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Buckskin Gulch – May 2012
I love it when I’m right. It wasn’t long ago when I predicted this trip to Buckskin Gulch was going to be epic. If anything, I underestimated it. This thirteen mile slot canyon is the longest and deepest canyon in the Southwest and is one of the best hikes I’ve done. It will be hard to top…but I’m not afraid to try.
The crew was supposed to consist of six hikers, but was reduced to five at the last minute. Major bummer not having Leo with us, but there is always next time. We left Phoenix in the late afternoon with a planned stop in Page, AZ for a fast-food dinner before reaching our final destination–White House Trailhead. All went as planned as we rolled in around 11pm and setup camp as quietly as possible, trying not to disturb the other sleeping campers. With the moon
being so bright, we attempted to get some sleep and ready ourselves for the day ahead. We were awakened at 6:30am by the other hikers preparing for the first shuttle. We had one hour before our ride would be there to take us to the Wire Pass Trailhead where we would begin our adventure into the slot canyon known as Buckskin Gulch.
Breaking camp was uneventful and Susan, from Paria River Outpost and Guides,was right on time. We loaded up, headed out, and engaged in some interesting conversation along the way. Apparently Susan, our shuttle driver, had made the same hike we were about to do–once–about 19 years ago. “Never again!” and ”Better you than me!” were some of her comments. Apparently she did not have a good experience, and this set everyone on edge, especially Rob, who is a bit claustrophobic. We knew it was going to be a long 8 to 10 hour day, and we felt we were ready. As we crossed a small bridge over the Paria river, I took note of the water level, as we would be hiking up the same river the next day. It seemed to be about 3 to 6 inches deep and fairly wide at that spot. “Should be ineresting,” I thought to myself as we all had different approaches to hiking in cold water.
The 30 minute drive to the Wire Pass Trailhead was quick, and we were anxious to get on the trail. We started off around 8:30am and headed into the dry stream bed, that consisted of mostly loose sand. We had a GPS lock on the Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch intersection. Unfortunately, the GPS showed a straight shot and we had to follow the wash as it snaked through the desert until the canyon walls started to rise up around us.
I think the tightest spot of the trip was just a few hundred yards into the slot. I actually ripped my REI Flash 65 backpack on the rough canyon walls as I tried to squeeze through. My pack needed some added character, and a few small tears in the mesh side pockets did the trick. I’ll take it slower next time. We stopped at the arch for a group picture just before Wire Pass connected with Buckskin Gulch.
I decided to take my Canon DSLR camera on the trip at the last minute, and I’m so glad that I did. From the moment we got into the canyon it was difficult not to take pictures of EVERYTHING! Around every corner there was a new and magnificent sight. Beams of light would stream down from the sun, somewhere above, and wash over the canyon walls. At times it felt as if you were in a tunnel of solid rock and could see the bright light at it’s end. The red and pink hues of the Navajo sandstone were vibrant with streaks of black stains left by water.
We hiked for several hours before taking a break for lunch. Our goal was to get to Middle Trail which marked… the middle. We were told that it was sometimes difficult to find and that many people walk right past it. By this time we were pretty hungry and due for a good rest so we were extra vigilant. We had it marked on a GPS and knew were were within a half mile. Note: It is VERY difficult to get a GPS signal once you enter the canyon. We found the Middle Trail with no issue and discussed how diffucult it would be to use the escape route. We agreed it was all dependant on how hard it was raining and how much you valued your life. The scamble up didn’t seem too bad. Pretty sure anyone would scamper up it, especially in a thunder storm.
After lunch and a well deserved rest, we headed out for our next obstacle, the Rock Jam. Notice I didn’t say “The Cesspool.” Buckskin Gulch was very dry all the way through. Even in the dry season The Cesspool usually has water in it, and there is no way around. We counted ourselves lucky as this time we were unable to tell where it was. There were a few boulder jams along the way. Nothing too difficult, but we took it slow to reduce the risk of twisting an ankle so far away from civilization. There were many logs wedged between the canyon walls high overhead as a subtle reminder of just how high the water can get in this canyon.
The Rock Jam has what is called a “rabbit hole.” There must be very big rabbits in this area as I envisioned having to crawl into a small opening to go under the enormous boulder pile. The “rabbit hole” is huge and is at times full of debris making it impassible. This time it was wide open and even had a “new-ish” rope to aide in the down climb. Definetly doable without the rope, but easier with. It seemed to be about ten feet down the slanted rock to the canyon floor, under the boulder and the famous Rock Jam was at our backs as we headed out.
We began looking for the water seeping from the rock as we hoped to refill our CamelBacks for the trip tomorrow. Soon enough a small (very small) stream of water appeared on the trail. It looked pretty “sketchy” as it was full of algae. We knew the safe camp was close and hoped to find a bit better water source to filter from.
After nine hours of hiking we rolled into camp. This campsite is one of my most favorite sites I’ve ever been in. It seems to be a huge reddish sand dune with grass and trees growing out of it. There is a trail that leads to the top and takes you about 30 feet above the canyon floor to an area that can easily hold 4-5 two-man tents. There was another site below us that a group of three hikers used that was beautiful with trees for their hammock. Also across the canyon were at least two more sites that could fit a couple of small tents. We were very suprised to find out that we were the only two groups staying that night.
We set up our tents and went to assess the water situation. We found a small spot where the water was about three inches deep and flowing clear. We were a bit paranoid and decided to err on the side of caution by double filtering. It was probably overkill, but we did not want to have anyone getting sick. We filtered enough water to refill our CamelBacks, cook dinner with and have a bit extra just incase.
We had met the three hikers early in the day and passed each other multiple times as each rested or stopped for photographs. One of them turned out to be Brian Lane, the author of Hikernut’s Grand Canyon Companion. We chatted a bit was we filtered our water. He had a UV light that purified his water and I’ve been wanting one ever since! A real nice group of people and we wish them the best as they hike all the big canyons of the Southwest.
The Buckskin Gulch is a pristine canyon where you “take only pictures and leave only footprints.” You are required to pack everything out and I mean everything! While we were filtering water, Julia had taken it upon hereself to read the directions to the “Human Waste Containment Bags.” Apparently, these are pretty sophisticated little sacks and are much more high-tech than one might think. The only question now was… who was going to try it first? I am very disappointed to say that everyone suffered a severe case of stage fright. And to think that I was actually excited to give it a go!
Dinner was great, as it always is after a long day in the boots. Mountain House all around with a little bit of chocolate mousse for dessert. I could tell it was going to be an early night especially after seeing Rob shuffling around the campsite with his treking pole. Thirteen and a half miles makes for a long day… and a good nights sleep. After a small dose of Tylenol PM, we were sound asleep… no matter how crazy bright the moon was.
We slept in until about 7am and woke up to an absolutely beautiful morning. We cooked breakfast and packed up. We were not in a huge hurry as none of us looked forward to hiking up the frigid waters of the Paria River. When we finally got going, we headed down off the hill and through Brian’s now empty campsite. Well, almost empty. As we passed through we a scared a turkey out of one of the bushes. Seriously, a real turkey! I have no idea how it got in the canyon as it doesn’t seem to belong there. I was lucky enough to get a picture of it because I know there will be many who won’t believe me.
The next quarter mile or so was my favorite part of the canyon. The canyon walls rose straight up out of the sandy bottom to over 300 feet. One truly feels insignifcant while walking these corridors. It was absolutely stunning. I wish I would have taken more pictures in this area. I think I was just awe-struck and forgot.
Following the stream down the canyon we noticed a side slot. Can this be the Paria River? There was no water. I was pretty sure we needed to continue down stream and fully expected a much different scene at the confluence. 
Jeff decided to walk up the side canyon for a better look and ran into two day hikers. We asked them where they started from and were shocked when they said White House Trailhead. I was even more shocked when they told us that this was the most water they had seen all day. The Paria River was dry. It was flowing the day before when I took note as we crossed the bridge. It must have gone underground at some point. So much for hiking in cold water… Yipee!
We hiked up the Paria dry wash all the way back to our car parked at White House Trailhead. The hike was an uneventful four and a half hours, except for a rattlesnake! 
It was actually the second one we’d seen in two days. Neither one seemed to be the small “midget” snakes that I had read about before the trip. These appeared to be the real deal and I would estimate them being about 4 footers. Other than the snake, it was a long hot slog back to the car while the canyon walls slowly disappear around you as well as the shade. Although the landscape is beautiful in it’s own way, it’s hard to appreciate it with the spectacular views of the inner canyon still fresh in your mind.
The 21 miles of this latest adventure will not be soon forgotten. Rob and Carla did absolutely amazing, this being one of their first major adventures with many more to come. It’s always fun to hike with Jeff and Julia and sense the excitement as our adventure unfolds. I must say, we had it pretty good with the weather being as nice as it was and the lack of water to hike/wade through. We just might be getting spoiled.
Even though this trip only had hints of Type Two Fun mixed in (long, hot, second day), the overall adventure was just as I predicted it would be… EPIC!
Posted in Backpacking, Hiking
Tagged backpacking, Buckskin, Buckskin Gulch, canyon, Gulch, hike, Paria, pass, river, slot, slot canyon, whitehouse, Wire
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Weaver’s Needle – Superstition Mountains – Az
After the past trip into the Superstition Mountains, I’ve realized they can’t all be Type Two Fun. This one was pretty much type one all the way. Everything seemed to go as planned, with no crazy shifts in the weather or gear malfunctions. I think we even remembered most everything, which is somewhat shocking. With my pack weighing in at 32lbs for an overniter, what could I have possibly forgotten? Because a third of my pack weight was water (that’s how we roll in the desert), it was heavy, but not the heaviest. Rob weighed in with a 47 pounder! Dude, we’re gonna be gone less than 24 hrs! More on that a bit later.
We’ve hiked this route several times and usually stop at Fremont Saddle. Once we actually climbed Weaver’s Needle and camped out on top… and nearly died. Check out the trip report here. But this trip is special for me because I’m taking my boy, Connor, with me. While he has been camping many times, this will be his first backpacking trip. I know, shame on me, I feel horrible about it, but better late than never. With water, Connor’s pack came in at 23 lbs which is a pretty heavy pack for an 80 pound kid.
Our crew started out at the Peralta Trail TH about mid afternoon. Goal was to make it to the Pinion camp site before dark, as we did not have the GPS coordinates but had a general idea of its location. Other than the weather being a bit on the warm side, the hike up the valley was beautiful, and we made only the occasional stop in the shade. Because it was so hot, we constantly reminded each other to keep drinking. We started out pretty late in the day, so we only passed a few people coming down the trail.
We stopped for a break at the cave that looks over the valley from where we’d come. Refueled with some quick snacks, we topped out at Fremont Saddle shortly after. I love the view of the needle from there as it looks so rugged and extreme. After a few minutes of taking in the desert views, we set off. We always seem to have difficulties finding the trail down. Take the trail to the west and expect to quickly switchback to the east. The trail is well defined once you are on it. After about 30 minutes of easy downhill hiking, we rolled into Pinion camp.
The sun hadn’t quite set and we all picked out the perfect spots for our respective tents. Some spots were more perfect than others. I try to get as level as possible and furthest away from known snorers. We succeeded, and with such an amazing view of Weaver’s Needle in the back ground, there was little to complain about.
Pinion camp seemed to have about 5-6 decent spots for small tents with one main fire-ring and 1 or 2 smaller ones. We gathered a few sticks for a small fire to gather around during dinner. Being in the desert at a popular spot, the firewood pickings were slim as expected. Now, apparently my good friend Rob is not into lightweight backpacking, in fact just the opposite. This guy actually brought a 5 lbs DuraFlame log!!! Who brings fake wood camping?!?!?! Not just camping but backpacking! We had a good laugh and gave him a hard time, but truth be told, it made for a nice fire that lasted well into the night. Thanks, Rob! Just don’t tell anyone.
Why does dinner taste so good around a campfire? I don’t think it’s actually the food, as I have never craved freeze-dried cardboard loaded with sodium when at home. But for some reason after a good hike and sitting next to a campfire with good company, it’s the best thing ever! We all had Mountain House freeze-dried meals that are super light, but require water, and water is heavy. I boiled water for everyone with my JetBoil.
I love that little stove. It boils 2 cups of water in about 2 minutes and is so easy to set up, clean up and pack up. It worked great except that the igniter broke, and I had to light it with my lighter. I guess it’s time to put REI to the test on their return policy. I had the Mac and Cheese and gave Connor the chicken and mashed potatoes (my favorite). Apparently it was pretty good, as we scraped the bags clean even though there were two servings. Dessert was suppose to be Double Chocolate Cheesecake but ended up like pudding, which was good enough for us as we polished it off as well.
Sitting around the campfire after a good meal is one of my favorite things in the whole world. The moon was pretty brigh,t and you could actually see the outline of the needle and the surrounding rock formations. We reminisced about other trips we’d done and chatted about future ones. I was able to scare Rob with the ol’ growling water bottle trick. The funny thing was, we had just told the story 10 minutes before about scaring Leo when hiking through the Bear Tooths. Good times!
We retreated to our tents around 10:30 and went to bed. Connor slept like a rock, as I expected he would after the hike with a heavy pack and now a full belly. I wish I could sleep like that. Unfortunately, I’m still struggling with my Big Agnes sleeping bag, and I tend to sweat on top and freeze on the bottom. The temperature only dropped into the mid 50’s, really nice actually. Other than that, the night was quiet until morning when I was awaken by something eating grass and running around my tent. Pretty sure it was a rabbit or two, and it was time to get up and get going anyway.
After a breakfast of instant oatmeal and Mountain House “Breakfast Skillet” (good stuff), we packed up and headed out. We stopped for a quick break and a few photos at Fremont Saddle. There were a lot people there compared to the afternoon before. The trip down was very fas,t and we made good time even with the streams of people on the trail. It was amazing how you could wake up feeling like you were out in the middle of nowhere and within 1 hour be surrounded by 30 people.
We made it back to the trailhead (a bit faster than I expected) and signed our group out at the log book. I remember thinking that this was one of the smoothest trips I had been on. Definitely not a Type Two Fun trip, but a fun one just the same. Heck, we even had a fake fire! These are the kinds of trips that blur into oblivion after time because nothing crazy happened to set it apart. The one thing that I will remember from this trip is being with my son on his first backpack trip. He did great and I am so proud of him and look forward to many more adventures in the future.
RAGNAR Relay – Arizona 2012
So, my neighbor is a complete animal. Not only did he run the Tough Mudder and the Spartan Race, he just completed the RAGNAR Del Sol 2012 relay race. Check out his guest post:
Ragnar Relay Race 2012: What is it? A 200 mile relay team race starting in Wickenberg AZ ending in Tempe. 12 runners, 2 vans, 2 days, each doing 3 runs(ranging 3-9 miles), music, protein bars, no sleep…basically a 30 hour party. Van#1:Jaron(me) & Meg, Cody & Michelle, Will & April.
Our start time in Wickenberg on Friday was 12 o’clock noon. Teams’ start times range from 7AM to noon, depending on how fast the team is expected to finish. Basically, our speedy team passed teams that started running 5 hours earlier.
And our first runner is off. Michelle set the tone with a crazy fast 7. 5 mile run with some sick hills.
My bride, Meg, showed incredible heart on her first 7 mile leg in the middle of the hot afternoon. This girl stayed right behind her at this same distance for 5 straight miles trying to pass. Not to be, Meg dusted her on the last mile and beat her by a ¼ mile. My girl has mad running skills.
Start of my first 6.5 leg. I’ve gone from couch to pavement in a 6 month period. Prior to August 2011, I had never run more than 2 miles without stopping. I had zero interest. In my view, running was a sport for those who lacked athletic talent. My lil’ sis challenged me to run the 10 K Turkey Trot, and the rest is history. I now love the feeling of early morning runs, pushing myself to do things I didn’t think possible. I finished the leg at a pace just under 8 minutes.
Getting support from the team along the way. Nice pic, Michelle. (Nice to have a photographer on your Ragnar team.) The van follows the runner and stops periodically to cheer on the runner or give water.
Passing off the orange baton bracelet to April.
These hottie brides quickly became rockstars on the race path. Their costumes, speed and good looks made for many cheers and requests for photo ops at the exchange points. I sense it was demoralizing for many seasoned runners to be passed by a chick in a wedding dress.
Meg, following the Ragnar safety protocol to cross the highway to pass off a water bottle to a team member.
Van #1 stopping along the way. Our ironman, Cody, brought his tri-bike along so he could fit in a training ride. I guess running 20 miles in less than 24 hours was not good enough for this stud.
After passing the baton off to Van #2, we took advantage of our 4 hour break by first hitting up a Chipotle in Buckeye for grub. This food choice seemed destined to backfire as the combo of beans, running and a minivan is not highly advisable. After dinner we found a nearby theatre and laughed repeatedly in “This Means War”. A few of us sweaty, stinky guys decided to keep on our stylish reflective vests.
Getting ready for our midnight runs.
Scene before my 2nd leg start. Pretty odd to see a multitude of crazy peeps freezing cold in the middle of the night getting ready to run 6 miles. Running with a head lamp in the middle of nowhere under a starry sky was pretty cool.
One of the best parts of Ragnar is keeping track of kills (passing a runner from a different team). Our van finished with 150 kills. My personal best was 12 kills on leg 2. Thankfully nobody could claim me as a kill in any of my 3 legs.
Ragnar rules dictate that any runner on the course between 5 PM and 9AM needs to have headlamps and reflective vests on. Pretty bizarre to start a run at 8AM with this gear, but rules are rules.
Finishing my last leg getting congrats from my bride. I didn’t feel winded but my legs were begging to stop.
April provided many a laugh with her dancing skills at an exchange point. Thanks to the groovy dude in the pic with the disco boom box for supplying the tunes.
At the finish line at Tempe Town Lake the brides met a true bride.
Team Newlywed crossing the finish line together. Emily pushed herself so hard in her first run that she developed a bad hip flexor strain. She was a trooper to the end.
Our team finished 3rd out of 200 teams in our age group. We all exceeded our individual goals.
Wanna join us in 2013?
Spartan Race -Arizona 2012
I’ve learned to be grateful for small successes. Like this morning… I made it down the stairs. It was my only goal today. After the day I had yesterday, that was kind of a big deal.
Yesterday started early–like 4am early. Not because I had to be anywhere, but you couldn’t convince my mind of that. I started working out all the possible race scenarios in my head, as I made myself lay in bed until I couldn’t stand it any longer. I made the mistake of waiting too long to sign up for the event, and due to the popularity of this event, we ended up with a 1pm start time. I had way too much time to over-think this thing, so I got up and started eating and making myself pee every 5 minutes hydrating.
A few hours (and several bathroom trips) into the morning, I got a call from my neighbor. He had signed up to be a volunteer for the event, so he and his wife pre-ran the course to ensure all signs were in place and the everything was ready for the big day. I think when he said, “It looks pretty intense, a step up from Tough Mudder!” it was his nice way of saying, “Dude, put your big boy pants on. It’s gonna be rough!”
So on that bright note, I headed out. After parking and going through the quick registration process, I met up with my buddies, Robert and Dave. We pinned on our bib numbers, hydrated some more, stretched and all the other pre-race rituals you do while watching everyone else and scoping out the competition.
The event had been in full swing since 7am, when the elite competitors started in 30 minute waves. There was quite a mix of people ranging from big, ripped meat heads to lean endurance types to your average Joe, and even a few people who looked like they had never done any physical activity in their lives. Some had finished, showered, and were in their post-race clothes. Some, like us, were warming up for the madness, while others looked as though they just went through a mud tornado.
We edged closer to the starting line as our time drew near, so we could get a better idea of what we were in for. As far as we could tell, the only rule for the race was that if you couldn’t complete an obstacle, you’d have to do 30 burpees. “Right. Got it. Complete all the obstacles,” I told myself over and over. I figured I could handle one set of those gut-wrenching muscle busters, but not much more than that. I only had a few more minutes to psyche myself up, and before I knew it, we were off.
As is the case with most races, we all started out in a big frenzied mob, full of energy and determination. A few competitors made one last glance at the finishline, which could be seen across the way. How long would it be until we reached it? Two hours? Three?
It was nice to know that Dave was checking up on Robert and I the competition.
We conquered a couple of dirt hills, a few low walls and some mud holes. At that point, there was nothing really suprising. This is the ever-so-helpful Dave. I return the favor later by leaving him behind during his quest to become the Burpee King.
As we trotted along I tried to imagine some of the obstacles we might encounter. Up ahead, I saw a large pile of white sandbags that looked to be about 35-40 lbs each. “Not a big deal,” I thought to myself as I hefted one over my shoulder. That is, until I hear the Spartan dude say, “Girls take one, Guys take two.” Yikes! TWO! That changed everything. Just the awkardness of two sandbags about killed me. I would guess that we carried them about a 1/3 of a mile. On that little trip, we went over some low walls and… you guessed it, a 25 yard low crawl… WITH the sandbags. I’m not a very big guy. No, really. In fact, I would say I was carrying more than half my weight in sand. Fun stuff.
Just your standard monkey bars, nothing too fancy. Notice the guys to the right. They aren’t smelling the dirt… 30 burpees!
No obstacle course would be complete with out a set of tires. These even go up hill!
After you ran through a gauntlet of tires, you got to flip one—four times.
Climb sideways, not up… and don’t fall off or you’ll be doing burpees. Right, Dave?
Dave beginning his quest to become the Burpee King!
This obstacle kept me up at night, as I hadn’t climbed a rope in over 20 years. Suprisingly, going up was the easy part. Coming down got a little dicey. I started to slide and learned that rope burn is not a pleasant feeling. I was really glad to feel my feet hit the ground.
This was the Spear Throw. Just by looking at the sheer number of people in the burpee penalty box, I knew the odds of scoring a direct hit on the evil bail of straw were going to be slim to none.
None it was. 30 burpees.
I got to fulfill my dream of being a plow horse. We dragged these little beauties for quite a ways before we were off and running again.
I also spent much more time in the water than I expected, believe it or not. This particular obstacle was covered with some netting. If you were afraid of tight spaces, this might freak you out. For the rest of us, it was cool and relaxing little break.
Some scary pirate hoodlam.
Everyone seemed to have their own technique for this barbed wire low-crawl. By the end, I’m pretty sure we were all rolling.
Some of the obstacles were fairly easy. It was the consequences for not completing them that sucked. I took my time and made it count. Notice the enlisted burpee volunteer. Dave would soon join him.
Although it was slow going, I thought the water was refreshing. It cooled me down and charged me up for each new section.
When we got to this obstacle, I heard that these buckets of concrete weighed 80 pounds. The only thing that went through my head is, “Not doing burpees!” I grabbed hold of the rope and gave it a tug. I got it a few feet off the ground and got into a rhythm. Before I knew it, I had a big bucket of concrete 20 feet in the air. The trick was getting it down slowly with out getting rope burn. I managed. (Barely.)
After the buckets, it was about a mile to the finish. There were only a few obstacles left. Robert jumped the line of fire and headed up the muddy embankment.
The slippery wall gave us no trouble. We were up and over and on to the next obstacle.
I think this was some sort of rowing. Whatever it was, the digital meter on the front said 200 meters and counted backwards as you pulled. I pulled until I thought my arms would surely fall off. Man, was I glad to see the “Done” message on the display.
Climbing this two-story cargo net gave you a great view of the finishline. From here, there was only 25 yards and one obstacle to go!
Gladiators! They whacked you pretty good with those sticks, but Robert blasted right through with no issue. Dave on the other hand tumbled and took one or two down with him. It was a very spectacular finish!
Victory!!!!
I was pretty impressed with our results. The three of us finished just over two hours. Great goal for next year.
I’ve got to give the old man his street-cred. He is our elder and leads by example. Nice work, Robert!
Dave wanted to swing by the First-Aid station to check out the nurses. Where are they going to stick that thing!
The Spartan tag line is: “You’ll Know at the Finishline”
I’m not really sure what that means. Perhaps I’ll know more about what I can do or how hard I can push myself. I know that Dave is indeed the Burpee King, with 120 to his credit on this race. I also know that I enjoy doing crazy stuff with friends.
After an 8 mile obstacle course like that, I’m going to be very sore for the next few days… that I know for sure.
Obstacle Racing, Spartan Race, Mud Run
Tough Mudder Arizona – 2012
So about six months ago, I heard about an event so crazy I didn’t believe it at first. I was intrigued, so I went to the website to check it out. My first thought was, “Who would want to do that?” My second thought was, “I would!” Tough Mudder claimed to be one of the “Toughest Events on the Planet”.
“Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.”
“To get through mud, fire, ice-water, and 10,000 volts of electricity you’ll need teammates to pick you up when your spirits dip. To get over 12 foot walls and through underground mud tunnels, you’ll need teammates to give you a boost and a push. Tough Mudders are team players who make sure no one gets left behind. All participants are asked to join us in reciting the Tough Mudder pledge before starting each event.”
Sign me up!!!
My good friend, Leo, did a great post about the event. Lots of great pictures. Check it out at zitoman.blogspot.com
We also carried two GoPro Hero2 HD video cameras. Those things can really take a beating! I was very impressed with the overall quality of the video, even on a big screen. Check out the video on the Gallery Page.
As you can see in the pictures and video, it was a muddy mess of fun. It really pushed our limits and made us work together. I think we caught the obstacle racing bug, as we are all looking forward to the next one. Need some motivation to get in shape? Come join us!
Buckskin Gulch
(aka 127 Hours, Part II)
I fully expect this to be the most epic trip of the year! Several friends and I are taking on this 21 mile, 2 day hike through 13 miles of slot canyon. It’s a very popular hike, and to give you an idea why, here’s a couple pictures of part of the hike.
So naturally, after seeing this picture, my wife (and most everyone I’ve mentioned the hike to) envisions our adventure ending like this…
Encouraging, right? Well, I actually feel pretty confident about our safety. Only 20 people are allowed into the canyon per day (by permit only), and we are going in May, when the chance of rain and flash-floods are lowest. So no big deal, right?
Well… almost no big deal. Obtaining the permits actually proved to be an adventure in and of itself. We needed to secure 6 permits for 2 days. Quite a tall order for such a popular spot. Seconds after the permits were available (4 months in advance), the website went down. I would assume due to a surge of die-hard backpackers securing their weekend of Aron Ralston-like adventure. After many attempts, my friend was able to get through and make the purchase. Checking back minutes later, the weekend was sold out!
I look forward to an amazing hike, awesome pictures and memories that will last a lifetime. I’m sure there will be some “type two fun” mixed in as well…. there always is, though hopefully not the kind that involves any arm amputations!
Buckskin Gulch, slot canyon, canyoneering, wire pass, paria river
Here we go!!!!!
This is it folks, a blog. Yep, after years of talking about it, thinking about it, messing around with it, I decided to just do it! We’ve done some pretty cool stuff, and I see a lot more adventures coming in the near future. This is my attempt to share it.