More to come on the Wanderlust Desert Excursion

keep your eye on this blog hope to up date all the fun that happened on this last trip, the manna or trip vibe was hilarious and supernatural. What else can you ask for in your weekend adventure to see the petroglyphs. --xojk

56 hour weekend road trip

November 6th, was my last posting, my sis just told via facebook, and that's the reason why. I can get my computer fix in 30 minutes on FB and not have to really communicate what is truly going on in my life just spin it real well, and weave what I think is cool. Not really, but kind of, but the latest adventure I think that I want to write about happened two weekends ago in the San Rafael Swell. I basically had 56 hours for my weekend, and the I had the craziest urge to be in the amongst the Red Rock, I could just imagine the road dropping into the upper Swell, and how it seems like there is nothing there and in 10 minutes, the Walls are 200 feet and you are transported to another place. I wanted that, and sun, and dirt, and Brighams Tea, and snow on red, all of the dirt possible and none of the white. So I drove at night in a snow storm and was rerouted to Pocatello and it took me 7 hours to make a 4.5 hour drive. I hit every road condition possible, black ice, pack powder, rain on snow, fog with snow. I was loving my front wheel drive and the heavy engine. At one point this truck in front of me fish tailed and flew off the road into 8 inches of snow, as I sped by with the helpless feeling of I can't stop right now, hope they are ok. They must have been because in 20 minutes the same truck came up behind me and I was on the tail of RV and had to tap my breaks. In a blink they fished tailed again and was out of sight, on the side of the road, two times in one road trip to see the car fly off the road and just have to let it be a nascar crash scene behind me was bizarre.

Scouting the Rapids

Government Rapid III + , San Juan River September 2008What is it about the build up of scouting the rapids, it helps a little to know the way to go or is it just a super mind screw and you end up very psyched out? I almost psyched myself out of this one, saw myself doing it and had to just run the damn thing. It helped the AMC Eric was down stream of me in his kayak and didn't want to wait for me be to blow up my float bags and get situated. I just sat in my yellow canoe, a bit yellow myself and watch as his head bobbed through at a moderate pace, yes the water was fast but there is calm in the storm. Eric made it look easy. I decided the left tongue had very pushy water and definelty rocks, but if something happened more room to correct as well. Coming in up top on the pillow felt off, hard to see even on my knees, I spotted off a rock at top and found myself on track, but the first drop had some latteral waves which I wanted to be more perpendicular to, but alas, the wave to the right of me, hum better go for that hopes its a soft wave, NOPE, damn its a rock. So this picture was taken at that moment when the canoe is "boofing off the rock" and I am luckily in a high brace. (Camera work by Seamus Fleming). I came off of it smoothly and went through the rapid fine. I didn't need to swim. I eddied out and high fived Eric. The best part is still to come Seamus had to get the raft through in low water, and tight tongues. As he readied the boat, tied everything down, he never does that, he even put away his beer. He turned into a different man than his jovial self, he got agro at the oars, got up speed, pushing full force on each oar. I had no idea a raft could move that fast, can you "clock" an oar rig? He later shared we made it look so smooth that he was pumped, wanted some speed so he could make some moves and not puncture the raft and send our gear down river. He got up speed had a good line, then did hit the front end off a rock but he knew that he wanted that, guided and pulled, one oar in the water, spun the 18 foot rig and made the drop. The water took him on our same lines just right of the big rock in the middle of the rapid. Super Smooth and fully loaded. The next adventure with these two New Hampshire crazies may happen this Spring for The Brace for Impact Tour 09', Skiing in the Wasatch. Hopefully, I can write some more about the San Juan Trip there is a lot to share about the canyon, the water, the friends and the rum. May we all have more river trips in our lives!--xojk

BoSho-Dry Creek-BobSled x 2

Mountain Bike Front Brake Report for Oct. 26th and Oct 27th, since time is in slow mode for me these days get on the bike and chase the munchies away, the first day, I was starting to drink tecate and eat brownies so I called BR and asked if he had riden yet, he said YUP, 20 plus miles up in Park City. Dang it missed that crew. So went for my own ride up Bonneville shoreline and across to Dry Creek. Not sure when I rode this section of trail last, maybe spring time, but I reeled in 3 guys on heavy bikes and cleared a section that is rocky that I usually hike through. Made it to the top and decided to ride to BOBSLED, and check out the first entrance to see the status. The first time I dropped into this part, there was a foot of mud and water and we rode, hiked, launched into trees and laughed our way down. This time just loose dirt and ruts, I hiked the top part but rode the rest, squealing as usual. Oh, and made the last climb out as well. So rode better than I had remembered, and good thing because BR wanted to ride the same thing the next day. So at 3, I rode to his house found out he invited the single speed crusher king, and I became intimidated. "oh man I didn't know what I signed up for". But they were great with me, total mtn biking gents and we had a great ride. We did the same but totally different route if that's possible. We really pushed the pace all the way to the mouth of Dry Creek, riding up Sunnyside, Zoo, Bo Sho, to Tartula Traverse. They coached me to get into middle ring more which worked on a few of the short hills. I rode sections that I usually don't and felt on my game for the most part, and being pushed to a whole level as well. Single King left for home early and BR and I rode Dry Creek to Bobsled, That was FUN! I was able to ride the top section with like 6 guys up top chillen waiting to make runs, I just bounced in and just about biffed but didn't care and got back in line and finished out the rolling side burms, your stomach just feels like a roller coaster through the tight turns and drops, and BR even went behind me and did loops and drops behind me but didn't push my pace, really sweet. We then rode through the secret cemetary street return. I jumped some curbs as well, and rode through the brush to arrive at the park for the quick drops. Laughing the whole time!

It is good for me to post the feelings are coming back to how I felt while riding, in fact I am about to go out and get the dogs out of the house and get some exercise!

Front Brake Report 10.26-27.08 let there be more of this to come! Thanks Boyz for a really fun fall afternoon crusher mtn bike ride.

--xojk

Back to Bike Commuting on the TITUS

Did this just really happen? My car just dumped all its antifreeze at the worst place possible, the dog park. The boohs will think that its a yummy green slushy juice, and it is not good for them. I hope with the leash law at the lot no dogs were injured with the VW angst. I swear my car is against me, has a soul and wants to just sit in parking lots, it wants to either sit at the Concourse waiting for the K-man to work on her, or hang out next to baby blue (Freak's car) and chill.

My answer to the outright revolt, go test drive a 35,000 dollar car I can not afford. The Subaru Tribeca, its DEELICIOUS! With capital D and added E's. Its sexy, roomy, it could be a sport utility, fold the back seats down, room to sleep, or stash lots of gear, a bike, dog and canoe can all find their places with this car. The dash is easy to navigate, I liked it better than the dash on my friends BMW. The clearance was good. hummmm...how can I jones for something that seems out of my league?

The answer, calm all angst by riding my bike, I love my bike, I love riding my Titus Racer X around town, bouncing off of curbs, waving at the wild rose bike mech crew not once but twice at stop lights on their way to trail rides.

So gotta run and bike to go teach yoga downtown...luckily to park my Titus takes about 15 seconds and there is always a free post somewhere.

--xojk

Me, Freak and the Boohs...

Secret Loop, trail report 10.19.08

90 minute loop with 40 minute bushwacking section, in the fall this section of trail seemed a lot easier than mid summer with high brush and chacos on. This time I wore pants for the brush, run shoes, took a beanie but we (Foothill Freak) did not need the extra jackets and hats. The temps were warm and the light was amazing, the trail is a subtle teaser since on the way into the hills the view is nice but ok, then on the way back to the car the views become spectacular. You get to look at the whole Wasatch mountain range in pink alpine glow light usually between 4:30-7:00 pm, the western light just bounces and with the leaves changing the colors spiked.

We did slight burr removal off the four legged boohs, and they ran the whole way with big dog grins. So life is good. Time is still ticking down very slow. Maybe its a residual from the San Juan River trip. I am not going to fight it, even my Timex watch is not working. I am supposed to be in the Present whether I like it or not.

--xojk

Film Industry...working on SET...

What is it about getting that call? "What are you doing this Wednesday and Thursday? Can you work on SET?"

hell yeah, I just always say I can because I know I will be laughing all day long with my sister for one and then with 60 extras wearing star trek costumes. This was one of the projects Amelia and I worked on this summer. It rained the whole day in Utah, we have 330 days of sunshine but we did get everyone into the perfect costume for their look, size, and if not we glue gunned them in!

Check out the link to the film I was able to work on, see below...
http://www.fueldfilms.com/#work/gov/0

"hey, where did you put my Light Saber?"

--xojk