Shred the Gnar

As another winter gets closer and closer [some would say it is here] I have to reflect on my rekindled love with the mountains. Last year was the first time in a long time that I made an effort to get out more and spend more time on my snowboard.. sliding sideways down a steep ass mountain through loads of powder and feeling like a kid again. I can’t express how good it felt to be back out there.

I had a hiatus from the snowy slopes of the world for about 4 years… Why? Lots of reasons. With any hobby, the longer you go since you last picked it up the longer it takes to get it back. For me I also had a few blockers - the largest one, dating someone that didn’t share the same interests as me. She didn’t exactly keep me from the mountains, but she didn’t exactly empower me to go. Thats on me, and a lesson to be learned. If you can’t be yourself and do the things you want to do while in a relationship, you just might want to move on.

Moving on…Life hack time:

You can leave your office in New York City at 5pm on Friday night and take a flight west to places like Lake Tahoe and Salt Lake City. You can then Shred the Gnar for two full days and catch a red eye back to New York City on Sunday night getting you in to either JFK or EWR early enough on Monday morning to drop your gear at home and head to the office before anyone even knows you were gone. Question is - can you function on 4-5 hours of sleep on a Monday to get some legit slope time in? I def can. I’ll see you out there this winter (and please, be nice to those of use that are crazy enough to do this - let us sleep on the plane - I can function on 4 hours of sleep but I cant function on none).

**Notes**

JetBlue is the only provider that offers non-stop service JFK to Reno / Lake Tahoe. They also have the largest seats on any plane that I have been on and charge a modest $25 for your board.

SLC is the closest city to any Gnarly Mountain terrain. I really like Brighton and Solitude.

Porto

Today is a special day. I am in Porto [Portugal] and wandering around a brand new city, solo. Solo travel is not for the faint of heart, but it is so good for the soul.

I needed it.

My New York City life has been hectic and stressful for the past few months. I didn’t realize it until today, but I had so many things filling up my plate with work, dating, Ironman training, taking care of my dog, and staying in contact with my family that I was always tired. Even after a good night sleep I woke up exhausted.

It was stress.

I am super lucky and don’t usually have stress, so logically I just thought I was tired. What do you do when you are tired? DRINK MORE COFFEE! Back to reality - I had taken on too much and lost track of things that are the most important to me. To my life. Today I can find solace taking time to walk around a new [beautiful] place and meet new people, soak in the culture, have a few drinks, and reflect.

So, thats exactly what I did. I slept in late.. Had no agenda. Got up, had some coffee and just started walking. Cruising around on foot with nowhere to go and nothing in particular to see. Just walking.. Listening to the sounds of the city.. What a romantic place Porto is! The streets are vibrant and full of music, people walking and talking and enjoying themselves. So much charm. Love is alive in Porto.

Man vs Wild

I feel like this is the appropriate title for my relationship with Charlie, my 110 lb adorable, pain in the ass, Doberman of a lapdog. If you want to see more about the life and times of one Charles W Lindeman, please visit his insta page @charleswdoberman. His captions are funny and he is a world traveler :)

We fight all the time lol and have to try and navigate through who is the boss of who. To be honest he wins because I cave and give him what he wants (as long as its not a slice of my pizza). The love a dog gives to us is so deep and really not fair that it only lasts for 10-15 years. Charlie is 9 now and I cant imagine life without him. The bitching and fighting is worth it.

I also feel like Man vs Wild is my life.

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”

John Muir and I have / had so much in common. Sometimes I just feel like I need to go. Living in New York City the mountains call me all the time. Gotta GTFO of the city and clear my head. Head out to hike with Charle. Head to Utah to snowboard. Just. Go. Explore. See things and experience things. Try food and wander..

Charlie and I like to head north to the Catskills and the Adirondacks. We love to hike and run around. New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have so many things to offer and its all less than a 5 hour drive. If you are reading this and get the chance, head north to Phoenicia and look for Wittenberg Mountain (Catskills). Its a super challenging but super rewarding climb. There are some streams to cross and lots of rock scrambles - reward is a beautiful view at the top. Check it out here.