Whiteout

Five feet of snow descended on the high Sierras last Sunday.  We were set out to ski, but the ski resorts were closed due to weather, so we resorted to Plan B: hiking in the wilderness instead.  The forest is already a magical place to begin with, but blanketed in thick, powdery snow, the woods are wrapped up in even more enchantment.

This is my first foray into video editing.  The footage is a bit shaky, but considering I took it with my phone (a Nokia Lumia 928), I'd say it turned out pretty well.

What's the most magical thing you've done lately?  

And speaking of magic, Happy Valentines Day!

Got the Blues. Big Ones.

How does that song go?

"Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could. So somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good."

Today inspires such thoughts. I'm mid mountain and I am gazing towards one of nature's finest hours. With wind chills, it's way below freezing and the chill gently creeps up inside my four layers of clothing. My skiing could be better by leaps and bounds. I've been fighting a looming cold. But no matter. The sun is out. And right now, I feel like one of the most privileged people in the world.

With this astonishing view, wouldn't you?

*
I love Mt. Rose to bits, but the views of Lake Tahoe you get here at Homewood are pretty spectacular. The lifts are slow and yes, they creak, but the expanse of terrain (at least for intermediate wannabes like I) is wide. For a $29 limited Travelzoo deal, you get a full day adult pass valid even on a lot of non-holiday weekends. Happy shredding!

Tender Lovin' Kale

Thanks to Living Social, I'm back to doing copious amounts of yoga.  I've been doing yoga off and on for six years now, but I am guilty of snobbery when it comes to the practice.  Very un-yogic, huh?  I've done hatha/vinyasa. but the most transformative of practices I've done is Sivananda, a tradition hailing from India that takes a holistic approach to yoga - meditation, pranayama (breathing exercises), asanas (physical exercises, or in the west, "poses"), vegetarian diet (yes indeed!  I was vegetarian for at least a year), and yogic philosophy.  During this period, I always scoffed at Bikram.  Bikram wasn't yoga, I would say.

Well, fast forward three years later, and the sobering truth comes out.  I'm doing Bikram and like anything in life, you can apply meditative aspects to, well, anything in life - working on spreadsheets, cooking, knitting, dancing, yadda yadda yadda.  In fact, that's the purpose of meditation is for it to permeate all aspects of your being.  

Anyway, enough of that overdrawn prologue.  

This post is about sharing recipes for favorite post-yoga dinners I've concocted.  Never has it been more apparent than in 90 minutes of dripping sweat in 105 degrees while doing physical contortions how a healthy diet and proper hydration are paramount.  If I were to run an =correl(array1,array2) in Excel (sorry for the geekery), that correlation between proper healthy food and physical activity would be very, very, very close to 1, if not 1.  I noticed it - painfully - a week ago when I gave in to a Costco hotdog for lunch (disgusting) and today when I had three chocolate cookies two hours before Bikram class.  The result was staggering. My body could barely finish the class and the only thing that kept me going without puking is what's left of my mental stamina.  So, therefore: =if(lunch=junk,'low energy/self deprecation','Bikram Energizer bunny')

So the obvious solution is to eat healthier.  No more hotdog lunches nor chocolate binges.  For the most part, I eat healthy and in the right portions, but sometimes.....  

So here's a recipe I made up that is healthy and quick enough to fix for dinner or lunch.  Especially in winter weather, I don't find salads appetizing, but I found making this makes it easier (and enticing!) to get my dose of greens.  

Kale is a cold weather plant so even right now, you can still get them good and fresh at the market (granted, they traveled from California).  I prefer kale over other greens like spinach because I find that spinach leaves a hard-to-explain texture on my teeth after I eat it.  Weird, I know.  Also, kale is a lot more tenacious than spinach, that you can add it to hot food like soup or pasta.  Spinach, on the other hand, disintegrates to pulp.   Also, kale does not have a distinct flavor making it easy to pair it with other ingredients, hot or cold.

Behold my experimentations in the kitchen with kale:

[Numero Uno: Wrap]  

Tortilla

Kale, chopped and blanched in boiling water- less than a minute should do it

Pan cooked or baked chicken breast, ground beef, fish, shrimp tofurkey - anything you desire!  For a little bit of Latin flair, I just saute the meat in chili powder.  But actually, chicken breast is wonderful when just coated with freshly cracked black pepper.  

Fresh salsa - chopped tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, a squeeze of lime (I used lemon because my Mom's tree had an abundance of it and I came home with a big bag of them), cracked pepper.  That's it.  No salt.

Shredded pepper jack cheese

[Numero Dos: Crunch]

Same as above except that instead of a tortilla, crunch a handful of tortilla chips and form a bed at the bottom of your plate.  Pile on your kale and other veggies.  You can also dress it with a cilantro dressing by mixing extra virgin olive oil, fresh pepper, and cilantro in the food processor.

[Numero Tres: Soup] 
As I had mentioned, I love that kale does not disintegrate when cooked with food.  I made chicken noodle soup one evening and I added the kale a minute before the pasta was done cooking.  It really tasted amazing!  I even ate my carrots!  (I have an aversion to orange vegetables.  Long story).

TIP:  When sauteeing, don't scrimp on onions.  Use as much as a whole white onions if you want, just make sure to cook them through.  They add so much taste to food!  Pearl onions, when caramelized, also taste beautiful.

Kale is also beautiful with caramalized onions, pasta, asiago cheese served on a hot plate.  

Bon appetit and Namaste!

Snow White

I had a conversation last Friday with a co-worker who said she would NEVER eat at a restaurant alone.  She would order food to go and eat it at her desk or at home.  She asked, "Do you ever eat at the restaurant alone?"  To which, I replied, "All the time!"

I guess I don't really find being alone daunting.  I recollect vacations I've taken by myself on a few occasions - taking a very long walk in Cannon Beach, Oregon, wandering the streets of Manhattan a couple of days, navigating the San Francisco grid a few times, food hunting in Berkeley, riding the cable up Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, and even tent camping in a remote island in Thailand!  My philosophy is that there will be times that there are places I want to see, things I want to do, and there will be times when, due to some circumstance or constraint, it is just realistic to not expect friends, family or better halves to always share experiences with me.  They could be experiences that they don't even want to have.  So I made my mind up long before that that will not restrain me from seeing the places I want to see, from living the life I want to live. 

There are times though, when it is reasonable to exercise caution and NOT be overly ambitious with flying solo.  One of my biggest exceptions is wandering alone in places where it would be costly to manage getting lost and stranded, especially where, due to seclusion, phones don't get signal.  I'm a novice (if that) at trekking and snowshoeing and I don't own a compass, so when opportunity presents to get out with a group (when The Dutch is out of town), I grab it. 

Guided hikes are great because you go with a knowledgeable guide who share inside information you otherwise wouldn't know or read about.  You trust that they will not get you lost and if, by some random event, there's some sort of emergency, they are usually trained in first aid.  They also carry radios to call for help when necessary.  Oftentimes, these people are volunteers so they are doing what they do out of sheer passion.  The exact kind of people I like being around.

On a recent trip to Sedona, Arizona sans The Dutch, I hiked with a group at Red Rock Canyon State Park (blog post to follow).  The sight of the blazing red rocks was amazing but it just wasn't enough for me to admire from a distance.  I wanted to be in the depths of the canyons, gawk at these natural sculptures from various peripheries.  I wasn't content to be looking at them.  I want to be in them.  Thanks to free guided hikes sponsored by the state, I was able to do just that.  

Sam, septuagenarian hiking guide extraordinaire

This weekend, I hiked Mount Rose Meadows with a group from Tahoe Rim Trail and yes, I've been on this trail before, but no two experiences are ever the same.  I met a couple of great people and it's always really cool to start conversations with strangers who get you and whom you get.  

Our guide, Sam, was 70-something who has been hiking the Sierras even before I was born.  He was not a big guy yet he possessed a silent authority.  He has hiked all 165 miles of the Tahoe Rim Trail in 15 days and maybe that alone commands instant respect.  His kids live in the Bay Area and have been urging him to move in with them.  They forbid him from hiking by himself anymore because of his age.  To which, he would retort, 

"If I die hiking in the Sierras, then I would die doing what I love the most."

And there is sure plenty to love.

There she is - the Big Blue!

 After the hike, we loosely made a commitment to hike together again.  I gave good ol' Sam a hug and dashed to the igloo that was under construction when we left for the hike.  It was my first time ever inside one and I was surprised at how warm and roomy it was inside!  I watched at least four people crawl in and out but I lingered inside - just because.  The last guy to come in was a guy named Brian, who apparently was one of the architects of the igloo!  He talked a little about how it was built and how they had a false start early on because the geometry wasn't quite right.  He said that burning a candle inside could actually warm up the igloo more without melting the structure. Sound advice if I ever need it one day!

A few minutes and pictures more, but, yes, I had to eventually crawl out.  Not without a huge smile plastered on my face, though.  

It was a great day and as I write this, I encourage everyone who reads this to try new experiences on your own.  Watch a movie, go to a play, or eat at a restaurant alone.  Join a group of strangers to try something you have always wanted to.

What are you afraid of?

[GEAR TIP]

I LOVE this Vapur Element Anti-Bottle. It can hold .7L, is BPA-free, is dishwasher safe, and is made in the US.  Yes! No more non-biodegradable, non-reusable plastic bottles!  It's about $12 at Eddie Bauer (might cost less at other places).  When empty, you just roll it up and stash in your pocket or pack.  We already have one of these, but The Dutch has it, so I bought another one for myself.  We take it snowshoeing and skiing, but it's also perfect for Bikram.  (And actually, for the movies, too - I stashed this in my purse today - tee hee).

  

Ladies, to have a drama-free day outdoors, you MUST invest in good technical gear.  I speak from experience.  I am embarrassed to have thrown a tantrum like a diva in the middle of a hike because my socks were soaking wet from wearing the wrong type of boots (those boots went straight to the trash when we got home, by the way).  MSR's are great snowshoes.  The guys who work at REI only use these so I find that compelling enough to get them, too.  These have teeth on all sides, so whether you're climbing or descending, you don't have to worry about slipping.  

For clothing, I trust North Face and Columbia because their stuff have limited lifetime warranties.  I'm not an expert on these things but these are the ones I use and they have not yet failed me.  I have a Columbia jacket has this omni-heat technology and has worked amazing in sub-freezing temperatures so far - a worthwhile investment indeed.  Technical jackets, from what I have canvassed, would range from $200 and up.  I bought mine off-season and scored it for $150 with tax.  If, like me, your wardrobe isn't comprised of haute couture, this could well be more than you'd ever spent on outerwear.  What I have learned though is it really is an investment.  You use them for years, if not for an entire lifetime, and they protect you from bone chills.  For baselayers, I have started using Eddie Bauer First Ascent and they actually work great, too!

Cabin Fever? Never.

When I signed up to snowshoe to the top of a ridge on New Year's Eve, I didn't think it would be very literal that snowshoeing would be what I would get in to a lot this year.  In the figurative sense, I thought it was a metaphor for climbing up to greater heights, better vistas, more indelible experiences, etc. Or here's another one that I came up with - the world can be a cold place, and it will be cold at times, but what's important is you're warm and toasty inside.

Yeah, I know.  I a little bit on the incomprehensible side.

I swear, REI is my favorite local spot nowadays.  I went in tonight to pick up a yoga mat (and I did - I went for a Manduka eKolite - it's biodegradable!) and at the counter, I noticed advertisements for this weekend -

Did you know that 

Saturday is National Winter Trails Day?

Neither did I!

The Dutch is away this weekend so it will be great to still get out there and keep doing the stuff I love regardless.  Tahoe Rim Trail will have a roster of snow activities that run from 10am-3pm at Mount Rose Meadows including gear demos, snowman making (fun!), raffles,food, and I can only suppose, and a slew of activities that celebrate nature and that white stuff.  There are were also a few guided snowshoe hikes throughout the day, but I apologize - I took the last remaining slot.  I was hoping to snag a 3-mile hike, but I had to settle for a 1-mile hike since that was all that was left of the slots.  I will hike the meadows *insert pomp* to "learn about the social and economic value wilderness brings to our communities. Enjoy pre or post hike festivities in the Tahoe Meadows before you embark on your easy, 1 mile journey."

If you're sick of being cooped up in this cold weather, come out and play this Saturday!

On Top of the World in 2013

More and more, I find myself seeking for experiences that are extraordinary.  In what I have seen and experienced of the world, I gravitate towards the authentic and unpretentious.  Why?  Because empirically, those are the ones that shape us, those are the ones that enrich us, and most of all, those are the ones that stay with us.  And the other thing I have learned is that those experiences WILL present themselves to you.  You just need to be ready to recognize it and walk right into it.

New Year's is a huge thing for me.  I'm not normally superstitious but I suppose that my Filipino-ness has been so ingrained in me that I still hold to the tradition that whatever you're doing at the stroke of midnight on the first of the year is indicative of how the rest of your year will look like.  I have spent at least one NYE on the plane and I could have sworn that my travel miles grew exponentially that year.  Although I must admit that I have given up on jumping up and down deluding myself that I will still gain an inch or two vertically.

One of my most magical experiences this winter was a hike in fresh snow at Mount Rose Meadows - sans snowshoes.  The bonus was a couple of chickadees feeding on my hand.  It was such a surreal moment that I and The Dutch immensely enjoyed that for Christmas, I got him a pair of snowshoes.  I picked them up at the local REI and as I entered the store, an announcement at the door caught my eye:  New Years Eve Midnight Snowshoe Hike in the Sierras.  We were spending Christmas in Canada but New Year's was still wide open.  Somehow, a typical NYE party consisting of dancing and boozing to usher a new year in did not appeal to me.  In contrast, a midnight hike in the snow in the woods to a ridge top?  That's more like a recipe for something unforgettable.

So guess what this girlfriend did.

Little did I know that we will get a series of snowstorms leading up to NYE.  Little did I know that it will be 9 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees is freezing) on NYE.

Still it remains, it is one of the best, unimaginable ways I could have ever spent welcoming a new year.

We had headlamps but the moon reflected so brightly on the glimmering snow that they were not necessary.  The forest was dense at times and snow still weighed heavy on some of the evergreen branches.

The ascent was challenging (500 feet elevation gain in 20 or so minutes?) but the vistas at the ridge top was stunning.  We had a clear wide view of Donner Lake, the distant fireworks of a couple of ski resorts, not to mention front row premium seats of the stars and the moon.  Glasses of champagne were passed around and as we counted down to 2013, I felt a sense of wonder and gratitude.

This evening will be tough to beat.

I woke up this morning after only four hours of sleep yet I was happy.  I had dreams of silvery woods covered in snow in the moonlight.  I catch a glimpse of the lingering snow outside and I think to myself that I will never look at snow the same way again.  The world is a beautiful place and if nothing else carries over to the rest of the year spare for this thought, then I am set.    

Happy New Year's Day to everyone!  May this year be our best yet!  Here's to more fearless adventures with the people we love!

Miles to Go Before I Sleep

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

BY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.