Jenna and Josh's Wedding

Sometimes in life the fairy tale becomes reality.  A life long friend got married last month and a fairy tale certainly describes her relationship and wedding. 

The wedding was in Door County, Wisconsin.  This was my first trip to Wisconsin, and it easily vaulted it's way to the best Mid-Western state on my list.  Scenic countryside blended seamlessly with farm and ranch land.  Large open spaces typified the landscape.  This time of year everything is green and alive.  I am pretty sure that even my brown thumb gardening skills would be transformed to success in the rich soil.  Door County is a long peninsula which is bordered on one side by Lake Michigan and on the other by Green Bay.  Both Lake Michigan and Green Bay give the penisula a very Maritime feel.  Door County is covered with State Parks and historic, though currently active, lighthouses. 

Here are a few picture from around Door County.

Lake Michigan side of Door County.

View of Lake Michigan from the Cana Lighthouse.

Lighthouse near Fish Creek.

Green Bay is where Josh was raised and where his family resides.  The wedding itself was at Josh's mother and step-father's home.  Jenna and Josh exchanged vows while overlooking Green Bay.  I don't think it could have been more perfect.

Mark and Jenna.

Jenna and Josh exchanging Vows.

The reception was just as fun and magical as the wedding.  We got to play "all messed up" with cousin John while terrified family members looked on.  It was pretty great.

I don't know when we will be back to Door County, but I can say that I am looking forward to a return trip.

Zion and Bryce - A Summer Roadtrip

Zion and Bryce Canyon are two of my favorite National Parks in the Southwest.  Zion epitomizes everything that I love about the desert: hugh sandstone cliffs, the Virgin River cutting it's own path down the canyon, and wildlife that manages to carve out an existence in such a dry environment. 

Zion Canyon is a spectacular place. We did a four mile hike with Kellen and Mei to the lower and upper Emerold pools.  It was awesome.  It was hot (100 degrees) and both kids were champs.

Hiking near the Virgin River.

Kellen took this shot of a small waterfall at the lower Emerald Pool.

Mei trying to cool off.

The ampitheater surrounding the Upper Emerald Pool.

After two great, but hot, days in in Zion we packed up the car and drove to Bryce.  The two parks are only about 90 minutes apart which made this a very easy leg of the trip.
Even though the word "Canyon" is in the title, Bryce isn't really a canyon.  Bryce is really an escarpment that runs North and South for about fifteen miles.  The rock being eroded has soft, easily eroding layers mixed with more weather resistant layers.  The resulting geologic features are amazing.

The family on the rim trail at Bryce Canyon NP.

Hiking in Bryce.

Just another spectacular view from the Navajo Loop Trail.

While in Bryce we hiked the kids around the Navajo Loop Trail.  It is quite spectacular and in just over three miles it takes in many spectacular views.  Mei endured in the backpack while Kellen really enjoyed this hike. 

Kellen at the first tunnel.

Hoodoos.

Kellen hiking in Bryce Canyon.

Kellen and Kerry in the "Narrows" in Bryce Canyon

After two nights of camping in Bryce we packed up the car and drove to the furthest southern point in the park.  We finished our trip by walking a short loop with more spectacular views and Bristlecone Pines. 

Mancation to Basalt CO

"You might want to lower your seat for this part."  My buddy Ryan was giving me some advice about an up coming mountain bike descent.  I have learned over the years that Ryan's advice is pretty spot on.  I started dropping my saddle immeadiately.  Fifteen minutes and 2500 feet of descending later we arrived back at the car with smoking hot disc brakes and permagrin.  The tone was set for the rest of the trip.

On Monday June the 6th I left our house in Flagstaff with two pairs of skis and my mountain bike heading for Basalt Colorado.  A very good friend, Ryan Bradley, lives in Basalt and he would be my guide over four days of sking and mountain biking in the Rockies. 

Ryan sking at Independence Pass Colorado.

Ryan is a master of almost every outdoor sport.  He rock climbs, ice climbs, mountain bikes, skis, and paddles a kayak.  He has summitted nearly every Cascade Volcano and has been to the top of Denali in Alaska.  Ryan also teaches middle school science, coaches wrestling, and teaches a GED course.  The story that sums up Ryan best unfolded during a climb that he and I did in Zion six years ago called Lunar Ecstacy.  At the end of our first day I climbed one last pitch by headlamp to have a head start on out summit day.  When I finished the pitch and rappelled back to the belay I could not believe what I found:  Ryan had the port-a-ledge set up, my sleeping bag laid out, and a freshly made sandwich ready for me to eat.  I felt pretty taken care of.  The last pitch of the route was supposed to be mine, but by the top of the route I was pretty much mentally and physically done.  Ryan led the last pitch, which was difficult, and then carried the majority of the gear down the descent trail.  Ryan is basically a great guy.

For this trip, the plan would be for me to drive to Basalt and ride bikes on the first day.  The second and third days we would ski in the morning and ride in the afternoon.  The fourth day would be spent riding in the town of Fruita Colorado and then the long drive home. 

All road trips start with a drive.  It is an eight and a half hour trip from Flagstaff to Basalt Colorado.  I left early and drove through Moab Utah along the way.

Sunrise, Northeast of Flagstaff.

River Road outside of Moab.

The excitement built as I drove through Southern Utah and past one of my favorite rock climbing locations, Indian Creek.  I quickly passed through Moab Utah and found myself driving along next to the Colorado River.  The Colorado was running high:  basically bank to bank.  I tried to snap off a picture or two while keeping my eyes on the road.

The Colorado River just outside of Moab.

After a few more hours I arrived in Glenwood Spring and met up with Ryan.  We quickly changed, prepped bikes and shuttled cars in order to ride The Boy Scout Trail.  The Boy Scout Trail starts off with several hunderd feet of climbing before starting one of the best single track descents I have ever ridden.  This six inch wide single track trail initially follows the natural contours of the mountain for quite some time.  The north facing aspects of the trail felt like the Pacific Northwest.  Ferns, lots of vegetation, and a nice almost damp trail characterized these sections.  In stark contrast the south facing portions were covered in sage brush and served as a reminder that even Colorado can be quite dry.  After traversing along this trail for several miles the trail then abruptly drops more than 2000' in about three miles into downtown Glenwood Springs.  I heated up my disc brakes to flesh searing levels during this white knuckle descent. 

This video (set to Iron Maiden!) captures most of the trail pretty well.  http://vimeo.com/24382606

After a quick run in with one of Glenwood's finest (Bradley talked his way out of a ticket!) we drove the speed limit up to Basalt.  Ryan coached his wrestling practice while I relaxed and hung out. 

We then drove to Carbondale and rode another awesome single track called Prince Creek.  This ride is set just south of Carbondale and follows a rushing creek (in AZ it would be a river for sure...) for several  miles of single track bliss.  On our first lap we took a variation called the Monster Gully.  This is certainly the most unique single track I have ever been on.  The trail drops into a dry wash and banks it's way up and down the sides of the wash as you speed downhill.  I was again blown away by how cool the trail riding was in this area.

After fantastic mexican dinner, Ryan and I colapsed upon arriving at his cabin, which is situated a few miles above Basalt.  The next day I awoke to this view from Ryan's place:

The view from Ryan's front yard.

A 12' high van (for scale) driving up to
Independence Pass.

Ryan and I packed the car with skis and took off for Independence Pass.  The pass sits just above 12,000 ft  and lies between Aspen and Leadville.  With a short amount of hiking you can ski runs as long as 1500'.  With some real hiking and skinning the runs quickly become much longer. 

Ryan and I spent the better part of the day sking sweet avalanche chutes that head off to the South, East, and North of the pass.  In typical Ryan form he saved the day early on.  Our first run was a bit steep right at the top and I was not feeling confident on my skis.  This was only my second run on skis since tearing my ACL fifteen months ago.  Ryan talked me down through the steep stuff and until I started feeling comfortable enough to begin linking turns.

The snow was perfect and there was hardley a cloud in the sky.

Looking down the Aspen side of the pass.

So much to ski and so little time...

Looking back to the road up the pass.

Each run deposited us back at the road.  All you do is take off your skis, put out your thumb, and wait for a ride.

Waiting for a ride...

After five runs, some long (1,500 ft) and some short (800 ft) we drove back down to Basalt.  This time Ryan took me mountain biking on Red Mesa which is in Carbondale.  With a full morning of sking under our belts the initial 800ft climb out of the parking lot was a pretty good punch to the face.  Ryan and I both endured and after 25 minutes of climbing we reached the top of the mesa.  Ryan led me on a twisting and turning tour of the trail network on Red Mesa.  The trail cut through open fields of sagebrush and then would dive through a forest of twisted Junipers.  One particular section dropped just below the rim of the mesa and hugged the hillside for what seemed to me forever.  Finally the trail ran out and we took in a great view of Carbondale and the surrounding mountains.  Once again Ryan said that I might want to lower my seat post for the final descent back to the car.  After ten minutes of brake squealing downhill we ended up back in the parking lot with yet another classic ride under our belts.

Day three started early, but by this time Ryan and I were both moving quite slowly.  We skied a fabulous south facing line off Independence Pass and then waited for nearly 45 minutes for anyone to pick us up.  Since much of the day had already evaporated we decided to ski one of the plumb lines and call it.  It only ended up being the best line of the week.  1,500 ft of nearly perfect corn snow in a fairly steep chute.  We ended up back on the road and then time got picked up within 1 minute.

One of the many chutes we skied near Independence Pass.

Ryan had to coach wrestling and teach his GED class that evening, so I took a drive up to Marble.  It may have been one of the most scenic portions of the entire trip.  The waterfalls were gushing and the views were awesome.

After Ryan took care of his teaching and coaching duties, we drove to Fruita, CO.  Fruita is home to some of the most unique Mountain Biking in the west.  We pulled in at about midnight, threw down our sleeping bags and were asleep by 1205. 

Morning came early and we were up with the sun and ready for more riding.  Ryan took me on a tour of several classic Fruita trails with the highlight being Zippity Do Dah.

Looking up Zippity Do Dah.

Steeper than it looks!

Ryan way out in front.

One of the steeper downhill sections.

The trails in Fruita generally follow ridgelines with steep up and downhill sections.  (Mostly downhill!)  The riding was unique, engaging and fun. 

This concluded the Mancation to Colorado.  Ryan and I snagged a quick breakfast in Fruita and I pointed the car West on I-70 for Moab and home.  Ryan went to a standing wave on the Colorado River with his Kayak to playboat for the better part of the afternoon. 

Coming home is always good.

Bryce Canyon National Park, June 2011.

French Toast Fun

A few months ago I filmed Kellen and Mei eating French Toast with Chop Sticks.  Since I have finally figured out how to post video I thought that this would be the perfect first one.

Another Trip to the Black Bridge

To the river and back in a day? Why oh why...

Nearly seven weeks ago I spent a great weekend with my uncle Eric and brother-in-law Blake hiking the Grand Canyon.  We walked down the South Kaibab Trail, stayed the night at Phantom Ranch,  and then went out on the Bright Angel Trail.   It was a great trip, and you can read all about it here.

That trip with Blake and Eric inspired me to hike the canyon again.  There would not be time in my schedule to take a proper trip and spend a night or two at the river.  So, I decided that a quick trip demanded a quick partner.  Right away I knew that I needed to recruit my friend Chris Tatum.

Chris is a local rock climbing guide and all around great guy.  Chris has climbed El Capitan in Yosemite in a day, Half Dome in a day, and multiple big walls in Zion.  Chris and I hiked Mt Elden here in Flagstaff about a month ago and it went well.  The Grand Canyon would be like hiking Elden two and a half times, but I felt that we were up for the challenge. 

Chris picked me up at 4:15am on Good Friday.  My house is on the way to the canyon and in a quick 90 minutes we were parking the car, putting on packs, and walking to the trailhead. 

Early morning light at the top of the Kaibab Trail.

Chris and I left the car just before 6am.  The air was crisp and cool, but felt so good.  We knew that we would warm up quickly and we were both excited to get moving.

Chris descending the first of many switchbacks.

The moon and Kaibab Limestone.

The trip down was great fun.  We stashed a few liters of water at the bathroom which is about a mile and a half below the rim.  The temps were already starting to warm up and we were sheding layers.  Normally I would be hiking down the canyon with a heavy pack (45-50 pounds) which makes the descent not fun.  Chris and I were carrying about ten pounds each and that allowed us to move quickly.  In just two hours we arrived at the river.

A river trip pulling in.  I have to say that I was jealous.

After a quick rest and snack we hit the trail for the top.  This was the only point in the hike where I questioned our sanity.  Faced with nearly 5000' of vertical relief to walk up I felt a little intimidated.  But, with Chris setting a nice pace right out of the gate, those feelings disappeared and we just focused on making good time.

Chris leading us out.

Near the top of the Inner Gorge Chris told me that his knee was hurting.  I thought, uh oh, this is trouble brewing.  I asked him if he wanted to pull over and rest it for a few minutes.  He said no, that it felt better just to keep walking.  Chris is a tough guy and didn't complain the rest of the way out even though I am pretty sure that he was hurting pretty bad.  Even with Chris hurting we approached the half way point, Skeleton Point, in just about one hour.

This difficult section of the Kaibab Trail leads to Skeleton Point. 

We found a little shade just off the trail and took a 5 minute break.  I was amazed at how many people there were on the trail.  It was Good Friday after all and all National Parks were free over the weekend.

After Skeleton Point the trail is generally flat for about a third of a mile.  This was a welcome break from the constant climbing we had been dealing with since the river.  Chris claimed that his knee was feeling better at this point and we kicked it into high gear.  The flat trail ended quickly and it was back to climbing, switchbacks, and eventually a flat spot where the NPS has installed a toilet.  I was surprised at how difficult this section of trail was.  It didn't pass through either the Red Wall Limestone or the Coconino Sandstone, which are traditionally the most difficult layers. 

Just another amazing view from the Kaibab Trail.

  After grabbing our water stash and a quick trip to the bathroom.  Chris and I tackled the last section of trail.  Chris really kicked it in during this last part of the trail, and I just hung on behind him.  I was blown away by the number of folks who were day hiking.   There were no less than fifty people at the bathroom and another fifty at "Oh Ah Point".  I love seeing folks out enjoying the canyon, but this was an amazing number of people.

Five hours after starting out, Chris and I topped out.  We had planned six hours of hiking plus breaks.  Being right at five hours blew us both away.

Victory, but our legs were tired.

Now I am thinking about a Rim to Rim to Rim attempt in the fall.  :)

Skiing in April!

So, for the first time in a year I didn't do what the doctor ordered.  I just could not contain my enthusiasm any longer and I went skiing.  Our local resort here in Flagstaff, Snowbowl, closed on Sunday after a good season.  The lifts are off and the crowds are gone, so it is really the perfect time to hike a lap.

Jason and James skinning up Lower Bowl.  Absolutely beautiful setting for a quick skin up and ski down.

Jason Boyd, or Boydo as he is known far and wide, met me at my house at 10:30am.  Dean was supposed to meet us, but was running late after working out at Paragon this morning.  Dean would ralley and we would see him on our way down.  Boydo and I met up with James Brooks in the parking lot, and after putting on my knee brace and ski boots, we started hiking up the hill. 

I often find myself in situations where I am the person with the least experience and skill.  This situation was no different. 

Jason enjoying the spring skinning.

Boydo is a great skier and a complete aerobic animal.  He runs, climbs, and flys during almost every minute of his time off.   I work with Jason in the ICU at Flagstaff Medical Center.  He is a great nurse and an all around good guy.

James cruising the way up.

James is probably one of the coolest all around people in Flagstaff.  He has a ton of skiing and triathlon experience.  James also owns and operates Floor Coverings International.  If you are going to do any flooring or kitchen work in your house talk to James first. 

Unlike my skiing partners I don't have an Alpine Touring set-up on my skis.  So, they were on my back.

A rare picture of me enjoying the hike up.

It took us about an hour to hike from the bottom parking lot, to where the upper catwalk spills out into a run called Logjam.  After layering up and putting on gloves, we started on down.

Now, I have not skiied for a little over a year.  I tore my ACL last March and I am almost exactly one year post repair.  (The repair was made on April 15th, 2010 for those who keep score at home.)  So I was a little nervous being my first time back out on the boards.  I did have my Don-Joy space age knee brace on and I made sure that if I did fall that I would not, under any circumstances, put my left arm out.

The very top is a little steep and I did crash almost right away.  I crashed while skiing through a snow berm that the CAT left.  I just got my weight a little too far forward.  I managed to keep all of my bones and ligaments intact, dusted myself off and kept going.  As we got down further and further my technique started to come back together.  James and Jason were both very positive and gave me great tips on how to ski better.  All in all we got in 1700' of hiking up and skiing down.  Not bad for being just 20 minutes from my front door.

James checking in at the top.  I hate to say it, but it is nice
to have cell service up there.

Me.  Head down, lungs burning, calves as tight as a rock, but having fun!
A great view looking down "Lower Bowl".

 Most people's ski season is pretty much done.  Mine may just be starting.  I just received an invitation to do some spring skiing on Independence Pass.  The pass doesn't usually open until June 1st.  My buddy Ryan Bradley invited me to head up and ski for a few days with him.  After today I would say that I would really like to go.  I hope that it will work out!

Now, I just need to get my hands on a pair of these-

And I need to go here-