15 June
Silly animals who are stoked for the summer.
15 June
As most of you know, we got hitched on May 13th! Now that we are back from the honeymoon and back to work and reality, I’m going through some of our pictures and remembering the magic of the weekend! We were surrounded by many of our favorite folks (and missed those of you who weren’t there!), shaking our tail feathers to great tunes provided by @soundsandentertainment, eating amazing food and special cocktails (Sully’s Sonora Sunrise!) provided by @thehiddentable, at the most beautiful venue (@unionhillinn). And the photos by @joleenwillis turned out so beautiful! We are also forever grateful to @anoccasion to bringing everything together so perfectly. And thanks to @beautybykelseylane for making us look good! I’m also reflecting on how insanely grateful I am to our amazing group of weirdos that surrounded us with love all weekend, played beautiful music for our ceremony, provided some hilarious and heartfelt content for speeches, and bent over backwards to help us out. It’s our community that really created the magic of the weekend! We love you guys so much! I’m gonna ride this high for as long as possible and keep my heart bursting with love til it stops ticking!
15 June
15 June
As our epic Ecuador honeymoon adventure comes to a close, @toddlesnbits and I are reflecting on how much we appreciate the people who made it possible - Fabian y Fabian SENIOR! This father-son dynamic duo have a combined 60+ years of experience in the mountains. Fabian took after his dad and started guiding over 12 years ago. His passion for the mountains shines through everything he does. Fabian doesn’t just have a ton of experience, he also has really good judgment, a lighthearted sense of humor, and overall he’s a super genuine and authentic human being. And he didn’t just guide us up the mountains either, he arranged for all our permits, planned our stays at the Refugio’s, and made sure we were always safe, happy and laughing. Fabian Sr., now the driver (a retired mountain guide), is a savage when it comes to driving in all types of terrain. He makes the most of bad weather, and is able to maneuver his land cruiser through the muddiest and steepest terrain, we have some funny memories from the slippery drive to Antisana! He is also so deeply kind, caring and funny, just like his son. Thank you Fabian y Fabian for everything - guiding us up mountains, introducing us to bizcochos and Carlitos, teaching us how to say “guanabana” (instead of guayabanana!), making us laugh, keeping us safe, educating us about local cultures, teaching us about the mountains, and being our friends! We love you guys! Please come visit us in California! If any of you folks out there want to go to Ecuador to climb mountains, hit up @fabianbustillosmancheno to be your guide. It will be the best decision you ever make.
15 June
Days 15/16 Ecuador. Chimborazo attempt. We made it to high camp (17,300 feet) with a spring in our step and in half the time allotted. I felt so strong, acclimated and psyched! We woke up at 11pm to start climbing at midnight. And it was foggy and raining… Not a good omen. We drank coffee and ate bread and jam and waited until 1am. It was still foggy, but as we climbed, it began to clear and we saw stars (and hoped this was a good omen!) Around 18,200 feet, however, the winds were extreme (the winds had been high for many days) and wind slabs created avalanche danger. We made the decision to turn back around 18,400 feet at around 3am. Once again no parties attempting the summit that day made it. While I am sad we didn’t summit, the experience was so fun, educational, scary (in the best way, because I was learning from new experiences), and awesome! I’m so deeply grateful that we were able to get on this epic, enormous mountain and learn from our amazing guide @fabianbustillosmancheno. My eyes are still wide from the adventure, my legs are tired, and my heart is happy. One more day in Ecuador before we return home to all our beautiful friends, family and “biological” pets! Click for video: Subtitles Subtitles for video