Our tiny home “commute”

Back out west, back on the road!

It’s always harder to come back out west to our tiny home from the east coast-losing time in the air and re-acclimating to a small space all contribute to the challenge. To some, the idea of flying back and forth across the country all the time and working on the fly may seem desirable. I wouldn’t call it unappealing-but it definitely comes with certain sacrifices and challenges. I am thankful to be working for myself though-check out my freelance media work if you have a small business and need help getting your name out there!

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Ketogenic climbing | low carb athletes with T1D

It's a real thing!

I am considering doing a video series in the near future for low carb athletes with T1D about my dietary approach, trial and error and adapting the ketogenic diet to give greater blood glucose stability and athletic performance. I still feel like this is all in the “test phase” because the results I have had are not extensive. That said, I will be sharing developments as they occur in hopes of pushing the limits of what we are able to do with our diabetes.

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Losing control, gaining influence

Can you control type 1 diabetes?

Somewhere between pride and despair lies acceptance. I could only hear the sound of wind whistling past my ears as I stepped delicately around the airy corner; about 1500 feet of nothingness separated me from the ground. The fact that I was actually able to stand on the sloping, sandy ledge beneath my feet seemed to defy what I’d come to learn about physics. ‘Here goes literally everything‘ I thought for the 1,336th time since starting to climb “Cowboy Ridge“ that morning. I shifted my weight forward to test the only viable handhold that would grant me access to the ledge above. I tried to weight the hold gradually because I didn’t want to ricochet off into the void if it popped. I pulled back a handful of sand as the rock disintegrated in my hand.

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Climbing Cowboy Ridge in Zion National Park

(Part 1) Testing the keto diet on a recon hike

I’ve spent a lot of time in Zion National Park over the last few years and it’s no secret that the climbing here is outside my comfort zone. Maybe that’s why I keep coming back-because there are “easy” climbs like Cowboy Ridge that have mocked me from afar. It’s a 5.7 filled with route-finding, loose rock and lots of elevation gain. It’s a long day and it’s far from civilized comforts should poor planning or blood sugar fluctuations interfere. It’s not the dark side of the moon, but it’s more involved than lowering down off a single pitch climb and ‘calling it a day’. Maybe this is part of getting back into the swing of things, but I’ve been more intimidated by this “loose end” than I’d like to admit, so I decided to tie it off ASAP.

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What’s it like in a tiny home?

Come on in and see!

I’ve had more than a few people ask ‘what’s it like in a tiny home’-or more specifically for a virtual tour of sorts. We moved into the trailer recently and the progress is slow but steady-and what better time to invite you in for a look. In this video I think you will get a sense (thanks to the ultra-wide angle GoPro lens) for how small the interior of the trailer is. Nevertheless I promised a tour and that’s what you’ll get!

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Diabetes and depression

It took me years figure this process out

Why would diabetes and depression possibly be an issue worth bringing up at this point? My blood sugar has been stellar of late, my climbing has been improving and I’m doing exactly what I set out to do in places that inspire me. It might seem that these positive factors would cancel out the possibility of feeling depressed-which is why Stefanie asked me, when I told her how I was feeling, ‘Ok, so what is it that you’re upset about?’ That’s a pretty natural question and I’d wonder the same thing if someone came to me feeling down-but the connection between diabetes and depression is less obvious (and I’d argue more difficult to explain, although I will give it a shot here!)

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The journey begins!

Time to leave home and get our...new home! This is the trailer pickup!

The first leg of my journey begins with a stop in at my dad’s place where I ate some chicken soup to help ward off a cold that I’ve been battling for a few days now. I struggled with the desire to capture the trip out to Minnesota to get the trailer because after all, it’s not anything grand and not too adventurous. Right? As it turns out, learning how to shoot, edit and post from my phone in a pinch is good practice for what lies ahead. Besides, it’s important to capture the less polished moments of the adventure because that’s what we are all about!

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One year down, lots to go

I love bringing you guest posts from others who are using adventure to take control of their lives and health. I met Zach Buckmaster through Instagram a few months back and I believe that you will be reading and seeing more from him in the near future. This account is about his adaptation to year one of life with type 1 and I hope that you will find it as inspiring as I have.-Steve-

Diabetes and climbing. Most see no correlation between the two. But for me-and many others, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

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Comfort optional

Comfort Optional Subtitle

The hitch is on and the car is mostly loaded. It’s packed full of enough climbing gear to assault El Capitan and enough media equipment to make a movie about the effort. Clothing has been pared down to one small tupperware apiece and I even manage to narrow down my library selections to the bleeding necessities because my love for paper books does not make them travel lighter. The Yakima roof box is been patched up with silicone sealant and loaded with outdoor gear. All that’s left are some housewares that are currently in use and my computer. Also my insulin, test strips and remaining sensors will be among the last items to be packed away. I’m ready to go home.

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Ketogenic diet and high cholesterol

I recently got some blood work back and I wanted to share my results in hopes that it may offer some insight to others who may find themselves at the crossroads of the ketogenic diet and high cholesterol. I have been following a low-carb high-fat diet since July and generally speaking I have been really happy with how it has impacted my body composition, athletic performance, energy and blood sugar control. I’ve written a lot about it and I want to be fair and share the challenges that I’m having as well. What I am presenting here is in no way advice or even a solution that I have found for myself-but rather a question that I am working through. I’ve always had elevated cholesterol (last 10 years) and I’ve always prioritized my blood sugar management over cholesterol. Simply put, there are more questions about the risks of cholesterol than the risks of elevated blood sugar, so I focus on the “devil I know”.

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