T-minus 24 days- get with the program!

I know, I know, it's like the 10th trip, should be simple to prep, but with scout high adventure and a wedding I've been distracted.  So here's a 14 day prep list.  Please add to it.

Sunday  June 25:
Inspect fishing gear:
 Fly lines (evaluate sink tip for 6 wt, long cast for 5wt, sink tip for 8 wt)
 Reels lubed, lines cleaned and wound
 Make sure have enough Flourocarbon leader material (15-20 lb)
 Load dollies in the Sushi Roll and mice in a box
Inspect waders
Change boot soles to studds
Get the camera from Noelle and make sure batteries are working, buy new if needed.
Make secret IK upgrade
Review Gear list and update (read journal, last 2 years packing list)
     - Paracord for anchor

Monday June 26th:
Order flies (7 small dollies, 2 waking wounded, 1 other mouse)
buy NRS Straps (3x18" for rod caddie, 4x24" for stowing)
Find a heavy duty mesh bag for anchor rocks
demo the walkies

Tuesday June 27th:
Pre stage
   Stack gear and clothes on staging table
   Make final clothes decisions
   Review toiletries and meds, refresh as needed
   Update list

Friday/ Saturday/ Sunday June 28-30th
Final Stage
Prepack, make sure everything fits
unpack and let it sit there for a week
Buy license ( print and stow)

Monday July 3rd
Morgan and Cole come in

Tuesday July 4th
Golf carts and flags at Lake Lure (repeat every 15 minutes "I'll be on Nayorrunrun in 2 weeks)

Wednesday July 5th
Work

Thursday July 6th
Morgan to Columbia Temple  (try not to cry)

Friday July 7th
To the lake house
Christian and friends come in

Saturday July 8th
Lake Lure (loved the 4th rednecks so much WE'RE BACK)

Sunday July 9th
Church in ForestCity

Monday, Tuesday July 10- 11th
JB and Maree Leave???? (SCHEDULE FINAL TALK BEFORE YOU LEAVE)
Work

Wednesday July 12th
Drive to DC

Thursday July 13th
Sealing in DC and drive home

Friday July 14th
Work in the AM
Prep for reception in the PM

Saturday July 15th
Finish reception prep in the AM
PM  reception (daddy dance goes viral on youtube- cause I'm a bad man)

Sunday July 16th
Final gear review and

Monday July 17th
Work
BOC Meeting that night

Tuesday July 18th
AM Work
Kiss the missus goodbye
Leave for SLC at 8pm
sleep with honda and marcee

Wednesday July 19th- 
6:28 Leave SLC to Portland
Portland to ANC
ANC to DILLY
Arrive in Dilly on 3pm AA Jet, Hop a 150 or 205 to the pond!!!

Brighton and Southern Utah 3/16-19 2017

Quick summary of the trip... Travis and I skied and boarded at brighton per handos recolmendation Thursday 3/16.   Warm day with icy but groomed conditions in the morning giving way to more slushy conditions but still good conditions, no crowd spent most the day off snake Creek lift and enjoyed the run Thor.  Great little resort.... legs were smoked after 5 hours non stop and we headed back (20 min) to hondos office.  Jb was already at the mules house when we got there.  Changed out tires on the trailer, loaded up bikes and gear, jb had Katie and Dixon.  None of mules kids could make it.   Rolled out about 5 or so.   Met Morgan, Cole  and Christian at Cafe rio in Orem.   After the requisite stuffing headed on down to St George, arriving about 10pm to Mike's place.   Mike the most gracious host and great for me to see his condo 85% finished and hinshaw realizing the vision he first aspired to on the inaugural Kash trip on 2008.  Was a wonderful subtext to have ncaa tourney rolling in the background.  Good filler for the evening gaps.

Slept in on Friday but eventually stirred and headed out to bear claw poppy, a convenient 10 min bike from the condo.  I rode marees bike definately small but adequate.  Katie was bring up the rear on the gradual  ascent, wondering why it was so hard after a semester of tough weight training with the football coach, I may later did jb discover her front break was rubbing.   As we made the cross over via a mildly technical wash, Dixon was plagued with the first of two flats.  Hondo took the pause as op to launch his latest gadget, the drone.   The whoop de Doos going down were great but we slowed up do you a second flat tire.  Eventually we all rendezvoused and instead of looping it again, gave in t ok hunger and headed back for lunch about 1230.

After lunch we headed to green Valley gap for rock climbing.  We strung up ropes at the same route wed climbed a few years ago.  The temp was unseasonably warm so after we each climbed we opted for two routes in the shade both with chimney qualities, one tighter the hand the other.  The sun was setting as I nervously performed my first clean out with jb having exited the gap and sitting on top walking me through it, hondo on belay.  The "kid napper" crept back over  the ruddy road and soon we were munching tacos and burritos  (but no frijoles) at the favorite dirt bag haunt, coyotes.

Christian and Morgan rolled in about 9pm as we were back at Mike's and we dozed (at least I did) while watching games.

Saturday morning we aspired to start earlier, but red Rock bikes didn't open till 9 so hondo and I ran out at 845 and for $75 I rented a nice full suspension bike, very glad we hand brought bikes for everyone else.   Finally on the road, we made out way toward Zion and wire Mesa loop, a 7 mile loop I and researched on the mtb project app from 1230 to 230 of my sleepless night (who knew psuedafed keeps you awake, oh ya, jb)..   I chose it due to being shorter than the Mesa ride And it's mix of tech and flow portions... AND the nice bail out option of a dirt road intersecting the midway point.  Jb and remembered the road to be very rough if we went in from one direction and the mtb app confirmed that.  Unfortunately we chose the wrong direction and we're confronted with an impossible climb just a few miles after the pavement ended.  Undaunted we saddled and locationed up and walked out bikes a Mike up the steep terrain then to a nice easy role to the trail head.  Found out at the TH the road is graveled the other direction.  We headed west? (To the right of facing TH) where we were told the more tech portion was along the edge of the Mesa and an easier climb before the Sandy rolling portion.   Wasn't long before we realized several in out party were going to be able to navigate the Rockier portions, greatly slowing the pace, but they seemed to maintain good attitudes, even as Christian took a spill delivering shoulder rash like Katie's from the day before.   The drone was launched and eventually we made to the halfway point.  The climb up marked the end of the more technical section and all enjoyed the smooth Sandy roll down to the mid point.  Here we took stock and decided jb and hondo would carry on and  I'd lead the rest back to the bisecting road which wed missed.  I figured it be an easy Ride which it was, dumping us back at the TH in 13 minutes, but I was concerned they'd not find the road which did take a bit of Bushwacking to locate.   Very happy to have the mtb app for Intel and knowing where you are on the train, great gps, trail map combo.

Due to slow ride and longer drive, we're back at condo after 5.   Jbs crew headed out to green valley so Reagan and Noah could climb.  Katie want shopping with Mike for BBQ supplies.   Typical Mike, it was a feast and we had a gourmet burgers, fruit and chip feast, joined by his golfing buddy and former nfl player Halbert and his son.  Ball games and food after a day of biking and sun we watched snow cranes glide over the 9th hole while   (I know, I know, I sound like flipping Rutherford).

Sunday Christian and I went to church, hearing a very odd home coming talk.   We headed up to snow canyon and climbed down the lava tube.  I was wishing we had time to climb as the park (cast $6 to enter) seemed to boast several long 5.8 or 5.9 routes.  But time didn't allow.  We headed back to Mike's at 1:15.  Cleaned up and headed to kannaraville falls.   Wouldn't be a bad little jaunt if there weren't 75 or more  people with the same idea.  Travis, Morgan and Christian had gone on ahead to afford time and we met them coming out as we went in.  Once the canyon closed and the only way forward was on the water you realized how cold that water was.  We made it to the falls and standing on rocks to get feet out of the water watched for several minutes as hoards came down the latter, finally deciding to abort.

Stopped in  ceader city eating panda wok as we watched unc come back and bear Arkansas on jbs phone.  Stopped again in sypio  (DQ was closed again!) For fuel and snacks, watched south Carolina thump duke and with the typical ribbing, joking and political discoursing I was dropped off in Orem at Christians house  (Travis having ridden with the girls) and the "summer of George" had official begun.

(Written on the plane back to nc)... What's next?!?!

Blood in the Snow

Seven inches of snow fell over Friday night and into Saturday morning.  Although I slept in, we did rise early enough to get out and walk a local green way through the undisturbed majesty of a fresh white world with flakes still falling.  Because these events are rare in NC, they are therefore cherished.  Meanwhile in Northen Utah, Pablo had shoveled feet of snow from his walk way for the 3rd of 4th time already this winter and it had him in a foul mood.  How could he fulfill his dream of the pro surfing tour in this climate?  Either way, there is something about December, January and February- the dog days of winter that cause the unguided to ramble around their dwellings, wearing expensive puffy down jackets and with bleary eyes, watching old trip vidoes and pining for the next adventure- well, at least two us do, the Mule hides in his "shop" making wooden gear boxes for 15 passenger vans and Mikey, well, he is soft serve Mikey.  

I have a pack of kids in for the holidays and we play and have a great time, weather is nice that week and although we'd talked about hitting some private water, the day planned blows like a nor'easter and we end up laying over in Asheville for shoe shopping (girls) and gear shopping (boys) instead of casting.  My kids ask how JB and his family are doing, "Uh, I don't know- one of them got married I think...."  "Don't you like text each other every day?"  "well ya, but we don't really talk about family and work and stuff.."

There in lies the tell, if they are astute enough to see it!  We are brothers of the trout, brothers of the hike, brothers of the gear and everything required for minor and major adventures in the out of doors and the rest of our lives are generally left to our own devises.  A few more years and maybe the Mule will learn that.  It's not that we don't care (especially if these things get in the way of a trip) it's just that we got bigger fish to fry honey!  And the winter dog days bring that into crystal clear focus.  So, like two sports talk guys debating the most inane aspects of weather Kyrie Irving is more important to the Cavs than LeBron, Pablo and I thoroughly vet equally important issues during our dog days (and most other days as well).

Well.... I lost my train of thought- I'm certain I had some provocative and creative way to tie this into some Hemingesque narrative, but it's gone!  Probably the same dribble I always deduct and conclude in these dog day ramblings- so just go read anything from Jan- February the last ten years.  I just got to write, it's cheaper therapy than buying gear I don't need and I get fewer snorts from the wifey than watching video's of trips gone by.  So, as old Hemingway himself said, "there is nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed"  

Bleeding feels good when it snows.