Incline Update

The Race is on!! Per Dragon's challenge to the rest of us, we're racing the incline on May 12 after work. Not sure if the race will be super hard to predict, but it'll still be interesting and prob meet all the hype. Dragon definitely unleashed a monster in the rest of us though (Seagal, Deb, and I at least). Seagal and Deb did best times on Thursday in the 31-32 min range. And I went a best time on Thursday (30:45), Friday (29:07), and yesterday (28:54). Takin it to a whole new level!

Movie Review: The Sentinel

When Dragon and I saw the commercial for this movie during an episode of "24", dragon said, "Why don't they just call it 24 the movie??" That comment turned out to be totally right on. but that's why I liked it! Seriously, Kiefer Sutherland plays a badass, there is a mole inside the gov't working with foreign terrorists in an assassination plot against the president, someone thinks they're being framed, etc etc. If you watch 24, you know all about this formula. But it's still good and still entertaining and still suspenseful (kinda). I'd def recommend this if you like that kind of 24/CSI/Cold Case genre of action/crime-solving television.

Kiefer plays a Secret Service investigator (not CTU) named Breckenridge (not Bauer). He's got a hot partner played by Eva Longoria (this is def not 24 now) and they're looking into Michael Douglas' character's involvement in an assassination plot.

I think what I like about 24 and The Sentinel is that the main good guys use their own best judgement and take matters into their own hands in a way. They don't follow through on orders blindly...not that I think questioning orders is great...but sometimes you have to actually think in order to do the right thing. What a concept. Like in the movie 'The Fugitive' when Tommy Lee Jones starts to figure out that maybe Harrison Ford didn't kill his wife, and stopped acting like a mindless, stubborn agent. Now that I think about it, people who don't think and people who give orders without really being in touch really kill me. I'd say it's all around us. blah.

Anyway, go see The Sentinel. It'll make you a better person. jk.

Catamount Trail @ Green Mtn Falls

Two great hikes in a weekend def make it go by fast! Today we did my local fave - Catamount Trail at Green Mountain Falls. I've done this trail probably a dozen times and still love it. Located just 20 min west of csprings, this hike has got it all - it's super fun and challenging with incredible and diverse scenery. A real fun and physical climb to start, a walk through a heavily forested area that opens up into an awesome meadow, and then a little more up (and a lame walk on a gravel road) and you have a sweet view of Pikes Peak with Catamount Reservoir in the foreground. The entire route follows a stream...and who doesn't love water on a hike?? There are waterfalls and little pools all along the way, and crossing the stream is always a fun time (esp if you're with JB). And there are a ton of rocks to climb on...which is a plus if you're a monkey like me, dragon, and seagal.

One of the coolest things about this hike is how different it is each season. In the spring and summer time, it's totally beautiful with all the trees and wildflowers in bloom. Same deal in the fall with the aspens turning and leaves changing colors. In the winter time, ice on the ground makes this a way more physical and fun challenge.

I usually give myself about 4 hrs for this hike. It's hard to say how long it really takes because I don't mind taking time to screw around or taking frequent breaks because it's so pretty. I'd say it's like a 5-6 miles...prob closer to 5.

Seagal walking the tightrope over some water! Dragon successfully did it too. I was the only loser who bailed because I was going too fast and the tree was wobbling way too much.

Dragon squeezed between the rocks. Seagal went over it. JB and I skipped it and went around.

Dragon taking the easy way to cross the stream.

Trail info: To get here, take 24 W and make a left when you see the sign for Green Mountain Falls. Follow the road through town, past all the stores and you'll see a dirt parking area on your right. You have to park here bc there is no parking at the trailhead. Walk 2/3 mi up Hondo Ave to the trailhead. When the trail splits early on, take the yellow dots to the left. After crossing the stream the first time and climb up a bit, the trail will split again...yellow to the left and orange will go up. The orange is the Catamount Trail and will go up for a while. Just keep looking for the orange dots - they are definitely there - but if you lose the trail, just follow the stream up and you'll meet up with the trail eventually. On the way back, the orange trail is pretty tough, so you can pick up the blue trail at the Garden of Eden. It's a lot of long switchbacks (and way less interesting), and it'll meet up with the yellow trail close to the bottom. fyi, the yellow trail jsut takes you on an easy hike to the other side of town.

Pikes Peak via the Crags

Two dudes that look real hardcore outdoors: You guys summiting today?
Me & Seagal: Yeah
Dudes: Is it snowing up there? What's the weather like?
Seagal: I heard high winds, but that's all.
Dudes: Are you bringing snowshoes or anything?
Me: Uhhh...all I have is what I'm wearing and a fleece in my bag.
Dudes: Well we'll carry your frozen carcasses back here.

And so we began our long journey to the summit of Pikes Peak (that we only decided on at 8pm last night), both wondering if we seriously underestimated the road ahead, wearing shorts and without any hardcore gear. The next 6 1/2 hrs proved to be absolutely incredible and the most intense hike I've done so far. For the most part, we were on very steep terrain - I made up for skipping the incline with Pete this morning and then some. Actually, this hike was like 10x incline. It was ridiculously hard. We went up through the forest over large patches of ice, and then we cleared treeline and just kept going up. And up some more. Along the way, we had some absolutely breathtaking views that were picturesque Colorado with forests and snow-capped mountains that no camera could ever do justice. I wish you all could have seen it - it was totally special.

After climbing forever, we reached an area called Devil's Playground that had some totally awesome rock formations, sweet views of a huge valley...and incredible gusting winds. (This is where I whipped out the fleece.) From there, we did our best to follow a trail that would take us the last 2.5 miles to Pikes Peak (which was now in sight). The trail was NOT easy to track at all. It was marked by cairns (piles of rocks) and we had a very difficult time finding them for some reason. But they're there for sure...and if you lose them, just find the easiest line towards the peak and eventually you'll relocate the cairns. The trail is also hard to follow when it's covered in snow.

The last mile or so is crazy intense. You basically climb/zig-zag/hop your way through an enormous field of jagged rocks that will take you to the summit.

That last 2.5 miles was everything I envision for climbing to the top of a mountain. It's unbelievably intense and you're able to see your goal the entire time...and you're totally hurting and fatigued, but so driven on reaching your destination. And when you do reach the top, it's an awesome awesome feeling. When we hit the peak, there were three people walking towards us (who had driven to the top) and we shook their hands and chatted for a bit. It was a super great feeling.

After a 50 min break at the top and the mandatory picture with the sign, we made our way down...which was not the least bit easier at all. We were basically going straight downhill the entire time and our quads were totally on fire. Definitely not easy.

So we're back...alive and well. And guess what? We never saw those two hardcore dudes who scared us at the beginning of the hike. But even though those guys turned out to be a couple weenies, there was definitely some totally intense stuff going on on the mountain. At Devil's Playground, we ran into this skier dude who was going to ski down the backside of the mountain...who knew?? On the way back, we saw these crazy ice climbers. And we thought we were badass.

All in all, it took us 3 hr 45 min to get to the top and 2 hr 45 min to get down. I've taken Barr Trail to the top of Pikes Peak before, and hands-down without a doubt, this backway up DESTROYS Barr Trail. It's way more intense and physical, the views/scenery is 100x better, and you can go up and down in the time it takes you to just go up on Barr Trail. This hike is definitely not something everyone can do. It demands a lot. But if you're up for the challenge and you're comfortable with a little risk, then it's SO worth it.

I found this website last night and it's totally right on for directions and trail description:
http://www.onedayhikes.com/Hikes.asp?HikesID=154

Note: There is a $4.00 fee to park at the Crags campground so make sure you have the cash to put into the self-service box. Also, there are only a dozen or so parking spots at the trailhead so you prob have to go early during the busy season.

Ormes Peak pics

I know I'm slow putting these pics up from last weekend, but they're worth a look!

See that blue dot on the left side of the pic? That's Dan's truck! How in the world did we get lost on the way back with such an easy marker?

Owww! Alicia is poking baby Russ here. Great (unintentional) pic by Dragon.

If you've never been on a hike with me, I love to run around, jump, and climb like a monkey.

Beth, Alicia, Seagal, Dragon after conquering Ormes Peak!

One last ride

I went up for one last ride on the slopes for the season with Brooke today. The snow was hard and slushy, making for some really fast runs...just the way we like it! We were flying down the slopes...did 8 runs in 1hr 40min before we called it quits for a short day out there. It was great fun as always, and just good to be outside boarding under the awesome sun.

Want to know the best thing after a day on the slopes?? A soup meal at Mi Zuppa!!! Hands-down, it's unbeatable! I haven't been there with anyone that doesn't like it. Everyday (except Sunday), they have a rotating menu of soups for you to choose from. I heard that they have more than 100 soups in their arsenal, serving only 6-8 at a time. The soups are incredibly tasty, chunky, and filling (you will definitely be full after a soup meal). Some examples are the Cheeseburger in Paradise, New England Seafood Bisque, Texas Roadhouse Chili, Mom's Chicken Noodle, and Elk Stroganoff (Turb's fave). Included with a medium cup of soup, you'll get a demi-loaf of fresh baked bread, and a very excellent cookie.

(I'm on the phone with Brooke now and she says "It's SO good!")

There are 5 mi zuppa locations in the country (all in Colorado). Breck was the first store (located in the City Market shopping center just west of Main St) and only has a single bench for seating room. The Frisco location (right off of I-70 on the west side of town) has a bunch of tables for seating which is super great.

We definitely need one of these in csprings. We don't even have a decent wrap place in town! Am I wrong?? I feel like this kind of place (soups, wraps, salads) would totally take off in csprings! Who's in with me??

Check it out: www.mizuppa.com

Ormes Peak (via Idiot's Way)

Without a doubt, this was the most raw hike I've done so far...so raw that I'd classify it more as an adventure than a hike. Not only were we totally hacking it through the "trail" (and I use that term loosely), but the drive there was totally rough. We had to leave Dragon's Dodge Stratus at the side of the road and hop into the bed of Seagal's truck just to get to the start of the hike because the road was totally vicious with HUGE bumps and holes. No joke, we were getting tossed around and catching some big air in the back. Totally fun (and a little crazy I guess).

We never actually did find a trailhead or parking place. But the road we were on circled Ormes Peak so we knew where we wanted to end up. So we found somewhere to leave the car and just started heading towards the summit. It wasn't really a hard elevation gain, but the terrain made the trip really difficult because there was no real defined trail to follow. We just made our way through the woods, traversing piles of rocks and finding the path of least resistance. It was definitely some good rugged Colorado fun on a gorgeous Easter Sunday. The summit was beautiful, with a clear view of Rampart Reservoir on one side and the west side of Pikes Peak on the other. Very awesome. Lots of rocks for a monkey like me to jump around on too.

The way back really made the adventure complete...because we couldn't find our way to the truck. After wandering and backtracking for a bit, we just decided to find the road and walk along it back to the truck...all of that added prob an hour to the trip.

We actually picked this hike because Seagal had this map that mentioned plane wreckage that you're able to see from the summit and that just sounded awesome! We found some object attached to a long wire and a 8 ft metal pole that I carried around for a bit, but no obvious signs of plane wreckage. And it's no wonder we didn't find any because the plane wreckage is on an adjacent peak called Blodgett Peak!! ah well. next time...

Elevation gain: ~500+ ft
Distance: ~3 miles roundtrip (?)
Directions: Take hwy 24 W to Woodland Park. Make right before McD's and then stay on road and follow signs to Rampart Reservoir. Go past the reservoir and make a left on Rt 303. It forks, and stay right on Rt 302. This is where the road gets really rough. A regular car definitely can't do it. Ormes Peak will on your left as you drive around the half-loop counter-clockwise. We drove all the way to the end of 302 and parked, and just went for it from there.
Here's a rough map to get to Ormes.

I never thought I would say this...

...but today is my 4-year work anniversary here. Yep that's right. I've had the same job since May 15, 2002...and I appreciate it all the same now as I did back then. Thinking back to 4 years ago, I've definitely grown up and matured a lot in my time here (which probably doesn't say much for back then) and it's awesome for me to think how far I've come.

Movie review: Lucky Number Slevin

Not sure what to say about this one. I think I really would have liked it a lot had I not saw where it was going to end up after the first 15 min or so. So I sat there for much of the movie just waiting to see if I was right...and for the most part I was. It was still entertaining and funny at points, and Seagal, MJ, and friends seemed to enjoy it a bunch. Josh Hartnett's character was pretty witty and had some good lines in there. I think the twist would have been great if I didn't see it coming.

Basically, Josh Hartnett's character gets caught up being mistaken for someone else and trapped between two rival mobsters. Somehow he has to find his way out of the mess without getting himself killed. Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley play the rival mobsters. Bruce Willis plays a mysterious "world-class assassin". The movie follows Josh through the predicament as he dodges mobsters, assassins, and cops. yay.

Lucy Liu definitely made the movie for me though. Her character was awesome. She played the next door neighbor of the person Josh's character is mistaken for...they fall in love, blah blah blah. I'm so used to seeing her play these badass fighting roles (Kill Bill, Charlie's Angels, Ballistic Ecks vs. Sever), but here she played this way cute girl that was filled with energy and was totally great. I would have totally fallen for her if I were Josh's character too. And for that, she's my new girl. Did you know that she went to my high school?? Granted, she graduated 11 years before me, but she gets points for being a big geek like me.

Movie review: The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior

If you watched pro wrestling growing up and have good memories wrestling with your brothers or friends pretending to be your favorite wrestlers, including the Ultimate Warrior, you really need to check out this DVD. It was definitely entertaining in itself, but the best part about it for me was how it brought back a lot of "kid" feelings and how awesome wrestling was to us back then. Sure it's fake and the characters are ridiculous, but that's what made it so great!

This DVD profiles one of the most wildly popular wrestlers when I was growing up, The Ultimate Warrior. I had forgotten what made him so awesome, but it talks about his theme song, how he always ran to the ring full-speed, and how his matches were so intense and quick and just totally full of energy. Pete and I got some great laughs during the segment that talked about his interviews and how they really didn't make any sense at all. We also got some chuckles watching clips from his matches and how he would be getting destroyed and then start shaking and jogging in place while shaking his fist in the air, and then in 10 sec flat, have his opponent pinned. So awesome.

Apparently, the Ultimate Warrior was hard to work with and many people didn't like him. But because he was such a popular attraction, he had 2 chances to comeback in the WWE and 1 in the WCW. Interviews with Hulk Hogan, Sgt Slaughter, the Brooklyn Brawler, Bobby "the Brain" Heenan, Ric Flair, and others provide some insight on what he was like. Currrently, Warrior is doing inspirational lectures! We gotta check that out!!

We weren't crazy wrestling fans growing up, but I had forgotten how much fun it was to come home after Sat and Sun morning swim practices, have breakfast, and then watch wrestling at like 10 or 11am. Doug and I wrestled with each other a lot (what brothers don't?), always pretending to be differest pro wrestlers, and thinking back on it really makes me laugh and smile a lot inside. Good times. I remember a lot about wrestling with Doug, but I really only have one good story that is somewhat worth telling - the time when I picked a fight with him while he was doing his homework on the sofa, and he kept holding onto his pencil while we were wrestling, which of course cut me under my eye. Of course I got pissed off at him, but really it was my fault of course. Ah the memories.

So check out the DVD! Dragon bought this copy from Amazon, but I was thinking that I need to buy one for myself. It's also got 5 full matches on there as extras!

Status check

Garage door: Check
Camera: Not check
Car: Still running
Ankle: Almost check

So things are getting better!

btw, this professor who I'm working with on my research project just sent me an email. He's a real academic, real formal and professional guy...and he put used "btw" in his email! It was great! computer short-hand is turning mainstream and I like it! The best is when people actually talk in computer short-hand.

Make it stop!

I seem to be on a downhill run right now. It all started so innocently last month when the door to my washer/dryer got off track and I haven't been able to fix it. Since then, my camera got busted, my car transmission is about to go, and I sprained my ankle this weekend. And today I come home from work to find a broken cable on my garage door which made it off-track so now it can't open or close without manual help. And then!! my cell phone hands-free earpiece broke tonight.

so what else is going to happen? bring it on I'm ready.

Call me Larry

Today was going to be an awesome Colorado day - the incline with dragon and then Green Mtn Falls hike with Seagal and his boys. The incline was great...up in 33 min even with stopping to talk for about a min or two. I had to meet Seagal at my house at noon so I sprinted down Barr Trail. I was making incredible time and felt great on the run...definitely thinking about how perfect it was to do GMF.

As I was increasing my speed coming out of a turn, my left foot slipped under me on some loose gravel and I twisted my ankle big time. It happened so fast that I couldn't help but lay out completely and slide head first and then roll onto my back. I was on a mission to get down the hill so I got up immediately and started running but almost fell on my face again. My left ankle is def swollen now and I lost some skin on my palms. Of course I still had like a mile to go so I hobbled, skipped, walked the rest of the way.

I talked to Lar on my way back and he gave me good advice on how to make it heal quickly. I guess I'll be layin low for a while. blah.

Most popular links

For some reason, Amy's blog is always the most popular or 2nd most popular link clicked on my blog. How is that? I mean, no knock on how awesome Amy is, but she rarely updates it! Amy, start updating your blog more frequently...people want to know what you're doing! I'm sure you've got some excitement to tell us about, right?

The other popular link from week to week is my MySpace page. heck yeah! Not that anybody leaves me any comments (you have to be on myspace and my friend to do that), but still cool if you want to see who all of my awesome friends are or just click back here to see my blog I guess.

Dragon and I did the incline in the pouring rain today. Nothing can stop us. Although we did sit in the car for 30 min trying to wait it out. peace.

I'm back (and camera-less)

I really don't have anything to blog about, but I just thought I would because it's been a while I feel like. I didn't take any more pics in Seattle and I've got nothing real exciting to tell the general population about it other than I had a super great time despite being totally worn out. I took the day off today to try and recover from the week, but I'm definitely still as tired as I was yesterday. blah.

So my camera of almost 3 years is hitting it's last legs I think. I had the LCD viewscreen repaired recently and now I just sent it in because it zooms out very little and then gets stuck and can't zoom in or out. So I'm not sure how many pics will be in my blogs for a little while. I'm probably going to get a new camera very soon because I'm real attached to taking pics. Here's what I'm looking at (if you care):
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022108canona700.asp

Congrats to JB and Ryan on their engagement! Upon my return, I also had 4 wedding invitations waiting for me in the mail (well one was a save-the-date card). It's an epidemic!

Does anyone know anything about buying cars?? I have to start doing my homework but I'll take any advice I can get.

Big shoutout to my girl Kat who thinks I should blog about how I am the type of person who always has to share my feelings with others. Which is probably part of the reason why I blog. But I don't really reveal a lot of my feelings in my blogs...just kinda what's going on in my life on the surface. For the whole story, you just have to talk to me.

OK enough randomness for now. If you're lucky, you'll get a movie or book review before the end of the week :)