Mt. Whitney Pushes Us to New Heights

I never finished this post back when I started it... so I decided to just get it up now... This is old, but here it is:

Nearly a year ago my friend MJ asked me if we wanted to hike Mt. Whitney with them the following year.

"Umm... OK, sure," I said, figuring it was no big deal. I have run marathons after all, what's a little hike.

What I didn't know then:

• At an elevation of 14,494 feet, Mt. Whitney is the tallest peak in the contiguous United States The hike is about 22 miles (35 km) round trip with an elevation gain of over 6,100 feet (1,900 m).


• Most people start the hike in the dark -- often as early as 3 a.m. We were scheduled to start at 5 a.m.


• It generally takes between 14 and 20 hours to complete the hike in one day, according to http://www.visitusa.com/whitney/mountwhitney-facts.htm


• Many people, including myself, experience altitude sickness during the higher elevation parts of the hike... the effects -- which feel a little like being drunk -- lasted until I was all the way down the mountain.


• The hike is so popular you have to apply for a permit to be on the trail months in advance... but even still there are very few people nutty enough to be on the trail. I think a majority of people do the hike over 2 or 3 days, but it might be more evenly divided... I'm not too sure.


• If you need to poop while on the trail... you have to do it in a specially designed "human waste kit" and pack it out. Ewwwwwwww!!!


• The only mammals you are likely to see other than humans are marmots -- and we saw one!


• It's incredibly beautiful.

This is apparently where my first draft ended. Was there more to the list? I can't remember!

Anyway, after several weeks of training the time had come. WE went up north spending a few days in Mammoth and a day in Yosemite in an effort to "acclimate" to at least a slightly higher elevation. The evening before the big day we went to Lone Pine and checked into a horrible little room with our preschooler and baby in tow. We needed to get up at something like 4 a.m. in order to get on the trail around 5.

Long story short: we never slept. Mia fell out of the bed and cracked her head. She had a purple golf-ball sized ball lump on her head and I am pretty sure she passed out. We, obviously, decided not to go. Then, around 8 or 9 in the morning... we changed our mind... we decided to leave Mia with our friend and just hike up a little ways, since there was no way we could make it all the way to the top.

Leaving about 5 hours after we planned to, we scrambled up the mountain and made it nearly to the top -- we were about a mile shy of the summit, but that last mile and the return would have taken too long and we were anxious to get back and check on Mia.

We didn't summit, but we did more than we expected and we had a great time.. and thanks to altitude sickness I basically caught a buzz for free -- and with no hangover... i was sober by the time we reached the parking lot. Cool! and I cannot wait to try it again!

Camping with a Toddler

Well, we had a fantastic time camping. Highlights include: Hours and hours playing at the beach, exploring tide pools, sitting around the campfire, Ranger Ed and devouring 3 lbs. of bacon.

We loaded everything into the car and hit the road right on schedule. I made reservations months in advance at Sycamore Canyon Campground because it was so close and Jed had stayed there as a kid. It's a great campground and we picked out a 4-star site.



In about an hour we pitched the tent, set-up camp, met our neighbors and headed for the beach! The kids were having a great time and getting dirty and sandy! Dinner didn't come out as well as we hoped, but we did have a nice time by the fire.

At bedtime, things got rough. Mia couldn't seem to get to sleep and was being such a pill that Jed finally drove her home for the night. Luckily we only live an hour from the campground. I managed to enjoy a couple of beers in silence by the fire. I even kept the fire going.

When we all reunited on Saturday morning we had a fantastic breakfast of bacon and cheesy eggs. Jared and I scootered around the campground. Then we all packed up and headed to the beach.

The beach was perfect and the weather was too. My mom and step dad joined us on the beach in time for lunch. Jed took Mia back to the site for a nap and we all returned to the campsite an hour or so later so that Jared could take a nap too. My mom and her hubby watched the kids for us while we went on a short hike to "Overlook Point" or something like that. It was nice to do something without the kids.

By the time we returned from the hike my brother had turned up. The kids were thrilled to see him. My parents left a short time after Mike showed up... we tried to get them to take Mia with them, but they had "alone time plans." Ewwwwwwwww!

Luckily, the late afternoon melted into evening and dissolved into night time with no trouble at all! We poured wine, prepared dinner (excellent tonight!) and took turns scootering around the campground with the kids. After dinner we checked out the "campfire program" and then returned to the site for s'mores.



Then something amazing happened. I held Mia by the fire and sang to her... and I watched her fall asleep. It was precious.

But it didn't end there. After placing her in the playyard (where she slept soundly ALL night) I then cuddled Jared. He fell asleep in my arms too!

With both of the kids fast asleep and cozy in the tent, Jed, my brother and I listened to music and enjoyed the fire. It was the perfect end to a perfect day!


The next morning we hit Leo Carillo state beach and did some tide pool exploring. We returned to the site for MORE BACON! We then packed everything up and hit the beach for another great day! Everyone played Frisbee, splashed in the waves and dug in the sand. After a tasty lunch it seemed EVERYONE was ready for a nap. So we climbed in the car and hit the road.

It was great camping so close to home... by 6 p.m. we were not only home and unpacked -- I was also clean and relaxing with a glass of wine while Jed soaked the kids in a hot bath.

It was a fantastic weekend. Fantastic.

I've Got to Admit It's Getting Better

A little better all the time.

I still hate leaving Mia... and being away from the kids all day, but we're working it out.

I'm settling into my new position and feel productive -- even helpful and valued at times.

Jared is adjusting well to the new routine: though he complains that he's tired every morning and he's always the last one up.

Jed is ever-helpful. He pitches in by getting Mia dressed (often in a well-matched outfit), he gets my coffee ready, folds laundry, puts away dishes. He tries to come home before 7 a couple of nights a week -- those are the best.

I managed to log about 7 miles on the treadmill this week -- far less than the 18+ I used to do in a regular week, but it's something. I got the checkbook updated, the groceries ordered and have managed to put away the laundry and make dinner every night.

Things are hardest for Mia. She cries in the morning. She cries in the evenings. She gets frustrated and screams while she writhes in frustration on the ground. She cries when I fix her hair every morning and she cries when I put her in her crib every night. She wakes up early, demanding to be nursed and held and wails when I leave the room.

I look forward to when she smiles and laughs... usually it's fairly easy to coax her into her old amenable mood. Hopefully it will just keep getting better.

I Hate This

First of all, I can not believe that it has been two months since my last post. Seriously, I just can't!

I guess that means I was just really busy having a fantastic summer with the kids... and did I mention that my husband and I almost climbed to the top of Mt. Whitney? That's a story for a completely different entry.

But to the point. What I hate is working. That's right, I am now working full time.

The job itself is fine. I am now the Communications Director at a small private K-8 school in Pasadena. I'm working in a small office with some lovely women and the work is satisfying.

This is my fifth day. So far I've had to juggle two morning drop-offs and two morning pick-ups (because the two kids are at two different places) with everything else. Toss in a sick kid, my husband's erratic and demanding schedule on top of trying to transition my daughter (who is still nursing) from being with me all day to being at a daycare all day. It's been trying to say the least.

To top it all of, on Sunday evening, my daughter had a nasty fall that resulted in her front teeth getting all busted up. One of her teeth also got pushed up and back, so the front looks crazy! She also got pieces of asphalt embedded into her gums -- which had to be scrubbed out by Emergency Room staff. They prescribed her antibiotics -- which means 10 days of forcing medicine down her throat too. Yay!

Two days and two dentists later we still don't know how much permanent damage there will be -- aside from the jagged teeth, which is perfectly obvious. It also hurts when she nurses now because her teeth are so sharp.

Making dinner in the evenings is hard because Mia doesn't want me to put her down... my husband has been home twice to help out, which is nice... but the rest of the time it is really difficult. Very painful to watch her going through this.

Jared, on the other hand, seems to be adjusting nicely. I am very proud of him. He's helpful and protective of his sister and likes to entertain us with knock-knock jokes and wild stories.

Everything else is a mess... little time to talk to family or friends or deal with anything not immediately pressing.

I hate this. I hope it gets better.