I'm sorry it's been so long.
The last two weeks have been crazy.
Vince and I have been traveling and enjoying new experiences.
In the brief time since my last entry we've gone to Grand Junction Colorado, hiked the Colorado National Monument and given Vince the social opportunity of a lifetime.
Sure, I could describe it all.
But I prefer to let the pictures speak for themselves.
On to the show!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Congratulations Juice!
This is my niece, Jessica.She's just graduated from High School and is on her way to attaining her college education. And while she doesn't know it at the moment, she is at a great crossroads in her life. High School graduation is downright scary. It is both an end and a beginning.
I'm sure her parents are petrified at the thought of the obstacles she might face in the future. But in my heart, I think this gal's got it in her to do great things and be the best person possible. After all, she's my kinswoman and she's bred from all that makes my brother strong and all that makes his wife wise. Hey, she can't go wrong!
Cedar City Trip 6-5-07
On this day we got up early, packed the car and boogied on down the road to SLC.
Not a hitch, thank God.
This trip was one for the books.
I saw some of the most beautiful scenery in the country and matched it with the fatherly pride I felt in watching Vince explore his world. Granted we locked horns a couple of times, as most fathers and sons will. But for the most part, this trip with Vince really uplifted my spirits and made me hopeful for his future.
Well, Squirt and I have got over a week to prepare for our next adventure...
Grandma, Grand Junction, Colorado and the Colorado National Monument!
Forever Forward.
Not a hitch, thank God.
This trip was one for the books.
I saw some of the most beautiful scenery in the country and matched it with the fatherly pride I felt in watching Vince explore his world. Granted we locked horns a couple of times, as most fathers and sons will. But for the most part, this trip with Vince really uplifted my spirits and made me hopeful for his future.
Well, Squirt and I have got over a week to prepare for our next adventure...
Grandma, Grand Junction, Colorado and the Colorado National Monument!
Forever Forward.
Cedar City Trip 6-4-07: Zion National Park
On the morning of the 4th, we geared up as quickly as we could and then headed out to the Kolob Canyon entrance of Zion NP. Once at the visitor center, I was able to get Vince an "America-the-Beautiful" access pass that the park service offers to people with disabilities. Now, squirt can travel to any national park in the US and get in for free. On top of that, the pass is good for life! We were jazzed. "Ranger Rita," the ranger who helped us fill out the paperwork, was really nice to Vince. She asked him to write his name on the card and gave him a sticker before we left.
We were on the trail at about 0830. It started with a reeeeally long staircase down to the creek bed. No, it's not bad at first. But I knew that we'd have to climb that sucker when we came back!
The weather was terrific on the way out. As the trail crossed the stream over a dozen times throughout the route, Vince really had a chance to learn how to find rocks sturdy enough to step on. It took the whole trip out to get him not to splash through the water. But once we were heading back, he had stream crossing down pat.
As the trail approached the narrower canyons, we were treated to this view of Paria Point. No kidding, it is a sheer stone wall 7,802 feet high. It's impressive from here, but looking at it up close boggles the mind.
One of the coolest features we found on the trail was an overhanging rock that stretched over the path. It was a great place to take a break.
There are two circa 1800s farmhouses on the trail. This is a shot of Squirt at the Larson homestead just outside the canyon mouth.
Once inside the canyon, we took a couple of breaks to take in the scenery. Here, Mike inspects a tributary for a way to access the high wall in the background.
Just before reaching our destination, we ran into two of the park's archaeologists who were cataloging damage done to the second homestead, Fife's Cabin. They mentioned that they were going to apply for grant money to help the park preserve the sites. I wish them plenty of luck! But as you can see, Kimosabe was eager to get back on the move.
Double Arch Alcove was amazing. It is a bowl carved out of the mountain that was made by water seeping through the sandstone and eroding it over millions of years.
As with our hiking tradition, we took this time to eat lunch and gather our strength for the trip back. PB&J all around!
Munch, munch, munch!
The acoustics in the alcove really peaked Vince's interest. During our rest, he chirped and whooped frequently to hear the resulting echo.
These are some shots from the alcove looking back down the trail.
What did I tell you? Beautiful!
Yeah, we had fun during our lunchbreak. But eventually, the time came for us to go. I had Mike take this shot of Vince and I in hopes that he'll remember the trip when he sees it later.
The trip back was damn hot. The heat however, wasn't enough to stop Squirt from enjoying his favorite creekside pastime...rock tossing!
Thankfully, we reapplied sunscreen enough to keep ourselves from getting sunburn.
At about 1:00 pm, we finally returned to the trailhead. The hike was just over five miles. Vince's second longest.
From there, we drove up to the Kolob Canyons Viewpoint to take in the whole expanse of the area. Sadly, it is impossible for this picture to capture the majesty of this scenery. People have to really see this for themselves. It is indescribable.
So what's a kid to do after hiking 5+ miles in the dust and hot sun? Vince had it all planned out.
We were on the trail at about 0830. It started with a reeeeally long staircase down to the creek bed. No, it's not bad at first. But I knew that we'd have to climb that sucker when we came back!
The weather was terrific on the way out. As the trail crossed the stream over a dozen times throughout the route, Vince really had a chance to learn how to find rocks sturdy enough to step on. It took the whole trip out to get him not to splash through the water. But once we were heading back, he had stream crossing down pat.
As the trail approached the narrower canyons, we were treated to this view of Paria Point. No kidding, it is a sheer stone wall 7,802 feet high. It's impressive from here, but looking at it up close boggles the mind.
One of the coolest features we found on the trail was an overhanging rock that stretched over the path. It was a great place to take a break.
There are two circa 1800s farmhouses on the trail. This is a shot of Squirt at the Larson homestead just outside the canyon mouth.
Once inside the canyon, we took a couple of breaks to take in the scenery. Here, Mike inspects a tributary for a way to access the high wall in the background.
Just before reaching our destination, we ran into two of the park's archaeologists who were cataloging damage done to the second homestead, Fife's Cabin. They mentioned that they were going to apply for grant money to help the park preserve the sites. I wish them plenty of luck! But as you can see, Kimosabe was eager to get back on the move.
Double Arch Alcove was amazing. It is a bowl carved out of the mountain that was made by water seeping through the sandstone and eroding it over millions of years.
As with our hiking tradition, we took this time to eat lunch and gather our strength for the trip back. PB&J all around!
Munch, munch, munch!
The acoustics in the alcove really peaked Vince's interest. During our rest, he chirped and whooped frequently to hear the resulting echo.
These are some shots from the alcove looking back down the trail.What did I tell you? Beautiful!
Yeah, we had fun during our lunchbreak. But eventually, the time came for us to go. I had Mike take this shot of Vince and I in hopes that he'll remember the trip when he sees it later.
The trip back was damn hot. The heat however, wasn't enough to stop Squirt from enjoying his favorite creekside pastime...rock tossing!Thankfully, we reapplied sunscreen enough to keep ourselves from getting sunburn.
At about 1:00 pm, we finally returned to the trailhead. The hike was just over five miles. Vince's second longest.
From there, we drove up to the Kolob Canyons Viewpoint to take in the whole expanse of the area. Sadly, it is impossible for this picture to capture the majesty of this scenery. People have to really see this for themselves. It is indescribable. 
So what's a kid to do after hiking 5+ miles in the dust and hot sun? Vince had it all planned out.
Cedar City Trip 6-3-07
The day started pretty early for us. Vince and I drove to my suegra's house, where we linked up with Mike and hit the road. The trip was thankfully uneventful and four hours later, the three of us zipped into the Cedar City KOA and got situated.
The cabin we rented was really nice. It had a queen-sized bed for Mike and a set of bunks for Squirt and I. And the air conditioner kept it nice and cool while we adventured in the country side.
Here's a shot of Vince and Mike inside the cabin. The cabin interiors are all weather-sealed and polished to a bright shine. When we first entered, the place was spotless. (Unlike when we left!)
Vince saw the pool as soon as we pulled into the campground. He could barely contain himself as we unpacked the car. However, due to his good behavior on the trip and a successful potty attempt, I was glad to reward him with a cool dip. Heck, Mike and I even joined him!
After we had swam a bit and washed up, we went to the local Chili's for lunch and then motored out to our first hike, Spring Creek Canyon. While not in any park, the trail was a perfect little gem. It was close to Cedar City, not too technical and filled with gorgeous scenery. But don't take my word for it...
This was the view from the trailhead into the canyon.
While it doesn't look it, the day was very cool and breezy...perfect for an afternoon hike.
Mike was nice enough to take a picture of Vince and I getting ready to roll.
Like most canyons, the trail was very broad and sandy at first.
Vince and Mike were quite the team. I really think it was good for Vince to see Mike outside of the usual "Grandma's House" setting. Outdoor adventuring is a real bonding experience.
Once we got into the canyon proper, the canyon walls got much closer!
Scenery like this really catches Vince's attention.
Even then, I'm pretty sure he got a bigger kick out of the babbling brook than the red rock walls.
Not far into the canyon, we found this tiny little alcove that was about fifteen feet across and over 100 feet tall. Years of flash flooding had moved those big boulders into blocking this tributary leading into the main canyon.
At about 6:00 pm, we stopped at a canyon intersection for dinner. You can't tell from the photo, but we were deep in an old stream bed surrounded by sheer canyon walls. It was awesome.
On the way back, we found this hole in the sandstone that had been bored out by centuries of fluvial activity. Vince thought it was pretty neat to be able to crawl into it.
I couldn't get over the fact that he had thousands of tons of rock situated over his head!
Finally, we made it back to the trailhead.
From here, we packed up and headed back to the campground.
Vince had behaved so well on the hike, it was easy for me to agree to another swim. (That, and the fact that we were all hot and dirty from the walk!)
When Squirt finally hit the sack, he went to sleep almost instantly. He did really well sleeping in the same room with Mike and I. Heck, I was worried my snoring was going to wake him up!
The cabin we rented was really nice. It had a queen-sized bed for Mike and a set of bunks for Squirt and I. And the air conditioner kept it nice and cool while we adventured in the country side.
Here's a shot of Vince and Mike inside the cabin. The cabin interiors are all weather-sealed and polished to a bright shine. When we first entered, the place was spotless. (Unlike when we left!)
Vince saw the pool as soon as we pulled into the campground. He could barely contain himself as we unpacked the car. However, due to his good behavior on the trip and a successful potty attempt, I was glad to reward him with a cool dip. Heck, Mike and I even joined him!After we had swam a bit and washed up, we went to the local Chili's for lunch and then motored out to our first hike, Spring Creek Canyon. While not in any park, the trail was a perfect little gem. It was close to Cedar City, not too technical and filled with gorgeous scenery. But don't take my word for it...
This was the view from the trailhead into the canyon.While it doesn't look it, the day was very cool and breezy...perfect for an afternoon hike.
Mike was nice enough to take a picture of Vince and I getting ready to roll.
Like most canyons, the trail was very broad and sandy at first.
Vince and Mike were quite the team. I really think it was good for Vince to see Mike outside of the usual "Grandma's House" setting. Outdoor adventuring is a real bonding experience.
Once we got into the canyon proper, the canyon walls got much closer!
Scenery like this really catches Vince's attention.Even then, I'm pretty sure he got a bigger kick out of the babbling brook than the red rock walls.
Not far into the canyon, we found this tiny little alcove that was about fifteen feet across and over 100 feet tall. Years of flash flooding had moved those big boulders into blocking this tributary leading into the main canyon.
At about 6:00 pm, we stopped at a canyon intersection for dinner. You can't tell from the photo, but we were deep in an old stream bed surrounded by sheer canyon walls. It was awesome.
On the way back, we found this hole in the sandstone that had been bored out by centuries of fluvial activity. Vince thought it was pretty neat to be able to crawl into it.I couldn't get over the fact that he had thousands of tons of rock situated over his head!
Finally, we made it back to the trailhead.From here, we packed up and headed back to the campground.
Vince had behaved so well on the hike, it was easy for me to agree to another swim. (That, and the fact that we were all hot and dirty from the walk!)When Squirt finally hit the sack, he went to sleep almost instantly. He did really well sleeping in the same room with Mike and I. Heck, I was worried my snoring was going to wake him up!
Cedar City Trip Prologue
Our trip to Cedar City, while short, was one of the best hiking excursions Vince and I have ever known. Vince did great on the car trip, behaving beautifully and keeping his cookies in his stomach.
As for the change from "Zion" to "Cedar City," we only ended up going to Zion NP one of our two days. The other day, we hiked Spring Creek Canyon just outside of Kanarraville.
As with our last trip, it is my plan to blog each day as a separate post. (6-3-07 to 6-5-07)
That way, I can supply plenty of narrative without have to queue up a dozen or more pictures.
Here we go!
As for the change from "Zion" to "Cedar City," we only ended up going to Zion NP one of our two days. The other day, we hiked Spring Creek Canyon just outside of Kanarraville.
As with our last trip, it is my plan to blog each day as a separate post. (6-3-07 to 6-5-07)
That way, I can supply plenty of narrative without have to queue up a dozen or more pictures.
Here we go!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
New Gear for Zion!
Thanks to the generosity of my beautiful wife, I'm the recipient of a new backpack! With it, Squirt and I can effectively double our carrying capacity on hikes. While it's not my intention to weigh my boy down with excess junk, I want him to get used to having a larger pack for when the time comes for us to try some overnight stuff.
The gear upgrade is just in time for Mike, Vince and my trip to Zion National Park. We'll be staying at the KOA in Cedar City for two nights. While we're there, it's my hope to get the Taylor Creek hike and maybe the Emerald Pools under our belt. Squirt seems pretty excited. And I know I can't wait to hit the trail!As usual the only hangups are the car trip and getting Mike used to bunking with Vince. Either way, it should be an adventure! ^_^;;;
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