2012: A Year in Review

January:

Kenai tried his hand at being a ski patrol dog during my NSP candidate training and loved it. I spent every weekend training for NSP on the mountain and loved getting in all those ski days, even if the snow sucked. There were a few phenomenal days and I really loved my first season as I learned to telemark ski. I found some time to try my hand at chasing cows and had a blast! I accepted the change in my life as a good thing and then adopted some more change in the form of a new horse, Griffin!

February:

I had some difficulty coming up with a name for Griffin at first, but I eventually settled and posted a much-awaited (at the time) photo of him. He was so little! Mountain Khakis published their first catalog and I was the featured female ambassador. NSP training, despite difficulties, continued and I really began looking forward to its conclusion in March. I also found out that my summer plans to do a Leave No Trace Master Educator course with an emphasis on stock use in the backcountry would be happening!! I also finally got the edited video of me riding a horse I helped start the summer prior. Kenai had troubles with measuring, and I visited NYC for the first time for my birthday with my mom. I got to catch up with an incredible person while I was there, too. I learned to dance with a horse.

March:

NSP training continued and I completed! Huzzah! I filmed a training session with Griffin and Kenai got to play with a starling after. We bid adieu to one of the greatest horses I've had the pleasure to know due to a freak accident. Kenai turned two! Griffin got his first trim, and I posted photos of his improvement. And the biggest thing of this month, I went to MONTANA! We squeezed in a car. We skied. And we frolicked. And we visited Yellowstone and saw WOLVES! 19 wolves from three different packs. Marked that one off my 30 before 30, big time.

April:

I spammed you with more photos from MONTANA. And I shared a video of us skiing western powder (squee!). And then spammed you with videos of the horses. And Griffin started tagging along on trail rides. I took a moment to reflect on how incredibly awesome life is. Griffin discovered his inner idiot. I updated on my year of yoga (which failed miserably due to a shoulder injury) and gave yummy recipe ideas. Somehow I had a ton of time to read books. We went to the Equine Affaire, too. Oh and of course, there were a lot of Griffin updates!

May:

I focused on the fact that I needed to be more present in my every day life instead of always looking toward the future. I scored a sweet deal on some minimalist shoes for running in a hope to start running more (which never happened because my ankles are whiny little bitches). I spent a fun week of adventuring and training with Griffin. I had a really big weekend of photography for prom, an engagement shoot, and finally went climbing. This Wordless Wednesday post got a heck'ova'lotta hits for some reason. I had another memorable weekend watching my good friend Chris graduate from college, taking photos for two of my best friends for their engagement, and ground driving Griffin. I went to a clinic/trail ride weekend in the southern part of the state with friends and met Q; I then proceeded to ask advice on her and ended up buying her. I think its safe to say she was a pretty good decision!

June:

I threw myself into life with two horses full-force. I found out that Q hates bears, but really doesn't mind ground poles, and she really has a knack for jumping! I got to fulfill a mini-dream of mine and play with Freisians for a day (and many after, actually). I finally left for 2½ weeks in the Great Smoky Nat'l Park where I learned to pack horses and practice Leave No Trace concepts.

July:

I re-hashed my pack experience gone wrong in three different parts (part I, part II, part III); it is the longest story I've told on my blog to-date, and was really hard for me to tell at the time. I went on a crazy-fast 20-mile training ride with a local endurance rider on two of her horses. And jumped back in action with my own horses, while finally pondering some of Griffin's potential TWH background. I continued to spend a lot of time with my horses, photographed one of my best friend's wedding, celebrated Griffin's birthday, and had an absolute blast fulfilling a childhood dream of riding my own horse in a parade!

August:

With August came the start of the coveted 30-mile ride. I had some pre-race anxiety, but Q exceeded all my expectations for this ride and did AMAZINGLY. I was (and still am) so happy with her performance. To get my mind of horse things I went and saw Mumford and Sons the weekend following the race (THEY ARE SO AWESOME LIVE!!). I shared a huge post of new experiences with my horses and then went to fulfill yet another horse-related childhood dream (wow, I really fulfilled a lot of these this year) and rode at Spruce Knob.

September:

I took some time this month to summarize the progress that both Q and Griffin had made during our time together. Q got a mystery ailment (which is still a mystery, though I lean toward a friction/heat cause) and I freaked out a bit and ended up not doing any more training or races this year because of it. I made the decision to really devote myself to getting into a better fitness routine for the upcoming ski season/life. I also dabbled with both horses lunging in a quasi-liberty exercise and decided it was something I would work on more this winter after I established both horses on the ground a little more. I embraced my favorite WV season (autumn) with several pursuits outdoors; this state is absolutely magical in the fall.

October:

Q and I did our second parade; the weather wasn't as great, but she did phenomenally again! A friend came and photographed Q and I jumping; our form is really improving. I spent a lot of time on the rail trail goofing around riding with cyclists instead of other horses. Q continued to amaze me during our last trail ride of the season.

November:

Frankenstorm (Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy) trashed my trails as over 3 feet of snow was dumped at the higher elevations. At this writing they are still clearing trees from roadways. I don't know if any of my summer trails will be the same for awhile. The horses weren't hurt, only a little sore. The weekend after the storm I put away studying to explore the woods with the ladies on horseback. Q and I had a blast. I worked on trailer loading with the horses some, and then goofed off with Freisian horses more. And then I went to Cape May with my bff Mandy and we caught some raptors and I met Dom IRL! Griffin's really gotten big and solid as of this month, and Q exceeded any expectation I had for her in our third parade of the year - a night parade.

December:

I reviewed 23 things I've learned in my 23 year of life. Spent a rainy Sunday training Griffin; put in my first ride on him. I spent an unnaturally warm December day climbing (finally). I took some time to recollect resolutions and goals I had for the year and make some new ones for the upcoming year, and I finally updated everyone on fitness and what I'd learned from my readings.

Man, 2012 was a busy year full of fun adventures, welcoming horses into my life, and developing myself as a person. Here's to a new year, new adventures, building upon foundations I've laid, and making 2013 the best year yet.

Film Friday

My first experience, first run with western powder.  Its akin to the white powdered drug, 'cause I'm addicted after my first try!  Oh, Rocky Mountain high, when will I experience your sweet slopes again!?

Roadtrip 2012

Om nom nom nom

Fredrika...who bashed herself repeatedly against all windows on the house to protect her territory from her reflection.

View from the house.

Best. Meal. Ever.

View from the house the morning it snowed!

My future house...right?!

The Blacktail pack is in the background toward the left part of the photo on one of those hills.

Find the wolf!

Mammoth Hot Springs

This is the reason I wanted to learn to rock climb

Allen!  Allen!  Allen!  Allen! ...wait, that's STEVE!  Steve! Steve! Steve!

WOLVES!

**I promise more and better photos upon my return to home and my better computer/software**

Seriously, could this trip be ANY better?!?!?!

We took a break from skiing today (thank the good lord above) and headed to Yellowstone.  Originally we were going to hit up Yellowstone yesterday, but we got a fair dosage of powder and decided to ski instead.  So off we went to Yellowstone today.

Let me say now, I'm kickin' myself for not having my zoom lens.  I have NEVER really used it to any justice and due to that didn't even contemplate bringing it on the trip.  Mistake - or maybe karma because I"m sure if I'd had it we wouldn't have had the day we did.

We entered through the north entrance.  Our ultimate destination was Lamar Valley.  This trek would take us through the territories of the Blacktail, Agate, and Lamar Canyon packs.  Our hopes were minimal if existent at ALL to see wolves.  Lo and behold, the first place we come along we see ravens and a bald eagle on what we hoped was a kill.  We stop, get out to investigate with a TON of folks with spotting scopes etc.  This should have been our clue that something big was going down.  One of our group wanders over to one of the spotting scope groups, chats briefly, looks through the scope, and beckons me over.  He knew that my biggest goal for this Yellowstone trip was to see a wolf. 

Kill at center with bald eagle and ravens.

I look through the scope.

I see not one, but FIVE wolves lounging in the grass with full bellies - seemingly not a care in the world.  Two black and three greys/browns.  I nearly cried.  Seriously - tears came to my eyes because I could not believe this was happening.  I wanted to see ONE wolf.  Maybe from a distance of 2 - 3 miles, and here were FIVE less than a mile off. 

These were the Blacktail pack.  We ended up seeing eight of them.  And the kill?  A drowned bison that two grizzlies had drug out of the lake a few days prior.  Ridiculous!

Growing tired - and cold - of standing and watching these wolves (only after witnessing multiple socializations among pack members including the stereotypical submissive gesture from betas & below to the alphas [the female was a beautifully marked brown/grey]) we headed down the road to the Agate territory with promising news of a kill in both their territory and the Lamar's.

Coyote along road on the way to the Agate pack territory

We enter the Agate's to see a single truck with a spotting scope out (we learned quick) on a pull-out.  We stop.  We inquire.  Its NPS watching the Agate pack at a recent kill.  SERIOUSLY?!  We bum off of their spotting scopes and our own.  We watch one of them chase a coyote, two of them eating at the kill (a cow bison from a day or two ago - they hadn't had a kill for 2 weeks before this), and we watch the alphas lounging with other members on the hill.  The alpha female was a beautiful white, the male, black.  Beautiful, healthy individuals.  (Mange and distemper are really hurting the population here in the park.)

We chat with the rangers for awhile learning the history of this pack and others.  The black that was chasing the coyote and the two that were eating return to the alphas.  They rally (this is the proper term per the park ranger, for when a pack gets together to celebrate something).  They all stand for a few minutes, greeting and socializing with one another and break into excited yips, barks, and howls.  Too. Freaking. Phenomenal. 

At this point I'm happier than a pig in shit. 

We move on - yet again.

We arrive in the Lamar Canyon pack territory where we were told the recent kill was.  We were the only car.  Within a minute we spot a black wolf < 100 yards away.  We spot two more greys, as well.  One of the greys takes off upon the arrival of more people who let their appearance be distinguished from their car silhouettes (which the wolves are habituated to).  Chatting with a photographer and others we decide to head down the road to see if we can intersect or meet back up with the grey who'd taken off.

Less than a mile down the road it crosses in front of us.  We score amazing shots.  Uncertain whether this was the original splitter from the pack or a different wolf as this one seemed to have mange and was rather skinny.  We watch it for several minutes nonetheless. 

Losing site of this one, we head back the way we came only to see ANOTHER grey crossing the road from the opposite side.  A wolf project gentlemen is on scene by this point and instructs us to please park and stay put until the wolf moves on.  We oblige.

The big female (<100 yards) crossed the road ahead of us (only after defecating in the middle of it).  She then borders us closely for awhile and we score several shots.  After a time the biologist allows us to proceed down the road (opposite direction) provided we do not stop.  We drive at an absurd 1 mph.  We score more photos of this female, watch her relieve herself a second time, and finally decide to proceed onward.

Doing some buisness during her road crossing.  Yes, not super magestic, but SO COOL.

Same female post-road crossing.

Business again further down the roadside.

This brings us to a sum total of 19 wolves from 3 packs (Blacktail, Agate, Lamar Canyon (formerly the Druids)).  UNHEARD OF!  Absolutely ridiculous and beyond phenomenal.  My day has been made.  My trip has been made.  And my patience for viewing wildlife may be forever ruined because of this brilliant experience - haha.  Oh, and safe to say this 30 before 30 challenge has been accomplished!!!

Other animals we saw:  bald and golden eagles, pronghorn antelope, bison, elk, big horn sheep, coyotes, sandhill cranes, numerous waterfowl, bluebirds.


**All photos by Liz Stout, please DO NOT COPY WITHOUT PERMISSION, seriously, I'm trying to share with y'all in the heat o the excitement, don't be a dick and take my photos because I haven't had time to watermark them yet.**