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Guest Contributor: Christie Ivanstrom I was born with Albinism, a rare genetic condition which impacts vision, skin and hair color. I’m legally blind, lack depth perception, have snow white hair, require gallons of sunblock when I step outside, am unable to drive, and have an extreme sensitivity to light. For much of my childhood I was super shy and timid, worried about being different and fitting in and unsure how I was going to navigate the world. I have found my calling.  Fishers Tower - Moab, UT Guest Contributor: Jess Powell Anyone who's driven I-70 westbound from Denver, CO knows you can’t miss the north-south trending ridgeline that starts in the town of Frisco and weaves it's way towards Breckenridge. This is the Tenmile Range. This classic Colorado front-range line is visually stunning as the entire ridge dwells above 12,300ft with Peak 10 reaching skyward to over 13,600ft. As it turns out, this beautiful ridgeline is extremely challenging to run.  Good question. I’ve wondered the same thing myself and heard wildly different descriptions of the “444-mile recreational road and scenic drive through three states” according to the National Park System website. After biking the 476-mile Blue Ridge Parkway in 2017, this route brought some natural intrigue. A few years of “one of these days” chatter, I finally got the chance to bike the parkway from end-to-end over 4 days last month. It was everything and nothing that I expected all wrapped up into one. I wouldn’t do it again. Let me explain.  Here was my justification ... weekend getaway, marginal paddling experience, tagging along with some good buds, always up for a micro-adventure. That's how I joined Brandon Jones and Greg Nance of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation (CRF) on a 3-day self-supported expedition to kayak the entirety of the 75-mile Wateree River.  |
