Jump!!

Since the whole family was together, we decided a hike was exactly what the doctor ordered. The choice hike was Terrace Pond, a little gem in northern New Jersey. Left by an ice age glacier, Terrace Pond is an alkaline wonder with crystal clear water, and it is surrounded by granite boulders. Not good enough for climbing, some of the rock does make for a great 20’ cliff jump into the pond. To top off the picturesque view, the pond is surrounded by blueberry bushes.

As we got ready to jump in and swim over to the cliff, I noticed something giant chilling in the water next to the put-in. A snapping turtle with a shell a foot in diameter looked me in the eye, and for a second I thought that if I went in the water I would have ended up lunch. Trying not to think to much about the snapping turtle, we snuck past and made our way to the cliff. After a few jumps, the turtle lost interest, and we were able to make it back to shore with all of our fingers attached. I would say that it was a nice adventurous interlude.

Archery Break

Sitting shiva for a loved one is a marathon of hugs, kisses, conversation and people. By the middle of the day, everyone just needed a break. What would any sensible family do? Shoot archery of course! During our shiva dinner break, everyone took a shot, even my grandmother. By the end of the break, as the first shiva visitor almost walked into the middle of the range, we all shared a chuckle.

My Grandfather brought the family together!

I hadn't realized this before my Grandfather's funeral, but I don't remember the last time my whole family was together. Heck, I don't think that there was a last time that all my cousins and uncles were together! So there we were all eating dinner at our family's first reunion so to speak. With all of us together in honor of Poppop, the first thing to do was to tell stories, of course!

I was thinking that I had the best story lined up. We had gone to visit my Grandpa in Saint Martin and at dinner, he ordered the thing that somehow looked (or maybe sounded - you know french) good to him - pizza with oefs. If you speak French, you may have just cringed because oefs are eggs, but he ordered away, and not only did a pizza covered in eggs come to our table, but the eggs were raw! Thankfully, I ordered a pizza with black olives and shared a slice after many laughs.

Although funny, my story didn't win the prize in my book. My aunt Jane told a pretty funny one about Poppop watching her try to ice skate and telling her that she was as graceful as a swan even though she couldn't get off the ground, and my uncle Doug told a good one about when poppop came to recess because he heard that the kids were mean to Doug and he gave him a bag of jelly beans to share. Doug was the coolest kid at school for a day. The prize winner though was, of course, my Grandma's story about their honeymoon. My Grandmother hates the cold. She hates snow. She hates skiing. So, of course, they went skiing for the honeymoon at one of the coldest resorts in Canada. She ended up taking lessons with a French-only speaking instructor while poppop skied, and by the end of the trip, ended up entering a race, getting third and breaking a rib! Sounds romantic - right?

in remembrance

Today I got some bittersweet news - my Grandpa - Ed Paley passed away. He was 88 years old, had survived three quadruple bypass surgeries and had a kickass life. Born in Brooklyn NY, my grandpa volunteered for the 10th Mountain Division in WWII. He wrote letters home every week. His mom kept the letters, and we still have them along with many other of his writings. In the 10th, he was heroic. Not the type of heroic that brags, but the type that ponders in letters why he was the ONLY man in his unit left unscathed. In one battle in the Italian Alps, he ran across enemy fire, breaking all of the rules, losing his pack, medical kit and helmet, and forced a machine gunner to disassemble his gun and surrender. For this ordeal, he was awarded a Silver Star.

Along with bravery, Ed was known as an innovative army man, selling hammocks to his unit after a rainstorm at training camp swamped everyone's tent except his hammock. He had a great sense of humor. After liberating an Italian village, he was asked to address a group in a church by Italian villagers. On a raised platform he started reciting the only italian he knew, "Friends, Romans and Countrymen" and was rushed offstage. Later he was told that he was speaking to captured German soldiers.

After the war, he returned without a penny to his name, only to swoon my Grandmother, and later start a successful business that initiated an industry in manufacturing contamination control products while raising four kids. He was always trying and learning - welding, painting, sculpting, finding new ideas, up until the very end. He is survived by four children, ten grandchildren, and an amazing wife - my Grandmother, Florence Paley.

I always want to remember his strength and determination, so I painted my SUP paddle with the 10th Mountain Division insignia. It would have been nice to be able to show him, but I will always have him on my mind.

Hooah!

Just couldn't take it

East Coast tortillas just aren't the same. Back home in Colorado, they are fresh, delicious and have the perfect texture. Not so in New England, where they crack, crumble and taste like they may have been frozen and defrosted about five or six times. So, I couldn't take it any longer. What do I do when I want a tortilla now? I make one! I made a quick tortilla press in the woodshop, and to my surprise, it was relatively easy to make. Only one problem: I made the press out of hardwood, but the handle out of softwood, so the thing cracked on the tenth or so tortilla. A handle is an easy fix, and I'll take it as a lesson in materials science - don't make the part that gets the most beating out of something soft!

Tough call

Which is cooler? Green Guru's waterproof, break down pannier or my bivin' inspired detergent bucket one that I made at the beginning of the year? I have to lean toward the bucket, solely because I crafted it, but Green Guru is up there for sure. What do you think?

Professional Bivin

...The opposite of glamping (glamorous camping) = Bum livin'

That is what my friends and I decided was the best way to describe our way of life. Our realization of this fact came during one of our camping trips to Rumney, NH to go climbing. We paid for a campsite, then when the owner came to do rounds, told us that we could camp at the actual campsite (some distance from the car)... Apparently setting up a tarp in the dirt and cooking over a pop can stove wasn't something that she saw very often.

Other ways to biv-it-up: make pancakes for dinner, then eat them on the floor because you don't have chairs, or generally choose the most uncomfortable and hardcore option in every situation. Oh, and using an XL raincoat as a rope bag qualifies.

send train!

Sore  No More for after you get pumped climbing? $6
Climb On! for when your fingers start falling off? 10$
Gas money to get to the Crag? 12$
Watching Hannah crush an 11 after recovering from her broken foot? Priceless!

Own the movement

Going to DC was a ton of fun, but the best part was the hands on volunteering! The Student Conservation Alliance gives summer jobs to inner city kids for doing volunteer work. Most of the kids grow up to volunteer a large chunk of time in adulthood. Volunteering with a program like SCA is an easy way to push for a healthier Outdoor Nation, not to mention a fun way. Put on a pair of coveralls, get stuck in the mud and tell me that you haven't had a good time.

Keeping it classy!

Entering Washington, DC is like entering a different world. And after camping in NYC's Central Park, I felt a little out of touch with the world of business suits and titles. So here I am in the capital with Outdoor Nation, readying myself for two days full of politicians, speeches, and, of course, lots of food!

Other than just being generally classy, Outdoor Nation brought us to DC to help lobby and raise awareness about the power of the outdoors, not just for health, but for jobs. The Outdoor Industry Association just released a report showing that outdoor recreation is an economic sector generating 646 billion dollars of spending and providing 6.1 million jobs - a ton! My and other ambassadors assignment is to convince congress that it isn't owls vs jobs - jobs vs jobs. Funding for parks, outdoor programs and the environment supports an important economic sector and generates jobs. I hope that I can make the point!

HUGE thanks!

To everyone who has made Outdoor Nation possible, a part of my life and hopefully an influence on many others. As the declaration that a ON ambassadors and I wrote a few years ago stated, we can and will make a measurable difference. I just watched some of that difference take place last week at the first 2012 ON Summit in NYC. There was a beautiful moment when member around the table looked at each other, and we all just started smiling. Smiling not just because we were having a good time or making great friends, but smiling because we knew that the ball was in our court. We could do something, really DO something to engage youth in our communities, and Outdoor Nation helped us realize that. In addition to helping us realize that we had the power to create change, Outdoor Nation gave our group the tools and resources to do it successfully with a grant. For this I am so grateful that there are companies like TNF, prAna, Osprey, Smartwool, Merrell; people like Chris and Ivan with a vision, and kids like the ones who I just met at the summit who believe in the importance of the outdoors in all our lives, and have the courage to keep believing.

"We are taking a stand. We are united together as a movement. We are Outdoor Nation!"... 

camping NYC... again

Once again, I find myself in another, how did i get this lucky moment. Not only did the rainstorms that scared the crap out of every pet on the east coast pass yesterday, it brought all the humidity with it, so here I am in central park, sleeping under the stars with both the sounds of nature and traffic. Who gets to do that?! On top of everything, the park rangers brought us on a tour and we had the chance to watch some of shakespeare in the park from the back! So here I am falling asleep, listening to a few talented members of the summit group sing barber shop near the picnic table,  wondering what I did to deserve this treat.

Inspired everyday

Every year I think that outdoor nation will get boring or hum drum, but every year there are new inspiring people who motivate me to get out and keep doing what I do. Here is a video of one of my team member's story about how he realized he could make a difference in getting his friends outside.

Featured!

On an outdoor nation interview - check it out!
http://www.outdoornation.org/profiles/blogs/anthony-shaheen-interviews-lorin-paley