Cavery's First Camp Trip

We took Cavery on his first camp trip this weekend with my parents at just 10 days old. He did great and loved sleeping during the van rides, at the campsite, and during the hikes in the sling. Melissa also is doing amazing. It was very difficult and uncomfortable for her to walk after the birth but we have gone on short walks and she has now worked her way up to hiking. We are having a great time with our little man and he is just a great bundle of joy and we look forward to many amazing adventures with him.


Sunset over our campsite on Monitor Pass.


Cavery swinging with Dad in the Hammock.


Diaper change on the trail.


Snack time!!!

Cavery Justin Jones

Cavery Justin Jones was born at home on July 21 at 2:01am. Melissa and I are extremely excited to welcome him into our lives. Melissa had an amazing birth. One that she vizualized for months. She was very relax and had a fast labor as a result (5 hours). She spent most of her labor in either the hot tube or the birthing tub that was provided by our Midwife and felt that the water help with the pain by mainly allow her to stay in certain position with the support of the water. I got to receive Cavery under the water and bring him up to Melissa's chest.

Another Surprise Visit

Melissa and I were elated to hear that our long time friend Nick Schnetzer from Germany was in the states working on his MBA and was able to Fly out for the weekend. It had been almost five years since we last saw him on our trip to Germany and yet it was just like the good old days hanging out up at Lake Tahoe. Melissa's dad had surprised us with several nights stay at a cabin up at Lake Tahoe for a family get-together as a Christmas present and to have Nick there only made it more incredible. We spent the days on snowshoe adventures and the nights playing Cranium, Arcade Golf, and Shuffle board. Yet another incredible weekend!!! We are extremely grateful for having time with Nick and the time with Justin, Terri, Aaron, and Laura up a Tahoe and look forward to another amazing weekend.

Amazing views of Lake Tahoe

Wanted to share yet more amazing views of Lake Tahoe. Just cannot get enough of the majestic feeling Lake Tahoe brings to mind when you see it. We are sure happy to be living so close to such an incredible landscape.

Skiing with Beau & Johanne

Melissa and I were excited to hear that Beau and Johanne were coming our direction for a Medical Residency interview and had sometime to stop by and ski with us. Well the weather was not ideal on our day at Heavenly because of high winds that shut down several major lifts but we were still able to ski the steeps and bumps with some beautiful views of the Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe. Sure was great spending time with Beau and Johanne but also painful in that it reminded us of how much we miss our Colorado friends. Looking forward to future visits with Beau and Johanne both here and hopefully Colorado.

Rock Climbing in Las Vegas

Well it is about time for us to start updating our blog. Life back in the states has proven to be moving faster than on our trip in South America. With house projects, work, and playing outdoors the end of the day comes fast. But excuses aside we want to continue sharing our journey of the fun things that are happening.

This weekend we visited Cindy and Jeremy in their new house right next to Red Rocks in Las Vegas. We had several full days of amazing rock climbing surround by incredible views of the Red Rocks Valley. We are excited to have a Rock Climbing Bed & Breakfast at the Newman House and look forward to Cindy and Jeremy coming up to the Skiing Bed & Breakfast at the Jones house here in Carson.

So "Cheers" to more awesome adventures with great friends!!!

Walk through of our "New Home"

4070 Spring Drive
Carson City,NV 89701

The Jones Bed & Breakfast

Life after South America

At the top of Mariuolumne Dome with Jeremy & Cindy (highest dome summit in Yosemite).


Cathedral Peak- another great climb with great friends.


Playing with rock and ropes.


Summer day at Tahoe with Kari-Mom.


Mountain biking on the Rim Trail above Tahoe- the only thing missing is Ryan and KC!


Dad demonstrating our new extreme sport.


Cullen,Mike, and Sparky on "Father's Day Peak"


There's only a fine line between golfing a round and goofing around...


We have been home now for 8 weeks and we are sharing a few photos of fun times to keep the adventure dialogue going. In the mean time, there have been big changes that don't make it into the photo album... I started working in a fantastic office with amazing people, doing orthodontics in my hometown of Fallon. We are buying our first home in Carson City (officially ours this week!) which means we have plenty of space to put up friends and family who come to visit! And the most important change that has occurred in our life, is that my Me-ma has been teaching us alot about courage, faith, and hope in the last 2 months. Every rock we climb reminds me of the challenges she faces daily, and we celebrate her triumphs over obstacles of the body as she continues to grow healthier every day. Now, more than ever, we don't take family for granted or the time we spend together. We love you Me-ma!

The Ultimate Peruvian Experience

Good company, gorgeous glaciers, and a meandering trail through indigenous villages made this hike the pinnacle of our travels. We took our blistered feet and sore calf muscles on this amazing trek only one day after returning from the Inka Trail, but the experience was worth the effort. This trip was less extravagant and more hard core, especially for Cullen and Ryan who carried much more weight than the legal limit for local porters!

We took local bus transport to the start of the climb, then began our long walk along rivers and between towering rocky peaks. We camped among the misty clouds and curious cows on the first night, placing our tents virtually on top of eachother to create shelter from the frigid winds. After attacking a large communal bowl of spaghetti, we retired to our tents and spent the next 12 or so hours shifting between sleep and trying to sleep. When the dawn at last rescued us, we began hiking through the most outstanding stretch of trail we have yet seen in South America. After a short hike we spent the next hour or so walking a comfortable grade with alpine lakes and massive glacier-capped mountains greeting our gaze. Eventually we crossed a pass and descended a long way down to another small village with homes of stone and roofs of straw. After stopping to buy some hand-woven goods from the little girls who ran to meet us on the trail, we started the big climb over our last mountain pass. It was a tremendous ascent to make at the end of the day, but looking back I am happy that Peru gave us this last chance to spill our sweat here. In some way those hard climbs have strengthened the bond we made with the culture here- and gives us a window into the campesino (farmer) appreciation for the energy given by pacha mama (mother earth). On the third day, we walked downhill for a few hours until we reached a natural hot springs ¨resort.¨ After soaking in the murky but pleasingly hot waters, we finished our walk to the town of Lares. After catching the bus and eating some Top Ramen (both were incredible feats of their own), we made it to the town of Pisaq to shop and dine among the hustle and bustle of the giant Sunday market...

And that concludes our final adventure here in South America, although the journey for all of us continues. Welcome back to Colorado Ryan! We will spend tomorrow in Lima and will be back in the USA on Friday! Thank you everyone for visiting our blog and sharing your thoughts with us along the way. Please stay posted as we will continue to add new photos and stories of adventures to come.

Con mucho amor, Melissa & Cullen