tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27190673445488788942024-02-07T18:00:19.963-08:00Upward AdventuringSamantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-28146947635894392832013-10-27T17:35:00.000-07:002014-10-24T12:38:13.239-07:00Dreamers and Doers: Stories from Kilimanjaro<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>179</o:Words>
<o:Characters>1024</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Stanford University</o:Company>
<o:Lines>8</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>2</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>1201</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7JLgI0C4NEZzZ7gjg-83WG5Q5z-dF-zB8haHaQaUQeQtrfb_A4cHFUlco7KKZCFpmFyxW450YgMyguLRcAZTPnrhUM064O5YEc9R8GATh-hSvk7ybz47hzSqZzZwSFK0hNIevN__1Bxx/s1600/D&D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7JLgI0C4NEZzZ7gjg-83WG5Q5z-dF-zB8haHaQaUQeQtrfb_A4cHFUlco7KKZCFpmFyxW450YgMyguLRcAZTPnrhUM064O5YEc9R8GATh-hSvk7ybz47hzSqZzZwSFK0hNIevN__1Bxx/s320/D&D.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quote from my story in Dreamers and Doers (the photo's me on top of Half Dome after climbing the Regular NW last May).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some said I was too young. But I think the fact that I was
just twelve years old when I went to Tanzania and climbed Kilimanjaro with my dad meant that I still had that fleeting openness to life that comes from having a mind that is not yet fully formed. The scenes and experiences I took in over
the course of that trip shaped me in a way that still persists today.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wrote a bit about what climbing Kilimanjaro meant to me in my story,
“Discovering a Certain Grandness of Life,” for <i>Dreamers and Doers</i>. This is a collection of stories, published by the <a href="http://www.ladiestrekking.com/club/about-us/">Ladies Trekking Club</a>, by women from
across the world whose lives have in some way been shaped by the fact they climbed to the top of Africa; it is an anthology that is edifying, enlightening, and inspiring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it’s not actually necessary to travel halfway around the
world in order to learn most of the personal lessons that we wrote about. Many of the benefits of travel and adventure can come from
simply opening and reading a book. This is the gift this project aims to give to many
children who have grown up living in the shadows of Kilimanjaro: every copy of <i>Dreamers and Doers</i> sold provides for a
textbook that will be donated to a Tanzanian school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take part in these ladies’ adventures and give the gift of
education by ordering a copy of Dreamers and Doers <a href="http://www.ladiestrekking.com/book/pre-order/">here</a>. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnFMxlEH52pb-aC5dbOmKnZMvfLVRcUu_g6M6w4xePFzcZuGy9jk_nVI_CG6medllBNuRonvpm8MNHpJ_aWJLd8nGvn8L2eaOHS1E3mrWxM3aYDadIXW9uok0vbaDGbyR2NW3f8hCTw3Q/s1600/study+Kili.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnFMxlEH52pb-aC5dbOmKnZMvfLVRcUu_g6M6w4xePFzcZuGy9jk_nVI_CG6medllBNuRonvpm8MNHpJ_aWJLd8nGvn8L2eaOHS1E3mrWxM3aYDadIXW9uok0vbaDGbyR2NW3f8hCTw3Q/s320/study+Kili.JPG" height="210" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in 2001, trying to keep up with pre-alegbra homework at a camp on Kilimanjaro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-42977082097248140192013-05-03T16:32:00.000-07:002013-05-03T16:32:28.142-07:00How to survive a glacier <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I recently got an email from Anna and Christa, 6th graders who are doing a project on the dangers of glaciers, how to survive them, and the kind of equipment that you need. Here's what I said:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>364</o:Words>
<o:Characters>2075</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Stanford University</o:Company>
<o:Lines>17</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>4</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>2435</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi Christa and Anna,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’re both right that mountains and glaciers can be
dangerous places and definitely require some knowledge, skills, and gear in
order to safely climb and travel across them. I’ll first explain what a glacier
is, and then tell you about what makes them dangerous and how to work around
these dangers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1P5eaVXVZ9Tj-STeWGJxTPgHOm0J9FX4fx6E1F3gl_84Kt1hqxj42jkAqZCeyRQZfxkYnR7nl7mkJ99z-kUSsgqechHq161UMlp7byUPI5rq4U13wE5SmGEZZaKT1yg0EeOzVxnK6L6v/s1600/crevasse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1P5eaVXVZ9Tj-STeWGJxTPgHOm0J9FX4fx6E1F3gl_84Kt1hqxj42jkAqZCeyRQZfxkYnR7nl7mkJ99z-kUSsgqechHq161UMlp7byUPI5rq4U13wE5SmGEZZaKT1yg0EeOzVxnK6L6v/s400/crevasse.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">My teammate crossing a crevasse on Everest.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A glacier is kind of like a big frozen river. Glaciers form
in cold places—at the poles or in the mountains—where more snow falls than
melts over the course of a year. This means that over many years the snow
builds up and compacts itself into a big block of ice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glaciers may seem frozen in place but
they actually do move, just at a much slower pace than you or I do, so it would
be hard for us to notice unless we sat and watched for months or years. When a
glacier forms on a mountain it will flow downhill, like a river. Crevasses,
which are gaps in the glacier where the ice has split, form because of
disruptions to the glacier’s flow. Crevasses are the biggest danger to be aware
of if you want to survive a glacier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crevasses form when different parts of
the glacier move at different speeds, causing it to break. Sometime the top and
bottom move at different speeds because the bottom is slowed down from friction
against the ground, whereas the top is not. The same idea behind why you would
be able to quickly glide across a frozen lake, but not a rocky path.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1R_wLdK2uv6gqhvunTqwJKuDCwoU2IMf4M0iqbW96IP065Zh6pYaXxNfpysdQHXVxfIPjO89RHvrp_gIJH_1uu8SkiEqZ1Mm6wnjVfExzOMORRgkUIBBex8sZ1sskOyOwjHVGYh-7toP/s1600/vinson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1R_wLdK2uv6gqhvunTqwJKuDCwoU2IMf4M0iqbW96IP065Zh6pYaXxNfpysdQHXVxfIPjO89RHvrp_gIJH_1uu8SkiEqZ1Mm6wnjVfExzOMORRgkUIBBex8sZ1sskOyOwjHVGYh-7toP/s400/vinson.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roped up for glacial travel on Mt Vinson. Left to right: me, Doug, Victor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the time we try to go around them, or over them on sturdy snow bridges, but crevasses are dangerous to
mountaineers because it’s possible to fall in them—and it’s hard to get
yourself or your teammate back out unless you’ve come prepared. Mountaineers
typically travel across glaciers in a group all roped up together. That way if
one person falls in, the rest of the team can anchor themselves into the ice to
catch the fallen person on the rope. Once the team has built a solid anchor,
the person in the crevasse can use what are called prusik knots to climb up the
rope and out of the crevasse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here are some of the supplies that
you would need: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> --A
rope<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> --A
harness, which you wear to attach yourself to the rope<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--An ice-ax and
crampons—sharps points that would help anchor yourself into the ice and catch
your teammate in case he falls in a crevasse<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--Ice screws and
pickets to build an anchor in the ice to take the fallen persons weight<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--Cord to tie prussic
knots to use to climb the rope up out of a crevasse in case you fall in<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope that helps, good luck with your
speech! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Samantha </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-13558691613332430892013-04-16T06:57:00.000-07:002013-04-16T06:57:19.012-07:00Clarification on Boston update
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>171</o:Words>
<o:Characters>981</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Stanford University</o:Company>
<o:Lines>8</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>2</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>1150</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realized some of the time references in my post below may
have been confusing, so thought I’d clarify. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I crossed the finish line at 2:22pm real time, and have a
text from my sister from 2:40pm that I got as we were leaving the finish line
area. The explosions went off at 2:51. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My race time was 3:57, but that was by a different clock
than the one that reads 4:09 in all the videos and photos. There are so many
runners that they stagger their starts in three different waves. Basically, the
first wave was for the elite runners, second wave was for normal runners who had
entered with a fast enough qualifying time (the wave my dad and I were in), and
third wave was for runners who had entered by raising money for charity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which also means that most of the runners who were crossing
the finish line when the explosions went off were running for a cause, and the
spectators in the stands were the ones there to support them. The fact that
most of those injured were spectators who were probably there cheering on friends
and family who were running for charity, for which this was a once in a
lifetime event, somehow seems particularly cruel. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-49705665220522543682013-04-15T22:21:00.000-07:002013-04-15T22:21:15.097-07:00Boston Marathon update<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MWk1NsTVabiRg7DzGY88H2Nzu9Gp3XqSTBJkQvwN2t0uT8ndN3mLwlw69qhzsiewBa4mZGUfiVMbzBvphdD5ApoVQMK-gat576PLiVcmvBnoeywqXmt96_c85dSA1MfTqy93I7Nbu6UR/s1600/IMG_2212.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MWk1NsTVabiRg7DzGY88H2Nzu9Gp3XqSTBJkQvwN2t0uT8ndN3mLwlw69qhzsiewBa4mZGUfiVMbzBvphdD5ApoVQMK-gat576PLiVcmvBnoeywqXmt96_c85dSA1MfTqy93I7Nbu6UR/s400/IMG_2212.jpeg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad and me at the finish line</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First off, thanks to everyone for all of the calls, texts, emails, tweets, comments and likes I got today—it felt so good to have so much love and support come through. I just made it safely back to DC; my dad, step-mom, little bro & sis are en route to CA; older brother & his wife back at their place just outside Boston. It’s been a crazy, enormously sad day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The race itself was beautiful—so exciting and encouraging to have the huge crowds cheering you on from the sides. I felt great up to about mile 22, after which I started to hit the dreaded wall. My thighs and calves seized up into awful cramps, topped off with a worry that I was starting to feel pain again where I had previously stress-fractured my foot (which was why I couldn’t run Boston last year, for those who know of that saga). I broke down and started to walk. But with all the people shouting at me that I was “almost there,” my pride kicked in—I felt like I should break 4 hours—and I made myself run the last mile, through tears and all. I crossed the finish line clocking in at 3:57—and about half an hour before the bombs went off. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My dad was just past the finish line waiting for me. We took some photos, got our medals and heat blankets, and wove through the crowd of tired runners to the exit—all of which took us about 15 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once we had gotten out and made some progress slowly walking to where we were supposed to meet up with our family I called my little sister to check in with her. Her voice sounded totally panicked in a way I haven’t quite heard anyone sound before. She said that there was a bomb scare and everyone was running around, but they were ok. It was so surreal and I was so confused (and probably kind of delirious). I didn’t know how seriously to take what she was saying, and at that point couldn’t get her to tell me very much else. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I started to get calls and texts from others and pieced it together. My dad and I managed to meet up with the rest of our family for a weird “celebratory” meal. The restaurant was full of other runners and spectators and no one really seemed to know what to do or say. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I've heard and thought about it more, it has felt shocking how close my dad and I were to having a very different ending to the race. It was so hard to get myself to run those last 3 or 4 miles; I can’t help but wonder where we would’ve been had I not. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I of course feel very lucky that everyone I was there with is okay right now, but of course also feel so sad for those, and the friends and families of those, who are not. The Boston marathon is such an inspiring, iconic event that so many people work so hard to make happen and participate in. It is totally beyond me how someone could think of it and all that it represents as a target. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's all continue to send good thoughts toward Boston. </span><br />
Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-9805012440894572602013-04-06T11:34:00.000-07:002013-04-06T11:37:21.082-07:00Running DC <div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After not being able to run it last year (thanks to getting a little overzealous about minimalist shoes and ending up with a stress fracture), I'm getting ready for the Boston marathon coming up next weekend.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has felt like a long process getting back in the game. But, first and foremost I don't want to re-injure myself, so I've tried to stay patient as I've build the mileages back up. Of course it feels good to push yourself to do your best, but what I most love about running is the simplicity of it--right now I'm trying not to bog that down with forming any sort of personal expectations. I do it for that sense of lightness that running gives me when I step out the door with nothing but what I need to keep moving along for the next couple of hours. For the sense of freedom that comes with not having do anything but put one foot in front of the other. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZZ-kerUwb7Wq83LIqGVA0p6hHoyFWaSTrx24egB_tVPI9I9-sHkv3kWYlmcjpt06rWDHUF22ou4y1xowbM3X6zvZ1qVQfEh6b0kh71QIRfdgH7tpMiC99leqdqKSn7vKzhR_pygL2alB/s1600/2012-10-30+14.52.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZZ-kerUwb7Wq83LIqGVA0p6hHoyFWaSTrx24egB_tVPI9I9-sHkv3kWYlmcjpt06rWDHUF22ou4y1xowbM3X6zvZ1qVQfEh6b0kh71QIRfdgH7tpMiC99leqdqKSn7vKzhR_pygL2alB/s400/2012-10-30+14.52.31.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U.S. Capitol </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also love using running as a tool to explore, and m</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">y long runs have been a great way to get to know DC. Most of my runs start at the Capitol, which is quite close to where I live. From there I have a bunch of different options for some monumental jogs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIuahu5iPSoNP32ZhICowwkGz8l83SoIsdnVnvb55MmwfbAP_-OW-hNQhpeI2fM8DNT_-cw8bbbr_tDneV5akAlE_84gFXtrdfu2FW1j9LHSvUFImEbSLJ28yFRIi8NpkjtNfIMgimuO_/s1600/2013-02-03+15.17.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIuahu5iPSoNP32ZhICowwkGz8l83SoIsdnVnvb55MmwfbAP_-OW-hNQhpeI2fM8DNT_-cw8bbbr_tDneV5akAlE_84gFXtrdfu2FW1j9LHSvUFImEbSLJ28yFRIi8NpkjtNfIMgimuO_/s400/2013-02-03+15.17.54.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MLK Memorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes I like to make my way over to the Martin Luther King Memorial--from there I can run around the tidal basin to the FDR and then Thomas Jefferson memorials. Then I can continue along for a loop around Ohio Drive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCdOHMb_GrlXfNEPOWArnuffJ1hoYMzUmTsQpbLmKC_v-PSINW2lb8w1JahNHGS6iCEX6VM87GQeDIOGdyZcnSvvBfRZOQRnX3aSVWpFG2qrGZnvYOYVy5Vx0zUB6l2XMUgrAW_hfeOUN/s1600/2013-01-23+17.17.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCdOHMb_GrlXfNEPOWArnuffJ1hoYMzUmTsQpbLmKC_v-PSINW2lb8w1JahNHGS6iCEX6VM87GQeDIOGdyZcnSvvBfRZOQRnX3aSVWpFG2qrGZnvYOYVy5Vx0zUB6l2XMUgrAW_hfeOUN/s400/2013-01-23+17.17.58.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument from across the Potomac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or I'll often go down the National Mall, past the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, and take the Memorial bridge across the Potomac into Virginia. From there I can hang either a left to Teddy Roosevelt island for a good 13 miler, or a right if I'm looking to run longer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivOllTkQJ5ojnNbOULi01WuqzQUaeks5GTCirg7GtXmtyjgV_rPMjrEZ4efsVBxHQvZNAGpFsR-lqhLMPIlTuDK5L-Q1pNYdrpYiKWzjpBiRoGxgQd6-PCoPV1i6FwDQp3xsN8nfZpP8s/s1600/2013-01-23+17.11.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivOllTkQJ5ojnNbOULi01WuqzQUaeks5GTCirg7GtXmtyjgV_rPMjrEZ4efsVBxHQvZNAGpFsR-lqhLMPIlTuDK5L-Q1pNYdrpYiKWzjpBiRoGxgQd6-PCoPV1i6FwDQp3xsN8nfZpP8s/s400/2013-01-23+17.11.04.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theodore Roosevelt Memorial </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think Teddy Roosevelt's is my favorite of the monuments. I love running through the trees around the island and then suddenly (it somehow always sort of catches me by surprise) coming upon the grand statue in the middle. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNN831io8QLOafeRv1k7iqXieqb-0cKr-sgoqA4rSwCN4gFokXSCLMaQ0KOPYAtqQ5bY1OJRn0xX1-_qrZDksMpBdnSOpcG2NhdD-b1VrlpWVQPpM8cQ4dGgRpkMI-mNibgQNRlUGoOJP/s1600/2013-01-29+13.39.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNN831io8QLOafeRv1k7iqXieqb-0cKr-sgoqA4rSwCN4gFokXSCLMaQ0KOPYAtqQ5bY1OJRn0xX1-_qrZDksMpBdnSOpcG2NhdD-b1VrlpWVQPpM8cQ4dGgRpkMI-mNibgQNRlUGoOJP/s400/2013-01-29+13.39.35.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But for my really long runs, George Washington Memorial Parkway continues on and on along the river. My training runs peaked at 20 miles, which brought me past Lady Bird Johnson Park, Ronald Reagon National Airport and on into Alexandria, VA. As I turn around and make my way back I can use the Washington Monument as a reference point of just how far I've gone (and how far left I have to go). </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My training got thrown off a bit because I was traveling the last two weeks of March and not able to run. I had done 20 miles right before I left, which felt great, but then a final 16 mile run last weekend got me a little worried at the thought having to put 10 more on top of that so soon. I figure I probably won't beat the time I used to qualify for Boston (from the Big Sur Marathon), or even come close to it. But I've decided not to worry about speed, I'll be happy just to be there and enjoy the race. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-3887038256182363862012-12-20T10:51:00.000-08:002012-12-20T10:53:26.735-08:00Dreams and Goals<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An article about me was recently featured in a Language Arts textbook for 6th graders--some of the students who use the textbook have been sending me letters over the past several months. Here are some of the letters that I have gotten about setting goals, and my response to them below!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dear Samantha,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> You are inspiring to me to achieve my goals. It was amazing for me that you were the youngest person to climb the seven summits. So it would be fun if you made a goal for one to achieve like the one you already achieved.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> My goal is to have a skate or bike shop. I will achieve this by setting goals and working towards them.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Sincerely,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Angel</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i></i></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dear Samantha,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Hi I'm Kami and I'm 12 years old. In Middle School we read a magazine article about you. I thought that it was amazing how you climb all 7 summits by age 18. You also amazed me by all your hard work and making it to your goal. You inspired me to try something new and try harder.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Sincerely,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Kami</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dear Samantha,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> My name is Hailey. I was stunned with what you did I thought it was fantastic because it shows that girls can do whatever they set their mind to and that we're strong. I was shocked that you did that. You showed me that I can do anything I want to in life.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> You showed me that you can set a goal of anything that you want to do you can achieve it. Even though it felt like a long time ago to you I was still stunned.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Your friend,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Hailey</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dear Samantha,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Hi my name is Summer. I'm writing this letter because you inspired me by climbing mountains. The true thing that inspired me is that you finished your goal and didn't stop until you got to your goal.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> How do you reach your goal, so positive? I have a goal to become a lawyer. What do I do to accomplish that. It looked so easy when you accomplished your goal. I'll be waiting for your letter. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Sincerely,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Summer</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dear Samantha,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Your story was amazing I can't believe you climbed all the seven summits including Mount Everest. I think your goal is a good one you should keep on climbing because you are good at it and you seem to like ti. Your story inspired me to become a NBA player and to play on the Lakers. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Sincerely,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Gavin</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dear Samantha,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> My name is Morgan. I would like to thank you for really inspiring me to go after my goal. You helped me realize I shouldn't be so scared as I was you helped me A LOT. You must have had that goal for months!!!! You must have been kind of proud at the end. You also must have been kind of scared to be doing all that! My goal was to play soccer and do gymnastics and you helped me accomplish that and make my stage fright go away. Now I'm not really afraid anymore. So thank you for inspiring me to do those things you are my role model you rock!</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>From,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Morgan</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>p.s. 1 more thing keep climbing and set a new goal so you never get bored :)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>300</o:Words>
<o:Characters>1712</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Stanford University</o:Company>
<o:Lines>14</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>4</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>2008</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4kZr1qrAnFXHzr7fOor3VcK2XVWr9ZyM5j05WgokJr9aFg2uoK-pa99nP4MhyND1MpMqcZ5GDnHUDtXpcQ1Z6OEFviok5lLqCb3Js3-50r4excfrY0MziC0JNA30LVIhj8XxA45dWq8Z/s1600/blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4kZr1qrAnFXHzr7fOor3VcK2XVWr9ZyM5j05WgokJr9aFg2uoK-pa99nP4MhyND1MpMqcZ5GDnHUDtXpcQ1Z6OEFviok5lLqCb3Js3-50r4excfrY0MziC0JNA30LVIhj8XxA45dWq8Z/s320/blog.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on the summit of Aconcagua, age 13, about when I got hooked on the dream of climbing the Seven Summits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you for your letters! I thought you all had some
insightful comments and questions about setting goals, and I loved hearing
about some of the goals that you have yourselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think it feels wonderful to have a big dream—something
that you know is going to be hard, but motivates you to keep trying and pushing
yourself. But, sometimes, big dreams can also feel intimidating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember when I was coming down from Aconcagua when I was
thirteen, and my dad and I started scheming about the possibility of climbing
the Seven Summits together. As we continued on, I started to get really excited
about the idea. I started imagining what it would be like to climb all of those
mountains—I felt motivated to do whatever I needed to in order to make it
happen. But the idea also kind of gave me butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t
even know what I would need to know in order to climb some of those peaks! It
was exhilarating to think about, but at the same time hardly seemed possible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But a lot of you brought up the point that it’s important to
keep setting goals, which made me think about how reaching a dream is really
about the process. Breaking down your big goals into a bunch of smaller ones
that you can achieve one by one is what makes those big dreams eventually
possible. Instead of fixating on the summit, I think it’s better to keep your
mind on just the next few steps. And to appreciate each and every one of them,
even the hard ones. Because, in the end, I think enjoying the process is what
makes having the dream worthwhile in the first place—dreams motivate you to get
out there and actively do something that you enjoy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are so many factors that can get in the way of making
it to a summit—like bad weather, or altitude sickness. A lot of the time if and
when you reach the dream is very much out of your control. But what always<i> is</i> within your own control is giving
something your very best shot. And on the way back down I think that’s what
feels most important, anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-8311201167436670762012-11-19T20:16:00.000-08:002012-11-19T20:39:57.082-08:00Climbing and Dance<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>771</o:Words>
<o:Characters>4395</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Stanford University</o:Company>
<o:Lines>36</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>10</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>5156</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi Samantha,</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
am 11 and my name is harmony. I am a big fan because you are so brave. I always
look at your pictures on your blog. I first heard about you in school and I was
interested in how old you where and you climbed mount everest. I wish I could
be just like u because your so brave. Did u have any second thoughts before
climbing mount everest? People think climbing mountains is so easy but you have
to practice and practice. My dream is not exactly what you did but I want to be
a professional hip-hop dancer. But that has some similarities like being brave
on stage and practicing. I wish I knew you because you because inspire me. Good
luck on your next adventure love your friend:</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">harmony</span></i></div>
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-wrc-uPvrVGAXeSERLhxpUR1YZNsla-hZafoOe5NPlwpngOt9Cb17m_GLqyHMJm_3rIWPRNPIVa9uHDcP2r-sIxhsvTbYG0UVNmm6LFpjKP5J1nmDFxuVqJ_0DqVuoXLaGzOGHB1hCCo/s1600/dance2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-wrc-uPvrVGAXeSERLhxpUR1YZNsla-hZafoOe5NPlwpngOt9Cb17m_GLqyHMJm_3rIWPRNPIVa9uHDcP2r-sIxhsvTbYG0UVNmm6LFpjKP5J1nmDFxuVqJ_0DqVuoXLaGzOGHB1hCCo/s320/dance2.png" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at a dance recital in June 2000 (when I was 11!!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi
Harmony,</span></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think that's so cool you want to be a professional hip-hop dancer! I did a
lot of dance up through when I was about seventeen. It was actually one of the main ways that I got exercise when I wasn't in the mountains. It may not be what you'd normally think to do when training to climb a big peak, but I think it actually turned out
to be a really big help. Not only does
it work your legs and heart, dance teaches you so much about things like body
awareness and balance that are also important in climbing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took some hip-hop classes and really liked
them, but I have to say I wish I had been better at hip-hop--I think ballet and
tap were more in my stride. When I was about 13 I actually thought I
wanted to be a professional dance choreographer! Sometimes I still miss dance a
lot--who knows, maybe I'll be able to pick it up again now : )</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<br />
You're very right that both climbing and dance take a lot of practice, and
bravery. I think the patience, persistence, and guts (I always had horrible
stage fright) I learned from dance taught me a lot that helped me in climbing,
not to mention things like school or jobs. <br />
<br />
To answer your questions, I was 18 when I climbed Everest. And yes I did
sometimes have second thoughts about it, or moments of self-doubt, but I also
never gave up the thought that I <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">could</span>
do it as long as I really wanted to.<br />
<br />
I'm so glad you like the pictures on my blog. Keep dancing!</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-63018957091535018932012-11-19T19:33:00.000-08:002012-11-19T20:35:48.298-08:00Spring, summer, fall<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s been awhile since my last post but life, and adventures, have carried on. The email from I got from Harmony (above) inspired me to write another post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve had two major developments in the last few months: Finishing up my master’s degree and moving to Washington, D.C. to start my first “real” job as a research assistant to a journalist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent spring quarter on Stanford’s main campus, my last quarter there. Besides my Earth systems classes I took a couple of classes in the journalism department—I wrote <a href="http://peninsulapress.com/2012/08/13/atop-everest-two-himalayan-sherpas-and-a-luxury-watchmaker-forged-a-friendship-that-would-change-their-lives/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">this story</span></a> for one of them, which I’m quite proud of. It’s about Michael Kobold and two of the Sherpas I climbed Everest with (including Namgel, who I summited with).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqDZelDsm6czZd5M_ikOwNFtAOAzYaqL-LCrRMdzIfUWumBCwqj9kfSmCkLVDf8Tq_UP32SuKfmGC_K7erxcOegnaZ3Jv6UeUn7EcW9pq8VBNXX74paT9OYmO2OffY3zwWS0cU3j_qOSW/s1600/namgel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqDZelDsm6czZd5M_ikOwNFtAOAzYaqL-LCrRMdzIfUWumBCwqj9kfSmCkLVDf8Tq_UP32SuKfmGC_K7erxcOegnaZ3Jv6UeUn7EcW9pq8VBNXX74paT9OYmO2OffY3zwWS0cU3j_qOSW/s1600/namgel.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Namgel with Everest in the background</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent my summer finishing things up at Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station, in Pacific Grove, California. I took a class there called “Ecology and Conservation of Kelp Forest Communities.” It was an amazing class—we got to use Monterey Bay, which was right out our back door, as our laboratory and playground. We went scuba diving every morning to get a closer look at the organisms and ecosystems that we learned about in the classroom. I loved becoming so familiar with this totally other world—I felt so happy getting under the surface and seeing what’s really going out there in that vast expanse we call the ocean. (Well, most days I felt happy to. Bad visibility and cold, cold water did make it a little less than fun on some particularly groggy mornings). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSYjk-mfH59_jFtS0LKhQ7tX2D-985c4yQBx2pkpVNATVcqJ7SyfhBuuzlYu55ZMJanmZGm-7gSOIOCv-AMcEKICdqsvfTOy5gV0Zfx4ryR2tZ8zjaIfBS9vTqkUphFCRhieuu4NCw48f/s1600/carmel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSYjk-mfH59_jFtS0LKhQ7tX2D-985c4yQBx2pkpVNATVcqJ7SyfhBuuzlYu55ZMJanmZGm-7gSOIOCv-AMcEKICdqsvfTOy5gV0Zfx4ryR2tZ8zjaIfBS9vTqkUphFCRhieuu4NCw48f/s320/carmel.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
My kelp forest ecology class getting ready for a dive in Carmel Bay.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite dives was to a site where there’s shale beds (most of the rock there is granite), making for a different collection of critters than we found elsewhere in the bay. There were dozens of a type of nudibranch (sea slugs) called <i>Melibe leonina</i>. They were translucent white and anywhere from a few inches to almost a foot in length. Most of them were hanging off the kelp and feeding by letting their tentacles drift around their heads, but some were actually swimming by closing up their foot and undulating their whole bodies from side to side. They seemed so completely fantastical.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qAmaNiWPg7MAPjnbgGhMiz6MEEis4eZzTmfuw1GC0ZjXq77PZ75_y15-CQQbXvj6KcD9CrtBo_RA1761hgoK6oH91IMmLvWdqdj-KqXk3YpsXJI6HHGWs_GAoumK5_OxaJ97OXDsi4Vf/s1600/melibe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qAmaNiWPg7MAPjnbgGhMiz6MEEis4eZzTmfuw1GC0ZjXq77PZ75_y15-CQQbXvj6KcD9CrtBo_RA1761hgoK6oH91IMmLvWdqdj-KqXk3YpsXJI6HHGWs_GAoumK5_OxaJ97OXDsi4Vf/s320/melibe.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Me and a<i> Melibe leonina</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While a big part of me still misses seeing (and getting in) the ocean everyday, I think I’m starting to find my groove here in D.C., too. I had never even been to our nation’s capitol before moving here, and there have been a lot of little things to adapt to. But I did survive the two big events that swept through the past couple of week—hurricane Sandy and the election.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve also managed to dip my toes into some of the climbing that the east coast has to offer, with a short trip to the Gunks in upstate New York and a couple of visits to the New River Gorge in West Virginia. Check out my friend Keith's <a href="http://keithshare.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/the-power-of-kale/">blog</a> to read about my first day climbing (or more like trailblazing!) at the New. But I really enjoyed these trips--both the Gunks and the New have so much to offer. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7WSpwFpthSHumsJqIyOPeQqUhgpaQ6Uektcd3p4GhOKM6-GGVbH2eHWnYqwuS3hGnD1nIiou8-WlKob8m62qgIWjGc2-LJKULL7S8zpzJjFyhsOSrVzk9IB1f8xJTXngWCihW6b3htcs/s1600/2012-11-11+14.45.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7WSpwFpthSHumsJqIyOPeQqUhgpaQ6Uektcd3p4GhOKM6-GGVbH2eHWnYqwuS3hGnD1nIiou8-WlKob8m62qgIWjGc2-LJKULL7S8zpzJjFyhsOSrVzk9IB1f8xJTXngWCihW6b3htcs/s320/2012-11-11+14.45.57.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Me rappelling down after a climb in the New River Gorge (it's hard to take actual climbing shots when you're there with just one other person--I'd rather have a good belay than a good shot!)</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-17526591387710577892012-05-22T11:06:00.001-07:002012-05-22T11:11:13.237-07:00Hetch Hetchy: water, water, water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVkFzJYi8J9S_iuNmMm9WQk1UiGLCHxP6L4C-6hYgqB3gZkKmJT2Sj37JPDDXQCuLKwrm34S8tMACD8FbYDfs5dwbjVdTR5sbkgc7cqX5TaJNlXTlCDG57FS1LtBwf3dAur0Imrb5b-Bh/s1600/_DSC1144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVkFzJYi8J9S_iuNmMm9WQk1UiGLCHxP6L4C-6hYgqB3gZkKmJT2Sj37JPDDXQCuLKwrm34S8tMACD8FbYDfs5dwbjVdTR5sbkgc7cqX5TaJNlXTlCDG57FS1LtBwf3dAur0Imrb5b-Bh/s400/_DSC1144.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1870 John Muir called the Hetch Hetchy Valley the "wonderfully exact counterpart of the great Yosemite." While people travel to Yosemite Valley to marvel at the static granite monoliths, Hetch Hetchy draws visitors to Yosemite National Park's northwest corner with the dynamism of its water. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 117-billion-gallon Hetch Hetchy reservoir was created by the O'Shaughnessy Dam in 1923 (its construction was long stalled by a battle against it led by Muir). Fed by alpine melt off into the Tuolumne River, today the reservoir provides drinking water that is pristine enough it doesn't need to be filtered to 2.4 million people in the Bay Area, as well as hydro-electric power generated by two plants downstream. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It had been awhile since I went to Yosemite with no intention of climbing (given the still healing stress fracture). But when I got home from seeing Hetch Hetchy a couple of weekends ago and drank a glass of water from my faucet in Palo Alto--85 percent of which came from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, now 120 miles away--it had never tasted quite so sweet. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEva-c-bRU_qHUOS4meefPUtxSqmdf9gaEAvInMSe_H01iMeeepxLyYrDHY5g-AOxcTtO-NVfC8kgrMlQCwPP2GiJ4rv9apOvWWWWWrwYRzJ_x9TbiGSUm_jSlPyWocV34MmK9e_5w9gLI/s1600/DSC_1160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEva-c-bRU_qHUOS4meefPUtxSqmdf9gaEAvInMSe_H01iMeeepxLyYrDHY5g-AOxcTtO-NVfC8kgrMlQCwPP2GiJ4rv9apOvWWWWWrwYRzJ_x9TbiGSUm_jSlPyWocV34MmK9e_5w9gLI/s400/DSC_1160.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMTGw8AOC17gAbNrwWhWQtVkFQDY87Pj2u5Vj0PVB7EEQF1KS16vW1AkNl3lqYR_pxjyNc_N994frDzmyB8R_VSdzWACNAWK0ElXaAIOlgrj4j6SX4PmAYhMvkf7uUldI9PQJynS92hbF/s1600/_DSC1147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMTGw8AOC17gAbNrwWhWQtVkFQDY87Pj2u5Vj0PVB7EEQF1KS16vW1AkNl3lqYR_pxjyNc_N994frDzmyB8R_VSdzWACNAWK0ElXaAIOlgrj4j6SX4PmAYhMvkf7uUldI9PQJynS92hbF/s400/_DSC1147.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vsVyD3koK_gB3UHKqRJTFSh4lewQc_Y7nF5vkbsGu1vnk_eWOZUqASuZCOiDEUe9mhfyuItqCQyZIR6GNjRXK6VveNgB4aeKM4v14HVXATv7n8z5m76Yrx-utj5s8SB8nob-7zzVfzYa/s1600/_DSC1150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vsVyD3koK_gB3UHKqRJTFSh4lewQc_Y7nF5vkbsGu1vnk_eWOZUqASuZCOiDEUe9mhfyuItqCQyZIR6GNjRXK6VveNgB4aeKM4v14HVXATv7n8z5m76Yrx-utj5s8SB8nob-7zzVfzYa/s400/_DSC1150.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-84913177301938610952012-04-08T17:57:00.000-07:002012-04-08T17:57:10.118-07:00Spring Break Scuba<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent spring break taking a course offered through Stanford's marine science branch in Monterey to get certified as a scientific diver. In five days we completed the prerequisites--PADI's advanced open water and rescue diver certifications--and then also made good headway towards finishing the AAUS scientific diver requirements (I'll have to go back down sometime to finish up, but I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend or two).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxF3g1AXWo3DORLIW6riHCmLXX0jyxsqRuNVPCZ-Y6lbOT-XhdUxpLabRJg9P5iee9kKWLKPpAZsUFnRKO978rENodyhre7XaxwEqFE2oSuxcxNUS8I-LZ4alzzz2a5vperKf0E_fMSiit/s1600/306214_10150703235899057_504419056_9186302_1571661364_n(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxF3g1AXWo3DORLIW6riHCmLXX0jyxsqRuNVPCZ-Y6lbOT-XhdUxpLabRJg9P5iee9kKWLKPpAZsUFnRKO978rENodyhre7XaxwEqFE2oSuxcxNUS8I-LZ4alzzz2a5vperKf0E_fMSiit/s400/306214_10150703235899057_504419056_9186302_1571661364_n(1).jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">50 degree water means squeezing into a lot of neoprene.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9V9SRIDTlaw9hiEwX27byvsAeVewNZd_Q1JP3uaMBBKP3NaRe_e_8hOjCc0pIuiv6emvT-JY6O-xJAM1VcThACYJza0lNUEuM3cUX8y2HXia-q9nyT7kA3GIb6YZTEVzdIBqYzpfYJjQB/s1600/526043_3198052424563_1063560192_32709790_1978490741_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9V9SRIDTlaw9hiEwX27byvsAeVewNZd_Q1JP3uaMBBKP3NaRe_e_8hOjCc0pIuiv6emvT-JY6O-xJAM1VcThACYJza0lNUEuM3cUX8y2HXia-q9nyT7kA3GIb6YZTEVzdIBqYzpfYJjQB/s400/526043_3198052424563_1063560192_32709790_1978490741_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing a survey for invasive tunicates on the Monterey wharf for one of our scientific training dives. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cCUJirnSCx-IWQdbz5IV32g0InbdARpgZdvWwWQf23r3K98HZ-y9QhXSnEAhoSan1UYz_3jquwgmYNRqeuulaRhYH-8lCk1ttTPR3j7_3k7IhG_umAYRDLTSj6_Dva5tFbSlhaRJPMfq/s1600/530971_3198051944551_1063560192_32709789_1682713239_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cCUJirnSCx-IWQdbz5IV32g0InbdARpgZdvWwWQf23r3K98HZ-y9QhXSnEAhoSan1UYz_3jquwgmYNRqeuulaRhYH-8lCk1ttTPR3j7_3k7IhG_umAYRDLTSj6_Dva5tFbSlhaRJPMfq/s400/530971_3198051944551_1063560192_32709789_1682713239_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHI1jGeNqb4p5gRmV9QxTqQrdH163p8IezmGxmNCtsO4sWtlGnl8yS5zXOgWWQi7V_LTBL470p2q27tYkyK3AUkhCYrkjAVH7hL6g6CrkA-1rfET5iDrj3g7xAooWA5VfbYFP_NgRdXyu/s1600/SANY0509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHI1jGeNqb4p5gRmV9QxTqQrdH163p8IezmGxmNCtsO4sWtlGnl8yS5zXOgWWQi7V_LTBL470p2q27tYkyK3AUkhCYrkjAVH7hL6g6CrkA-1rfET5iDrj3g7xAooWA5VfbYFP_NgRdXyu/s400/SANY0509.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to head out to the deep reef. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYaHsIrYidEJdPAlwNel1ktge-RT-DJyZUv7HNLMaVqhxxfQorwfD_sTPTaThl34uVYYrYzXd8yhNjDfL7ZTix5uSUyJmwgaID_G77Obza0xiqWG_eEvNnuVg0ln0JvgrmMX0cqdzASlm/s1600/SANY0533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYaHsIrYidEJdPAlwNel1ktge-RT-DJyZUv7HNLMaVqhxxfQorwfD_sTPTaThl34uVYYrYzXd8yhNjDfL7ZTix5uSUyJmwgaID_G77Obza0xiqWG_eEvNnuVg0ln0JvgrmMX0cqdzASlm/s400/SANY0533.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">While scuba takes place in a very different medium, there are definitely parallels that can be drawn to climbing--especially the high level of breath and mind control that is helpful to, or even required of, both activities.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Overall a very cool way to spend break (now back to the grindstone).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-62211578488164907392012-03-16T13:37:00.000-07:002012-03-16T13:37:46.179-07:00Bummer . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the pain I felt in my foot while running (or bouldering or sometimes just walking) didn't lessen after a couple of weeks, I decided to actually get it checked out by a doctor. The verdict? A stress fracture in my third metatarsal. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wlbdVl0Bs0R5OeL9xFR43XoZR5qHBsTej6ExnZpazybcZ5ywt6_1PayO5H3Y-vMk-ThINFhZ8lqyYJEWJ6UZsalQJwBMPenTPmHHQaNHfZkFZwa7LUnAlNSWeJJgpu0negeKQN49pVNR/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wlbdVl0Bs0R5OeL9xFR43XoZR5qHBsTej6ExnZpazybcZ5ywt6_1PayO5H3Y-vMk-ThINFhZ8lqyYJEWJ6UZsalQJwBMPenTPmHHQaNHfZkFZwa7LUnAlNSWeJJgpu0negeKQN49pVNR/s320/photo-1.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boot</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been given this big boot to wear and told not to run or climb for the next six weeks. The boot is pretty much the same one I wore when I broke my calcaneus (on the same foot) a few years ago, which seems weird because this is so much less of an injury. At least I'm not on crutches for this one. I have a suspicion I mostly have to wear it because the doctor (who was great, by the way) wants me to actually take the no running or climbing thing seriously. Which is hard. But, as she pointed out, it's a small fracture now but I have the potential to make it much worse if I keep doing what I've been doing. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The real kicker is that it means I won't be able to run either the Boston or the Big Sur marathons that I had been training for. And they're making it harder to qualify for Boston after this year, so I'll have to up my game if I want to run it a future year. Or try to qualify at an easier race; I qualified at Big Sur last year, which is notoriously hilly. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As much as I like the concept of this new trend of barefoot running, the doctor said she thought running in my barefoot shoes is probably what did me in. Apparently I'm a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12px;"> </span>supinator, the opposite of a pronator. I have high, inflexible arches that don't do as great of a job absorbing shock as I run, making me more prone to things like stress fractures if I don't have sufficient padding. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess I'll have to be a little more sedentary this next few weeks. Or become more aquatic; floating shouldn't further stress out my feet. </span>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-6509117096923744722012-02-27T12:39:00.001-08:002012-05-22T11:12:38.457-07:00Running in Monterey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i>Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm in Monterey for the quarter, taking classes at Stanford's marine station. It's an amazing place to get out and run as I gear up for the Boston marathon on April 16 (just got my plane ticket today . . . getting stoked). </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love the progression of runs that start out in Cannery Row, continue on down the coastal trail, and then go along the scenic "17-mile drive" toward Carmel. I start out weaving through the crowds of pedestrian tourists that concentrate around the aquarium, which soon turns into weaving through the packs of casual bicyclests along the coastal trail that looks out onto the sheltered Monterey Bay, until I make my way around the point, where it's less populated but I continue to follow along the seemingly infinite stretch of turbulent, rocky shores. This is my favorite part, passing by the surfers of Asilomar that make me crave my surfing stint in Santa Cruz and sites such as "The Great Tidepool," the fabled Doc's favorite collecting site in Steinbeck's <i>Cannery Row</i>. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNu5sP9_jEuSZXaIX4eD0QBjYcmQ3jH4R8RB60Wsa-FsPvjMHdRLhYyMk6Jx8GtAnUAJ9pT8WRrCtWqEFwhIT6SEqW9lCJBxHqlATtN1v0zKf5p9Ivo5ebDHuEsxM-tMxFn4zIwsshfgt/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNu5sP9_jEuSZXaIX4eD0QBjYcmQ3jH4R8RB60Wsa-FsPvjMHdRLhYyMk6Jx8GtAnUAJ9pT8WRrCtWqEFwhIT6SEqW9lCJBxHqlATtN1v0zKf5p9Ivo5ebDHuEsxM-tMxFn4zIwsshfgt/s400/photo-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrgHa97OyHwJ2CpIBGL1Yjlj-4buOSJsjysKTwsUYQaXnKxgC2DEcrhLr1r4CRM-jvZuHiok8neFiMYTRNQJFN75KJMWCGarJPzeEBNUNLqXwQPXjhsnNXde_4kOHzkpih9LpAf9bT0Y5/s1600/photo-1+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrgHa97OyHwJ2CpIBGL1Yjlj-4buOSJsjysKTwsUYQaXnKxgC2DEcrhLr1r4CRM-jvZuHiok8neFiMYTRNQJFN75KJMWCGarJPzeEBNUNLqXwQPXjhsnNXde_4kOHzkpih9LpAf9bT0Y5/s400/photo-1+copy.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, I think I pushed it a little too hard on my long run last weekend. I luckily never encountered running-related injuries while training for my first two marathons, but this means I'm not really sure how this should affect my training plan. The fact that I'm experiencing some pain in my foot that make me think I should take a little break from running, so yesterday I went on a long bike ride instead. Hopefully I'll be fully back in the game again soon. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7X-QguHGKM82c7TLMaLR_iH_gL8qnTY31iCNfDTIuHTr7HpVvxrFirA3ZMjcTi755TlKhwaHUjJ4mE84uol-MgBQkKMuWZlJCVKDAz7Z-VAGJLes8w9lYXxNyv6H3H7X2HgBBO4Zy_Xqe/s1600/_DSC1035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7X-QguHGKM82c7TLMaLR_iH_gL8qnTY31iCNfDTIuHTr7HpVvxrFirA3ZMjcTi755TlKhwaHUjJ4mE84uol-MgBQkKMuWZlJCVKDAz7Z-VAGJLes8w9lYXxNyv6H3H7X2HgBBO4Zy_Xqe/s400/_DSC1035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sport climbing at Pinnacles National Monument</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7Np-96fMQYeYn16oacHM5aGb5T4fwvE14GGtkItDqCVACqqev09cUqUA0m8FMYeAOih325NRb-Fgp8DKa89v7EfSBSOBEGPjDGbZ1pDXNBElxa66ZP6iuZ85S2cMImQRE81_YGkl3IxU/s1600/SANY0479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7Np-96fMQYeYn16oacHM5aGb5T4fwvE14GGtkItDqCVACqqev09cUqUA0m8FMYeAOih325NRb-Fgp8DKa89v7EfSBSOBEGPjDGbZ1pDXNBElxa66ZP6iuZ85S2cMImQRE81_YGkl3IxU/s400/SANY0479.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East Buttress of El Cap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've also gotten to take some advantage of the lack of any sort of winter here in California and gotten some climbing in. It seems so strange to me that Yosemite is still so climbable in February . . . </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDsvAhw4o2X2dJCZGWrHrkIw8-cwyKoRh84TI576B1h7yNw_4k7xXPjW2Fma_td-jGUAF66_v9D575mTNYl2Ckd-A45lrpoUT0w3aoCDXVRH6VrgkyUXqjUw4T5Xw4U8vlE4NUCi4lDmj/s1600/SANY0475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDsvAhw4o2X2dJCZGWrHrkIw8-cwyKoRh84TI576B1h7yNw_4k7xXPjW2Fma_td-jGUAF66_v9D575mTNYl2Ckd-A45lrpoUT0w3aoCDXVRH6VrgkyUXqjUw4T5Xw4U8vlE4NUCi4lDmj/s400/SANY0475.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-31045889194345833732012-01-07T12:03:00.000-08:002012-01-07T12:11:10.532-08:00Joshua Tree<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzWoUb5FNw3wTeEVQWtg15zaOojni2aYloQaoIqdjZ7GCUeGnk2QLBdOCwifNgp5rcQMV30KfMwCvVzLdo7oOFkvY25gFMZIOqB2xaaLZ7GoQ0OX8y9xDwbzIl7MLvKKRRmTCczETLaEi/s1600/_DSC0463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzWoUb5FNw3wTeEVQWtg15zaOojni2aYloQaoIqdjZ7GCUeGnk2QLBdOCwifNgp5rcQMV30KfMwCvVzLdo7oOFkvY25gFMZIOqB2xaaLZ7GoQ0OX8y9xDwbzIl7MLvKKRRmTCczETLaEi/s400/_DSC0463.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spent a couple of days climbing at Joshua Tree before I start up classes again on Monday. All of the jumbles of rocks and Dr. Suess-like trees make it such an outlandish place!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCosNoXRQCiVBreVr6bB-cX-1J5ugJZEJDnTv1rQCuiFm13QO5XyMSF5DJOkK1M5M1sggqrVDcrzNtCFVp-nEs3akYJcy3wE-gSFsNwrADQ-DpVThjNpNc3Zawx7ZoJLR4Xijy6amYRHL/s1600/DSC_0444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCosNoXRQCiVBreVr6bB-cX-1J5ugJZEJDnTv1rQCuiFm13QO5XyMSF5DJOkK1M5M1sggqrVDcrzNtCFVp-nEs3akYJcy3wE-gSFsNwrADQ-DpVThjNpNc3Zawx7ZoJLR4Xijy6amYRHL/s400/DSC_0444.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on "Dinky Doinks" (5.8)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wCGOYYzxGd3NDU33BJwUUdJkRq-1689-6ybsxRhneaeIkpBSMzQGLhtEJd11oEMuKu7pHNvc9_ltyOQvBlpB0qOfClWWfnRPuJ6Uk4WTh13xrZ6-ir3gQ0B5IuEv_m62hvaL5B-CzWAv/s1600/DSC_0446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wCGOYYzxGd3NDU33BJwUUdJkRq-1689-6ybsxRhneaeIkpBSMzQGLhtEJd11oEMuKu7pHNvc9_ltyOQvBlpB0qOfClWWfnRPuJ6Uk4WTh13xrZ6-ir3gQ0B5IuEv_m62hvaL5B-CzWAv/s400/DSC_0446.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a lot of fun on some of the moderate trad climbs, like "Double Dog Leg" (5.7) and "Dinky Doinks" (5.8). </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwrrVoQuOLsu4OOi61fWwKN-EdCaPe5VjMoQ39W2c68UgCJQReMS0MP3c4AvN_z5bxSMit8zeRq8CopmnNJHLTLq1r99EH73YTjkkGJ4cjMYKKWCF5i6v6mxvZ-SFxuOR3re1EH5BBQ7_/s1600/_DSC0493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwrrVoQuOLsu4OOi61fWwKN-EdCaPe5VjMoQ39W2c68UgCJQReMS0MP3c4AvN_z5bxSMit8zeRq8CopmnNJHLTLq1r99EH73YTjkkGJ4cjMYKKWCF5i6v6mxvZ-SFxuOR3re1EH5BBQ7_/s400/_DSC0493.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting up "Mental Physics" </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Yz5e1GdNkQBvIiUlLYIzyuZX10JJ6q0uCbtdJVoOaNf9vJKb93MMUAp6jQftUQsiXyKIGxUNHgRiq4MoTLHTSmMikXxDpncINUYlRNFkWe1M_9RsJ-GkldmbmksicFHLgDcEgDJ0aQtp/s1600/_DSC0498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Yz5e1GdNkQBvIiUlLYIzyuZX10JJ6q0uCbtdJVoOaNf9vJKb93MMUAp6jQftUQsiXyKIGxUNHgRiq4MoTLHTSmMikXxDpncINUYlRNFkWe1M_9RsJ-GkldmbmksicFHLgDcEgDJ0aQtp/s400/_DSC0498.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan on Mental Physics</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our second day we made the long trek out to the highly recommended climb "Mental Physics" (5.7), a long, consistent crack. It was an awesome climb, but it made me wish I had brought better crack climbing shoes: my snug bouldery shoes were starting to make jamming quite painful (note to self). </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jMBS93EO08B-PNyTIYqtatORbwgg3_Nt9Ii4f6z-0s1jniCZroxkCdsA91uPvpkFehRAiCRvLjEVQwzZ1E8SotPMCgqYnNquLwBbVskdhK6B-Mx1bkrWhcNg6F2slvPMxLnqYEs73Ku2/s1600/_DSC0479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jMBS93EO08B-PNyTIYqtatORbwgg3_Nt9Ii4f6z-0s1jniCZroxkCdsA91uPvpkFehRAiCRvLjEVQwzZ1E8SotPMCgqYnNquLwBbVskdhK6B-Mx1bkrWhcNg6F2slvPMxLnqYEs73Ku2/s400/_DSC0479.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bouldering in the Outback</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2if7-DK8ytABrYY2ui3R9CVGaAHdFx_oegdcAnBMFl7F23eNNZBBjbnm7U7FfqbnbBqUJ1dlTZj_-6ZW9N6cBDgVU7UmsCklyaJ-Flmvo9DeyNliiAU1-5xvHy5MAk22qN4qHD1T95lz4/s1600/_DSC0517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2if7-DK8ytABrYY2ui3R9CVGaAHdFx_oegdcAnBMFl7F23eNNZBBjbnm7U7FfqbnbBqUJ1dlTZj_-6ZW9N6cBDgVU7UmsCklyaJ-Flmvo9DeyNliiAU1-5xvHy5MAk22qN4qHD1T95lz4/s400/_DSC0517.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Gunsmoke Traverse" (V3), JTree's mega-classic</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also did a bit of bouldering--it was cool to revisit problems I had worked on the last time I was there (a couple of years ago) as a reference point to how much stronger I've gotten.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcEMJKIoCWb6uoAWhzhyphenhyphen8ARTuQLtvH0FYWZrKGG0xpscqIFh0vlGtpfxvZbDQwB-1QVq4qzocuRbRE8sxdaNttlOjYSVEhzLn97W3iduIPWWpRZL_nDiq5EjQRHXg2ZbJNhH6CsJc7PFI/s1600/_DSC0504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcEMJKIoCWb6uoAWhzhyphenhyphen8ARTuQLtvH0FYWZrKGG0xpscqIFh0vlGtpfxvZbDQwB-1QVq4qzocuRbRE8sxdaNttlOjYSVEhzLn97W3iduIPWWpRZL_nDiq5EjQRHXg2ZbJNhH6CsJc7PFI/s400/_DSC0504.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cave of Wonders?<br />
<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFRfkHEmvOget-nPaghUFpekBgqnAETfZieNxEJHFvcCFNHFQ8VnQ9LKdXTxod-3o0x7C9txVG7fgMUdbZMl3i97f-rf9z1YAIMVqH2uxddpiwT5LzQ-WfcnxTbkmqOPBLTqBE6YYoxqS/s1600/_DSC0482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFRfkHEmvOget-nPaghUFpekBgqnAETfZieNxEJHFvcCFNHFQ8VnQ9LKdXTxod-3o0x7C9txVG7fgMUdbZMl3i97f-rf9z1YAIMVqH2uxddpiwT5LzQ-WfcnxTbkmqOPBLTqBE6YYoxqS/s400/_DSC0482.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-222458906900498052011-12-23T07:55:00.000-08:002012-01-29T14:57:48.758-08:00Holiday on Ice<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just in time for Christmas, my story on climbing Vinson in this week's issue of the Santa Cruz Weekly:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.santacruz.com/news/2011/12/20/holiday_on_ice">http://www.santacruz.com/news/2011/12/20/holiday_on_ice</a></span><br />
<br />
<i>“This does not feel like Christmas,” I thought between forced gulps of hot chocolate. I looked over at my teammate Doug, hunkered next to me in our kitchenette dug out of the snow, nursing his frostbitten hands. My dad and the other climbers in our group, Wim and our guide Victor, huddled in our shelter trying to warm themselves.</i><br />
<i> We were at the base of Mt. Vinson-Massif, at 16,050 feet the highest point in Antarctica. In December 2005, in the middle of my senior year of high school, between the anxieties of college applications and prom drama, my dad and I had somehow decided to journey down as far away from holiday cheer as we could possibly be to climb this peak. </i><br />
<i> I was a 17-year-old girl amongst middle-aged men, and while it wasn’t the first time I’d played that role—Mt. Vinson would become the sixth of the Seven Summits, the highest peak on each of the continents, that my dad and I would climb—I still felt an underlying compulsion to prove I was good enough to be there.</i><br />
<i> The team had leisurely awoken that morning thinking we would follow a relatively easy plan. The goal was to tag High Camp and then come back down for the night, following the mountaineer’s maxim of acclimatization, “climb high, sleep low.” While normally it’s best get a pre-dawn start for a day of mountaineering, both in order to get the most out of daylight hours and to leave when it’s the coldest so that the ice is more solidly frozen in place, neither of those considerations mattered as much here: It never gets dark in December in Antarctica, and with the mercury hovering between 0 and –20 degrees Fahrenheit, we weren’t too worried about things thawing out.</i><br />
<i> Still, when the sun was shining and the wind was calm it could feel deceptively warm. Even though it looked like we would have good weather for the day, I casually threw some extra mitts and my fluffiest down jacket into my pack, just in case, along with the bag of food I was carrying up to leave for when we returned for our summit bid.</i><br />
<i> We rolled out of camp with the sun gleaming against the pristine snow that crunched underfoot as we made our way toward the base of the headwall. Once there, we made a stop to put on our crampons, spikes that attach to the bottom of mountaineering boots to help gain traction in the ice, and then began to ascend the face that would lead us to High Camp, situated in the col between Mt. Vinson and its neighbor, Mt. Shinn.</i><br />
<i> Planting my ice axe into the incline ahead of me every couple of steps, I followed the slow but steady pace Victor set at the lead of the rope. I was giddy at the thought of being surrounded by the untouched peaks of this mystic land. Unconventional, perhaps, but not a bad way to spend Christmas day, I thought.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<strong><i>Cold Hard Tracks</i></strong><br />
<i> Christmas back home was, of course, much different. The holiday season in Long Beach was announced by the appearance of colorful, tree-shaped light decorations floating out on the bay. Sometimes after the boat parade that went around Naples Island—for which we would deck out our kayaks, and ourselves, with festive strings of lights—I would paddle out to one of the platforms, just for the novelty of sitting on a floating Christmas decoration.</i><br />
<i> My brother and I often spent Christmas in Brooklyn with my mom and grandma, where the holiday fixation was on appetizing fowl. Be it pheasant, quail or duck, my mom would spend the better part of a day strategizing the sequence of events that would yield the best feast. Though we always ended up with a delicious meal, things rarely went according to plan.</i><br />
<i> Back on Vinson that dynamic was in full effect. After a couple of hours of climbing on Christmas morning, a smattering of clouds invaded the sky, blocking the warmth of the sun. We made a quick stop to adjust our layers to the lower temperature; while Victor and Wim each added a jacket, Doug and my dad said they thought they would be fine with what they had on. Feeling lazy about digging through my pack and readjusting, I convinced myself that my current garb would also suffice.</i><br />
<i> Yet as we began to climb again, the wind picked up and I soon realized that the thin gloves I had on wouldn’t be enough after all. I tried to shake off the burning cold by whirling my arms around, hoping that increasing the blood flow would be sufficient. It wasn’t. Because we were traveling in standard glacial travel style, with a single rope connecting the team, if I stopped to get my thicker mitts out of my pack, everyone else would have to stop with me. I knew that in this sport, seemingly small errors like this could result in dire consequences. If I made everyone stop, they could grow cold themselves due to the lack of movement, starting a chain of events that could end with frostbite or a fall. As part of a small team whose members were out to push their limits, I agonized that there wasn’t room for my previous laziness.</i><br />
<i> But my mind flashed on all of the things I wouldn’t be able to do, or at least not as well, if I lost my fingertips to frostbite. I may be a mountain climber here, I thought to myself, but back at home I needed those fingers if I wanted to keep playing the piano or the oboe or even be able to instant message with my friends. I convinced myself it was worth it to protect my hands.</i><br />
<i> Completely embarrassed, I called out to Victor.</i><br />
<i> “Why didn’t you change your gloves when I gave you the chance before?” he asked, clearly cross. But he stopped so I could throw off my pack and get out my mitts.</i><br />
<i> However, my punishment wasn’t complete; they weren’t at the top of my pack as I’d been hoping. I grew increasingly frustrated as I rummaged for the elusive mitts while the rest of the team waited impatiently. Victor gruffly marched up to me to aid my search by holding the bag of food and the jacket that had been obstructing my path to the gloves. By the time I finally found them I was almost to the point of tears. I apologized but still felt I would have to do something to make up for my mistake. </i><br />
<i> As we climbed on, the weather worsened. Once we got to High Camp we hastily made a cache for the gear we would leave up there and then started back down. Now in near-whiteout conditions, we were thoroughly miserable. A layer of the freshly blown snow accumulated in between some of our boots and crampons, reducing the purchase of our feet on the slope and causing us to stumble from time to time, pulling and catching each other by the rope that served as our lifeline.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<strong><i>Peak Experience</i></strong><br />
<i> Mountaineering started for my dad, and thus for me, when he climbed Mt. Whitney with a friend from work. I can imagine my dad taking his last few steps to the summit: euphoric from the endorphins, adrenaline and altitude, hardly able to believe how far he had come since that morning as he looked down at the valleys below. Standing on top of a summit triggers just the right emotional cocktail to make it the most addictive experience I have known. </i><br />
<i> After Whitney and some other California peaks, he felt ready to take on something bigger. He suggested climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to his friends, but they couldn’t take the time off. So he brought it to the family dinner table one night. </i><br />
<i> My older brother and my stepmom both reasonably declined. But, more than climbing a mountain, the thought of going to Africa seemed incredibly exotic and exciting to me. As an animal-lover, I reasoned that if I climbed Kilimanjaro with him, which I knew nothing about, I could probably convince him to take me on a short safari afterward.</i><br />
<i> “Yeah, I’ll go!” It came out without much thought, unknowingly launching the biggest obsession of my teenage years. </i><br />
<i> Eventually, that obsession would turn into a world record. After success on Vinson, my dad and I only had one peak left to complete our Seven Summits quest: Mt. Everest. I took a gap year before college to train and prepare, and we reached the summit of Everest that spring, making me, at the age of 18, the youngest person at that time to have climbed the Seven Summits, and the first to climb them all with her dad.</i><br />
<i> I felt depleted when we got back to camp after our long Christmas day on Vinson; it took all of my willpower to help out with the chores of collecting snow to melt for water and cooking the dinner I was too tired to eat. As I laboriously cut up garlic with my pocketknife to throw in with the frozen salmon patties—our holiday dinner—Victor looked at me and said, “I bet you’ve never had a Christmas like that before, have you?” I wearily shook my head. Smirking, he added, “Somehow I don’t think it’ll be the last, either.”</i><br />
<i> After dinner I used the satellite phone to call my mom and brother. I was so exhausted, and there was such a lag in the connection between us, that it was hard to communicate anything at all. Even if I didn’t really know what I was supposed to say, how I could possibly describe what it was like to be there right then, I liked the thought of them being able to hear me. I tried to imagine them sitting cozily around a tree, well fed and warm and protected from the chilly streets of New York, as I looked across the expanse of ice in front of me that led to the bottom of the earth.</i><br />
<i> My dad and I then called my stepmom, younger brother and sister back in California. She asked how we liked our presents—we’d forgotten! Before she’d left us at the airport, she had handed my dad and me each a small package, which we’d stashed away in our sleeping bags. We hung up the phone, got into our tent and opened them. I uncovered a pair of earrings, two small silver hoops. They seemed so out of place here, but I looked forward to going back to my other life, where I could envision wearing them.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<strong><i>Mountain High</i></strong><br />
<i> A day or two later we returned to High Camp, the point of departure for our summit bid. I had still not recovered from our hard Christmas day and was nauseated from the altitude. After we’d set up a tent, but before we’d finished all the chores of setting up camp—most importantly, cutting out blocks of ice to build into a wall for protection from the wind—Victor suggested I get inside my sleeping bag to boil some water for tea while the rest of the team continued working. A bit surprised at getting out of the dirty work but not about to complain, I obeyed. I had never loved my sleeping bag more than I did when I crawled into it then.</i><br />
<i> “You were moving quite slowly—I think you were getting a bit hypothermic,” Victor said later, explaining why he had let me off easy.</i><br />
<i> When we woke up the next morning, Victor suggested we start up toward the summit: The weather was good, for now, and we had increasingly little time before we had to be back at basecamp in order to get our ride back out. If we missed it, we would most likely have to stay an extra two weeks. He promised that if we felt we weren’t strong enough, we would turn around and rest and try again the next day.</i><br />
<i> I thought maybe I would feel better once we’d gotten started, but pretty quickly I became sure that I wasn’t going to make it. I felt on the verge of vomiting with every step. But I kept marching along, distracting myself with an internal debate over whether I had yet reached the point at which I should just tell the team I needed to turn back around. I would pick out an objective just within sight—some distinctive rock or feature of ice—and tell myself that all I needed to do was make it there, that then I could decide whether or not I wanted to keep going. But upon reaching every target, I would just decide to postpone the decision again by picking out a new one. My whole existence was pared down to figuring out ways to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I wasn’t really sure right then why it was actually so important that I did, but I figured that if a previous self had been willing to go through all of the pain and effort this mountain had required so far, then it wasn’t something I should give up on easily.</i><br />
<i> Far sooner than I expected, Victor told us that we were probably halfway there. We continued on.</i><br />
<i> We did make it to the summit that day. I trudged up, planted my ice axe into the ground, and rested my forehead on it. My dad came over and let me lean on him to rest instead.</i><br />
<i> "Good job, honey-bear," was all he could say as I quietly cried into his shoulder.</i>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-77453466364206785552011-12-05T22:59:00.000-08:002012-05-22T11:12:19.642-07:00Snake Dike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Got up to Yosemite last weekend for some last chance climbing in the valley before winter really settles in. It was such a beautiful time to be there: the sun was out, the temps were climbable (probably hovering around 40 degrees during the day) and it felt like we were the only people in the park. The main event was climbing "Snake Dike" (5.7 R), the notoriously run-out route to the top of Half Dome, Yosemite's most iconic formation. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We woke up at 5am, had breakfast, packed up and quickly got going on the 6-mile approach to the base of the route. We passed waterfalls and enjoyed some stunning views along the way--I was so happy to be in the valley again. After only minimal trial-finding delays, we made it to the base of the route around 10:30am. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrGV5BUuS5-3X5Hk24I9jKuDBc2g5yt6eLOcZx5MgVQMZ7qrATChJk4Yk8B2s6hrF4O5cHq09XvDsLOG4T43DXms2hq_bj3XFMdctR1rSeFxppWG159PlmXzCe8RPgIbpQ5hejkhEFDqV/s1600/SANY0293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrGV5BUuS5-3X5Hk24I9jKuDBc2g5yt6eLOcZx5MgVQMZ7qrATChJk4Yk8B2s6hrF4O5cHq09XvDsLOG4T43DXms2hq_bj3XFMdctR1rSeFxppWG159PlmXzCe8RPgIbpQ5hejkhEFDqV/s400/SANY0293.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of the route</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I admit I started feeling intimidated by the climb once we started racking up to get going--I can't say that I particularly enjoy long run-outs, and on this route there is up to 75 feet between bolts. But once I saw how easy the climbing was (the super long run-outs are mostly 5.4) and felt the solid granite, I relaxed and enjoyed it for the adventure that it is. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3MeqM0dp3JekxJXm6z05rCfzpCaer1Vt_HzhaoDkDvn1G4gBl76Axkpz4gXfjGKs1DuCuBmrHpL7-trjaVBtf4VHzBMreTBzJVsC0gyJdRBAfNDaDFMZDJ5EN9KfnTbJ5LCGwWXbZSn7/s1600/SANY0306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3MeqM0dp3JekxJXm6z05rCfzpCaer1Vt_HzhaoDkDvn1G4gBl76Axkpz4gXfjGKs1DuCuBmrHpL7-trjaVBtf4VHzBMreTBzJVsC0gyJdRBAfNDaDFMZDJ5EN9KfnTbJ5LCGwWXbZSn7/s400/SANY0306.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blake on the third pitch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwF08ds56LAXvvoKuRnf1qErPrfjmSZMIxW9hJ-rcrn_GJt22FLvdYdE0rxe5U1krArdzcHgjO0r7L4a8muWcT4AGB9PiEvq9wUvTv_mkBkvBsvu1T2Sc7SIpeDBRqS9vsXFDi86C1VBiP/s1600/SANY0307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwF08ds56LAXvvoKuRnf1qErPrfjmSZMIxW9hJ-rcrn_GJt22FLvdYdE0rxe5U1krArdzcHgjO0r7L4a8muWcT4AGB9PiEvq9wUvTv_mkBkvBsvu1T2Sc7SIpeDBRqS9vsXFDi86C1VBiP/s400/SANY0307.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me leading up the notorious run-outs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My calves were burning after the long hike and eight pitches of friction-y climbing, but at the top of the route we still had the "endless third-class slabs" to walk up to the summit. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CxQtMQrJteSy1cLvm5bWItmF1KeSA8KCqpHmL73yWYqxUD8GiSXFXsk3dheAPuGajCiD7j7iDXNDJMow9LSDsp6iGHZaMroqSNir5zEuRzP5qOSLyDS813v-5UgoyNC6KMhOgPsr2KLV/s1600/SANY0327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CxQtMQrJteSy1cLvm5bWItmF1KeSA8KCqpHmL73yWYqxUD8GiSXFXsk3dheAPuGajCiD7j7iDXNDJMow9LSDsp6iGHZaMroqSNir5zEuRzP5qOSLyDS813v-5UgoyNC6KMhOgPsr2KLV/s400/SANY0327.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne on the endless slabs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It got so windy as we neared the summit! The valley decided to give us just a little taste of the alpine experience : )</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWMMDa12xySS-mxE4lkdKqksvHeQu2ySXBXTzNDvbDA5mXEg88B8tdQHyMN3J5DsFwJSz2OpaB4zv52uYl-nm4RLxXofQK_5LiHGPzkpqBe_PgBC4QAvSpp6XqSFmUW4_lfAR_g4xGsVZ/s1600/SANY0336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWMMDa12xySS-mxE4lkdKqksvHeQu2ySXBXTzNDvbDA5mXEg88B8tdQHyMN3J5DsFwJSz2OpaB4zv52uYl-nm4RLxXofQK_5LiHGPzkpqBe_PgBC4QAvSpp6XqSFmUW4_lfAR_g4xGsVZ/s400/SANY0336.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battling the wind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPYGIBcKqrR_s9XoWvj6amc1XYORsVzEAJ_q56rCqxBVYdlOxh9WquA1sEtjJU4wnngjy2SMZhr5cwzfyfZobLJxK6fqP7c4RWACdLIBBNMK_mo26WiMmH8bq3iSfJQNbwawvXXPtW__D/s1600/SANY0333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPYGIBcKqrR_s9XoWvj6amc1XYORsVzEAJ_q56rCqxBVYdlOxh9WquA1sEtjJU4wnngjy2SMZhr5cwzfyfZobLJxK6fqP7c4RWACdLIBBNMK_mo26WiMmH8bq3iSfJQNbwawvXXPtW__D/s400/SANY0333.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the summit of Half Dome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the summit we descended down the other side and made the nine-mile hike back to camp. I was so ready for dinner and my sleeping bag by the time we made it back. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all of the easy, poorly protected climbing on Snake Dike, we decided to climb something hard but well-protected the next day on our way out of the park. The perfect fit: top-roping "The Generator Crack", a heinous offwidth that can seemingly only be climbed through pure struggle, blood and bruises. It was a colder day, just around freezing, but we quickly warmed up through the physical effort. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby0wWs7tIvqObvGuHLjpMPCRTxMduRs-UG8ZZNNF47q_s2jXH4PwoW_JklKRe552RE-i0fgZ7Rlr_wgzyWiG_SdkIHRllbkqj1tBPsl3m3NIFTTjwt8CK_4xvkonOm1pK0Styul-1B-3l/s1600/_DSC0291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby0wWs7tIvqObvGuHLjpMPCRTxMduRs-UG8ZZNNF47q_s2jXH4PwoW_JklKRe552RE-i0fgZ7Rlr_wgzyWiG_SdkIHRllbkqj1tBPsl3m3NIFTTjwt8CK_4xvkonOm1pK0Styul-1B-3l/s400/_DSC0291.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to figure out what part of me will fit into the Generator Crack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxY_qW8wHw7QPz5RltJ3epjAxpJeRvWX1kYI8xA2Ovy5BtJMOdKcSrNpoQiiTuERR600p7G_J3ZZgOeuupAnByQy7n1XAms8vVhNtDRX5xKKGZeALPlH2xxXHlQEzA-SBVuxXFoSRnntEs/s1600/_DSC0295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxY_qW8wHw7QPz5RltJ3epjAxpJeRvWX1kYI8xA2Ovy5BtJMOdKcSrNpoQiiTuERR600p7G_J3ZZgOeuupAnByQy7n1XAms8vVhNtDRX5xKKGZeALPlH2xxXHlQEzA-SBVuxXFoSRnntEs/s400/_DSC0295.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a tight squeeze to go</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-1207732171546767732011-11-17T12:19:00.000-08:002011-11-17T12:19:01.964-08:00Climbing in The Grotto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got to go on a day trip to The Grotto at Table Mountain last weekend with my friend Laurel (my training buddy for the Golden Gate Headlands marathon and fellow adventurer on various other exploits). Down in a pit surrounded by basalt columns, The Grotto offers some great climbing in a beautiful setting. Having last gone there about a year ago when I felt a bit daunted by the prospect of trad leading anything, I was happy that I felt really comfortable leading the two 5.8 cracks. We also threw up top-ropes on a fun 10b hand crack and an 11b finger crack. I didn't mange to take any photos this time, but here are some from my last trip there:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzRQGpA8ogYVaTu2zCQoeYKtHMeM9_cYKDgAQnCP-oX4wWISZU4BZNNsTO9UYmeVeqMHbFUS0xIPo2SVJvqKBi1F4sjD2uxB3rxEqSiWbyk2WAddyPynMXYmyJU6CVClwdx9rR_ETCNsc/s1600/tablemanners2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzRQGpA8ogYVaTu2zCQoeYKtHMeM9_cYKDgAQnCP-oX4wWISZU4BZNNsTO9UYmeVeqMHbFUS0xIPo2SVJvqKBi1F4sjD2uxB3rxEqSiWbyk2WAddyPynMXYmyJU6CVClwdx9rR_ETCNsc/s400/tablemanners2" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Table Manners" (5.8)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD_wEzQ55Lw8r05fKMGSZaxXkbWIl_gP1BQCr9im03LJ6nhPPiiQHKe9q3xVv8LTvl8frs1jVQh8b9QacAkRdAyAF6egUu8nbrYRSuvwwJcxNr24Y4lK_6G5cRID9IlNFTzOCEETgWUHs/s1600/5.8" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD_wEzQ55Lw8r05fKMGSZaxXkbWIl_gP1BQCr9im03LJ6nhPPiiQHKe9q3xVv8LTvl8frs1jVQh8b9QacAkRdAyAF6egUu8nbrYRSuvwwJcxNr24Y4lK_6G5cRID9IlNFTzOCEETgWUHs/s400/5.8" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Table Manners" from above<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3R64ElCdts4ZKF4kW90PAo5jrimpxf4YaL3lS4JUAPHUZ8MNu9KzL8IrUBPgcXO20L7z4q1W-_fHyYD3W3bz8uzcZu-8TmtUXx7_qT-A1CJW-hfJ284jKDyBxhr1XC9FJ28Xu3KOf6_y/s1600/ACdevildog" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3R64ElCdts4ZKF4kW90PAo5jrimpxf4YaL3lS4JUAPHUZ8MNu9KzL8IrUBPgcXO20L7z4q1W-_fHyYD3W3bz8uzcZu-8TmtUXx7_qT-A1CJW-hfJ284jKDyBxhr1XC9FJ28Xu3KOf6_y/s400/ACdevildog" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"AC Devil Dog" (5.10c)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsDirIi2eeSrxTQVZ5tGvZ1VeIcpFloVBpd8d3vDXyqJHksi9b6KFIRg-6qtLteW7ESMwxzyr4cTlU1t57IZjeUA4PRiLFqE76VH60bgqL4uHIQqqDn7-abgvhslcsFFCkdPpz9TekZlX/s1600/viewfromthetop" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsDirIi2eeSrxTQVZ5tGvZ1VeIcpFloVBpd8d3vDXyqJHksi9b6KFIRg-6qtLteW7ESMwxzyr4cTlU1t57IZjeUA4PRiLFqE76VH60bgqL4uHIQqqDn7-abgvhslcsFFCkdPpz9TekZlX/s400/viewfromthetop" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of a route</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-72633353915222463092011-11-03T13:36:00.000-07:002011-11-03T13:36:06.337-07:00Barefoot RunningA cool article from the NY Times: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/magazine/running-christopher-mcdougall.html?scp=2&sq=the%20once%20and%20future%20way%20to%20run&st=cse">The Once and Future Way to Run</a>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-4981832668996352322011-10-27T18:45:00.000-07:002012-05-22T11:13:01.687-07:00Fall in Yosemite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcj5ZT0eR-xXVNzo6K_m4aCq38aRB4gfVaBjn2UHHMaF39ff0zI-1K0h9kY2sK0YvSHISKKI1Tg3h1ZnVC_LPFm1fgKlXZlFzhR_x4DNro5BTRg5IzsQEnV-06JUPqXT9_fbu47XUWlQS/s1600/picnicinelcapmeadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcj5ZT0eR-xXVNzo6K_m4aCq38aRB4gfVaBjn2UHHMaF39ff0zI-1K0h9kY2sK0YvSHISKKI1Tg3h1ZnVC_LPFm1fgKlXZlFzhR_x4DNro5BTRg5IzsQEnV-06JUPqXT9_fbu47XUWlQS/s400/picnicinelcapmeadow.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic in El Cap Meadow<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQpDMLBF4ETVs1mKRZs463eMpErPpc7EhhgeO7WpsDX_lSpiNbknw6zAvZN7J9BwtMWVJqYoHALJgmAEGnb4YrLb4laViKgh9KbyT6adAPAy5iflnsriKV1CWq_-kksn0GcTAqvMcLdhn/s1600/mobydick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQpDMLBF4ETVs1mKRZs463eMpErPpc7EhhgeO7WpsDX_lSpiNbknw6zAvZN7J9BwtMWVJqYoHALJgmAEGnb4YrLb4laViKgh9KbyT6adAPAy5iflnsriKV1CWq_-kksn0GcTAqvMcLdhn/s400/mobydick.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Moby Dick"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4-2uzaad94p9HKaD4F59-eIFJ0lGP9WKz_E1L6De5zBPsbMR_i5akvm5wWHYHLgy7V7FRGrhyphenhyphen7RAiC7rB6TEw8s9XzaTjojsTlTLCqxeEsuLR4FMksWibj23dk1GOeyPwFYhqngWJNRQ/s1600/lotsofgranite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4-2uzaad94p9HKaD4F59-eIFJ0lGP9WKz_E1L6De5zBPsbMR_i5akvm5wWHYHLgy7V7FRGrhyphenhyphen7RAiC7rB6TEw8s9XzaTjojsTlTLCqxeEsuLR4FMksWibj23dk1GOeyPwFYhqngWJNRQ/s400/lotsofgranite.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of Granite<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBb8D1JTsLHZ9AVU0wMaK1ICwZmNgafJfcXxl04doWO7qm6ckmjewUSWlcRZGayuED23eoyuUDvWRGPltQie9GkxYJOcGRo1jpIkLsfXZGuTfdz2A0xJwmm4WEPQei8kWvFWJ7JjDoWeW/s1600/_DSC0899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBb8D1JTsLHZ9AVU0wMaK1ICwZmNgafJfcXxl04doWO7qm6ckmjewUSWlcRZGayuED23eoyuUDvWRGPltQie9GkxYJOcGRo1jpIkLsfXZGuTfdz2A0xJwmm4WEPQei8kWvFWJ7JjDoWeW/s400/_DSC0899.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset in Tuolumne Meadows</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikCxgdedm_GdlfO_rzFUq55YdI3iyY5WmF9MeA_jTIJ6Ix4tVK5jgSAyTNiWG_yCCulKNTkT_LBwkiYffNlde-L_eqFpSWspnabu_AF7pqvlACPZz-tVwcChmQM0PYsqP-Xflwp3lZs8p/s1600/SANY0250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikCxgdedm_GdlfO_rzFUq55YdI3iyY5WmF9MeA_jTIJ6Ix4tVK5jgSAyTNiWG_yCCulKNTkT_LBwkiYffNlde-L_eqFpSWspnabu_AF7pqvlACPZz-tVwcChmQM0PYsqP-Xflwp3lZs8p/s400/SANY0250.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral Peak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcw596O0GQN2_1JwrCRbBDmpaP-VBtURRO9CWB4AqvPg763ZX3EI4l1v7c5YTJdT8XrZ2SN2v6JtRjPtQzDou9sL5OPTpts2Rv4e7UoSfktuRQ3TdMs4g8fWNXokv1hrAYR-KVsU0Ll8Oj/s1600/SANY0252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcw596O0GQN2_1JwrCRbBDmpaP-VBtURRO9CWB4AqvPg763ZX3EI4l1v7c5YTJdT8XrZ2SN2v6JtRjPtQzDou9sL5OPTpts2Rv4e7UoSfktuRQ3TdMs4g8fWNXokv1hrAYR-KVsU0Ll8Oj/s400/SANY0252.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUc0i4iZ15kt3ahyphenhyphenN9L6_HKhycatUIEHmD7wB9Ea0c0f0EtuT7SzCAFsiaOpAWIIKo7D4smCg56LZtYDDbzSjIeqpy79Cg5wQKJJHmOPuLRL3aQEF0KEGuLtnNLrX3oLmm6YkgO3IkHNV/s1600/SANY0265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUc0i4iZ15kt3ahyphenhyphenN9L6_HKhycatUIEHmD7wB9Ea0c0f0EtuT7SzCAFsiaOpAWIIKo7D4smCg56LZtYDDbzSjIeqpy79Cg5wQKJJHmOPuLRL3aQEF0KEGuLtnNLrX3oLmm6YkgO3IkHNV/s400/SANY0265.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descent from Daff Dome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrTAnQcnCbS8njORO9GhbR-LGmi90JNglKmxnUHJSuddn6UHt_6NKiAlzWtfvWPbu_Bs6XgYP6_6k6VNiAG9VgHO_ZaXzSrnEGLxSQ-pKVKXOByimRG8D6SJXCon9hXOy-M4YqNzWPsMC/s1600/SANY0269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrTAnQcnCbS8njORO9GhbR-LGmi90JNglKmxnUHJSuddn6UHt_6NKiAlzWtfvWPbu_Bs6XgYP6_6k6VNiAG9VgHO_ZaXzSrnEGLxSQ-pKVKXOByimRG8D6SJXCon9hXOy-M4YqNzWPsMC/s400/SANY0269.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descent from Pywiack Dome (with Cathedral in the background)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-47067243465888823322011-10-12T13:59:00.000-07:002011-10-12T13:59:48.852-07:00Tibet: Murder in the SnowI started an internship with the Santa Cruz Weekly newspaper after the summer road trip. My first cover story came out today on <i>Tibet: Murder in the Snow</i>, a documentary that that relates to my past mountaineering experiences. It will be coming to Santa Cruz as part of the Pacific Rim Film Festival. <div><br />
</div><div>I've pasted it below, or you can read it on the Santa Cruz Weekly's site <a href="http://news.santacruz.com/2011/10/12/prff_deadly_heights">here</a>.</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
<i>Luis Benitez paused when he saw me coming down and leaned into the axe planted in the snow above him.</i><br />
<i>“Hey Sam, how’re you feeling?”</i><br />
<i>“Good . . . tired,” I replied, my voice weak.</i><br />
<i>“I’ll bet you are,” he said, and laughed. “Why don’t you go back to base camp, get yourself a coke, go to college, find a hot boyfriend—how ‘bout a junior—and forget this scene for a while,” he said. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>That was one of the first conversations I had coming down from the top of Everest in 2007. Benitez, an experienced guide, was headed up for his group’s own summit bid, what would be his sixth summit of the peak. After our meeting he continued on to the top of the world, but once he got there, instead of the usual euphoria he felt something less pleasant. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>“I felt pretty disillusioned,” he told me over the phone a few days ago as he walked his dogs around his Colorado neighborhood. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Benitez’s discomfiture stemmed from an event that had occurred about seven months before, while we were both on Cho Oyu, the 26,906-foot Himalayan giant 19 miles west of Everest. While I was high up on the mountain making my summit bid, Benitez was back at base camp, where he witnessed a tragic event unfold, an event recounted in the film <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Tibet: Murder in the Snow</span>, which will screen Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Del Mar and feature a post-film discussion with Benitez. The film features first-hand footage taken by Romanian mountaineer Sergiu Matei. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>On Sept. 30, 2006, Benitez and about 100 other mountaineers heard gunshots coming from the Nangpa La, a 19,050-foot-high mountain pass between Tibet and Nepal visible from camp. Still used for commercial trade, it and other passes like it historically provided the gateway for Tibetans into Nepal, allowing for the settlement of the well-known Sherpa communities in Nepal’s high Himalaya. It has now become known as the “poor person’s refugee gate.” </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>“Many wealthy Tibetans can buy their way out of the country,” Benitez says. “But [poorer] Tibetans can’t do that . . . their only choice is something like this pass—they can’t afford bribes, they can’t afford permissions.” </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>The Chinese border patrol had opened fire on about 70 Tibetans who were making an attempt to flee by way of the pass. Even with crude weaponry and aim, they managed to lodge a fatal bullet into the back of Kelsang Namtso, a 17-year-old nun hoping to escape into India in order to freely practice her religion and realize her dream of meeting the Dalai Lama. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>I didn’t hear about the incident until I returned to base camp, and even then I only heard a few scattered details. “There was a body on the pass, but don’t worry, it’s been cleaned up now,” I was told. It was only after I returned to the states that I realized the irony that while I, a 17-year-old Westerner, stood on the top of a mountain under which, by some Buddhist legends, the instructions on how to save the world from chaos are buried, Chinese officials prodded the lifeless body of a 17-year-old nun who had made a desperate attempt for a better life, taking photos with her body and the summit in the background. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>The event created a rift in the mountaineering community. Some of the guides, people from the Western world running a business for Western clients, didn’t want the information to get out for fear they wouldn’t be able to get permits to return the next year. The Chinese government, they reasoned, would have no reason to let climbers into the country in the future if it meant having witnesses who would report on incidents such as this one.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Benitez says he was appalled when he learned that no one else planned to report the shooting. After he wrote an anonymous article for the website </i><a href="http://www.explorersweb.com/"><i>http://www.explorersweb.com</i></a><i>, a couple of other guides found out and, Benitez says, “came down on my head for speaking out. It was a cussing and screaming match.” Then they told him that the Chinese government had his name, that he’d better get out of there. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>After Benitez was safely home, British journalist Jonathan Green picked up his story. “He told me that if we did the story, you’d have to name names [of who tried to cover it up], you’d have to call the whole thing out. I knew if I did it was going to change my career. I felt that something was broken [in the mountaineering community], so I chose to collaborate on the article.”</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>According to Benitez, the release of the event had the feared effect: it caused permitting and logistics to become much more difficult on Cho Oyu. He says the release of Green’s article in Men’s Journal, which denounced the climbers who chose to remain silent about the event, also fractured the mountaineering community—not just about whether to continue to fuel “summit fever,” the term invoked when mountaineers seemingly put their own glory ahead of helping their fellow man—but also over what would be the best course of action for the greatest number of people in Tibet. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>“I get it,” Benitez says, “we provide work and revenue to Sherpas and the Tibetans. It’s a loss of income to them. It affects their livelihood. But to me, the bottom line for it all was a question of human rights.”</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>The net effect of publicizing the event is unclear. Benitez says the Chinese government “still calls it normal border management to this day.” What’s more, China built a new garrison port to catch refugees going over the pass. Attempts to get the incident recognized as a crime against humanity were stalled because it “was not a genocide,” says Benitez. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>But Benitez says filling in the knowledge void about China’s relationship with Tibet is still important. He equates the average Chinese person’s level of knowledge about the treatment of Tibetans to what residents of the 13 colonies were told about the Native Americans. “They’re told [by the government] that they’re bringing infrastructure, health care, religion—isn’t it great?” Benitez says. “They don’t hear about border shootings or mass killings due to religion. It’s all perspective.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>“This is the first time in 50 years that Westerners have seen and spoken out about it. It’s a sticky subject for climbing and human rights because we don’t know what to do with it.”</i></div>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-57316054010247232832011-10-06T10:27:00.000-07:002011-10-06T10:27:06.674-07:00Guinness Book 2012<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The new Guinness Book of World Records came out mid-September, featuring me on page 123 as the youngest female to climb the Seven Summits (Johnny Collinson is now the youngest person). I must note, however, that it also includes Robert Scull II as the youngest to do both the Carstensz and Kosciuszko lists—I, and I think Collinson as well, climbed both Carstensz and Kosciuszko at a younger age than he, so that’s not accurate. Not that I think having climbed Kosciuszko, the day-hike in Australia, should be a deal breaker for anything.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There’s a photo of me on the page from a shoot I did with Guinness Book in Tahoe last winter—right after Tahoe had gotten it’s biggest snow dump in decades. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In other news, my dad and I were both accepted into this April’s Boston marathon. Should be fun.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuVQhnznEyQpO2gur-w2UIdEC5JDMHrPnHDFM4IJEVGw26aFvlW4nUdWQC8r0gVnG7pUxwaYJw1OZN43ta3f8c0B-jTkdOI0G2ktf-65qg0iDFg89fl9ZOT_yORMKSrxMDVA9D5wb-hkA/s1600/image_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuVQhnznEyQpO2gur-w2UIdEC5JDMHrPnHDFM4IJEVGw26aFvlW4nUdWQC8r0gVnG7pUxwaYJw1OZN43ta3f8c0B-jTkdOI0G2ktf-65qg0iDFg89fl9ZOT_yORMKSrxMDVA9D5wb-hkA/s320/image_1.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad, Nick, and I after the Big Sur marathon last May, where I qualified for Boston</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-7374655116848112922011-09-23T18:08:00.000-07:002011-09-23T18:11:28.238-07:00End of Trip Report: Squamish, Smith Rock<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Times New Roman";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">After about a month of recovery I’m finally ready for my end-of-trip report </div><div class="MsoNormal">: )</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We were well rewarded for enduring the rainy weather we got in Alberta—Squamish (in British Columbia) was a summer paradise. We got in a bit of everything: cragging at the Smoke Bluffs, awesome bouldering, a day of sport-climbing at Cheakamus Canyon, and multi-pitch routes up the Stawamus Chief—the 2,297-foot high granite dome that is Squamish’s biggest attraction. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Gzw5QqhHE5rRRXEYN__Ps3lqxzEWLkx8D8HdbvjVCcSct4SeJTHjXw-0TSuaJY0HgcqV-UQtVGgl22NMb0vs2mDxuBleaQgkWx29Pz-0nVvOGrf9zqFO4PYC7qdtG2ri5NAG3jhLGv9-/s1600/Canada+429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Gzw5QqhHE5rRRXEYN__Ps3lqxzEWLkx8D8HdbvjVCcSct4SeJTHjXw-0TSuaJY0HgcqV-UQtVGgl22NMb0vs2mDxuBleaQgkWx29Pz-0nVvOGrf9zqFO4PYC7qdtG2ri5NAG3jhLGv9-/s320/Canada+429.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting out a climb at the Smoke Bluffs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">The high density of single-pitch trad climbs at the Smoke Bluffs made it a great place to practice crack climbing. I loved falling into the rhythm of jamming my hands and feet up the crack, pausing every few moves to place gear. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Squamish’s bouldering scene was great fun, too. It felt liberating to be able to independently roam through the forest at the base of the Chief and work on a project. My favorite sends were “Bo Jo Jones” (V3), “Easy in an Easy Chair” (V4), and “Swank Stretch” (V5). Here's me our last day in Squamish on "Bo Jo Jones", looking a bit tired:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzyFVSysUFjHaYGq1BUFJZ_Njzkq6zNOPSB_FESwWRY3ME3o5ZqwBRMYDKihMmQ_xtOhbQCOl1Q4V8BkAjY3g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But our biggest project was “The Ultimate Everything”, one of the routes that goes all the way to the top of the Chief. It was ten pitches of pretty fun climbing—the last pitch, a hand-sized crack traverse to the top, was probably the best. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6BotE1yS5dbPW78ooSCosiwHB8yD2N5Bc_UsHLSIaPoFz4se7kgIKnLYNdqpi7dpCt5cRy3sxHmmRZ9tB7v2fZeKLhBsNItWQgi9l7hls5AUXmC75V2dHrZeCRLyOnXZ_vWyz-F-NAGn/s1600/SANY0219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6BotE1yS5dbPW78ooSCosiwHB8yD2N5Bc_UsHLSIaPoFz4se7kgIKnLYNdqpi7dpCt5cRy3sxHmmRZ9tB7v2fZeKLhBsNItWQgi9l7hls5AUXmC75V2dHrZeCRLyOnXZ_vWyz-F-NAGn/s320/SANY0219.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on top of the Chief after "The Ultimate Everything"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"> Of the places we visited this summer, Squamish is the one that I most want to go back to. Not only is there SO much climbing left to do, but the campground had such a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Maybe next summer?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KAwZyPn3-Lb2ZDN54MIisBgrM3WBSCesUkY1RzQ4cumJuGYrzyFuHpIc8m7zS9DEir3Faad821gl1RjqTGRZXTKywpcEWPIV02_eXdZU_IGvQxXTgJkWGREHC4MJS0u2Tgubj8DSW6Vf/s1600/_DSC0709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KAwZyPn3-Lb2ZDN54MIisBgrM3WBSCesUkY1RzQ4cumJuGYrzyFuHpIc8m7zS9DEir3Faad821gl1RjqTGRZXTKywpcEWPIV02_eXdZU_IGvQxXTgJkWGREHC4MJS0u2Tgubj8DSW6Vf/s320/_DSC0709.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smith Rock</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"> On our way back down the coast we stopped in Oregon to check out Smith Rock for a last couple of days of climbing. It was still too hot there to be thoroughly enjoyable, but we had some fun climbing up the cracks in the Basalt rimrock. Matt and I also climbed “Wherever I May Roam” (5.9), a well-bolted five-pitch climb with tons of little knobby holds. It was a decent climb, but I’d love to go back to Smith Rock sometime when it’s not as hot. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvYwEm4E2npuT_JEgeusP4_nHjOQNdFgzA0VXeeDrxDWPdNpn72vCzv0lUL5SAdK0exBERndkV3WAkJFRIUCLANc3eB8QSq7OvqDXEqK_2TXtubM3yJnlU5HFAAyOg5qpztFAiVSHqcbl/s1600/DSC_0717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvYwEm4E2npuT_JEgeusP4_nHjOQNdFgzA0VXeeDrxDWPdNpn72vCzv0lUL5SAdK0exBERndkV3WAkJFRIUCLANc3eB8QSq7OvqDXEqK_2TXtubM3yJnlU5HFAAyOg5qpztFAiVSHqcbl/s320/DSC_0717.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt starting up a climb</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-83548634956070883672011-07-23T14:41:00.001-07:002011-07-23T14:41:53.990-07:00Rain, rain, rain<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The past while has been largely characterized by rain and a bit by disappointment. We did have one clear day about a week ago, in which Matt and I decided to go for Sisyphus (the 22-pitch 5.10d sport climb up Ha Ling peak in Canmore). Matt was at the top of the third pitch, getting reading to belay me up, when I heard a loud fluttering and saw shadows whiz past. My first thought was that we were under an attack by some rather angry birds; I carried this thought so far as to think to myself that we should tell the guys at the climbing shop in town and ask if they knew if this was a common nesting site or something. But then I realized that I was in fact right in the middle of a shower of bowl-sized rocks—just protected by a small roof over my head. The rock-fall lasted about fifteen seconds. Matt and I didn’t say anything for a few more seconds afterward—I think we both paused in a split between kind of wanting to carry on but thinking that the wise thing to do would be to retreat. I called up to him and we decided to rappel back down. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next day we started to drive west. We made a stubborn attempt to climb at Lake Louise again in the not-so-good weather, and spent a few days just hanging out reading and playing cards. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On Wednesday we did a hike to the Walcott Quarry at the Burgess Shale—one of the world’s best fossil sites, where even imprints from soft-bodied creatures from the Cambrian explosion (about 505 million years ago) can be found. It is an amazing place to witness the evidence of some of evolution’s early experiments. There wasn’t space on the tour for me to go into the quarry itself, but I found quite a few intact trilobites on the trail below it, where pieces of shale collect after sliding down the hill. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After the hike, we continued our drive west . . . into Squamish, where we are now. Even though it had been raining here for the past two weeks here too, when we arrived we were welcomed by spots of blue showing through clouds that looked far friendlier than any we had seen for awhile. Looking at the Chief, the huge block of granite that is Squamish’s main attraction, made my hands start to sweat in anticipation of climbing again. Even though the rocks were still wet, we checked out some of the bouldering at the base of the chief as soon as we arrived. Yesterday we climbed some single-pitch cracks, then nearly dry. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Today is all-out sun, and the forecast looks pretty good for the next few days. It’s a relief to be able to climb again . . . and to be able to dry out </span><!--EndFragment-->Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-7918843796423654172011-07-13T17:42:00.000-07:002011-07-13T17:42:56.083-07:00Learning to Fall<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Times New Roman";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">We have continued exploring the sport-climbing crags around Canmore; we’ve revisited Grassi Lakes (a couple of times), and checked out Bataan, Cougar Canyon, and The Back of the Lake at Lake Louise. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We hiked up the steep hour-long approach to Bataan with high expectations—our guidebook calls it “the finest sport crag in Canada”. Most of the climbs here are in the 5.11 to 5.12 range, but we decided to start on a wall called “Sweet Hereafter” that has some 5.10’s to warm up on. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFQh0HwChBqu2ZdkJHOGoVC3tqcOkC_Xk5xKuG6Fr-IWGviiKX618031-2m-EhJHErN0fwo1GPeWzqVDVvRD4DyGWzxWOQGqkNB1mNkrVudfJmLBrqXtn2PDiaV9bXhT98jlG7pDxl5Bt/s1600/_DSC0605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFQh0HwChBqu2ZdkJHOGoVC3tqcOkC_Xk5xKuG6Fr-IWGviiKX618031-2m-EhJHErN0fwo1GPeWzqVDVvRD4DyGWzxWOQGqkNB1mNkrVudfJmLBrqXtn2PDiaV9bXhT98jlG7pDxl5Bt/s320/_DSC0605.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bataan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">After watching Matt I lead “Jaws” (10b), I pulled the rope to lead it myself. Halfway up the route—at about ten meters—I started thinking about how how terrible it might be to take a fall. And then I started to notice, or at least imagine, that some of the rocks felt a bit loose. I started to freeze up as I felt my nerves take over. I slowly and ungracefully finished the route, thinking through every move and the commitment that I was willing to take on it. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Once back on the ground, Matt II asked me what had happened. I shrugged and told him I didn’t really know. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“I think you need to take a fall,” he said.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We went to the next wall over and Matt I led “The Candy Man” (11b). Even though I had never attempted to lead a route that hard, once he had lowered down and pulled the rope I knew that it was my turn. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I clipped the first three bolts without a problem—I then decided that I was high enough to practice falling.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Okay, I’m going to take a fall!” I shouted down to Matt a little too loudly. I climbed to just above the bolt and then let go. I felt the tug on my harness and then realized how ridiculous I was being—it’s really <i>okay</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> to fall when sport climbing (most of the time). Now I can’t believe I actually hadn’t let myself fall before this. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHoWdWRPlqkW7OEQwvlq2wb9uELPSqjnVXvEL9-JT7ey2vpt1HsJwv2gD4lHqQSe8B_xrMY2H_oWIBr9nbLyN6M_x5c-5t0dxvchUcBsj2kKtGQwcl1hlc5xoof3q1KQ7xtzQ33asGdSz/s1600/_DSC0572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHoWdWRPlqkW7OEQwvlq2wb9uELPSqjnVXvEL9-JT7ey2vpt1HsJwv2gD4lHqQSe8B_xrMY2H_oWIBr9nbLyN6M_x5c-5t0dxvchUcBsj2kKtGQwcl1hlc5xoof3q1KQ7xtzQ33asGdSz/s320/_DSC0572.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing at Bataan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Nick, Matt, and I spent a relaxed afternoon at Cougar Canyon the next day. Nick went fossil hunting up the river while Matt and I climbed—Nick didn’t find any fossils on the ground that day, but I found an old coral halfway up a route. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">That evening we met up with Gene and then went to Lake Louise the next day. The lake was gorgeous, and we got to climb on quartzite, which felt very different from the limestone of the other crags—it was more polished, with lots of little ledges for hand and footholds rather than the pockets left over from dissolved corals. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We got a lot of attention because the climbing was right along a very popular hiking trail around the lake. While I felt a bit like a tourist attraction, and answered many questions about the process of climbing, it was kind of fun to get cheered on by a small crowd while I was at the top of a route. </div>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-26711177468045990972011-07-08T08:25:00.000-07:002011-07-08T08:27:23.732-07:00Canmore, Alberta, Canada<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Times New Roman";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">We drove through Montana and into Alberta in order to meet up with Nick on July 3. Right in the Canadian Rockies and just outside Banff National Park, Canmore is ideally situated for climbing—plus, we have the luxury of being able to stay in a house that belongs to friends of Nick’s family. Nick also brought some salmon, halibut, and lingcod that he just caught while on a fishing trip in British Columbia. Life is good. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgRTa1mjKgZ0WJUrHvYh6uN1A5wJuREFqHRO4_1XN519YypYeSDLS9gyYkMW4paBbOFcQSzjrBn9vIXpN5MU-_tAVwWb9WujWaEE6hYjNqQMbsjcKd5VBVeQj92jUbwNUx1p9THl5kA0r/s1600/_DSC0422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgRTa1mjKgZ0WJUrHvYh6uN1A5wJuREFqHRO4_1XN519YypYeSDLS9gyYkMW4paBbOFcQSzjrBn9vIXpN5MU-_tAVwWb9WujWaEE6hYjNqQMbsjcKd5VBVeQj92jUbwNUx1p9THl5kA0r/s320/_DSC0422.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grassi Lakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We spent our first two days here sport-climbing at Grassi Lakes. This area has several fun and scenic bolted walls; some right beside glacial lakes that are the color of the Caribbean Sea. Ha Ling Peak loomed above and we eyed up its route called “Sisyphus Summits”—with up to 21 pitches, the longest sport climb in Canada. I am feeling more confident now leading 5.10’s. I think my favorite climb at Grassi Lakes was “Graceland” (5.10d), a steep and blocky route. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcxvhfgo9wlTX0MeHZcX2pJwwRLgxzY6s7FioFfuP-M_FFlC8EngZbebAxtTmHQDHkyZ_KVccvCGAo3oU-AzW1xQNRqPu4smMkiZWp7TQpl_1teMuUsh-UFmK4NLsN1i98UNq36zNQ2Ei/s1600/_DSC0434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcxvhfgo9wlTX0MeHZcX2pJwwRLgxzY6s7FioFfuP-M_FFlC8EngZbebAxtTmHQDHkyZ_KVccvCGAo3oU-AzW1xQNRqPu4smMkiZWp7TQpl_1teMuUsh-UFmK4NLsN1i98UNq36zNQ2Ei/s320/_DSC0434.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt on the first pitch of "Velcro Highway"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yesterday we went into Banff to the Borgeau Slabs to climb some multi-pitch sport routes. Matt and Matt climbed “Velcro Highway” (5.11a), while Nick and I climbed the four-pitch route “Walk of Ages” (5.10b). We swung leads; Nick led the first pitch (5.9), I led the second (5.10b), Nick the third (5.10a) and I led the last (5.10a). It was great fun—and it was Nick’s first multi-pitch route.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fs6Ilgy2FaA_17ioI4SZZUe3hF_angNsAJ2TXAn_p_iIy6avAeTI1TCNipt8hQlmRTHlRr47P58NdEKvaWBIoN76gdacbdq6P75gSmx7uicNnS-BOiQlD71uf769OGEyTQb2INwQfPyN/s1600/_DSC0447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fs6Ilgy2FaA_17ioI4SZZUe3hF_angNsAJ2TXAn_p_iIy6avAeTI1TCNipt8hQlmRTHlRr47P58NdEKvaWBIoN76gdacbdq6P75gSmx7uicNnS-BOiQlD71uf769OGEyTQb2INwQfPyN/s320/_DSC0447.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"summit shot" on Walk of Ages</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the car on the way back from the Borgeau Slabs we saw a Grizzly bear with three cubs--it was amazing! Check out the "wildlife sightings" page.</div>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719067344548878894.post-27692539318852532962011-07-02T14:31:00.000-07:002011-07-02T14:31:03.763-07:00Wyoming<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Times New Roman";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">From Boulder we drove to Lander, Wyoming. I was not familiar with Lander before we arrived, but I was excited about climbing peaks in the nearby Cirque of the Towers, hoping for routes similar to the one we had taken up Spearhead in Rocky Mountain National Park.<span> </span>However, after speaking with a guy at Lander’s climbing shop, we were convinced that due to the unusual amount of snow they had received this past winter the towers would be inaccessible without crampons and ice axes (which we don’t have with us).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbwOkMb5Dib-tZUi1RWHKQBKTX9bfezrrHJGV1nyDLaJcqsTK_fp-DfDu_bokb69WEKLIwwtncGidEX8fEKQ1tMP2dixdAOyZg4HeMzbTrDwt_0IuxGjGOEc8Ubr8CtbKkyFFEPWY02Ri/s1600/_DSC0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbwOkMb5Dib-tZUi1RWHKQBKTX9bfezrrHJGV1nyDLaJcqsTK_fp-DfDu_bokb69WEKLIwwtncGidEX8fEKQ1tMP2dixdAOyZg4HeMzbTrDwt_0IuxGjGOEc8Ubr8CtbKkyFFEPWY02Ri/s320/_DSC0234.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAQ-woHV50w3cNty4pZdXa7f_GMix1Tlsz-zY0_7ToFDGg_wfY2mZ0dKQidERDz_EnHBoKvLedJtaK8MtYrhqS24h7cPfcZgOFBh6PB5NJCD1fOwb8sPMN9Ejh1-CJ7wsBpBwZu3oNzbV/s1600/_DSC0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>But Lander turned out to be a sport climber’s paradise—within an hour from town there are said to be close to two thousand bolted climbs. We spent a day exploring the crags at an area called Wild Iris—it’s higher elevation provided a refuge from the particularly hot day below. We spent the next day at the Main Wall of Sinks Canyon. Matt I challenged himself on some 5.12b’s and Matt II on some 5.11’s. While I can cleanly climb routes of higher difficulty on top-rope, by leading mentality is not quite at the same level as my technical ability—I was quite happy with the 5.10c that I did (although I admit that I hung on the last quickdraw for a particularly long time while I contemplated the moves I would have to make on the more run-out jaunt to the anchor).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAyLBbrnOvDIvYMUy0yL5maoDxvFMgxcImT0WZ4uii8DPklQ_1FL5GFCbMh4isBrQ3qT9jda3Rk81oOSZJkDClg0gtes6gE7PMi0MFz78tEVH9wQAvJsJMhQjYKb0iTELEIE3Jrb9CA0K/s1600/_DSC0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAyLBbrnOvDIvYMUy0yL5maoDxvFMgxcImT0WZ4uii8DPklQ_1FL5GFCbMh4isBrQ3qT9jda3Rk81oOSZJkDClg0gtes6gE7PMi0MFz78tEVH9wQAvJsJMhQjYKb0iTELEIE3Jrb9CA0K/s320/_DSC0178.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>We easily could have entertained ourselves for quite awhile here, but we continued on in order to meet up with Nick in Alberta tomorrow.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>After only a couple of hours of driving from Lander, the Tetons came into view, and I felt that tingle that comes with witnessing something beautiful. They looked more jagged than the rest of the Rockies; I thought they had a somewhat similar aesthetic to the peaks I had seen in Patagonia. As the peaks in Patagonia are the youngest in the Andes, the Tetons are the youngest in the Rockies—perhaps the similar looks comes from the fact that they have had similarly relatively less time to erode away.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgPEhSOxRX8P-V4Am5BIGwPiu_GVDiPaxIfK8JsTUfWuIT-d5W9-GlfFCDEqfHlmsktmgVwCHiDkWDhXkAGgNRdexQ_kcy9jgPNc55h4z61K7mAZmw5KOHsT6vYz2syeXTvuE2ScbmQ36/s1600/_DSC0291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgPEhSOxRX8P-V4Am5BIGwPiu_GVDiPaxIfK8JsTUfWuIT-d5W9-GlfFCDEqfHlmsktmgVwCHiDkWDhXkAGgNRdexQ_kcy9jgPNc55h4z61K7mAZmw5KOHsT6vYz2syeXTvuE2ScbmQ36/s320/_DSC0291.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>After a night in Grand Teton National Park, we continued on to Yellowstone. We stopped to watch Old Faithful erupt and to observe the many bison that lazed along the road. In the afternoon we went on a hike and caught sight of a black bear. And the copious amount of snow that may have prevented my schemes of peak-bagging allowed for a particularly striking wildflower season this year. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>I knew that Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S., but I didn’t realize exactly how important it was for the precedent of species preservation. Even after it was established as a national park, poachers were allowed to nearly wipe out its bison population, and did wipe out its wolf population. It wasn’t until bison were fully protected in Yellowstone that a population had the opportunity to thrive on a small sliver of land—Yellowstone was the only place that North American bison were never fully exterminated. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgH2PbyM1ybdNC-bYBCDql4c9XGDgYOQHDrqGM9lXl9-Yd2Bxglf8vjtWFoLGlDh_cSSrophBqr6cO0zEPhhfLKhSwvE60oMKKTee0Yilwl8M4emV42UachGy1GXrBJV6EI9cAffED6aGE/s1600/_DSC0342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgH2PbyM1ybdNC-bYBCDql4c9XGDgYOQHDrqGM9lXl9-Yd2Bxglf8vjtWFoLGlDh_cSSrophBqr6cO0zEPhhfLKhSwvE60oMKKTee0Yilwl8M4emV42UachGy1GXrBJV6EI9cAffED6aGE/s320/_DSC0342.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>The wolf population was rehabilitated after Canadian relatives of Yellowstone’s original population were introduced to the park in 1995. It’s amazing that in such a short while Yellowstone is now considered one of the best places to be able to see wolves in the wild. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></div>Samantha Larsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833754870234061384noreply@blogger.com0