I DID IT!!

I just wanted to post a quick note to say “I DID IT!!” Yesterday I hiked the Grand Canyon! It was a challenging, but amazing experience, which I will write about as soon as I have my photos organized. In the meantime, here is a “teaser" photo of my hike group on the trail.

With the help of my wonderful donors, I was able to exceed my fundraising goal of $7,000!! My total is now at $7,067 and counting. Thank you so, so much for your donation and for your support. I could not have done this without you!

I Made My Fundraising Goal!!

Today I received the donation that put me over my fundraising goal of $7,000!! I'm so excited (and relieved) that I made it before I left for the Grand Canyon. I cannot express how grateful I am to all of my wonderful donors who made this possible. It just goes to show that all of the donations, large or small, do add up and can make a difference.

Some statistics (in case you are curious):

Funds raised to date: $7,017
Total number of donors: 90
Average donation: $77.97
% of donations made online: 91%
Average online donation: $80.03

Where does this money go? It goes to fund outstanding scientists at the forefront of blood-related cancer research at centers throughout the world. It supports projects in private sector companies that have potential therapies that are not being pursued, either for lack of resources or the perception that the blood cancer market may be too small to provide adequate return on investment. It allows the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to advocate public policy positions that accelerate progress toward cures for leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma. It provides support to newly diagnosed patients and their families. Your donation helps save lives.

So thank you, again, from the bottom of my heart, for your friendship and your support. I couldn't do it without you!

3 Days to Go...

I can't believe it's almost here! On Thursday, September 27th, I leave for the Grand Canyon. I'll stay in Phoenix with the HFD group on Thursday night, then on Friday we drive to the Grand Canyon. We will hike all day Saturday, starting out sometime between 4am and 8am so that we can return in plenty of time for a celebration dinner.

I checked the weather forecast for the Canyon, and it's going to be much chillier than I previously thought. It's calling for highs in the mid-70s with lows in the upper 20s/low 30s. That's right, when I wake up Saturday morning, it will be WINTER, then it will supposedly heat up very quickly as soon as the sun comes up. It's a desert, go figure. But this means I have to rethink my clothing and packing strategy. I've spent all summer training in hot weather gear. Now I have to figure out layers that are light enough not to be too cumbersome when I have to take them off and carry them. The last thing I need is more weight in my pack! I've already been advised to increase my water supply to 6 liters because I will likely drink it all. (And there are no opportunities to refill on the trail!)

The trail I chose is the South Kaibab Trail. It is a wider, well maintained trail, but rocky and steep at the top. According to the description, "this trail features steep and strenuous switchbacks, especially at the top, which is the last part of the hike. This trail elevation loss/gain of 2000’ to the maximum turnaround spot 3 miles into the Canyon." So it's not a long hike in terms of mileage (6 miles total), but will take much longer to ascend because of the steep climb and considerable elevation gain. I know I will be able to make it back up, but I think it will take me a while to do it. The South Kaibab Trail gives most spectacular views, but the trade-off is that you spend most of the day in complete exposure to the sun. One thing I learned this summer is how to liberally slather on the sunblock.

I'll try to write more just before and after the hike (assuming I can get internet access at the hotel) and keep you posted on my adventure. In the meantime, please wish me luck and think happy thoughts on Saturday afternoon to help me get up that canyon wall!

Donors Hall of Fame

I just wanted to take a moment to send out a special thank you to my wonderful, wonderful donors. I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity and support I have received throughout my fundraising process. Because of you, we are one step closer to curing leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers. Because of you, more information and services will be available to blood cancer patients. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

My Donors Hall of Fame

Aina Irbe
Alice Hirzel
Allison Reeder
Amy Longyear
Andrew Schmitt
Ashley Carlson
Barbara Plevelich
Beth Tichansky
Beth Touchet
Bev Jackson
Brent Apponyi
Carey Ragels
Cat Castagna & David Reese
Colleen McGuire
Craig McClellan
Craig Millis
Dale Glaser & Nora McCaffrey
Damian Liska
Dana Bomkamp
Danielle Davant
Dave & Maryellen Howard
David Hobson
Denise Castaldo
Donna Ioffredo & PJ Hambrick
Doug & Liza Larson
Ellen Fong
Ellen O'Brien
Ellen Ward
Emily Dalton
Evan Parker
Gary Truelsen
Heather Bowes
Jason Larson
Jaya Chimnani
Jeanne Chou
Jen Bristow
Jen Nelson
Jesse Vazzano
Jessica McClure
Jim Beachler
Jodie Jarocki
Joe Greenlee
John & Brooke Frassinelli
Julie McHugh
Julie Pekarek
Julie Reber
Karen Kimball & Peter Hackett
Katie Allston & Paul Dowell
Katie Magin
Katie Miller
Katrina Cain
Kaustuv Chakrabarti
Kelly Welch
Kevin Leonhardt
Khang Hiu
Kirsten Jensen Crank
Kris Guido
Kristin Hibler
Kristin & Bruce Maynard
Laura Dines
Lee Gary
Liesl Combs
Lilly Shoup
Linda Gray
Lynne O'Connell
Maria Hernandez
Mark Thiele
Melissa & Jason Kramer
Merry Davine
Michael & Michelle Siefert
Monica Byler
Pam Magasich
Pamela Dorland
Pamela Lurie
Patrick Hackett
Patrick Taylor
Phil Voss
R. Gary & Pam Smith
Rachel Day
Ramune Rastonis
Robin Rodensky
Ruby Broussard
Sarah Pratt
Scott Graves
Scott Ledford
Shayna Lebowitz
Sridevi Nanjundaram
Stacey Irvin
Steve & Erin Susalka
Sue McNeely
Sunil Nanjundaram
Susie & Steve Cooper
Tricia & Branden Ritchie
Viengkeo & Dave Tzong

Last Training Hike - Back to the Billy Goat Trail

What a beautiful day for a hike! Finally, a day that didn't reach 90 degrees by noon...

I missed the group hike at White Oak Canyon last week because I was in Austin, TX attending the Austin City Limits music festival. I wasn't completely lazy, though. The place where we stayed was about 2 miles from the festival site, so we walked there and back each day, not to mention walking between stages all day long in the hot sun. It wasn't "training" but it definitely helped.

I did want to get in one more training hike before I leave for the Grand Canyon on Thursday. My friend, Jeanne, kept me company on this short (2.5-hour) hike on the Billy Goat Trail at Great Falls. It was a great day for a hike (and we didn't have to start before 9am!) and there weren't many people on the trail. We saw all kinds of fish and turtles in the canal, as well as an enormous blue heron that flew by us and landed on the bank opposite us. Here's a picture of the two of us at the end of the hike:

Thanks, Jeanne, for coming hiking with me!

To see more pictures, click here.

Training Hike #11 - Catoctin Mountain

Ah, another steamy day on the trail. It was definitely in the high 90s today, with lots of lovely humidity. Today's hike took us to Catoctin Mountain Park in Thurmont, MD (20 min. north of Frederick), a trail I'd never hiked before. We were warned in advance that there was a fairly steep climb near the end, good practice for the Grand Canyon!

My friends Ramune and Patrick were the brave souls who joined me for this one. The three of us, with my teammate, Ginna, completed the (supposed 6-hour) hike in about 5.5 hours. The coolest part about this trail is the diversity of the flora and rocks throughout the park. We would hike through a thinly wooded area, then climb a small hill and suddenly find ourselves surrounded by tall ferny groundcover. We'd turn a corner and find ourselves surrounded by huge boulders among pine trees, or we'd reach a creek and suddenly need a machete to cut through the thick bushes and vines. One part of the trail was lined with large hunks of white quartz.

For some reason, the hills were particularly difficult for me on this trail. I don't know if was the heat or humidity or something I ate, but I actually felt sick to my stomach for a stretch. I sat for a few minutes (and practiced taking photos of tree fungus on the stump beside me) to catch my breath and the nausea went away. I slipped on some loose dirt and fell about halfway through the hike. My lower back started acting up on the last uphill jaunt, and I'm pretty sure it was because my herniated disc was aggravated by the fall - one of the most dangerous things I can do to myself. (My chiropractor keeps telling me how much I want to avoid back surgery, so I have to be extra careful out there!)

Other than the last hill, I really enjoyed this hike. Like many of the other training hikes I've done, it would be much more pleasant to try it again in the fall. It was way too hazy to see any views in the distance. Here's a picture of my three hike buddies near one of the overlooks.

Click here to see more pictures from my hike.

Return to the Billy Goat Trail – Training Hike #10

Because of Labor Day weekend, this was a “plan my own” training hike. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find anyone to go with me, but little did I know so many people would be in town this weekend. I just want to thank everyone for getting up early and coming out with me on Saturday: Jessica, Ryan, Scott, Julie R, Rachel, Julie M, Kaustuv, Carey, Katie, Grant, and Minh. I had a great time on the trail – I hope you did too!

A little after 8am, we started out on the towpath north towards the entrance to Section A of the Billy Goat Trail. (I had done this part on an earlier training hike with the group.) Once we got through the wooded area, we started the rock scramble through boulders overlooking the Potomac River. We stopped a couple of times for snacks, on the sandy beach area and at the top of a high shelf of rocks.

We made it back to the parking lot area in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. We bid farewell to those who weren't continuing onto Section B, and continued down the towpath. None of us had ever hiked this section before, so we weren't sure what to expect. It was much more even than Section A, with a low trail paralleling the river. We made it back to the towpath and headed back to the parking area. On the way, we saw lots of fish and turtles in the canal. All in all, it was a beautiful day in the low 80s, not a cloud in the sky. We finished the entire 6.2-mile hike (with breaks) in about 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Here's a picture of the group partway through the towpath portion of the hike. Click here to view the entire photo album.