Holy Hills!

 

Holy Hills!

Richard T. Anderson Park

Eden Prairie, MN

9/29/12

2 hours, 5 miles

98 days to Africa

 

It was a beautiful Saturday morning for a hike.  The temperature was in the 70s and the sun was shining down.  The day's training hike took us to Richard T. Anderson Park in Eden Prairie, MN.  The park is southwest of Minneapolis and about a 40 minute drive from our home.  It is located in the Minnesota river valley and provided something that many of our previous training hikes have been missing....hills!. 

 

The park's trail system primarily consisted of three loops.  Each loop took approximately 15-20 minutes to hike.  This fact made for a great deal of repetition in the hike, but also allowed us ample opportunity to test our quads, hamstrings, hearts and endurance.  We aren't foolish enough to believe that the hills remotely resemble the landscape of Mt. Kilimanjaro, but they did offer a chance for us to work on our vertical strength and endurance. 

 



 

The hike also provided a chance for Greg and Deb to test out some new equipment.  While Deb was away last weekend (see A Tale of Two Cities), Greg went to REI and picked up a couple of pre-selected day packs that will be making their way with us to Africa.  As part of the training hike, Deb and Greg each carried a 10 pound weight wrapped in a towel in the main compartment of their packs.  Realistically, the weight may actually be closer to 15-20 pounds while we are in Africa, but we felt that it would be best to start out with 10 pounds and see how it felt.  The result?  Not too bad.  After the initial adjustment of having the packs on and feeling the added weight, the rest of the hike seemed to proceed much like any of other other training hikes in terms of physical comfort on the back and shoulders.  By the end of the hike, one of Deb's shoulders was a little sore.  Unfortunately, she did not learn until the hike was completed that she had been hiking with the weight in her pack unevenly distributed.  Aside from Deb realizing she needed to better adjust her pack next time, the new bags seemed to be a success.

 

 

 

The new day packs also presented an opportunity for a lively discussion about weight redistribution in relationship to the water we carry with us when we hike.  As we hiked, we discussed the weight we had in our packs.  Deb asserted that really she had 12-13 pounds in her pack as, in addition to the weighted towel, she also had a full 100 ounce camelback water bladder in her bag.  Deb also stated that she felt her bag was getting lighter as she hiked because she had drank much of her water.  Greg agreed that the pack was lighter with the consumption of the water, but wondered if it could really be said that the weight of the water was less as it was now inside our bodies instead of our bags.  The ultimate conclusion was there was likely some decrease in water weight, but that it did not disappear entirely.  We thought it depended on how much water was lost through perspiration.  

 

 

 

When we weren't busy debating the important issues of water and weight distribution, we had a great chance to talk about about our efforts to raise funds and collect supplies for the community we are visiting.  Our efforts are really beginning to ramp up as is the level of participation of several other members of our group.  Greg had a chance to get a better sense for what he hopes to accomplish through the Tin Man event.  Deb and Greg also talked about Deb's vision for the Kilimanjaro challenge, and our commitment to global service for the empowerment of others.  We are learning as we go that there are multiple ways in which others can share the vision of the challenge, and that by working collectively our efforts can be multiplied.

 

 

 

Richard T. Anderson Park was a great experience.  The challenge was a fitting one and, although we did not hike as long or as far as we had on some previous hikes, it offered a fresh challenge in the form of multiple elevation changes.  The fall colors were in full swing, and we could not have been happier to have been on the trail training together.    

 

 

 



TAFCOM

TAFCOM

Tanzanian Organization Facilitating Community Development Projects

99 days to Africa

 

We are excited about the response we have been receiving thus far to the blog.  People have been responding positively to our efforts to share our experience while also looking for ways to engage you in the experience.  Many people have begun asking us about the charitable organization that our group is teaming with to benefit women and children within our host country of Tanzania, East Africa. 

 

TAFCOM is a local, well-established Kilimanjaro area registered non-government organization.  TAFCOM is committed to the elimination of poverty by providing for the well being of vulnerable children, HIV/AIDS social outreach, women's health and economic viability and environmental conservation. 

 

We have partnered with TAFCOM to raise money that will go towards two major initiatives within the village of Pasua, the most destitute village in the Kilimanjaro region.  Here everyday life consists of extreme hardship with lack of employment, food, education, medical care and opportunities.  It is within this community that TAFCOM resides and provides its essential educational and social outreach services. 

 

The funds that our group is raising (there are ten of us total) will be used to complete two early childhood education classrooms and provide microloans to establish small businesses for 30 women with children.  The current education center is highly inadequate, yet it is home to 45 AIDS orphans and other destitute children who would otherwise have no opportunity for education. 








Thumbs up to those who donate!

The women receiving the microloans are the most destitute of TAFCOM's social outreach programs.  For these women, most often their husbands have died of AIDS and as a result they have been ostracized by their families and have no means of support.  These women and their children live in damp and dusty makeshift shacks with dirt floors, no windows, extremely poor ventilation, and roofs and walls that leak profusely.

As a means to provide seed money for ongoing income as opposed to a handout, microloan programs are highly successful.  The microloan program provides between $100 to $300 to each woman to establish a vegetable stand, soap or charcoal businesses or even a makeshift restaurant.  Education seminars and personal one-on-one follow-up is also provided to each woman concerning how to manage her business and ensure its success and longevity.  Payments of principle and a modest amount of interest are made weekly and the funds are paid back within a year.  A 95% repayment history allows these funds to be lent out again for the benefit of yet more women within the community. 
 



Example of a vegetable stand funded through a microloan

As part of Kilimanjaro Challenge, we are committed to empowering others through global service and having a significant impact on a community so that its members can thrive and prosper.  For this reason, we have voluntarily taken on the quest of fundraising $15,000.  We have also undertaken the task to collect teaching and learning supplies that will be used to educate the children in the village of Pasua once the education center is complete.  Needless to say, your financial contribution will play an important role in breaking the poverty cycle for hundreds of Pasua's women and children most in need.  The coordinator of our trip has made multiple trips to Tanzania, and she has previously teamed with TAFCOM on projects to support many villages within the Kilimanjaro region.  She has seen firsthand the impact that similar initiatives have had on the villages that surround Mount Kilimanjaro.  

 

To learn more about TAFCOM and their mission and accomplishments, please visit http://tafcomtz.com/.

 

To make a contribution there are several options.

 

1.  The easiest option is to log onto www.newhorizonsfoundation.net, click on "Donate." Fill out your personal information, including credit card information (Visa, Discover or MasterCard).  Under "Select Operating Project," choose TAFCOM-MN. In comments, write in for the benefit of "Greg and/or Deb." A tax deductible donation receipt will be provided.

2.  A check can be written, made payable to New Horizons Foundation, Inc. (an organization that acts as a middle party and can generate tax deductible receipts).  Checks can be sent to Greg or Deb, and we will send them to New Horizons Foundation where they will be entered into the account of TAFCOM-MN (our group).  You will receive a tax deductible receipt.  To coordinate sending a check to Greg or Deb, please e-mail them at kilimanjarochallenge2013@gmail.com.

 

3.  Make a cash donation to Deb or Greg.  We will go onto the website for you or write a check to New Horizons Foundation Inc. If possible, we will get a tax deductible receipt for you if you wish.  For this option, you can e-mail Greg and Deb at kilimanjarochallenge2013@gmail.com to make arrangements with them.

 

Please note: Indicating that the donation is "for the benefit of Greg and/or Deb" is done for purposes of identifying which member of our ten person group secured the donation to TAFCOM-MN.  This matters only for purposes of tracking whether or not we have reached our individual fundraising commitment.  Deb and Greg do not get any of the money you are donating.  Similarly, the cost of our trip is being fully paid for by the members within our group.  Any funds that are donated are not being used to pay for any portion of our travels to Africa.  A small portion of your donation (approximately 3%) does go to New Horizons Foundations as a service fee for serving as the non-profit agency routing the funds to TAFCOM (a necessity since our group does not exist on its own as a non-profit organization).  

 

We appreciate your support and interest.  We hope that you will be able to find a way to provide financial support to this worthy cause.  If you have any ideas to help us achieve our fundraising goal or you would like to participate in a fundraising initiative or organize a learning and teaching supply collection drive, please feel free to send an e-mail to kilimanjarochallenge2013@gmail.com.

Asanteni sana (Thank you very much),
 

Deb and Greg

GreenBody

GreenBody

Bootcamp and Personal Training for the Newly Initiated

9/25/12

 

101 days to Africa

For many weeks now, Deb and Greg have been attending a weekly bootcamp class on Tuesday nights at a local gym called GreenBody.  See www.greenbody.net. In addition, they have been training once a week with a personal trainer, who is also the owner of the gym.  Both bootcamp and the training sessions provide a much needed strength building element of training for the big climb. 

Bootcamp usually has four to six participants and consists of whatever the trainer determines to be the most appropriate exercises for the day.  Typically, we do circuits of three exercises and complete it three times with a brief rest period between circuits.  For example: 10 push-ups, 15 crunchies (think sit-ups with less strain on your back) and 10 lunges.  Repeat that circuit three times, take a brief rest, drink some water, and start the next circuit.  In every bootcamp session, there is typically a series of warm-up exercises, and then four or five circuits each consisting of three exercises, and then cool down stretching. 

Also included in the cost of bootcamp is a great chance to see your spouse, partner, friend, or classmate taking on challenging exercises and pushing himself or herself to achieve success.  To be certain, we are all at different levels of fitness and each have our own strengths.  However, bootcamp exercises are typically able to be accomplished at varying degrees of difficulty, and a person can move to the next degree of difficulty when he or she is ready to do so. 

The personal training sessions typically involve the use of kettlebells, while also incorporating other strength training exercises.  Kettlebells aren't bells at all except that they might ring against each other as you collapse to the floor under their strain.  Fortunately that has not happened to either of us thus far.  In fact, kettlebells are like cannon balls with a flattened bottom and a tea pot handle on top.  They vary in weight from 8 kilograms to well beyond what either Deb or Greg have dared to attempt.  To put them to their proper use, we select a weight that we are comfortable with and, while holding or swinging the bells, the trainer leads us through a series of exercises. 

In addition to whirling (in a controlled and safe fashion) handled cannon balls around, we also complete other exercises as part of the personal training.  Most of the exercises use our own body weight to create resistance and work the muscles.  Sometimes we use light weights as well.  We each have our personal favorites for exercises.  One minute we may be hanging from a bar and having to bring our feet (in theory) all the way up to touch your hands on the bar, and then the next we may be on the ground doing push-ups with one arm on a weighted ball and rolling it over to the other arm and repeating.  We could be outside throwing a weighted ball against the building wall or sitting in a "chair" with our backs against the wall and legs at a ninety degree angle and nothing but leg muscle holding us up. 

Regardless of whether its bootcamp or a training session, they are never easy but they are tremendously rewarding.  We are constantly challenged to push ourselves to new levels.  At times, the workouts provide Deb and Greg with a glimpse of the mental and physical challenges they will face when climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.  At other times, they give Greg a great glimpse at his feet as he is sucking for air and wondering what he did to deserve such treatment. 

This Tuesday Greg had to work at one of his many jobs (he has three now), which left Deb to attend bootcamp solo.  She was bummed that her usual workout partner was not able to join her, so she attempted to recruit some other people to attend in Greg's place.  Unfortunately, Deb's recruiting efforts were unsuccessful, but she was not going to let it deter her from going since it is the last week bootcamp is being offered at GreenBody. 

When she showed up, much to Deb's surprise she was the only one there.  This allowed Deb to receive personal one-on-one attention or what could also be called a personal "butt kicking" session. The bootcamp workout often times involve stations and the participants rotate from one station to the next with a short break in between.  For this workout, Deb got to do many of the stations one after the other since there was no one else there.  This left her legs feeling like jello, and she struggled to hold the plank position for the required time without having her stomach muscles fail.  Although Deb was exhausted at the end of the session, she also felt a true sense of accomplishment for all that she had done.   

We are far from our goals, but are happily moving along the path towards where we want to be to conquer the climb.  Are there target weights, stamina goals, underlying objectives and motivations?  Sure there are, but the best part about the experience to date has been tapping into the potential that lies within.

The Tale of Two Cities

The Tale of Two Cities

Indianapolis, IN and St. Paul, MN

9-20-12 to 9-23-12

107 to 104 days to Africa



The "challenge within the challenge" made its way to the front of our minds this weekend.  With Deb away at a conference in Indianapolis for a board that she is on and Greg back home in St. Paul, we faced the challenge of continuing our training absent each other's presence for support.  Although significant distance stood between us, we both shared the same goal - to continue to train for our climb up Kilimanjaro.

Deb faced the challenge of finding ways to workout while traveling.  She knew she could always go to the hotel's exercise room that was open 24 hours a day, but there was nothing very exciting about that.  Plus, it seemed so forced - a feeling that does not make exercise an enjoyable activity. 

Fortunately, Deb made a great connection with two women who attended the conference with her.  The ladies are avid runners.  Both are in their mid to late fifties. One of them has completed 15 marathons and the other nine.  When they heard about the Kilimanjaro Challenge early in the day, they eagerly invited Deb to join them for a run after the day's events were over.  The offer was a generous one, but those who know Deb may already know that she doesn't particularly enjoy running for the sake of running.  Hence, an internal dialogue began within - do I go? Do I not go?  Will I be able to keep up?  Wouldn't it be easier to workout on my own?  Many other excuses and justifications that often times act as senseless barriers to exercise, especially when one is traveling, ran through her head.  Ultimately, Deb decided to join them because when it came down to it there was no reason not too. 

Deb and and her running partners set off on their run through the streets of downtown Indianapolis.  They ran a route that the hotel kindly provides on a map contained on a laminated card for its running guests.  It was a very scenic route, and Deb enjoyed the opportunity to get to know her fellow conference attendees better.  They spent some of the time talking about different places that Deb and Greg could go to hike, cross country ski and snow shoe as part of their training for the climb.  Later that night, Deb also did some good old fashioned push-ups to make the workout complete.

Meanwhile, back in St. Paul, Greg's challenge was not "what to do" in regards to working out, but rather, "when to do it?"  Greg had plans on Friday night to go out to dinner for a friend's birthday, and the opportunity to follow that activity up with meeting another friend for a late night movie.  The plan for Saturday and Sunday was to shut down the garden plots for the season, complete yard cleanup work, organize the garage, and clean the house.  The "challenge within the challenge" for Greg became when can the workout take place in a way that minimized the interruption in the many other activities he had set out to accomplish throughout the weekend.

Greg decided to make a go of it on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.  He decided to put in a serious training session for the Tin Man event that he is coordinating to take place in October 2012 www.tinman2012.blogspot.com  Once the decision was made, Greg took off like a lightning bolt for a bike ride that took him around Como Lake twice and followed that up with a run along the very same path.  The grand total of distance that Greg traveled was 6.82 miles in 40 minutes and 56 seconds.  Needless to say the "bolt of lightning" was reduced to static electricity by the end of the workout, but the sense of accomplishment that followed made the effort feel worth it. 

Lake Wissota State Park

 



 

Lake Wissota State Park

Chippewa Falls, WI

9/15/12

Approximately 6.5 miles, 2 hours 20 minutes

 

113 days to Africa

Each summer for the past seven years Deb and Greg have had the great fortune to go on an annual camping trip with a phenomenal group of friends.  This year we were fortunate enough to add two more to our group, pushing the number of participants up to eight.  Lake Wissota State Park near Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin has been home to the outing for the past five years.  At one and a half hours away, the park's comfortable confines are relatively close in proximity to St. Paul.

This year we took the opportunity to go for a training hike along some of the parks marked trails.  Unfortunately the trails were not very challenging or particularly scenic.  There is a 1.3 mile trail that runs the length of a bluff that overlooks the lake and if a person were to hike that, they would see the best views the park has to offer.  The trail runs directly past the campground (in fact just feet from one of our group member's tent) and was the start of our journey.

From the campground, we proceeded .3 miles down towards the beach.  From there, we veered off onto another trail for another .3 mile jaunt in an effort to reach the elusive Staghorn Trail.   We are pretty certain that the trail was not meant to be elusive, but nonetheless the lead navigator (Greg) managed to get us turned around a bit.  We chalked it up to experience and let our natural instincts point us in the right direction as strict adherence to the map was proving to be more trouble than it was worth.

After locating the Staghorn Trail, we followed it for two miles.  The trail wound around the woods a bit before opening to a prairie area and access to the Eagle Bluff Trail which we followed for approximately .5 miles until we reached the Red Pine Trail.  The Red Pine trail consisted of 2.3 miles of flat hiking along the edge of a red pine forest and led us to a Plantation Loop Trail that made a rectangle around more red pines before connecting us back to the the Red Pine Trail.  The Red Pine Trail brought us back to the Lake Trail, which is the trail that runs along the bluff that overlooks the lake.

As we hiked along the bluff, we ran into the other six members of our party and agreed that the best course of action was to make a trip to Leinenkugels brewery in Chippewa Falls to unwind from our hike and participate in a free beer sampling.

As the description of this hike might seem to suggest we were a bit underwhelmed with the scenery and challenge of our course.  Fortunately, however, it did give us plenty of opportunity to reflect on the experience and its relationship with our overall goal of getting in extraordinary physical shape for our Kilimanjaro hike and developing ideas and objectives to help us meet our goal of providing global service for the empowerment of others.

One reflection we made was in relation to the challenge within the Kilimanjaro challenge.  Thus far, we have been utilizing our training hikes as an opportunity to explore areas of our region that we might not visit on a regular basis.  Perhaps more importantly, we have also been working to physically prepare our bodies for the ultimate challenge of hiking to the top of a 19,340 foot tall mountain.  Mountain access in the Midwest is not exactly to be found around every corner, and there will be no substitute for the experience of hiking at altitudes that we have never experienced. 

We began to wonder to ourselves at first and then aloud to each other exactly how we will be able to sustain our training momentum as the weather deteriorates and our access to daylight shrinks with the fall quickly coming upon us.  It's true that gyms, home exercise equipment, and other traditional workout spaces will be available, but we are hoping to find other ways to stay active and keep the training fresh.  Greg suggested hiking the stairwells in some of the metro area's taller buildings.  Deb talked of cross country skiing and staying active with soccer.  We also brainstormed ways that we can continue to incorporate a regular strength training element into our training as it is a critical component to our success.  We both agreed that it was a dialogue worth continuing as we do not want the typical slow down of fall and the winter season to keep us from accomplishing our goal.

We also talked about the Kilimanjaro Challenge blog itself, discussed ways that we can best utilize it to let others read about our experience, and hopefully inspire them to join with us in both spirit and financial or material contribution towards our goal of global service for the empowerment of others.  With that on our minds, we concluded our hike, rejoined our good friends and got back down to the serious business of camping.  It was a great trip, as usual, and we are already looking forward to next year's gathering. 

Afton State Park

 

 

Afton State Park

Afton, MN

9-8-12

8.9 miles, 3 hours

 

120 days to Africa

 

 

It was a beautiful Saturday for a training hike upon the familiar trails of Afton State Park.  The park lies along the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River which establishes a significant portion of the boundary between Wisconsin and Minnesota.  At a point southeast of St. Paul, the St. Croix merges with the waters of the Mississippi and flows ever southward until it reaches our southern states and flows into the ocean.  The water appeared relatively clean and had a tint of red or brown to it which might suggest the presence of iron in the water or perhaps coloring from some other source.

 

  

 

The parking lot was moderately busy and on our hike to the trailhead we passed a group of about thirty people with picnic baskets.  We had squirreled away some sandwiches in our pack along with a few other treats but we were ready to get down to the business of hiking the trail.

 

 

The first 1.1 miles of trail follows the river.  It is a relatively flat but pleasant trip and breaks in the trees and shrubbery offer favorable views of the river as it's waters flow on by.  A .6 mile trek up the bluff offered one of a few slight changes in elevation and also a clue as to what animals we might find along our journey. 

 

 

The trail up the bluff brought us to a clearing that was home to several bird houses amidst tall grasses. 

 

 

The next 2.3 miles of trail took us through prairie restoration land and brought us into close contact with the very beasts who could have left us our clue earlier on the bluff trail. 

 

 

 

While the ladies were likely not the culprits, I am fairly certain that there trusty steeds might have had something to do with the clue's presence as well as several other similar deposits throughout the park.  There was signage throughout the park indicated where the horses were and were not welcome, but we saw plenty of evidence that seemed to suggest that there is no strict adherence to that signage.  There was also some additional signage that seemed a bit out of place given the current season.  That being said, it was quite reassuring to have sufficient warning as to where we should be careful so as not to run into the many skiers who might grace these same trails once the snow flies.

 

 

 

A 1.5 mile loop trail took us over a trout brook stream twice and then gave us the opportunity for our second elevation change of the hike.  Brief as it was, the hike up the hill gave our quad muscles cause for action and engaged our lungs to a degree that some of the other less challenging sections of trail had not.

 

 

 

Once we had made it back up to the prairie land we had a gentle 2.9 miles of trail to bring us back to the information center for the park and back to our waiting vehicle.  As a nice treat after the hike we hopped into the car and drove a few miles down the road from the park in to apple country and pick up some Minnesota grown pears and combination peck of tasty apples.

 

All told it was a great way to spend three hours on our feet soaking in a great late summer day, and reminding our bodies that the muscles we have been working to build and strengthen would be wise to prepare themselves for the months and the hikes yet to come.

 

See you soon Kilimanjaro.

 

 



Cruiser Lake Trail

 

Cruiser Lake Trail Hike

Rainy Lake, MN

8/22/12

7.6 miles, 3 hours

137 days to Africa

 

The Cruiser Lake Trail was a beautiful 3.6 mile trek into the protected Boundary Waters of Minnesota.  It provided a great opportunity for us to begin our preparations for the journey to the top of Kilimanjaro.  While the terrain lacks similarity with our final destination, it did provide a nice variety of inclines and declines.  The solitude of the hike was great and it really gave us a chance to spend time soaking in the scenary while also connecting with one another and getting our minds around the goals and outcomes we hope to achieve while in Africa. 

Our access to the trail head can be found in Anderson Bay on Rainy Lake in northern Minnesota.  Deb and Greg took a houseboat trip with Deb's parents for a week long self guided cruise along a 36 mile stretch of the lake.  As you can see, Deb's dog, Cassius, proved quite sea worthy and came along for the ride to see us off on our hike.

 

After two nights on the lake we made our way into Anderson Bay for a planned hiking excursion.  Deb's parent's took the fishing boat out in search of some fish for dinner and Cassius stayed back to guard the houseboat that played host to the five of us.  Deb and Greg took the trail head from the pier and proceeded up the rock faced hill into the woods.  Our journey would take us past Peavy Lake, down past Brown Lake, and ultimately bring us to the crystal clear waters of Cruiser Lake.

 

The pace was steady and our gait was strong.  We were armed with a supply of water, a bagged lunch of apricots, two pb&js, and some butterscotch zucchini cookies to cap off the experience.  The first .7 miles to Peavy Lake was a breeze.  Shady spots provided a cool temperature for hiking and breaks in the cover provided the warmth of the sun and a chance to sneak a peak at the vistas that surrounded us.  We looked down from the hillside to Peavy lake before venturing deeper into the woods towards Brown Lake.

 



 

 

The journey to the turn-off towards Brown Lake was typical of several other hikes we have been on through forest country.  There were pines, non-pines, hills, rocks, dirt, old leaves on the ground, and patches that could have been muddy if we had been so fortunate to have had great weather the whole trip.  The smell was fantastic, warmed pine needles with a cool breeze is a scent that has tempted Greg's imagination since hikes at Governor Dodge State Park as a youth camping with family in Wisconsin.  Without too much difficulty and an additional 1.4 miles traveled we arrived at the entrance to the path that led down to Brown Lake.  Being that it was not our primary goal, we chose to bypass an opportunity to travel down to the lake to see it first hand and prepared for our final push to Cruiser Lake.

 

The final 1.4 stretch into Cruiser Lake featured additional inclines and declines.  Perhaps one of the more unique portions of the trail was what seemed to descending grassy path through a canopy of trees.  The branches were not closed in enough to touch our heads but the cover was thick enough to give us the impression that we were hiking in a natural hallway towards what would prove to be a very spectacular wilderness living room in the form of Cruiser Lake's lone camp site.  We did not spend the night at the location but did take the opportunity to enjoy our pack lunch on the island camp site where its easy to imagine a person could lose oneself in thought and wonder gazing up at the night sky on a clear night. 

 

 

 

 

The water was crystal clear to a depth of at least 10-12 feet at the shoreline.  There was a canoe awaiting the next visitor to the campsite and it would seem that a person could spend hours paddling around in quiet solitude.  As it was we spent 3.6 miles hiking in and another 3.6 miles hiking back out and the only company we had along way was a very startled black bear.  By way of friendly introduction Greg exclaimed "oh sh*t a bear."  Fortunately for all involved, but mostly for us, that was not an introduction that made the bear feel very comfortable and the bear ran deeper into the woods. 

 

 

We emerged from the woods a short time later to find Captain Cassius awaiting our return and to look out across the bay to see Deb's parents fishing the structure on calm and quiet waters.  To finish the experience we took trip around the bay in the boat with Cassius and Deb's parents and the a nice dip in the surprisingly comfortable lake water before moving on in search of the next night's boat mooring location.

 

 

 



Welcome to Kilimanjaro Challenge

Hello and Welcome!

We are excited and honored that you have taken the time to come check out our blog.  Kilimanjaro Challenge is the name we've selected for an exciting event that we've been fortunate enough to take on.  In January 2013, Deb, Greg, Therese, and Justin will be joining a group of six others to travel to Africa, visit Tanzenia, and climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.  We are beyond excited for the opportunity and hope to share with you some of our training activities and other experiences as we prepare for the journey, make the trip itself, and return to tell the story.

Perhaps as exciting as the opportunity to travel abroad and challenge our physical abilities and limits, is our commitment to simultaneously have a positive effect on the local community that we will be visiting at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro.  The trip is part vacation, part adventure and part service project and charitable cause.  We have committed ourselves to empower others by raising funds to support economic development in this community.  We will also be collecting teaching and learning supplies to donate to the community to enhance educational opportunities for its children.

We will be posting additional information regarding the charitable orgranization that our trip is affiliated with in future posts, but for now we would simply like to encourage you to consider the ways in which you are able to help us achieve our goal of bringing much needed resources to this community. 

Please join us in embracing, meeting, and completing the Kilimanjaro Challenge.