Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Archives

Hidden Wall and a New Camera

Hidden Wall and a New Camera

This past weekend’s adventures were pretty low-key – a Saturday spent at Hidden Wall.  We started late, ended early, and kept things simple.  Our main objective actually was trying out the new camera we’d purchased the week before – a Sony Alpha a6000.  For years we’ve been pretty dissatisfied with our point and shoots, but we had a hard time justifying the bulk of a digital SLR in combination with all the other gear we have to carry into the crag.  But recently we’d been hearing a lot about the mirrorless system, which is a lot more compact.  So after reading…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Hidden Valley Fundraiser!

Hidden Valley Fundraiser!

Tuesday night was a great one for the Charlotte climbing community.  It proved to me once again that NC climbers are a special group of people!  A few weeks ago, Garrett Gossett from the Charlotte Chapter of the American Alpine Club invite me to attend their next “Pint Night” to promote my new guidebook.  Once we put our heads together, we decided to take things a step further – why not turn this shindig into a fundraiser to benefit the Hidden Valley land acquisition? Sycamore Brewery was kind enough to host our event, and the Bleu Barn Bistro’s food truck was…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Rock Climber’s Training Manual: Performance Phase (aka RESULTS!)

Rock Climber’s Training Manual: Performance Phase (aka RESULTS!)

I’m writing this climbing-related post from just about as far away from the mountains as I can possibly get.  Hubby’s out of town on business, so me and the kiddos are taking the opportunity to hang out at my in-laws beach house in Sunset Beach, NC.  It’s the perfect way to enjoy my week of rest after wrapping up my very first Rock Prodigy training cycle. To catch up any new readers, since January I’ve been using the program outlined in the Rock Climber’s Training Manual, written by my fellow Trango athletes Mark and Mike Anderson.  This periodized program took me through 4…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

“You’re a Good Mom.”

“You’re a Good Mom.”

Today’s post is for the moms out there that find themselves living in doubt.  It’s an experience that happened a couple of months ago when our family was vacationing in Disney World for my son’s 5th birthday.  I hope that it will serve as a reminder to not underestimate the power that we have to encourage (or discourage) our fellow moms… It started out as nothing more than a stubborn whine, easily drowned out by the swarms of folks making their way through Frontierland.  I glanced around – no one had even batted an eye.  I calmly scooted my rocking chair…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Best Kid’s Rain Boots: MyMayu! (and GIVEAWAY!)

Best Kid’s Rain Boots: MyMayu! (and GIVEAWAY!)

Those of you that have been reading for a while may recall a picture I posted during our big snowstorm (yes, singular) this past winter.  The picture was of my then 11 month old daughter, and she was wearing her brother’s gloves on her feet, for lack of winter boots.  A couple of weeks later, she scored an awesome pair of Muddy Munchkin Toddler Play boots of her very own from MyMayu! Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to use them in the snow this season, but we’ve had a hefty PLENTY of wet weather testing opportunities, in both cold and…Read the rest of this entry →

Share
“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN