Capsule closet and Project 333

About a year and a half ago, I was fed up with my closet, with staring into that stuffed-to-the-brim space and always feeling like I had nothing to wear. I was tired of wasting oh-so-much time digging through the piles, then finally throwing on whatever was easiest instead of what looked good on me anyway. I was also extremely frustrated with the mountains of laundry.

A little Googling led me to Courtney Carver's Project 333, and now, after going through two purging cycles since last year, I'm hooked.

Today, October 1, I joined in on the newest phase of Project 333 (October 1-December 31) along with her #33in33 days photography project. I'm a little excited, and a little scared.

At a very basic level, Project 333 is about reducing your wardrobe to what some would say is a minimalist level (33 items), and sticking with it for three months. The rules, as Courtney has outlined them, are as follows:

• When: Every three months (It’s never too late to start so join in anytime!)
• What: 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes.
• What not: these items are not counted as part of the 33 items – wedding ring or another sentimental piece of jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lounge wear,  and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)
• How: Choose your 33 items, box up the remainder of your fashion statement, seal it with tape and put it out of sight.
• What else: consider that you are creating a wardrobe that you can live, work and play in for three months. Remember that this is not a project in suffering. If your clothes don’t fit or are in poor condition, replace them.

The first time I tried to cull my wardrobe, I was appalled at how many clothes I had. I cut back to something in the 100 range, but that was just items of clothing. Not jewelry. Not scarves. Not shoes. Not purses and bags. Just tops, pants, skirts and dresses. I knew I had a bit of an addiction, but I really hadn't realized how bad it was.

The second time it got a little easier, but I still was coming in at 52 items in my closet, once again not including all the accessories.

This time, I'm a whole lot closer, but still playing the game by my own rules, which Courtney allows for as well. As she says, this is not about suffering — if you love shoes, and wear many different pairs regularly, don't include them in your main 33. Same for jewelry, and other accessories.

So I'm playing the Project 333(x2) game. I've whittled my wardrobe down to 33 core clothing items. And I've got another 33 pieces combined of jewelry, shoes, scarves, and winter-weather miscellany (heavy coats, boots, etc.), since we're likely to hit some cold spells here in Colorado.

It's taken a good solid week of free time to get to this place. And it was hard starting. But then I found the question that made all the difference in the world in helping me select what to keep and what to pack away:

If I can't wear this item for three months, will I be sad?

Things fell into place after that. Both my head and my heart knew exactly what I'd miss. And honestly, it wasn't much.

On a different note, doing this project is also helping me pinpoint my personal style. What is it that I do really love to wear? What do I wear just because it's hanging in the closet? What do I want to feel like each and every day when I put on my clothes? Delving into this topic is one of my #40before41 list items, so I'll be revisiting it as we go along over these next three months and into 2015.

Oh, and as for Courtney's newest component to Project 333, the #33in33 days challenge ... she's asking people to post photos on Instagram of 33 different outfits constructed from their 33-item capsule closet. I'm going to play along. My first post went up over there today if you're curious.

Reflections on hiking Pikes Peak

Before I climbed Pikes Peak, everyone I knew who had already accomplished this task told me I would never look at the mountain the same again.

And it's so true. I can see the Peak from the street outside my house and when I'm fully present to looking at it, all I can think right now is: "I climbed you!"

I know what it's like to wake up really early, see the sunrise from near your base, and steadily trudge along your trails.

I know what it's like to eat lunch at 9am (second breakfast, really) at your half-way mark of Barr Camp, watch birds land in my friend's palm to grab granola bites, and feed chipmunks peanuts from my trail mix. And I know what it's like to be so, so happy to see a box of help-yourself Nilla Wafers ... and a toilet.

I know what it's like, around your nine-mile-point, to ask my hiking companion to tell me a story because my legs (and my mind) are starting to give out.

I know what it's like to have her tell me in your last two miles that we were in the "no-sit zone." I could pause among your rocks as much as I wanted to breathe or drink water, but sitting was not allowed.

I know what it's like to want to throw up for those same two miles — thanks to altitude sickness, the longest miles of my hiking life so far.

And I know what it's like to reach the top, almost 14 miles from our starting point, to see tourists milling around who'd either driven up or taken the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and think, "Could everyone please be quiet? I just hiked this effing 14er."

Two weeks have passed since that day. Between then and now I travelled back home to attend my grandfather's funeral and, on return, tried to get back into the swing of daily life.

But something inside of me has changed. It's going to take more processing of the experience to be able to put words to it, but I can feel it.

I climbed a mountain. And it feels good.

Four days until Peak day

Like many of you I'm sure, I've been overwhelmed these past few weeks with the news, both internationally and stateside. I've been trying to figure out how to discuss all of it here and, when I couldn't come up with anything, just avoided writing altogether.

Great skill that avoidance is, right?

So while I'm finally done avoiding my blog, I'm still not going to address the emotions and social unrest of recent weeks in any involved way, at least not right now while I continue to process, but I do want to say I really appreciated Brené Brown's related post today on choosing courage. And I'd like to offer up her words for thought.

That said, amid everything else, I have been plugging along on my #CouchTo14er journey. And it's hard to believe but I've got just four days until I climb Pikes Peak.

Since I last wrote on this topic, I've hiked numerous shorties, a handful of six-milers, including a high-altitude trek to Mohawk Lakes in Breckenridge, and the Falcon Trail, a 14-miler on the Air Force Academy property.

And here are a few things I've learned along the way:

1) Eye drops for long hikes, or good wraparound sunglasses, should be added to the must-have list.

2) Trekking poles rock. Seriously. They've helped my knees immensely, and they've given me a little extra confidence. I only use one, but it's like having a super sturdy third leg.

3) Bird feathers keep popping up during my treks. And I discovered the coolest website, the Feather Atlas, hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which helps folks like me and you identify found feathers.

4) Fourteen miles by yourself is a long distance. Many of you read my thoughts on possibly hiking the Peak alone. I decided not to do that, and after hiking the Falcon Trail alone, I'm glad. My friend Amber, who has hiked it about a dozen times (and competed in the Pikes Peak Ascent), will join me.

And last, but in no way least, I'm still iffy on how I feel about hiking in general — at least long-distance hiking. I haven't found a love for it, but I have come to appreciate its yogic and meditative potential. When the Falcon Trail got tough, I had no choice but to keep going. I couldn't just ring up a friend and ask her to come get me. I had to hike the whole thing back to my car. So what did I do? I focused on being present with each individual step. I stopped worrying about how long it was going to take, and how fast or slow I was moving. I breathed. In. Step. Out. Step. In. Step. Out. Step.

And I started chanting. So hum. Four miles of so hum. I am, all that is.

By the time I finished (about five hours total), my body really, really hurt. I was physically and emotionally drained. But I was also calm. Clear that I could make it to the top of Pikes Peak. Also clear that I may never hike that distance again, post-Peak.

And perfectly OK with all of it.

Dear Hiking Bob

Last weekend for #couchto14er training, I hiked the Catamount Trail, a six-mile out-and-back (more appropriately an up-and-down, I suppose) in Green Mountain Falls (a small town west of Colorado Springs), with my dear friend Carrie. I think it was the longest I've ever hiked at one time so far, with an elevation gain of almost 1,900 feet, and it took us about three hours total.

While we trekked along, we came up with a list of random hiking-related questions, and I knew exactly who to go to for answers: Hiking Bob.

Avid outdoorsman Bob Falcone (@hikingbob on Twitter) is a bit of a local celebrity — he's also known as @bobfireman and has been quite helpful over the past "summers of flames" to the community. You can learn more about him at hikingbob.com, or follow his new outdoors blog on the Colorado Springs Independent website here.

Hiking Bob generously agreed to answer all of my questions. Some of the answers will be helpful as I plod along on my #couchto14er journey, and one in particular (as you'll see) will be helpful to accomplishing my #40before41 list. So without further ado...

Dear Hiking Bob:

1. Trekking poles. Yes? No? If yes, single pole or a pair? Advantages? Disadvantages?

I rarely go without one.  I usually use just one, mostly for stability. It helps with hopping down from rocks, or on slippery/icy terrain. It also gives me something to poke around with, especially if I think a rattlesnake is nearby.  :) If you're going backpacking and carrying a heavy pack, then use two, since they help to take the load off your torso and feet.

2. I spend most of my time looking at my feet, and I feel like I tend to miss the scenery around me. Is this common? If so, how do I see more beyond my feet, and if not, how do I personally get more comfortable with looking up?

Not uncommon and it happens with me, too. Watching your feet isn't bad, since it keeps you from tripping over something and doing a face-plant. I usually just stop every once in a while and look around. If I know the trail well, or can see that it's nice and clear and has no trip hazards, then I keep my head up and see more of the scenery. When I'm on a new trail I tend to stop and look around (or at least slow down and look around) since it's new and I don't want to miss anything.

3. How much water do you recommend carrying?

Most often, I carry a 100oz (approx. 3 liter) hydration pack. I usually don't need a lot of water when I'm on a trail, so I rarely ever go through all of it, even on a long hike. I also have a small 70oz pack for shorter hikes (like the Incline) or when cycling. The larger pack is big enough to carry a number of extras. Mine typically contains at least my personal locator beacon, first aid kit, poncho, water filter, snacks, and a map. For really short, easy hikes, OR hikes where I'll be consistently near water, I carry a CamelbakAll-Clear bottle. It has a UV light in the cap that allows me to take water right from a stream and the UV light purifies the water. On really long hikes, I'll carry the bottle and use it to purify the water and then refill my hydration pack. SO...back to your original question...for most hikers, I usually recommend carrying more water than you think you need until you've done a number of hikes and have gotten an idea of how much water you typically consume. From there you can gauge how much to carry.  A little too much is better than running out.

4. Why do hikers heading up have the right away?

Uphill hikers have the right-of-way because of momentum. If I've got a good head of steam (so to speak) and I'm moving up hill at a good pace, I don't want to stop and and ruin that momentum. Getting that momentum back can be hard and tiring. This is why cars driving uphill have the right of way, too. While the "uphill has the right of way" rule is a good one, many times the uphill hiker will stop to rest and let the downhill hiker have the trail. That's fine, but the uphill hiker makes that call.

5. Should I or shouldn’t I have eaten the wild raspberries Carrie found while hiking the Catamount Trail?

Eating the berries is fine if you NEED to eat something (but you should bring snacks with you).  Otherwise, the wildlife (bears, deer, etc.) depend on the wild fruit to sustain themselves.

6. And last, but certainly not least, oh guru of local trails, any suggestions for hidden spots to skinny dip?

Hmmm... Skinny dipping? I'm not a skinny dipper (never have...yeah, odd...). There are two semi-secluded places that I can think of.  The first is the "punch bowls" in Queens Canyon above the Dorothy Falls.  BUT...that area has been closed since the Waldo fire. It's kind of a crapshoot if you'll have the bowls to yourself. When the area was open, guests at the Navigators would frequently hike up there and swim (I never saw anyone skinny dipping), but on other trips up there I wouldn't see anyone. You may want to keep it in mind for when Queens Canyon finally re-opens. There is another spot that may work, but it'll take some work to get to it (and paying the toll on the Pikes Peak Highway). It's within the first 3 miles of the road from the toll booth, so not at high elevation. Getting there would require a map, and maybe a GPS, even though the hike is barely more than a mile. I'll send you the details, but you might have to keep this one to yourself...

Hey, thanks a bunch, Bob! If you've got questions for him, post below and I'll pass along (or find him at any of his social media sites).

This is my 40

Thanks to inspiration from Christina Rosalie, and my (at the time) impending 40th birthday, a few weeks ago I decided to put together a "40 Before 41" list of 40 things I want to accomplish before my 41st birthday.

I turned 40 yesterday, so it's time to commit to it.

I've always been a list-maker, and I've tended to keep sporadic lists of things I want to do, which often ended up misplaced in a journal or on a sticky note somewhere. I know the formality here will help me — I'll cross items off as I do them, and you all can follow along (or play along, if you fit in somewhere).

Oh, and one more thing: there's no rhyme or reason to the order. I just added as they popped into my head.

• 40 Before 41 • 

• Learn to bake French macarons
• See my byline in a national magazine
• Have at least one item of clothing tailored to fit
• Build a terrarium
• Blog at least twice a week
• Develop a new website for my blog
• Climb Pikes Peak • Visit Ojo Caliente
• Read at least 52 books
• Send a snail mail letter/card/postcard/gift once a month
• Plant and grow something edible outside
• Yoga and meditation, daily
• Take French language lessons
• Make new connections with at least three bloggers I respect
• Plan my next trip to France
• Attend the Santa Fe Opera
• Take classes on how to use all the buttons on my DSLR
• Figure out my signature style
• Skinny dip
• Learn to make ginger beer
• Find the perfect red lipstick (and wear it)
• Journal at least weekly
• Add a piece of original art to my collection
• Take a trip with a girlfriend
• Invest in a week's worth of matching bras and panties (foundations matter!)
• Intentionally play music in the house every day
• Visit a hot springs in Colorado
• Give generously what I want to receive
• Facilitate and participate in at least one improv writing session a month
• Stay up once all night until sunrise
• Perform at a poetry slam/open mic
• Participate in a stage show (play, musical, etc.) as cast or crew
• Get will and living will in order
• Have a tarot reading done
• Find more opportunities to dance
• Play paintball
• Continue to reduce my wardrobe, a la Project 333
• Get make-up tips from a pro
• Take performance driving lessons
• Show up (my 2014 "one-word" soul mantra)