Off to Thailand!!

That's right, I'm headed to the land of many beaches and summer time. Don't get me wrong I love winter, but I have been fortunate to get the chance to travel to Thailand and I had to take it. Nik and I leave this Wednesday at midnight and will be returning on the 18th of January. We are going with a bunch of his friends he grew up with. A couple of them have been there before so they know the ins and outs of the area. I am very excited and will be updating my blog along the way!! I can leave posts from my phone, so updates will be posted frequently. Keep checking in and you will see what we are up to each day.

We are packing light only carrying a backpack and will be traveling from city to city. Starting our journey in Bangkok then heading south to the beaches. Things I hope to do while we are there are scuba dive, snorkel, hike, sea kayak, eat tasty Thai food and of course get many massages.

Merry Christmas!!

This Christmas was smaller than past ones (Mom, Ben, Ali, Mariah and me) but, we still managed to have a good time. The morning was spent getting up whenever we wanted, making breakfast, opening presents and watching movies. Nik came over later in the day and took me to his grandmothers house, then on to his parents for a Christmas dinner. Afterwards we played the Wii!! It was so much fun, sword fights, bike riding, canoeing and free throws were just to name a few. I had to laugh because my right shoulder was so sore the next day. I couldn't believe a video game was capable of doing that. Over all it was a great holiday spending time with family and friends.

Thanks Mom and Ben for letting me stay with you for a few days. And, thanks Kosach Family for having me over for your Christmas dinner. I had a fantastic time!!

Morning Skin up Baldy

Sarah, Nik and I decided it would be fun if we got up at 5:30 in the morning to skin up Baldy (Sun Valley Resorts main mountain.) Sarah had to get to work at a decent hour, so 6:30 seemed like an appropriate time to start. Overnight it snowed about 5 inches and was continuing to snow as we arrived at the mountain. Turning my headlamp on before the hike began I thought to myself, "Now who in the heck would get up at 5:30, skin up a huge mountain in the dark just to get first tracks." Then, I smiled big and thought, "WE WOULD!"

We skinned from about 6:20 to 8:40 and about 2200 vertical feet or about 2/3 the way up the mountain. By the time we got to the top the clouds had broken a little and you could see how far we had come, with the valley and our climbing tracks in the background below us. It was a great feeling of accomplishment to be there. We were so drenched in sweat that we did not have much time to spare otherwise our body temps would drop quickly and we would become very cold very quickly. So, we added a layer, de-skinned our skis, got our bindings ready and pointed our ski tips down the hill. Yes, I was on skis again and this time I proved to be much better. The first half of the hill was untouched, so we had first tracks in the powder. The second half had been groomed, so we got to enjoy the nice corduroy. The ride down was worth every step up.  I truly understand the term, Earn your Turns.

Thank you Sarah and Zach once again for your exceptional hospitality. You guys really know how to show your guests a great time. I had a blast like I always do and I am pretty sure Nik did as well.

Thanks for everything!!!

Skate ski day 1, round 1

I decided to take Nik skate skiing for his first time. He was a little skeptical about this weird sport where you put funny boots on and strap on a toothpick to each foot. Also, the poles are exceptionally long, so everything seems out of whack compared to regular alpine skiing. Skate skiing is a type of Nordic skiing, where you propel yourself by skating along the snow instead of alpine where gravity propels you along.

Nik is very athletic, so he picked it up very quickly. We ended up going 5k out and then coming back, making it a total of 10k. For a first timer and me (I had only gone 4 times before) we did pretty well. Skate skiing is a fantastic workout. Your entire body is working the entire time. We figured for the hour we were out, we burned about 1000 calories. Not bad for a day's work.

Backcountry Skiing in Idaho

Sarah and Zach were kind enough to introduce Nik and me to backcountry skiing. They provided most of the gear (beacons, probes, shovels and skins). We met up with some of Zach's buddies and carpooled to the top of the mountain. Then, we strapped on our skins and hiked to the peak. Skins are a type of fabric you put on the bottom of your skis that allow you to walk up a hill without sliding backwards. It makes for a hard, but very beneficial hike.

I have to say hiking up was so much fun, it was the skiing down that was the hard part. Since I am new to skiing I had a heck of a time getting down the mountain. The snow was very heavy for Idaho and my skills just are not up to par. Zach was nice enough to do a flying lawndart, ejecting from both of his skis head first into the snow. I think he was just making me feel better. At the bottom, I had an audience giving me tips on how to make it down safely. It was very frustrating and at one point the camera got the bird from me (Not my best moment and one I won't share). In the end, we all laughed about the adventure and decided it was a great time.

Afterwards we headed to Galena Lodge for a fantastic lunch of veggie burgers and chili. Again, Zach and Sarah knew about everyone there and we enjoyed our times together.

Sun Valley Excitement!!

Nik and I arrived in Hailey, just in time to go to dinner with Sarah and Zach at the Pioneer Saloon. The Pio, as the locals call it, is a historic part of the Sun Valley area and a must do for a first timer (Nik) to the valley. It is known for its prime rib and potatoes. The restaurant is full of stuffed animals, old guns and, of course, the famous Phucker. Now, if you have never seen a Phucker, don't be alarmed, the Pio might be the only place that has one. It actually is a pheasant head on a chucker body, but it is always a good laugh to tell someone to go see the Phucker.

After dinner we headed to a few local spots around town. We had to start at the famous Grumpy's to get a schooner, a large beer that takes two hands to drink. Then, we headed over to the famous Whiskey Jaques. Whiskey's burned down about this time last year and this night was the second night they had reopened. They had a country band playing called The Damphools. Washboards, long beards and banjos were in full effect. We danced our hearts out and definitely had our fair share of PBR. Nik decided Zach should become the mayor of town, because he knows everyone wherever we go.

St. Johns in Portland

St. Johns is a neighborhood in north Portland and the bridge above is the St. Johns Bridge which leads into the neighborhood from north of downtown, in the industrial area. The neighborhood has a ton of character and the people were some of the nicest I have met. One morning, Nik and I walked into a Starbucks for some coffee and there was the cutest old man in a one piece mechanic outfit with a red and black plaid hat on. He had a smile that seemed permanent. He was looking at old pictures of Portland on the wall, and was so friendly with everyone. As he got to the counter to order he told the barista to make his drink as hot as possible. He wanted it to burn his mouth. Then, he proceeded to tell her he has gotten rid of a lot of women in his life, but he has never gotten rid of coffee. I think he was half kidding, but it was a funny comment that everyone in line chuckled about. Everyone in the Starbucks was listening and a women a few people behind him jumped in and told the barista she would handle the man's bill. He was very thankful and appreciative. I could tell everyone in the place knew this man and they all appreciated his company. I loved the fact the women took the man's bill. It just goes to show that there still are some really wonderful people in this world.

St. Johns Pub is the neighborhoods McMenamins, which is a local brewery/movie theater. McMenamins are located all over the city and each one is absolutely fantastic. Each one is a little bit different. Some have movie theaters, others have music venues, frisbee golf courses, hotels, etc. At St. Johns Pub, you arrive for a $3 movie, order you food/drinks and sit and watch the movie while you eat. This McMenamins is an old church. The place has vaulted ceilings and a very rustic feel with exotic lighting hanging from the ceiling. We headed down one evening for the movie Couples Retreat. It was so much fun, sitting on a couch, in this old building and enjoying some nice grub. Plus, the movie was hilarious!!!

Overall, I loved Portland! I think it is a city with so much character, friendly people, environmentally sustainable and of course great food/beer. I can't wait to be back there.

Snow Day at Mt. Hood Meadows

Nik, Wris and I decided that even though it was poring down rain in Portland, that was not going to stop us from heading up to Mt. Hood for some skiing (and in my case snowboarding). The weather was pretty warm, so the snow was the heaviest I have ever skied. We compared it to glue, when you slowed down it would grab you and suck you in, which made it hard to get going again. The entire day was hard work. Poor Nik was wearing in some new skis and boots, so he was having an extra hard time. Even though the entire day was spent working hard, I still had an incredible time with the boys.

When I was little I went to snowboard camp twice for two summers up at Mt. Hood and it brought back some great memories of the fantastic mountain. I remember seeing the beautiful peak of Mt. Hood and thinking how exciting it was to be snowboarding on a volcano. Too bad I couldn't see the top of the volcano this time around. The clouds were low and it snowed and rained a few times. Regardless, I still had a blast and loved every moment. I know I will be back soon enough.

     

Portland = Happy hour and breweries

Arriving in Portland, the weather was terrible. I think Nik was really worried I wouldn't like the area, because of the weather, but I thought to myself if this is the worst it is going to get, then this is not so bad. Nik graduated from University of Portland. He played division 1 baseball for the school and over the years he really fell in love with Portland. He was hoping I would feel the same way. I absolutely did, even with the terrible weather that we had the first few days.

Portland has the best happy hours I have ever seen. I'm not just talking about alcohol happy hour, but the best food. Everyday, Nik and I went to a different happy hour. The most we ever spent on food and drinks was about $25 total for our bill. It was great.  We would have local brews, great sushi, sliders, pizza, hamburgers, etc. It really opened my eyes to how affordable Portland is. My favorite place was Jake's Famous Crawfish. Apparently, it is one of the oldest restaurants in Portland. We arrived, ordered some local brews (which by the way, I did not have one bad beer while I was there) and 4 plates of food. We sat at the bar and watched the bartenders make these incredible looking and very tedious to make drinks called the Spanish Coffee. One of the bartenders was busy working away.  He seemed kind of flustered, but we kept watching him. The process of this drink entailed lighting the drink on fire. Well... he lit the drink on fire and somehow tipped the drink over on to Nik's menu. Neither Nik or I reacted, we just kind of watched the menu catch on fire and start to burn. The bartender proceeded to take the coffee pot and pound out the fire on Nik's menu. We still sat there in silence and a kind of awww!! Soon the fire was out and the bartender apologized for his mishap. He also thanked us profusely for not overreacting to his unfortunate accident. We just laughed and said it was good entertainment. After the bill was paid and we were ready to head out the bartender brought us the famous spanish coffee on the house. We were very grateful.

                                 

Another night, Nik and I went with his very good friend Andrew (Wris) to the Bridgeport Brewery. We happened to go the night that they were announcing their new beer for the season. It was the Scotch Ale. We had no idea. Actually, we showed up early for happy hour, because we had been out and about all day and were just ready to sit down and have some food and beer. Our server was kind of a drag to start, we could hardly get his attention and we thought we were going to have terrible service. I noticed that they had a scotch ale poster hanging up, but somehow I missed the fact that they weren't launching it until 5 PM that day. It was 4 and I asked the server if I could try one. He smirked at me and said, "We don't have that beer for another hour." I didn't really care, so we ordered a bunch of food, a few beers and soon 5 PM rolled around. Suddenly our server started to become very friendly.  The head brewmaster made an announcement. He said the new beer was aged in old Makers Mark barrels and they have spent a lot of time on making this beer, one of their best. Our server then brought us the first round of this new beer. Like I said he totally turned around. It was a great experience! Happy Hour and Portland go hand in hand. More great experiences to come!!

Holiday Travel Plans

Today is the start of my BIG travel plans. First I am off to South Lake Tahoe for some winter skiing. That is right, I am back to skiing. Actually last weekend, Nik and I went up to the mountain for our first time this year. I hadn't skied in about 8 or so years and not actively for about 18, so getting back on the skis was something very exciting for me. I surprised myself, and I think Nik, with my skills. I definitely wasn't as bad as I thought I would have been. Thanks to Nik and his great tips by the end of the day I was looking pretty good. Side Note: I'll still snowboard, but it is nice to have the option!

So, this weekend will be spent in South Lake, working on those ski skills. Then, on Monday Nik and I are off to Portland, OR to visit some of his friends and to look at schools, for me. We will spend 5 days there visiting with friends, looking at schools and hopefully getting out to Mt Hood for some more skiing. Then off to the beautiful Sun Valley to visit some of my favorite peeps, The Lathams. Another 5 days will be spent there alpine skiing, skate skiing, skinning, and of course enjoying the area. I am really looking forward to this trip. I have a feeling it will definitely be a memorable one. We will get back to town just in time for Christmas!!