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Sand’s the Enemy! Part I

Moab makes me happy. The insignificance one feels amongst its enduring landscapes is both decompressing and peaceful. Ahhh…the dramatic cure for the ego-driven modern pace. This April Jason and I kept up our biannual Moab tradition. We had a delightful trip, save the sand, but I’ll get to that shortly.

The Sovereign Singletrack offered every type of terrain.
The Sovereign Singletrack offered every type of terrain.
Who can resist posing a picture like this when such a boulder exists?
Who can resist posing a picture like this when such a boulder exists?
The vistas on Sovereign were expansive.
The vistas on Sovereign were expansive.

Our first day in Moab we biked the Sovereign Singletrack. This 10-mile expedition involved a lot of uphill grunting and technical maneuvering. It was tremendous fun until we decided, per our guidebook’s suggestion, to take a jeep road as our route back. This ATV path was practically a sand dune…and thus the villain enters my tale. (Dun, dun, duuunnnnn.) Those blasted particles slowed our movement more than molasses on an arctic expedition and I repeatedly had to dump sand piles out of my shoes that were so massive they made my sneakers two sizes too small.

Sovereign had enough slickrock to satisfy.
Sovereign had enough slickrock to satisfy.
The beauty of Moab lies not in its lushness but in its harshness.
The beauty of Moab lies not in its lushness but in its harshness.

After Sovereign, we detoured to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. We took a 1.8-mile trail to some viewpoints above Upheaval Dome, a 5-km circular impact crater of mysterious origin. This route was quick but the scenes it passed were pretty impressive.

1 setting sun + tons of blazing stone + 2 energetic rascals = this.
1 setting sun + tons of blazing stone + 2 energetic rascals = this.
The hike to Upheaval Dome's viewpoints was easy but it still had a touch of adventure.
The hike to Upheaval Dome’s viewpoints was easy but it still had a touch of adventure.
Upheaval Dome is a spherical oddity that can't be fully appreciated unless seen by the air.
Upheaval Dome is a spherical oddity that can’t be fully appreciated unless seen by the air.

And so ended our first day in Moab and the first part of my story. Next week our clash with sand continues.

Rachel April 27, 2015 No Comments

Half-Drowned Heroes in a Half-Shell

Every February for five years running, Jason and I have shouted an anxious battle cry and then charged into the frosty depths of Utah Lake. This year we again participated in the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Utah, even though the frosty depths refused to take their part in this ritual.

Jason and I made turtle shells out of disposable roasting pans.
Jason and I made turtle shells out of disposable roasting pans.

Utah has had the most bizarre weather the last few months. We’ve had little snow and even less winter. While this strange alteration in climate is sure to impact fauna and fowl alike, far worse than that, it has impacted me. No winter = no ice = no plunging polarly but I’ll get back to that in a moment.

This slippery chute added an entertaining element to the plunge.
This slippery chute added an entertaining element to the plunge.

Our plunging team this time consisted of six friends and friends of friends. We decided to dress up as characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, all of the green guys plus April and Shredder. I came as Leonardo, fitting as I am such a responsible leader. (I’ll have none of those remarks from you!) And Jason appeared as the technological genius Donatello, which is also appropriate.

Yes, that water was every bit as cold as our shocked faces suggest.
Yes, that water was every bit as cold as our shocked faces suggest.

Since the aforementioned lack of cold and precipitation left Utah Lake low and iceless this February, Special Olympics came up with an alternative strategy for their event. Their plan consisted of a massive pool accessed by a slick slide, which was placed at the side of the lake. We were a little disappointed at first when we found out we wouldn’t be jumping into the marina but the slide and pool turned out to be pretty fun…and quite polar. Yes, oddly, the absence of ice-bogged waters didn’t really warm up our dive. As confirmed by a thermometer, the pool’s temperature was just a few degrees above freezing, plenty frigid enough to take breath and courage away.

This picture was among the ones featured in the news.
This picture was among the ones featured in the news.

Our polar plunge may have been atypical this time in that neither lake nor ice was involved but it followed normal patterns in many other ways. The water we tumbled into was, as ever, glacially inhospitable and, as in years past, our gang was interviewed by local news channels and featured in the newspaper.

This was my best attempt at a turtle face. Good thing I don't try doing turtle often.
This was my best attempt at a turtle face. Good thing I don’t try doing turtle often.

A big thank you to those that donated to help the Turtles support some very special athletes. Due to your generosity, we raised more funds than all but two teams, over a thousand dollars in total.

Rachel March 9, 2015 No Comments

Hike n Bike

I’ve been planning on posting about our summer hiking and biking adventures for months but I didn’t want to do so until the season was decisively over. Well, since it is now February and it oddly feels like warm weather is nearly upon us again, at this point I think it’s safe to summarize last summer’s trail flings.

This nameless path up the North Fork of American Fork Canyon provided great views and no company.
This nameless path up the North Fork of American Fork Canyon provided great views and no company.
Silver Lake was secluded and stunning.
Silver Lake was secluded and stunning.

We frequented American Fork Canyon with both bikes and boots last summer; it was our most common outdoor playground. Besides a few trips to Lambert Park and Corner Canyon, it monopolized our mountain time.

The peaceful waters of Silver Lake doubled the expanse of the encircling summits.
The peaceful waters of Silver Lake doubled the expanse of the encircling summits.
This is my favorite meadow and a frequent pedaling point of ours in AF Canyon.
This is my favorite meadow and a frequent pedaling point of ours in AF Canyon.

We were rambling in AF Canyon on foot before the ski resorts even closed last spring, hitting both renowned and anonymous paths. Silver Lake, not to be confused with plainer Silver Lake Flat Reservoir, is about a 4.5-mile hike roundtrip and was our favorite destination discovery last summer. Its trail gains about 1500 feet but it’s too short to be too difficult. The lake is situated in a narrow basin surrounded by towering peaks and boulder-strewn hillsides; ideal about covers it. We walked around the whole lagoon at Jason’s request, or insistence really. Circumnavigating Silver Lake was a little rough, especially where chutes of rock chunks invaded the shore, but we had a good time boldly going where no man had gone for a few days.

Although barely a hike, Jason and I enjoyed walking to the Silver King Mine at Park City Mountain Resort.
Although barely a hike, Jason and I enjoyed walking to the Silver King Mine at Park City Mountain Resort.

As fun as our two-legged meanderings were, we pedaled in American Fork Canyon more than we trekked. We regularly visited our usual tracks, like Great Western and Ridge Trail 157, but we also checked out an area in the canyon we’d never been to: Pole Line Pass. Pole Line Pass separates Utah Valley from Heber Valley at a little over 8,000 feet. You have to travel 8 miles on a dirt road to reach it. Eight miles doesn’t sound like much but the path is pretty bumpy so our Subaru needed an hour to churn through it. Unfortunately, that left us less time than expected to fling ourselves, and our cycles, down Pole Line’s dusty crest but, taken as a whole kit and caboodle, it was still a gratifying adventure.

Heading south from Pole Line Pass, valleys hugged both sides of our path.
Heading south from Pole Line Pass, valleys hugged both sides of our path.
Fall is a terrific time to bike American Fork Canyon when cooler conditions turn the aspens and oaks into fiery forests.
Fall is a terrific time to bike American Fork Canyon when cooler conditions turn the aspens and oaks into fiery forests.

Summer, like its cooler counterparts, provides ample opportunities to get your heart tuckered out in scenic style. Jason and I are not ones to save our energy and waste a season. No sir, we like to expend and experience it all.

Rachel February 24, 2015 No Comments
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