Camping and the Mountain Warfare Training Challenge

Months ago I signed up for the "4th Annual Mountain Warfare Training Challenge, a challenging 10K off-road run at high altitude with obstacles such as tire course, low crawl, five-foot wall climb, and tunnel crawl."

I had fully planned to train and get in shape and then life with all of its stuff kind of rearranged my priorities again. But like so many other things, I signed up for it, I was going to do it. I knew I had to acclimate to the high altitude if I was going to have any chance of surviving, seeing as how I wasn't running or even working-out regularly at all. It was the perfect reason for a camping trip.

So last Wednesday, Skye and I packed up and headed up to the mountains.

The Trip

We made it up to Lone Pine and then headed over to the Mount Whitney portal. A camping site at the base of Mt Whitney(14,495 ft) which is the highest point in the continental US. The camping site itself is at 8300 ft, so it was a good way to start off the trip.




After years I finally got a tripod and learned to use the timer in my camera so we could both be in the photo together.




Our first night in the tent and we soon realized that unlike the last time we went camping, in Mammoth in last fall, we were going to be too warm in our mummy bags. It was pretty funny actually, after a few minutes in her sleeping bag Skye announced, "Dad, I'm too hot" and that's pretty much how it was for the rest of the trip.




That was a breakfast for one at the Whitney Portal Store that we split. The pancake took up three plates and still spilled over onto the table. I guess its their version of carbo-loading for the 11 mile hike up to the summit(22 mile round trip).




Here we are at what was going to be our second night's campsite, at Ellery Lake, which at 9600 ft is one of the highest drive to lakes in California. We figured since it was 70F camping up there would be a breeze. We obviously miscalculated. By the way, thats the lake there behind Skye.




Not a bad second choice. This is Lundy Lake at a mere 7800 ft. We had the lake to ourselves for around an hour, then the fishermen started arriving and the beautiful quiet was broken. We never got a bite. Although at the spot where we started fishing, some guys who had been there for all of five minutes caught a fish, with the same kind of bait we were using. Luck and timing, I suppose.




We did incorporate a goodly amount of schooling along the way. Here Skye is trying to get to class at the school house at Bodie.




Check out the gas prices in Bridgeport.




The starting line of the 10k. I had been worried about what to wear, so that I wouldn't be cold. It was 82F up at 7500ft, cold was not the issue.

The first 2 1/2 miles were uphill and brutal, but after that it was all downhill, a bit jarring, mine was more a 4 mile controlled fall. So I finished 105 out of around three hundred or so, in 1 hr and 5 min. I was pretty amazed and proud of my performance. The day before at the carboload dinner surrounded by marines and a bunch of hard core runners I thought I was going to be way in the rear. The next day however all the "normal" people, myself very much included, showed up.




Skye and I posing in front of the sign for the camp that reads, "The center trains marines to survive and fight in mountain and cold weather environments" It was 82F as we drove away at noon.




Skye and I mountain biking in Mammoth.




Just playing some pool



Last night of the trip




I have been taking Skye's picture at this spot before there was a building there, when it was still a construction site. I'll have to dig them up and do a retrospective.

SKYE; A Hero in Our Midst

This an awkward and strange post for me. My blog, Where in the world is Jon? is decidely about me and where I'm at be it physically or emotionally or whatever. And I try to be funny and self-deprecating, but where would I be without Cindy or Skye? I certainly wouldn't be where I'm at or who I am. That being said something happened this past weekend when I was not there, (Where in the world was Jon?) that has begun to sink in more and more and I feel I would be wrong and disingenuous by not including it in this blog. I am very proud of Skye and have been more than a little hesitant in posting this so I will let the words of others speak for me on this one. And I hope no one minds me reprinting their words, they are all dear and heartfelt to me.

"Yesterday we had quite a scare, but a happy happy ending. We were at a pool party and Sam got out of the pool (he just sits on the steps, he can't swim yet) and got dressed to have cake and ice cream. Us adults were sitting outside, next to the pool when Sam came walking toward me crying, soaking wet! He had fallen in, unknown to anyone taller than 5 feet. Luckily, Skye saw him at the bottom of the pool and went and got him herself! I just want to public acknowledge Skye as the hero she is! Needless to say, I have signed Sam up for private lessons, he will be swimming soon (before we get around another pool).

Thanks Skye for saving Sammy's life!

--
Patty, Mama to Joe (9) and Sam (5.5)"

"Jon, I'm sure that Cindy and Skye will tell you about Sammy's trip to
the bottom of the pool, but if they forget to mention it, be sure to
ask Skye. I am very, very thankful that Skye was right there in the
pool and able to act quickly. She probably saved Sam's life because
none of the adults saw or heard him fall in. The more I think about
it, the more I am thanking God that Sam is ok. It was a close call."
Theresa

Jon,

Skye would qualify for the Medal of Honor, one of the lifesaving awards. Details can be found

on page 148 of Safety Wise book which her leader will have. Her leader should
contact the
council for further information, because the local council will decide if she
should receive it.

This is worth pursuing. The medal is a big deal within Girl Scouts and Skye
deserves it.

Will you be at park day on Thursday? I can bring a copy of the details to the
park.

Take care,

Tyler

I am hugely terribly amazed and proud by Skye's actions. Love that kid

Racing with Skye in San Fransisco

On a whim, I asked Skye if she thought she could run the Great Urban Race with me. I reminded her it was the same one that I ran with Kip and Theresa(2 different races BTW), kind of like the Amazing Race.

"Oh yeah, I'm in."

And with that I signed us up to race up in San Fransisco the following Saturday, which is now last Saturday. I was excited as well as nervous. It's a fun race but can take several hours and be pretty exhausting. Add to that it's in a city I don't know, with a lot of hills and in a week with a 9 year old. Ok it does sound a little crazy, I admit it. Which is why I had to add another element.




Skye and I just before the race.

Not the POV camera on my hat, that is the other element. I recently purchased this super-heavy duty POV camera to record in video some of my mad capped adventures. Granted this race was probably not the best time for a test run, but then again no time like the present. I successfully recorded lots of the race, now I must learn to edit so maybe in a future post.

I am so ridiculously slammed for time that I must shortcut to the most criminal of levels. So below are pics from the race and Skye with the sons of the family we stayed with.

Really I just had to get the pictures out. More stories and details to follow, I promise.

Click on link of Great Urban Race and then San Fransisco to see one more pic of us and learn about the race.

Gotta go.

Another Super Duper Show and Tell

Super Duper Show and Tell

Every month one of the home school group has a "Super Duper Show and Tell" Skye and I love them. I now use them as a motivation/goal/framework for our lesson plans. If the show and tell is "Dress up as your favorite historical" then we decide on that character and study him or her and plan a presentation.

This month was about animals. Immediately Skye wanted to take Cici. Let's think about that....Indoor cat, shy at best, taken to a park for an animal show and tell where there might be a lot of other pets in similar situation. Not a good idea, plus like I said I anchor an entire lesson plan around it.

The Praying Mantis

We had a couple of praying egg sacks that we were waiting to hatch in a small terrarium. That, I thought could be a cool presentation. I could also tie it into other beneficial insects, which we were releasing almost daily, upcoming earth day, even gardening and composting, remember we have 5 worm farms running. In fact the worm farm could also become part of super duper. It was perfect.

Except for after 2 weeks nothing happened to the egg sacs.

I went into typical Danniells defense-mode. We bought another pair of egg sacs,(btw none of the four have hatched and we're looking at around 8+ weeks), in the event that none of the eggs hatched(see previous parenthesis) I jumped on the internet and tried to find a source for live mantids, I also started prepping Skye for an earthworm presentation should all else fail.

Success, the internet rocks

So after a little googling I found livemantis.com/ and ordered up and promptly received one beautiful Texas Unicorn mantis. He is so cool. He's good a healthy appetite. Very cool little fellow and a big hit at super duper.




This is the presentation board we made up.




Picture of same species as our little critter. I attempted some shots but I am still figuring out the digital camera thing.




Again same species, but not our little guy, although dead ringer for him/her.




Skye putting on her presentation. It is really a great experience where she gets a chance to speak in front of a group of people and learn how to do a Q and A, as well as sharing what she has been studying.




Speaking of sharing, maybe why I jumped on the bug theme was so that I could have an opportunity to prepare edible insects for the pot luck after the Show and Tell. Above is Meal worm Brittle.

It received a mixed review, ranging from "Yuk, that's disgusting" to "Yummy What's the recipe?" It was certainly a conversation starter. Go ahead click on the pic and see the wormy concoction.





Skye was somewhere in between.