For those of you just wandering over, start your reading with The Descent.

For those of you who have been waiting patiently for the second chapter of my Grand Canyon Adventure, I apologize for taking so long.

Day 3 (cont.)

- We have an amazing camp in the corner of two rock walls with lots of big trees. There was a deer in camp when we first walked up.

- After settling in, Bree and I played in the river. It was cold but we still fully submerged ourselves. Such a rush. Felt like a kid again.

- Around dinner time my Endo kicked me in the nads. I was almost doubled over in pain. Had to miss out on the ranger presentation on Condors. On the plus side, I got to watch the mountains glow as the sun set.

- Christine luckily had packed Tramadol – a prescription that I happen to have. I felt safe taking it. But truthfully I would have taken just about anything.

- Started my period. First period in FOUR YEARS and in happens in the Grand-Fucking-Canyon!

- Slept outside. Bats were flying around and there were critters everywhere. I took an Ambien and listened to music to help me sleep. It started out a warm night but I got cold in the morning hours.

- VERY rough night. Despite the mixture of narcotics and Ambien, couldn’t sleep through the chorus of snores. What sleep I did get involved nightmares of devil goats.

Day 4

- Woke with a major headache (Ambien and Tramadol don’t mix? Who knew?), lots of pain (Endo), and muscles so sore I could barely walk. Didn’t get much sleep.

- Wasn’t sure if I would be able to make the 1.7 mile hike planned. Took lots of Ibuprofen with breakfast.

- Felt better. Well…good enough anyway, after breakfast to go along for the hike. The group has been patient, encouraging, and understanding. Seriously love these guys.

- The hike was beautiful. We saw river rafters (Colorado River), Indian ruins, two bridges and a FOX. Very glad I sucked it up and went.

- When we got back to camp we went to the lodge to refill our cups with lemonade/iced tea. I had to bite the bullet and buy tampons. At the bottom of the Grand-Fucking-Canyon!

- Still in pain but pushing through it.

- After lunch I took my boot off and had a huge blister on my pinky toe. What is with my luck?

- Had to drain the blister to keep it from popping. It is wrapped up with duct tape but tender.

- After mending my toe I took my sleeping pad down by the river and dozed in the shade until a rude couple woke me. I joined the rest of the group and played in the stream.

- Sorted through my remaining food and ate all afternoon in preparation for the next day – (dun, dun, DUN) uphill!

- Seriously, ate so much. At dinner I had to force down the last bites.

- Made it to see the ranger presentation tonight about geology. The GC is 1 mile deep, 10 – 20 miles wide, 270(ish) miles long, and really, really old. I feel so smart now.

- Slept outside and used Rogers bivey sack (a sleeping bag/tent). It gave me claustrophobia. Woke and took anther half of an Ambien. Another restless night. More nightmares, this time about a stabbing fight but I did make out with Jared Letto in water too, so that was a plus.

- Animals seen while at the bottom: momma deer & 3 baby deer, fox, Ringtail Cat, squirrels, lizards, and a scorpion.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

PS – One more GC post to go! If you’d like to see more pictures, check out my flickr account.

Summer Hiking, Vacations

What can I say? The Grand Canyon was fucking amazing (if every there was a time to use “fucking” to describe something, this is the time).

My trip ended up taking seven days, two of which were travel days. From sunup to sunset, my days we packed with amazingness. However, in an effort to share my trip with you and not come across like the annoying relative who makes you sit through an hour long slide show presentation of their vacation to (fill in the blank), I am breaking things up into three posts: The Descent, The Bottom, and The Ascent.

Furthermore, I am transcribing my trip directly from my mini travel journal. This is in part because a) I am lazy and b) if I don’t I many never get this sucker up!

The Descent

Day 1

- Car one: Roger, Christine, Summer

- Car two: Chris, Shelly, Breeanna

- Stopped in Salina, UT. Ate at Mom’s Cafe. Yum!

- Stayed at the Kaibab Cabins (#7 & #8) just outside the North Rim of the park. Sorted and weighed our packs (mine was 30lbs with water!).

-Drove to the North Rim. Saw the GC for the fist time. Was giddy with joy! Felt like a kid again.

- Winds were gusting at 36mph. So cold, yet exhilarating! Literally took my breath away. Couldn’t stop smiling.

- Impossible to take in just how large it is (TWSS).

- Ate dinner at the North Rim Lodge. Consumed half of a chicken.

- SNOWED on the drive back to the cabin.

- Overnight temps were below freezing.

Day 2

- Woke up to 2″ of snow.

- Took a VERY warm shower.

- Decided to pack a tent and extra layers, although I don’t have many. Worried I might freeze.

- My pack now weighs 34lbs.

- Started at North Kaibab trail head.

- After 1st lookout we were able to shed clothes. Slow moving with 6 hikers all fussing with clothing, cameras, and heavy packs.

- Clear blue skies. Breezy. I was the only one in the group to keep a long sleeve on for the entire hike.

- Stopped at Roaring Springs for lunch. Sat on a rock in a spring. Ate lunch with small bullfrogs.

- Outhouses and water stations all along the way. Started spotting out of nowhere. WTF?

- I have the start of blisters on the first day. Going to tape my toes in the morn.

- Ankle did great the entire time. I taped it.

- So far it is very green and lush. It reminds me a lot of Zions. I keep stopping to look up and take it all in. It’s unreal to think I am actually here and that all of the surroundings are real.

- People hike “Rim to Rim” in 1 day. At first I thought that sounded fun. Now it sounds crazy!

- Lizards are everywhere. All sizes and types. My fav so far had a blue belly.

- My group is great but I am often hiking alone. I like the solitude and non-existing conversation of it all.

- We are staying overnight at the Cottonwood Campground. There are only 7 sites. Ours is fairly sunny. It is by a beautiful river where we can soak our feet and get some semblance of clean.

- Tonight I eat my first freeze dried camp dinner.

- We must lock all food up to keep varmint out and hang our packs on metal t-shaped poles provided.

- Christine snores. Sharing a tent should be fun.

- We hiked 7.2 miles today.

- I miss Jaron.

Day 3

- Last night went smoother than expected. Took an Ambien and slept until 3am when Christine woke to pee. Glad I got up though, no moon and a million stars.

- Woke around the time it started to get light (5am?) because Roger, Shelly, and Chris were up.

- Sore as can be, mostly my calf muscles and knees.

- Ate breakfast, packed, waited for Christine and headed out.

- Chris adjusted my pack so it wasn’t as painful on my shoulders.

- Knees started hurting right away. The last 3/4 mi I wore Breeanna’s knee brace.

- Hiked to Ribbon Falls. It was BEAUTIFUL. Wished we had more time. Roger was rushing us.

- Found out why the rush. The GC is not forgiving in the middle of the day.

- “The Box” is a narrow canyon area that feels like an oven when the sun is directly overhead.

- Our hike was 7 miles down hill. The last mile my knee hurt so bad I didn’t know if I would make it.

- I hiked with Breeanna and Roger for most of the hike. Their company helped keep me entertained and my spirits high.

- By the time we reached Phantom Ranch, my knee was aching and my calf muscles were so sore I could barely move. But no matter how bad I was, I was still 100% better than Christine who suffered extreme dehydration and a sprained muscle from a previous injury.

- Christine, Shelly, and Chris arrived to PR 1 hr later than us. When they got there we celebrated with beer and lemonade.

To be continued…

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Summer Hiking, Vacations

Family reunions.

What can I say? They happen. Ours happens once a year. This year’s happened to land on the day I got back from the Grand Canyon. I literally got home, showered, primped, and drove straight to the reunion.

Did I feel like going? No, not exactly. I hadn’t gotten a good nights sleep in over a week. I was emotionally and physically exhausted.

But, I couldn’t miss it.

Seriously. Could. Not.

Why?

Family pictures.

After sitting through pictures with the entire extended family, immediate family, and a sister photo, I watched as one by one all of my cousins and siblings got their photos taken with their families.

I am the only one without a spouse or child.

This used to bother me.

To tell the truth, sometimes it still does.

But life is what it is and I love my life so when the photographer asked if there were any more pictures that needed to be taken, I walked up to her and said, “Yes…me. Just me.”

Maybe it was my new found courage from surviving the Grand Canyon or maybe I am finally comfortable in my own skin.

Either way, I am proud to be my own family of one.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Summer Just me, Lessons Learned

The event I have been preparing for over the past several months is finally here.

My Big Grand Canyon Adventure!

Here is a snapshot of what I will be doing while the rest of you go about your day to day lives (suckas!).

Day 1 – Drive 390 miles to North Rim – Stay at a humble lodge and take my last hot water shower for five days.

Day 2 – Backpack 6.8 miles down from the North Rim. Try not to trip over my feet and plummet to my death. Arrive at the Cottonwood Campground. Take Ambien and sleep under the stars.

Day 3 – Backpack 7.4 miles. Try not to die from heat exhaustion or passing pack mule farts. Arrive at the bottom of the Grand Freaking Canyon and stay at the Bright Angel campground by the Colorado River. Take another Ambien and pass out under the stars.

Day 4 – LAYOVER DAY! Smaller day hikes to waterfalls and drinking at the Phantom Ranch. Yes, there is a place that serves booze in the Grand Canyon.

Day 5 – Backpack 4.7 miles, this time uphill. Camp at Indian Gardens campground. See amazing waterfalls!

Day 6 – Wake up at 4am to hike the rest of thef way out of the canyon, 4.6 miles straight up, before the sun makes it nearly unbearable. Emerge on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, celebrate by going to brunch and having a shot of whiskey. Take a 6 hour shuttle ride back to the North Rim. Drive 80 miles to Kanab. Take a much needed/deserved hot hot shower.

Day 7 – Drive 310 miles back to home. Arrive home sore, sunburned, and feeling victorious!

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Summer Hiking, Vacations

Welcome to summer school, class. Today we have our favorite substitute, Professor Dean (self-proclaimed dating expert), here to impart his wisdom on remembering only the good, or vice-versa, only the bad of relationships once they have ended.

There is power in editing.

Most great pieces of art, be them film, music or acrylic-on-canvas, require some careful refinement before they become great.

So it is with relationships. Past relationships, that is.

Have you ever looked back nostalgically on what you once thought was a “bad” relationship, only to find yourself wishing for the good times you just can’t get out of your head? That is because our minds–in their remarkable power to mess with us–have a tendency to cut the boring scenes, minimize the bad scenes, and really highlight the best moments.

Just like the trailer for Thor.

Now, if you’re single, this isn’t such a big problem. Sure, it may cause you to get back together with this person until you realize that the sequels are just as bad as the original and that they will never get better (except, of course, in the case of Fast and Furious–I hear they really got it right by #5).

The bigger problem occurs when you start comparing your current relationship with your former relationship: Your current relationship is uncut Reality TV. It includes the mundane moments, the hard times, the unscripted, unedited, live, always-on footage. And, even worse, the Greener Grass Syndrome often can cause your brain to screw up the most recent editing while you have full and complete access to the relationship–making you somehow compound the bad and minimize the good.

Don’t trust it.

Don’t walk out of the movie you’re watching just because the trailer of a different movie looks better than what you’re watching now.

More than likely, you’ll be wishing for a refund.

Summer Summer School

Mother’s Day dinner at my parents house is always interesting. Being the only non-mom at the table never works to my benefit. I help my Dad cook, I do the dishes and when we play cards and my mother tells us that we need to “let a mom win”, I play along.

I’d like to think that being the mom to a bitchy kitty should count for something. Maybe not the same level as being allowed to win at playing cards, but you know, something. I have kept this creature alive for seven years after all. My Dad did try to make me feel like I was part of the lucky “mom group” but it backfired horribly.

Dad – “Happy Mother’s Day. Your cat is lucky to have you.”

Mom – “Yes she is. Nobody else could love that cat. If you died we would never find anyone to adopt her.”

Me – “If I died YOU guys would adopt her.”

Mom, Dad, and sister in unison -”Noooooooo.”

Mom – “She wouldn’t be happy here. She never warms up to anyone. Face it she is pure evil. You just better stay healthy and not die.”

Me – “Um, she would be happier living here than being put down.”

Mom – “Now how do you know that? I’m sure kitty heaven is quite nice. She actually might prefer that to living here.”

Yes, happy Mother’s Day to me indeed. I can’t imagine my parents ever saying that about one of their human grandchildren. Apparently being a cat-mother counts for exactly squat.  But on the bright side, if I die at least I know my cat will soon be coming to keep me company.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Summer Bitch kitty

In April, I had the pleasure of meeting and touring the state with one of the most amazing women I have ever met, Terrie Hall. I should preface by saying that it was my job as an advertising account executive for our state’s anti-tobacco account, to help recruit her, pay her, and take her around the state to spread the word of the dangers of using tobacco to teenage kids. However, I never, in a million year, expected how much I would grow to absolutely love this woman.

Terrie is a Laryngectomee (you can’t even imagine how long it has taken me to remember the correct way to spell that). Meaning Terrie had to have her voice box removed due to cancer. Cancer caused from smoking.

Terrie now speaks with the aide of a voice prosthesis.

When I met Terrie at the airport for the first time we hugged. After six months of planning it felt like we already knew each other. She had asked me in one of her emails what she should pack. I replied to pack as much as she wanted and we would sort through it together when she got here. When I went to grab her bags I quickly found out that she took me up on my offer.

Not being used to large luggage and having never spent any time with someone who has a physical handicap, I decided that we should just muscle the two 50lb bags, carry on, and laptop bag to the car.

I know. I’m an insensitive jerk, right?

We hadn’t gone more than 20 feet and poor Terrie was out of breath. I can’t even tell you how horribly embarrassed I was. But Terrie, after catching her breath and seeing my look of panic, just smiled at me sweetly and said, “Just another day in the life of a Laryngectomee. Do you think we can get one of those baggage cart things?”

Our first stop after leaving the airport was to pick up my counterpart on the anti-tobacco account, Adam (or Mr. Bramwell as I like to call him). Not being under any tight time constraints to drive to our first destination of Price Utah, we stopped for lunch.

Adam and I had a million questions for Terrie and she told us that we had her permission to ask her anything we wanted. Throughout the next five days I found out Terrie’s life story, one amazing story after another. But it was at that first lunch together that I found out something that would change me forever. Terrie told us she had something she wanted us to know. The doctors found three more areas of cancer in her body and she was going in to find out what the treatment regime was going to be the day after she returned from her trip to Utah.

Terrie is a ten time cancer survivor already. Ten. TEN!

How in the name of all that is right in the world could this woman who I had already fallen in love with in less than an hour, possibly be subjected to more cancer?

I cried.

She told us that she didn’t mention it to us before because she didn’t want us to think she wasn’t well enough to come out here.

Terrie is tough as nails.

Then she told us that it was okay because she was lucky. They caught it early and she has really good doctors and it will probably just be more chemo, but not the really bad type, she normally doesn’t loose her hair, just her eye lashes, sometimes.

She said all of this with a straight face and 100% sincerity. That is the type of person Terrie is. The most amazing optimist that ever existed in the history of the world. Ever.

Outside of touring the state giving presentations to Jr High and High Schools, our secondary purpose for bringing Terrie from her home in North Carolina to Utah was to film her for both an ad campaign and the creation of an educational DVD. I work in advertising as I said, but I am on the planning/strategy/client relations/management of projects side of things. So when my agencies creative director asked me if I would be the one to interview Terrie, it was a huge honor on multiple levels.

When I told Terrie that I would be the one to interview her she was both excited and relieved. I asked her if she wouldn’t mind discussing some of the questions over dinner with a glass (or two) of wine. It was just the two of us and I have to say it was one of my favorite nights. I had my exclusive one on one with a woman who daily continued to blow me away with her strength, personality, ginormous heart, gumption and love. She made me cry, again, and I fell even more in love with her.

And that was just my second night with her.

In the five and a half days Terrie was here she spoke at eleven schools, was featured on every local TV news channel, local newspapers, and was on “Good Things Utah,” one of our early morning talk shows, and in between that she was filmed, photographed, and adored by all. Through it all she never once complained. Never once acted put out or tired. She was a trooper. Her energy kept me going.

At one of the photo shoots I asked the photographer to take a picture of the three of us. I was able to get it printed and framed to give to her as a surprise goodbye gift.

When it came time to say goodbye I was devastated. I’m not going to lie, I was a blubbering fool walking her to the check-point at the airport. I didn’t want my new friend to leave. Work had never been so much fun and I have never been so uplifted by one person. I didn’t know I could form a bond with someone so quickly and I didn’t want our time together to end.

Terrie text me from the plane, from her layover stop, and finally when she got home.

We continue to text daily. She asks me about my dates and rubs it in my face that it is sunny and 80+ degrees in North Carolina while it is still snowing here in Utah. I ask her about her daughters wedding and we laugh together through the distance.

I miss her incredibly but I am so proud of the work we were able to accomplish in her short time here. After every school presentation she gave, dozens of kids would come up to her and to give her a hug or tell her how much her story had impacted them. And now we have a whole campaign and will be able to share her story with even more of the world.

Filming was emotional. It effected all of us, from the camera, lights, sound, make-up and production crew to, of course, our star Terrie. Here is the 30 second television commercial.

Terrie Hall 30 sec TV

Want to see more?

You can view all of  Terrie’s TV commercials on our TRUTH Against Tobacco YouTube channel.

You can view her full presentation from the TRUTH Against Tobacco website.

And you can view the rest of some of my pictures with Terrie from my Flickr account.

One last thing, before taking Terrie to the airport, I HAD to take her to my favorite place – the mountains. She shared so much beauty with me, I felt it was only fair to share some back.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Summer Lessons Learned, Loved One(s), Story Time

I’m not sure where to start. Right now I am in so much pain, but I am also happier than I have been for a long time.

I suppose I should start at the beginning, only I am not sure exactly where that is. The Grand Canyon invite? My hatred towards large box gyms? The combination of hell, accomplishment and immense pain that has become my new passion?

Yep. That about sums it up.

OK. OK. The beginning…

The Grand Canyon!

Each year The Grand Canyon only allows a certain number of people to backpack from the North Rim to the South Rim of the canyon. You have to enter a lottery system and be randomly selected to go. Well, one of the members of my hiking group entered the lottery and hit the jackpot (thanks, Roger!).  Since I have NEVER BEEN to the GRAND CANYON (practically a sin greater than drinking coffee or masturbating when you live as close as I do), I was invited along with four of my comrades to accompany him on the grueling hike through the most magnificent canyon ever.

I’ve never backpacked anywhere.

We leave in, um, 1,2,3…7 weeks!

Did I mention my pack will weigh roughly 30-35 pounds?

So I figure I best be hitting the gym a bit more diligently, right? Only I hate, nay, detest my current box gym. It is always packed, the machines I know how to do stuff on are always taken, and no one is there to tell me what I should actually be doing outside of the one good intentioned beefcake who told me I was over-extending on a movement I’ve been apparently doing wrong for years.

One night after leaving said gym all disheartened and secretly praying for a better option, I pass by a building I have passed by hundreds of times and think, hmm, I wonder what this Ute Crossfit place is all about?

I research, I attend the free trial class where I all but puke (the first time skipping breakfast has actually worked out in my favor), I am unable to move for two days, I sign up.

Before beginning Crossfit they have you go through two weeks of “On-Ramp,” their classes designed to teach you the proper form for all of the ridiculously challenging movements you will be doing.

I graduated from On-Ramp last week so as of this week I am now officially a full-fledged Crossfitter person.

Pros?
I feel like I could take on the world I am so high on adrenaline. I am happier and more productive than I have been in years. I love that there is always a trainer present who comes up with the workouts each day, and that they encourage you throughout your workout. They even put challenges together which incorporate healthy eating and getting more sleep too. It has already helped me become more structured with my life (with work and school already taking up so much time I kinda have to be to fit this in).

Cons?
I hurt. I hurt in both the good way AND the bad way. Sore muscles are one thing, I actually love that feeling, but having my recently-released-from-rehab ankle feeling like it is regressing and my Endometriosis stabbing my abdomen relentlessly, well, that just sucks monkey balls.

I realize the cons are kinda big deals, but truthfully I don’t want to give up my new found high. I’m working with the trainers to scale back my workouts and have “make PT appointment” on my to-do list. As for my stupid Endo pain, there is nothing that can be done. I just have to hope my body adjusts and that in the meantime my heating pad doesn’t give out.

So there you have it.

Beginning, middle, and cliffhanger to my Grand Canyon-Crossfit-I’m-in-so-much-pain-I-want-to-cry story.

Who knew beating up your body could be so much fun?

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Summer Anklegate, Crossfit, Hiking

Sheesh I’m late at getting this up…

Every year President’s Day holds a very significant meaning to me.

Hiking.

Over the long weekend my hiking friends and I hit the road to destinations far more beautiful than the tired looking Salt Lake City– all soggy and clinging to one inversion after another.

The past two years we have gone to Moab, UT. You can read about them HERE and HERE.

This year our hiking adventure took us to Zions National Park.

It snowed on us pretty much the entire time. But…holy shit was it ever beautiful!

Here are a few highlights from the trip.

More pictures from the our Zions trip can be found HERE.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Summer Hiking, Vacations

I have a large tattoo on my left shoulder.

When my mother saw it for the first time she exclaimed, “Did you have to get it so big?”

Yes, mother. I did.

I originally got my large tattoo a year and a half ago. It holds significant meaning to me. It took me two blog posts to write about it. You can see them HERE and HERE.

Since getting my cherry blossom tatt, I haven’t wanted to get anything new. But I did feel that my blossoms needed to grow. I originally chose cherry blossoms to signify growth and overcoming hardships – one hardship in particular. But why should it stop there?

In 2010 I had two character building experiences.  I decided that for each experience I would add a fallen petal as well as a new growth to symbolize the difficulty as well as to remind me of the growth that comes from all of life’s experiences.

I went to my tattoo artist, Mitch (Mutiny Ink in SLC if you are interested), asking for four minor additions. What I got in return was two days of pain, the additions I asked for, and my entire tattoo touched up.

Before

The drafting phase.

Completion.

End Result.

Sorry, Mom. My tattoo just got bigger.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Summer Tattoos