Getting to Know a New Town

It's been a while since I have moved. I have been in the same town for seven years now. For some of us, probably not a big deal. But ask either of my parents and they will tell you for years they never wrote my address or phone number in pen - they preferred something they could easily erase when a year or less went by.

Not that I am moving, I am just testing the waters in a new town, a familiar place but new just the same. I have been going to Mammoth Lakes, California since I first moved to the west coast. That first trip inspired me but didn't make me want to move. It was the second trip that I fell in love with the Eastern Sierra. A camping trip with two girlfriends and a hike to Duck Lake. From then on I made the 5 hour drive every other weekend. Sometimes just for the day to ski. Crazy, but I was in my early 20's.

These days I prefer to at least spend a bit of time in the town before I head back to my own mountain town. Weird - going from one mountain town to another. But like products, they are two completely different brands of experience. Somewhat familiar but definitely different.

My goal: See if we like it for a potential full-time move. Or just somewhere to spend half our time. We know a few people but not enough. We know what to do but wouldn't call ourselves locals. What we do know, we like.

That said, we also have a list of towns and criteria we would like to have for the next town we call home. The list includes, of course Mammoth, but also Tahoe City and Crested Butte, and the criteria lists a pool for lap swimming, a yoga studio, live music, epic skiing, nearby crags for rock climbing and fair amount of mountain biking. While I am not sure where we'll end up, or even if we will move in the end, I am sure we'll have a great time exploring and getting to know a new town.

Slow Food Cooking

Good, clean and fair. A simple movement, gaining popularity and now five members stronger. We kicked off the Big Bear Valley Chapter with a dinner of pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, organic spinach, fresh garlic, home-made herb-crusted bread, a few bottles of wine and some excellent conversation. It was so nice to sit around a table on a stormy evening, fire in the wood-burning stove, and talk about anything and everything.

There seems to be a growing cultural shift - some even call it a return - to traditional ways when it comes to cooking and eating. A desire for self-sufficiency and quality has fueled the growth of farmer's markets in the last five years and food cooperatives now sell locally grown and seasonal produce. The Slow Food movement is also becoming popular; it's mantra of 'good, clean and fair' is driving many of us to re-think our purchases. To act and make environmentally-conscious decisions when it comes to choosing fresh foods over processed and neighborhood farms over retail giants.

Having grown up with a garden in our back yard, I was tasked with picking our evening salad right before dinner. I miss that freedom and sufficiency. Living in a mountain town where our soil is not entirely conducive for growing our own vegetables I rely heavily on our local food cooperative - Sol Food Market. Every Tuesday I pick up produce grown within 100 miles of Big Bear. It's very communal.

So as regional lines blur in our march towards globalization, our food is becoming a defining factor. As I honor my desire to connect with my food and have a relationship with the growers, I am more reflective in other aspects of my life relating to sustainability. It's an interesting concept, one that isn't innovative or new, just innovative and new right now. As I step off my soap-box, take a moment and check out the Slow Food website at http://bit.ly/70ZBld. I invite you to consider joining in on the move to slowing it down.

Halloween Sun

I have been traveling quite a bit these last 5 weeks. I started in Colorado in late September - photographing the amazing Aspen trees, continuing east to spend a few days in Lake Placid, New York. From there we slowly meandered south, visited family, saw Cirque du Soliel in Reading, Pennsylvania and drove the parkway along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Virginia to Tennessee. Today I woke up in Winter Park, Colorado - snow covered plains, views of the Contenental Divide and a sunny Halloween morning.

I celebrated with a visit to my new favorite yoga studio Mountain Moon Yoga (mtnmoonyoga.com). A fairly vigorous vinyasa sequence with plenty of salutations was a great way to stretch, sweat, twist and relax.

But while I love to travel - encountering new places, meeting people and experiencing the rythym of a mountain landscape seems to be my calling - I am ready to return home. Ready to settle in for what seems like a promising ski season and sketch out a plan to make time for winter activities, writing, yoga, friends and more travel. Here's to a long winter!

Life is Good!

It's crazy how time flies. That I have gone this long without blogging seems unforgiveable. Except that - and this is good news - I've been busy. Seriously busy. Writing and photographing mostly, augmented with skills learned in the corporate world. A good thing really - my parents did pay (with help from my job as a grocery checker) for an expensive education and it proves useful once in awhile.

True to this blog's title I have been spending time traveling via the road. Driving across the country with prolonged stops in Telluride and Crested Butte, Colorado photographing the amazing autumn display of Aspen trees. Likewise, on the east coast taking a three-day tour of Lake Placid, New York's fiery colors. LOVE Lake Placid! Actually wanted to move there when I finished college but the Universe had other plans for me.

What am I up to? Several things: (1) Doing research for a documentary project I have been ruminating on for the last 2 years; (2) Trying to find time to write freelance and failing miserably at it; (3) Processing about 200 images I shot recently in Winter Park, Colorado (unrelated to the above); (4) Blogging about Big Bear Lake, California; (5) Enjoying myself working with a new client who is innovative and growing in a down economy; and (6) Working out A LOT (Goals: Ski my ass off this year and test for PSIA Level III certification).

Let me know what you have been up to?

Cheers,
Cathleen

The Schtick of Spinning & Yoga

While I find myself back in LA for the next couple of months I am trying to make the most of it. Though I am not 'home' I am in a familiar place and spending time with friends. The discomfort of not being in my home every night is made easier by the comfort of doing the things I used to do when I lived in this city - things I did to occupy my time until I could escape to my next adventure in wilder terrain.

One of the activities I became quite fond of was spinning. When I couldn't join my friend Marci for a ride through Topanga Canyon or Malibu, I made sure to make it to the gym for a spin. Though I consider myself a rider first, I see the value in spinning. It's quite zen - that repetitive motion - and engages my creative side. Three weeks ago I joined TriFitLA for two months. It caters to triathletes, has a pool, spinning and yoga: The perfect combination.

What's even cooler - I have become addicted, once again, to the act of spinning. More appropriately, I have become addicted to Merle's class. He's a rider and brings that to his class. Lately we have been watching stage footage from The Tour; it rolls on the the big screen behind him at the front of the room. It's makes it easy to stay motivated during a seven minute hill climb when you are watching Lance and Levi power up a section too: Smooth pedal strokes, centered positioning and consistent cadence. What I also like is Merle brings a certain yogic technique to his class - we do sun salutations at the beginning and end, focusing on deep, effective breaths and relaxing the shoulders and toes. Drawing in our energy and lifting through the length of our spine. Staying light on the pedals - centered and balanced. His schtick is always the same and he ends his class with the phrase - "And make sure to nurture your joy." Our arms are raised, palms facing the heavens. I don't tire of his routine, though it's always the same, I find motivation in it every time he says it.

Which brings me to my own schtick when I teach yoga. After savasana I always end practice the same way - "Thank your body for moving the way it has; thank yourself for coming to practice today; and bring this sense of peace and wellness into your communities - your work, your home, whereever you may travel; Namaste." It is something I always say and always wonder if people tire of it. But I do believe we should be thankful for the way our body moves - that we are able to move at all because that may not always be the case. I do believe we should honor ourselves for attending yoga practice or working out. And I know that if we choose to bring our own peace into our daily lives we can make this world a better place.

Merle's schtick works because it comes from an authentic place. I know mine does too and, I can only hope it rings true for others the way Merle's does with me.

Second is Better than Last

Although last is a place too.

Once again the dynamic duo Scott and Matt teamed up to compete in a random race they had neither trained, prepared for or performed. This time: A 10K Canoe race at the 2nd Annual Big Bear Paddlefest.

Including their entry there only two others in the category and the competition was tough. A world class paddler in a Outrigger Canoe and a team of three using kayak paddles. Scott and Matt held to the tradition, borrowed a fiber-glass boat, a set of paddles and 10 minutes before the race made a few laps around the bay. That ten minutes was enough for them to decide Scott goes up front and Matt stays in the stern.

An exciting race - I watched from behind (I competed in the solo 10 kayak race) - they battled it out; half way the kayaking canoers were hot on their tail. An open Lake crossing gave our boys the strategy they needed to stay in the lead: Paddle in a straight line.

From there, they set their sights on the Outrigger. When she dodged right, they paddled left. But ended up with a nose full of weeds, bogging them down and ensuring their second place finish. But hey, it's second and they got to stand on stage and took home a cool plaque. It was good to see them in the spotlight again even if there were no TV cameramen on hand asking them why they were in Big Bear for the race. Perhaps next time.

Paddlers Wanted

Big Bear Paddlefest is this weekend - July 11 and 12 - at Captain John's Marina on the north shore of Big Bear Lake. Expo and clinics take place on Saturday and all races are Sunday. Beginning with a 10k Canoe and Kayak, 5k canoe and kayak, Kids Fun Paddle and a sprint Stand Up Paddle Board race. Prizes galore, vendors galore!

For more information, visit the official site online. Big Bear Paddlefest is part of Open Air Big Bear.