Climb A Mountain

I'm fascinated and awe-struck by mountains. Maybe it's because I grew up on the beach (Long Island, NY) where we don't have many (or any) mountains. Maybe it's because I spent 6 months living in Denver, CO, where I climbed 6 "fourteeners". Or maybe it's just because mountains are amazing. The sheer sight of them makes me smile.

I've been freezing on the highest peak in Texas (Mt. Guadalupe), rock scrambling on the highest peak in Maine (Mt. Katadin), and just downright enjoying my way up the highest peaks in New York (Mt. Marcy), Colorado (Mt. Elbert) and New Hampshire (Mt. Washington). In 1997, I even trekked for 3 weeks through Nepal, singing, laughing and photographing my way from hilltop to hilltop.

But nothing could ever prepare me for my latest climb a couple of weeks ago - Mt. Kilimanjaro - the tallest peak in Africa and tallest freestanding mountain in the world at 19,340 feet (5,895 meters).

At midnight on our 5th day we started for the summit. Imagine a 7 hour, extremely steep hike in the freezing cold (literally it was about 10 degrees) and pitch dark (headlamp only) without sleeping or eating the night before. Needless to say it was the hardest thing I've ever done, but we were rewarded with a brilliant sunrise and spectacular views from the top of the world - amazing!

I'm so grateful for a strong body & mind, financial freedom and a unquenchable sense of adventure that allowed me to do this trip

of a lifetime.

Visit a National Park

Spent the last few days of summer on vacation in Alaska - a dream of mine for many years... The national parks were calling me and on this trip I got to visit two of them:

- Kenai Fjords National Park where we kayaked

- Denali National Park where we hiked

Highlights included bears, moose, salmon, seals, eagles, sea otters, a wolverine, porcupine, bears eating salmon, seals eating salmon, glaciers, mountains and amazing fall colors (up north in Denali).

Always great to get back to nature, camp out in the wild and breath the fresh air.

YUM!!!!!