Out to the high-country!

This weekend I am planning to get out for a few days to get ready for the climbing season.  Actually, I enjoy climbing all year round and this weekend it will be more like winter after some recent spring snow, regardless of spring or more like winter weather, I am excited!  Since returning from China I haven't been above tree line, so I am excited to get out there, or up there! Regarding our little Drew, she is doing so well, and I am so proud of her! 

I have a long way to go to get in shape for this years official climbing season and the 14ers4Kids Challenge.  Speaking of this years event, we are still waiting on word for the forest service.  This event would cover several forest districts so that complicates it even more, but we are working to make it happen!

Prep for the trip

I never really enjoy getting the gear together, in a way its kinda fun but I am always wondering "what am I forgetting..." currently I don't have my tent out.  That is next plus a few other things before I pack the Xterra.  The last multi-day trip we forgot something pretty important....FOOD!  Kinda embarrassing to admit actually, so I don't know why I did, but yea for some reason we took only the bare essentials and starved and froze for a couple days.  It wasn't much fun.  Staying out in the cold and also while you are climbing you burn tons of calories, so eating is pretty important. Duh!


I am watching for weather and other info so even at this time I don't think we have a firm destination set, but I hope I will have some great pictures and maybe a fun story or 2 to share with you next week.

I hope this finds you well, I that you are able to get out and enjoy the weekend!

Thank you for contributing to 14ers4Kids! We have broken the $10,000 mark!  

Current total is actually about $10,152

This is money that will help special needs orphans in China.  This adds up to more than 62,300 Chinese Yuan! That is a lot of money. So what will this accomplish?

Through Half the Sky Foundation, these dollars will support 12 kids in the Family Village program in Nanchang, China for ONE YEAR!  The Family Village program provides loving permanent families to orphaned children with special needs who have little or no chance of ever being adopted.  Read more about the program here: Half the Sky Family Village

We will actually be traveling to Nanchang in the next few weeks to adopt our second daughter, I am so excited that this project will end up helping other kids from her area; what a neat coincidence.  Or was it meant to be?  Either way, what a blessing it has been to be a part of this event and to be able to provide assistance for these children. 

To each of you who have supported - Happy Holidays…Merry Christmas!  Together we given the gift of love and family to a dozen children for the New Year.  

Thank you for joining with me to make this happen!

Best regards,

Dave

14 14ers in 14 days...a project to help kids

Day after day, millions of orphaned children face an uphill climb in life. It might be like climbing a mountain that has no summit, a climb that has no end.  I love to climb mountains, and many times it's a hard and painful experience but (usually) in the end rewarding. I think any mountain climber would tell you that if they had to spend everyday, day after day with no break--climbing without the reward of a summit and with no end in sight...it wouldn't be any “fun” at all. That is why I am starting this project, to try and take the burden of that endless climb for a few kids and put it in my back-pack for a couple weeks. The goal: to climb 14 of Colorado's 14 thousand foot Rocky Mountain peaks in 14 days. That's more than 80 miles of trails, and over 35,000 feet of elevation gain.   

14 14ers in 14days!

at camp for Crestone Peak climb in 2009