misadventures in mountain biking

After putting a good 26 or so miles in two days on our legs, we thought it was best to give ourselves a day of rest back in Park City.  We had big plans to climb Mount Timpanogos and with 14+ miles round trip and a nice 4300+ feet of elevation gain, we knew that our bodies needed a break before tackling it.  After some careful consideration, we thought what better way to recuperate out and about town than to try out a new to us activity - mountain biking.  (I’ll let you all have a good laugh at our expense now).

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Mountain biking is something that has always placed just a smidgen of terror in the depths of my heart.  I consider myself a fairly competent cyclist but the problem is I tend to have terrible reactions to anything sudden.  Case in point, Grace and I were riding to the Rockaways a few years ago when I fishtailed in some sand and hit a curb.  I was going so slowly that all I had to do was put my foot down - just remove my foot from the pedal and ever so slightly stretch out my leg so my toes could meet the sidewalk.  Instead I opted to let the bike tumble over with me still fully attached, both hands gripped to the handlebars, feet somehow attempting to pedal as if it would prevent the inevitable.  Now place me on the side of a mountain and the consequences are a bit more painful than having to ask the local fire department for some antiseptic and bandaids.  However, despite my inherent quirks, this time around I was not to be deterred. 

Park City has a very extensive network of biking trails that meander through the town and up into the surrounding mountains and/or hills.  Even the city itself is very bike friendly with biking lanes, paved trails, and cyclist-aware drivers.  We made a few phone calls and after a short stroll from our hotel, we found ourselves chatting up the bike shop dudes while trying to figure out what we had just signed ourselves up for. 

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Being that neither one of us had ever attempted mountain biking before, we were sure to ask about the difficulty of the trails, specifically which ones were for beginners.  You see - I was kind of a bit nervous about this whole downhill over rocks and such at a fast speed piece.  Yes, until a recent theft, I rode my bike throughout NYC.  And yes, I do plenty of other things that others may consider on the riskier side of things (ahem surfing… rock climbing…).  But I just couldn’t shake this idea that I was going to careen off the side of a mountain.  This preoccupation ultimately led to a gross oversight.  While I spent all this time worrying about getting down the mountain, I forgot to consider the whole getting up the mountain piece.   In case you haven’t already figured this out for yourself, let me help you out so you don’t make the same mistake I did.  They way up should definitely be one’s primary consideration.  Our initial excitement over reaching the trails quickly gave way to the realization that one must go up to come back down.  At times the only motivation I had to continue pedaling was knowing that I would otherwise be rolling backwards.    The bonus to the very real, all-consuming burning sensation in my thighs was that I suddenly no longer cared so much about falling.  If anything, it would have brought relief to the fire that was currently engulfing my lower limbs.  At least then I could have pretended to the guys back at the bike shop that I was so hardcore.  (Those dudes may have been the other motivation to keep my legs moving… freaking pride.) 

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As we meandered up what was really just a large hill, we began to gain confidence in addition to our indifference to crashing.  No longer did we feel the need to be tied to the easy green trails.  No - we decided to go all in for the intermediate blue trails.  I know, we’re such daredevils.  Soon instead of accidentally careening off the trail, we were intentionally flying down it.  Mud splattered in our faces, rocks kicked up behind us, and while it was by no means pretty, we managed to avoid ditches and maneuver over obstacles.  And it was the greatest thing ever.  No longer did I care about the previous moment’s pain nor the very real possibility that I would eventually eat it on the trail, I wanted to experience that rush again. 

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At some point, I became somewhat aware of the very dark and very large clouds rolling in behind us.  But what I failed to realize was how quickly that would mean pelting rain and blustery wind.  Against both of our better judgments, we attempted to make our way back up the hill again because how bad could it really be?  I know.  I am going to blame this one on all of my blood being in my thighs.  Fortunately, we didn’t get very far.  No sooner had we decided to attempt ascent that a very fancy looking rider (so much neon spandex) swung on by stating, ‘It’s really rough out there’ to which I brilliantly replied, ‘The trails?’ As though he was about to respond, ‘Yes, I know man - those trails are rough, have you tried the uphill bits?  They’re the worst.’  My new best friend gave me a look I thought was only reserved for my father as he gestured emphatically at the looming clouds and the far off lightning that had decided to accompany them while he furiously rode away.  Slightly defeated, we decided that yes, fancy biker dude you are in fact correct and yes, we should definitely be heading back to town. 

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Another grand oversight on our part was that the trail we had chosen to come down led us to the lowest elevation and even better, the way back to town was directly into the wind.  For 2-3 miles, I stood while pedaling and simultaneously attempting to keep my body positioned as aerodynamically efficient as possible.  There was no talking at this point.  No smiling.  Not even a smirk.  Now the only motivation was the promise of hot chocolate and hot tub back at our hotel because rain + wind = freezing ladies. 

Just as we made it back toward the trail leading back to the shop, the sun decided to reappear warming us up and drying us out as we munched on some lunch.  It was at this point we had a bit of a realization - we had the bikes for 4 hours; we had only been out for maybe 3.  There was no way we were returning these bikes early on principle and pride.  So we did what any sane human being would do with sore bodies and time to kill.  We biked an extra 6 miles on the rail trail alongside some cattle, which brings us to oversight number 3… just in case you are keeping track.  I was slightly aware that it was much easier pedaling along this path and I knew, inherently, that the grade had to be working in our favour but how bad could it be?  We had just survived mountain biking and we were passing families with little ones and large groups of 20-30 somethings uneasily maneuvering their bicycles on the packed dirt.  Rookie mistake.  In addition to the grade, there was also the wind (how quickly one forgets) to contend with which meant that for the 5-6 miles back to the shop, we pedaled ever so slightly uphill and directly into the wind. 

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As we neared the bike shop, my pride kicked back in and instead of taking the safe, paved trail all the way around I opted for the makeshift dirt and rock filled one because lest we forget - we are hardcore ladies who bike up mountains.  We dropped off our bikes outside and forced our legs to not wobble as we returned out helmets to the shop.  Asked how it went, we were all smiles -- ‘so much fun, it was awesome, best time ever but we totally got caught in a storm though’ -- to which bike shop dude replied -- ‘you don’t look wet.’  So much for impressing the locals.   

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notes:

despite my previous whining, we really did have a ridiculously good time mountain biking.  the bike shop dudes (as they will forever be remembered and therefore referred to as such) recommended round valley which has a great variety of beginner and intermediate trails (here’s a map).  these trails are also open to hikers and horses so please remember that as a cyclist, everyone has right of way over you.  and please please please - always let a horseback rider know well in advance if you are approaching them from behind.  failing to do so could be detrimental to both the rider and you -- no one likes a hoof to the face.  no one.

we rented bikes with white pine touring.  the people there are super friendly (despite not acknowledging our obviously apparent badassery) and took the time to make sure we were comfortable with our bikes and where we were going.  also their shop is located right next to the rail trail making it pretty easy to get to a wide range of terrain.  if you are someone who actually mountain bikes - as in you’ve got skills- check out slim & knobby’s down in heber city. 

if only just for me, go to atticus teahouse should you find yourself in park city.  they have the cutest little book/sandwich/coffee/tea shop in town with lots of veggie friendly food, if that’s your thing.  for a huge, oh my goodness how did i eat so much breakfast, we enjoyed eating establishment.  they also have plenty of veggie dishes and even a few vegan options.  (you’ll have to ask for vegan modifications but a very kind and accommodating bunch). 

return to arches

While our first attempt at checking out Arches leading us to Canyonlands, my friend and I were not about to give up that easily, especially since my traveling buddy had never been.  As per our conversation with the always-friendly park ranger (my love for them is never-ending), we planned to arrive at the break of dawn.  With the sun just beginning to peek up from the horizon and the moon still high in the sky, we made our way to the trail leading to Delicate Arch.   

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I’m not going to lie.  I kind of scoffed at the description of difficult in the visitor guide.  It's 480 feet up in 1.5 miles.  What they don't tell you is that you climb most of those feet in a very short distance.  Halfway up the giant mound of rock before us and I was seriously doubting myself, wondering if the burning in my bum muscles was worth it.  The obvious answer is - YES.  Delicate is one of the most popular sites at Arches and for good reason.  The freestanding 65 feet tall arch etched into the sandstone is mesmerizing to behold.  Better yet, due to our sunrise climb, there were only two other people there which provided some peace and quiet to take in the epic views as well as explore a bit of the area. 

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After a bit of neighborly chats, photo taking, and breakfast munching, we set our sights on scurrying on over to the northern end of the park to Devil’s Garden.  This was the only part of Arches that I had previously explored (by foot) and it was just as lovely as I remembered it to be.  Oodles of arches and just enough scrambles to keep it interesting without questioning one's sanity.  The last time I was here, my friend and I ended up hiking with a father/son duo and chatted about life all along the primitive trail.  Once again we ended up chatting with a new hiking buddy the whole way back along the primitive trail.  I don’t know exactly what it is about this park but it truly brings out the best in people.  Or maybe the friendliest people visit?  Is it something in the water? 

My return to Arches has only further solidified my love for this region and the desert in general.  While before this trip I may have mentioned my love for Utah and its red rocks at appropriate times in conversation, I am now at the point of awkward proclaimer of my undying love.  You may want to chat about the impact of Brexit on the world economies - you know what else has an impact?  Southern Utah.  On my heart.  Oh yes friends, this relationship is just getting started.  Return trip planning is already in the works. 

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notes:

arches can get incredibly crowded during the summers and over holidays (there’s even a handy graph).  we left the park around 11 am on a monday and there was already quite a wait for parking at the devil's garden trailhead.   also, it’s the desert.  by the time 10 am rolls around, it is getting hot and shade is hard to come by.  if you’re not up for sunrise hiking, i would be sure to get to the trails by 8 am at the latest and carry plenty of water.

we covered about 13.5 miles or so in 5 hours as we found the trails at arches to be less strenuous for us than what we encountered at canyonlands.  that being said, there are a number of places where you could very easily slip off the side of a ledge so mind your feets.

i really wanted to check out fiery furnace this time around but was pretty foolish and didn’t think to reserve us spots in advance.  if you are up for some ranger-led scrambles in the middle of arches, be sure to make a reservation.

along the lines of the previous point, i also didn’t reserve a campsite because devils garden has some first come, first served spots? so let’s just wing it?  we ended up sleeping in big bertha at a turn off near the 128/191 intersection by the park entrance.  just an option to keep in mind should you find yourself in a similar situation.

the entire time i was at arches, i could not get this song out of my head.  (i'll leave the surmising about why that song would be on repeat in my noggin for debate on another day.)  now for the disclaimer - we here at the lupine blog do not condone violence regardless of whether it is endorsed by your mother.  glad we cleared that up.

canyonlands national park, ut

Last time I was writing in this neck-of-the-woods it was a doozy so let's lighten things up a bit around here, shall we?  You may have thought that when I returned from six weeks in Jamaica I would have prioritized getting my ducks in a row back in NYC.  You would be wrong.  After spending most of spring in the Caribbean, I thought what better way to adjust back to life stateside than by going on vacation.  I know it's a rough life. 

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I've mentioned before that I have a friend who's just as crazy if not crazier when it comes to planning epic hiking adventures.    Our current goal is to hit up a new national park each year.   Past trips include British Columbia and Montana but after a couple years of hiking in snow and avoiding post-hibernation bears we both were ready for something a bit warmer.  When the opportunity to spend a week in Park City presented itself, we went for it knowing that Moab would be less than a morning’s drive away.

Since the weather in Park City was expected to be rainy and cold the first couple of days we were in Utah, we decided to throw some blankets in big bertha and head on down to the desert. (I name my cars… I can't help it.  And yes, they’re all cars.  I don't care if you’re a hemi pick-up.  I'll still call you a car.  I know; I'm special.  And I digress.)  Our initial plan was to check out Arches National Park.  My friend had never been and it's definitely worth the hype.  Apparently, this is a well-known fact because when we arrived at the park entrance, there was a long line of cars backed up to the main road.  We moseyed our way in and eventually made it to the visitor center.  I've probably mentioned this before but my first stop to any park is to chat it up with the park rangers.  They know the best spots to check out for the time of year you are visiting, any hazards to be aware of, and are just genuinely awesome people.  Actually, I have yet to run into a parks person that I didn’t like - even the gift shop lady got me a bandaid from her purse!  Anyway, the friendly folks at Arches told us that unless we wanted to spend our day with the masses, we should take the time to drive to Canyonlands.  Given that we both prefer hikes when you forget other people exist, we hightailed it on over to the Needles.  

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The drive to Canyonlands National Park is like no other park I have visited.  Miles of windy roads interspersed with cattle force you to slow down and just take it in.  This is not to say that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed my other national park adventures but hypothetically speaking I may sometimes get a bit more focused on the destination rather than the journey.  It can be a struggle for me to remain focused in the present.  Perhaps a bit of the human condition.  Perhaps a bit personality quirk. All of this is to say, if you find yourself in need of a perspective reset, Canyonlands is the place to be.

After another stop at the Visitor Center, we eventually made it to the trailhead with maps in hand and ready to stretch our legs in the desert scenery.  I could not have been more excited about it.  By the time we hit the trails, we had been in the car for the better part of 7 hours and little miss does not do well being confined indoors for extended periods of time.  We climbed up and down amongst the red rocks inching our way closer to the spires in the distance.  Every 10 feet or so I would stop and say the same sort of phrase on repeat about the beauty of the place.  I’m fairly certain my travel buddy wanted to silence me as I could not help but proclaim my awe of the world around me. The end of May/beginning of June is the perfect time to see all the spring flowers blooming and it is just so freaking gorgeous. It was spirit fingers inducing.  (I wish I were joking.)  Despite my best efforts, it could not be captured by pictures. 

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We had originally planned for a quick 6 mile hike as it was already mid afternoon by the time we reached the trailhead.  Given the scenery though we just didn't want to leave.   A few fellow hikers we met along the way mentioned that if we had the time, we had to make our way over to Druid Arch.  We had headlamps and fresh legs so we decided to go for it, effectively doubling our proposed hike and causing some hustle in our bustles.   The trail has a number of scrambles and is not for those with a fear of heights but the view is worth it.  We reached the arch just as the sun was beginning to set, changing the color of the desert rock before our eyes.  

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As soon as we hydrated and munch on some snacks, we scampered back down the rocks and hurried along the trail in an effort to beat the setting sun.  With only an hour or so to cover five miles, our steps quickly became a jog keeping ourselves (and anyone within earshot) entertained by singing Disney classics and childhood camp songs.  Just as the sun slipped behind the horizon, big bertha came into view and we full out sprinted with open arms.  The heaviness of the previous weeks was lifted.  

"What makes the desert beautiful," said the little prince, "is that somewhere it hides a well."  

-- The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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notes:

in case you are interested in following our route, we parked at elephant hill and made our way to chesler park before cutting over to druid arch.  according to this handy map, the entire hike was about 12.6 miles with a fair amount of scrambling, especially as we approached the druid arch.  as with any hike (but even more so with a desert hike), be sure to bring plenty of water, snacks, and sunscreen.  there's limited shade and we never came across running water.  i carried 4 L of water.  yes, i am a camel.

we didn't have time to make our way to island in the sky or the maze while we were in canyonlands.  there are rivers in between the different sections of the park so unless you plan on hiking through you need to drive around.  as each part of the park has unique offerings, it would definitely worth be worth checking it out but just keep in mind you'll be logging some quality time in your vehicle.

relatedly, if you are driving on over to canyonlands from arches, make sure you get gas before you leave moab.  ask me how i know… 

arches national park, ut

I saw him heading for us. Just as I found a spot protected from the wind - a little nook behind one of the many arches we hiked to - he made his way toward our retreat.

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This arch had been a bit of a beast to get to. The wind gusts made me feel blown about and I wasn't exactly stoked by the ridge we had to cross in those winds. Add to it that we had scaled down the side of a massive rock to reach the base of the arch since we failed to recognize the easier path and that tears were streaming down my face from all the sand being whipped about, and you could say that I was ready to sit down and have some quiet time.  

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Side note: Arches National Park kind of looks like giant rocks just fell out of the sky and plopped down.  The wind has carved out all sorts of images.  My brain immediately associated them with sea sponges and submarines but maybe you would see spaceships and Martians.

You might think that given my previous experience in Zion I had learned to embrace opportunities for new stories. You would be wrong.  I wanted nothing more than to rest my bones, drink some water, and munch on a bar in my sand-free alcove.  But I failed to avoid eye contact - rookie mistake - and was soon enveloped in the standard where are you from, how did you get here, what do you do conversation.  

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It turned out that this gentleman was the younger half of a father-son duo traveling about in southern Utah.  Our little group soon realized that we were all planning on taking the same route back and with that we headed for the trail.  The way back was advertised as a mile longer on what the park called a primitive trail as to the semi-primitive trail we took to get to the arch.  But as we continued down the path following the cairns, I began to lose track of time and became enveloped in the stories of my new companions.  Did you know that technically at noon the sun should be due south? Or that Mexico has sued the US over the Colorado River? 

Before I knew it, we were back at the trailhead with our new found friends.  Instead of being focused on my feet, I was completely enveloped in the conversation and just simply enjoyed myself.  Case in point, I have absolutely no pictures from the second half of the hike.  These are all from the way to that last arch.  Maybe next time I won't initially be so new people adverse.  Just maybe.

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notes:

- we set-up camp at devil's garden campground in arches national park.  during the winter, it is first-come first-served and we didn't have a problem getting a site at noon on a saturday.  the campground is set in the midst of the park so i highly recommend staying there if possible.

- i really wish we had ventured into moab while we were at arches.  don't repeat my mistake - the town looks awesome.  i did manage to enjoy some wicked brew coffee early on a sunday morning... nothing like waking up to rain at 5 30 am and having to through everything into the jeep. i don't think i have ever been so thankful for a drive thru as i was that morning. 

bryce canyon and grand staircase-escalante, ut

This post could have also been titled "That Time I Tried to See All the Things."  As it tends to go with these types of things, this part of the journey started with the best of intentions.  Utah has crazy terrain and I had/have fallen in love.  The land is just so completely different from the Northeast with its canyons, cliffs, and giant globs of rock.  It didn't help matters that I had started to watch Ken Burns's National Parks documentary a couple of weeks before leaving for this trip.  Apparently, according to Mr. Burns and crew, there were many places to explore and many were in Utah so onto the itinerary they went and I ignored those minor details of mileage and timing. 

These two parks were visited on our way from Zion to Arches with an overnight in Escalante.  I discovered after the fact that the most direct route between the two is 359 miles.  In order to see Bryce Canyon and have a bit of an adventure in Grand Staircase-Escalante, we took the 402 mile scenic route which added 52 miles of off-roading.  While I love driving on crappy/non-existent roads (10 points to the brother who taught me how not to destroy a car when not on pavement), turns out my traveling buddy does not. Whoops.

Our first stop was Bryce Canyon National Park.  My main motivation for wanting to visit this park was the hoodoos.  I mean they're called hoodoos and they look awesome so who wouldn't want to drive a bit out of the way to check them out? It's like Fraggle Rock. In the flesh.  Only outdoors.  And not a cave... just trust me on this one.  If we had explored the area, I'm fairly certain that we would have found Wembley or at least Sprocket.  Unfortunately for our traveling duo, we did not have time to check them out.  So we did the next best thing and visited some sites along the auto-tour route.  

Driving around to viewpoints is always subpar, while I did get to see my beloved hoodoos it ended up being a bit of a tease. My next trip to the area definitely has the goal of mingle with the hoodoos on it. (Can you tell I like the word hoodoo? If you're counting along, we are up to 5).

After spending about an hour in Bryce Canyon, we hurried on our way to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  We had to beat the sun if we were going to be able to hang out in some slot canyons that afternoon.  As the sun was just about to start thinking of setting, we made it to the trailhead and figured we could make our way through at least one slot canyon - Peek-a-Boo.  

At the start of the trail, it doesn't look like much - just a descent into a wash surrounded by some desert-like terrain and a few trees thrown in to mix things up.  But as we inched our way closer to the entrance of the canyon, I began to realize that we had initially been looking only at the top of it hidden in the terrain.

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We began to wind our way through the curves of the canyon and it started to narrow making it harder to anticipate what was around the next corner.  My friend spotted some feathers in a pile which looked like a bird had been recently caught.  As we inched our way forward, I saw a fresh pile of someone's droppings so-to-speak which signaled us to hightail it out of there.  It might be pertinent to mention that the last time this particular friend and I were hiking together and a pile of bird feathers were found, there was a bear cub around the corner.  Oh and the night before the Bear Incident of 2014, we saw a mountain lion.  Cool? Yes. But I have absolutely no desire to encounter another predator anytime soon. I've reached my quota for the decade. 

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We made it back to the trailhead without incident, which was perfect timing because the sun had just started to slip behind the horizon. Escalante is not only an amazing place to explore - there are so many other spots in the park I want to see - but it also gets bonus points because you can camp pretty much anywhere for free.  Being two ladies from NYC, we obviously chose the spot that had cell service, was 100 yards away from one of those camper rv things, and was near the main road.  This may have lead me to waking up 547 times throughout the night thinking we were about to be run over whenever a car drove by but at least I knew there were other people around.  Someday I'll graduate to more remote camping in new places.  Besides which I definitely have to come back.  Twenty-four hours in these parks is just not enough.  Lesson learned.

notes:

- if you are heading to any of the spots along hole in the rock road in escalante, make sure you have enough water, food, gas, etc.  there are absolutely no amenities once you are there.  

- the surrounding dixie national forest looks beautiful.  i would have loved to spend some time there as well.  just you know some food for thought.

 

zion national park, ut

When we rolled into Zion National Park, there were only two of us left.  We had dropped off half of our posse in Las Vegas and made our way into Utah.  Most of my excitement leading up to the trip was centered around this part of the journey. Not only had I read about the ridiculous terrain that was about to greet me but also I had the good fortune of winning a bet which meant that my remaining traveling companion and I were going canyoneering. 

I only learned that hiking for the sole purpose of throwing oneself over ledges could be a thing within the last year or so. Previously, my experience with rappelling was either self-fashioned with neighborhood kids and trees or was the result of a climbing wall in a gym circa 1998. Regardless, there was much effort to get up in order to get down. It had not occurred to me that perhaps there was another way. 

I do that in life quite a bit. My previous experiences dictate my options. And that's incredibly boring because you lose creativity with your outcomes. You tell yourself over and over again that there is one way, one path to reach your goals. And of course in this scenario your goals are myopic as well since a static route can really only have one destination. 

We were our canyoneering guide's last trip of the season and probably a bit anticlimactic but I like to think we made up for it with our northeast camaraderie and crass. Who wouldn't find that endearing? As the day wore on, we got to chatting about future plans and their tendency to not go the way they're supposed to. And as he shared how his failed plans resulted in something much better than he could have created, I turned a deaf ear in the moment. I refused to see myself in the story because I have my plan. I know the way things are supposed to go. If I dot my i's and cross my t's, then everything will fall into place. And if I don't, then nothing will work out.  Dramatic? Yes. But it's a surprisingly easy trap to fall in to. In the days that followed though his words stuck with me, holding me accountable to the rigid mindset I had subconciously created.

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 Work/vacation mash-ups are a funny thing for me because it juxtaposes two different lives - my science nerd life and my let's explore all the wild things life. You could easily say that these two are related. Research requires a certain level of risk-taking which is inherent in the adventures I seek out and lately my sabbaticals into nature have included my direct supervisor at work (ain't no party like an epidemiology party). But these two parts of my life still feel very, very different. My previous and for all intents and purposes current way of dealing with this perceived dichotomy is to divide myself into completely separate entities. I've become resigned to it. But thinking about life this way makes work more blah and play more escapist. It's not a mindset made for longevity. I have by no means figured this one out but at least I've been challenged to use my imagination a bit more.  (PS I am open to almost all suggestions on how to meld these. Emphasis on the almost.)

Oh Zion, you ended up being good for my soul in ways I could not anticipate as I was forced to be outside of my own head and stare in awe at the monstrosities surrounding me.  I really only scratched the surface of places to visit and trails to explore - a fact I regret as I could have used at least a week here... Or maybe more like a year.  Something about those giant canyon walls has turned me into a total Utah-convert. Not that I'm ready to give up my salt water addiction quite yet. I'm just a little bit more open to a temporary leave of absence from my beloved Atlantic Ocean. Until next time Zion. 

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notes: 

- we pitched our tent at watchman campground. there used to be a bunch of free spots around zion but those are now closed to protect the environment. make your reservation early - these sites go fast.  

- there are no showers at watchman but there are showers down the road in springdale at zion mountain school. while you're there book a canyoneering, rock climbing, mountain biking, etc. trip with a guide. you won't regret it.  

- two other things you won't regret  - dinner at oscar's and breakfast at deep creek coffee