Mount Democrat: Not A Walk in the Park

Mount Democrat is located in Colorado's Mosquito Mountain Range. 

It's one of Colorado's many "14ers" meaning that it's elevation is 14,000 plus feet. 

This was my third time climbing a mountain so I was excited for the challenge. 

Part 1: It's EARLY!

We left bright and early around 5:45 and arrived at the trail head at 6:30. It's best to start as early as possible because of how fast clouds and weather can build up. You don't want to be on top of a mountain in a bad storm! We also made sure we had plenty of water, warm hats, gloves and coats as well as plenty of snacks such as apples, bananas, pb and j sandwiches and granola bars. 

Here's Jesse making some pb and j sandwiches for the hike!

The challenge at hand!

Part 2: The Start and Below Tree Line!

Here is the start of the trail, as you can see it has been a cold summer so apparently this is what it should have looked like around May. With this being umm... July, this added a new challenge of having to hike through some deep snow. Thank goodness for my waterproof boots!

 First stop: Snack time and Flowers! The forget-me-not flower is such a beautiful wild flower here in Colorado. As you can see it's super tiny too!

This was our first snack break. Jesse and my father in law enjoyed some fruit and I enjoyed my granola bar. Even though I wasn't quite hungry, I knew I needed some carbs and protein for some extra energy. 

Here is also a look back from where we started. You can also see Kite Lake (named after its shape). It's still pretty much still frozen too, ha!

Part 3: Snow and the Start of the Rocks

This is when it started to get more technical. We weren't just hiking up a dirt trail anymore. Instead we had to trudge through foot and knee deep snow and a brief amount of three point climbing up steep rocks. Three point climbing means using your hands AND feet.  

I was just thinking to myself...how in the world are we going to get down this snow faced side.... we ended up having to slide down on our behinds and basically "ski" down. 

 Second stop:  We needed a small rest break. We also took some time to enjoy the views and the sun breaking over the mountain side. I was really starting to feel the lack of oxygen here too. Its crazy how you hike a few 100 feet and your heart is just racing and you are breathing as if you had just sprinted a mile. 

 Part 4: Getting higher

 We had to jump over some snow run off about three times throughout our hike. I really didnt like doing this. I had my cellphone, camera and ipod in my pocket so I REALLY didnt want fall in, ha! 

At the end of our day on the LAST water section  we had to cross I ended up falling in when the snow pack broke from underneath me. VERY SCARY! Don't worry though, my gadgets were okay. It ended up not being that deep either. My leg got pretty soaked though and I about had a heart attack. 

Here is a view of the trail, thankfully we got a small break from climbing up rocks. We also stopped to get our breath back. 

Part 5: In the Saddle

 Now we are about 2/3rds of the way up. It's starting to get windy, colder and more rocky so our hats and gloves became even more essential. The saddle is where we stopped for our lunch break before the trek to the top. This is also where you can start the hike up to Mt. Cameron, Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Bross. 

It's a great way to summit several mountains in one day but you have to start a lot earlier and of course be in that mind-set of doing several summits. This was not in the cards for us today but that was okay with me!

The views were beautiful but it reminded me of how high we were actually getting. As you can see there are more rocks and snow and not so much green anymore. 

The trail up to Mt. Cameron

Almost there!!

 Part 6: Some serious climbing!

 More three point climbing!

This was the section that was the most challenging for me mentally and physically. Not only was it harder to breath but there was a steep drop off the face of the mountain. Rocks can be slippery especially when there are several smaller rocks together. You have to be careful where you put your hands and  feet. Jesse had to keep reminding me to lean into the mountain in case I fell or started to slide. 

We also encountered more snow patches. This particular one I had to punch holes into the snow with my hands and feet in order to keep from sliding down. This also gave myself enough traction to get up the section. 

Part 7: The Summit!

After a false peak (sorry Jesse) and a water break, we finally got a view of the top!

We had to trudge through another snow pack, luckily it wasn't as deep as the others.

 The views were spectacular. The snow covered mountains were so beautiful!

I was so excited to finally reach the top so I decided to run up to the summit!

Finally there after 3 1/2 hours of climbing!!!

Part 8: On top of the world 

It's cold and windy when you get to the top so normally there is only time for a few pictures and a quick snack. I also enjoy calling my parents after I summit. I love telling them I'm on top of a mountain, ha!

It's also crazy how fast the clouds move up here. Weather can move in fast!

 View back towards town

 The "official" top

So proud of us!!

Part 9: Back Down We Go

The decent took about 2 hours. 5 1/2 hours of total hiking. The hike down has its own challenges but goes a lot faster. You really feel it in your quads going downhill. Mine were actually shaking at one point. We also had to maneuver over those rocks and snow again. I prefer sliding down snow than climbing up it. That part was actually kind of fun! Although a wet butt is not, ha!

Here is some weather rolling in on our way down. I told you it moves in fast!

It was such a great morning and I really enjoyed the challenge and hiking the mountain with my husband and father in law. Mountains really make you stop and think about life and yourself. They have a funny way of breaking you down and then building you back up!

Till Next Time!

Laura

Sunday Family Dinner: Red White and Blue Potato Salad

Here is a great homemade potoato salad recipe that my mother in law made for us while we were visiting Colorado for the 4th! 

There are so many great flavors from the potato, egg and fresh veggies!

2 lbs potatoes (red, white and purple "blue")

1/4 cup diced sweet onion

2-3 celery sticks

1 can sliced ripe olives

1/2 green or red pepper

3 hard boiled eggs

2-3 spears of dill pickles

salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

3/4 cup mayo

1 TBSP mustard

1 tsp dill seed or fresh dill

1/2 TBSP garlic powder or 2-3 garlic gloves

1 tsp parsley

1/8 cup juice from dill pickles

Serves: LOTS!!

Boil potatoes until tender or about 5 minutes less than fully cooked.

Combine sliced potatoes, eggs and veggies in a large bowl then grind fresh salt and pepper to taste on top before adding dressing

Serve immediately or make ahead of time and store covered in the refrigerator

I loved this potato salad and I hope you will too!

Till next time!

Laura

Allie Paints For the First Time

Allie got to experience her first time painting! Though she won't remember, she can look back at these pictures and laugh as I laughed when painting with a 5 month old.

My good friend Natalie provided the washable tempura paint and canvas, so thanks Nat! She was also a big help in the production of it all, ha!

She didn't much like the cold feeling of the paint but she didn't mind standing on the canvas!

After we let the purple paint dry we added bubble gum pink footprints!

Laughing at all the craziness!

Gotta get the second footprint!

Paint all over her FEET!

All finished! So pretty :-)

Such a fun activity to do with a baby! Loved how abstract and whimsical the painting looks too. 

Till Next Time!

Laura

Burn Calories doing NOTHING... WHAT?!

Did you know you burn calories without even doing anything? 

Quick Fact: You burn calories just living! This number of calories is called your basal metabolic rate. Also known as your metabolism! This rate is the number of calories you burn without doing ANYTHING... and I mean anything. 
This rate also depends upon your gender, age, weight and height. 

To find out your BMR check out this site: Calculate BMR

Mine is about 1280 calories. This is a rough estimate though. The actual way to find out is to be hooked up to a fancy machine that analyzes the air you breath out for about 10 minutes after a night of fasting and a full 8 hours of sleep or "rest". The test determines how much oxygen you consume. This test also determines your target caloric zones to help with weight loss. 

It's like what this woman is doing here:

So what does this number mean to you? Well you already know it's the number of calories you would burn if you sat doing nothing all day but it's also the number you need to keep in mind to loose weight. 

Weight loss happens when the number of calories going out exceeds the number of calories going in. 

EAT LESS and MOVE MORE

Remember not to deprive yourself of too many calories, this can actually lower your BMR and make your body go into survival mode making you gain weight!

So I know that I shouldn't really eat more than 1,280 calories per day and that I need to exercise more and  eat fewer calories in order to loose weight. :-)

Till Next Time!

Laura

Foods on a Diet

Now, I'm a sucker for a McDonald's Bacon, Egg and Cheese biscuit or an Egg McMuffin or a few slices of pizza from a local chain but let's be honest, I just can't eat those everyday. So I'm excited that I have found new ways to enjoy these foods without sacrificing my gut!

1. Egg McMuffin on a diet*

To make this I use an English muffin, egg beaters (southwest style for a kick), fat free American cheese and Canadian bacon (or any sort of lunch meat)

You could add spinach or tomatoes with this breakfast too

2. Pizza on a diet*

This version of pizza has 1 whole zucchini, 1 cup spinach, a few teaspoons of feta, red pepper flakes and oregano baked  all on top of pita bread

I don't even miss the loads of sauce and cheese. I love this meal for lunch. It fills me up for hours!

3. Strawberry pie on a diet

I follow the Joy of Cooking  recipe (with a store bought crust of course) and instead of using the 1/2 cup of sugar it calls for I use 1/4 cup Splenda sugar blend. It's just as sweet but with half the calories!!

 4. Banana nut muffins on a diet*

I just can't eat cereal every day. I like a little variety. So I love making banana nut muffins to eat for breakfast. It goes great with my morning decaf coffee. These muffins are made with applesauce instead of oil, made with no butter and still taste great!

Im allergic to oat and wheat but all of the above foods can be made with whole wheat flour to make it even healthier! Let me know if you want any full recipes!

*recipes courtesy of the Food Lovers for Life cookbook


Till Next Time!

Laura

Peaches, Wine and Time with Friends!

This weekend we ventured over to Knotts Island, NC for the annual Peach Festival and to sample the local wine at Martin Vineyards.

The festival was a typical country carnival style setting with craft vendors, fried food, tractor races and of course peaches, peach pie and peach ice cream!

The kids got a chance to play on the jungle gym and swings!

Allie liked all of the sights and sounds and found a new favorite toy!

After enough melting in the humid sun, we decided to grab some lunch then head over to Martin Vineyards to do a little wine tasting. (This was one of my favorite things to do when we lived in California)

Here we tried their "Five-times better than any wine" wines. I for one am a sweet wine fan, so I enjoyed their peach wine. Tasted like a peachy Riesling !
This wine also goes great with sharp cheddar or Gouda cheese.
My husband enjoyed the semi-sweet wine called Snowgoose White. Tasted like a mix of the peach wine and chardonnay.
There were also a few dry whites and dark sweet reds to try as well!

Now I don't know about you, but the best thing to after wine tasting is to buy a bottle and drink it outside with friends overlooking some awesome scenery. The breeze from the water was a nice plus too.

Weekends like this just can't get any better!

Till Next Time!

Laura