Wednesday, October 12, 2016

The Wild West

I apologize for my lack of blogging in the last month. I will be better about it starting NOW! Last time I blogged, we were halfway through our camp in New Zealand and the second half of camp was just as good as the first. I really love it down there and can't wait to return next summer. It's also on my list of places to explore when I've retired from skiing. After camp ended, I flew back to Colorado for Simi's sister's beautiful wedding in southern Colorado. It was a fun week of recovering, spending time with friends and family, celebrating, and going on some mountain adventures. We hit Colorado at peak foliage and the scenery was hard to beat.
Wedding day!

Molly overlooking the golden CO foliage

Celebrating Jenny and James with Kelsey and Sim
After a week in Colorado, I headed back to Vermont for nine days. It was a quick trip home, but it was just what I needed to fully recover from our big camp in New Zealand, get in an intensity week with my SMS Elite teammates, and unpack from one trip and pack up for the next one. There is nothing like my own bed and some home-cooked meals with my parents to help me reset for the next month of camps and adventures. While I was home, our SMS Elite Team also put on a clinic in Hanover, NH and we had a great turnout. I don't know if I've ever seen such a group of motivated kids who are just as excited to hill bound as they are to do an obstacle course.
Relaxing by the fire with Leroy

Post ski walking intervals up Stratton

Peru Fair with my Grandma, Twinkle!

Long run on the AT with my cousins Alexa and Paddy

Visiting one of my best friends, Mae, in her new home

Clinic in Hanover

Fall in Vermont
After my quick trip home, I repacked my bags for a month in the West. The first event on my schedule was the wedding of my best friend from high school, Parker, and her beautiful bride, Hannah, in Park City. I was looking forward to this wedding for many reasons, but one of them was because my whole family was going to be reunited for the first time since spring! My sister and brother live in Flagstaff and Bozeman now, so it's rare that the five of us get to be in the same place at the same time anymore. The wedding was perfect and I was so happy to spend the weekend with my family and some of my best friends.
Family run in Park City

Parker practicing her vows the morning of the wedding

Bridesmaids

Family at the wedding

Wedding morning bike ride to sweat out the nerves

Running in Park City
The beautiful brides
After wedding number two, we drove to Aspen to spend a few days with Simi's family and then went to Fruita and Moab to do some mountain biking before coming back to Park City for our final USST camp before the season begins. We've been taking a short trip to the desert for the last few falls and it is one of my favorite places in the world. Growing up in the East, I had never seen anything like the desert before and even though I've been several times now, I'm still in shock every time I go back. It's always a nice little break from roller skiing, and a good chance to reset before the final push of the training season.
Rollerskiing in Aspen

Desert campsite



Mtn Biking in Fruita with Sim

Snow in Aspen

Mud freckles

Biking under the golden Aspens

Survived wedding season!

Slick Rock lunch break with our friends Megan and Dylan

View from our campsite
Now I'm back in Park City and our camp kicks off on Monday. I'm ready to be reunited with everyone on our team and to put in a couple solid weeks of training to gear up for the season. Thanks for following!