The moment

The moment you suggest your product/lifestyle/service is hip and contemporary, it is neither. New article on hipster culture in AdBusters. Hiked seven miles yesterday, getting friends tonight at the train station, tomorrow more outdoor sport with my friend Angie. Doing great at the new job, feeling great about ending out a tough tough week. Today I'm just trying to get a ton of cleaning and neatening up done because I'm getting some roomies come the mid-month, all the women staff members will be moving into the other half of my house, so the bathroom and kitchen areas need to be spotless and ready for company. I'm excited to have some company, but I do love having my own side of the lake. I can't believe how hard it is for me to find some company here in Blairstown, New Jersey. Most guys aren't my age, and I'd love to get into the city a lot more, meet more people. I miss my blogging a lot, my art a lot. My professors, my school. It's strange to be out here alone on this big blue ball.

Birthday Hike

Calypso Falls (2 days ago) Copeland Falls (today after Wild Basin) me at Copeland falls Copeland Falls Copeland falls I'm pretty bushed but I will say I had an amazing time allready today, on my birthday. Not sure whether I'm getting packages/mail or not today, as mail hasn't gone out from camp in a few days (always frustrating, but that's what we get from being tucked away so). Anyway, here's some photo documentation. Props go out to my mates Bly and Queenie who trekked it up and up and up and down and down and down with me, it was absolutely lovely. Now, I need a shower.

Tomorrow, Wild Basin.

Tuesday night was the end of the first three-day (which is about 48-hours) camp session, and it was INSANE trying to get all the girls able to do everything they wanted in every camp, every unit, every session. We still didn’t wash our dirty dishes through the sanitizer from our cook-out, so we’ve got to do that. Any way, the next five days I have off, and I am thrilled. It’s exciting because it’s for my birthday weekend, and I can just chillax, which is something also not really associated with being a trip leader, outdoor specialist, and unit leader. Another kicker was I’ve got three whole weeks with Buddy, my Aussie tabin-mate with a sunny disposition. Yesterday, my first full day off since this crazy Colorado experience began, I hiked with my friend Tumbleweed (I go by “Magpie,” in case you were wondering) about 6.1 miles. Our goal on the outset (after appropriately raiding the kitchen) was to climb Meadow Mountain, the mountain after which our camp is named, however when we got to the Allenspark trailhead, which begins Rocky Mountain National Park, we couldn’t find the trailhead to Meadow Mountain (we followed the border to the park, which would have taken us there, but it was too hard-going considering last Wednesdays winds and all the debris they caused.) Instead of hiking to the top of Meadow Mountain, which is an 11 (meaning 11,000 feet above sea level at the peak), we hiked 3.1 miles each way to Calypso Cascades and back, which was one beautiful journey, truly. I think it’s probably a mile or two up to the Allenspark trailhead from our back 40 acres, which we share with Rocky Mountain National Park, so in theory it’d be about 8 hours instead of 6, but you could do it straight from camp and you’d pass “Hercules,” a 15-foot-circumference Douglas fir. The hike was rough going at first, considering the asthma and altitude, but by the end it was smooth sailing, and I got the added bonus of getting to wear a tank top, shorts, and my Keens without socks. I also realize that I need to either replace the waist-clip on my Jansport backpack or get a new daypack, maybe even with a camelback. Have to deposit my paycheck first. So, as a staff we’ve been raiding the kitchen, doing a lot of sitting around watching movies, and keeping one another company in our scary, scary tabins. This morning I went riding, fell off slash got bounced off of a horse, and got right back on after a hard bounce to the rump. My thighs are killing me. But, as far as having an active and relaxing vacation on-camp for the next few days, I am well on my way. Stand by for photos, and the interweb at camp is dial-up. Sincerely, LindsayMagpie Also, don't forget to check my mobile photo blog for updates when I get into Estes or Lyons or wherever I get reception.