I think extreme passion would be a pretty good way to describe it. I
don’t know what you call it when you truly believe that you’ve got life
figured out and everything is in place, exactly how you want it to be.
When idealism and realism collide. I’m truly happy because I planned it
that way. My passions are simple, and go quite well together. Climbing,
creative plant-based cooking, nutrition, travel, fitness, and being outside.
My name is Karen, and I’m a vegan home cook, an artist, a climber, an
adventure seeker, and I live in an RV.
Greetings from Tucson, Arizona. AZ is the 10th state of residence for my
husband and I. We choose destinations in our RV based on the quality of
climbing first and foremost! If there’s no climbing, we are not going to
move there. Luckily, towns and cities with great climbing, happen to also
be really cool places to live.
We both work in the hospitality industry together. All time spent while
not at work is devoted to climbing, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors.
Tucson really delivers in the climbing department! Mount Lemmon has
countless crags along the Catalina Highway. The first and favorite climb
that I’ve done on Mount Lemmon was Hitchcock Pinnacle. I’m a sucker
for the aesthetic lure of a spire or pinnacle, the on-top-of-the-world feeling
I get on the summit, and the all enveloping view.
The most epic adventure I’ve had thus far (I’ve only been here 2 months
so far), was actually the most epic adventure of my entire life. The summit
of Finger Rock. Another pinnacle that looks down on Tucson from high in
the Santa Catalina Mountains. I see it everyday. The finger was mocking
me. I was completely drawn to it. I had to get to the top. From the city,
the summit of Finger Rock looks like a daunting and ambitious destination.
Oh and it is! Thirteen hours of extremely steep hiking with heavy packs full
of climbing gear. That is something I’ve never done before, and I probably
should have trained for before attempting! Ah, but I didn’t. Just went for
it. Started just before sunrise and reached the technical climb just after
noon.
Thankfully, after that brutal hike, the climb was easy, 5.6ish. The
view was absolutely spectacular. The hike back down felt impossible. It
was painful and grueling, but definitely the adventure of a lifetime, and a
proud personal accomplishment.
