Back in the car, I drove the rest of the day to a rest stop at the CO/KS border. On a cold, clear evening I pitched my tent in the grass. Moments later a cattletruck (empty, luckily) pulled into the parking area and sat idling the rest of the night only yards from my restless head.

Saturday  With the temperature in the upper teens, I struggled out of my warm cocoon and fumbled to get my camp stove to boil water for some Starbucks Avia coffee. Then I warmed up the Pathfinder for the drive across Kansas to my birthplace in Ft Scott.

There I met up with my dad, aunt and cousins. We planned to attend a birthday party the next day for my grandmother who turned 100 years old. I broke out some of the sweet mead during dinner. Even the teetotalers in the family tried it.

Sunday After a big family breakfast, my brother showed up from California. We all headed to the adult care facility in Nevada, Missouri for the party where we met another aunt, uncle, and more cousins. Dad played his antique mandolin and we sang Christmas carols before eating bland white cake and drinking warm cider. It was the biggest family reunion in years and I saw some family members for the first time in decades. Most of us went back to Ft Scott for a big dinner. I sat with my cousins in the living room at a fold-up table and we drank rasberry mead.

Monday With all of the good-byes fading in my ears, I headed south to Texas. It was a smooth drive until I hit Houston rush-hour traffic in the rain.  Hours later I arrived at the home of my old college friend, the Rogue Botanist, in Angleton (or Dungpileton as he calls it). We ate a late TexMex dinner and he showed me his elaborate grow operation.

Tuesday Following breakfast at a nearby diner, R.B. gave me a nice parting gift of weed and Adderall to get me through the rest of the road trip.

A short drive to Edna took me to my mom’s place for a quick overnight stay. She loaded me up with Greg’s awesome brisket and her holiday sweets. We drank fruity mead and I drifted into a food coma. Later, I tried Angry Birds for the first time on her new tablet device.

Wednesday I drove to Austin where I had lunch at fabulous Hula Hut restaurant with another college friend and his family. We went back to his lavishly landscaped home and drank the delightful chocolate flavored mead.  In the evening, I cruised out to another friend’s house in Dripping Springs. We all drank the remaining bottles of mead and smoked weed. After this lubricating appetizer, we had a satisfying TexMex dinner at a new Trudy’s restaurant.  

Thursday Today I began a 24 hour odyssey to return home to Grand Junction. I hit icy roads from a recent blizzard in Lubbock and I never got over 50 mph for the entire drive to Montrose, CO. This slow, all-night  journey was aggressively fueled by a revolving cocktail of Adderall, caffeine and weed.

*Sequel to “My First Illicit Prescription Drug”

Total number of exercise days:  255/365  (70% adherence)

Total hours spent on the trail:  382

Fitness activity by frequency:

Teach cycle class  146

Yoga  79

Hike  65

Strength Train  53

Run  35

Road Bike  9

Snowboard  5

Snowshoe  4

Mountain bike  0

Comments:  Zero mountain biking is shameful and I resolve to change that stat in 2012. Notice the high ranking for yoga. This represents a huge change in my fitness philosophy. At 50, I am pain and injury free thanks to my devoted wife who taught the yoga classes.

Number of exercise days:  65/92  (70.6% adherence)

Total trail hours:  80.5

Exercise mode by frequency:

Teach cycle class  36

Yoga  25

Hike  22

Strength Train  18

Run  5

Snowboard  4

2nd  Yoga, one hour Hike “new boots trail” with Karli

3rd  2.25 hour Hike into Red Canyon from South Camp Rd

4th  2 hour Hike D1 Trail near Devil’s Canyon

5th  Yoga, 3 sets chins, dips, abs; Cycle class

6th  Cycle class, workout with Jordan

7th  Yoga, 3.75 hour Hike from Tellerico TH to Indian Park, Cycle class

8th  Cycle class

9th  Yoga, 3 sets chins, dips, abs; 1.75 hour Hike up lonely canyon off of 16 rd in shorts & T

10th  2 hour Hike/Jog on Frontside Tr and 16 rd ( Fruita North Desert) in shorts & T

11th  2 hour Hike/Jog Pollock Bench Tr

12th  Yoga

13th  Cycle class

14th  Yoga, Cycle class

15th  Cycle class

16th  12 runs of Snowboarding at Monarch: sunny, rocks showing. Camp at rest stop at CO/KS border with idling livestock truck

17th  Drive to Ft Scott, Kansas and visit family

18th  Grandmother’s 100th b-day party & family reunion

19th  drive to Angleton, Tx to visit Mr Greenjeans and his botanical oasis

20th  visit mom in Edna, try Angry Birds on her e-tablet

21st  Lunch in Austin at Hula Hut with the Schools family; dinner at Trudy’s in Dripping Springs with Boltons & Essingers

22nd-23rd  24 hr drive to GJ, icy roads from Lubbock to Montrose, fueled by Adderall, caffiene & weed

25th  2 hour Hike on middle bench trail in CO Monument, sunny

26th  12 runs of Snowboarding at Powderhorn, sunny, need snow

27th  2 hour Hike– Wedding Canyon Loop

28th  12 runs of Snowboarding at Powderhorn, sunny no new snow

29th  0.8 hour Hike on bench from White Rocks TH

30th  12 runs of Snowboarding at Powderhorn, sunny & above freezing. Hit the 3 table tops several times.

31st  1 hour trail Run at Tabeguache. Final quarter mile of final workout of 2011– began sprinting.  Hit a rock and fell HARD on knee & elbow. This 50 y.o. is humbled by the trail again.

January 1st, 2012  3 hour snowshoe up to Crag’s Crest on Grand Mesa. Grand view of Grand Valley & Grand Junction.

2nd  Yoga, workout with Molly, Cycle class

3rd  Cycle class

4th  Yoga, two hour needle session with TATTOO TOM

5th  volunteer at inaugural CMU Crossfit Competition

7th  Cycle class

8th  Cycle class

9th  Yoga, upper body workout with Molly, Cycle class

10th  Cycle class, two hour Hike with Adam to the Island on beautiful day

11th  Yoga

14th  Yoga, Cycle class

15th  Cycle class

16th  Yoga, 1.25 hour Hike: scramble from Devil’s Kitchen picnic area to White Nipple rock, down Serpent’s Trail, Cycle class

17th  Cycle class, 1.5 hour easy Hike on Tabeguache Tr south of Hwy 141, Mallory’s cycle class

18th  Yoga, 3 sets chins, dips, abs; 1.5 hour Hike with Karli on Corkscrew & Liberty Cap Tr

21st  Cycle class, feeling rundown, drinking too much

22nd  Cycle class

23rd  Yoga, 3 hour Hike/Run on Whitewater Tr & Cr Rd

24th  Thanksgiving in Durango with Wales & friends, Texas football

25th  Walk Animas River Tr with Wales, return of Mr Happy

26th  3.33 hour Hike/Run up Logan Wash  rd to Roan Plateau lookout

27th  2.33 hour Hike from Mt Garfield TH to ridge east

28th  Yoga, Cycle class, my weight hit 203 lb today

29th  Cycle class,  30 min leg workout with Jordan

30th  Yoga, workout with Molly, Cycle class

YTD Wilderness Hours:  362

2nd  Hike (backpack) final segment 28 of the CT with Sled Dog. 22 miles; 14 hours 40 minutes in the wilderness.

3rd  Cycle class

4th  Cycle class

5th  Yoga, Three sets chins, dips, abs

6th  Cycle class

8th-9th  Watched CMU mtn bike races at Little Park TH. Eating out, drinking, bloating to 198 lbs

10th  Yoga, Three sets chins, dips, abs; Cycle class

11th  Cycle class

12th  Yoga, Athletic training workout

13th  Cycle class, strength workout w/Adam

15-16th  overnight trip to Steamboat Springs

17-18th  Fall break, beautiful weather, easy urban walks

19th  Yoga, 3 sets chest press, lat pull

20th  Cycle class

21st  Yoga, 3 sets chins, dips, abs; 2 hour needle session with TATTOO TOM at Creative Tattoo

23rd  2.5 hour Hike near Mt Lincoln

24th  Yoga, 3 sets chins & dips

25th  Cycle class, Strength workout with Jordan

26th  Yoga, workout with Molly, Cycle class

27th  Cycle class

28th  Yoga, 2.5 hour Hike to summit of Mt Lincoln

30th  2.5 hour Hike foothills of Grand Mesa east of Palisade

31st  Yoga, Cycle class

Total number of fitness days:  63 / 92 = 68%  adherence rate

Total number of wilderness hours:  187.25

Fitness Activity by Frequency:

Cycle class  34

Hike  22

Yoga  11

Strength training  9

Run  1

2nd  Crossfit workout with Emily

3rd  Five hour 45 min Hike  of 12,965 ft Mt Sopris (12.6 miles, 4600 ft). Crumbly mountain with giant moraines. Good camping spots at Thompson Lakes for future reference. Ten hours door to door.

5th  Yoga, Cycle class

6th  Cycle class

7th  Yoga, Cycle class

8th  Cycle class

9th-11th  Backpack segments 22-24 of the CT with Sled Dog. 47 hours & 45 min in the Weminuche Wilderness mostly above treeline at 12,000-13,000 ft.

12th  Cycle class

13th  Cycle class

14th  Yoga, Three sets chins, dips, abs, Cycle class

15th  Cycle class

16th  Four sets chins, dips, abs; campus Run (17:32, 2.5 miles?)

19th  Yoga, Cycle class

20th  Cycle class

21st  Yoga, Three sets chins, dips, abs; Cycle class

22nd  Cycle class

24th  Five hour 45 minute Hike Mt Yale (14,196 ft); 5,000 ft 5.25 mile ascent of East Ridge, 4.75 mile 4300 ft descent of Southwest Ridge, 3 mile walk on road; perfect fall day, golden aspen; saw 3 moose on drive to Cottonwood Pass, SOLO

26th  Yoga, Cycle class

27th  Cycle class

28th  Yoga, Cycle class

29th  Cycle class

30th  Hike (backpack) segment 25 of the CT with Sled Dog. 24 miles; 17 hrs, 40 min in the wilderness.

2nd  Two and half hour Hike of Devil’s Canyon with Thomas

6th  Eight and a half hour Hike (28 miles) of Segments 18 & 19 of the CT with SLED DOG

7th  Thirteen hour Hike (30 miles) of Segments 20 & 21 of the CT including sidetrip to 14,014 ft San Luis Peak with SLED DOG. Two moose, dozen elk, sheep herd. Awesome day in the mountains above treeline.

Weekend family reunion at cabin at Lake Vallecito

16th  Three hour easy Hike in the Weminuche Wilderness north of Lake Vallecito.

19th  Four sets chins, dips, abs

22nd  Workout with trainer Karli

 23rd  Cycle class

25th  Cycle class

27th  Two hour 45 min Hike to Hanging Lake and Dead Horse Trail in Glenwood Canyon

29th  Yoga, Four sets chins, dips, abs

30th  Cycle class

31st  Yoga, train wth Karli, Cycle class