working on his AMGA Rock Guide certifications. What this means is that I have this amazing situation where my son guides the family on all the best routes, in a variety of beautiful climbing areas. Smith Rocks in Oregon, Mazama in Washington, and The Cochise Stronghold in Arizona, are just a few of the sites we have climbed together. But my favorite, from this season, was the weekend we spent in Squamish, B.C. The plan was simple. Ryan and I drove up from Washington, on Friday...

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Posted by on Apr 27, 2018 in Featured, Personal Stories | 0 comments

The Once and Future Climber

The Once and Future Climber

I consider myself a climber in the core of my being, although I’m not particularly strong, skilled or prolific. I feel most myself when I have sandstone grit in my fingernails and hear the windchime call of gear on my harness. But this past year a new identity lodged into the core of my being: mom. Full time working mom. Finding the balance between my job, my infant son, and the person I’ve always thought I was has been one of the most difficult challenges yet. I found myself without beta and full of paradoxes, especially feeling deeply isolated although literally never alone.  So, I wanted to share just a quick glimpse of my own experience, in hopes that it might inspire, console, or reassure other new moms out there right now, who may be feeling like they “used to be” a climber. I had been extremely proud to climb all the way into my third trimester until the desert summer heat caught up with my swollen belly and the doctor...

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Posted by on Jan 20, 2018 in Featured, Personal Stories | 4 comments

Wrapping my head around being a mom…

Wrapping my head around being a mom…

I’ve had about 7 months to ponder what life would be like once I have the little baby that’s growing inside me right now. I’ve always struggled a bit with showing my “excitement” in the more traditional ways that many folks do. Rather, I internalize a lot of those feelings. I remember going on my first few multi-pitch climbs with my husband. He’d say “did you have fun” and I would simply say, “yes.” He would stare at me for a little bit and I could tell by the look on his face he was thinking “jeez, that’s it?” haha. While, inside my little-excited person was jumping up and down saying “fuck yea, that was epic”. I’ve learned a lot of about myself and have worked on showing those emotions a little bit more outwardly, but they don’t always pop up quickly. So, when someone asks you “are you excited?” in regards to having a baby, my initial soft-spoken response is “oh, yes.” It’s not what people are usually hoping...

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