Congrats Heidi, that must have been some experience!! And the memories... It is a couple of weeks of my 20th anniversary of trailrunning around a much lower volcano, Mt. Hood, with the legendary Cindy M. We used the Timberline Trail and did the circumnavigation in one day! No certificate but oh what a sense of accomplishment and lifetime memories!
That’s great, Michael! Congrats on doing that and celebrating 20 yrs! I luvluvluv Mt Hood. Those circumnavigation trail runs and hikes are incredibly challenging. Do you still go for hikes and trail runs in the Cascades?
Hi Heidi, I agree,. I wish I could still enjoy such things, but age and injuries caught up with me and I don't think I will be able to run again. But I enjoy walking!
Arya and I congratulate you on such a climbing accomplishment, to the summit of the highest point in Africa. It must have been quite a sight, one only birds like the Rüppell’s griffon vulture can view. Arya says he is highly impressed.
Thank you, Perry & Arya! I didn’t see the vultures, but the white naped crows did very well at high altitude, up to about 16000ft. Thank you so much for being here with us.:)
What a milestone, what a climb! Congratulations, Heidi. That is no small feat--and for a great cause. Happy to mark the 15 year anniversary with the you & the critters. And that's so exciting you'll be commencing the Oregon Naturalist Program. Two great milestones on the path unwinding indeed.
Thank you, James! It was an amazing climb and such a special part of the world. The white naped crows did very well at high altitude. I’ll be keeping everyone posted on the Naturalist program. Thank you so much and I’ll be catching up with my reading with your latest article at the top of my list.:)
That's an amazing trek, Heidi! Such an interesting experience no doubt being able to hike and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Congratulations on the Oregon Naturalist Program beginning as well. Great to see Kermit as a guest, too, :)
Thank you, Neil! It really was a trip of a lifetime. The trek took us through 5 different ecological zones with the glacial summit being the highest. It was quite amazing and a unique place. Thanks so much for reading and staying tuned. And Kermit will be back.:)
That is awesome, Heidi! My Fred and I wanted to do the climb when we were much younger, but unfortunately, it was financially out of reach at the time. Happy Equinox!
Thank you, Laura! I was 46 when I did the climb and because of the fund raising, I was able to go. It’s definitely costly. Take good care! Hope you are all well for the Equinox!
WOW! That's quite the accomplishment, climbing a huge high mountain! I have never done this, nor will be able to do this due to my asthma and general all around terrible genetics.
There's a degu relative that lives in the Andes Mountain, the chinchilla (chinchilla chinchilla) in Chile. They live in groups called, herds, and the highest they will climb is 14,000 ft. They're named after the "Chincha" people who used to wear their furs. They (the chinchillas) have the desenst furs of any animals on the Earth, so that means lots of dust baths, but no fleas or ticks. (Degus also have dense furs.) They're also listed as endangered in the wild, as they can only be found in the Andes mountains in Chile.
I forgot to add this about their digestive system (https://www.reddit.com/r/chinchilla/comments/84w3ct/chinchilla_digestive_system/) ...it's squished between their nose and tail, so the whole uh, fluffy ball contains the digestive system. The problem is that they get hairballs, and so fourth that can get stuck. ...so you usually give them rosehips to get the hairballs to pass, plus free feeding hay with all raw vegans because gut motility stopping is a really bad thing. They also eat their poop for nutrients. Raw vegan rodents really got the short end of the stick in terms of a well designed digestive system.
Very cool accomplishment Heidi! Good for you!! 💪🏻😎I’ve always wanted to. One of my oldest friends run charity tours up Mount K and he has chided me for not going with him yet.
Anything’s possible. It’s not even in the bucket right now which contains the list. Ann and I have other travel priorities. I’m proud of you and thanks for sharing.
Unless you feel a real draw to it or you get some wild offer then follow your path elsewhere. It’s definitely challenging. I hope you’ll share some of your travels with us too. Thanks again, Dee.:)
I know you can do it! Definitely give yourself the flexibility to change your plans. I would recommend stair master. When I trained for Kili, I started slow, about a mile a day with a camelback pack and then doubled the miles every week. Lots of hills.:)
Congrats Heidi, that must have been some experience!! And the memories... It is a couple of weeks of my 20th anniversary of trailrunning around a much lower volcano, Mt. Hood, with the legendary Cindy M. We used the Timberline Trail and did the circumnavigation in one day! No certificate but oh what a sense of accomplishment and lifetime memories!
That’s great, Michael! Congrats on doing that and celebrating 20 yrs! I luvluvluv Mt Hood. Those circumnavigation trail runs and hikes are incredibly challenging. Do you still go for hikes and trail runs in the Cascades?
Hi Heidi, I agree,. I wish I could still enjoy such things, but age and injuries caught up with me and I don't think I will be able to run again. But I enjoy walking!
Walking is the best. Onwards!
Arya and I congratulate you on such a climbing accomplishment, to the summit of the highest point in Africa. It must have been quite a sight, one only birds like the Rüppell’s griffon vulture can view. Arya says he is highly impressed.
Thank you, Perry & Arya! I didn’t see the vultures, but the white naped crows did very well at high altitude, up to about 16000ft. Thank you so much for being here with us.:)
What a milestone, what a climb! Congratulations, Heidi. That is no small feat--and for a great cause. Happy to mark the 15 year anniversary with the you & the critters. And that's so exciting you'll be commencing the Oregon Naturalist Program. Two great milestones on the path unwinding indeed.
Thank you, James! It was an amazing climb and such a special part of the world. The white naped crows did very well at high altitude. I’ll be keeping everyone posted on the Naturalist program. Thank you so much and I’ll be catching up with my reading with your latest article at the top of my list.:)
That's an amazing trek, Heidi! Such an interesting experience no doubt being able to hike and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Congratulations on the Oregon Naturalist Program beginning as well. Great to see Kermit as a guest, too, :)
Thank you, Neil! It really was a trip of a lifetime. The trek took us through 5 different ecological zones with the glacial summit being the highest. It was quite amazing and a unique place. Thanks so much for reading and staying tuned. And Kermit will be back.:)
Congrats Heidi . And your team of critter trainers . Hugs peace and love to all
Thank you, Mitch! It’s always wonderful to have you here with us at Critters. Hope you are well. Thinking of you and your healing.:)
That is awesome, Heidi! My Fred and I wanted to do the climb when we were much younger, but unfortunately, it was financially out of reach at the time. Happy Equinox!
Thank you, Laura! I was 46 when I did the climb and because of the fund raising, I was able to go. It’s definitely costly. Take good care! Hope you are all well for the Equinox!
Wow! What a life achievement Heidi, absolutely amazing. Good luck with the new learning program too.
Thank you, April! Wishing you a Happy Fall Equinox this weekend!
Very cool!
Thank you, David! Wishing you and the Pups a Happy Fall Equinox!
WOW! That's quite the accomplishment, climbing a huge high mountain! I have never done this, nor will be able to do this due to my asthma and general all around terrible genetics.
There's a degu relative that lives in the Andes Mountain, the chinchilla (chinchilla chinchilla) in Chile. They live in groups called, herds, and the highest they will climb is 14,000 ft. They're named after the "Chincha" people who used to wear their furs. They (the chinchillas) have the desenst furs of any animals on the Earth, so that means lots of dust baths, but no fleas or ticks. (Degus also have dense furs.) They're also listed as endangered in the wild, as they can only be found in the Andes mountains in Chile.
I forgot to add this about their digestive system (https://www.reddit.com/r/chinchilla/comments/84w3ct/chinchilla_digestive_system/) ...it's squished between their nose and tail, so the whole uh, fluffy ball contains the digestive system. The problem is that they get hairballs, and so fourth that can get stuck. ...so you usually give them rosehips to get the hairballs to pass, plus free feeding hay with all raw vegans because gut motility stopping is a really bad thing. They also eat their poop for nutrients. Raw vegan rodents really got the short end of the stick in terms of a well designed digestive system.
Thank you, Squizz! This is so educational and helpful. How would you feel about Ch 8 of the detective story to feature the Degus?
Very cool accomplishment Heidi! Good for you!! 💪🏻😎I’ve always wanted to. One of my oldest friends run charity tours up Mount K and he has chided me for not going with him yet.
Thank you, Dee! Maybe you could go with your friend sometime. It’s a huge trip and not to be underestimated on the mountain, but it’s amazing.
Anything’s possible. It’s not even in the bucket right now which contains the list. Ann and I have other travel priorities. I’m proud of you and thanks for sharing.
Unless you feel a real draw to it or you get some wild offer then follow your path elsewhere. It’s definitely challenging. I hope you’ll share some of your travels with us too. Thanks again, Dee.:)
Dolly: Nurse Kristin seems to have suffered a shock!! She appears to
be knocked out cold on the floor after reading this one.
Noelle: Weird? It's barely 5:00 PM here on the East Coast. She usually doesn't do that until at least 9.
Dolly: Anyway, congratulations Critters, your hooman is absolutely amazing.
Noelle: Full stop.
XOXO,
Noelle and Dolly
Gosh! Does Dolly need to be resuscitated? We hope to collab again soon with all of you for a Special Spooky Conversation on Halloween!
Well no, Dolly is a super savvy street kitty, she's fine. Nurse Kristin will recover, --she usually does.
We can't wait my friend! I sense Mother of Dragons with an Agatha Christie twist! Who knows? Clearly anything is possible ;)
True confession: I’m so jet lagged that I misread this initially. Of course of course. So fun. Btw, I was 46 when I did the climb.:)
It’s very inspiring! My plan for the big 5-0 is to hike the AT!! So thank you truly!
I know you can do it! Definitely give yourself the flexibility to change your plans. I would recommend stair master. When I trained for Kili, I started slow, about a mile a day with a camelback pack and then doubled the miles every week. Lots of hills.:)
That will be amazing! It’s considered a really challenging trek with lots of up and downslopes. Keep us posted!