and the seasons, they go round n' round...

Ah. So much, recently. Too much for here. But a few things in my life are as thus:

My Babcia, my grandmother, died on Good Friday. I think she would have been highly pleased by the fact that Pope John Paul II also died on Good Friday, five years ago. I'm not as happy at the moment. Of course, I want more time with her. Have recriminations. Wish some things had gone differently. Want to hug her one more time, take away the pain she had to endure during the last year or so, and see those magnificently blue eyes once again as she smiles at me with so much love. But what can I do? Not much except honor her memory, cherish her in my heart, remember her always, and see her lifeblood in my own hands and skin and body. And that's kind of cool. And that's also all I have to say about it right now.

My new blog has 9 posts on it now. Yowza! Much more than here, though those are very specific and not quite as, ah, rambling as some of my posts on here tend toward. Cruise over there if so inclined, leave a comment, and let me know what you think.

It is snowing here again today. Really! Complete whiteout earlier. A bit mind-boggling, really. Ah, springtime. In like a lion, etc. etc. Indeed. Matches my moods and situations from the past few months. Am I ever ready for some settling down and smoothing of the cruel, rough edges.

Peace, Babcia. Hope things are going well where you are. I know you're seeing Ronan now. And I definitely feel you with me.

Hug your grandmas, all. Really. Even if it's just from afar.

and the seasons, they go round n' round...

introducing a new blog!

I mentioned in another post that I would soon be sharing another blog with the world. (To be more precise, with all 14 of you faithful readers out there. Hee.) Anyway...drumroll please....

Introducing my NileGuide Blog! I am super stoked about this. The folks over at Nile Guide have been nothing but enthusiastic, helpful, fun, and supportive of their Local  Experts. (Such as moi. Hey, that's very cool, I just realized...I can put the word "expert" on my resume in an official capacity. Sweet!) My first post on it, Rollin' Through Bryce Canyon on a Fat Tire, just went live today. Again, very excited.

(photo courtesy of Tim Brink)

This blog, my Red  Rock Writer blog, of course is my much more personal one, the one of my heart and soul and angst and hope and despair and wondrous wide-eyed innocent in the world persona, and all that juicy human stuff. Love it! Hope you do, at times. Or at least find it mildly intriguing, inspiring, whatever comes to mind at the moment.

Ah, back to the grind now. I will be in an intensive course all next week and am anticipating much time spent studying. As opposed to blogging, writing, tweeting, facebooking, deadlining, and other life-y things. Sigh.

Happy Almost Spring, everyone! (That officially lands tomorrow. Wah-hoo!)

introducing a new blog!

when things fall apart...

...I feel like dogshit.

Sigh. This is going to be one of those personal posts, a revelation that I am indeed a human being, complete with warts, histrionics, bad temper, evil thoughts, tears, fears, helpless anger, and ridiculously faithful hope.

Beware: ramble ahead!

When I consider everything that I do, want to do, and set to myself as a goal, it occasionally crashes over me with an intensity that steals my breath and paralyzes my mind. I've been thinking lately about time management and quality of life. For me, much of my goal-setting revolves around my laptop and the world to be found online.

That artificial yet remarkably, achingly human and real place captures more and more of us. I don't think that's a bad thing, necessarily. But like anything, it can be used as a balm, an escape, a refuge from the present moment and place in which we actually live and take up physical space. Many, many people feel an overwhelming need to escape from life, to run and hide, duck and cover. Life can be horrifically brutal, cruel, unfair, and just terrifying. (And this comes from someone who has never lived in a war zone, never experienced true poverty, never been violated or brutalized.) Escape is something we often seek mindlessly.

Lately, I've been reading When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön. I'd heard her name for years, had friends who read her, had met her, aspired to Buddhist ideals and beliefs themselves. Months ago, I found this particular book in a used store and picked it up, knowing that someday, I would read it.

Now is that time.

When do things fall apart for us? In a universal sense, it is when we cannot cope or even assimilate, let alone accept, what is happening around us, “to” us, through us, from us, within us, from those we thought were our closest confidants and champions but who then seemed to betray us in the most soul-ripping manner possible.

According to Chödrön (thereby, according to Buddhism), when things fall apart is the most amazing, real, authentic time of our lives.

Much as it is very difficult for me to admit on occasion, she's quite right. Every time my life as I know it has fallen apart, the most shining truths have made themselves known to me with a sharp clarity that at first blinds, and then illuminates. And those were truths I no way could have seen or believed without the jaggedly painful experience of having my heart gouged and yanked right out of my chest, my soul attacked and battered, and my ego destroyed by a single uncaring glance.

Pain in the neck, that sort of thing, isn't it? But it's the way it is.

Partially in reaction to my recent falling apart, I have, of late, used my online communities as methods of escape, release, validation, liberation, commerce, time-sucks, focus, drive. None of these things are inherently “bad,” I don't think. But they don't necessarily always allow me to live my life out loud, in the moment, exuberant and free and HERE. Sure, often enough they do. People are real online! They are intimate and emotional. They invite us into their lives, reveal to us the microscopic details that create them and their days. I have experienced many genuine moments interacting, or merely “lurking,” in and with my communities.

And then, I shut off the laptop, turn off the ringer on the cell phone, walk out the door and right into my right here, right now life. Weather, smells, sounds, sights...the glorious, amazing, shocking, gorgeous physical world. And although that life is what I often tweet, chat, blog, talk about, it's also real life, which I believe can never be truly explained online. Real life: gritty, dirty, full of mistakes and recriminations, exposing the real me, not the me I present myself as being in my online universe. I like to think these two me's are the same, of course, but anyone who spends enough time in the online world knows that, as with all else, it's about presenting a face of you that does not always include the base realities.

My grandmother, my Babcia, of whom I'm written about here before, is back in the hospital. She has been in and out of them for years, but most especially the last 16 months. She just got home from another hospital stay the other night, and then scared my mom and aunt badly enough again that the doctors said to take her back to the ER. My grandmother has gone back and forth from basically unresponsive, to aware, to unresponsive again. Will she be awake and aware and alert again, "permanently," whatever that might mean? I really don't know. Is the whole situation around her, is she, a part of my real life that doesn't make it into my public persona, my public face? Yes. Because it is gritty, and sad, and not what people necessarily want to hear. And it is terribly personal, and a story that I cannot claim as my own; it's her story, even though it affects me also. But it's also a very human story, no?

Then there is my life here, at home in Utah. My gritty, sometimes ugly, sometimes cruel, sometimes painful, always real life here. In one of the most beautiful spots on Earth, no less! This past year has been one of tremendous learning for me. Things I believed to be real and true turned out to be false, full of lies and anger and indifference that covers a pain so deep I don't know if it will ever be realized and embraced and thereby broken free of. And this was from someone else, not from me, yet it affected me so strongly that I am reeling still. Things did indeed fall apart for me! Am I grateful? In some ways, yes, I honestly am. I like the fact that I am more involved in my online world. I like the fact that I am committed more to my writing now. I like the fact that this latest falling apart of my life here has caused me to go deeper, to read things like the Pema Chödrön book. This latest instance of when things fall apart forced me to become just that little bit more real and compassionate. Just a bit, but I'll take it.

And in some ways, I still seek escape. Of course, I will ultimately soldier on and all that. I refuse to hide forever. I refuse to shirk the world, my life, my loved ones, my goals, myself. Even when it seems much easier to simply yank that old wool right back over my eyes.

I guess all I'm saying is, I'm still here. And I am grateful for that, no matter what it means.

when things fall apart...

holy snowfall, batman

Wow. We are getting hammered here in southern Utah! I woke up yesterday morning to five fresh inches...which mostly melted by afternoon, leaving a soupy, muddy bentonite mess out there. Went on a walk with Pip and we slogged through much muck. My NEOs are still in my truck, wrapped in plastic and by-now-hardened red mud.

So imagine my, ah, surprise when I got up this morning, staggered out into the living room, and beheld outside--yet another winter wonderland. Totally amazing. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Very photo-worthy! The branches of the trees are dripping with snow loads, all the mud is again covered in white, and the sun rising over the Henry Mountains is shooting lovely angles of light over it all.




Must say, it is somewhat unusual for this area, in my admittedly short experience here. (I mean, I've only been here ten years. Can't compete with the old, old-timers who croak, "Why, the winter of '55 was just huge, I tell you!") But apparently this is an effect of the La Niña weather pattern. I'll take it, for sure. Our water tables will be very full, our wildflowers will be utterly astounding this spring, no water shortages to worry about this year. Besides...gives me more time to get out skiing at one of the southern resorts.



Ah, pretty pretty out there. About to head into Capitol Reef to snap some pics with my photographer neighbor. If I get any good ones I'll post them later.

holy snowfall, batman

get out into the snow

Winter Hiking Tips & Tricks 101

Hiking in the winter? In snow? In cold? Can you even find the trail?

Yes, yes, yes, and (sometimes) yes. Really! And you don't even have to be Davy Crockett. The key, however, is to do it the old-fashioned way: using your two personal sherpas, otherwise known as your legs. Wintertime exploration on foot is a sublime experience. Why?

1) Unlike a ski resort, you won't get plowed down by an out-of-control novice snowboarder or pay an exorbitant amount for lift tickets.

2) Snowmobiling may take you farther into the backcountry, but its noise pollution can ruin the experience not only for you but others, including Bambi and Thumper.

3) Amazing exercise. You thought just hiking was tough? Try hiking through snowdrifts. As someone I knew once put it, that's a major ass-blaster. (Snowshoeing is a fabulous way to go, as I've recently rediscovered.)

4) Best bonus? Seeing the landscape in a way few will.

Safety considerations are paramount, of course. We all like to come back alive and whole from our adventures. Here are a few of my favorite pieces of wintertime hiking advice.

1) Dress warmly, but don't go for overkill. Layering is key. Too many layers, however, and you'll head out feeling like that Stay Puft Marshmallow dude. Which means you'll quickly get too warm, which means sweat, which means ultimately really cold when it dries on your skin! I like to wear a synthetic (remember, “cotton kills”) long john top as my first layer, then a fleece pullover, then a down vest, then a waterproof outer layer. For the lower half, I again go for synthetic long john bottoms, then jeans, usually Carhartts. (Yes, I know I just said cotton kills, and wet jeans will definitely make you an unhappy hiker. I'm used to it and can take care of myself. If you're not an experienced winter hiker, don't do it!) If, however, I'm snowshoeing and likely to fall down in deep drifts (yes, I am that coordinated) or it's actively snowing, I'll wear waterproof outer pants instead. Note: if it's sunny and warmish, those are already too many layers! Layer down just a bit in that circumstance. But keep those layers with you if you suspect the weather may change during your trip.

(Notice my NEOs--New England Overshoes--which keep my tootsies and boots inside dry and warm. Also, my très excellent snowshoes)

2) Water. Yeah, on a cold day you think you won't want water. Sorry, your body needs it no matter what. And when you're hiking through snow, you're working out, which means you'll eventually dehydrate if you don't replenish. Your best bet in chilly outdoor conditions is a hydration system that includes an insulated drinking tube. Camelbak, which makes a lot of stuff I use, has some good cold-weather options. Such a hydration system also often comes pack-style, which means places for you to stash those pesky extra layers when you start to get your heart pumping.

3) Ye olde trail mix. For some, good old gorp is outdated. But you can make your own yummy & instantly fueling mix from just about anything, as long as it gives you a bit of energy just at that moment when you're about to bonk (not that kind of bonking, folks. I mean the kind where your blood sugar is hurtling straight down to your toes). And of course there are dozens of energy bar brands on the market, as well as various energy goos and gels (this concept makes some, such as yours truly, a bit ill). My current energy boost of choice? Shot Bloks by Clifbar. (Beware, however, if they harden a bit from the cold and you have dental work in your mouth! Could be asking for trouble unless you let them warm up in your pocket first.)

4) Map. Compass. GPS. Directions. Companion who knows where the heck s/he is. Frankly, I wouldn't rely solely on any sort of GPS...satellites aren't necessarily receptive right when you need them to be, and batteries can and do die. Having map & compass skills is still a great thing for outdoor messing around, even in our highly technological age.

5) Pace yourself. Slogging through snow can be way tougher than you're used to. Trust me, you'll get wiped out much sooner than you'd expect. Usually can hike four miles no problem? Aim for two in the snow, and don't be surprised if it takes you as long as or even longer than a snowless excursion with more mileage.

6) Um, tell someone where you're going! If nothing else, scribble a note to put on the dash of your car. Last-minute itinerary changes have been the downfall of many, even experienced outdoorsy types. You may feel silly, but better silly than frozen and undiscovered out in the wilderness for months. Seriously. There are also cool little devices on the market that can help searchers find you should you fail to return at a pre-designated time.



7) Favorite tip: take a dog. Your own, or borrow one. They love it so much, they make snow hikes that much more fun. (Just make sure your dog is at least as fit as you are. Hiking in snow is tough on them too.) And who knows, maybe they'll play Lassie for you if you make a mistake and end up wandering in circles.


Have at your snowy adventure, be safe, and enjoy your winter wonderland adventuring. I know I sure do.

get out into the snow

Things I Realized While Snowshoeing

I've gone snowshoeing once or twice before, about a decade ago. I remembered it being hard. Even so, when a friend recently mentioned he was selling his snowshoes, I jumped at the chance to try them out. Lately, my home has been that good ole winter wonderland, and it is driving me nuts that I can't run. Here's what I discovered from my new obsession.

10. Snowshoeing not only really rocks as a running substitute for winter exercise, it really rocks as exercise, period. The snowshoes I'm using are great, although the paint does chip off of them when I (gasp) bash them against freaking boulders hidden under the snow.

9. My lower back really, really aches after even just two hours of dedicated snowshoeing. I was told that this normal because we tend to lean forward while flinging our suddenly extra-large feet forward and break trail. Sigh...anti-inflammatories and yoga are my great friends at the moment.

8. If snowshoeing with a dog, said critter will likely step upon the back of my snowshoes on occasion, causing me to wonder why I'm such a wimp all of a sudden and can hardly lift my feet. Smart dogs, you see, will quickly learn to follow in the tracks of the snowshoes rather than continue to fall deep in when their feet sink right through.

7. Deciding to go off-trail is exhausting. I mean, really. Who knew breaking through all that extra-deep snow would make me light-headed?

6. My dog enjoys Luna bars as much as I do. Especially, it seems, the Lemon Zest. Who knew?

5. It is utterly, totally, amazingly freaking gorgeous in the “backcountry” (yeah, it's not really all that far back there, but it sure seems so when I'm slogging through drifts). See this pic for verification:

4. When a friend tells you there have been mountain lion tracks recently found where you will be snowshoeing (read: slow, awkward going, very vulnerable to being eaten by a creature much faster than you), every time your dog pauses to sniff the wind with great attention, you get a little freaked out.

3. Bringing along a strong friend who will go in front of you, thereby breaking trail for you, is the optimal experience.

2. Wearing layers in wintertime is essential...as are places in which to stash said layers when one begins to peel out of them, sweating and gasping for air.

aaand...drumroll please...the #1 thing I realized (for the millionth time) while snowshoeing yesterday:

1. The road less taken...runs right by my home. I really, truly live in paradise. All this, and I was only about three miles from town. Not too shabby, eh?

Things I Realized While Snowshoeing

snowy silent morning

What a spectacular morning. For no good reason whatsoever (well, mind control from Pippin, apparently, who shuffled into the bedroom and stared at me until I got up to let him out), I was awake at 5:30 this morning. I don't mind getting up early, if I've gotten a good night's sleep. That's not necessarily the case today, sigh. But here I am, tapping away at the keyboard.

But the main thing I wanted to say was that at 5:30am, when I let Pippin out into the freshly snowed-upon world, it was utterly, utterly silent. I mean, nothing, not a breath of wind, no far-off cars, not even Harry the neighboring rooster was yet crowing (thank god).

It felt so comforting, like being in a protective cocoon. Held, nurtured, safely embraced by the shelter of winter in my home. And that's something I really need right now.

Good morning. I hope this finds everyone peaceful, safe, and content in your own homes, wherever they may be.

snowy silent morning

the only chance we get

"Life is too short to be living somebody else's dream." (I rather wish this quote wasn't from Hugh Hefner but oh well--apparently, it is.)

This quote jumped out at me on Twitter today. As I age, every second and every day, it does strike me that life is indeed short. Shorter than most of us want it to be. My neighbor and good friend, who in a former life was a nurse, once told me that people in the hospital who had "do not resuscitate" orders, living wills, all that stuff to "prepare" for death, were often the ones who most desperately hung onto life with their raw & bloody fingernails at the very end, unwilling to let go despite clearly seeing the approaching finis to this go-round. Look, I believe in life after life, the soul, the spirit, what-have-you. I have no earthly idea what happens after we kick it, but I do happen to believe that you and I are more than mere lumps of cellular clay molded only to tramp about this planet for a finite time and then blow away in the wind as only so much dust when all is said and done.

However, that being said, I also am a big fan of living life as if this is the only big chance we get. I mean, what do I know? And why the hell not enjoy every damn second? (Well, as many seconds as I can. There's only so much love to go around, and gynecological appointments, root canals, and waxing just do not qualify to receive much of it.)

I recently, as mysteriously alluded to in the previous post, went through one of those earth-shaking life lesson thingies, the kind we wish like crazy just didn't have to happen. I came out of it pretty quickly for a variety of reasons (been through worse before, didn't put up with it too long, actively look at such things as growing edges, etc. etc.), and I've been feeling pretty darn content of late. In fact, I got downright thrilled about my life yesterday. I have so much to anticipate! I'm very excited about a new project, which might be a tad daunting but is also super cool. And overall, I'm okay...and some of the other players in the recent drama madness aren't. And that just made me feel peachy. (Possibly a bit smug too, but whatev--a girl's gotta get her kicks somewhere. Ha.)

Anyway. Dreams. My dreams. I've got a bunch. Some of them have been realized in my life, some are ongoing, some are newly minting as I write. One of my current big dreams is to make more of presence for myself online, connect with as many of the truly fascinating people in this world as I can, actively get out and explore this world (recently going to HAWAII set that dream afire for sure!), and make money writing about what I love.

______________________________________________
Quick insert: a few Hawaii pics. I was on the Big Island most of the time. Went horseback riding and skydiving while I was there. WOW to both! (Especially skydiving...leaping out of a plane at 14,000 feet is intense in many, many ways indeed. Ha ha ha.)

me showing off my white limbs & overall sassiness on my first day there


me with Chamois, riding on an 11,000-acre cattle ranch in the Kohala district:


Oahu's North Shore. Yeah. Total wow.


And...skydiving above the North Shore. Mm-hmm! Yee-haw!
_____________________________________________

Okay, back to reality, and to this post's intent. Sigh....

I've neglected this blog quite a bit (obviously!). It's been such a personal blog, I never had a firm direction for it, and quite honestly, there are soooo many other things I love to do, get interested in, get distracted by, have responsibilities toward, that I just don't put in enough effort. By my calculation, at least. And, I will soon have a blog with one of my other gigs (shh...more on that later!), so I'm rather waiting to see how that one might set up.

But I also just checked out Nomadic Matt's blog and bought his ebook, How To Make Money With Your Travel Blog. Pretty good stuff so far. I'll let you know when I finish it. Anyway, that's also set me on fire. I've gotten into the making-money-with-your-blog thing before (ProBlogger is a great source of info)...bought the books...read the websites...dreamed big. But right now in my life, it's feeling pretty exciting to me, really clear and doable. Know what I mean? (Did I just totally mangle that sentence. Hmm. Perhaps it's not clear at all.)

I also just watched Julie & Julia the other night, that great movie about blogger Julie Powell (just read on her blog that her dog just died...my heart goes out to her. Losing pets is one of the worst things out there, and anyone who has and loves animals will get that.) and cooking legend Julia Child. Of course I was inspired! I could totally do something like that. (Well, no, I am no going to tackle a cookbook...but you get the idea. Or rather, it got me.)

So...I'm excited. Have ideas. Will execute said ideas. In some form. In some better, more specific shape, lol. And will keep you posted.

Anyway. This is rambling post. Which is okay, today. But if anyone has any suggestions for me...about anything, right now, ha...I'll take 'em under consideration. Looking for direction...inspiration...ideas.

Onward. Happy Friday!

the only chance we get

the lessons are tumbling upon me

Oi...I am once again way behind! In posting on here, on working on my deadlines, in all sorts of things.

Well, let me tell you, if I told you about all the madness I recently experienced, you might cast a less disapproving eye upon me. Lessons, lessons everywhere!

I went to Hawaii. I went skydiving. I went horseback riding. I stood slack-jawed at pristine white sand beaches lapped by turquoise waters. Saw honu, green sea turtles, bobbing and flipping through the waves mere feet from me. (Also saw the beach where Lost is filmed, but as I never watch that show it wasn't all that exciting to me.) Met people full of grace, lacking grace, open, closed, fearful, exuberant, and all shades of being human.

It's been an interesting last few months, I must admit. But now I am back home in the red rocks, which are coated in winter's white chill. Heck, I've almost gotten stuck in my own driveway a few times, and I have a 4wd truck. Kinda made me want to go back to Hawaii...but honestly, despite all the craziness going on here (which shall remain private...for now), this is my home, and I am thrilled to be back in it.

Onward!

the lessons are tumbling upon me

Everett Ruess: Iconic Mystery (Still) Everlasting

Oh, Everett Ruess. Did we ever know you? Did anyone? Such a short life. How many people have revealed all of themselves at 20? I barely know myself yet at twice that age. Yet paeans have been written to the lost poet's name, songs and laments and glorifications. So many projections have been flung upon this poor young man he's probably twitching in his grave, wherever that may be.

Everett Ruess, the young writer and artist and dreamer and wanderer, was irrevocably lost into the southern Utah canyons in November, 1934. (On the practical note, let me reinforce that most significant part: LOST in the southern Utah canyons. Disappeared, gone, vanished. So many theories over the years, none of which have yet been corroborated, yet all of which point toward the potential finality of tramping the wildlands of this glorious yet highly unforgiving little section of the world. There are plenty of people who wander all over it at will and are perfectly fine, will die in their beds at home at an advanced age...but there are some who will not. So please remember that this place can just be dangerous, if I must be completely blunt about it. If you enter the canyons, climb the mesatops, hike to the heights of the mountains, be prepared to extricate yourself again, and to save yourself if need be.)

This young wanderer, this dreamy poet, who dared tramp where his feet led and seemed not to care too much what others thought of him, has borne the brunt of many a projection. How on earth to shoulder such a burden? “Excuse me, but your ideas of who and what I am are growing far too heavy for me to carry. Can you please retrieve them and kindly let me on my way, unencumbered by your ideas and ideals of my perfect life?”

Makes you want to say that yourself to people, doesn't it?

Since it was officially revealed earlier this year that the remains thought to be his are, in fact, not, a new flood of accusations, projections, theories, and dreamy idealizations have been trotted out yet again all over cyberspace.

I freely admit that I am as mildly thrilled as many other people. The mystery still exists. The ghost of Everett Ruess still tramps the desert, beckoning to his fellow travelers, promising an enduring tale that has no ending but for the one we each make up for ourselves.

No wonder some people are happy he's still missing. His story is a fulfillment of our own wishes. His short life and unknown end are a blank canvas upon which we can splash, caress, throw, even fingerpaint our own masterpiece, create our ending, satisfy our own needs.

Everett Ruess, for my own selfish desires, I kind of hope you stay lost just a little bit longer. But for your sake as well as your family's, I will instead set my intention toward your remains and your unique story being discovered and deciphered...someday.

Everett Ruess: Iconic Mystery (Still) Everlasting

top 5 reasons to visit Cedar Mesa, Utah

Sometimes I do lag in posting, don't I? Hard being a freelance writer yet also a lover of the wilderness who adventures a lot! (Ok, ok--I'm also a bit of a procrastinator. Just a bit!)

I recently traveled to Mancos, CO, to visit a friend. Great trip...especially the drive over Cedar Mesa. Now, this is an area I have driven through many, many times when I lived in Durango yet felt compelled to often return to Torrey (gee, I wonder why, lol). I've done a minimal amount of hiking and camping in the area--but let me tell you, there's an abundance of hiking to be done there! Cedar Mesa is the sort of huge secret that many locals or canyoneering or ancestral Puebloean aficionados know about, yet it's still basically hidden from the general public eye.

Good thing, that. Plus, if you visit this area or plan to do any stomping around, you'd better be self-sufficient. Not a forgiving area in which to get lost or stranded without possessing some basic survival skills. (That's another post coming soon...all abut the bowdrill and more.)

Ok, caveat emptor, here's why you should put Cedar Mesa on your list of places to visit:

1) Unspoiled.
Really. It's way off the beaten path, there are no national parks within its sprawl of canyons and buttes, and its biggest attractions (mountain biking, canyoneering, hiking) haven't yet drawn the crowds that swarm places like Moab. Phew!

2) Huge.
Cedar Mesa encompasses over 400 square miles of pure wilderness playground. Check out Natural Bridges National Monument, the awe-inspiring ancient native american remains (such as Turkey Pen Ruin and Perfect Kiva in the Grand Gulch Primitive Area), and stop in at Edge of the Cedars Museum in Blanding to see some of the "spoils" taken from ruins over the last century. Oh, and swing into the Butler Wash Ruins overlook and check out the Moki stairs. Really nuts! (Yes, Virginia, there were ancient people who pecked that staircase out of sheer rock and then used it. They were either ancient versions of Spiderman or just really, really trusting of their toeholds.)

3) Grand Gulch Primitive Area.
Note the word "primitive." They're right on the money about that, so realize that if you get your little hiking butt into trouble out there, you'd best be able to get it out again--on your own. Grand Gulch is utterly sublime in its beauty, incredible ruins, and eerie link to the past. Back in the day (say, 1200 years ago), supposedly, more people inhabited this area than live in all the Four Corners today. Crazy, no? (I remember hearing this somewhere but can't find documentation for it just now...will keep looking though.) Please remember that the Archeological Resources Protection Act says it's a felony to disturb or take artifacts. Want more proof of how serious they are? Hark back to the Blanding raids earlier this year. They mean it.

4) White Canyon, home of the Black Hole.
Spooky! The Black Hole is a classic canyoneering experience in the most serious sense. You actually need a drysuit to do it, as water temps can be so cold even on a 100+ degree day in July that you can get hypothermic. You'd also best be experienced or with someone very experienced and safety-conscious. And White Canyon itself is such a fascinating, lovely fissure in the earth. It demands exploration even if it didn't contain the presence of cool slot canyons.

5) Dark Canyon Wilderness.
Ok, technically it's a bit north of Cedar Mesa. But it is an amazing hidden gem, and should be explored by every serious off-the-beaten-path adventurer heading to southern Utah. There are some stunning hikes, hidden ruins, and vistas that are unbelievably beautiful--and best of all, no one else is there! And it has 45,000 acres! Let me say it again: Hidden. Treasure. Go check it out...but mum's the word.

Best reasons of all:

See below. Happy trails.... And do tell me your own reasons why visiting Cedar Mesa is such an awesome idea.


Cheese Box Butte.


Gorgeous canyon that parallels Hwy 95 much of the way.


Ancient potsherds. (No, I'm not the one who "arranged" them thusly. You should never do this, as it causes the artifacts to lose their provenance. But does make for a nice pic.)

top 5 reasons to visit Cedar Mesa, Utah

hiking in my southern utah stomping grounds

I realized I don't much talk about specific hikes around here.

Recently, I mentioned Spooky and Peek-a-Boo slot canyons, and those are super cool hikes not to be missed. (As long as you are neither claustrophobic nor well-nourished, as noted.)

Last year, I posted pics and raves about how gorgeous Lost Lake, up on the Boulder, is. (This post also somehow morphs into Hillary Clinton, the Milky Way, and lightning. Don't ask. You'll have to read it, heh.) Then there's the anti-ATV (well, anti-piss-poor users of ATVs) rant that happened because of another horseback ride up to Lost Lake.

Hmm, then there was the one about seeing bighorn sheep along Pleasant Creek Canyon in the Park. No pics, as I'd forgotten my camera that day...but I often see sheep in that canyon. And it is sooo gorgeous there.

Ooh, Natural Bridges National Monument, just down the road from Torrey out in Cedar Mesa. Total wow out there.

There are so, so many hikes I can mention. I'll have to start doing that, and posting pics along with them, of course.

i just wrote a "travel tip" for a nicely-organized travel site called Travel Dudes. My tip was, oddly enough (lol) about Best Hikes in Southern Utah's National Parks. All of the parks down here are, pure & simple, AMAZING. And each is so in its own way. Am I partial to Capitol Reef because that's where I live? Of course. But each park has its own breath-taking delights. Visit 'em all. (Check out this really crisp photo of Bryce Canyon. If you're a camera fiend, that park will keep you occupied for days. For all hours of all the days you spend there, in fact.)

And here are some blog posts on NileGuide I wrote about road tripping and gettin' your beer on in Zion. (Too bad I can't write a similar one about Torrey, ha. Not quite as many drinking establishment choices here, I'm afraid!)

What else. Well, there are my most favorite hikes around Torrey...but I'll have to think about exposing those, so to speak. Not like this is a rabid tourist mecca yet, but it's always been my goal to not encourage the over-visitation of wild places that often means eventual, rather traumatic change. We'll stick with just mentioning Lost Lake for now, hmm? :)

More pics for your viewing pleasure. Then it's off to dreamland for this adventurer...

Blind Lake in the fall, up on the Boulder



Zion...aahhh.

hiking in my southern utah stomping grounds

a day in my life

Okay, these would be from several different days, but you get my drift.

Have I mentioned yet that I live in paradise and I love my job(s)? Capitol Reef is a really sweet place to call home. See below for verification. ;)

Working. Really. (Apparently with a tree growing out of my head, but anyway.) The incredible background of my home behind me, Doc standing very nicely.


Pippin hard at work on one of our pack trips. Ha! (Yes, he had his own sleeping bag.)



Relaxing with a guest after a long day on the trail in front of CRBO's kitchen tent. Aaahhhh...


Spooky slot canyon in GSENM. I led people through here on a hike.


Taking some kids riding past Blind Lake up on the Bouldertop.


The boss (Cody) talking about fly fishing on the Fremont River (ok, not a day in my life, but still a cool picture. I'd like to do more fly fishing).


Pack trip in the desert. Those are the Henry Mountains in the background. (It was kind of hazy because of huge fires near St. George.)


Fall foliage on the Boulder in September. So gorgeous! So chilly!


Scary part of the job: feeding 900-pound hay bales with the tractor! Without running into the fence, ha. And yes, that's actually me driving the crazy huge thing. First woman ever taught how to do so in BCO's history. Hee hee!



Convinced that my job & life here has some perks? :)

Each year that I live here (since 1999) brings me new adventures, discoveries, and understandings. What an amazing place this is, especially since it's taught me so much. There's a sort of magic in the desert and mountains here...if only I keep opening my eyes and heart enough to let it in.

a day in my life

thoughts on life in a small, rural, mormon town

Torrey is one of nine towns in Wayne County (WC), Utah. It is inarguably the most "liberal," "open-minded," "accepting" of all the towns here. Why do I use quote marks? Because, dear readers, your definition of those appellations and WC's definition probably vary wildly.

Torrey, as I may have noted before, actually has three churches, as opposed to the other towns only having the dominant LDS (Mormon) church. Torrey is home to an eclectic pile o' people, including hippies, artists, ranchers, Mormons, grubby outdoorsy types, writers, photographers, horsemen and -women, rich folks, poor folks, in-between folks, and many deliciously diverse more.

Torrey is also, as is most of Utah, a very red town, as in Republican. In the election one year ago, however, for the first time in its history Torrey voted blue! There are plenty of Obama supporters here, and they voted. The local paper, The Insider, very grudgingly noted Torrey's left-leaning sensibilities as my little home ripped itself away from the dominant majority. Heh. (Doesn't really matter if you supported Obama or not...my point is that for once the majority was toppled by the determined, and very few, votes of the lesser-represented.)

In last week's election, we voted for Mayor and Council members. My neighbors on my little street (called, very tongue-in-cheek, Morningwood Drive) both won their respective runs. Adus Dorsey is the new mayor of Torrey, and Jennifer Howe is a new councilwoman. They each take up their duties in January.

Neither one is particularly aligned with the majority religion in WC...they won't be mouthpieces for it. Have I mentioned before that there is little separation of church & state in Utah?

Now, this is NOT an anti-LDS rant. It is merely an observation of the mores and morals (or sometimes lack thereof) in my teeny rural adopted homeland. I will note, however, a conversation the other day with a woman who lives here with her two kids, both of whom are in the WC public school system, and none of whom are LDS. Last year, her son's teacher told his class that anyone supporting Obama was a terrorist! (The kid's eight, for crying out loud.) This teacher also supposedly pushes her pro-LDS sentiments in the classroom...of course, the debate over such behavior from a teacher goes on ad nauseum. I say, no sirree. You'd better not push your values on my kid, lady. You're supposed to be teaching them readin', writin', and 'rithmetic.

I digress. Hmm, this might be just a bit of a rant.

Back to my impressions of my little town. I love Utah. Its gorgeous landscapes have stunned me since I first beheld them ten years ago. I am in favor of difference of opinion, diversity, and honest expressions of one's beliefs. I also happen to believe that there's a time and place for all things! I like to believe in our democratic process...though I also often have my doubts.

Ah, too much to think about. What do YOU think about belief systems and sharing said beliefs with others? What have you experienced in your lifetime, good, bad, or downright ugly?

thoughts on life in a small, rural, mormon town

a natural high: drunk on the beauty of the red rocks

Oh, it is so spectacularly beautiful this morning in Torrey. The sky is a crisp blue, the sun is uncovered, there's a light breeze rustling the changing leaves of the nearly-bare aspen trees, and the red cliffs are just begging to be explored and climbed.

Hmm, I've mentioned before that I live in paradise, no? This is a sublime time (ooh, bad rhyme! Ha.) of year to visit. The nights are definitely chilly, but damn, the daytime is so perfect for tramping around the desert. Think of the treasures you might stumble across in your wanderings! Pottery shards (yeah, don't take those), dinosaur bones (um, don't take those either), petrified wood (okay, you're allowed to take a small amount of that, but you'd best check in with the Bureau of Land Management office for specifics), possible sightings of bald eagles, golden eagles, bighorn sheep, quick-moving lizards, rabbits darting and leaping everywhere.

Dang. I need to get out and explore today myself! Me and the Pip pup. He'll love a good adventure.

Now, here's something I missed from last month. Wild horses are definitely considered iconic in the American West...but they're also hideously overpopulated and not being adopted due to recent economic concerns. In fact, some people have taken to dumping domestic horses out on the range...Yeah, that's what you do with a domestic animal you can no longer care for. Been going on for a while, too, sadly enough. Anyway, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has apparently launched an idea to make sustaining the wild horse herds, well, more sustainable. Will it work? Let's see. This is a whole other discussion for another post. And will I be able to go on and on about it! (You can start by reading more here; please note that these are someone else's thoughts, but any thoughtful addition to the conversation makes it more well-rounded.)

a natural high: drunk on the beauty of the red rocks

the bittersweet season

It's fall here...I love it, yet it brings an anxious pang to my heart every year. Fall is when the colors burst from the deciduous trees, the sky is even more brilliant blue than usual, and the weather is mostly awesome for hiking in desert canyon land. I can relax...explore...revel in uncrowded beauty here. I made apple pie with the fruit from the trees in my back yard. Leaves are thick on the ground, and smoke scents the air as many people (me included) fire up their wood stoves to ward off the chill. This is the sweet part.

But here in Torrey, it's also the end of the season. The tourist season, the awake season, is winding to an abrupt finis, an ending that lands sudden and sharp as the cold and the shorter days. Most of the businesses in town close, including my place of employment, Capitol Reef Backcountry Outfitters. Things start to feel...eerie. It's another winding down. An ending, and we all know how difficult those can be. This, of course, is the bitter part.

It's actually a wonderful time of year to visit. The crowds have slimmed considerably and the cooler temps just make it more pleasant. I plan to get out there and explore a bit. I have been stir crazy lately!

Oh, and my goodness. The remains of Everett Ruess are not his after all, it seems. How crazy is that? Who's to blame for the snafu? Well, that might be a moot point. Although I feel for the family members, who are still lacking the closure they seek, it's sort of nice to have the mystery still open. It reminds me that once again, all possibilities are open.

Which is how I perhaps ought to think about fall. Hmm...off to wander the red rocks and ponder that thought!

the bittersweet season

shameless self-promotion

Well, but I'm also promoting southern Utah, the land of my heart and soul. Damn, I'm actually promoting it all over the place, these days. Can't help it, I love this area so much. I want others to love it too...responsibly. (Do you hear me, silly NYT article that did NOT include a useful sidebar telling visitors how to behave when visiting the perilous desert? Grumble. I hold you responsible for the trashing of Spooky & Peek-a-Boo. Seriously. That and just the all-too-common lack of human decency or respect these days.)

I'm the southern Utah Local Expert (sounds very official, no?) for NileGuide, a very cool travel site for the savvy, hip traveler (hey, that's you, really). I'm in charge of Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, and Moab. Uh...keeps me busy! Hopefully they'll add Capitol Reef sometime (but not too soon, I've got lots to catch up on with the other parks. Yikes....)

Set me up a Twitter account (yeesh, the thought scares me...but here I go anyway), @julietrevelyan.

And soon, hopefully, I'll be blogging for Capitol Reef Backcountry Outfitters, where I just completed my second season full of adventure & exploration.

Ah...the rain is falling wildly and the thunder is shaking and rolling terribly at the moment. Huge storm! And I'm inside! Writing! I love being able to look outside at the sturm und drang yet not have to be in it. God, this place is so beautiful. See?

shameless self-promotion

oh, summertime, how I love thee...

...but how you make my writing suffer! I knew it had been some time since I blogged on here, but I was utterly aghast to realize it'd been almost two months. Mea culpa!!! A thousand times over. Not like I have a huge readership or anything. Yet still, the responsibility hangs heavy on me at the moment.

As you may know, in the summer I am paid (paid, I tell you! Miraculous.) to play outside. Ride horses, go hiking, drive people around to gorgeous areas like Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). Look at these pictures and weep:

(yes, my pants are highwaters...deal with it. I have long legs! Velvet Ridge aglow in background.)


(the bridge at Devil's Garden in GSENM)


(riding my decidedly nervous horse (Doc) in the annual 4th of July parade in Torrey)


(Pippin at Blind Lake!)


(on our way home from Blind Lake...descending Boulder Mountain...with Thousand Lake Mountain in the background. Tough job, eh?)


As you can see, I've been quite busy running around this lovely area. But I really will try to post more often...it's just so hard during these gorgeous, busy days!

Hope summer is going fabulously well for everyone else out there too. Enjoy it...it only comes once a year. ;)

oh, summertime, how I love thee...

don't twig out: the creepy connection between pot hunters & meth

Ever hear of a "twigger"? Yeah, neither had I, until I read this aptly-titled article ("Drugs, Guns and Dirt") in the March/April issue of Archaeology Magazine. Wow. Twiggers: methamphetamine users (often called "tweakers") who apply the drug's obsessive-compulsive drive to search methodically through archaeological sites, loot them thoroughly, then sell their illegally-gained finds on the black market to get more money to supply them with their meth habit.

Unreal, no?

And of course, in the process these addicts are destroying the history and culture of the areas they loot, because they aren't exactly doing it in a way that preserves provenance.

Other articles contribute to the details of this exploding "trade:" here, here, here, and this most recent SL Tribune article.

You might be tempted to think this is small potatoes. Nuh-uh. The illegal antiquities trade (on a worldwide scale, although U.S. Southwest native american artifacts are a huge leader) has been estimated to be in the Billions of dollars--right behind drug smuggling and the illegal arms trade. Yikes, no?

I reported the other day on a big bust right here in Southern Utah. Well, that plot has thickened considerably, and all sorts of people are upset now. It seems that some of the local Blanding residents object to having their names "tarnished"; our very open-minded (she says with a curled lip of distaste) Utah senators are crying foul on Interior Secretary Salazar's harsh crack-down; and at least one accused Blanding resident has apparently committed suicide due to his arrest.

Yegads.

The whole situation is sad, to be sure. Law-breaking, disregard for history, for an entire country's right to enjoy its treasures, the loss of life, the bs and the lies...

But I whole-heartedly agree with the federal process. Those locals of Blanding, UT, who willfully broke the law need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They do not need to be bailed out. They need to take responsibility for their illegal actions--forced to take it, if need be. Hello, it's called The Antiquities Act of 1906 (yes, that would be 1906, not 2006 for those out there who would like the twist the law to suit themselves), and it says it's ILLEGAL to take ancient human artifacts out of the ground unless you are permitted to do so! And yet many Blanding residents (as well as others throughout the world) justify their actions with the statement, "But I always did it as a kid, it wasn't illegal then." Perhaps not, if you are at least 115 years old.

Grr.

I live in rural Utah. I come face-to-face with ignorant attitudes toward our country's government on a regular basis. Trust me, the people who have gotten away with their "we hate and don't need the federal government" drama for years need to ante up and recognize that if they don't like it, they can darn well move somewhere else. Such as Siberia. Or maybe, just maybe, they could get themselves educated and caring and start protecting the rich archaeological treasures near their homes.

Grrr.

Okay. Off my rant. And remember not to twig.

don't twig out: the creepy connection between pot hunters & meth

Peek-A-Boo & Spooky

No, it's neither a child's game nor time for Halloween. Rather, it's two great little slot canyons, the classic beginner ones that everyone who wants to hike a slot canyon should do. I first hiked them about six years ago, and yesterday had the privilege of taking a friend who had never in her life been in a slot canyon! Lookie here for some of what we experienced:

Yes, ooh & aah. That one is inside Peek-A-Boo.

Let me note that these slot canyons, plus another one called Brimstone, are located near Escalante, Utah, 28 miles down the v-e-r-y- j-a-r-r-i-n-g Hole-in-the-Rock Road (seriously, the washboards were terrible). It's recommended you have 4WD and definitely high-clearance. Since there was a recent New York Times article about Escalante (which features a great pic of Peek-A-Boo), the crowds had stampeded to the area. We saw probably no less than 60 freakin' people on our hike, and it made our experience in Spooky less than desirable, as we had to squeeze back into the rocks to let herds of Boy Scouts pass, and felt rushed when we heard people coming up right behind us in the there-is-no-physical-way-possible-that-you-can-pass-anther-human-being slot.

But I digress. Just look at these pics, and marvel more:

This was our Chaco-clad feet covered in the STINKY muck leftover from recent storms that we had to climb through in order to get up into Peek-A-Boo!


This is other people descending what we climbed UP into when first getting into Peek-A-Boo. Are you now properly impressed with our prowess? Let me tell you, it took forever to get in, because our feet kept slipping on the wet mud. Note: don't try this going up (when wet) unless you're really sure of yourself or use ropes. It could be really dangerous. You didn't hear me tell you to do it!


This is looking down into Peek-A-Boo. I climbed up on top and snapped this to demonstrate how deep in the womb of mama Earth we were.


Spooky. Yes, this is what you have to go through. You truly cannot be wider than about a foot in some areas. People who are, ah, well-nourished, should not attempt this slot canyon. Nor if you have claustrophobia, nor if you are athletically challenged--you often have to climb up, down, over, or all three, the rocks that get caught in a slot, which are called chockstones.



Me sneakin' through Spooky. See? Narrow! And so, so fun.

Southern Utah. Land of the natural cathedrals, sublime beauty, amazing forces of nature demonstrated right before our eyes. Oh, how I love it....

Peek-A-Boo & Spooky