Penguins

If you don't like the cold, I urge you to move along and not read this post because it's going to make you cold! We had planned on snowshoeing on Sunday, but Friday, as we drove through Ogden Valley on our way to my family's cabin for Christmas Eve festivities, we saw that Pineview Reservoir still had open water. It was right then and there that snowshoeing got put on the back burner, and our plan changed to kayaking.

The weather report called for possible rain/snow and 40˚ on the Wasatch Front, so we decided to go for it. A couple of years ago, we kayaked when it was right around 20˚so this was nothing. What we didn't expect was a full-on snowstorm up in the mountains. We were prepared though, with lots of layers, waterproof clothing, pogies to keep our hands warm and dry on the paddles, spray skirts, waterproof booties, and hot drinks back in the car. It snowed three inches while we were out on the water, making the drive home just as adventurous as the kayaking.

Our launch was unique. As we hauled our boats down the snow-covered beach to the water, I suggested to my husband to get in and just sled down the hill. He did, and plopped right into the water just like a penguin, then did it twice more just for fun. I followed suit, squealing all the way in, then we paddled around the small area of open water around us. On the edges, slush floated in the water, giving way to ice. It was, in a very, very trivial amount, a little Shackleton-esque, cracking through the ice and getting stuck here and there. The crackling ice noise was very disconcerting, and I can't imagine hearing that while not in a boat. It was creepy, to say the least. What follows are a few of our photos and a couple videos for our prosperity and hopefully your enjoyment (or astonishment at the two idiots kayaking in a snowstorm).

The Penguin Put-In


Crackling Ice Noise

That's me up there!

Lights

No words today, just some new photos and a hello.

The End

The end of my second (traveling) season with the Forest Service couldn't have been more perfect. I had one last trip to make to Pine Valley Recreation Area in Dixie National Forest, so we made a long weekend out of it and stayed two nights in cozy Springdale, Utah right outside Zion National Park. We hiked, we soaked up the last of the late autumn sunshine, we ate good food, and we saw Zion like we'd never seen it before.

Usually when we venture down to the park, it's May, but this was our first time there in the fall, and I can say with 100% confidence that I never want to go again in May. Fall is the time to be in Zion. It was like seeing the place with new eyes. The autumn leaves were spectacular and I will happily trade summer wildflowers for buttery yellow cottonwood leaves any day.

We hiked to Scout Lookout together, and that's where I stop. My husband continued on to Angel's Landing for his fourth time on top, and as always, he says it was exhilarating. I sprawled out in the sunshine and wasted some film in my Great Wall and K1000 while I waited for him. I chatted with a few other hikers, shooed away about 20 chipmunks, and had a wonderful time just hanging out. There's always great people-watching at the lookout.

Taylor Creek Trail in the Kolob Canyons section of the park is on our must-hike list when we go to Zion, and hike it we did. The sun was out but it was windy and cold, but it couldn't have been nicer. There was snow on the ground here and there, and we saw lots of deer tracks and a few other critters. This trail, just like all others in Zion, is one where you can't help but trip all over yourself because you're constantly trying to look up at the canyon walls. The scenery is stunning, jaw-dropping. Just like the rest of Zion. A fitting end to another great season.

#12

Hey, look who it is! I got new specs and got to cross #12 off my list. They pretty much look just like my old ones. Happy Friday!

I (Kind of) Really Heart Boise

I was at work last Thursday morning, you know - working, when I got an e-mail that made me really excited. I got the go-ahead to fly up to Boise, Idaho that very afternoon for a quick, end-of-the-season day in the field. I rushed home to book the flight and hotel, do laundry, pack, and have lunch with my husband, then off to Boise I went. This was the third trip there for me in four months, and I'm really starting to fall in love with the place. What? Boise? I know, but it's really cool!

I got into town Thursday at dinnertime and took a smokey cab to the hotel, where my only goal was to get myself caught up on perusing the 'Roid Week pool. I did that and was blown away by the quality of work I saw (I think this was the best 'Roid Week ever), then worked on some of my own Polaroids, readying them for posting. I talked to my husband for a while, then turned on the dreaded television. We watch a lot of stuff on Netflix and a couple shows on Hulu, but our actual TV is not even plugged in, so TV is like crack for me. I watched really horrible shows until 2 o'clock in the morning! I'm usually fast asleep by 10! But really, the first night away from home, I don't sleep anyway, so what better way to waste it than by watching trash on television? I knew you'd see my point.

I woke up a mere three hours after I finally turned off the tube, and at 7, my swanky government fleet vehicle ride appeared and we headed out on Highway 55 to Boise National Forest so I could shoot a couple cabins and a guard station. There was fog, snow on the road, a pink outhouse, wolf tracks, frost, giant puddles, a mustard-colored couch, door locks that were smarter than us, outhouse portraits, a fire crew, slash piles a-flame, cinnamon pine cones, Ponderosa pine-sniffing, downtown U-turns, a car wash, hot-as-hell Flying Pie jalapeno pizza, ice cold beer, and really good company. Saturday afternoon I flew home, and here I am missing Boise and wishing for more field days there with cool people.