It has been a while... Adventure Overload.

It has been some time since i last wrote and many adventures were had since then i will summarize many trips to catch up.

In no particular order;
I went on an amazing hike with bearfood in Bryce Canyon, eight miles round trip, up and down in scenery that changed constantly. Which trail was it you ask? well it was fairyland loop. No i did not see a single faerie nor any other fey creature. That hike is kind of magical though, you will walk for a while thru red rock canyons, then up a steep hill, come around a corner and BAM! beautiful lush green forests (later i figured out why it was like this). You will weave back and forth between the two, As soon as you leave one side you are so amazed that you forget about what you just left and are surprised all over again. Last, this is where i decided that when possible it is better to do popular trails backwards. the scenery is the same but you dont wind up hiking next to people you dont know and dont care to chat with because you will pass them going the other way.

Frisco v2; fatman and I decided we needed to return with a much smaller group and spend the time that an abandoned mining town deserves. on that day we were joined by a very good friend of fatman. we will call him Dragonslayer, intelligent and fearless, he made an excellent addition and i would adventure with him any day and twice on sunday. many crumpled building and a couple of mine entrances were explored, but alas we could not find that elusive box of money that is waiting for us out there.

On a busy weekend adventure still had to be found. part of the day we spent doing what we must, so for the other part we did what we wanted. and this time it was road trip, or really just a long drive. i cant begin to tell you where we went. to sum it up we got ourselves good and lost and then found our way again. this was also the "one cow trip" because on multiple occasions we would pass one cow just walking down the road. doesn't sound like much but it was weird. oh, and they all looked alike, and no we were not driving in circles.

One weekend there was a large expedition to Las Vegas. While what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas i will say just a few words. I have a great story retelling my night that can only be done in person, it ends with me waking up on the floor of the kitchenette of my hotel room. Good times were had by most, gambling was done by some, epic stories were retold by few, but many drinks were had by all...

On another weekend we set off again for the beautiful Zion National Park. This time we were there for the Emerald Pools. this was a very nice hike albeit shorter than i was used to at this point we found ways to take our time. should you wenture on this hike i will give you some advice. go in spring, the water from melting snow and rains will be cascading off the cliffs and the pools will be fresh and full. in mid fall the cliffs are still spectacular but the "pools" will leave something to still be desired. Last, there was an incident of smoker vs. rock. Rock won this time but i will not be discouraged so easily.

Again, adventure called and we answered, this time i had a very good friend of mine visiting and i wanted to do something off the main trail, challenging but not dangerous. We chose a part of Zion's East Rim Trail. A wonderful long hike, unfortunately too long overall to not find a point to turn back and hike the path already tread. But, good enough, to not mind walking it twice in a row. highlights included some wildlife and many traces of more animals. it also has some stunning canyon views full of lush green trees. beautiful scenery and good friends, what more could one ask for on a lovely Sunday.

Meatfest 2 was a wonderful gathering of many people. excellent food was prepared for both dinner and breakfast, including some freshly baked blueberry pie for dessert. while this was more camping than hiking, a good adventurer makes them most out of what they have. after drinking all throughout the night once many had retired to their tents i decided it was a perfect time for a walk. accompanied by a friend we made a wide circle around the camp and then struck off up a hill, to find another view. we found one be sure at the top of a hill we saw the sun rise over the mountains in the distance. after this walk, i took a tiny bit of rest had a nice morning and then proceeded home to sleep the rest of the day.


There is a collection of road trips i have left out so far, so i will see to them now. I have driven 1900+ miles three times in the past few months. First, i flew home to Michigan to be part of and see my sister get married to a wonderful man. If you have ever heard the story about the best man who has his plane run so late that he cant possibly make his connection, and the wedding is the following day. With all the troubles and solutions involved i was "that guy". but hey i got to fly first class for free! then i drove back with a friend that was also moving out west for a time. Left Early in the morning and began driving, car loaded with stuff and supplies. I drove and drove and drove some more, stopping only when necessary. I stopped shortly after 2 in the morning, we had made it to the west side of Nebraska. The Following day i learned Colorado is the most beautiful state i have seen yet. driving thru in late summer is breathtaking.
The second, was the return journey in mid fall but this time i was free to wander as i wanted, so i drove thru texas and visited family. On my way here i encountered fog 174 miles of fog. as i drove on i looked to the horizon and thought "is that a massive cloud laying down on the job?". Yes it was. After a couple days in Texas it was time to move on, so my next stop was to visit a friend in Memphis, TN. This was a good time although Beale Street would have probably been more fun if it wasnt the off season. But, i like having a party street all to myself, well with friends. Crashed for the night and then back off to Michigan. With the exception of fog and a good bit of rain in Texas, weather had treated me very well. that is until about an hour from chicago when it began to snow. i dont think it really stopped from then on.
The last of these long drives happened very recently. my employment in Utah started very early so more driving here i come. i followed mostly the same path as when i drove before , with a few exceptions. i stopped to see some friends in chicago and took in a museum while i was there. The next day i left headed west, my target Omaha Nebraska. Two more differences; A. it was winter, B. i was driving alone(if you dont already know driving cross country by yourself can be a little maddening). so i was going to take the drive in a couple more pieces and not push myself for too long so i planned well. When i left Chicago, it snowed. When I left Omaha the following day it snowed. in fact everywhere i left it snowed. on the second day, on my way to Denver i looked south and saw a giant storm cell that covered the horizon. When i looked to the north i saw the exact same. But the weather gods smiled on me and i drove thru sunny skies all day long. I spent the night in Denver and the next morning headed for my new/old temporary home in Utah. Again I drive in sunny skies all day long and when i left Denver got snow. Final note i dont just mean a little snow i mean those giant storms that dumped feet of snow all over the states and shut things down all over.

The final story is the last Smoker and FatMan episode of fall 2009. It was so EPIC that it will, after all this time, have its own entry. I will leave you with this, it is titled "Eight Dollar Machete".

~"Find adventure in everything, everyday."