29.11.08

Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they do when they stick together. -Verna M. Kelly

I have been spending a lot of time in the Poudre Canyon these past few weekends. The temps have been oh so chilly and the water even chillier. The river crossings have been so cold and epic that I wonder with water so cold, how can it possibly be flowing freely down the canyon?! Will it just freeze already?
This is my ode to crossing the river section, and it goes out to all who have simply gotten a little chilly to the full blown hypothermia from falling in the river on all fours (Flan).


First we have Tisza crossing in her barefeet. Oh man. She did not fall in but I am sure it royally sucked. She is one tough cookie!

Next we have Flanimal who truly is an animal. We spent the day climbing on As Hard As They Come at the Gandolf area. Everyone who came up bailed due to the wisping snowflakes and threatening clouds. It ended up being just Amy, Flan, and I. Blake and Seth made it across to try a project, but Old Man Ken totally bailed and went to Red Feather. At least the girls made it out to climb!

On our way back after climbing hard all day, I crossed first with Herman's irrigation boots on. I made my best attempt at throwing them back across the river. My best attempt landed the first boot on a layer of very thin ice just out of stick grabbing length. The second boot landed in the water, but Flan was able to grab it, dump the water out and put it back on. With one boot on and a long stick in hand, she inched out onto the ice and immediately fell though the ice into knee deep water. It had to be miserable and her leg had to go throught the ice all naked and alone without any rubber boot protection. Eventually she grabbed the second boot and carried my wet napkin of a dog across the river. She went back and gave the boots to Amy who had a very successful river crossing. Again I made my very best attempt at throwing the boots across the river. This time they landed closer. It was getting dark and poor Flannery had been standing barefoot with her pants rolled up to her thighs for at least 15 minutes now. I could see her little legs turning pink from across the river. As she went to fetch my poorly thrown boots she slipped and fell in landing on all fours. We yelled what words of encouragment we could, and she got up dumped the water out of the boots, donned her crash pad and headed across miserable, freezing and soaking wet. I forced my down booties onto her feet and hugged her little shaking body. We got her in the car where Amy had the heat blasting and after all of this epic river crossing she says, "that was kind of fun." Oh Flanimal.

Here is Al sending As Hard As They Come on her second try. Nice job Al! Ahh look at the missing skin!
Kona won the wet napkin award for the day

Then she thought it fun to climb a tree
I spent Friday at the 420's with Brian. The day started off great then turned to shit with wet soppy snow.
Trying Incognito Speedo
Camper trying Circadian
This is Mr. Heater Jr. I love Mr. Heater Jr. because he made our hands all toasty warm in the thirty degree weather.Herman on Canopener

11 comments:

Narc said...

Nice pics!

sock hands said...

i really like the incognito shot. kona really climbed the tree? holy shit!

finally, sorry to hear the flan story... didn't understand amy's myspace comment on the same till now...

plz note: ryan, chorvat, and i were all at the gandolf area by 10am that day... it was snowing HARD and everything was soaked on top... there was definite accumulation and the talus walking was treacherous. camper, danielson, and angie showed up to experience the same. we were all bummed. if we had any indication that it would dry out we would totally have stayed and i would have had a whole bunch of extra clothes for the flannimal!

boooooo all around.

super dope shots, though!

till next time...

Lynn said...

Oh my god, your dog is actually in that tree! WFT!! Pete hasn't even done anything that sketchy!

Kelly McBride said...

oh jj you are just a bailer and everyone knows it. just kidding you are the most psyched person out there. camper said it was heinous. I guess it just pays to sleep in show up late!

Unknown said...

Hallelujah to the "Kelly" start! What a fun day and yet another very important use of my seat heaters! Poor Flanananana!

Mannphoto said...

Diggin' the shots Kelly! Keep it up!

mooncalf said...

I have to agree it does sound like fun. So is this considered training for Hueco or Bishop?

Kelly McBride said...

I am going to say Bishop because Alex and I are packing up the car on January 1st and hitting the road!!!!

Crafty said...

I, too, love mr heater jr.

1800blogger said...

Could you please contact ken@1800blogger.com

sock hands said...

i remember this one time... long long ago... like, last week sometime, when kelly vowed to update her blog to fulfill a christmas wish for a little boy in parker...

oh, the nostalgia... and the silent rage that brews from unkept promises...

oh wellz, at least i can demand BISHOP OR HUECO PHOTOS!!!!

also, alex: get kelly published: send HARD! i have *expectations*

sick of the dorks that fill my magazines... BRING THE THUNDAR, MCB/ALEX VOLTRON LIKE MEDIA MAKING MACHINE!