With my birthday looming around the corner,  I say thank you to all my friends for what is the greatest gift, your friendship. Seriously, you have all helped to get me through some of the toughest times and shared some of the ultimate moments of my life. All the moments we have experienced have made me who I am. You have put up with me at my worst and enjoyed me at my best. Even if we don’t see each other that much, remember that our friendship is like the ocean tide, it ebbs and flows and we will eventually see each other again, to take part in each other’s lives.

     After three weeks I got the Bold Venture back on the water. With a three person crew, we rafted the Chili Bar stretch of the South Fork American River. It had been a couple years since I boated this part of the river and I had been looking forward to this trip all summer. The scenery was fantastic, with sightings of several fawns, still with their spots. At Triplethreat the boat popped a wheelie. Going through Troublemaker was fantastic. We went to the right of Gunsight and over the drop.

     I did a bit more trail work this week as well while I was out enjoying what’s literally in my backyard. It’s amazing what spending time outside can do for you. For me it helps to clear my head and forget about things that may be stressing me out, at least for awhile. Of course sometimes it’s also nice to just unwind by losing myself in a book. Lately I have been reading the Divergent series. I won’t go into details or spoilers but I will say that I first thought it was just a fun read. Then I really started thinking about some of the messages and themes. It could be where I am at in my life, but this series has got me contemplating how we live our lives and how things aren't always what they seem and how to deal with it when what we thought mattered is all an illusion.

Until next time my valued readers,

It’s going to be a short check in this week. Some really good times on the water this week, paddle boarding, kayaking on Lake Natoma and on the South Fork of the American River. It had been awhile since I paddled my little rubber ducky in whitewater and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I also got out on my mountain bike again to hit the local trails, my hardtail 29er swooping through the single track and blasting over the bumps. I've really got back into the groove of running on the trails as well. I’m re-embracing that feeling of pure wild abandon from running in the woods, without caring about beating any records, or going faster than anyone else. Running just to run. You know the feeling if you have ever done it.

 So, yea, it’s been a good week, looking at the bright side of things. Really, sometimes that’s what you have to do to get through the daily grind. Every time things seem frustrating and the world seems to be pushing you down, take stock of all the things in your life. Do you have a roof over head? Clothes? Food? If you answered yes to any of those then you are doing better than a lot of other people in the world. Be thankful for what you have. If there is something in your life you don’t like you do have the power to change it, whether or not you believe it. The only thing stopping you is you.

Until next time my motivated readers remember,

     At long last I found myself exploring the El Dorado Trail. The trail follows old railroad tracks for nearly thirty miles, from Folsom to Placerville. It’s something I have been wanting to do for awhile. I rode from my place on local trails, I’m fortunate in the fact that some great trails are only a few hundred feet from my door. Winding single track eventually can be connected to what a friend of mine has dubbed ‘The Most Extreme Trail’. He dubbed it that because it’s a steep half mile climb filled with technical moves over rocks through a narrow opening in the brush. I worked my way up and over this trail, hit a couple of miles of pavement and made my way to the El Dorado trail where it goes through Shingle Springs. Once on the trail I headed west.

     It was quite the adventure, what I thought would take maybe three hours tops ended up taking six. It was tough, grueling and discouraging in some parts. Not because it was technically difficult, but because it was some place I had never been before and the trail was faint in places, in some spots I had to ride on the old tracks. I lost my bearings several times, unsure of where I was overall. A few times I thought I was much further along than I actually was.  I would think that I should be very near the end of the trail only to find I had unknown miles to go. I even bottomed out the fork on my bike at one point.  I was out in unfamiliar territory, nothing but fields around me when what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse came into view. I rode. And rode. Then rode some more, eventually passing it. I felt like I was riding through a post apocalyptic landscape. By the time I reached the terminus in Folsom I was exhausted. I still had to ride home though, so I hit the pavement and climbed back to the foothills.

It was one of the most grueling rides I have ever been on, but every moment, no matter how demanding, was worth it. I experienced so many things I never would have, had I not endured. Mule-eared sunflowers, deer, cows, surreal landscapes and a miniature donkey that brayed at me so loudly I wondered how such a big noise could come from such a small animal. The portion I rode was only about half of the trail and I am looking forward to exploring the rest sometime soon. All this near where I live. A reminder that you don’t necessarily need to travel around the world to have a world class adventure.

Until next time my wandering readers, read between the lines, sometimes things will get tough, you may become disoriented, but if you persist and carry on you will find your way into a world full of discovery and rewards. Most importantly though, remember

Another week of fantastic times, mostly in the outdoors. My interest in running is starting to become rekindled. I was losing motivation for awhile, it all began to feel too routine no matter how I switched up my route. I was really beginning to get tired of dealing with cars and stoplights, pounding pavement. So I hit the dirt. Immediately I began to remember why I ran in the first place. To feel and be wild and free. I’ll be the first to admit I am not a super fast runner and this is even more true for the trail  but there is just something about running out in the wild that words can’t quite express.

After two weeks I got back on the water. One of the smoothest trips I have ever had through the Gorge. The river was crowded with people in rafts, kayaks, tubes, even an inflatable turtle, but it felt more like a party than a traffic jam. I spent time with some old friends and made a few new ones. I saw one of my friends conquer  her fear of heights and jump off the fabled Gorilla Rock. Afterwards we ate at the River Shack in Coloma where I had one of the best sandwiches of my life. Every bite was fantastic and revitalizing. Seriously, if I knew I was only going to be able to eat one more thing before I die it would be that sandwich. It was that delicious. The most incredible thing was that despite all my years living and rafting in this area I have never once eaten there before. It just goes to show what amazing little discoveries life offers us all every day if we open ourselves up to experience what’s around us.

Of course a lot of these experiences that any of us have wouldn't be the same without our friends. I am fortunate enough to have a group of friends that appreciate my own uniqueness and accept me even when I’m at my worst. To all my friends I say thank you for sharing my life with me and allowing me to share in yours. I wouldn't be who I am today without all of you.

Until next time friendly readers, appreciate every moment of existence no matter what’s happening and remember