***Don’t miss out on entering our giveaway contest one post back*** As we planned, we did a lot of snowshoeing and XC skiing this week while staying at the cabin. We mainly stuck to local trails in Pike and Arapaho National Forests. There was also one hut trip which will get a separate post. Thought…
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We were so happy with the outcome of New Zealand’s Te Araroa Speaking Tour! We are so grateful to all our friends and family that came out to support us. We are also so appreciative of our sponsors for the support/giveaways. Thank you Hi-Tec, GSI Outdoors, Gregory, Superfeet, Big Agnes, Sawyer, Princeton Tec and Therm-a-rest. During…
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We have wrapped up our Te Araroa Speaking Tour. I plan to do a full recap soon, but let me just say it was more successful than we ever imagined and we are trying to figure out how to launch a longer tour. With the presentations behind us, we intend to regroup, switch gears and…
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J & I took our first snowshoeing trip of the season on Saturday. We headed to Echo Lake/Chicago Lakes in Arapaho National Forest with a friend (Grant) we met during our Wilderness First Responder course. The Echo Lake Trailhead is a little over an hour from Denver … except when you decide to go on…
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Try to contain your excitement … our 8-stop New Zealand Te Araroa speaking tour is picking back up! We only have 3 stops left and they are here in Colorado (for now … future continuation of speaking tour is a possibility). These last 3 stops are pretty significant. The registrations show that 280+ people have…
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After tucking 2015 into bed, J & I realized we’ve had quite a year. If you are a long-time reader, you know I love me some stats. I’m also quite wordy. For your benefit, I chose numbers over words for this post. 111 = Days we spent out of the US (mainly New Zealand,…
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For most of our 13 years together, J & I have spent Christmas mornings with my family at my sister’s house in Connecticut. Sure we celebrated with his family either later that day or another day (depending on where they lived) and there were a few exceptions over the years, but Christmas mornings were typically…
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Before anyone freaks out with these pictures, know it is all makeup!! It was all part of Wilderness First Responder training and certification we achieved last week. J & I have both been Wilderness First Aid certified, but becoming a Wilderness First Responder (WFR – pronounced “woofer”) has always been a goal of ours for personal and…
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Currently living/working in: Well, we made it to Colorado! And right now, we are in the midst of getting our Wilderness First Responder Certification (more on that in another post) Current mood: Busy and tired! Who knew a daily schedule of 8am to 5pm (our 10-day class schedule) could be so brutal??? Currently excited about: Winter…
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Our Te Araroa speaking tour took us through the Midwest, somehow magically without any winter weather. All 4 stops–Columbus, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Kansas City–were awesome. We both love, love, love standing up in front of people and educating them about our passions and adventures. But I think the thing I enjoy even more is…
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In this past week, we went from the serene quiet of the island to the organized chaos of life on the road. We are officially on our Te Araroa Speaking Tour, making 8 stops at REI stores across the country between now and Jan. 13. We started in East Hanover, NJ, with an audience of…
DetailsWe said goodbye to our 2-month caretaking gig on that secret island today, but want wholeheartedly to come back someday. We are mountain people through and through, but there was something magical about seeing the golden honey and grapefruit sky sink into the ocean every single night. And, we never tired of watching and listening to…
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During the past 5 months, I read 15 books and J read 10. It may not seem like a lot for some people, but it was for us. We love to read, but when we’re on the road, we listen to a lot of audiobooks and podcasts. Our summer and fall caretaking gigs afforded us…
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Currently living/working in: In the homestretch of island life … unbelievably, there are only 9 days left in our caretaking gig! Current mood: Sad to leave the island, but excited for our winter full of personal development and mountain training in Colorado! Currently excited about: Our New Zealand Speaking Tour!!!! And the fact that our first 3…
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J & I have created what we like to call a “life less ordinary,” particularly since 2011. We support this life of adventures by working seasonally ain the hospitality setting. And even though it’s only been 4 years and we still have a lot to learn, we’ve come a long way from where we started.…
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With less than 25 days left in our island gig, I’m already dreaming about how we will do this again in the future. Every caretaking gig we take has been unique and we’ve loved all of them (except for maybe one), but this one, this one is really making me gush. I do understand that…
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Te Araroa is trending. While the Te Araroa Trust estimates there were 200 hikers on the trail last season when we were out there, those numbers are surely doubling this season. And because I’ve written about Te Araroa every which way—for Backpacker Magazine, the Appalachian Trials blog, Gregory’s blog, the Therm-a-rest blog, Superfeet’s blog and…
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We celebrate 9 years of marriage today. And when I say celebrate, I mean it is like any other day because, well, we are on an island with no restaurants or other services. Not that we would do anything different if we weren’t on the island … but I digress. Recently, Backpacker Magazine wrote an article…
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Currently living/working in: Caretaking an island off the coast of New England and loving it! Current mood: Happy! Currently thankful for: A simple and uncomplicated life on an island. Currently proud of: A new venture for our “Wandering La Vignes” brand that will be announced shortly … Currently excited about: Upcoming projects and job opportunities (one with…
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