tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32412573322926593032024-03-12T22:24:58.108-04:00Within Walking DistanceEverything is within walking distance, it just depends on how much time you haveUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-48038497639086287662016-09-05T19:09:00.000-04:002016-09-05T20:39:35.008-04:00Clayton Peak<br />
<b>Trailhead:</b> Guardsman Pass, Big Cottonwood Canyon (elevation: 9,706 ft.)<br />
<b>Mileage (loop trail):</b> ~ 3.5 (my watch got stopped at some point)<br />
<b>Elevation @ Summit:</b> 10,721 ft.<br />
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In the words of Brittany Spears, 'Opps I did it again'.<br />
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Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me..' But I really feel like this one's not on me. I followed all the rules, but somehow, once again, I thought I had reach the summit, when in fact I had not (if I were thru-hiking this would be where I earned the name 'False Summit' - good thing I'm not thru-hiking). At least I hadn't done my happy dance yet. This time I went by my guidebook and my Garmin, both which said that the summit of Clayton Peak would be approximately a mile from the trailhead, which is where I stood taking celebratory pictures and was happy with a relatively easy day. I say relatively because the hike up to that point was rather strenuous (~ 700 ft, in elevation gain within a mile), but I was planning on taking another path down which would hopefully be a more gentle descent.<br />
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I head down the other side of the summit, feeling all good about myself, and come to the trail junction that I intend on taking down to Bloods Lake and back up to Guardsman's Pass, but I have this nagging feeling that the peak that still rises in front of me is the real Clayton Peak, and the summit I had just climbed down was just its evil little brother (or sister - Your choice. I'm not sexiest. I'm very aware that women can be bitches).<br />
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<a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/Hike/Utah/Big-Cottonwood-Canyon/Clayton-Peak/i-L6vRq25/0/M/20160905_104744TEXT-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Hike/Utah/Big-Cottonwood-Canyon/Clayton-Peak/i-L6vRq25/0/M/20160905_104744TEXT-M.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But at that point I'd already hiked over a mile and the book said the out and back distance was 2.2 miles. The peak ahead of me was a least another 0.5 miles away and up. But I can't shake that feeling that my gut is right. So I turn on my phone and open up Google Maps and sure enough, my gut was right (when your right your right (Big Bang fans should say this to themselves in the voice of Howard)). That good feeling is gone. What rose before me was a rock scramble reminiscent of the mountain of rocks that was <a href="https://ralbritton.smugmug.com/Hike/Appalachian-Trail/NH/i-WK5gv6z/A" target="_blank">Mt. Madison in the Presidentials</a>, but this peak is what I came out here for so onward and upward.<br />
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It was slow moving over the rocks. The 'trail' kind of came and went and I just kind of made my own way along the ridgeline, sometimes on a trail, sometimes not, until I reached the actual summit. Just to be sure, I turned my phone back on and looked at my location on the map. It was official, I was now on the actual summit of Clayton Peak. No celebratory pictures, but I did take a video.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyH_LYL5VEeoxxpNfFz3BsqO9ZaB-UOPRXm46b5_6scbPaEVrOK6xhLk4DSbQaLpcL27iSnfFTXukF5xYewMA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I slowly made my way back down to pass between Clayton peak and the false summit and make my way down toward the lakes. This way down, while still steep in parts was much more enjoyable then doing a straight out and back. The mostly gradual descent leads down to Bloods Lake, one of the four lakes you can see from Clayton Peak. From here the trail goes through a series of ascents and level stretches until reaching Guardsman's Pass.<br />
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<a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/Hike/Utah/Big-Cottonwood-Canyon/Clayton-Peak/i-6nGTGJj/0/S/20160905_125935-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Hike/Utah/Big-Cottonwood-Canyon/Clayton-Peak/i-6nGTGJj/0/S/20160905_125935-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You can also follow me on<b> <a href="https://twitter.com/rralbritton">Twitter</a></b> and<b> <a href="http://instagram.com/rralbritton">Instagram</a></b>. </i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-15511641875908299532016-09-03T19:02:00.000-04:002016-09-05T19:06:50.925-04:00Mt. Aire<br />
<b>Trailhead:</b> Elbow Fork in Millcreek Canyon (elevation 6,686 ft.)<br />
<b>Mileage:</b> 3.8 (out and back)<br />
<b>Elevation @ Summit:</b> 8,673 ft. <br />
<br />My handy dandy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/60-Hikes-Within-Miles-Including/dp/0897329422" target="_blank">guidebook</a> says "If you're in great shape you can make it to the trailhead after work, bag the summit, and be back to your car in 2.5 hours." Well, I made it back to my car in 2.5 hours, but this hike, in no way, made me feel like I was in "great shape". I felt like I was an asthmatic turtle slowly huffing my way up to the summit. In fact, this may have been the most difficult assent I've done in years. It's how I'd imagine purgatory to be. Relentless. Unforgiving. Exhausting. With that being said, the hard work I put in was definitely rewarded with spectacular views from the summit, where I sat an ate an early lunch and enjoyed the view.<br />
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<br />The hike down was similar to a slip and slide, that was set on a downward slope of at least 20 degrees, and topped with loose dirt and lots of little rocks that found joy in slipping out from under my feet. Thank you gear heads for inventing for trekking poles. I wouldn't hike this trail without them.<br />
<br /><i><b>#oneanddone</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You can also follow me on<b> <a href="https://twitter.com/rralbritton">Twitter</a></b> and<b> <a href="http://instagram.com/rralbritton">Instagram</a></b>. </i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Millcreek Canyon, 3800 Millcreek Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84124, USA40.69001 -111.7771339999999915.1679755 -153.085728 66.2120445 -70.46853999999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-20675890377496225642016-08-20T18:42:00.000-04:002016-09-05T19:07:27.498-04:00Sunset Peak<b>Trailhead</b>: Catherine's Pass trailhead (elevation 9,379 ft.) from Albion Basin (Little Cottonwood Canyon) <br />
<b>Distance:</b> 4.4 miles out and back. <br />
<b>Elevation at Sunset Peak:</b> 10,648 ft <br />
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You know that feeling when you reach the top of a summit that you've work so hard to reach? That feeling of elation, joy, and accomplishment? And then that feeling of looking further down the trail only to realize you haven't actually reached the the actual summit yet? That in fact, you are standing on a false summit, and the actual summit is still about 0.4 miles and 600ft ahead of you. What a bummer. In my defense the sign at the Catherine Pass junction said "Sunset Pass: 0.3 miles", and the 'peak' on which I was standing was 0.3 miles from that sign. What I had obviously overlooked, was the word 'Pass'. Its the little things that can do you in. So, feeling a little deflated, I sat down where the Sunset Pass trail met The Great Western Trail and ate lunch, staring at the seeming long climb ahead.<br />
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<a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/Hike/Utah/Little-Cottonwood-Canyon/Alta-to-Sunset-Peak/i-nb5gdms/0/S/20160820_113140-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Hike/Utah/Little-Cottonwood-Canyon/Alta-to-Sunset-Peak/i-nb5gdms/0/S/20160820_113140-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Great Western Trail stretches approximately 4,455 miles through Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana; nearly 1,600 miles of which traverses through Utah. As I sat and ate my lunch, I looked around and imagined what it would be like to have hike to here from Arizona, or even just from the Arizona/Utah border. I imagined what it would feel like to have trail legs again. How easy this climb would be. But I'm not through hiking, and I don't have trail legs anymore, so it was time to suck it up and move forward. The rest of the climb was tough but shorter then I had anticipated, taking about 15 minutes to reach the summit from the pass.<br />
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From the top I had excellent views of Lake Catherine, Lake Martha, and Lake Mary (collectively refereed to as the 'Brighton Lakes'). At 10,648 ft. the wind was chilly and I didn't have a jacket. So after a few quick photos I made my way back down the trail, making a mental note to start bringing a jacket so I can enjoy the fruits of my labor in the future. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You can also follow me on<b> <a href="https://twitter.com/rralbritton">Twitter</a></b> and<b> <a href="http://instagram.com/rralbritton">Instagram</a></b>. </i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Little Cottonwood Parking Lot, 4323 Little Cottonwood Canyon Rd, Sandy, UT 84092, USA40.572752 -111.7754274999999815.050717500000001 -153.08402149999998 66.0947865 -70.466833499999979tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-19894895906739875172016-01-01T14:32:00.001-05:002016-01-01T14:41:15.118-05:00The Unexpected <br />
If I had to sum up 2015 in one word it would be 'Unexpected'.<br />
<br />
The
year started off with ambitions of thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
and quickly twisted and turned into an unexpected journey of seeing and
celebrating the amazing country that we live in, and staying open to
whatever fate had in store. I crossed the country 5 times (once by train
and four times by car). I visited 9 National Parks. I lived in a tent
within a National Forest at a premiere, blue ribbon fly fi<span class="text_exposed_show">shing
destination for 5 months. I learned to fly fish from some of of the
best guides in the country.I said good-bye to friends and places that I
loved, and I've made new friendships that will hopefully last a life
time. I started running again in May, and have managed to run 450 miles
in the past 7 months. I landed an amazing job at a top research
University. AND I've done this all with my best friend and partner by my
side.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hkGlh2uMduk/VobSriooAUI/AAAAAAAADU4/kFY8PHZK2Y0/s1600/2015_WrapUp.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hkGlh2uMduk/VobSriooAUI/AAAAAAAADU4/kFY8PHZK2Y0/s320/2015_WrapUp.jpg" width="320" /></a> </span></div>
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">So what does this mean for 2016? If this past year has taught me anything, its to expect the unexpected. Like 2015, I have a vision for what I want to do with my life. For example, </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="text_exposed_show">I want to <a href="http://www.runtheyear2016.com/" target="_blank">run/hike/walk the year</a> (2,016 kilometers/1253 miles), </span></li>
<li><span class="text_exposed_show">I want to run my first half marathon, </span></li>
<li><span class="text_exposed_show">I want to go on at least 20 new hikes,</span></li>
<li><span class="text_exposed_show">I want to get back into photography,</span></li>
<li><span class="text_exposed_show">I want to blog more about all of my on foot adventures, </span></li>
</ul>
<span class="text_exposed_show">Just to name a few. In moving forward I know that life will happen in ways that I can not yet anticipate , but I believe that 2015 has prepared me to accept whatever comes my way.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You can also follow me on<b> <a href="https://twitter.com/rralbritton">Twitter</a></b> and<b> <a href="http://instagram.com/rralbritton">Instagram</a></b>. </i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-28075137988495544402015-05-16T07:00:00.000-04:002015-09-21T13:23:44.761-04:00Jones Hole<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
4.2 miles (easy, one-way)<br />
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During our first visit to the Green River, the shop manager at Trout Creek was like, "You girls should really go to Jones Hole. You hike in 4 miles the the confluence of Jones Creek and the Green River. The hike is beautiful, petroglyphs line the canyon walls about two-miles in and the fish are huge." Well, it sounded great but we had just drove 5.5 hours to fish the Green River. Jones Hole would have to wait for another time. Little had we known at the time that we would be back 3-weeks later.<br />
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We took advantage of some time off of work and headed down to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/jonesholetrail.htm">Jones Hole Hatchery</a>. <br />
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The trail starts out at the hatchery, meandering along side rows of rainbow, brown, and brook trout before disappearing into the lush green trees within the canyon. As the trees grew thick around me the snap, crackle and pop of tiny cicadas sang louder in my ears, and the sound of the rolling creek drowned out the sounds of the restz of the world. <br />
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<i>One of many Cicada's hanging out in the trees</i></center>
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After a mile an a half, the trail passes by pictographs and petroglyphs left by the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/care/learn/historyculture/fremont.htm">Fremont People</a>.<br />
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As a I wandered further into the canyon the walls felt as if the were growing taller, and I was slipping further away from civilation into another world that I've only seen in pictures. It was noon and the sun was moving directly overhead. Deer were beding down in the shade for some relief, but the sun didn't seem to bother a small herd of bighorn sheep that grazed lazily alongside the opposite side of the creek.<br />
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I made it to the confluence after nearly nearly two hours of easy hiking, where I met up with Cori and Wade who arrived much earlier in the day. We began making our way back downstream, stopping every few feet to fish a new hole. Cori and I traded off the rod and after about an hour I landed a beautiful rainbow. This one was relatively small compared to some of the fish we were seeing but I was proud that I was able to land it. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nyjgltTUneY/VVYPawLdo0I/AAAAAAAADRM/ZCtehono6PU/s2560/1431703391816.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nyjgltTUneY/VVYPawLdo0I/AAAAAAAADRM/ZCtehono6PU/s640/1431703391816.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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By 6:30 we were still about three miles away from the car, and daylight was beginning to faded behind the red canyon walls. We packed up our bags and headed down the trail, stopping only occasionally to admire the scenery. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FnwUGBrUIZQ/VVYPd9j6KxI/AAAAAAAADRU/0pH-ad-NQuM/s2560/1431703404113.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FnwUGBrUIZQ/VVYPd9j6KxI/AAAAAAAADRU/0pH-ad-NQuM/s640/1431703404113.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_p5i-PV0sKE/VVYPmX01AWI/AAAAAAAADRc/zZPFIE2KapE/s2560/1431703416321.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_p5i-PV0sKE/VVYPmX01AWI/AAAAAAAADRc/zZPFIE2KapE/s640/1431703416321.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OFyBJ7oMdQs/VVYPp_zivYI/AAAAAAAADRk/S1GkQClYuoo/s2560/1431703449713.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OFyBJ7oMdQs/VVYPp_zivYI/AAAAAAAADRk/S1GkQClYuoo/s640/1431703449713.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-37623200706907221502015-05-15T13:07:00.001-04:002015-05-15T13:07:55.993-04:00Where are we Exactly?<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>A few weeks ago <a href='http://longdistancehiker.blogspot.com/2015/04/fly-fishing-in-utah.html?m=1'>I stated that Cori and I had been offered jobs</a> at a fly shop and outfitter in Utah for the summer, a few things pending. Things, for the most part, have fallen into place and Cori and I have driven back out to Utah to work for the summer, but where is that exactly? <br/>
<br/>
We are both working for <a href='http://www.troutcreekflies.net/home'>Trout Creek Flies & Green River Outfitters</a> which is located near the <a href='http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Flaming+Gorge+Dam'>Flaming Gorge Dam</a>. I'll be doing a little bit of everything; driving shuttles, working in the store, etc., and Cori will be working in the Fly Shop. <br/>
<br/>
<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gx9-BgMKplU/VVYnk-JzN7I/AAAAAAAADSY/ORHbDFxoDug/s2560/1431709546519.png' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gx9-BgMKplU/VVYnk-JzN7I/AAAAAAAADSY/ORHbDFxoDug/s640/1431709546519.png' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;'/></a><br/>
<br/>
The Dam, and the shop is surrounded by National Forest land. We're essentially living in the middle of nowhere, where the only things to do is hike and fish. We're living in our tent, rent free which we had planned to do anyways, and living off our maildrops we put together for the PCT so nothing is wasted. Its going to be the perfect summer. <br/>
<br/>
<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EqtUSNm2aLg/VVYnsSE3hII/AAAAAAAADSg/sB4r1n3ENcE/s2560/1431709588679.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EqtUSNm2aLg/VVYnsSE3hII/AAAAAAAADSg/sB4r1n3ENcE/s640/1431709588679.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;'/></a><br/>
<center><i>The Dam</i></center><br/>
<br/>
<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oTCuae8LO0w/VVYnya8pt4I/AAAAAAAADSo/e0POXjEKtKA/s2560/1431709617577.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oTCuae8LO0w/VVYnya8pt4I/AAAAAAAADSo/e0POXjEKtKA/s640/1431709617577.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;'/></a><br/>
<center><i>View above the dam. Photo courtsey of the Utah Park Service</i></center><br/>
<br/>
<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lMjaAEVWRqc/VVYn6XQU-dI/AAAAAAAADSw/nFgG_I4s8NI/s2560/1431709642515.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lMjaAEVWRqc/VVYn6XQU-dI/AAAAAAAADSw/nFgG_I4s8NI/s640/1431709642515.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;'/></a><br/>
<center><i>View of the Green River from Little Hole</i></center></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-82482844222858055502015-05-04T19:43:00.001-04:002015-05-04T21:58:19.051-04:00Lovers Leap<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
Miles: 4.5 loop trail (Moderate)<br />
Elevation Gain/Loss: 1,068 ft.<br />
<br />
<i>“This is the most beautiful place on Earth. There are many such places. Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary.” --Edward Abbey</i><br />
<br />
The clouds hang heavy in the sky like cotton balls soaked in oil.The air is cool and damp against my skin, and a slight breeze makes the tiny hairs of my arms stand at attention as if on the lookout for something unknown to me is about to happen. We step across the pavement and over a small wooden bridge. I am wrapped up in a lush blanket of green, and the river is rushing by me. With each step the smell of damp organic matter saturates my senses as it squishes beneath my feet. I am in the Appalachian mountains, walking along the Appalachian Trail. I am home. <br />
<br />
To be more exact, I'm in Hot Springs, NC, walking alongside the French Broad River. We are climbing relentlessly upward as we make our way North on the AT toward the top of Lovers Leap Rock. I can feel the the effects of three weeks in a car. I move forward without stopping but my calves are burning and I'm moving slower the usual. Which means I'm moving pretty slow. <br />
<br />
We reach the top of lovers leap after a mere 0.3 miles. From here there was a birds-eye view of the French Broad River, 500 ft. This iconic landmark gets its name from a Cherokee Indian legend that tells of a maiden who threw herself from the steep cliff after learning her lover had been killed by a jealous beau. Such a sad legend for such a romantic sounding place.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b4DeCybuzPc/VUgEETAVHPI/AAAAAAAADPU/YJdVNeUcVgg/s2560/1430782992828.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b4DeCybuzPc/VUgEETAVHPI/AAAAAAAADPU/YJdVNeUcVgg/s640/1430782992828.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<center>
<i>View of the French Broad River from the top of Lovers Leap Rock</i></center>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AmS6MIqfbOg/VUgEFJRMXKI/AAAAAAAADPg/wEV5vbcr9MU/s2560/1430782996377.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AmS6MIqfbOg/VUgEFJRMXKI/AAAAAAAADPg/wEV5vbcr9MU/s640/1430782996377.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<br />
From here we continued upward for nearly another two miles, discussing the recent <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/25/asia/nepal-earthquake-7-5-magnitude/">catastrophic earthquake in Nepal,</a> and the hypothetical future of Mt. Everest. Our hearts are with the victims families of everyone affected, and we are grateful for the safety of friends that have just made it home safely.<br />
<br />
We took the Pump Gap Trail back down to the parking lot. The downhill was long but easy. As we neared the bottom we passed two small concrete buildings, which are old bunkers that were used to hold explosives.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iOSJqcTIjgw/VUgEEoMr40I/AAAAAAAADPc/pnR2gfv82r8/s2560/1430782994762.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iOSJqcTIjgw/VUgEEoMr40I/AAAAAAAADPc/pnR2gfv82r8/s640/1430782994762.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<br />
There were also several water crossings and I managed to keep my feet dry until the very end. I regret not getting a picture, but the crossing was wide (maybe ten yards) but shallow. F** - it. I walked right on through. Shoes and socks will dry and my feet will eventually regain feeling.<br />
<br />
Post trail refueling consisted of a salad, grilled chicken, and a beer from the local Spring Creek Tavern in "downtown" Hot Springs. While we enjoyed our meal on the outside porch we noticed the rather large group of thru-hikers gathered on the front porch of the Hiker Ridge Ministry across the way. "We should buy them beer when we go to the store" Cori suggested. Brilliant. We picked up a 24 pack of Yuengling on the way back from Dollar General and cheerfully delivered it to the very appreciative group of hikers...and bikers! That's right! There was a couple there that is currently biking the <a href="http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/transamerica-trail/">Trans America Trail</a>, and they took a little detour to the south. The TransAm trail is something that Cori and I have talked about doing for the past four years. It was actually on our list to do before the PCT and it fell by the wayside when I went to work for The Nature Conservancy in Georgia in 2013. Tonight's encounter has definitely resurrected the interest and has it back to the top of our list once Cori gets her whole rib/heart thing under control. I'm also slightly terrified of road biking so some short trips will be needed before jumping I to a three month cross-country biking trip. Guess that means it's time to start planning a short bike trip! Highway 12 in Southern Utah sounds good to me ;) Stay tuned!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-41092266850197540902015-05-04T11:26:00.000-04:002015-05-15T11:28:03.181-04:00Fishing in Cherokee<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
May 3, 2013<br />
<br />
I just dropped back to sleep when the alarm clock buzzed at 6 am. Uuggghhh. One if these nights I'll actually get some sleep. I pushed myself up, pulled on my long johns, and stuffed all my miscellaneous stuff back into my backpack. Cori and I were meeting Leeland on the river ( Cherokee/Raven Fork) in 15 minutes. It would be a long day. A very, very long day.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Today's Highlights</u></b><br />
I saw a rainbow trout jump straight up out of the water like shamu. It was huge and it's belly shined the color of blood. <br />
<br />
A heard of elk walked up to the rivers edge to say good morning to us. Leeland yelled at them to chase them off.<br />
<br />
I practiced my casting. It was a hot mess.<br />
<br />
I now have a pair waders to wear (thanks to Cori) so I wasn't to cold for too long.<br />
<br />
Stone flys were emerging from the river and Leeland picked one up that had just floated to the top of the river. He handed it to me and I watched it has its wings finished uncurling and it took off to its next stage in life. <br />
<br />
I watched Cori get taken for a swim by a horny head sucker fish. I wish I could have videoed it. <br />
<br />
After lunch we drove to Portsmouth, OH to spend the night with Nutmeg, whom we haven't seen since Maine on the AT.<br />
<br />
I neglected to take pictures of all the cool things I saw today. New goal: take at least one picture a day.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-77694980567570033242015-04-23T22:23:00.000-04:002015-05-02T14:31:47.294-04:00Fly Fishing in Utah<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
Anyone who knows me, knows that fishing is not my favorite thing to do. It's kind of a time suck. I could be working, hiking/exercising, writing, reading. Essentially anything else other than fishing. Ever since Cori got into fly fishing last August she's been begging me to try it. Today, I agreed to go on a guided trip through <a href="http://www.circlevalleyanglers.com/">Circle Valley Anglers</a>. Admittedly I was kind of excited. <br />
<br />
Our guide Lenny, took us to Mammoth Creek. The creek meandered along the backside of some private homes, down some dusty dirt roads in the middle of nowhere town Utah.The sun was shining, and the river was peaceful. It was a beautiful day.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
I was a bundle of nerves because I had no idea what I was doing. Lenny gave me some instruction; do this, do that, at the same time do this, oh and be ready to set the hook. My introverted little brain was spinning in circles. Information overload. Still, I somehow managed to kind of do what he said and within our first 30 minutes I caught my first trout ever, a brown trout. "How do you feel?" Cori asked. "I have slightly mixed feelings." I have to admit that it was fun to catch a fish, but I still feel like fishing is kinda mean...How would you like to get yanked around by a hook in your mouth? Your life would suck. Still, I eat fish so I can't be too preachy about it.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5nRC-fTheIM/VT7vMzOmN3I/AAAAAAAADLw/ODdzaGoaxmw/s2560/1430187826133.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5nRC-fTheIM/VT7vMzOmN3I/AAAAAAAADLw/ODdzaGoaxmw/s640/1430187826133.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<center>
<i>My first Brown Trout</i></center>
<br />
By this time Cori had already caught a monster of a Brown. <br />
<center>
</center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ8-nYQeTgY/VT7yI7JdCmI/AAAAAAAADMo/LkIvQ_-3RLY/s1600/IMG_1555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ8-nYQeTgY/VT7yI7JdCmI/AAAAAAAADMo/LkIvQ_-3RLY/s1600/IMG_1555.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Cori's Brown</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
And then that was it. Over the next three hours we moved up the creek. I hooked another one but lost it. In the meantime Cori landed four more trout. Not surprised.<br />
<br />
I very much enjoyed Lenny, our guide. He made the day for me. I definitely have not caught the fishing bug. Unless I'm catching fish, it's just not a whole lot of fun.<br />
<br />
I have promised Cori, and I am publically stating, that I have agreed to go on day hiking trips that involve fishing; <i>and I will fish</i>. Shocker I know. I'm not talking about some one mile sissy hike either. For most fishermen/women hiking is a byproduct of fishing; they have to hike to get to a certain spot. No way. I'm a hiker first, and a fisher second. If there's a third option for the day it will get bumped up over fishing. But I'll do it, so don't be surprised of I start blogging about hiking and fishing. It just may happen.<br />
<br />
The guided trip included a three day fishing license so we couldn't let that money go to waste. We spent the next two days fishing. One spot near Capitol Reef NP on the Fremont River that was actually running low (ankle deep). The fish were plentiful but easily spooked. So, we drove to a nearby creek called U.M. Creek that feeds into Fish Lake instead. There the water level was kind to us and we landed some finned friends. I caught two tiny rainbows and a very tiny brown. Cori caught a fat rainbow that pretty much took her for a swim. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a9erAx6Fzks/VT7vOF096YI/AAAAAAAADL8/iq_cRs6oT-w/s2560/1430187831875.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a9erAx6Fzks/VT7vOF096YI/AAAAAAAADL8/iq_cRs6oT-w/s640/1430187831875.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<center>
<i>Two of my baby trout</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1xxBYedkJYo/VT7vOrnpF4I/AAAAAAAADMI/Qbprp1F3RI0/s2560/1430187833396.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1xxBYedkJYo/VT7vOrnpF4I/AAAAAAAADMI/Qbprp1F3RI0/s640/1430187833396.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<center>
<i>Cori's Fatty Rainbow</i></center>
<br />
That night we drove toward Moab in search of a place to sleep. We kept passing signs for Green River, and we both kept commenting that the name rang a bell. For me, the Green River was a conservation issue. The river is an upper tributary to the Colorado River, which, is experiencing <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-colorado-river-runs-dry-61427169/">historically low water levels</a> due to water diversion, daming, agricultural use, and of course a substantial drought. To be more exact, approximately 90% of the Colorado River and it's tributaries (i.e. the Green River) is diverted for some type of human use. In other words, it's disappearing at an alarming rate. <br />
<br />
For Cori on the other hand, the Green River meant trout. Big, ginormous trout. Surprised? I thought not. To her credit, despite the shrinking water levels, the Green River in Utah is touted to be one of the best tailwater fisheries in North America, and we were only five hours away. So after much discussion we decided we would spend the next day at <a href="http://longdistancehiker.blogspot.com/2015/04/arches-national-park-delicate-arch.html?m=1">Arches National Park</a> and then head north toward Flaming Gorge Dam for one last hoorah before heading home.<br />
<br />
We arrived at Dripping Springs campground late, setup camp and slept hard. I awoke at 5:30am to the sounds of coyotes serenading in the distance, but managed to fall back asleep for another hour. <br />
<br />
We stopped by <a href="http://www.troutcreekflies.net/home">Trout Creek Flies</a><br />
in the morning for coffee and breakfast and to consult with the fly shop about locations to fish. Soon after we hit the<br />
water. The river was crystal clear and we could see huge Browns and Rainbows rising to the surface. Everywhere. They were everywhere. And we couldn't catch a single one for two whole hours. Ughhhh. <br />
<br />
Finally, Cori and I figured out a few different patterns that worked and she land the most beautiful brown trout I've ever seen. Shortly after that she landed a rainbow on a dry fly. Unfortunately for me, I hooked two but lost them both. Sad times.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_4VI9dFsgFw/VT7vPK-5L3I/AAAAAAAADMQ/cN35jqahbM4/s2560/1430187835557.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_4VI9dFsgFw/VT7vPK-5L3I/AAAAAAAADMQ/cN35jqahbM4/s640/1430187835557.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<center>
<i>Beautiful Brown</i></center>
<br />
Just as we had things figured out thunder was rumbling overhead. It was time to leave so we headed back to the shop to use the facilities and grab some lunch. <br />
<br />
We were greated by the gentlemen who helped us out earlier that morning. Cori got to talking with Steve, the manager, about how the morning went. She showed him the pictures of the fish she caught and without skipping a beat he responded, "You're hired."<br />
"What?" Cori responded. "You're hired. I need someone in the fly shop this summer. You both could work. We need help." The next thirty minutes were kind of a blur of job applications and housing discussions but we essentially left there with a job for the summer. Unbelievable. Everything isn't set in place yet but unless there's some huge hang up Cori and I will be spending the rest of the summer in the middle of Ashley National Forest along the green river. I can't wait!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3Flaming Gorge Dam, Ashley National Forest, Utah 84023, USA40.914444 -109.4213889999999813.177855500000003 -150.72998299999998 68.6510325 -68.112794999999977tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-4880274811005369522015-04-22T16:21:00.000-04:002015-05-02T14:32:02.346-04:00Arches National Park: Delicate Arch<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<center>
<i>"A venturesome minority will always be eager to set off on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches - that is the right and privilege of any free American." --Edward Abbey</i></center>
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<b><u>Delicate Arch</u></b><br />
<b>Miles:</b> 3.2 (Moderate)<br />
<b>Elevation Gain:</b> 670 ft.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bje7nvXaQ9k/VT6aCfGAhTI/AAAAAAAADIk/vzy9KPQgcIk/s2560/1430166023487.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bje7nvXaQ9k/VT6aCfGAhTI/AAAAAAAADIk/vzy9KPQgcIk/s400/1430166023487.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>After nearly an hour of watching the rare desert rain storm push over the La Sal Mountains, through the valley and over towering rock formations we decided to head up the trail toward Delicate Arch. The dark sky still lingered as we wandered past the the Wolf Ranch, over the mostly dried up salt wash, and made our way over to the Ute petroglyphs. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-256YNJo7SeM/VT6aBI8lIGI/AAAAAAAADIY/KnW-hThIczU/s2560/1430166013666.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-256YNJo7SeM/VT6aBI8lIGI/AAAAAAAADIY/KnW-hThIczU/s400/1430166013666.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<center>
<i>Wolfe Ranch</i></center>
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<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AsDTkR315BQ/VT6aBkENLEI/AAAAAAAADIg/15ASH3rF4yA/s2560/1430166021012.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AsDTkR315BQ/VT6aBkENLEI/AAAAAAAADIg/15ASH3rF4yA/s400/1430166021012.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<center>
<i>Ute Petroglyphs</i></center>
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The trail ascended steeply up the slick stone. As we made our way up most people were heading back down, running from the rain that just began to fall again. We zipped up our rain jackets and continued on. The rain was light and cool, making the climb tolerable compared to what it would have been like, slaving upward under the hot desert sun as it beat down on me like it did nearly eight years ago when I first came out here. Now the trail that is usually packed with visitors was almost as desolate as the desert that laid out before it. <br />
<br />
As the landscape dipped and curved it's way through the red sandstone, we caught glimpses of blooming cactus and desert loving plants that had managed to find life within the small crevasses that hold water, even for just a short time. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MrHcxeK58iY/VT6aDjOaPkI/AAAAAAAADIw/SuqAoZZY3SY/s2560/1430166024505.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MrHcxeK58iY/VT6aDjOaPkI/AAAAAAAADIw/SuqAoZZY3SY/s400/1430166024505.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rYEQNsn704E/VT6aFV65iYI/AAAAAAAADI4/1DzINHKbNkU/s2560/1430166031352.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rYEQNsn704E/VT6aFV65iYI/AAAAAAAADI4/1DzINHKbNkU/s400/1430166031352.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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The rain dried up almost as quickly as it had started to fall. We rounded the final bend and the wall to the our right that had been guiding us along our route suddenly dropped away, leaving a breath taking view. There, the delicate arch sprang upward and folded back down to the earth as if to plant itself firmly into the sandstone beneath it's feet. We cautiously descended down to the Arch. It's only when you you find yourself beneath it that you come to understand that true size of its nature.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OS2pp1FzrNU/VT6aGW7CbhI/AAAAAAAADJA/OJBT-lsO9Zs/s2560/1430166037642.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OS2pp1FzrNU/VT6aGW7CbhI/AAAAAAAADJA/OJBT-lsO9Zs/s400/1430166037642.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vo3OcJNmlCw/VT6aHv7b1II/AAAAAAAADJI/GRhGZIcr7G0/s2560/1430166041208.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vo3OcJNmlCw/VT6aHv7b1II/AAAAAAAADJI/GRhGZIcr7G0/s400/1430166041208.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Views to the right of the Delicate Arch</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jxeBr8Gvwvs/VT6aI_1CkeI/AAAAAAAADJQ/kVbZCZ0GG_Q/s2560/1430166046906.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jxeBr8Gvwvs/VT6aI_1CkeI/AAAAAAAADJQ/kVbZCZ0GG_Q/s400/1430166046906.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Views to the left of the delicate arch</i></center>
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<b>*****</b></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B23cstJsQfE/VT6aKYoWoRI/AAAAAAAADJY/7dI7VIk57NU/s2560/1430166051375.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B23cstJsQfE/VT6aKYoWoRI/AAAAAAAADJY/7dI7VIk57NU/s400/1430166051375.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Double Arches</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2WoT8unrUbs/VT6aMCHPvNI/AAAAAAAADJg/zKNg_-hKx9E/s2560/1430166058430.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2WoT8unrUbs/VT6aMCHPvNI/AAAAAAAADJg/zKNg_-hKx9E/s400/1430166058430.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Balanced Rock. These rock formations are formed by the varying erosion rates of the different rock layers</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ju47Bh57O6o/VT6aNpePbuI/AAAAAAAADJo/nUEWnj61dDA/s2560/1430166064239.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ju47Bh57O6o/VT6aNpePbuI/AAAAAAAADJo/nUEWnj61dDA/s400/1430166064239.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Petrified Dunes</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MKxx2SCxF_Y/VT6aOr3DUmI/AAAAAAAADJw/-uxZxJRQQQc/s2560/1430166070389.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MKxx2SCxF_Y/VT6aOr3DUmI/AAAAAAAADJw/-uxZxJRQQQc/s400/1430166070389.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>La Sal Mountains</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p4iQiz7vyxA/VT6aP67eWWI/AAAAAAAADJ4/5wbS5aJVr_c/s2560/1430166074364.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p4iQiz7vyxA/VT6aP67eWWI/AAAAAAAADJ4/5wbS5aJVr_c/s400/1430166074364.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i><b>Far Left:</b> The Gossips and Sheep's Rock <b>Middle:</b>Tower of Babel and The Organ</i></center>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Arches National Park, Utah, USA38.733081 -109.5925138999999738.3366705 -110.23796089999998 39.1294915 -108.94706689999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-59621972266672876192015-04-19T10:55:00.000-04:002015-05-02T14:32:46.595-04:00Bryce Canyon<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
My eyes popped open at 7:30am. I wanted so badly to sleep, but my internal clock was saying "haha! sucks for you!" I moved in slow motion, in a haze, stuck somewhere between sleep and a daydream. Cori was still asleep. I was full of jealousy. I can't remember the last time I slept through a night. I stumbled out of our musty motel room, and greeted by the cold morning air. It was 31 degrees in the high desert, blindingly bright and breathtakingly beautiful. <br />
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I made a short drive down to the local Chevron, walked past the freshly baked pastries and filled up two giant cups of coffee. <br />
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The rest of the morning snailed by. We stuffed our things back into our backpacks and went searching for coffee #2 sometime around 10 am. Our search brought us to The Flying W diner in Panguitch, UT. We added some eggs and french toast to our caffeine and then lazily meandered back to the car.<br />
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We made it to Bryce Canyon sometime around noon. We setup camp in Sunset Campground before all the tent sites filled up on this admission free weekend. <br />
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Still tired from yesterday's hike we originally planned to hike about four miles and call it a day. We started our descent from sunrise point (8,000 ft.) and headed toward the Queens Garden. My quads and calves began to burn as I made my way down. How can that be? I hiked 20 miles my first day on the PCT and 13 miles the second day and I wasn't sore. I hike Grandfather Mountain all the time and I'm not sore. What gives? I don't know.<br />
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We zig-zagged our way down the canyon, through seemingly painted rocks and hoodoos. <a href="http://www.nps.gov/brca/learn/nature/hoodoos.htm">Hoodoos</a> are tall skinny spires of rock that protrude from the bottom of arid basins and "broken" lands, and are shaped by water and ice<br />
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We reached the Queens Garden 0.8 miles into the hike. The Queens garden gets its names from the queen shaped hoodoo, which is named for a statue in London. My zoom on my camera is horrible, but can you see it? <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6kTFfwqO_0w/VTZjtPjNzMI/AAAAAAAADGs/eeU2xx0FXtk/s2560/1429627823541.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6kTFfwqO_0w/VTZjtPjNzMI/AAAAAAAADGs/eeU2xx0FXtk/s640/1429627823541.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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It was here that we were presented with a "<a href="http://www.nps.gov/brca/learn/news/hikethehoodoos.htm">hoodoos challenge</a>." The challenge required us to find and be photographed with three hoodoo markers, and these markers had to cover at least three miles of hiking. If we completed the challenge we would win a "small reward". Cori was inspired and the challenge was on! <br />
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From Queens Garden we hiked down a portion of the Navajo Trail , and then crossed the canyon floor up the Peek - a - Boo Trail to get the third marker. Once we finished we had hiked at least three miles but we were still in the middle of the canyon. To get out we choose to take the Bryce Trail up to the Canyon Rim Trail, and the rim trail back to sunset point, making a respectable 7 mile-ish loop. My legs feel like jello. Our reward (besides the self satisfaction of hiking our assessment of today)? A Bryce Canyon Hoodoo Challenge pin!<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rLZM9k1ZIRY/VTZjwAZxt9I/AAAAAAAADG0/xFqQYpLwrGY/s2560/1429627829637.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rLZM9k1ZIRY/VTZjwAZxt9I/AAAAAAAADG0/xFqQYpLwrGY/s640/1429627829637.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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Tonight we are camping at 8,000 feet. We've never camped this high! The low is 27 and we slept in 23 degrees a few nights ago rather comfortably. It would be a really great night if I don't have to climb out of my warm bag to go pee. Wishful thinking I'm sure. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-56JjOBDJfGo/VTZkF2D36-I/AAAAAAAADG8/Tle1QOzCPiE/s2560/1429627843155.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-56JjOBDJfGo/VTZkF2D36-I/AAAAAAAADG8/Tle1QOzCPiE/s640/1429627843155.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>The endangered Utah prairie dog</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4R__elqHL0k/VTZkYakdFAI/AAAAAAAADHE/HlhR24oC_jo/s2560/1429627929342.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4R__elqHL0k/VTZkYakdFAI/AAAAAAAADHE/HlhR24oC_jo/s640/1429627929342.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>View from Sunrise Point</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QoMZQyzVv3A/VTZkZ0fzd_I/AAAAAAAADHM/fu2miQ-4KmQ/s2560/1429628003045.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QoMZQyzVv3A/VTZkZ0fzd_I/AAAAAAAADHM/fu2miQ-4KmQ/s640/1429628003045.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uiFc9HiutzE/VTZkfxG9b3I/AAAAAAAADHU/dMG4blTmx5s/s2560/1429628008615.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uiFc9HiutzE/VTZkfxG9b3I/AAAAAAAADHU/dMG4blTmx5s/s640/1429628008615.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NGoQE-F0z90/VTZkptNeOTI/AAAAAAAADHc/Mo5izJ6YuV8/s2560/1429628032418.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NGoQE-F0z90/VTZkptNeOTI/AAAAAAAADHc/Mo5izJ6YuV8/s640/1429628032418.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P0LZwSh78WQ/VTZkwPwi4vI/AAAAAAAADHk/PX6a9I7NGE0/s2560/1429628072244.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P0LZwSh78WQ/VTZkwPwi4vI/AAAAAAAADHk/PX6a9I7NGE0/s640/1429628072244.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>View from Bryce Point</i></center>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-59181873111181060722015-04-18T10:28:00.000-04:002015-05-02T14:32:58.877-04:00Zion National Park <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<b><u>Angel's Landing</u></b><br />
Miles: 5.4 (round trip - out and back) <br />
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<i>Are we there yet? Breathe. Oh my God don't look down. Breathe. Sweet Jesus it's hot. Just breathe. Kids hike this?!? No Fing way. Just freaking breathe. Move forward; one step at a time. Oh thank God a traffic jam, we can stop for a minute. Breathe. Look at all those happy people coming back down; so relieved that the rock scramble is almost over. We're moving again. Breathe. Are we there yet?...</i><br />
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And so the monologue went in my head as Cori and I made our way up Angels Landing. Well, the last half mile of it; longest (but possibly one of the most rewarding) half mile of my life. <br />
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The trail started out fairly gradual, and grew steeper as we moved upward. After about a mile or so we reached "the wiggles", 21 short, steep switchbacks that lead to Scouts Lookout (as in look out at what you about to get yourself into!). Before you lies "the fin", a thin, narrow ride walk to the summit.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MTfnqWraQgs/VTZdv4zN_5I/AAAAAAAADEI/PGvl_OaPMjA/s2560/1429626300065.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MTfnqWraQgs/VTZdv4zN_5I/AAAAAAAADEI/PGvl_OaPMjA/s640/1429626300065.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>The Wiggles</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8d6NN9mVpHg/VTZd0edN5yI/AAAAAAAADEQ/WHcz6aTwX1k/s2560/1429626304625.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8d6NN9mVpHg/VTZd0edN5yI/AAAAAAAADEQ/WHcz6aTwX1k/s640/1429626304625.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Headed toward the rock scramble(s)</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RfkBUgsNgxk/VTZd4LYJg2I/AAAAAAAADEY/2XlkHBVs_cM/s2560/1429626322358.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RfkBUgsNgxk/VTZd4LYJg2I/AAAAAAAADEY/2XlkHBVs_cM/s640/1429626322358.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>The rise to Angels landing follows the spine of this rock. It is also refered to as "the fin"</i>. </center>
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For the next half mile the trail ascends, nearly vertical in some places, approximately 600 ft. to the top of Angels landing (5,790 ft). The path up follows a line of permanently fixed chains and shallow sandstone steps. Just when you think you've reached the top, the trail takes a turn, bringing you higher. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b8xeFtglMuI/VTZd5QjZgDI/AAAAAAAADEg/3GSAgX6llIM/s2560/1429626337507.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b8xeFtglMuI/VTZd5QjZgDI/AAAAAAAADEg/3GSAgX6llIM/s640/1429626337507.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Ascending up Angels Landing </i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Rj3oO7Hkn_k/VTZd8XMPDWI/AAAAAAAADEo/Avtxq25BTdQ/s2560/1429626341995.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Rj3oO7Hkn_k/VTZd8XMPDWI/AAAAAAAADEo/Avtxq25BTdQ/s640/1429626341995.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i> Cori climbing up</i></center>
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After almost two hours of climbing upward from the canyon floor we made it to the top; relieved and proud of ourselves. We stopped here for awhile, and made ourselves the envy of every passerby with our peanut butter and jelly tortillas. Note, next time we go up this we'll bring enough to sell for $5 each. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_YXRkr_x24w/VTZeB1PAd2I/AAAAAAAADEw/F7WPmGHuFS4/s2560/1429626354497.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_YXRkr_x24w/VTZeB1PAd2I/AAAAAAAADEw/F7WPmGHuFS4/s640/1429626354497.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QXZmxzeqDC0/VTZeH-mL4dI/AAAAAAAADE4/-oRf6ZXD2Ms/s2560/1429626376609.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QXZmxzeqDC0/VTZeH-mL4dI/AAAAAAAADE4/-oRf6ZXD2Ms/s640/1429626376609.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i> Views from the top of Angels Landing</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YFoKjG_ik0w/VTZeL0Gvg0I/AAAAAAAADFA/boopbTQI2mQ/s2560/1429626400362.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YFoKjG_ik0w/VTZeL0Gvg0I/AAAAAAAADFA/boopbTQI2mQ/s640/1429626400362.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i> Views from the top of Angels Landing </i></center>
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The descent down was steep but faster moving. Due to the amount of people on the trail we would reach a bottleneck every few hundred yards and have to stop and wait for a line of people to pass, but as soon as we reached Scouts Lookout the chain holding was over and the trails steepness allowed us to jog most of the way down. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hpuvHA8oRXs/VTZeiJ206_I/AAAAAAAADFw/EGznKCTr-Cs/s2560/1429626500536.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hpuvHA8oRXs/VTZeiJ206_I/AAAAAAAADFw/EGznKCTr-Cs/s640/1429626500536.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Trail Traffic</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N0DkXRIWVqU/VTZeP-3bvtI/AAAAAAAADFI/EQikZ0KL8oU/s2560/1429626415664.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N0DkXRIWVqU/VTZeP-3bvtI/AAAAAAAADFI/EQikZ0KL8oU/s640/1429626415664.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i> Views on the way back down to the canyon</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D0DNp6txrqc/VTZeUXGjWYI/AAAAAAAADFQ/SyvIqZmz25M/s2560/1429626432543.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D0DNp6txrqc/VTZeUXGjWYI/AAAAAAAADFQ/SyvIqZmz25M/s640/1429626432543.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i> Views on the way back down to the canyon</i></center>
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My knees were sore from the descent, so when we reached the bottom we stopped at the river to soak my knees. A quick glance around showed that I was in good company. Groups of people were coming down from the trailhead and filing into the river to ice down their shaky legs.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eaP6nfnE3Yk/VTZeZNbg7BI/AAAAAAAADFY/u-rME5vMi88/s2560/1429626450336.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eaP6nfnE3Yk/VTZeZNbg7BI/AAAAAAAADFY/u-rME5vMi88/s640/1429626450336.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<b><u>Riverside Walk @ the Temple of Sinawava</u></b><br />
Miles: 2.2, Easy<br />
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After I climbed out of the river we took a quick break, split a meal of refried beans, and refilled our water. The park has a shuttle bus system that provides visitors transportation within the park so we hopped onto the bus to take the scenic drive. We hopped off at the end of the route to stretch our legs along the Riverside trail.<br />
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This trail follows alongside the Virgin river and is the gateway to the parks other iconic hike, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/thenarrows.htm">The Narrows</a>. Along the way we met a few friendly squirrels and admired the plants growing out from the sides of the canyon walls. Walls like this are refered to as a weeping wall. On the rare ocassion that it rains/snows, water seeps down into the sandstone rocks until it reaches an impermeable layer. Here the water seeps out of the sides of the rocks and vegetation is able to grow. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OMhzQwR1YAk/VTZeeDfwn7I/AAAAAAAADFg/nn41q_0pFNU/s2560/1429626469429.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OMhzQwR1YAk/VTZeeDfwn7I/AAAAAAAADFg/nn41q_0pFNU/s640/1429626469429.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Weeping Rock</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zucwv28PyQE/VTZeg9NGfcI/AAAAAAAADFo/yMZlsC0e9So/s2560/1429626489503.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zucwv28PyQE/VTZeg9NGfcI/AAAAAAAADFo/yMZlsC0e9So/s640/1429626489503.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Flowers coming out of the weeping rock</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FGjFqa4FaYY/VTZejBqDK_I/AAAAAAAADF4/CuvJLXCjMps/s2560/1429626505522.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FGjFqa4FaYY/VTZejBqDK_I/AAAAAAAADF4/CuvJLXCjMps/s640/1429626505522.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>A curious local</i></center>
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This weekend is admission free weekend to all National Parks, and all of the campgrounds were full. So we headed North to Panguitch, UT and got a cheap motel room 15 minutes outside of Bryce Canyon National Park.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-14846826969533218432015-04-17T10:16:00.000-04:002015-05-02T14:36:32.862-04:00Death Valley National Park<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
After leaving Mono Lake we headed toward Death Valley National Park to camp for the night. We were somewhat on a time table that allowed us solely to enjoy the park by car. I was okay with this since (#1) it was getting late and (#2) the temperature outside was somewhere in the 80's and the thermostat got higher and higher the closer we got toward the park. <br />
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Our lack of activity planning worked in our favor when we discovered that the not so smart iPhone tried to route us into Death Valley via a 21 mile dusty gravel back road (Big Pine Road) that traversed up and over one of the mountain ranges in the northern end of the park. As soon as the sign appeared forecasting the pavement ending and a skull of a cow dangled on a board overhead we turned the car around (I neglected to get a picture of the skull). At the main highway we rerouted the Samsung Smartphone GPS and looked over some maps and realized we still had another 2.5 hours until we reached our final destination. By then it would be 7:00-7:30 and we would need a campsite for the night. Like I stated, I'm glad we didn't plan anything for the afternoon. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FwFYV75cnog/VUI5WeLSk-I/AAAAAAAADOc/Knlzn_DaYdY/s2560/1430403415352.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FwFYV75cnog/VUI5WeLSk-I/AAAAAAAADOc/Knlzn_DaYdY/s640/1430403415352.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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We turned west into the belly of the beast, and the Sierra Mountains slowly drifted away to the east like a distant memory. As we began to drop down from 3,700 ft. to sea level, the mountains became layered with reds, and browns, and purples. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-53Fby-975xI/VUI5EQgorLI/AAAAAAAADNw/4OyQVTaKTIE/s2560/1430403333365.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-53Fby-975xI/VUI5EQgorLI/AAAAAAAADNw/4OyQVTaKTIE/s640/1430403333365.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YRXqV0GI0rA/VUI5BV6Bl7I/AAAAAAAADNo/vZgGEHb-w8c/s2560/1430403317070.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YRXqV0GI0rA/VUI5BV6Bl7I/AAAAAAAADNo/vZgGEHb-w8c/s640/1430403317070.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uJQtx41n__M/VUI5IiQytVI/AAAAAAAADN4/3d2a-t_UVjA/s2560/1430403345556.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uJQtx41n__M/VUI5IiQytVI/AAAAAAAADN4/3d2a-t_UVjA/s640/1430403345556.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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We headed north up through the park toward Furnace Creek campground which would be our stopping point for the evening. The name Furnace Creek campground should have been clue to how miserably hot it was going to be. Unlike every other desert we had slept in that grew cool at sunset, this one would not. It didn't help that I only chad a 10 degree sleeping bag to help suffocate me. <br />
I would later come to learn that Furnace Creek has the distinction of holding the record for the highest recorded air temperature in the world, reaching 134 °F on July 10, 1913, and the highest ground temperature, 201 °F , on July 15, 1971. In other words we slept in one of the hottest places in the world. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a1ojcehlUBo/VUI5NJ9cZsI/AAAAAAAADOA/opThEo86jJ8/s2560/1430403362433.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a1ojcehlUBo/VUI5NJ9cZsI/AAAAAAAADOA/opThEo86jJ8/s640/1430403362433.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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After a sleepless night we packed up the tent early and headed over to the restaurant in Furnace Creek for coffee and eggs. Then it was south toward Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the United States (282 ft. below sea level).<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2vfXAu7OSZs/VUI5QfrOb_I/AAAAAAAADOI/DwR7MbxnDKg/s2560/1430403380754.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2vfXAu7OSZs/VUI5QfrOb_I/AAAAAAAADOI/DwR7MbxnDKg/s640/1430403380754.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YKGjdEaB9FQ/VUI5TYr-blI/AAAAAAAADOQ/tckMkJjuDC0/s2560/1430403393948.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YKGjdEaB9FQ/VUI5TYr-blI/AAAAAAAADOQ/tckMkJjuDC0/s640/1430403393948.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Salt Flats</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QQ-51xK7KyA/VUI5V2PWDlI/AAAAAAAADOY/BY1XtYwA6Gc/s2560/1430403405527.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QQ-51xK7KyA/VUI5V2PWDlI/AAAAAAAADOY/BY1XtYwA6Gc/s640/1430403405527.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Close up of the salt</i></center>
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Badwater got its name from the small pool of water near the salt flats. Legend says that a surveyor working in the area came across the spring and tried to get his mule to drink from it, but the mule refused. The surveyor wrote "bad water" next to the spring on his survey map and the name stuck. It turns out that the water isn't bad or toxic, it's just extremely salty. <br />
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Badwater Basin is also the start of the <a href="http://simblissity.net/L2H.shtml">Lowest to highest (L2H) route</a> which traverses 135 miles from Badwater Basin to the highest point in the lower 48, Mt. Whitney. Routes are different in trails in that there is no one, single hiking path. The route is a hodge-podge of various existing trails and dirt roads and also involves some cross country navigation. <br />
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Similarly, Badwater Basin is also the starting point for the famous <a href="http://www.badwater.com/event/badwater-135/">Badwater 135 Ultra-marathon</a>. Like the L2H route, this ultra stretches 135 miles <b><i>non-stop</i></b> from Death Valley to the summit of Mt. Whitney. It is the most demanding and extreme foit race offered anywhere on the planet. The course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 13,000 ft. of cumulative vertical ascent and 4,700 ft. of cumulative descent. I'm not sure how closely the Basin 135 course and the L2H route follow each other but my curious now peaked to find out more.<br />
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But I digress.<br />
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After we left Bad water basin we made our way out of the park and into civilization where we could shower and do laundry for the first time in over a week. <br />
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Although Death Valley isn't somewhere I've dreamed about going there are some things I would like to go back to visit. The first is to go back and hike to the top of Telescope Peak, the parks highest point (11,043 ft.). Access to the trailhead requires 4 wheel drive so coming back here will take some planning.<br />
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We also missed the famed Artist Point scenic drive which is known for its multi-colored mountains. We should have taken this 9 mile drive on the way back from Badwater Basin but we didn't know any better at the time. I guess that's what happens when you completely wing a national park tour. Next time. And despite the heat, I'm fairly confident there will be a next time...in March ;).</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Furnace Creek Campground, Death Valley National Park, DEATH VALLEY, CA 92328, USA36.4630038 -116.8686639999999710.940969300000003 -158.17725799999997 61.9850383 -75.560069999999968tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-62113362365069448212015-04-16T09:21:00.000-04:002015-05-02T14:34:00.127-04:00Mono Lake <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
We left Shasta Trinity National Forest and headed back south. Under the advice of both friends and friendly strangers, we stopped by Mono Lake on our way to Utah. We weren't really sure what to expect but it kept being mentioned so we figured why not stop through.<br />
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The lake is located just to the east of Yosemite National Park, and serves as a major stop for migratory birds. Following our trend, we had gotten the there a few weeks before the huge influx of birds but there were still a few lingering out on the dry landscape.<br />
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At one time, this lake was deep and expansive, like an paradise within a desert oasis. The lake is fed by six mountain streams from the surrounding Sierras and the lake itself has no outlet. In the 1940’s government officials thought it would be a brilliant idea to divert the water from these mountain streams to the city of Los Angeles. Unfortunately too much water was diverted. The over consumption coupled with drought effects resulted in more water leaving the system faster then it could be replenished. Evaporation soon exceeded inflow and the surface level of Mono Lake fell rapidly. <br />
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As the water levels dropped, huge limestone like towers within the lake, which are refered to as tufa's, became exposed. Tufa's were created from the calcium rich springs they once resided in. The calcium in the spring water would flow upward from the lake bottom and join to the carbonate in the lake water. Together these two things formed calcium carbonate, a type of limestone. These giant limestone towers now stand as a visible reminder to how how high the lake use to be.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WjfravWSs3o/VT-Jak6DkEI/AAAAAAAADNI/XevA3iRaJzk/s2560/1430227306344.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WjfravWSs3o/VT-Jak6DkEI/AAAAAAAADNI/XevA3iRaJzk/s640/1430227306344.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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The drop in the water levels also resulted in the salinity of the water doubling. According to the Mono Lake Committee, the water is extremely alkaline, with a pH of 10, and almost three times as salty as the ocean. At 6,392 feet above sea level it will be slightly more than twice as salty as the ocean. The salinity of the lake is approximately 81 g/l. In essence this means that the water feels extremely slimy to touch things float more easily. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QgYtNrS1vEc/VT-JdPEOcrI/AAAAAAAADNQ/KtJeW8Cs9X0/s2560/1430227312300.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QgYtNrS1vEc/VT-JdPEOcrI/AAAAAAAADNQ/KtJeW8Cs9X0/s640/1430227312300.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Mono Lake, California 93541, USA38.0070587 -119.012258937.8068797 -119.3349824 38.2072377 -118.68953540000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-22187172763547733342015-04-14T15:26:00.000-04:002015-05-02T14:36:10.620-04:00Whiskeytown-Trinity-Shasta<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
I woke up this morning wanting to rip someone's face off. I needed to exercise. This sitting in a car thing is killing me, and unless I'm hiking 15 miles a day I'm not gonna keep the crazy away. Luckily, the hotel Siena Spa and Casino (Reno, NV) where we stayed last night had a gym, which had a treadmill. I jogged out the demons for about 30 minutes before heading to breakfast. I should be good for a few hours. <br />
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We've spent a lot of time focusing on logistics the past two days, but we finally have a new plan in place. We're heading back down South to National Park hop our way through Utah and across southern Colorado. But before we left the evergreen trees of beautiful Northern California we spent the night in Trinity-Shasta National Forest with the hope of getting some better views of Mt. Shasta. I say hope because a storm was rolling in, smothering Mt. Shasta in a swirl of grey and white. <br />
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As nightfall swooped in it brought with it some heavy winds. The pine needles thrashed together above our heads, sounding like a freight train barrling down a canyon. Rain and snow bounced of the tent like little kids on a trampoline. Sleep did not come easy, but we stayed dry and warm in our cozy green dome of sil - nylon.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9rAM1Ll6MZo/VTAM7XxRS-I/AAAAAAAAC5Y/1bg4QONoZiE/s2560/1429212396028.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9rAM1Ll6MZo/VTAM7XxRS-I/AAAAAAAAC5Y/1bg4QONoZiE/s640/1429212396028.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Our campsite for the evening</i></center>
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We spent the morning hiking along the McCloud River, visiting waterfalls and stopping ocassionally to fish. Middle Falls was my favorite, just a wall of furry cutting through the valley floor.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cNMX5mQRRmY/VTAM8Mayi1I/AAAAAAAAC5c/FCqKHpdGkM4/s2560/1429212399151.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cNMX5mQRRmY/VTAM8Mayi1I/AAAAAAAAC5c/FCqKHpdGkM4/s640/1429212399151.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>McCloud Falls (clockwise): Upper Falls, Lower Falls, Middle Falls</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4uXKbU-5Bso/VTAM8qIX_uI/AAAAAAAAC5o/ASTG5JDi4bg/s2560/1429212401258.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4uXKbU-5Bso/VTAM8qIX_uI/AAAAAAAAC5o/ASTG5JDi4bg/s640/1429212401258.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Rainbow Trout</i></center>
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Shasta was still shrouded in a swirl of white when we finished the hike, but we spent dome time at a view point planning out the after noon. Our patience paid off. Before stopping at a local diner for lunch the clouds cleared allowing for a picture perfect view of the 14,000 ft. towering volcano. Pictures honestly don't do it justice. <br />
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<i>Mt. Shasta in a Cloud</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RCrBGmH8ZT4/VTAM-Ymy-_I/AAAAAAAAC54/lkEmO5wJ9Ss/s2560/1429212407534.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RCrBGmH8ZT4/VTAM-Ymy-_I/AAAAAAAAC54/lkEmO5wJ9Ss/s640/1429212407534.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Perfect view of Mt. Shasta</i></center>
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We took CA Hwy 89 South which brought us along the northeastern side of Lassen Volcano, and through reminents of the Sugarloaf fire that charred 9,356 acres of Hat Creek Valley in 2009. There was a forest Service view point that we drove up into that gave us spectacular views of Shasta Shasta to Shasta to one side and Lassen to the other. The PCT also cut right through the area. <br />
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S976d0ZjWUs/VTAM_Aw5U0I/AAAAAAAAC6A/zzbVG_lpUY0/s2560/1429212410858.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S976d0ZjWUs/VTAM_Aw5U0I/AAAAAAAAC6A/zzbVG_lpUY0/s640/1429212410858.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>View of Mt. Shasta from the Pacific Crest Trail</i></center>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KpV_W6qzM70/VTANAJ-mSZI/AAAAAAAAC6I/zEfLhLILiyg/s2560/1429212414533.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KpV_W6qzM70/VTANAJ-mSZI/AAAAAAAAC6I/zEfLhLILiyg/s640/1429212414533.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<i>Lassen Volcano, visible from the Pacific Crest Trail, same location as the above photo of Shasta.</i></center>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Mount Shasta, CA 96067, USA41.3098746 -122.3105666000000241.2144696 -122.47192810000001 41.4052796 -122.14920510000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-5750440217166063172015-04-13T16:07:00.001-04:002015-05-02T14:34:14.490-04:00Redding, CA<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
There is no National Park in Redding, CA, I know. We took a slight detour. We were actually on our way to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm">Lassen Volcanic NP</a> only to realize 1.5 hrs before our arrival that the main road through the park was closed and so were all the campgrounds. We've grown so accustomed to summer weather (by Boone standards) that we didn't really consider that winter, unfortunately, is still upon Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately this means no Crater Lake, Yellowstone, or Grand Tetons which is a little disappointing, however, it just means we need to stick to the southerly route on the way back to North Carolina. <br />
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Before leaving to come out west Cori spent way too many hours researching what flies she should tie so that she could successfully fish in the Sierras. She contacted <a href="http://www.theflyshop.com/travel/bio_mercer.html">Mike Mercer</a> who is somewhat of a fly tying prodigy in the West to get his opinion on what patterns she should use. Not only did Mike provide suggestions, but he also graciously donated an entire box of all the flies he thought she would need along with some other fly fishing goodies. <a href="http://www.theflyshop.com/">The Fly Shop</a> where Mike is now the Alaska and Chile Travel Expert is located, you guessed it, in Redding, CA which was about and hour west of where we were. Cori really wanted to meet him and offer to give him his donation back since we left the trail without ever making it to the Sierras. <br />
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We changed course and headed to Redding with the intention of possibly meeting Mike (we weren't sure if he would actually be there), seeing The Fly Shop, and then heading over to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/whis/index.htm">Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area</a> to camp. Around 3:30 we pulled into a small parking lot adjacent to a modest sized brown, two story building. The staff inside were just as humble as the building itself, genuinely friendly, with no pushy sales pitch. We walked around for a bit before Cori asked if Mike was in. Fortunately he was and Cori spent some time talking with him. I felt like this was an important moment for her and didn't want to impose so I stepped outside to read . <br />
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An hour later she meet me outside with a huge smile on her face and her arms full of new goodies. Not only was Mike understanding of her situation, but was encouraging about her career as both a fly fisher and a hiker. "The trail isn't going anywhere and neither are the Sierras. There's no reason to give up on either one." Since we had no definitive plans he offered to set us both up with fly fishing gear for the weekend and he would take us to some places just to show us where to fish. I passed on the fishing part (I really didn't want to wet wade or spend an entire day fishing), but this was a great opportunity for Cori. Most trout fishing is closed throughout the state of California until the last week of April, except for here, small pockets here and there including Redding. What are the chances of that? Plus she would have one of the best experts in the area telling her exactly where she needed to go. Who could say no to that?!?<br />
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We grabbed a quick dinner at a local Fish and Chips restaurant, found a hotel for $5 more than the campground we were planning on staying at, and met Mike back at the shop at 6:30. <br />
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We followed him down to the Sundial Bridge which crosses the Sacramento River. As the name implies, the bridge is in fact a Sundial. According to the <a href="http://www.turtlebay.org/sundialbridge">Turtle Bay Exploration Park website </a> the bridge "is one of the largest in the world. The sundial shadow traces such a large arc that it can record only four hours a day, from 11am - 3pm. It is not accurate in winter because the shadow is too far into the arboretum to be seen. The shadow, when visible, moves about one foot per minute, so you can readily see it move." The bridge also connects to the Sacramento greenway trail system which was a huge plus for me. <br />
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We spent the next hour or so with Mike. We walked around from spot to spoy talking about the ecology of the river, the drought (which is a whole other blog post in itself), entomology, conservation, and of course, fishing. Right now is a winter salmon run. The winter runs are significantly smaller than summer runs but there was still a good chance we would see salmon in the river. If by chance she hooked a salmon she would have to break the line since it's illegal to catch them (at least where we would be fishing). Good to know. Before parting ways Mike also left us with a few recommendations on good places to eat. I really have to agree, he just might be one of the nicest guys in the world.<br />
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So Saturday would be fishing day. We were on the river by 9:15. By 9:30 Cori caught her first trout of the west coast.<br />
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Around the time she was landing her third fish of the morning we met a really nice couple, Rob and Frederica, who were also visiting the area. Cori invited them over to see the fish she had landed and we got to talking about our travel plans (or lack there of). They had been doing some traveling of their own around the area and left us with plenty of new ideas for adventure back home. <br />
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I stayed on the river with Cori until lunch. By this time she had already landed four fish. After a while they all looked the same and the thrill was gone for me so I took off to explore some of the greenway trails around the bridge. There was a nice loop trail that circled the bluff and a portion of the trail passed through a botanical garden which had some interesting plants. Altogether I covered nearly six miles.<br />
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On my walk I passed a chain link fence and one of the panels was covered in locks. I was curious. Locks of love I assumed since most were locked together and/or had their names engraved on them. A quick Google search revealed that they were in facts "Locks of Love." It is a romantic custom that has caught on in Europe with precarious numbers of locks attached to fences and public bridges. What a strange symbolic practice.<br />
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I met back up with Cori around 3:30 and laid out on the beach in my neon yellow Nike Pro shorts and matching Boston Strong T-shirt. Thank goodness there's no picture of that! <br />
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By dinner the fly tying expo that was being held next door at the Turtle Bay Exploration Museum was wrapping up and a group of men had began to gather at the top of the bank. After Cori landed another two in a row they started trickling down from the bank and from across the river. "What are you throwing?" At the moment it was actually ties she had tied (an olive green frenchie). "Man you're just slaying them!" <br />
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We called it quits when our stomachs started screaming. Originally we were going to get Thai food (Mikes suggestion) but we just weren't feeling it. We found a local brew pub, Woody's, instead what ch turned out to be a very tasty decision. <br />
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<b>Whiskeytown</b><br />
The next day we headed over to the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity Recreation Area. As the name implies the area is split into three seperate, non-adjoining units. We started off in the Whiskeytown Unit where big attraction is the massive reservior, but after all that time on the river it was time to spend some time on the trails. <br />
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Ironically enough we decided to hike to two waterfalls (so maybe not too much time near water yet); Crystal Creek Falls and Whiskeytown Falls. The walk to Crystal Creek falls was a short, easy half mile (round trip) leg stretcher with a beautiful view of the lower falls.<br />
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Whiskeytown Falls is on the same creek as Crystal Falls but it's further upstream, and the falls are larger (longer). The hike to Whiskeytown Falls was nearly straight up for 1.7 miles. I found it odd to be hiking up to a waterfall rather than down to one. The hard effort paid off with beautiful views. The falls were viewed in two stages. When you first arrive to the falls you're seeing the lower portion of the falls.<br />
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Then you climb a series of really steep rock steps to to get to an upper view. The steps actually went up further to see the upper most portion of the falls but the gate was closed so I did my best to get photos from different angles.<br />
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Here is the profile of both trails together. the Crystal Falls trail is the first little bit before the straightline jump from 1840 ft. to 2200 ft. The whiskey falls trail starts around elevation 2200 ft. and climbs to almost 2900 ft. in just under two miles. It felt much steeper than a 700 ft. elevation gain :/<br />
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We drove over to the Trinity unit to camp this evening. As I sat down to male dinner Cori pointed out the Osprey sitting I'm the tree across the river. Just then, it swooped down and caught a fish right in front of us. Oh. My. Goodness. Coolest moment of the day for sure.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Redding, CA, USA40.5865396 -122.391675440.5865396 -122.3916754 40.5865396 -122.3916754tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-18111804373592528092015-04-10T17:26:00.001-04:002015-05-02T14:34:37.834-04:00Yosemite! <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
After taking refuge in Madera, CA to wait out a passing snowstorm we headed North to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm">Yosemite National Park</a>. The recent snow event caused some roads closure including Glacier Point where had planned to spend the afternoon so we headed into Yosemite Valley instead. <br />
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I'm overwhelmed by the amount of people here in Yosemite Valley. I can't even begin to imagine what it's like in the summer time. Even in early April, traffic is bumper to bumper. Short trails leading to popular attractions are nearly shoulder to shoulder. There are lines for a deli. There is a grocery store. Lodges. I understand these things exist in a National Park, but to experience the reality of it is a bit of a shocker. I feel like I'm in an amusement park. <br />
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Still the sight of El Capitan was enough to put a smile on my face. The wall appeared to be free of climbers as we drove in. I'm guessing yesterday's snow storm and lingering ice are keeping climbers down today (I have no idea what I'm talking about though so dont take my word for it). I couldn't help but think of all our rock climbing friends back in Boone. I feel like I'm in their mecca.<br />
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We set up camp in Yosemite Valley at "Camp 4", a "primitive" campground filled mostly with rock climbers. Each site is shared, allowing up to six people per site and there's about 30 sites. Based on how packed out it is I'm guessing there's over a 100 people camping here tonight. After spending the night here I can definitely confirm that I prefer the back country experience. Too many people freak me out and keep me awake. No bueno.<br />
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What is really nice about staying in the Valley is how centrally located we are to almost everything. On our first night here we walked to Yosemite Falls and Mirror Lake before returning back to camp (about 6 miles of mostly flat walking). We also saw a Bob Cat on the way to Mirror Lake but I had no luck getting a picture.<br />
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And we got great views of Half Dome and a beautiful sunset.<br />
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After a sleepless night we crawled out into the chilly morning air and walked 1.5 miles to the Visitor Center to get information on other campsites within the park. We had found the best time to be up and walking around in the Valley! No one was around. No traffic on the road, and aside from the obnoxious beeping of construction trucks working across the street from camp 4 it was peaceful. We went in and talked with Sarah, a short, tan girl with big brown eyes and a soft spoken personality. I told her everywhere we had already walked in the valley and asked her opinion on anything we haven't seen yet. "Honestly", she said in nearly a whisper, "the fact that you've already spent more then four hours here means you've seen more the most people." Four hours!?! Really?!!? I feel like you could spend a life time in here and still see something new everyday. "Don't leave without seeing lower Yosemite Falls" she said with a smile. We said thank you and walked back to camp, gathered our things and went on the hunt for a new campsite for the evening which turned out to be the most epic struggle. We had to locate the oParks NPS office which was tucked away in the corner of some obscure parking lot. By the time we got there everything in the Valley was full except Camp 4. Hell. No. So at the advice Mr. Ranger boy we headed toward the parks northern exit to Hodgdon Meadow Campground. It would have been perfect if the sites weren't covered in six inches of melting snow. I imagined waking up in a puddle and my sleeping bag heavy with water. Whatever. We would figure it out later. The road to Hetch Hetchy had been plowed so we took a detour to give us some time to think about where we would end up for the night. <br />
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Our drive down to the reservior wound us through Stanislaus National Forest and remnants of the <a href="http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rim_Fire">Yosemite Rim Fire of 2013</a>. Even now, nearly two years later the forest trees sanded the burned out match sticks.<br />
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Many of the stops we're making are exciting not just because they are some of America's most iconic places, but also because these are places I've learned about as an undergraduate studying Outdoor Recreation Management. One of these places is the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir located in the north western corner of Yosemite. This is the site of one of America's first large scale conservation battles. Developers wanted to dam the river in order to supply San Francisco with water, and John Muir along with the Sierra Club, wanted to preserve the river in its natural state. Muir believed that the Hetch Hetchy Valley was a "wonderfully exact counterpart to the Yosemite Valley. " He lost his battle and now the Hetch Hetchy reservoir supplies water and hydroelectric power to San Francisco's 2.4 million residents . For me, seeing this in person was to see a significant piece of conservation history. <br />
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The image above gives the names of the peaks shown in the picture below. There should be two waterfalls visible from this viewpoint but the Tueeulala Falls is almost dry at a time when it should be running at its peak. You may also be able to see the old water line around the lake to get a sense of how low the water is.<br />
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Ironically enough, I had spent part of the morning pondering how Muir would feel about the amount of development in Yosemite Valley. There is no doubt in my mind that the level of development has helped conserve many of the surrounding resources as well as provide opportunity for public enjoyment, but I just can't help but wonder what it was like through the eyes of Muir himself. The serenity that must have been present. It's wildness. <br />
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After an hour of wandering the trail around the reservior we headed down the mountain to Groveland to grab a dinner that wasn't dehydrated beans. Afterwards we head over to The Pines campground located in the National Forest that borders Yosemite. Since its still technically the off season, the site was free and barely occupied. A good night sleep was upon us. Tomorrow we head North toward Mt. Shasta Recreation Area.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Village, CA 95389, USA37.8651011 -119.5383294000000137.8651011 -119.53832940000001 37.8651011 -119.53832940000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-57973235081541281682015-04-07T19:33:00.001-04:002015-05-02T11:59:32.225-04:00Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
After rounding up some packages in the desert Cori and I headed North, but not without stopping in the Mojave one last time to get my picture with a Joshua Tree. I'm not exactly sure what my fascination is with these odd looking trees, but I've always been intrigued by them. To me they look like alien palm trees, but in fact are the largest species in the Yucca family. They exist mostly in the Mojave Desert, the hottest desert in North America, and their pollination is solely reliant on the female pronuba moth that lays her eggs on the yucca seeds which then hatch and provide food for the larvae. <br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2myqYY4-vs0/VSRnsXNaTQI/AAAAAAAACvY/lQQjG0gE_0I/s2560/1428449195532.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2myqYY4-vs0/VSRnsXNaTQI/AAAAAAAACvY/lQQjG0gE_0I/s400/1428449195532.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
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Our drive into Sequoia meandered through the western foothills of the Sierra Mountain range. Here, elevations below 5,000 feet are too dry to support much vegetation beyond grasses and shrubs. I was surprised by this, thinking that we were far enough north to be out of the desert. I guess I'm spoiled by the lush green vegetation of the Southern Appalachians. Still the tall grass rolling hills were a welcomed change of scenery.<br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-uWT3KjVh-t4/VSRn1OyU9wI/AAAAAAAACvg/QOPq0Labv_E/s2560/1428449203280.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-uWT3KjVh-t4/VSRn1OyU9wI/AAAAAAAACvg/QOPq0Labv_E/s400/1428449203280.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
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It's so hard to believe that these grassy hills lead the way to some of the largest organisms in the world. Mind boggling really. This past year I read<i> <b>The Wild Trees</b></i>_by Richard Preston, a novelistic style non-fiction book about the Redwood and Sequoia's of Northern California. An excellent read for anyone interested in the adventure and science of these trees. My mind kept regressing back to the books passages about the discovery of the groves, their magestic nature, and the thrill of discovering such a magnificent organism! And here I was, wiggling around in my seat like a two year who has to pee. I was just giddy with excitement. "Redwoods! We're going to see Redwoods!" I exclaimed. "No we're not", Cori replied, with a thin lined smirk rising across her face. "We're going to see Sequoias. Not the same thing. " Leave it to the plant physiologist to bring me back down to earth. She's correct though, although easily confused and often described interchangeably, they are in fact different species. One of the most notable differences is where they are found. Sequoia's are found on the western slopes of the Sierras between 4,000 - 8,000 feet. The Redwoods, on the other hand, are located along the Pacific Coast. There are also many other physical/biological differences that distinguish each species. You can read more about their differences on the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/cook/sec2.htm">National Park Service website</a> if you're interested. <br />
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It was the end of Easter weekend as we pulled up to the park entrance. I was hoping to get a campsite in the Lodgepole campground to sleep near the trees, but the welcome sign noted that the site was full. Bummer. We quickly snagged a campsite at Buckeye instead which is in the foothills. More desert. Yay!!! (Please note the sarcasm). Honestly though, this worked to our advantage since the night temps would drop below freezing up at Lodgepole and we would be much warmer camping at 2,900 feet than at 6,500 feet. Thank you fate. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tQWugkxO4Fk/VSRn-EZeK5I/AAAAAAAACvo/lQy1XwSAaNE/s2560/1428449237046.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tQWugkxO4Fk/VSRn-EZeK5I/AAAAAAAACvo/lQy1XwSAaNE/s400/1428449237046.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="225" /></a><br />
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After securing a spot to camp we headed North along the Generals Highway, stopping to get a glimpse of Moro Rock and it's neighboring peaks.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TI-r7-mIBDA/VSRoTkF44qI/AAAAAAAACv4/y_RUTM-9KDY/s2560/1428449322037.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TI-r7-mIBDA/VSRoTkF44qI/AAAAAAAACv4/y_RUTM-9KDY/s400/1428449322037.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tyhecqpQfC8/VSRoY9PY4rI/AAAAAAAACwA/Tj4a_PE1nec/s2560/1428449359055.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tyhecqpQfC8/VSRoY9PY4rI/AAAAAAAACwA/Tj4a_PE1nec/s400/1428449359055.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
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The drive up to the Giant Forest was slam-on -the-breaks spectacular. Thank goodness for pull-offs. <br />
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZYDOtpmUmE0/VSRo-VH4HoI/AAAAAAAACwo/4c2Jjw6tw8U/s2560/1428449503129.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZYDOtpmUmE0/VSRo-VH4HoI/AAAAAAAACwo/4c2Jjw6tw8U/s400/1428449503129.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bRcwFIhfkf4/VSRpJtwWYOI/AAAAAAAACww/aNDK43WHMO0/s2560/1428449530224.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bRcwFIhfkf4/VSRpJtwWYOI/AAAAAAAACww/aNDK43WHMO0/s640/1428449530224.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yWvfBEB5NCY/VSRpVO0jnpI/AAAAAAAACw4/CSnFuWoroyw/s2560/1428449574944.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yWvfBEB5NCY/VSRpVO0jnpI/AAAAAAAACw4/CSnFuWoroyw/s400/1428449574944.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="225" /></a><br />
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Sequoia National Park is the nation's second oldest National Park, and the first National park created to protect a single living organism. So it seemed fitting to make our first hike to see General Sherman, the largest (by volume) and one of the oldest trees on earth. General Sherman stands nearly 275 feet tall and is 106.5 feet across at its widest point. The tree is estimated to be between 2,300 - 2,700 years old. <br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eEisuMgi1RA/VSRoKfHGWEI/AAAAAAAACvw/sc2omIK-0FE/s2560/1428449273117.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eEisuMgi1RA/VSRoKfHGWEI/AAAAAAAACvw/sc2omIK-0FE/s400/1428449273117.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="225" /></a><br />
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The tree itself is fenced off for protection which was understandable but still slightly disappointing. Luckily there were plenty of other trees to admire up close and personal.<br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-n-Vnph12GKw/VSRonmTes9I/AAAAAAAACwI/BcF-dexPGAg/s2560/1428449380084.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-n-Vnph12GKw/VSRonmTes9I/AAAAAAAACwI/BcF-dexPGAg/s400/1428449380084.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-swKb_313Hg8/VSRovWwH6vI/AAAAAAAACwQ/byN8N51LhVM/s2560/1428449440775.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-swKb_313Hg8/VSRovWwH6vI/AAAAAAAACwQ/byN8N51LhVM/s400/1428449440775.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-41vzubZ0HRM/VSRowHqOKfI/AAAAAAAACwU/0cZ2O4TG0u4/s2560/1428449470847.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-41vzubZ0HRM/VSRowHqOKfI/AAAAAAAACwU/0cZ2O4TG0u4/s400/1428449470847.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="300" /></a><br />
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The second largest tree, General Grant is in Sequoia's neighboring park, Kings Canyon. The Grant Tree is the largest tree within the Grant Tree grove and is currently the second largest tree in the world. It stands 267.4 feet tall and measures 107.6 around its base. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Cn64vwSpI64/VSRo3hxsIDI/AAAAAAAACwg/lCS7b-NI64o/s2560/1428449472903.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Cn64vwSpI64/VSRo3hxsIDI/AAAAAAAACwg/lCS7b-NI64o/s400/1428449472903.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="225" /></a><br />
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A snow storm is moving into the region so we drove out of the park a day early and took refuge at a Quality Inn (Thank you Christine for the hook up!). Next stop, Yosemite!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Sequoia National Park, CA 93271, USA36.4333166 -118.6836172999999836.4333166 -118.68361729999998 36.4333166 -118.68361729999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-40182403969781454362015-04-07T12:54:00.001-04:002015-04-07T12:56:18.783-04:00Plan B: Western National Park Tour 2015<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
How do you grieve the death of a vision? I could dwell on what I "should" be doing (literally walking my ass off from Mexico to Canada). I could spend the next several days sobbing and being full of resentment as I make my way back to North Carolina. Or, I can look at my new found situation as an opportunity to see places that are on my bucket list. Why not? We paid to come all the way out here, and we're in no great hurry to go home. Bills are paid for the next five months and the dogs are being well taken care of. There seems to be no better time then the present.<br />
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I can't really take credit for this fantastic idea. I was pretty ready to be a sorrowful individual, but Cori came to me with the suggestion that we take this crappy situation of not hiking the PCT and try to take advantage of being out West to see some the world's most beautiful and historic places. It took awhile for the new plan to settle in, but when I could let go of my ego momentarily I had to admit that this new "Plan B" (as we've come to call it) actually sounded pretty awesome. <br />
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We came up with a short list of National Parks; Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Rocky Mountains. Cori would rent a car and we would travel to each park spending a day or two in each one, and camp each night. If we wanted to stay somewhere longer or add places to the list we could always extend the rental car reservation. I know this means we just get to dabble in each of these places, but it still gives us the chance to see areas that we've never been to, and we get to experience them together. <br />
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Usually I use this blog to talk about my trail adventures, and driving across country doesn't really fit in with this theme. Still, I'd really love to share these places with our friends and family (the four of you that will read this) and I see no other valid reason to share it somewhere other then here. <br />
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So, over the next few weeks I'll share our adventures at each National Park as we make our way back East. Our first stop, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-70252549648242249022015-04-04T23:19:00.001-04:002015-05-02T12:02:46.656-04:00Day 2: What's Important in Life? <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
Lake Morena to Cibbets Campground<br />
13.0 Miles<br />
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What's important in life? Is it how much money you make? How successful you become? The things you own? The experiences you have? The relationships you form? This question and all its potential answers have been funneling through my mind over the past two days. I'm sure for most, the answer to this question is some or all of these factors. Or maybe none of these at all. <br />
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I'm a very goal oriented person. I make up my mind to do something and I do it; at all expenses and sometimes regardless of the consequences (both positive and negative). I don't like to fail. So when we strolled into camp tonight and my partner looked at me and said she didn't think she could do this I blew her off. It took her breaking down into tears explaining in between sobs that her heart kept skipping beats and she had pain running through her chest for me to start looking beyond my own selfish goals. <br />
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Cori does have a heart condition, Wolf Parkinsons White syndome. Basically her heart has a tendency to race and/or have extra beats. She has a regular heart doctor that she sees annually who believed she would be okay out here despite the heat. She is active and healthy. She's ran marathons, played roller derby, and hiked the Appalachian Trail; all with no heart problems. On most accounts she is a healthy person. Still, the condition exists and she's had episodes in the past that caused her to modify her activity levels. <br />
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We knew this coming out here so we were careful to train and prepare ourselves to the best of our abilities. While hiking we've been extremely careful to stay hydrated and nourished. So when she first mentioned that she was in pain, that her chest hurt and she could feel her heart skipping beats which was making her uncomfortable I dismissed her. She needed to drink more water. She needed to realize that this was going to hurt. Thru-hiking hurts. We were going to be uncomfortable for a few weeks until we adjusted. She was fine. We hiked on. When we strolled into camp tonight she was in tears before she could even put her pack down. She hurt. Her heart was skipping beats and she was dizzy and nauseous. She couldn't do this. What do I say to that? OK, go home I'll see you in five months? You're being a hypochondriac drama queen. Get your shit together? <br />
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Cori and I have been together for almost six years. In that time I have seen her cry three times. Maybe. This was real. So at this point, what's important? The thought of leaving the PCT is devastating. And we just got started. But what are the consequences if I stick to my selfish goals and somehow convince her to stay with me? Daily sobbing episodes? Constant fights? Or something worse? Could she really have a heart attack? Is flirting with the line of dehydration for the next 700 miles really worth it?<br />
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No. It is not worth it. This wasn't some leg pain and sore shoulders. Tight calves and sore feet. Blisters. These things are to be expected. We were about to enter the Mojave Desert, the hottest desert in North America. We would have to hike 15-20 mile stretches in blazing heat daily just to replenish our water so we could keep ourselves hydrated. <br />
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I've come to believe that the relationships we form and the experiences we have with the ones we love are going to be what we cherish most in life. For that reason (and a few others) I am choosing to leave with Cori. Sending her home alone with no home to go to, and no job, and three dogs to pick up and take care of is not what a good partner does. I wouldn't want it done to me. <br />
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We are trying to make the best of a very devastating turn of events. We have rented a car and are making our way North. We plan on visiting Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and the Grand Tetons while we make our way home over the next two weeks. <br />
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The PCT will always be there. I'm sure we'll find our way out west sometime in the future. <br />
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P.S. I almost stepped on a rattle snake today and it scared the shit out of me. <br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QowXqaOPFIQ/VSCp1sAuYwI/AAAAAAAACrg/v7lfp5csqu0/s2560/1428203987259.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QowXqaOPFIQ/VSCp1sAuYwI/AAAAAAAACrg/v7lfp5csqu0/s320/1428203987259.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Drying our stuff out in a lunch break<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4Mount Laguna, CA 91948, USA32.8674653 -116.4187931000000232.8674653 -116.41879310000002 32.8674653 -116.41879310000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-25077914234483570722015-04-04T09:21:00.001-04:002015-05-02T12:01:45.765-04:00Day 1: Trail Angels on the First Day<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
Campo to Lake Morena<br />
20 Miles <br />
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My alarm went off at 5 am this morning but I didn't need it. I was wide awake with anticipation. How was today going to go? Could I handle the heat? Would Cori be OK (she was full of nerves)? <br />
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We reached the Mexican border at Campo around 7:15. It was 34 degrees outside but the sun rising overhead made the cool morning bearable in my shorts and sun shirt. A few other hikers were already at the trailhead, excitedly strapping on their packs and preparing to head north.<br />
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We walked over to the southern terminus PCT monument whose light grey pillars stood out against the tall rusty panels of the Mexican border. Streched out in front of me was a seemingless endless stretch of shrubby green wilderness crisscrossed by by dusty dirt roads which were occupied by the occasional passing border patrol trucks.<br />
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After signing the register and taking a few photos at the border we were off. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ba94Mgfh5AE/VR_lbWFiDgI/AAAAAAAACrM/fxK3abNwUwg/s2560/1428153707618.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ba94Mgfh5AE/VR_lbWFiDgI/AAAAAAAACrM/fxK3abNwUwg/s320/1428153707618.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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I was heavy under the weight of my pack. The first 20 miles of the PCT are waterless, so I was carrying six liters (roughly 13 lbs.) of water to get me to Lake Morena, our intended final destination for the evening. <br />
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The trail meandered slowly along the edge of a small neighborhood and the eventually turned slightly west bringing us deeper into desert. Our climbs were gradual which was nice and the weather remained relatively cool until 11:00 when the heat started to become unbearable. Around 11:30 we took refuge in some shade to let our feet air out and to let our bodies cool down. This became our routine for the rest of the afternoon. We would hike for about two hours, find shade, air out our feet, snack and hydrate.<br />
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We made to Hauser Creek which is a dried up creek bed at mile 15 around 4:00. The was a small water cache in the creek that some nice soul had left for thirsty hikers. We didn't need to utilize it since we started off prepared to make it to Lake Morena but it gave us an opportunity to stop short and camp if we wanted to. After some discussion we decided to push on. <br />
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The climb out of Hauser Creek was long, hot, and exposed. I began to question our decision to push on as my heart pounder in my chest and me feet began to throb beneath me. We took it slow, drank plenty of water, and stumbled into Lake Morena Campground around 7 pm. <br />
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As we made our way towards the ranger station to check in and pay for a campsite a woman came running over to us. "Are y'all PCT hikers? Yes ma'am" we replied back. "We have plenty of food. Why don't you two come on over and get something to warm to eat. Save your dehydrated stuff for another night." Her name was Cheryl and she was camping with three of her friends. They all worked in the education system and were there relaxing on Spring Break. I was in heaven and no longer regretted our decision to move forward. As we made our plates they also offered us to the chance to camp at their site for the evening which was already paid for. <br />
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It was a perfect ending to a tough day.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Lake Morena, Cleveland National Forest, California 91906, USA32.6944097 -116.5270694000000232.6944097 -116.52706940000002 32.6944097 -116.52706940000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-43935905806171273472015-03-26T13:04:00.001-04:002015-03-26T13:04:23.959-04:00Dogs, Maildrops, Tattoos, OH MY! <div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>The trail has a funny way of preparing you for what's to come even of you're not even out there yet. Over the past two weeks Cori and I went from having nearly everything set to leave to questioning our ability to even do the hike. <br/>
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Between the two of us we have three beautiful fur babies:<br/>
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<a onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}' href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6x-kXfvT2Vc/VRQ3wPp2s6I/AAAAAAAACp0/7ve0kufwAIs/s2560/1427388344899.jpeg'><img style='cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6x-kXfvT2Vc/VRQ3wPp2s6I/AAAAAAAACp0/7ve0kufwAIs/s320/1427388344899.jpeg' border='0'/></a><br/>
Jasmine, a 13 year old cocker<br/>
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<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J74ChpMEBNQ/VRQ8FkAMVqI/AAAAAAAACqo/WOeNC3fak-s/s2560/1427389460022.png' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J74ChpMEBNQ/VRQ8FkAMVqI/AAAAAAAACqo/WOeNC3fak-s/s320/1427389460022.png' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;'/></a><br/>
Hershey, a 10 year old chocolate lab<br/>
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<a onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}' href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-flnv7yhkMyA/VRQ36xkXnGI/AAAAAAAACp8/AMiST_Kbthw/s2560/1427388353625.jpeg'><img style='cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-flnv7yhkMyA/VRQ36xkXnGI/AAAAAAAACp8/AMiST_Kbthw/s320/1427388353625.jpeg' border='0'/></a><br/>
Dudley a 4.5 year old Pyrenees/Lab mix<br/>
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We had homes lined up for them a month or more before leaving, then one week before we were suppose to move out of our apartment and deliver all the dogs to said homes, all of our dog sitters bailed out on us. On the same day. Are you kidding me?!!? Needless to say, all of our carefully thought out plans were thrown by the wayside. We had one week to find new homes for them or there would be no PCT hike. All of the money and time already spent on the trail (train tickets, food, gear, etc.) would be pissed away along with our dreams of spending the summer out west. It was time to pull together all our resources, and be as flexible as possible with our schedules. We banned together to get everything worked out. In the end, friends and family came to the rescue; the dogs have been placed in (temporary) great foster homes and we can't begin to thank them enough. Having already completed a thru-hike once before we both understand that our ability to complete the PCT will be the result of all of the support we are receiving from friends and family back home. Thank you.<br/>
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Once the dogs were settled, we loaded up my car with all our gear and maildrops, and I headed down to my parents in Blue Ridge, GA. I spent part of my time getting all of the maildrops and extra gear organized and ready to go.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<a onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}' href='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6lItAEiULyU/VRQ39Tmc1eI/AAAAAAAACqE/I0QNm8244vo/s2560/1427388396852.jpeg'><img style='cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;' src='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6lItAEiULyU/VRQ39Tmc1eI/AAAAAAAACqE/I0QNm8244vo/s320/1427388396852.jpeg' border='0'/></a><br/>
<br/>
I spent some of my time Cafe Ink and added to my AT tattoo. I've been dreaming of getting this done for the past three years and it turned out better than I've ever imagined! I plan on having the PCT and CDT tattoo ed underneath the AT as I complete those trails.<br/>
<br/>
<a onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}' href='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-APTC23gx1KI/VRQ3_D41pfI/AAAAAAAACqM/cU90glvd3Tg/s2560/1427388406228.jpeg'><img style='cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;' src='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-APTC23gx1KI/VRQ3_D41pfI/AAAAAAAACqM/cU90glvd3Tg/s320/1427388406228.jpeg' border='0'/></a><br/>
<br/>
After some family time in Blue Ridge, Cori and I headed back up to South Carolina where we spent the last three days with her family. <br/>
<br/>
Then, on Wednesday morning, at 2:45 am we stepped onto the Crescent Amtrak train to begin our journey westward to hike the PCT.<br/>
<br/>
<a onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}' href='https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3p_BFLpbhCw/VRQ4AavLefI/AAAAAAAACqU/oa_TTq7s-gM/s2560/1427388413267.jpeg'><img style='cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;' src='https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3p_BFLpbhCw/VRQ4AavLefI/AAAAAAAACqU/oa_TTq7s-gM/s320/1427388413267.jpeg' border='0'/></a><br/>
<br/>
We will spend the next three and a half days traveling across the country to Del Mar, CA. There, we will be greeted and hosted by trail angel Betty Wheeler who took care of Cori last year when she got the flu. I can't wait to finally meet her in person!<br/>
<br/>
Until then, Happy Trails!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-72992583443076061092015-03-03T10:42:00.000-05:002015-03-03T15:50:46.123-05:00What's in my Resupply (Maildrop) Boxes?<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8BZMcn0OP0/VPXV7KeE73I/AAAAAAAACoU/5IKfDHx4_zc/s1600/FB_IMG_1425396996658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8BZMcn0OP0/VPXV7KeE73I/AAAAAAAACoU/5IKfDHx4_zc/s1600/FB_IMG_1425396996658.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>The thought of putting together maildrops for the PCT weighed heavily on my mind. I tried them in 2009. I was vegan at the time so I wanted to make sure I stayed true to my vegan ethics. I spent hours dehydrating my favorite curry and pasta dishes. I bought quinoa flakes in bulk. I made my own fruit leathers. My food bag was going to be the envy of every hiker on the trail. I was wrong. Very, very wrong. There is something about long distance hiking that changes how you taste food. How you crave food. I was to much of a newbie to anticipate that. One can only imagine my disappointment when my favorite dishes became hard to stomach. All I could eat were rice dishes, pasta, and poptarts. Needless to say I abandoned my maildrops and began to resupply in town. So when it came time to decide on a resupply strategy I thought long and hard about what I should do. I carefully weighed the pros and cons. Maildrops would help me stay within my budget. They would reduce the amount of town chores I would have to do which meant I would have more time to eat, shower, and sleep. I had more control over what I would be eating, ensuring that my diet wouldn't be filled entirely with junk food. On the downside my hike would be dictated by making it to a post office by a certain time and day. There's the added cost of shipping the food. I had to try and plan how many days it's going to take to get from point A to point B from the comfort of my couch. Not an easy task.<br />
<br />
After some discussion with Cori, we both decided on a hybrid strategy; resupplying in town part of the trip and doing maildrops for part of the trip. I'm 95% confident that this maildrop process will be much more successful. We ordered most of our food from <a href="http://www.backcountryfood.org/shop/">MaryJane Farms</a>, which makes all organic backpacker friendly foods. We tested most of these dishes out on a road/camping trip this summer and loved them. The rest of my diet is filled with typical backpacker foods that are lightweight, easy to prepare, and were a staple in my AT diet.<br />
<br />
I spent an entire day this past week portioning out food into ziplock bags and strategically placing them into one of the 16 Priority Flat Rate boxes neatly lined up on my living room floor. It was exhausting, but I know I'll appreciate it when I'm on the trail.<br />
<br />
For anyone who may be curious about what exactly it is that we eat out there, below is a breakdown of what I'll be sending myself along the trail.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Breakfasts</b></u><br />
<a href="http://eas.com/products/powder/eas-complete-protein-powder-vanilla" target="_blank">EAS Complete Protein Powder</a> (Vanilla)<br />
Instant Coffee<br />
<a href="http://shop.theprobar.com/Products/PROBAR-Meal" target="_blank">ProBar Organic Meal Bar</a> (Original, Berry Blast, Superfood Slam, Superfruit Slam)<br />
<a href="http://www.clifbar.com/products/builders/builders" target="_blank">Clif Builders Protein Bars</a> (Vanilla Almond, Cookies & Cream)<br />
Pop-Tarts (Strawberry, Blueberry, Wildberry) <br />
<br />
<u><b>Lunches</b></u><br />
MaryJane Farms Organic Black Bean Flakes (Regular and Spicy)<br />
MaryJane Farms Organic Pinto Bean Flakes<br />
MaryJane Farms Organic Black Bean & Corn Chowder <br />
MaryJane Farms Organic Spuds with Spinach & Cheese <br />
<a href="https://www.kravejerky.com/" target="_blank">Krave Jerky</a> (I plan to eat this with the mashed potatoes to get some protein)<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticfoods.com/productlist.aspx?catid=Entrees+and+Side+Dishes" target="_blank">Fantastic Foods Hummus</a><br />
<br />
<i>*For the hummus and refried bean mixes I plan on picking up tortillas or chips at a store in town. I may buy extra if the next mail drop location does not pass near a grocery or convenience store. </i><br />
<br />
<u><b>Dinners</b></u><br />
MaryJane Farms Organic Bare Burritto<br />
MaryJane Farms Organic Eat You Veggies Pasta<br />
MaryJane Farms Organic Lentils, Rice, & Indian Spice<br />
MaryJane Farms Organic Wild Mushroom Couscous <br />
Knorr Rice Sides<br />
Ramen Noodles<br />
<a href="http://www.primalspiritfoods.com/" target="_blank">Primal Strips</a> (I plan on eating these with rice side or ramen noodles to add protein to the meal). <br />
<br />
<u><b>Snacks/Electrolyte Replacement</b></u><br />
<a href="http://www.clifbar.com/products/clif-bar/clifbar" target="_blank">Clif Bars</a> (Blueberry Muffin, White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut, Pomegranate)<br />
<a href="http://www.kindsnacks.com/store/types/fruit-nut" target="_blank">Kind Fruit & Nut Bars</a> (Blueberry, Pomegranate & Pistachio)<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Diamond-Almonds-Smokehouse-1-5-Ounce/dp/B00JS5L45I" target="_blank">Diamond Almonds Spicy Bold Series</a> (Wasabi, Smokehouse Jalapeno, and Habanero BBQ)<br />
<a href="http://shop.theprobar.com/Products/PROBAR-Fuel" target="_blank">ProBar Fuel Bars</a> (Blueberry, Strawberry)<br />
<a href="http://www.lunabar.com/products/luna-protein" target="_blank">Luna Protein Bars</a> (Chocolate Peanut Butter, Vanilla Lemon, Chocolate Coconut Almond)<br />
<a href="http://www.jellybelly.com/extreme-sport-beans-reg-jelly-beans-with-caffeine-assorted-flavors-24-pack/p/72604" target="_blank">Jelly Belly Caffeinated Sports Bean</a> (contains electrolytes)<br />
<a href="http://www.honeystinger.com/organic-energy-chews.html" target="_blank">Honeystinger Organic Energy Chews </a>(Smoothie Flavor) (contains electrolytes)<br />
<a href="http://www.emergenc.com/products#emergen-c-immune.blueberry-acai" target="_blank">EmergenC Immune Support</a> (Blueberry & Acai with Vitamin D)<u><b></b></u><br />
<br />
<u><b>Desserts</b></u><br />
PayDay Bars<br />
Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies<br />
Little Debbie Chocolate Cream Pie<br />
Baby Ruth Bars<br />
Oreo Snack Packs<br />
<br />
<u><b>Toiletries</b></u><br />
Wet Wipes<br />
Vitamins/Aleve<br />
Q-tips<br />
Travel size tooth paste<br />
Dental Floss Sticks<br />
Ear Plugs<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You can also follow me on<b> <a href="https://twitter.com/rralbritton">Twitter</a></b> and<b> <a href="http://instagram.com/rralbritton">Instagram</a></b>.
More photos will be uploaded to my <b><a href="http://ralbritton.smugmug.com/Hike/Pacific-Crest-Trail">Smugmug Site</a></b> when possible.
I'm hiking with Cori "Grommet" Holladay. You can read her blog <b><a href="http://corialice.blogspot.com/"> here</a></b>. </i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-6027617451346402282015-02-19T16:04:00.000-05:002015-03-03T15:30:55.708-05:00What am I Carrying?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HceQyFe1xMM/VPYZ6iY2g-I/AAAAAAAACok/VDnRZFPTbBA/s1600/PCTGear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HceQyFe1xMM/VPYZ6iY2g-I/AAAAAAAACok/VDnRZFPTbBA/s1600/PCTGear.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
First let me say, I'm hiking on a budget. A very, very small budget. All of the money I've saved has been allocated toward the trip itself and paying bills while I'm gone. I really didn't have any money left over for new, fancy, ultralight gear. This means I'm carrying a lot of the same stuff I carried on the <a href="http://atjournal200http//atjournal2009.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-did-i-carry.html.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-did-i-carry.html">AT in 2009</a>...nearly six years ago....when the gear was actually considered light. What I don't already have I've managed to buy cheap or I'm borrowing from my incredibly nice hiker friends. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-because-ain-t-nobody-got-time-for-that-shit.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-because-ain-t-nobody-got-time-for-that-shit.png" height="200" width="171" /></a>When it comes to evaluating the weight of my gear, I'm taking a similar approach to my gear as I did with the AT; I am NOT going to go through the painstaking, time sucking, make me want to pull my hair out because I'd rather watch paint dry process of weighing each little item in my bag. I've got far more important things to focus on (like spending as much time outside as possible, spending time with friends and family, working....you get my drift).<br />
<br />
What ultimately matters is what the overall base weight of my pack is (my pack weight without food and water). Yeah, yeah, I can already hear some people saying, "but if you weigh each little thing you can decide if its worth the weight.." blah blah blah...<br />
<br />
Here's my philosophy; if any of my essential gear (the big four - backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent) weighs 2 lbs. (32 oz.) or more, I seriously need to consider an alternative. As far as anything else in my pack (electronics, clothes, etc.); if it makes me happy, more comfortable etc., I will more then likely bring it. I do have limits. I believe that lighter is better, more comfortable, and easier on your joints. I believe that things should be multifunctional. Finally, I remind myself I'm going out into the <i>Wilderness</i> where really anything beyond food, water, shelter, and clothing are a luxury. And believe me, I like my luxury bag of electronics...it weighs two pounds. Ridiculous I know, but I love to write and I'm using my phone for nearly everything (camera, navigation, blogging, kindle) so having an external battery (the brick), to me, is well worth its weight. Aside from my need to lug around this "luxury", I try to keep in mind that one of the things that makes trail life so addicting is its simplicity. I'll do my best to keep it that way.<br />
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With all this being said, I've developed a compromise for my gear list. I've listed weights of my "big four" items since this is where the bulk a packs base weight is for most people. Then I weighed my pack (without food and water) to get my overall base weight. Its a little higher than what I was shooting for, but I think I'll be OK.<br />
<br />
<iframe height="700" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wdsXoSnmcWbWgYXuaP87Yt2o3zRz7hdV9mQhLNxOwuw/pubhtml?gid=1869266469&single=true&widget=true&headers=false" width="900"></iframe>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You can also follow me on<b> <a href="https://twitter.com/rralbritton">Twitter</a></b> and<b> <a href="http://instagram.com/rralbritton">Instagram</a></b>.
More photos will be uploaded to my <b><a href="http://ralbritton.smugmug.com/Hike/Pacific-Crest-Trail">Smugmug Site</a></b> when possible.
I'm hiking with Cori "Grommet" Holladay. You can read her blog <b><a href="http://corialice.blogspot.com/"> here</a></b>. </i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241257332292659303.post-30830545977043912332015-02-15T10:20:00.003-05:002015-02-15T10:22:16.452-05:00Pre-Hike: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions<br />
As I near the start of my journey from Mexico to Canada I'm starting to get a lot more questions about what it is I'm exactly doing out there (Read: <i>Are you nuts? What the heck do you think you're doing out there?!!?</i>). I prefer to think of myself as an adventurist, and slightly non-conformist. But hey, if nuts works for you I'm okay with that, because while you're sitting at your desk reading monotonous emails, answering phone calls, and dazing out into the world, I will doing something that most people will only ever say "I wish I could do that".<br />
<br />
So, here is my answers to some of the most FAQ about my plans for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Please keep in mind that many of these answer are what I'm <i>planning </i>to do, not what actually happens. My preparation is based on my previous experience thru-hiking the <a href="http://atjournal2009.blogspot.com/">Appalachian Trail in 2009</a>, consulting friends who have already completed the PCT, reading other PCT bloggers, and watching <a href="http://www.tbwproductions.com/#!page2/cjg9">Wizards of the PCT</a> a zillion times. <br />
<br />
<i><b>What/Where are you hiking exactly?</b></i><br />
The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,660ish mile trail stretching from the Mexican border to the Canadian border, and traverses through California, Oregon, and Washington. Despite its name, Pacific Crest, there is no Pacific Crest mountain range that the trail passes over. Rather, the trail traverses over several different mountain ranges and through seven different <a href="http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/level_iii_iv.htm#Level%20III">ecozones</a>. To be more exact, the trail is divided into five major sections; the Mojave desert (Southern California), The High Sierras, Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. <br />
<br />
<b><i>Where do you start?</i></b><br />
We start at the Mexican border in a very small town called Campo. We'll be driven there by a wonderful trail angel, Betty Wheeler, who Cori met last year during her short experience on the trail. <br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Campo+California&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Campo,+San+Diego+County,+California&ll=32.60758,-116.469732&spn=0.348782,0.617294&t=h&z=11&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Campo+California&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Campo,+San+Diego+County,+California&ll=32.60758,-116.469732&spn=0.348782,0.617294&t=h&z=11&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<br />
<br />
<i><b>Where does the trail end?</b></i><br />
The PCT ends at the Canadian Border at a place called Manning Park. Once we reach the monument at the trails northern terminus we'll have to hike a short distance into Vancouver, British Columbia and catch a Greyhound bus back to Seattle Washington.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Manning+Park,+BC,+Canada&aq=0&oq=Manning+Pa&sll=32.608146,-116.469498&sspn=0.348782,0.617294&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&ll=40.754849,-121.38508&spn=0.006295,0.006295&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Manning+Park,+BC,+Canada&aq=0&oq=Manning+Pa&sll=32.608146,-116.469498&sspn=0.348782,0.617294&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&ll=40.754849,-121.38508&spn=0.006295,0.006295" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<small> </small>
<br />
<i><b>How long will it take you?</b></i><br />
We are planning to complete the trail in 5.0 - 5.5 months.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Have you read/seen Wild? If yes, did that inspire you to do hike the PCT? </b></i><br />
Yes, I read the book. No, the book had no influence on my decision to hike the trail.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Do you carry everything you need?</b></i><br />
Yes. I'll be carrying a tent, sleeping pad, water, food, clothes, and some other miscellaneous items. I'll be posting my detailed gear list shortly.<br />
<br />
<i><b>What will you be eating (Do you send food to yourself and/or buy food in towns)? </b></i><br />
I currently have about 30 resupply points planned out. A little over half of these will be places I pick up maildrops (food I've boxed up before I leave and my supportive parents are sending to me along the way). The rest of the time I will buy food in town. Most of the food I'll eat will be quick food like refried beans, hummus, dehydrated rice meals, pasta, and jerky. I plan on writing a more detailed post about what my resupply boxes consist of sometime in the next week or two when I finish buying all my necessities (so stay tuned!). <br />
<br />
<i><b>Do you (or often) will you reach a town?</b></i><br />
Time in between towns will vary but typically we should reach a town every 4-7 days. When we get into town we'll be able to grab food, do laundry (sometimes) and shower (sometimes). We plan on taking a zero day (a day we hike zero miles) about every 14 days.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Do you ever need to swap out gear? </b></i><br />
Yes. The PCT is the <a href="http://tvblogs.nationalgeographic.com/2010/07/02/pacific-crest-trail/">trail of extremes</a>. We start off in America's hottest dessert (the Mojave), climb up to one of the highest (and possibly snowiest) mountains in the lower 48, volcano hop through Oregon and tread through the lush green remote forests of Washington. We will need to swap out gear. We''ll have additional gear mailed to us along the way. <br />
<br />
<i><b>Will you be going alone?</b></i><br />
Nope. I'm very excited to be sharing this journey with my best friend in the universe, Cori "Grommet" Holladay. You can read about her journey <a href="http://corialice.blogspot.com/">here.</a><br />
<br />
<i><b>Will you be carrying a gun? </b></i><br />
No. I'm more likely to hurt myself than protect myself with a gun. Plus they're heavy. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You can also follow me on<b> <a href="https://twitter.com/rralbritton">Twitter</a></b> and<b> <a href="http://instagram.com/rralbritton">Instagram</a></b>.
More photos will be uploaded to my <b><a href="http://ralbritton.smugmug.com/Hike/Pacific-Crest-Trail">Smugmug Site</a></b> when possible.
I'm hiking with Cori "Grommet" Holladay. You can read her blog <b><a href="http://corialice.blogspot.com/"> here</a></b>. </i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0