Monday, August 30, 2010

continental divide trail










ben and i pulled into the driveway late on saturday night after spending 3 weeks in colorado at his parents cabin in south fork. for 8 of those days, we hiked 90 miles of the continental divide trail across the weminuche wilderness from wolf creek pass to stony pass. i was nervous going in. we backpacked across the west coast trail last summer for 6 days, but i new this trip was going to be much more difficult—most of the trail was above treeline at 12,000 feet surrounded by almost 500,000 acres of colorado’s wildest and most beautiful wilderness.

during the day, we scrambled across thin mountain spines, climbed steep rocky slopes, and passed open meadows dotted in wildflowers. we escaped a few intense afternoon thunderstorms, napped on grassy flats, and, when we stopped to look up from our feet, there was one endless panoramic view after the other.

at night, we camped by isolated mountain lakes and rivers, dipped in icy water to cool off and clean up, wolfed down freeze dried channa masala and pad thai, and curled up in our sleeping bags while rain and hail came throughout the night.

i was sore and tired by the time we ended, with huge blisters and aching muscles, but after a shower and a victory beer, i felt proud—i was a burly mountain woman after all.

(photos by: ben & erin)

Friday, August 13, 2010

back in a bit


sorry for disappearing this week! i'm taking a little time to enjoy the summer and will be back on august 23 with new posts and updates.

Friday, August 6, 2010

washboard + straight

robert kinmont’s 1969 photo series “my favorite dirt roads” consists of 17 square black and white format images that give us a glimpse into the reclusive artist’s life, who, after a 30-year break, has started to make art again. In his words, “the experience of standing and looking down a road . . . opens your mind in a way nothing else does.” after all of this time, i hope his roads are still untouched and unpaved.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

vitamin c

is it weird that i love this bowl of fruit tee from built by wendy? originally, i just couldn't bring myself to justifying a $70 tee, but bbw is having a sale and i'm finding it hard to resist. there are so many great summer sales happening with fall clothes filtering in. i really don't want this season to be over!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

antler-free




a good pair of jeans is hard to find. nashville store, imogene + willie, has tried to make the search for the perfect pair as painless as possible. the store’s stock is simple, with 2 classic styles – the straight-leg “willie” for men and the straight-led midrise “imogene” for women. owners carrie and matt eddmenson believe that the best jeans conform to the owner’s body, so tailoring is done on-site. they also suggest that all denim be washed very little and supply genius step-by-step washing tips on their web site for a creek cleanse, a tub soak, and a normal wash.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

western shoreline





despite being surrounded by the great lakes, i’ve felt a little landlocked in our new city this past year and trips to the community pool haven’t help calm my cravings. we finally got to spend some time on the coast of lake michigan over the weekend. i can't think of anything i love more about summer than napping on a blanket while the sun dries your wet skin from an afternoon of swimming.