tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49382944710547385902024-03-12T20:09:28.300-06:00Root's Outdoor AdventuresOur outdoor travel and adventures: hiking, camping, and vacationsTyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-56271891084887223482015-03-30T18:02:00.000-06:002016-04-07T13:07:02.325-06:00Red Breaks & the Cosmic Navel March 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last March (2015) I demanded a do-over of a canyon for two reasons. I really wanted to show it to my husband, and I wanted to visit a geographic feature that had eluded me before. Some call it the Cosmic Ashtray, some argue this is a derogatory name, an ashtray is a dirty thing, so it also goes by the Escavolcano, the Cosmic Navel, the Islomania Dome, etc. Regardless, the landmark is intriguing to say the least, and I'm not into arguing over semantics. Personally, I think there are landmarks all over the world with derogatory names, none of which I see any reason to change, but I prefer the Cosmic Navel for this because it just sounds sexier. And sexy is exactly what I think the desert is. </div>
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The first trip was back in late October of 2012. It was a combination trip, being in complete awe with the slot and utter frustration with members of the group, something I'm kind of ashamed of but have to admit it's true. </div>
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Because visiting both the slot in Red Breaks and the Cosmic Navel makes for a super long day, we left our younger kids at home and brought our teenager and some adult friends. </div>
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The first day we drove down the Hole in the Rock Road to set up camp near Harris Wash and then weighed our options. We really wanted to see Zebra slot but according to the data we had, we were a little short on time for that so we went to the nearby Big Horn canyon to check out some striping in the west fork. This didn't disappoint at all. The stripes resembled bacon and the curves were beautiful. It was a short section but pretty perfectly suited for our time frame and at least letting us climb around a bit on the sandstone. Only drawback was a dead cow in the wash we happened by. </div>
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We rendezvoused with one last member of our party and headed back to camp for the night. </div>
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In the morning we started on the Red Breaks route. I was beyond thrilled to be doing this slot again and I seriously can't wait to take my younger kids! It is so beautiful and so tight and so red and so secluded. It is full of challenging stemming and up climbs and beautiful surprise turns and everything. </div>
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We made it through much faster than I had last time, and even though it demonstrated our competence, and no confusion this time at the forks about how to get into the Big West Fork, I was sad that it was already over when the canyon opened back up. </div>
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Nevertheless we were on our way to the Cosmic Navel. This time I had even loaded the GPS points, I just let 2 others in the group take charge of navigating though I had a pretty good idea of how to head there. </div>
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It was still difficult. Two guys watching their waypoints and route finding and still we had to backtrack a few times to find a more suitable route over various fingers. I knew we would make it, but I started having concerns about if it would really pay off or not. We had to cross 3 other minor canyons, but were trying not to have to get too far down in them so we didn't have to climb back out. All of the hiking was over slickrock so there were lots of beautiful viewpoints and a few steep climbs, a few sandy areas. </div>
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Then we found a complete surprise. We saw a pool. A pothole filled up with water and it wasn't all murky and bug-filled and stinky as can be common in places that don't get much rain. It looked so refreshing. We walked down to it and most of us promptly jumped right in. Cold, but seriously, it ranks among the most perfectly-timed hiking discoveries of my life. I felt amazing after my dip and we were all ready to continue our search for the Cosmic Navel. </div>
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I don't think it was too much longer after this. We came into a big bowl that was very wide and open and then one more climb up and we were looking down into the Cosmic Navel. Larger than I imagined, and totally tucked away unless you're right on top of it. </div>
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We got right down into it thanks to some Moki steps. Full of fine sand, the big rock outcrop in the middle, a tiny tiny little puddle on one edge of the circle. The sun was coming down. It was warm, my heart was warm, I wanted to stay there forever. I want my bones to rest there when I die. I seriously felt full of peace and love. I wouldn't have minded having a few private minutes with Tyler there to be honest. </div>
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But eventually we had to get back. An uneventful walk on an old sandy road led us back to camp and a night of relaxing, crackling fires, and more.</div>
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I seriously can't wait to re-visit the Cosmic Navel. I would love to bring my kids there and also they would love the Red Breaks Slot but overall they're still to small for so many miles. I'd also love to go up the Big West Fork and come down the technical Main Fork sometime too to see that. </div>
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The final day of our trip we took everyone through the Peekaboo and Spooky Gulch loop. It was the first time for many of them and though I broke my rule of "not doing something kids can do with me on my adult trip" (my kids love Peekaboo / Spooky) it was still a total blast. Very scenic slots with a great arch, and very tight spots. I was a little sad for a couple in front of us that turned around when the first pothole in Peekaboo Gulch had a little muddy water in it. They didn't want to get muddy but they seriously missed out on a great hike. </div>
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This trip was too perfect--good thing Tyler had forgotten our tent poles, otherwise, I would be deeply superstitious of the perfection on this trip. </div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-28617708600492938872015-03-01T16:18:00.000-07:002016-03-28T11:50:54.789-06:00Capitol Reef February 2015<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Last February we were having some unusually warmer weather and I could no longer fight the urge to get out and get away. Tyler was out of town for work and had been for over week and I was feeling restless and bored I guess. I knew the nights would still be too cold for tent camping with my kids so I booked a room in Torrey for 1 night and took my kids and one of their cousins to Capitol Reef. </div>
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With a close to 4 hour drive I usually demand that we stay 2 nights but when budget and time is tight and weather was great enough to seriously spend the entire day time outside, it worked out pretty well.</div>
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At that point in my daughter's life, and sometimes still, she is pretty sure that she doesn't like hiking, and suggesting it to her is a major disappointment. However, seriously, once you're outside or on the trail she's just gone, especially with a friend. So we first just ran along the little boardwalks to see some petroglyphs and then I suggested playing by the Fremont river.<br />
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At the river Bailey and her cousin made fairy homes in the sand and Waylon buried his little owl Beanie Boo. They threw rocks in the river and got plenty sandy. We stayed in the same small sandy spot along the very cold and rapidly moving river for close to 2 hours. <br />
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Then we headed over to the Hickman Bridge trail. We definitely took our time covering the 1 mile to the arch but really because I gave in to the kids desire to explore and play and to put in use our common practice of placing a baby rock in every little nook in the rock walls. We finished the hike shortly before it was beginning to get dark. </div>
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We went back to the hotel and they had a little time to swim at the pool before bed. </div>
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The next day we drove back into the park just to check out a few quick things before heading home. I was a little disappointed that the Nature Center and the Griffin House were not yet open for their busier season. I hadn't thought about it when I planned the quick getaway and they are not big attractions but add a little fun for kids. We visited the picnic area and made numerous trips across the big bridge there with towering sandstone walls on each side.<br />
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On our way out we did the Goosenecks Overlook short hike. I was under-impressed with the view for this because the only place you could actually see Sulphur Creek was a really small fenced in rock outcropping. (I'm hoping to do the top-down Sulphur Creek hike with my kids sometime next year, it's a total winner!) Otherwise, we mostly again played around on the rocks that were on that trail, with each child claiming various groups of rocks as their little home complete with bedroom, kitchen areas, hot tub, etc. </div>
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absolutely love doing these kinds of trips with the kids. I have to admit that suppressing my need for daily intense aerobic activity is really hard, but when the kids are clearly loving what we're doing I can do it. I could see how free they felt to just play in their environment and have no pressures really. I want them to enjoy being outside and sometimes I want to push them more so they recognize the return, but that time will come. </div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-50170693447464117632015-01-28T23:45:00.002-07:002015-01-28T23:45:14.335-07:00Alaska 2013 Trip Day 6: Going Home and Looking Back <div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Before we left I started feeling kind of panicky. It is dumb, but I felt like I just hadn't really had a chance to talk with Cade alone and I only wanted to assure him of how proud I was of him and how much I loved him. Tyler kept urging me to find the time to express myself, he knows me so well. So I finally just sort of asked Cade right in front of everyone if we could go on a walk or outside for a few minutes together that morning. <br />
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We went in his backyard and I just stumbled through telling him exactly those things I wanted to--I was so proud of him; how the neighbors at the soccer field spoke so highly of him and how his parents spoke so highly of him and his grandparents and his aunts and uncles and his friends. How cool I thought it was that he worked on the reindeer farm and ran a marathon that summer and backpacked and all that cool stuff he did. But mostly he was so cool because of how he made people feel, how friendly and kind-hearted he was. I told him that I loved him and looked forward to many more chances to be together. <br />
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Lori and Cade dropped us off at the airport and then we went home. I wasn't working at the time and I still remember my kids sleeping til 10 or 11 am for a week after we got back catching up on sleep. <br />
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In my head I certainly started planning more trips, some where I went there without my kids and we'd go backpacking together, some where Cade was in Utah going to college and he'd go on a desert trip with us, and some with all of our families together, barbecuing, picnicking, whatever. <br />
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It had been an emotional trip for me. And yet I wondered if I hadn't been emotional enough--had I shown him how much I loved him and thought about him all the time? Had I shown his parents how grateful I was for allowing me to be part of his life? Had I gotten know as much more about him as I could in that week? I know I tend to think everything should be meaningful, I crave it, and I get disappointed too easily when I feel like a conversation lacked a deeper connection. I am constantly seeking that kind of fulfillment and wish I was better at just enjoying life.<br />
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After Cade's funeral last January there was a huge gathering at the church. I saw a group of boys I immediately recognized as Cade's friends, from pictures, stories, and by the devastation on their faces. In the past week I felt like I had learned so much more about Cade from his friends and family posting to Facebook, on which I had been glued for 9 days totally lost in Alaska. I started talking to one of his friends and was telling him exactly what I said above--that I had such a wonderful time on our visit the previous summer but I'd left wishing I had learned even more about him. His friend looked at me and said: "He said the same thing about you." It warmed my heart so much to hear those words. <br />
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I am forever grateful that I got to spend that week in Alaska that summer. Tyler and I have had countless discussions recounting how I had insisted that we went that summer and how fortuitous it was that we did. I am forever grateful to Cade's wonderful family for giving him such a wonderful life and for letting us be part of his and their lives, and I look forward to many more visits with them. I am so grateful to know how much they love him and miss him and what a big part of his whole community he was.<br />
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I love poetry and this is one of my favorites about adoption. I don't mean to discount the role of all of the wonderful men that helped Cade become who he was, but this poem is about two mothers and is just beautiful. I love to see the pictures of him with Lori and know how deeply he loved her and she him. Our families will always be connected through him. <br />
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Despite numerous internet searches, I believe the author is unknown:<br />
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<i><b>Legacy of an Adopted Child</b></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Once there were two women </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Who never knew each other.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">One you do not remember, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The other you call mother.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Two different lives </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Shaped to make yours one.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">One became your guiding star, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The other became your sun.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The first gave you life </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">And the second taught you to live it.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The first gave you a need for love </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">And the second was there to give it.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">One gave you a nationality, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The other gave you a name.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">One gave you a seed of talent, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The other gave you an aim.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">One gave you emotions, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The other calmed your fears.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">One saw your first sweet smile, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The other dried your tears.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">One gave you up - </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">It was all that she could do.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The other prayed for a child </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">And God led her straight to you.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">And now you ask me </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Through your tears,</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The age-old question </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Through the years:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Heredity or environment </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Which are you the product of?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Neither, my darling - neither, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: adelle, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Just two different kinds of love.</span></i><br />
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Some pictures from my trip last January / early February:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palmer is still beautiful in the winter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pkbI0c0P9_c/VMh8aNfro4I/AAAAAAAABAw/nrMF0MYv6FQ/s1600/IMG_0191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pkbI0c0P9_c/VMh8aNfro4I/AAAAAAAABAw/nrMF0MYv6FQ/s1600/IMG_0191.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cade's organ donor flag flying high at the hospital next to the Alaska and American flag</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CwK4w1DlqSI/VMh9D-klmMI/AAAAAAAABBA/jJZWM7s6bdQ/s1600/IMG_0331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CwK4w1DlqSI/VMh9D-klmMI/AAAAAAAABBA/jJZWM7s6bdQ/s1600/IMG_0331.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The organ donor flag his family was given.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Qn8NlJEbxY/VMh90mUrW4I/AAAAAAAABBM/HRY6Y4heJhU/s1600/IMG_0333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Qn8NlJEbxY/VMh90mUrW4I/AAAAAAAABBM/HRY6Y4heJhU/s1600/IMG_0333.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of Cade's original writing through the school years, his race shirt and medal, his 4-H ribbons for his prize-winning reindeers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ssbA0qF6vtY/VMh91C37MQI/AAAAAAAABBU/Y5pUyFbYdGc/s1600/IMG_0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ssbA0qF6vtY/VMh91C37MQI/AAAAAAAABBU/Y5pUyFbYdGc/s1600/IMG_0340.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a few of the things he loved.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Fyo76G_8zk/VMh92HTHMiI/AAAAAAAABBc/H_hJMJT3SmE/s1600/IMG_0341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Fyo76G_8zk/VMh92HTHMiI/AAAAAAAABBc/H_hJMJT3SmE/s1600/IMG_0341.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some more of his hobbies and work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dxk3DMjdiHc/VMiAzc4h9JI/AAAAAAAABBo/gxEy5A9N01Y/s1600/IMG_0241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dxk3DMjdiHc/VMiAzc4h9JI/AAAAAAAABBo/gxEy5A9N01Y/s1600/IMG_0241.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cade's latest reindeer, Yukon Buttons, that he got in the fall of 2013</td></tr>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-12312070576008798332015-01-26T22:35:00.001-07:002015-01-26T22:37:54.450-07:00Alaska 2013 Trip Day 5: Thunderbird Falls, Eklutna Lake, and Anchorage<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our trip was almost over, this was our last full day. I was kind of feeling anxious about everyone enjoying themselves. We had sort of planned a hike that day but I couldn't tell if anyone was up for it and somehow I felt like I had to make the decisions on this trip. One of my kids had mentioned not wanting to go hiking, and I didn't want to push them into doing what I wanted, but I also didn't want to waste the opportunity for unique experiences we couldn't have at home. And, often with my children, as with others I believe, they have a hard time actually leaving the house / where they are comfortable, but then really enjoy the activity.</span></div>
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We went ahead with the plan for the hike. A short hike--just long enough to satisfy my hunger for a chunk of time spent walking, and short enough for the young ones to tolerate. Actually it fell totally short of the time I wanted to spend hiking but that was okay, I know my limits with a toddler : )</span><br />
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We went to Thunderbird Falls which is found somewhat between Anchorage and Palmer in Chugach State Park. It was super lush and green. Lori's younger kids came along too and Bailey and Ellery had lots of fun finding numerous "picture spots" along the way for us to photograph them. </span><br />
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We didn't hang out at the waterfall for long because it was a little muddy and slippery and nowhere to hang out. You can see how pretty the trail was though and this hollow tree trunk all the kids had a turn hiding in. The kids had tons of fun. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From there we drove just a little further into the park to see Eklutna Lake. I don't know the name of the peak behind it but it looks lovely with that cloud sitting halfway up the mountain. What was cool about this trip was all of these beautiful places we went, and none of them were crowded! There was literally no one at this lake but us I think. Cade showed us his awesome rock skipping skills and the kids played for a bit--the girls were building some kind of fairy fortress or something with rocks, and we all just kind of soaked it in for a bit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That night William and Lori took Tyler and I out in Anchorage. First we did some souvenir shopping downtown and then met up at the brewery. We had local seafood (well I did, Tyler steered as far away from that as he could) and we loved their original rootbeer and cream soda. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After dinner we went to Ship Creek to see if we could see any of the salmon run. The picture below was taken around 11:15 or so p.m., lots of fishermen still out but no one was really catching while we were there. From a bridge Lori and I thought we saw a big fish coming our way, or at least a big ripple, when we realized it was a tiny critter. We were in love when we saw that it was a tiny little beaver who literally hopped out of the water to put a stick in its mouth and swim away with it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back at the house I had left Cade in charge of my kids that night. He said they were perfect which made me so happy and then I realized how bizarre he probably thought it was that I told him to put Waylon to sleep in the guest room closet! That is where we had had him sleeping since he (at that time--not now) actually didn't sleep well in bed with us and was comfy enough there on a big blanket. </span><br />
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It was so beautiful and strange that that opportunity ever existed for me to have Cade put his actual half-siblings to sleep and it pains me that they won't remember that. Lori has often shared with my how tender Cade can be with his siblings and I have definitely seen their love and admiration for him. Cade is actually quite shy also and one of the few things I actually remember him saying to me on this trip, I mean, not responding but initiating, was one time in the car he said about Waylon--"He's really smart." It was such a small thing, and I'm not sure Waylon was exhibiting any real "smarts" at this point, but I sort of sensed that Cade was really enjoying the opportunity to get to know these kids too. </span></div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-49764100066355055382015-01-24T01:14:00.005-07:002015-01-24T01:16:58.807-07:00Alaska 2013 Trip Day 4: Hatcher Pass and Independence Mine<div style="color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think this was my favorite day of our trip and yet kind of hard to put into words. It wasn't just that the Hatcher Pass area was so beautiful--it was magical too it seemed, and from the sound of it, it's pretty magical for locals too, they all love it! I can't remember how far it was, but I'm pretty sure this drive was under 45 minutes. We pulled over here by the Little Susitna river to take some pictures. It reminded me of many Montana rivers, and was also just what you picture when you imagine where grizzly bears might come fishing in Alaska. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we got to Hatcher Pass. The wind socks made me to think of prayer flags in Tibet--it really seemed we were in another place. The paragliders made me think of my Dad. It's so weird how much I thought of him on this trip and how much he would love seeing and doing this stuff. So much of his life he talked about flying, first in small planes for which he had his private pilot's license when I was little, later on he would talk about hang-gliding, flying gyrocopters, and finally, ultralights. I would have never guessed that in less than a year both my Cade and my Dad would leave this earth and now I can't seem to think of them separately. </span><br />
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After walking around a bit, Cade was crazy enough to jump into this little glacier-cold lake at Hatcher Pass. I don't even remember why. I am a straight-up wimp when it comes to cold water but I don't know, I wasn't entirely surprised he jumped in. It was crazy, but seemed like something my brothers might have done at 15 years old too, and even later, and in fact, I did once waterski on a 40-degree day in Montana. I definitely saw some of my family in Cade, but loved seeing more of his individuality, who he really was. Still so shy that he hardly talked directly to me yet seemed so approachable, so good-natured and friendly, adventurous, and admired by all--especially his siblings and family. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sY61ki_dhoI/VL8MkOf1aCI/AAAAAAAAA70/90E7Kgj2jt0/s1600/P1020223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sY61ki_dhoI/VL8MkOf1aCI/AAAAAAAAA70/90E7Kgj2jt0/s1600/P1020223.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seemed like we were too quickly running out of time up there that day though. Even with long summer days in Alaska, that Sunday was getting cooler than it had been earlier that week, and you can tell there was a good wind there. </span><br />
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We headed back to our cars and then debated making another stop. I'm so glad we did. I studied archaeology for my undergraduate degree and have had a passion for ruins of any kind as long as I can remember. Something about the juxtaposition of nature and man-made stuff and how nature always wins just gets me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm pretty sure it was after 9 pm or so when we headed out to Independence Mine. Lori took our younger kids back to the house so that Tyler and I, Caiden, Cade, William, Haylee and Heath, could explore a bit. I think my younger ones would have actually really enjoyed this but were equally happy to go back to the house to hang out and it would be late then anyway. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These were the views he had just as we approached Independence Mine. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I loved how the clouds hung low and gave an air of mystery to everything around the village. I loved being able to explore and talk and get to know everyone better. I just loved being there. It seemed so heavenly. Like it was haunted with the stories of the people who lived and worked there, eerie, but not creepy, haunting, but inspiring. I felt really alive there and really good. Like we were all just part of the universe there, just as we always are, but the feeling was amplified by the energy there. </span><br />
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-77621574328381158912015-01-20T10:33:00.002-07:002015-01-20T10:33:57.639-07:00Alaska 2013 Trip Day 3: The Butte and Big Beaver Lake<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Cade's family lives actually in the outskirts of Palmer in an area affectionately known as "The Butte," after its defining natural feature. Hiking the butte is a pretty regular thing there so we didn't want to miss out. We were able to leave our younger ones at the house with Lori and quickly hike up the butte to enjoy the views. <br />
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(this picture was actually taken our last day there--you can tell it was much cloudier)</div>
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We hurried back to the house so that we could meet up with William's family at a cabin at Big Beaver Lake. At the lake William's parents had organized a carnival for their grandchildren, with some fishing games, duck races, shooting, etc. Bailey and Waylon had a blast getting tickets and choosing prizes. </div>
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Soon after this we got in our swimsuits to play in the lake. I kind of feel like I ignored my own children that entire day--were they just being amazing or was I oblivious? Anyway, I had fun watching Cade with his extended family and meeting more of them! Then Tyler and Cade were taking turns riding a little bike off of a jump at the end of this dock and I loved watching them. I imagined us all hanging out at different times in the future--more trips to Alaska or meetups in Utah to play together outside and show each other what we love. </div>
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I loved talking to Lori on that dock and during this whole trip who told me so much more about Cade than he would tell me and who was so encouraging in nurturing this relationship and so loving towards me. What a beautiful place it was to be making these memories! And seriously, what a beautiful Alaskan July day was this!</div>
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Later we all got in Cade's uncle Jake's boat for some water sports. Cade did some wake-surfing and was really good at it. Tyler and I both wake-boarded. I was seriously wimpy about getting in the water and then it wasn't even that cold! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's these two handsome teenage boys I would love to know / have known better and have a deeper relationship with--Caiden and Cade</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had already forgotten how little he was that summer! Don't you just love sleepy little boys!</td></tr>
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At the end of that night we were back at the house and up late. We played some card games with Cade and his family and extended family. It was so much fun but I must admit to having a twinge of sadness that night. Everyone in the room knew Cade better than me and it was kind of hard to swallow for a minute. I wanted to know him as well, I wanted to know everything about him.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Placing Cade for adoption in 1998 was one of the smartest things I've ever done however painful it was. I've seen what a good life he has and this trip allowed me to see more of it and what a wonderful extended family he had as well to support him. They love him so much, and I'm proud and bewildered that he actually did have many of the same interests as me, and had that intense desire for a meaningful, driven life. This day was one where I really felt like I got a better peak into who he was and I loved it. </span></div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-22164461265766083782015-01-17T23:29:00.001-07:002015-01-19T21:33:42.827-07:00Alaska 2013 Trip Day 2: Alyeska and Turnagain Arm <div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Spending a lot of time in a car is not mine nor my children's idea of a great time and yet we did quite a bit of it in Alaska. However, I do think we kept it to a minimum considering all of the options we had, we stayed quite close to Palmer and Anchorage for the very reason mentioned above. </div>
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So the next morning we got up and got ready to drive to Anchorage. We were actually planning to go as far as Portage to see the Portage Glacier on a boat ride there but with kids not napping in the car and getting crabby we stopped in Alyeska. For a once in a lifetime deal you'd think you'd just power through crabby kids but I think it was pretty bad or I was feeling entirely too much weight regarding everyone's level of enjoyment. William had mentioned there was a tram ride to the mountain top at Alyeska Resort with views of several peaks and distant glaciers. It was a beautiful ride and again a beautiful day. We had a mini-snowball fight when we got off the tram and then wandered up the trail a bit to enjoy the air and the views. </div>
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Cade had a friend visiting from Utah who was came along with us too, I'm glad the teenage boys had each other since little kids take up a lot of your time ; ) <br />
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from left to right: Cade's friend Jack, Cade, and Waylon and Caiden</div>
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After we rode the tram back down Tyler dropped Bailey and Waylon and I off at a local park while he picked up some pizza with the boys. It was surprisingly warm out and we found a picnic table in the shade to enjoy our food. By this time it was 3-4 pm I think and so we decided to head back to Palmer. </div>
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On the way I had noticed lots of little turnouts to view the ocean and thought we could play near the water a bit and see the ocean there. Turns out Alaska doesn't really have beaches, I thought they would just be rocky but in fact they are muddy. We stopped at Turnagain Arm and there was a sign warning of the nature of the mud, that in fact it was like quicksand in many places and that you shouldn't walk on it or that to do so would be to risk death, getting stuck and tide coming in. So we got out to look around and Cade suggested we make a pathway of rocks out to the water. Brilliant idea I thought! He and I both began right away, while the other teenage boys sort of thought we were crazy I think, I'm not sure. Pretty soon though I was slipping on these rocks anyway though so I did take a few steps on the mud, and I did pretty much get mud all over my pants from the splash of setting the rocks down. And it took longer than I thought and the longer it took I wondered if I was being crazy, but it was fun and it felt good out and it didn't matter. So I did get to stand in the Alaskan ocean water there at Turnagain Arm. </div>
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When we paved that way, I couldn't really tell if Cade was doing that for me or for him, but I remember thinking "he is like me"--he wanted to do it, it felt good, he likes this kind of work. </div>
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When we got back to the house I changed and went for a short run. I did just about 4 miles and it was the easiest 4 miles I'd ever ran and totally beautiful, just 2 miles out from the house and back is all but the views were great!</div>
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Here is a beautiful yard with a barn just at the end of Cade's street, Pioneer Peak behind it.</div>
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Tyler took Waylon out on a short 4-wheeler ride to the river not too far from the house and then we enjoyed a midnight-ish sunset again while teenager played some video games.</div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-6753663361467134722015-01-17T21:33:00.000-07:002015-01-17T21:33:53.543-07:00Alaska 2013 Trip Report Day 1: Palmer<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
My family of 5, which included a one-year-old at the time, handled the 5-hour nonstop flight from Salt Lake City to Anchorage quite well. A couple of new ipad games, sticker books, etc. helped us along the way. We were met at the airport by my birth-son Cade and his friend and his mother Lori, who drove us to their home in Palmer. Oddly enough, I had expected to see mostly pine trees, perhaps I was thinking of Montana too much or just what's typical of a higher elevation, but I was surprised to see trees of all kinds, it was very lush! </div>
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We arrived at their home and my little ones were eager to explore, I can't blame them considering the menagerie in the backyard; a pet reindeer, 2 goats, a sheep, and a huge friendly golden retriever along with some play equipment and a trampoline. It was a beautiful day and still relatively early so we enjoyed being outside and forming stronger friendships immediately. After adopting three children, Lori and her husband William had three children of their own, so it was super fun to meet them all and be with them, and especially fun for Bailey because she had a playmate just her age. </div>
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Cade had a soccer game that night so we headed over to the field. As we were sitting there we had a great view of Pioneer Peak and the surrounding countryside. Over the soccer field small planes kept appearing in the sky. At the time I just kept thinking of how much my Dad would love coming there, he had even recently remarked on how sad he was to finish the "Flying Alaska" series on Netflix. Flying was always his passion and I have countless memories of attending air shows, kit planes being built in the garage, flying magazines, and any small plane paraphernalia you could think of. </div>
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Around 8 pm we were at the soccer field and it still felt like mid-afternoon but I knew my kids were tired because it was 10 pm for them based on Utah time. And as happy as I was to be there, watching Cade play his soccer game with his friends, I wanted to be sure that Bailey and Waylon (a one-year-old who hadn't napped that day) were not going to be miserable. So we headed back to the house and started getting kids ready for bed. After they were settled, Tyler and I were up late discussing with William and Lori what we wanted to do and see during our stay. They had tons and tons of suggestions, and stories to go along with some--and they taught us how to stay up late like Alaskans! They are so fun and easy to hang out with though that it's so weird to me that I could've been anxious. I wish I had a picture with William and Lori from our visit! </div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-60370838003521006612015-01-17T19:12:00.004-07:002015-01-20T11:06:19.608-07:00Alaska 2013 Pre-trip report<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<i>This might be too personal. This is definitely too long. If you read it, please be gentle with me. </i></div>
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<i>I started writing this blog a little less than 1 year ago, weeks before my birthson died, 6 months after our trip to visit him. Of course you can imagine that it's taken me that long to even think about writing these again, and that I've had to rewrite and consider everything I had before. </i><i>I don't have a personal blog anymore so this will have to do. I'm including a ton of detail that might seem irrelevant, or too intense, or overwhelming, but I just can't tell the story without it. </i></div>
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In July of 2013 my family took a trip to Alaska. It wasn't just for outdoor hobbies or sightseeing, it was to visit a very special boy and his family. So much has changed since that time that this blog post can't be called a "Trip Report" like others that appear on this blog for those purposes. There is just too much to this story. I have to give some background and I'm loading the story with emotional details. </div>
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In the fall of 2009 I was able to face-to-face meet with the boy I had placed for adoption when I was 18. A few months before that his mother Lori had found me on Facebook and we started getting re-acquainted. My adoption was closed at the time of placement and this of course was a dream come true for me. Although I'd always been open and willing to discuss my choice with friends or close ones, having an open adoption was a complete new step for me, one I knew nothing about. I didn't know anyone with an open adoption. I didn't know anyone who talked openly about their adoption. I was so proud of my birthson Cade but sort of embarrassed to be proud, I didn't know if I had the right, I didn't feel as if I was free to discuss him except on rare occasions. </div>
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Since 2009 my family has had one other visit from him and his Mom when they have come to Utah to visit her family. She extended an invitation to us to visit them in Alaska, I remember her exact words being: "all you have to do is get there." Well, the thought never left my mind and I decided the next summer (2013) I was going to make it happen. </div>
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When our trip became a reality, I think part of me was scared. I was having a hard time going to Alaska because I was in a way embarrassed of what my life is now--which is wonderful, but I thought it should be more extraordinary. After I placed Cade I went to college and got my bachelor degree. I studied abroad one semester in Israel and did an archaeology field school one summer. After graduation I went to Japan and taught English for 8 months and then a year later I enrolled in an MBA program I would complete 2 years later. I wanted to make a difference in the world, to change the world, to write or teach or study archaeology and religion and be outside all day. </div>
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I always imagined myself living abroad with my family, not because I don't love America, but because I wanted to make a difference in parts of the world less lucky than us and to teach my children that clothes and popstars are the least of their worries. </div>
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I wanted to do so much but I also desperately wanted a family. Having a baby had opened my eyes to what life was truly about--love, relationships, family, caring and giving. I never in my life have wanted a big house or fancy car or anything like that. But I've always been searching for the unknown, the mysterious, for what people find meaning in, and I've always wanted to help people. But I'm more interested in my family than anything else and somehow that dream isn't compatible unless it's a family dream. </div>
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So somehow I am always still struggling for meaning when it seems everyone else has found it and I'm just wasting my time, just being a loser, not helping anyone at all, not doing anything impressive, and it can feel like I'm a complete let-down. I feel happiest when I'm outside with my children or when I'm teaching them something, and I also feel the happiest when I've pushed myself really hard physically. </div>
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I guess I thought that Cade's family might have a high opinion of me and that I would be a huge let-down. </div>
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Another major reason I was nervous was because of my role as stepmother. Of course no one wants to grow up and be a stepmother. But we all take on the role quite willingly and pretty naively when we fall in love. In fact, we think we'll be awesome. </div>
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Now I have quite a strained relationship with my stepson who lives with our family. It pains me that people might see that tension or lack of warmth. I could write blog after blog after blog about this struggle and my wish for this relationship to be better and the efforts I've made, the counseling I've received to back off, and all of my worries about how that looks to other people--but I was especially self-conscious about this being apparent during our stay in Alaska. Like, did I marry someone with a son close in age to the one I gave up to replace that child? Can they see how much he dislikes and avoids interaction with me? Why does he dislike me / have no interest in me? Was I a cruel stepmother? or Do I not love my stepchild as my own? and/or Did I really deserve such an awesome husband while being a not-awesome wife/stepmom (since Tyler was so great with Cade and his family)? Will they see or feel the tension when I try to even speak to my stepson or how when there's no one else around how we don't know what to do around each other? </div>
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And most of all, I didn't want my stepson to feel as if this boy, Cade, was so much more loved, I wanted to make sure that my stepson felt my love too! </div>
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Those are all of the things I was thinking about when taking this trip. Which is kind of ridiculous I know but I also couldn't help any of it. </div>
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And all I wanted was to get to know my son better, and having learned that we had mutual interests and having felt so loved by his family I should have just not worried at all, and I did feel comfortable and I was so excited, just with all that stuff on my mind. </div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-21442990144679646372014-12-12T10:37:00.001-07:002014-12-12T10:38:48.923-07:00Canyoneering Zion October 2014 Part 3 Kanarra Creek<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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Okay so Kanarra Creek isn't in Zion National Park, but it is just north of there and we were able to stop and hike back on our way home that Sunday. <br />
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Neither Laurie or I had been there before and it seems like everyone in Utah has, or it has somehow just gotten really popular the last few years? Anyway we wanted to check it out. <br />
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This was our most crowded hike, lots of hikers and families but it didn't take away from the experience. It's popular because it's fairly accessible, no permits needed, not a long hike, just a few hours, it's close off the freeway and number one, very very beautiful!<br />
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We hiked into the canyon and were immediately stoking on the tall walls and narrow pathway the water came through. I really can't wait to take my kids here next year! <br />
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After the first ladder were a few pools that came about thigh-high on both of us. Then there were more waterfalls and pretty rocks and the canyon stayed narrow to the second ladder--if you can call it that. That second one was a bit sketchy, there was a few steps and then a log to walk on. Some rope and webbing along the rock wall was there to help you make your way across the slippery rocks right in the waterway but even that looked sketchy, the rope was core-shot and some of the webbing fraying as well. The canyon opened up pretty soon after that, I think less than 50 yards maybe. <br />
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I loved the hike, and definitely will be revisiting it with my family as soon as I can. <br />
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-85118604549939098312014-12-11T12:39:00.003-07:002014-12-11T12:44:38.034-07:00Canyoneering Zion October 2014 Part 2 The Subway<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Painful as it was, Laurie and I got up at 5 am to do the Subway. Since we camped on the east side of Zion we had at least a 1.5 hour drive to get to the trail head up on the Kolob Terrace road in the town of Virgin. The hike takes a full day and we wanted to not only hit the trail early, but maximize our options for catching a ride from our vehicle at the exit to the upper trailhead. When we got to the lower parking we still were packing our backpacks when the Zion Adventure Company shuttle came along. We weighed the cost and decided to just pay for the ride since we wanted to get started on our day and we hadn't seen any other groups come by yet. </span></div>
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This would be my second time through the Subway, having gone in <a href="http://rootsoutdooradventures.blogspot.com/2012_08_01_archive.html">August 2012 Subway Trip</a>. I snapped a few photos of the route description to refer to on my phone. Laurie and I kept leapfrogging a couple that was visiting from Florida doing the hike for their first time. Occasionally they wanted to check if they were on track but it was fairly easy to spot cairns marking the path over the slickrock when the trial wasn't visible. We actually leapfrogged them the whole day, and ending up recommending they spend their next morning going through Keyhole. : )<br />
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This trip was very different from my first visit and I love how doing a hike you love again is always new and always fun--like Heraclitus' theme--you can never step in the same river two times. The weather was perfect, it was a sunny day, and I think just 70 or so degrees. The water was definitely much chillier (and colder than Keyhole had been), so I was grateful for my wetsuit. There were brightly colored fall leaves throughout, decorating the sides of the canyon and floating in brilliant collections in pools. But the biggest difference was how clear the water was! I actually felt guilty that it was so blue and Tyler's trip had been muddy like our last one!</div>
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Fall colors and reflections in these photos:</div>
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Clear blue water in these:<br />
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compare to the same spot in August 2012:</div>
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This time no logs got in the way of going under the waterfall!</div>
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compare to August 2012:</div>
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We had some fun on the exit, well, Laurie had some fun sliding down these rocks and we loved the bugs!</div>
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On the long hike through the creek after the Subway section I got pretty drained. I kept stumbling over my feet and was moving so slow. I don't think I've ever bonked like that so bad before. It just seemed like it was taking forever and we kept getting ahead and then falling behind the couple from Florida, and kept seeing hikers coming from the bottom up giving reports of how much farther. I just got so tired of making my way through those rocks and then after one of our breaks I said to Laurie: "wouldn't it be awesome if the exit was just around this corner?" Then we turned the corner and it actually was! I practically sprinted up the hill, I guess I had the energy I just was starting to hate the terrain even though it was still so pretty. : )<br />
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We had dinner in Springdale that night and headed back up to Zion Ponderosa. I was really happy we did the Subway because it was so perfect and so beautiful! We both had a great time and I might venture to say it was one of Laurie's favorite hikes ever. <br />
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I decided to make a tally of my Zion hits and misses so far (this isn't all of the canyons / hikes in the park, just those I've been interested in thus far and are within my skill set). I can't wait to get back there!</div>
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<u>My Zion backcountry hits so far:</u></div>
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Backpacking:</div>
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West Rim w/ Angel's Landing</div>
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East Rim w/ Cable Mountain and Deer Trap Mountain overlooks</div>
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Kolob Arch</div>
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Canyoneering:</div>
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Keyhole Canyon (4 times)</div>
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Subway (2 times) </div>
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Jolley Gulch (1 time)</div>
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Englestead Hollow (1 time) </div>
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Fat Man's Misery / Misery (2 times) </div>
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Mystery Canyon (1 time) </div>
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<u>My Zion backcountry wishlist is:</u></div>
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Backpacking:<br />
Hop Valley (the only piece I'm missing of the full Zion traverse)<br />
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Canyoneering:</div>
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Pine Creek</div>
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Spry Canyon</div>
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Birch Hollow & exit down through Orderville (didn't get to when we did Englestead)</div>
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Dead Eye Dick</div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-50973690237909473562014-12-11T10:31:00.001-07:002014-12-11T12:40:57.169-07:00Canyoneering Zion October 2014 Part 1 Keyhole Canyon<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
For those who don't know, I've had a rough year. A really rough one. Sure I had a few fun trips already, but I also bailed on some fun ones because I spent all of August and September crying and too paralyzed to want to leave my kids. And despite the fun times I had, I would gladly trade them to have back the people I lost. But since trades like that aren't possible, I decided to keep living the way I always have, to try to get the most out of it, making memories all the way. </div>
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Finally I felt up to doing something again, and it was hard to find a window as always. April couldn't join me which really bummed me out, but my friend Laurie was up for something new and it turned out perfect!</div>
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Laurie and I have been friends for a couple of years now. Her family made their first visit to Zion National park in April this year and did some of the standard family hikes. Zion never disappoints and they loved it, but she was eager to see more backcountry action. I wanted to see some more technical canyons in the park and submitted a request for a number of last minute permits in the drawing. I also thought Keyhole would be perfect for Laurie because it's so beginner-friendly and a fun scenic slot. </div>
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Day 1:</div>
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So we set off for Keyhole. On our way into Zion we stopped off at the Zion Adventure Company to rent a wetsuit for Laurie and for me to pick up some warmer neoprene socks. (I ended up buying the 5ml because my feet are always the first thing to freeze.)</div>
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Keyhole was warmer than any of my previous trips (two times in May and one time in September) so I was pleasantly surprised. The water seemed just barely lower than my most recent trip, May 2014--you still had to tread water just for a sec off of that first rappel to disconnect from the rope. </div>
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As I guessed she would, Laurie loved it. Keyhole is so fun that it seems impossible not to love! The slot gets pretty deep in a few points and the walls climb above you and there's only a slit of sky and that's what makes it so awesome while you're swimming through. </div>
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We didn't see anyone else while in the canyon and just a few people as we exited. I think the entire trip from leaving our car and back to it took almost 2 hours. We spent a lot of time taking pictures and just enjoying it and a good 20 minutes for me to wriggle into my wetsuit. </div>
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We loved seeing the fall colors in the canyon just before going in and again when we came out, such a wonderful time of year to come! We headed up to Zion Ponderosa to camp and were set up by 6-ish despite switching our site.</div>
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Laurie made our fire while I made dinner and we had a great time talking and chatting about the canyon we had just done, the plans for the next day, and of course, everything else about our lives. </div>
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When we were at the backcountry desk earlier that day they didn't have any of the canyons open I wanted to try for the next day. They did however, have some cancellations for the Left Fork of North Creek, aka, the Subway top-down. I felt kind of silly doing it because Tyler had just been with his brothers a few weeks earlier and it felt weird that we would each take separate trips to do the same canyon. </div>
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<i>(Plus I'd been just a little bit jealous of his trip, but just mostly because he's been gone a zillion times this year for work already in addition to a few other guys trips and also because hiking is my heaven, my Disneyland, my whatever you call it--it is and always has been the thing I love most. But I didn't want to feel like I was out for revenge doing the same thing because I don't do that, just worried it might seem that way to some.) </i></div>
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Silliness aside, after discussing other out-of-the-park options, the Subway seemed the best choice--I'd done it before, it was beginner friendly canyoneering, and of course, would have spectacular scenery. I ended the night feeling really fulfilled and excited for the next day's adventures. </div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-49016013272598457342014-11-17T11:11:00.002-07:002014-11-17T11:11:39.293-07:00A Rolling Stone--Inspiration from Robert William Service<div class="KonaBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14.3999996185303px; min-height: 610px;">
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There's sunshine in the heart of me,<br />My blood sings in the breeze;<br />The mountains are a part of me,<br />I'm fellow to the trees.<br />My golden youth I'm squandering,<br />Sun-libertine am I;<br />A-wandering, a-wandering,<br />Until the day I die.<br /><br />I was once, I declare, a Stone-Age man,<br />And I roomed in the cool of a cave;<br />I have known, I will swear, in a new life-span,<br />The fret and the sweat of a slave:<br />For far over all that folks hold worth,<br />There lives and there leaps in me<br />A love of the lowly things of earth,<br />And a passion to be free.<br /><br />To pitch my tent with no prosy plan,<br />To range and to change at will;<br />To mock at the mastership of man,<br />To seek Adventure's thrill.<br />Carefree to be, as a bird that sings;<br />To go my own sweet way;<br />To reck not at all what may befall,<br />But to live and to love each day.<br /><br />To make my body a temple pure<br />Wherein I dwell serene;<br />To care for the things that shall endure,<br />The simple, sweet and clean.<br />To oust out envy and hate and rage,<br />To breathe with no alarm;<br />For Nature shall be my anchorage,<br />And none shall do me harm.<br /><br />To shun all lures that debauch the soul,<br />The orgied rites of the rich;<br />To eat my crust as a rover must<br />With the rough-neck down in the ditch.<br />To trudge by his side whate'er betide;<br />To share his fire at night;<br />To call him friend to the long trail-end,<br />And to read his heart aright.<br /><br />To scorn all strife, and to view all life<br />With the curious eyes of a child;<br />From the plangent sea to the prairie,<br />From the slum to the heart of the Wild.<br />From the red-rimmed star to the speck of sand,<br />From the vast to the greatly small;<br />For I know that the whole for good is planned,<br />And I want to see it all.<br /><br />To see it all, the wide world-way,<br />From the fig-leaf belt to the Pole;<br />With never a one to say me nay,<br />And none to cramp my soul.<br />In belly-pinch I will pay the price,<br />But God! let me be free;<br />For once I know in the long ago,<br />They made a slave of me.<br /><br />In a flannel shirt from earth's clean dirt,<br />Here, pal, is my calloused hand!<br />Oh, I love each day as a rover may,<br />Nor seek to understand.<br />To enjoy is good enough for me;<br />The gipsy of God am I;<br />Then here's a hail to each flaring dawn!<br />And here's a cheer to the night that's gone!<br />And may I go a-roaming on<br />Until the day I die!<br /><br />Then every star shall sing to me<br />Its song of liberty;<br />And every morn shall bring to me<br />Its mandate to be free.<br />In every throbbing vein of me<br />I'll feel the vast Earth-call;<br />O body, heart and brain of me<br />Praise Him who made it all! </div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-16128801558626735782014-10-13T16:59:00.000-06:002014-11-09T17:17:10.758-07:00Pete's Rock - October 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With Alene and Laurie's up-coming trip to Zion to do a little canyoneering, we decided to brush Laurie up on her rappelling skills so they were better prepared. We brought our ropes and the kids along and spent a few hours on a Sunday evening rappelling off the rock. I even took a little time to practice using a prusik knot to use as an auto block and had great success using it. Pete's rock provides a good 100' + rappel opportunity, however I think I'm going to pass on doing it at this place any more because the jagged edges of the rocks put too much wear on my rope. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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Laurie, with Salt Lake city behind her</div>
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Bailey had practiced a little rappelling on a 45 degree slab on the back face of the rock and Waylon begged to "walk down the rock backward", so we rigged him up in her harness</div>
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Laurie was there to catch him at the bottom<br />
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Alene took some cute pictures of the kids up above Pete's Rock on the Mount Olympus trail<br />
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-898462070708598232014-09-29T14:19:00.000-06:002014-11-16T15:42:34.620-07:00The Subway - September 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It had been <a href="http://rootsoutdooradventures.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-subway-august-20-2012.html" target="_blank">a couple of years</a> since my first trip through the Subway and I had been dieing to get back. I finally put in for permits back in June and was able to score 10 total. My intent was to get my brothers together (I have 4 of them), my son, my brother in-law Bill, and whomever else I could get to help fill the permit. A couple of my bothers were not able to make it, so I made room for my brother in-law Brock and his son Johnny. This was Johnny's 10th birthday so it would be a good time to break him in to some light canyoneering and a good day of hiking. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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We met up with Bill in the dark at a campsite about a mile off the Kolob Terrace road and quickly set up our tents for a short night of sleep. We were up by 5am, packing, then setting off to the trail head. Bill had scored permits to do Russell Gulch, so he and his cousin, Quinn, set out from the Wildcat trailhead around 6:45 in the morning while my brothers and I took his truck back to set our shuttle vehicle. By the time we set the vehicle and finished packing we were on the trail about 8am, which gave Bill and Quinn a good head start so they had time to do Russel Gulch. We planned to meet them at the bottom where it empties into the left fork. </div>
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The hike in was as beautiful as I remembered it. Starting off in a high pine forrest and wandering your way down sandstone, you can't get much better views than that. I did not remember the approach being as long as it was and was thrown off a bit after you get down the slick rock bowl, thinking we were supposed to go more left and following a trail which ended up being the route to Das Boot. I quickly made our correction and found our way over to the scramble down into the canyon. </div>
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We arrived at the pool at the bottom of Russell Gulch and only had to wait about 5 or so minutes for Bill and Quinn to join us (perfect timing). They both donned their wetsuits for the trip, which I eventually became a little jealous of, but I did fine without mine (likely because of the "extra" insulation I naturally possess). </div>
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I was surprised at how little water there was in the upper left fork (just random puddles here and there). We made our way to the first official rappel and were all able to down-climb the crack on the right (LDC). We quickly made our way down the canyon and before you know it we were at the famous bowling alley. The last time we hit this part we had to bypass on the left because of the flow of water (it was the day after flash flooding the previous day), so it was fun to climb up on top and get down the other side for a swim. </div>
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We then were at Keyhole falls quickly as well and we down-climbed this section as well. Unfortunately for me (for the second time) most of the great swimming sections were covered in sand, so it was a simple walk over these areas. I'm hoping someday to hit it in better conditions, but that wasn't going to deter from the fun we were still having. </div>
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We spent time at the keyhole slot, then over to the Subway where we prepared for our short rappel. Bill belayed johnny down due to his inexperience, which I think made him more comfortable. Again, due to the previous months flash flooding, most of the pools were buried in sand, with only a little water going over some of the lips slowly washing out the sand over time.</div>
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We ate some lunch below the subway section, then packed up and worked our way on out, taking a bit of time for some pictures at the red waterfall sections below and this is where we began to see groups working their way up. I still cannot fathom doing this hike from the bottom up, missing out on all of that beauty above. </div>
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The hike out was eventful at times. We saw a lot of brook trout in the creek in various spots and my son Caiden found a nice sized Tarantula as well. As we started to exit we began to get hit with rain and a bit of thunder. </div>
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The remainder of the trip we had planned (with permits) to do Keyhole Canyon the next day, but that night the area got hit with some major rain storms and flash flooding. So bad that they had to close down the park on the east side, which is where we ended up camping (Zion Ponderosa). After doing the subway we killed some time out at the old downhill section of the Redbull Rampage and watched the amature bikers play around for a bit before heading to camp. We hung out Saturday to see if the rain would let up and it never did. We passed a bit of the time hanging out in the recreation barn before finally calling it a day and heading home. Bummed out about not being able to fully utilize the time we had, but satisfied that we were able to do the Subway. </div>
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Caiden (my son), who rarely expresses if he liked a hike or not, was adamant that we come back and do this one again, which made me happy. I don't like to push things on him, but I truly hope he develops a love for the outdoors that I have. </div>
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At the Wildcat trailhead</div>
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Dropping down into the canyon</div>
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The first are we got wet</div>
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Billy decided to go all in</div>
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Such a beautiful canyon</div>
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Caiden on rappel</div>
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Billy on rappel</div>
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Johnny on rappel</div>
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Brock on rappel</div>
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The Subway</div>
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Caiden and I below the red falls</div>
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The friendly Tarantula</div>
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Johnny, taking cover from the rain while we snack before exiting the canyon</div>
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Looking back on the canyon we came out of</div>
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Downhill biker jumping across a 15" section of road. </div>
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Waiting out the storm at the recreation barn</div>
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It was coming down hard</div>
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Video from our hike through the Subway</div>
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-61663724838631690892014-09-08T15:42:00.000-06:002014-11-09T17:04:24.419-07:00The Living Room - September 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It had been a while since we had been up to this fun little place above Salt Lake City. We were looking for something to do with the family on a Sunday afternoon and opted to head back up here. It's located up above Red Butte Gardens. It's a bit of a climb, but you're there before you know it. Over the years people have been using the loose rocks in the area to create furniture. As you sit, you over-look the valley with beautiful views.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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We hiked out as the sun had set pretty quickly and ended up back at our car with nothing more than a few cell phone lights and the moon light. Just as we got into our car we heard a large pack of coyotes howling not far from where we just came out of the small grove of trees near the trail head.<br />
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Hiking up the trail</div>
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At the Living Room</div>
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View from the Living Room</div>
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-91712877719593564242014-09-06T11:34:00.000-06:002014-11-09T16:40:54.319-07:00San Juan River Trip - September 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Growing up I wasn't exactly a river-rat, however I loved spending time down at the South Fork of the American River in Northern California. Our family didn't vacation a lot, but we played hard on the weekends, often bringing our inner tubes and floating various sections of the river. On rare occasions we were also able to take a few commercial trips down this class III river. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a><br />
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Likewise Alene grew up in Montana, where the three forks met in her hometown of Missoula. She has fond memories of floating down various sections of the rivers there with her family in the commercial raft her father bought locally in Salt Lake City. That raft had sat in her parents garage for a long time with no use so when her sister April started to get the itch to get out and run a river, they decided to put in for permits to run the tame San Juan River.<br />
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April and Bill went in for the long-haul and invested in a really nice commercial raft they were able to purchase used, but at a great price. We weren't quite ready to bit the bullet yet due to money, so we opted to use the same raft Alene and her family would use 30 years earlier. We took it on a test run of the Provo River and it seemed to hold up well, so we were in.<br />
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Along for the ride was April and Bill's 3 children, Bill's sister Whitney and her beau Ethan, Alene, myself, and two of our three children. We put in at Sand Island just a few miles outside Bluff, UT, and took out at Mexican Hat, UT. Total trip was roughly 26 miles. The original plan was to spend two nights on the river, but due to some likely complications to the 30 year old raft (leaking), Bill applied an entire roll of Gorilla tape to our boat on day 2 and we pushed on to finish out the trip. Surprisingly the raft didn't allow one bit of water in. Gorilla tape for the win!<br />
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The river was not running very high or fast, so there was a lot of paddling and occasionally getting out to pull the raft over shallow sections, but it was still a great experience for us and bringing the kids along.<br />
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Rafting is an expensive commitment, but I'm looking forward to more trips and more adventures on the water. We had a great time despite the obstacles.<br />
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Stopping by Looking Glass arch on our way down (good place to stretch the legs)<br />
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Checking out Fort Bluff<br />
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Day 2, putting on the water<br />
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Petroglyphs along the river<br />
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April and Bill's awesome rig<br />
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Our campsite<br />
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Waylon was really quiet while playing down by the shore, then he finally asked for help. He was stuck deep in the mud<br />
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How Waylon uses his sleeping pad<br />
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2nd day on the river<br />
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Narrow sections on the river<br />
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Getting closer to the end of our trip. Mexican Hat rock in the distance<br />
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Alene's shoes broke on this trip and Bill's Gorilla tape job held up just long enough.<br />
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Video from our trip<br />
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-86328102358057611332014-08-18T10:13:00.000-06:002014-11-09T11:32:30.334-07:00Havasupai - August 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This place had been on the radar for quite some time, but always seemed such a big endeavor because of the distance to get there (Southern side of the Grand Canyon).<br />
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Alene was originally going to be going on this trip, but due to the amount of time she had already spent being away from the kids this year she ultimately decided to stay home. On the trip was me (Tyler), Bill, April, Bill's sister Whitney, and April/Bill's son Lanik. The drive down there was a good 12 hours with stops, gassing up, etc. We got out at Hoover dam to stretch our legs a bit before continuing on. We were in no rush to get to the trailhead, so we took our time. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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We arrived at the trailhead later that evening once the sun had set (around 10pm or so). We spent the time sorting out our backpacking gear and getting prepared for an early rise to avoid the heat hiking in. We slept on the ground next to our car and woke up around 4:30am. Packs were finished and we were off by 5am. </div>
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The hike in is relatively easy, almost all down hill. We didn't see much of it due to hiking in the darkness with head lamps. About half way down we started to see a few groups here and there on their way out. By the time we arrived at the junction of the main canyon (where Havasu creek starts) it had become pretty light. From there it was a few more miles to the main village, then another couple of miles to our campground.<br />
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The campground area is a "first come, first served" basis and you just kind of find your spot. We picked a spot not too far from the fresh water spring they have set up. Since we arrived on a Thursday the campground was not too full. A few small groups here and there, then a couple of large boy scout groups (more on that later).</div>
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The first set of falls you see after passing through the village is 50' falls, then little navajo falls. Once you enter the campground area, you're first met with Havasu Falls, which is stunning. by the time we got to camp it was pushing close to high noon and it was hot. We quickly got our things set up and ran back up to Havasu falls for some soaking and swimming. The blue water there is so surreal, you look as if you're in the caribbean. We spent a bit of time jumping off some small rocks nearby, then headed back to camp.</div>
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After resting a bit we strolled about 3/4 mile down to Mooney Falls, which is also just as stunning as Havasu. This one required the infamous climb down a set of some really slippery rocks with nothing more than a slippier chain to hold onto. I'd venture to say the climb down was a good 200', if not longer. Kind of scary, but makes it worth it.<br />
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Mooney falls was beautiful and directly below it was a fun little set of falls with a small rope swing. Under those falls was a tiny alcove you could swim under and out of. We spent the rest of the day at Mooney, then headed back up to camp for dinner and some shut-eye.<br />
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The next day we trecked on down to Beaver Falls, which was about a 3 mile hike from our campground. The first part of the hike was pretty much down the creek, but eventually the canyon widens and you're wandering through lush greenery in scense many people have described like being in a tropical canyon. The trail crosses the creek one more time, then eventually you're at Beaver falls. We spent quite a bit of time there swimming and jumping off some rocks above the falls (jumping from the actual falls are restricted).<br />
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Eventually we headed back to camp and as we sat around and talked about "what else" we all kind of decided that there wasn't much more to see/do, so we planned to hike out that night, instead of spending another day there. I know many people would be just as happy to lounge around the canyon, but that wasn't something our group really cared to do.<br />
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We attempted to head to bed around 9:30, but a group that arrived that day decided it would be a great idea to set up their camp about 40' from us, which seems like a big distance, but in a canyon even a general conversation at that distance can seem loud. There were TONS of other available campsites in the area, why that close to us? When we went to bed was about the time they all decided they wanted to get really rowdy. We all kind of thought they would follow the campground rules about "quiet time" after 10pm, but being that the locals don't really seem to care about what goes on in the campground, we knew it wouldn't be enforced. We all patiently waited in our tents, trying to sleep, but when 11pm came around Bill decided to yell out at the top of his lungs about how people were trying to sleep, but it didn't seem to do much. I was sleeping in my hammock and witnessed two women in their group nuzzle up even closer to our campsite and decide to do their business not more than 20' from April and Bill's tent. Eventually I got out of my hammock and walked over to their campsite and assertively told them that I hated to be the guy to break up the party, but we had to get up in 2 hours to hike out and we are not getting any sleep because of how loud they were being. They seemed really cool about it and immediately broke things up and headed to bed. Honestly though, who are these people that have no regard for others when camping? I don't mind being loud and up late when I know there is no one nearby, but it's just basic consideration when you have neighbors, especially when you decided to camp close to them.<br />
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We awoke around 1:30am with intentions on being on the trail by 2. We wanted to hit the parking lot at sunrise and we knew we would be gaining elevation the whole way. On our way out we noticed a pack of dogs rummaging through a large pile of garbage bags that one of the scout troops had left behind (there were tons of feral dogs in the area). One of them saw us hiking out and casually just came up to join us. We thought it was cute and figured he would eventually stop at the village but he just kept following us. Hiking out in the dark was much different and there were a few areas where the trail would split. It wasn't as if we would get lost, but this dog would always stay out in front of us and end up taking the correct trail. We knew he had probably done this hike 100's of times. Eventually we started calling him Marcus (I have no idea where that name came from), but he was an awesome dog. Stopping when we stopped, snacking with us, just being a good companion. He was even smart enough to know where to fill up on water as the trail left the canyon next to Havasu creek.<br />
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As we headed out on the hilltop trail away from the main canyon I fell behind a bit because I was doing a little re-packing. As the group got about 1/4 mile ahead I heard a loud growl and started to double time it back. Eventually I heard Bill yell back to see if I was OK and I responded. As I came to this small climb next to a dry fall I looked off to my left and noticed one of the locals crouched in a fetal position off the trail about 10' from me, as if he was trying to hide from me. It was really weird and kind of scared me for a second. I caught up to Bill a few minutes later and asked if he heard the growl, he said he did and he was pretty sure it was a horse (which made sense after I thought about it). I then mentioned the dude crouched and hiding on the side of the trail and he said he did, but the guy was trying to avoid us somehow. It was just weird. We carried on, watching our back a bit here and there, but all was good.<br />
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It began to get a tiny bit light and with every break we took we were more and more tempted to just fall asleep right there; we were that tired. Marcus would continue to stop with us, then move as we moved. He was such a good dog and we could not believe that a local dog would be so nice to move along with us like that.<br />
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Eventually we came to the steep climb out. We trudged our way out, one foot after the other until we all made it out. Marcus was funny because he'd see us doing these long routes following the switch backs, then he'd just take the straight shot up the hill and cut off the switch back, looking at us like we were stupid for not following him. Once we made it to the top, Marcus ditched us for greener pastures (we assumed). We felt kind of used, but were happy he kept us company.<br />
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Getting back to the hilltop was a relief. It was nice to get back, high-five, etc. but we had a long drive ahead of us. We worked our way back to Kingman, AZ and made a well-deserved breakfast run at a Cracker Barrel, then began the rest of our long journey home.<br />
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A few comments on trash and I promise I'm not trying to be a blow-hard. I know I'm preaching to many in the choir regarding trash, but I was shocked at how much garbage there was the minute we reached the hilltop to prepare to go into the canyon. It was full of non-stop litter the entire way. Plastic water/gatorade bottles, cans, paper, plastic bags, cardboard, etc. everywhere. It was sad and overwhelming because I know I could have carried my own large trash bag and filled it up within a few hundred feet, but there was no way I would have had the strength to continue to carry it out without dropping and possibly ripping the bag again. In order to clean the canyon up you would definitely need someone to helicopter in large 30-yard dumpster after dumpster until it was done.<br />
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The question though is where is it coming from? These conditions persisted through the canyon and into the village. I have to wonder if it's just not a priority for the locals? I'm positive blame is placed on both (locals and visitors) so I hope that someday efforts can be made to improve this. I'd imagine due to the fact that people can pay to be helicoptered in or you could do the hike, but pay to have a mule pack your stuff in, maybe it's telling me that lazier people are dirtier?? I have no idea, but I had many thoughts running through my head about this.<br />
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One thing that impressed me and angered me at the same time. Two boy scout troops in the canyon and two different spots. The first group was preparing to leave the day after we got there. It appeared they were all from Arkansas and one thing I noticed was this HUGE pile of trash in their campsite, but I could tell it was not their trash; it had been trash they picked up in the canyon. Large piece of scrap metal, even a tire, along with bags full of trash. The next morning when they left the trash was gone. I was impressed that they took it upon themselves to live the true code of leaving the place better than when they arrived. This impressed me.<br />
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The next troop was from Southern California and being that many of them wore BYU hats or "Mormon Dude" shirts (in the shape of a Mountain Dew logo), I assumed this was an LDS scout troop. This troop packed in tons of stuff and decided it was a good idea to bag all of their garbage (about 4-5 large garbage bags full) and leave it behind in their campsite for the dogs to come through and rip apart and spread all over the area (which is what our beloved "Marcus" was enjoying). This angered me.<br />
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Overall the experience was awesome, but honestly the trash really left me with a bad taste in my mouth and somewhat of a downer. I really hope someone or a group can enact an effort to clean up the canyon. I think it would make the experience for everyone more enjoyable.<br />
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With that said, some pictures from the trip:<br />
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Havasu Falls<br />
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The climb down to Mooney Falls<br />
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Mooney Falls<br />
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Small waterfall below Mooney Falls. You can swim behind the falls on the left<br />
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View from under the falls<br />
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Small waterfall terraces further below Mooney Falls<br />
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Hiking back to our campsite. This is a picture of some of the campsites right along the river<br />
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The green hike down to Beaver Falls on day 2<br />
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Heart shaped cactus. Made me think about Alene and Bailey<br />
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Beaver Falls. We jumped off the falls at the very top (behind Beaver Falls)<br />
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A typical scene as you hiked back up from Beaver Falls<br />
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Trash in the canyon hike out. This was what you typically saw the whole way<br />
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Our dear friend Marcus.<br />
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Video from our trip<br />
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-55976052022930738792014-08-17T16:50:00.000-06:002014-11-09T17:16:58.937-07:00Donut Falls - August 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had just returned from a backpacking trip to Havasupai and Alene was understandably jealous and needed desperately to get out and into nature. We opted to head up to Donut Falls located in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The kids love getting out, especially when there is a trail to follow and several "picture spots" along the way. This hike is short and quick and because of that you'll see more people than you would want if you like a little solitude, but still fun none the less. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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At the beginning of the trail</div>
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Several picture spots</div>
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Alene and Bailey hiking up closer to the falls. This place had changed a lot since the first time I hiked up here about 10 years prior. You could actually see the full falls from the bottom. Now you have to hike up to see them.</div>
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-60896126512497267122014-07-27T11:25:00.000-06:002014-11-09T15:47:35.797-07:00Provo River rafting - July 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In preparation for a family river trip on the San Juan in a month we joined April and Bill to test out our rafting skills on the busy Provo River. We put in just below the Deer Creek dam and took about an hour trip down the river before getting out at our shuttle vehicle. It was a fun day to spend in the summer heat on a lazy sunday. We ended up making two trips, just to make use of the time we had.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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On the river<br />
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Russ and Bailey<br />
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Parker and Waylon<br />
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Alene and the kids<br />
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Getting photo bombed<br />
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Moki leading the way<br />
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-57929647699361822972014-07-20T11:16:00.000-06:002014-11-09T11:32:56.110-07:00The Fairy Forest - July 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Alene is always good about finding fun things for kids to do. She found a fun little place that both of our kids enjoyed, located up off the Mirror Lake Highway in the Uintas. I'm not always fond of people leaving their mark on nature like this, so I'm kind of torn, but the hypocrite in me has come out and for the sake of the children enjoying themselves, I'm letting this one slide. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-18502488944758748312014-06-25T20:56:00.002-06:002014-10-19T12:53:33.002-06:00Fat Man's Misery (aka Misery Canyon) May 2013/June 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msid=218081433815653658278.0004fcb68c35bcf94850e&msa=0" target="_blank">Click here for a Map of our route</a><br />
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Last year in May Alene, Bill, spent a couple of days down in Zion to get some canyoneering experience under our belts. Bill had done Fat Man's before and offered to take us through. It was a wonderful experience going through a more difficult, yet beginner-friendly canyon.<br />
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Being that I used my iphone to take pictures of our trip in 2013, and also being that I broke my iphone after exiting kehole canyon the next day (and never being able to recover the pictures), I'm combining this year's (2014) trip report pictures along with a video from 2013.<br />
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We all headed down from Northern Utah on Friday afternoon and met up at Zion Ponderosa for our basecamp. April and Bill got a much early start in the day so they took some time to hike over to the East Mesa viewpoint while we drove down. Alene and I arrived around midnight and we spent some time getting settled and making plans for the next day.<br />
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We slept in a bit longer than we should have and did not get started on the trail until around 8:20am. The hike in is beautiful, surrounded by many lush and green vegetation with the backdrop of the beautiful sandstone that makes the east side of zion so captivating. We followed a dry wash for about 30 minutes or so before coming to the steep and strenuous sandy hill to climb.<br />
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The ladies at the beginning of the trail<br />
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Bill, our fearless leader<br />
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Getting to the top of the sandy hill (it's a great feeling)<br />
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More ladies<br />
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The state flower (sego lilly) in full bloom<br />
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From the sandy hill we began our descent into the canyon, which had us go down and over about 3-4 minor "hills" before coming to the large upper portion of Fat Man's. We worked our way down the large slickrock and into the canyon and sat for a little break before venturing up a minute or two to the first rappel in the canyon.<br />
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One could bypass most of the technical sections in this canyon until you come to the last rappel, which is avoidable. By why miss the best parts? The technical sections come with all kinds of good beginner-friendly challenges. A nice 30' rappel, several down-climbs, an opportunity for some teamwork by using a meat-anchor, then partner assisting others down a few awkward drops. The upper canyon was mostly dry with a few pools here and there. The frogs were in full force.<br />
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Dropping into the upper canyon<br />
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Alene on the first rappel<br />
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A little down-climb<br />
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The first arch room. That piece of webbing is used to swing around and get on that ledge Alene is standing on.<br />
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Exiting one of the technical sections<br />
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Bill and Alene on the last rappel<br />
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I wore knee/elbow pads for the first time and I LOVED the protection they provide. Such a difference. Look who's smiling and look who's frowning.<br />
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We stopped for some lunch before heading into the tall/narrow section and the last arch room. This is where more water appeared, much deeper than last year's jaunt through the canyon, which made for some fun.<br />
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Alene and April waiting to head into the second arch room<br />
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Looking back at the second arch room<br />
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The ladies in the second arch room<br />
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Doing a bit of high-stemming to set a hand-line on a bolt so we could get down a drop a little easier<br />
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Alene and I at the grotto spring. It was so beautiful here and full of tiny frogs<br />
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Burst shot of Alene sliding into the last exit pool<br />
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We happened to run into some fellow outdoor message board aquaintances right as we came out of the canyon and spent some time talking with them before we went our separate ways. They had backpacked the entire east fork from Mt. Carmel, which was impressive. They were going to rest up before making the steep hike out of the canyon.<br />
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When you exit Fat Man's you get to see such a beautiful section of Parunuweap Canyon in the East Fork of the virgin river. It's like The Narrows, but without all of the people. We spent time swimming in deep holes and topping our water bottles off before heading down to the large rock fall and trying our luck at getting to Labrynth Falls, but we ran out of time because we had to get back to the Zion visitor center for our permits for the following day's canyon (Mystery).<br />
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Parunuweap<br />
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Soaking up in the deep pools<br />
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Such a beautiful canyon<br />
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The Powell Memorial<br />
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Another section of Parunuweap<br />
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The slog out was hot and somewhat eventful. About halfway out my quads (specifically the muscles above my knees on the inside) started to cramp up badly. Bill and April pushed on so they could get to the visitor center in time while Alene and I made a SLOW exit. Going downhill was fine on the legs, but any sort of uphill motion brought on major cramps. It was extremely frustrating. I made a note in my phone to make sure I am conscious of plenty of salty stuff while hiking in the heat (I should have known better).<br />
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Here is a video of the trip we made in 2013. On this trip it was Alene, Bill, and I.<br />
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-87443751079827765482014-06-23T08:07:00.000-06:002014-11-09T11:32:02.306-07:00Mystery Canyon - Zion National Park - June 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had been intrigued by Mystery for quite a while, but I typically avoid doing a first decent of a canyon until I've gone down it with someone with more experience or someone that has done it before. 2014 was going to be the year for sure. April and Bill had scored permits for us and the date was set.<br />
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We spent the previous day doing <a href="http://rootsoutdooradventures.blogspot.com/2014/06/fat-mans-misery-aka-misery-canyon-may.html" target="_blank">Fat Mans</a> and after a long slog out and major cramps in my (Tyler's) legs on the way out, I was sure to load up on extra salty stuff for Mystery, which ended up in obvious over-kill because this canyon is pretty much all down-hill. </div>
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Base camp was Zion ponderosa, so Bill and I left our shuttle vehicle at canyon junction the night before. We were up and at the East Mesa Trail head and on our way from there by 7:20am. I love the views of the park from these further-reaching places. The pine trees up on the higher elevations of the park make the air so fresh and the relative solitude from the busy canyon below is nice. By 8:10 we were at the Death Gully drop and we began our decent, making it to the first regular rappel by 9:00. </div>
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From there it was rappel after rappel, beautiful canyon walls, and a few down-climbs. After the first rappelling section we stopped for lunch until 11:30am, then headed on down for our last two (big) rappels at Mystery Springs and Mystery Falls, both of which I met with great anticipation and they both lived up to the hype. </div>
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Mystery Springs was such an amazing feeling. Just a large, beautiful place all to yourself. I didn't want to leave, but we had business to finish and that was just a bit down-canyon at Mystery Falls. As we approached the crowds below began to gather. Bill began to get frustrated as he prepared to toss our rope bags because people were standing right at our drop just staring up at us. He finally gave a violent wave at them to move and that seemed to do the trick. Alene, April, Bill, then myself being the last went down. It was slippery (as usually described), but just take your time, allow yourself to get a little wet in the water course, and enjoy the ride down. From there, we strolled a few corners to the Narrows exit by 1:20pm. </div>
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This is another obvious canyon I'd do again whenever presented with the chance and the availability. East Mesa TH to Narrows exit was 6 hours total. </div>
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About to drop into the Death Gully</div>
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Going down the Death Gully</div>
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Alene and April on one of the first few rappels</div>
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Lake Mystery was dry</div>
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One bend away from Mystery Springs</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/root_family/14503905322" title="Mystery Canyon by Tyler, on Flickr"><img alt="Mystery Canyon" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3911/14503905322_6bed4a4124.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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At Mystery Springs. My favorite place in the canyon</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/root_family/14525173253" title="Mystery Canyon by Tyler, on Flickr"><img alt="Mystery Canyon" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3907/14525173253_7a3db692b2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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Alene on the last rappel at Mystery Falls</div>
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Tyler, coming down the last rappel at Mystery Falls</div>
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Video from our jaunt through the canyon</div>
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Alenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07608366717088014308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-67558645063056512902014-06-15T21:27:00.000-06:002014-11-09T11:31:34.643-07:00High Spur - June 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'd always heard of this canyon, located in the "Robbers Roost" section of Utah and it was one of those "I'll do it someday" canyons. Bill called at the last minute and invited me because he (wisely) likes to make sure there are at least 3 people on a trip when technical canyoneering is involved (if one is hurt, one can go for help, the other can stay with the hurt person). This trip was a quick one-nigher.<br />
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We headed down on a Thursday evening, stopping at a couple of spots along the Lower San Rafael road to take a few pictures of the sunset, then settled at our campsite in the dark, which was just a spot at the trail head right along the road. The moon was so bright that night, I had to wear a sleeping mask just to get some decent shut eye. </div>
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We were up relatively early the next morning, packed our stuff away, then headed out on the trail by 8am. We entered the upper end of the shallow slot, but the good stuff picked up not long after and it just kept getting better. </div>
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The upper end was dry and something I loved was the white sand that was blown onto the sandstone shelves as you passed through. Eventually we got to the first major obstacle; normally a down-climb, the water below was brown and murky and it was hard to see if it was safe to make the slide into the water so we rigged a quick rap and went down. The water was COLD and the exit was deep mud, which was a preparation for some other nasty stuff later in the canyon. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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We made our way through the rest of the canyon and eventually came to some of the most beautiful sculpted sandstone I've ever seen. Pictures/video will never do it justice. After the beautiful section was a long down climb, then a NASTY slog through mud/water so nasty it was all you could do to keep from puking (so thankful it was only knee deep). Beyond that was a rock-fall section you pass under, then the last long rappel. From there we took a quick snack break, then made our way down the canyon a bit, and a steep exit climb back out. We did not have a shuttle vehicle, so we just made the long slog back to Bill's truck and booked it home.</div>
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This is a canyon I would be happy to do this canyon again. Very much worth it. I would recommend setting a shuttle vehicle (or a mountain bike) to shorten the time.</div>
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Sunset along the lower san rafael road</div>
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Moon rise from Three Canyon area</div>
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Hiking toward the canyon</div>
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The upper (shallow) end of High Spur; this is where we entered</div>
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White sand on the canyon shelfs</div>
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Such beautiful colors</div>
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The first rappel/down climb</div>
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Beautiful sculptures</div>
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The beginning of the nasty water. Hold your nose.</div>
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My shoes, coated with nasty-ness</div>
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The rock fall section</div>
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The last rappel area</div>
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Looking back at the last rappel</div>
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The exit </div>
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Petroglyphs on the exit out</div>
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Found this USGS marker on the way back to the truck</div>
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Video from our trip</div>
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938294471054738590.post-89013394587153641722014-05-19T12:46:00.000-06:002014-11-09T11:29:04.467-07:00Zion Canyoneering Day 1 - Jolley Gulch and Keyhole - May 2014 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Our first time experiencing a BIG rappel. Alene and I always like to plan a camping/hiking trip on our anniversary and we were racking our brains on what to do. Up until a week before we still weren't quite sure until our brother in-law (Bill) told us about a group looking for a couple of more people to join them for their planned trip to Zion. On the agenda were several canyons: Spry, Jolley Gulch, Keyhole, and Englestead/Orderville/Narrows exit. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4938294471054738590"></a>
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Jeremy was a the group organizer and he graciously allowed us to join his group of friends. We were a bit nervous joining a group of people we did not know yet, but the minute we arrived we found all of them to extremely friendly and welcoming.</div>
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Jeremy had us split into two groups. Day one consisted of one group doing Spry canyon and our group doing a combination of Jolley gulch and Keyhole canyon. Jolley was a quick/fun canyon and a good chance to test your skills on a larger rappel (170') to prepare us for day two (Englestead's 300' rap). Jolley had some nice short features, but wasn't a very long canyon at all. We then headed on over to do Keyhole canyon to experience getting a little wet. This was our 2nd time doing Keyhole. A little annoyed with a group in front of us that decided to bring a 200' rope with them through Keyhole (you need a 60' rope at the most). We sat and waded in a pool for about 5 minutes before Jeremy finally decided to (nicely) ask if they needed help. They were really nice about it though and just said they were slow and told us to play through.</div>
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After our canyons we headed down to the main canyon to set a shuttle car for our next day plans. Alene and I also completed the quick little backcountry permit access training you can do so you can print your permits on-line instead of having to go to the backcountry desk to pick them up (for future trips). </div>
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We headed back to our camp at Zion Ponderosa and waited for our second group, who had a much more technical and longer day. Turns out it ended up being MUCH longer than anyone planned as they ran into a group totally un-prepared (no wetsuits, inexperienced) and decided to help them through the canyon. They didn't get out of Spry canyon until close to midnight I believe, which resulted in around a 14-15 hour day! </div>
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Hiking the East Rim trail to Jolley Gulch</div>
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View from the East Rim trail</div>
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Jeremy prepping the anchor for our rappel</div>
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We're going down there</div>
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Alene on rappel</div>
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Tyler on rappel</div>
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TeAhna on rappel</div>
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Last rappel</div>
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Mountain goats hiking into Keyhole</div>
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Our fearless leader in Keyhole</div>
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Tyler in Keyhole</div>
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Waiting for the group in front of us with their 200' rope</div>
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Video of the two canyons</div>
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Tyler Roothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10590087874758848506noreply@blogger.com0