Author: Caroline

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“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues…”⁣⁣— The Lorax, Dr. Seuss⁣⁣Considered by some as “America’s Amazon,” the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world and the largest national forest in the US. Its old-growth trees, some of which are 400-500 years old, play a key role in sequestering carbon emissions by absorbing 8% of all carbon captured by National Forest lands in our country.⁣⁣These same trees are currently threatened by a dangerous piece of legislation on the table by our current administration that would remove their protections and open them up to logging. Clear-cut a forest like this, and all that carbon they’ve been sequestering for hundreds of years will be released back into the atmosphere.⁣⁣Now, more than ever, we need to keep these forests and roadless areas untouched, as they are truly the lungs of the planet. ⁣⁣Now is our chance to speak up for them. Please join me in signing the petition in my bio calling for their continued protection by no later than TOMORROW. Let’s not allow another one of our national treasures be destroyed by short-sided greed. Photo: not the Tongass, but a beautiful forest in the Canadian Rockies. @u.s.forestservice @wildernesssociety @outdooralliance #AnswerWithAction

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After our wedding, we jumped straight into the bike portion of Rob’s Ultimate World Tri and we never got to take a real honeymoon. ⁣⁣When @clubmedalpedhuez invited us to check out their newly renovated resort, we thought, why not take a mini-moon? I can think of few places more romantic than the Alps over the holidays. ⁣⁣Today, our luggage showed up after a 20-hour delay and we skied one of the longest runs in Europe, about 6,000’ vertical!⁣It’s hard to comprehend the scale of the Alps. There are few runs in North America that are this long. ⁣⁣The views from the top and the excitement of the speed on the downhill burned off the jet leg and the knee felt good and strong today! Can’t wait to continue exploring tomorrow. ⁣

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Sending it into the weekend… #flashbackfriday photo: @brentbensonphotography@lekiusa

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Asking my mom to be the officiant at our wedding had significance to me in so many ways. First, it was a celebration of our mother-daughter relationship that has grown with strength through the years! She knows me so well, and her open endorsement of my marriage was an important acknowledgement. Her example of partnership with my dad for more than 40 years is a representation of the power of marriage. ⁣⁣Secondly, it was a tribute to the times that embrace women in positions of power that previously had been deemed only for men. I grew up Catholic. Seeing the restrictions set on women in what they could do or not do sent a strong signal to me as a young person about a woman’s place. ⁣⁣Thirdly, it was so much fun to write the ceremony together! We were creative, imaginative and put together a meaningful ceremony to launch an important transition in my life! We were inspired by many different traditions and incorporated them into the ceremony. It was spiritual with a lot of humor, exactly the tone we wanted to set for our wedding. I am so grateful she took on the extra work of officiating. I couldn’t have imagined anyone else marrying us.⁣ I would highly recommend other people who are looking for an officiant to consider a family member! It is such a fun way to bond! Photo: @erinorthcutt

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Today’s training: .75 miles up the snowy road towing Huck in the trailer. This workout is an incredible way to target hips and glutes. There are few gym exercises that give this same kind of burn. ⁣⁣Seriously, though, I have mad respect for all the parents out there. Getting outdoors with kids is like training for a Himalayan expedition! ⁣⁣If you don’t already follow @brooke.froelich, check her out. She’s one of my best friends and it’s been so inspiring to see her navigate motherhood and the outdoors. Serious #momgoals! Love ya Brooke! I’m so glad we’ve stayed close and find creative ways to get outdoors together.