into the great wide open. . .

You know you've got a good job when you look forward to your work week. Lately, Brian and I have been running errands on our weekends and playing at work. Playing is what the NPS calls Roving. Basically, I get to go in the backcountry and talk to people. The first three pictures are from my rove last week. It was the first time I've ever done a self supported bike trip around the white rim and it was hard, but awesome! I towed that trailer you see in the picture and camped along the way. Actually, I missed Brian terribly bad by the second night b/c he had been gone the entire week before on a backpacking patrol in the Needles, so I couldn't stand being away from him any longer and I hiked out (only to find out upon my return that he was fighting a fire in Moab! Oh the luck!). He finally did get home that night at about 9:45pm all smelling like smoke and looking just adorable. He dropped me off before sunrise the next morning and I hiked back down and finished biking the 100 miles! It was a great three days at work.



These are from another rove-- We hiked into Monument Basin. . .a spectacular hike that almost NO ONE ever does.

Red Rock Ranger

My patch design is being used for the Red Rock Junior Ranger program here in Canyonlands. It combines cultural (the native american pot design on the outside) and natural history (the yucca plant) and geology (rocks).

Wedding, Kolob and Conference

I learned several things this weekend. One undeniable fact was that if you grew up on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon between 2000 and 2001, and you were an adventurous male with a goofy sense of humor and an attraction for mischief (like throwing grapefruits off rooftops, gluing quarters to the school sidewalks or jumping in freezing lakes and rivers) then you'd find more than just shared interests-- you'd find friends. Brian and I went to Pete Drake's wedding this weekend. Pete and Brian have been friends for a while now and their similarities are uncanny. They have the same watch, somehow gravitated toward the same titanium wedding ring, both have season park jobs, both have mom's who teach . . . and both have increadibly cool and beautiful wives (if I do say so myself). It was such a fun wedding!

Pete and Bry

Here we are at the reception. The food was AMAZING and we got to dance to a live band. It was the first time Brian and I have ever been to a dance. . .can you believe that?

On Monday morning, Brian, Austin and I woke up really early and headed to Kolob Canyon in Zion National Park. It was seriously the most beautiful canyon I have ever been through. The leaves were all changing color, the rappels were all next to running water and mossy green walls (12 in all and the longest was 150ft) and the hike out was pretty epic. . . on the MIA route. The pictures do no justice to this place.



We drove home to Canyonlands in shifts that night and arrived back to our beds at 2am. It was a full weekend. Listening to General Conference was wonderful and rejuvenating as well. It offers peace to the soul in troubled times. We also spent Sunday evening playing hearts and chickenfoot with Grandma and had a great time joking and talking with all of Brian's family! Murphy definitely stayed home on on this one.*

*see previous post.