Buckskin Gulch

23 mile hike, 12 in the slot, 10 in the Paria river. 7:40 am to 4:40 pm. Sunny, cold, 14 degrees the night before.


Every pool in the slot canyon had ice on it that we had to break through; one even had thick enough ice to walk right across!


Ang and Bry at a wider spot in buckskin



The canyon is like this for miles!

Once we finished Buckskin Gulch we still had to hike up the Paria River which was choked with ice. The water was probably right at 32 degrees. Our feet froze.

Snow in the slot. Beautiful.


Check out this rock! Brian is about to be smushed.

Pomegranate Jelly Fest

Sarah and Allison come to visit!

Lest ye think all we do is play in the rocks and dirt. . .

This is Brian and I on our date to PF Chang's and the Symphony.

Canyonlands II

So, I just signed on to post a picture of Canyonlands and announce the good news, but Angela already beat me too it! She's a bloggin' machine. I figured two gorgeous pictures couldn't hurt though. I'm pysched to work at this park - its going to be awesome. More info to come after I talk to the District Ranger and get a chance to ask some questions.

- Bry

CANYONLANDS!

It's official! Brian got a call back from the Cheif Ranger at Canyonlands National Park and got a job for this summer working in Canyonlands. They want him as soon as possible, so it looks like we're packing up right after graduation April 18th and heading to yet another beautiful and amazing place. The road you see in this picture is the White Rim Trail (this is the 100 mile mountain bike trail that jo, mary, sven and I did back in 2004). I am so pumped! Canyonlands is one of my favorite places ever and Brian is going to be awesome. I haven't heard back yet from Canyonlands (I applied to as park guide)-- but I could always work on the river again if needed. More great news: Brians' mom and sister, Allison and Sarah, came to visit this weekend! We had a great time and made 16 cups of pomagranite (sp?) jelly! Photos to come. . .

What to teller. . .

So I can't start my job until January 28th. I'll be working at WElls Fargo as a bank teller. I can't say that the idea of working at a bank and using words that feel to me like swearing (like "investment" or "time value of money") is the most thrilling feeling. But I need a job desperately! It is one of the highest paying jobs in the area and has benefits (like health insurance). I am VERY excited to be busy again. I have had too much vacation and it's starting to get to me. I was talking to Cath yesterday and I was actually jealous of her homework. It's not all bad, though. I have honed my domestic goddess skills (although I did cook the turkey with the neck still in. . whoops), and I made granola and cracked wheat in little bags to sell to the neighbors, but after realizing I would have to charge them $6.00 for 3 cups, I opted against it. Bry and I went on a killer fun cross country ski trip last weekend to the lava tubes. It was an absolute blast.

Ranger

First day of training today as NAU's 15th class in the Park Ranger Training Program. So far I'm impressed - Good director, well known instructors, sharp classmates. I was called by canyonlands and will probably be offered a job there on thursday as a frontcountry/backcountry law enforcement ranger. So it looks like Angela and I will be off to Canyonlands next summer!

Brian

Olive Oil and The Grand Canyon

Me hiking on the Tonto trail before we dropped the last 1000 feet to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.


Brian and I doing our early morning yoga stretches (we really did) at our first campsite.

Brian making hot cocoa in the morning.

We found this sweet beanie on the Chilkoot this summer-- I think it's B's new fav.

We camped next to Granite Rapid (you can't really see it), but it was roaring all night! That night it was so windy-- I think half the sand you see in the picture ended up in my mouth, ears and eyes that night.

Monument Rock-- this place was like an oasis. . .it was so green and beautiful!

This is actually just starting out-- the day we hiked out it snowed and rained like crazy.

This is Brian on Olive Oil-- a 5-pitch route in Las Vegas on New Year's day.

Me following. . .it was so cool!

at the top. . . not a bad way to use my new Christmas climbing helmet!

Welcome to Flagstaff

I just got an Arizona driver's license and changed my last name. I having to cope with the guilty feeling of abandoning my roots (slightly dramatic perhaps). So things have been exciting for Bry and I these past two weeks. Last week we flew into Vegas after an awesome time in NC, hiked at red rocks and then met up with his family for NewYears Eve dinner. We were so dead tired from functioning off three hours of sleep that we crashed at 11pm (we couldn't quite make it to the near year)-- but for a good reason! We ushered in the new year by doing a multi-pitch climb at Red Rocks (Olive Oil). It was my first and it was amazing! I'll post pictures soon. We took off that night for Flagstaff and then went on a backpack through the Grand Canyon. It was amazing and soooo pretty! Our last night we camped on the beach next to the Colorado River and it started to storm. Our hike out was quite epic (11 or 12 miles of strong wind, rain and freezing appendages). We hitch-hiked back to our car with an Italian couple who didn't mind our dirty stinky bodies in their car "no pro-blem, iz not mine." So now we're living it up in our three story house with surround sound, air hockey and a beautiful view.