Joe's Journey

Christmas In July

2010-12-24T15:59:00.000-05:00

I left off the last post in Kansas where there was, well, nothing, so we'll continue on to St. Louis, Missouri in my quest to have this blog home by Christmas. Here we have...
...the Gateway Arch.
Hiding behind an old Cathedral
630 feet high...
...and 630 feet wide.
The country's largest monument, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
This guy was talking to me in the Museum of Westward Expansion underneath the Arch.
Entrance to the tram that travels...
...from the base...

...all the way to the top.

View from one of the bases.

Panoramic.
The mighty Mississippi is still high.
The road is submerged here with barges in the background...
...and a couple that wanted to test the waters.
If you look close, you'll see the windows in the top.

Trying to be artistic.

Lay on the ground underneath the Arch and take a panoramic...

...with only mild distortions after piecing the pictures together.
I'm still amazed at the engineering that went into the tram design.

Sun shimmering off the stainless steel shell.
Another view.
Rising into thin air...

Of course.

Another view.
Now for the explanation...
...and the last piece goes in.
Door to the tram cab...
...where six people duck and squeeze into an oblong capsule for the quick ride to the top.
Sunset from the top.
Looking westward.
Heliport surrounded by the Mississippi
Stairs leading from the tram to the viewing windows on top.
Downtown St. Louis including the Cardinals stadium.
One more view as the sun neared the horizon.
Old Courthouse.
Leaning out the viewing windows on top.

Glamour night shots.
Courthouse lit up.
If you click on it, you'll see hints of the full moon rising between the clouds at the base of the Arch.
City lights reflecting...
The moon begins its ascent.
The shaky cameraman struggled to capture the beauty of the moon rising below the Arch, so just imagine.
Continuing on my journey home... are you having turkey for Christmas?
I tried to capture state signs along the way, but wasn't very successful.
I paid $2.15 in tolls to drive 3,000 miles from Idaho to New York and over $15 to drive 300 miles across New York.
Welcome home as the sun sets on another journey.
242,189... how far will it go?

One last handstand... but this isn't me... but it's got me thinking...

Home for Christmas!

I'll Be Home for Christmas

2010-12-22T22:20:00.000-05:00

The adventures never end, but 20 months after leaving for Idaho, I would meander back to the much loved and missed state of New York. Many of you have followed me on my journeys, probably more out of concern for my safety than out of interest, pictured many handstands around the West and wondered when I would be home for good! Granted, these blog posts are a few months behind, but hopefully they will inspire you to explore God's wonderful creation and most importantly, to know Him personally. As it says in 3 John 1:4, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." My journey will only last a lifetime, but my eternity, forever. Find hope this Christmas in the birth of a Savior born for me and for you!

Before this next journey, I would need to say goodbye to those that taught, guided and mentored me on the job and on adventures. They're gift to me?
A cake... with a really scary picture printed on it! Thanks so much to those who made work a ton of fun! That was often part of the adventure and a big part of the great memories of Idaho...
...followed closely by the Tetons. This would be my last view of the Tetons before heading in to Yellowstone National Park one last time and spying on a...
...moose and of course...

...the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone from Artist Point.
Here's another view of the colorful chasm and...
...framed waterfalls.
The wildlife in New York will never seem as interesting as the elk...
...buffalo...
...and tourists, I mean, bears out West.
Nearby was another large black bear sauntering around...
...grazing...
...before laying down just across from the first black bear! As you could tell from the other pictures, these weren't far from the road either.
I had never left Yellowstone from the northeast Cooke City entrance and was impressed by the Beartooth Highway as it wound up...
...and up...
...so high I was close to the sun...
...as it reflected in the nearly frozen ponds and...
...off the walls of snow still hardened along the way.
The high alpine terrain was beautiful as the moon rose above the craggy rocks and...
...daring landscapes.
The road is typically only open six months a year as it rises to about 11,000 feet in elevation through a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks.
But on this day, with the sun dropping, the sparse, lonely landscape was pretty.
And you thought Schenectady was hard to pronounce and spell!
My next stop was Little Bighorn Battlefield...
...known for Lt. Col. Custer's "Last Stand".
The last stand hill cemetery overlooking the battlefield and...
A'kavehe'onahe's casualty marker. I bet he knew how to pronounce Baaxuwuaashe.
Custer National Cemetery
There he is!
Little did I know that I was one day shy of the anniversary and reenactment of the battle. So I beat the traffic and found this...
...not the safest of ways to travel at 60 mph.
Optimal location, great views, maintenance free but steep front yard. Well, until there's a mudslide.
An odd, out-of-place sighting as your driving through the rolling green hills of northern Wyoming is...
Devils Tower National Monument.

There seemed to be a number of Native American legends accompanying this geological oddity, of which many had to do with bears. That's about all I got out of it.
A beautiful day with the flag blowing in the warm breeze.
The tower is considered sacred by many Native American tribes which involves different forms of worship.
Known as a monolithic igneous intrusion or volcanic neck (I understood the last two words)...
...it rises 1,267 feet above the surrounding terrain!

If you look close, you can see a spot of yellow from a climber resting on a ledge.

Zooming in on him. It has become a popular spot to climb, except for the month of June when many climbers honor a voluntary climbing ban on the "sacred" tower. Ironically... the month was June.
Another view of this random "volcanic neck" in color...
...sepia...
...and black and white. Ever seen a bunch of prairie dogs?
You can see their heads sticking out in the field.
There's only a few in this picture, but the field was covered with them!
I'm thankful for escaping Idaho without a cracked windshield, a common occurrence due to the paving methods.
If you click on the picture and look close, you'll see a full moon rising.
There it is - thanks to Canon for capturing it!
Faux buffalo.
The next stop would be Rocky Mountain National Park.
Rocky mountains... and a marmot of some kind if you look close.
My next vehicle and my next job. I'll have to work up to the tour bus.
Expansive views...
...and more rocky mountains...
...alpine tundras...
...and a panoramic of the Rockies.
The highest visitor center in the country.
If this Caddy could make it, there was no doubt my Pontiac could!
Almost July, but no lack of snow or...
...some kind of unidentified animal. They are similar in size to elk, but aren't elk. Any guesses?
From Colorado, I headed back down to sea level, traveling across the long, straight and incredibly boring plains of Kansas, right in to the middle of a billowing thunderstorm. These are the clouds as the sun set behind me. Nearly half way across the United States, the next blog will get me home via the Gateway to the West, so stay tuned... cause I'll be home for Christmas!

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

2010-12-12T21:12:00.000-05:00

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going... I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - Jesus (John 14:1-6)

Are you surprised at the places you have been able to go? The things you have been privileged to see? The people you have been blessed by knowing? The opportunities you never dreamed you would have? Living in God's will may not afford you all the things you want in this life, but your life will certainly be fulfilled... and that is nothing compared to what God has in store after this life! While I thank God for His wonderful creation, enjoy the pictures, and ensure yourself a place in the most beautiful place to come, a place without a single disappointment and complete with the presence of the Lord!

The journey was long and remote, taking our caravan of young people near the South rim of the Grand Canyon. We arrived at the Hualapai Hilltop parking area at dusk, geared up and hunkered down as the warm wind blew through the canyon, rocking us almost to sleep. Well, until the desert temperature dropped and the helicopter arrived, hovering for an eternity (15 minutes) with it's flood light illuminating the area and rotors echoing off every canyon wall. About 3 AM, most of us had completed our uncomfortable attempt to sleep, donned our headlamps and backpacks and headed down the Havasupai trail in an attempt to beat the morning sun and secure the optimal camp site.
From the parking lot, the eight mile trail takes you to Supai, one of America's most remote villages and the capital of the Havasupai Indian Reservation. The only methods for reaching the city are helicopter, mules, horses or hiking...
...and of course, we chose hiking. Descending 3,000 ft to the bottom of the canyon with all of our gear for the next four days wasn't so bad. Coming back, well, we'll get to that part.
Some chose to rent pack mules for carrying their gear.
A view of the Havasu canyon wall as the sun began to rise and we entered Supai.
The weather was perfect for this adventure.
A small Christian Church, post office, school, store, trading post, free roaming animals, ... everything a small village with no vehicle access would need!
After passing through the village and checking in, we continued the next 2 miles to the campground, passing Navajo Falls...
...and Havasu Falls on the way.
The picture doesn't do this waterfall justice as the sun was just cresting the canyon walls and shining on the blue-green water dropping 120 ft. Continuing on, we were scoping out campgrounds for the group and found one at the edge of...
...Mooney Falls, appropriately named after James Mooney who fell to his death climbing up.
Shayna finds the perfect spot she'll call home for the next few nights and tests out the hammock. It's probably better that I not describe the strength of the rushing water or it's destination (seen from above in the previous picture) about 100 feet downstream.
After the rest of the group arrived and set-up camp, we headed back to Havasu Falls to cool off.
Seems as though only one of them is paying attention to the camera-man. The temperature of the water was very pleasant and certainly refreshing as we jumped off the walls and splashed around. But there was a lot to do and see while we were there, so we headed back towards...

...Mooney Falls, complete with the photographer in the shadows. (Click on it for the full effect).
Another view...

...followed by another from the bottom. Our camp site was located about 100 feet behind the falls.
Look what I found under the rainbow in the pool at the bottom.
Ascending the trail back to the top of Mooney Falls. Not something you would want to do in the rain or at night, well, unless you had a really good reason of course.

Cool features along the canyon walls.
Each night and day brought a new adventure, from fending off the hungry squirrels and sleeping peacefully in a hammock to fording rivers and jumping off cliffs. Here's a view looking down the Havasu canyon as we were hiking alongside...
...the beautiful waters of the Havasu River and Beaver Falls.
In some spots the water cascaded down and in others...
...it was smooth and placid...

...until Skyler jumped off the edge...

...still dropping...

...gravity always wins...

...and finally nears the water. Yes, I did it, but once was enough. It was far enough up that you'd jump and scream, run out of breath and realize you were only half way down. Then you screamed for real or repeated The Lord's Prayer.

Something about this doesn't look safe...
...and this one has a high potential for pain. Skyler got "man points" but those may have been washed away by a cracked a rib.
The second day we were there, we headed down to the Colorado River, with a few astounding views like this...
...and this. I love the colors and wish I had a wider lens to capture the rest of the surrounding canyon.
Just a beautiful creation we are occupying for a small time. Maybe I should remind you that this can not be compared to heaven.
Hiking down into the heart of the Grand Canyon, passing many...
...little lizardy creatures. In many areas the trail foliage was grown up and we were bushwhacking through the jungle. Other areas were open, hot and dusty. While I knew there was potential for danger along the way, I was not alarmed by a noise that sounded like a june bug on a hot summer day in New York. Well, not until someone in the rear yelled...
..."rattle snake"! Here he is, slowly slithering away...
...just a foot off the trail! Thank you Lord for keeping us safe. I had always imagined a rattle snake to sound like a baby rattle, not a hissing june bug.
Continuing on our way, criss-crossing the river as we ventured down the canyon, passing beautiful scenes like...
...this. Probably one of my favorite pictures from the trip.
Rounding the bend...

...with large canyon walls surrounding us...

...and a blue Kool-Aid looking stream alongside.
Nine miles and a few hours later, we arrived at the confluence of the blue-green Havasu River and the fast moving Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.
The beautiful limestone reflecting color of the Havasu River is swept away by the more powerful Colorado River.
A group of guided rafters had stopped for lunch and pictures.

Makes me thirsty for Kool-Aid.
Similar view...
...as the rafters continue on their journey
...and we take in another view of the amazing scene in front of us and Ryan...
...catches a fish bare-handed. Sardines anyone?
Looking back up the Havasu River...
...and looking West, North and East at a panoramic of the Colorado River. You can see the confluence on the right.
The river wasn't the only brightly colored thing as we all had duck tape on our feet to help with the blisters.
Burying my head in the sand.
One last panoramic looking East up the Grand Canyon.
The crew that took on the mighty Colorado.
They all managed to get in this one.

Where's the "like" button for this panoramic?
You're thinking mini-waterfall and pool. I'm thinking shower.
Mooney Falls as the sun began to set in the canyon.
Folding the arms but not giving up.
More waterfalls.

...but couldn't decide which I liked better...
...or why this seemed like a good idea.

Raging rapids...
...all around.
Ryan sticks his head out along the jungle trail.
"I believe this is Beaver Falls..." he says.
If he's not right, then maybe...
...the sign will tell us. So after a few days of adventuring around, walking a 1/2 mile for spring water and sleeping under the stars, it was time to pack up the garbage, roll-up the hammock and head out of the canyon. In an effort to beat the sun's heat, we got up early and headed out. I probably should have read this sign on my way in to the campground, I took a picture in the dark so I'd be be able to read all the warnings at a later date.
If you get hurt, hopefully it's only on a Monday, Thursday, Friday or Sunday, as that would be the only "quick" way out of the village.
Picture of one of the village home's on our way out.
Jason is happy because he's out. The trail he just climbed up winds down behind him, well, the first 2 miles anyways. The rest isn't quite as steep.
Resting my feet after the loooong, weary hike out... and it was only 8AM!
Advisable speeds on the open range.
As we made our way back, we headed over the Hoover Dam for another tourist stop.
A view from the upstream side...
...complete with a bunker if you look close.
I have to believe they don't have problems with people climbing these utility poles cantilevered over the edge of the Dam.

You were probably thinking I wouldn't be able to take many pictures with only one battery for the journey into the remote Havasupai Indian Reservation. But I hope you have enjoyed the journey and encourage you to go if you ever get the chance! But if that is not in God's will for you, well just be sure that heaven is!

Oh, The places you'll go! - Dr. Seuss

...To Coast

2010-12-05T21:24:00.000-05:00

While you are gearing up for Christmas and snow, I'm still enjoying summer. So lets go to the land (Florida) where it is always warm and check out a few pictures.
You think its hard getting in between them... try getting a word in edge-wise!
For every good picture, there's, well...
...a better picture...
...seriously?
The church all set-up for the big day, minus the people.
Even the roses were perspiring.
The classic pose. Who needs body guards when these two can surround you on three sides.
The Mills family adds one.
In case they forgot, since it was 5 months ago.
From sun sets over the Pacific to sunrises over the Atlantic.
Looks like a fire bombing taking place, but it was just the reflection of...
...the rising sun...

...as it got higher...
...and higher, even moving left...
...maybe that was the cameraman.

This would be a great time to fish...
...just watching the sun blazing fiercely through...

...and around the clouds as it heats up the day.
A sailboat went under the drawbridge as I walked back to my weekend abode.
As you might know, I'm not a huge fan of weddings, and the lot of government funded buses reminded me a lot of work, but that would all be forgotten upon arrival at...
Kennedy Space Center near Orlando.
Seems like it would hurt to land in the ocean in one of these.
The Explorer, a full scale orbiter replica. They're much bigger than you would anticipate...
...and undoubtedly more comfortable then this single seater with...
...a large rocket to boost Alan Shepard into space for the first time!
This one has room for three... and a lot of explosive power.
I've been thinking about planting one of these in the back next year...
...it would look something like this!
Forget the little toy shuttle's... I want this one for Christmas.
I sat in on a live mission briefing, getting all the latest updates on each orbiter and...
...the space station...
...from different views.
Looking down the cargo bay of the Explorer orbiter.
The infamous arm that unloads everything in space and inspects the tiles prior to re-entry.
The cockpit.
Just a few of the 24,000 tiles under the Explorer...
...up close and individually tagged.
It looks small from here, but in the distance is the well known vehicle assembly building.
Looks like a rocket launch pad in the distance.
If you look close, just above the railing, a slow photographer tried capturing a manatee before it went under the water.
Think you have a long clothes line? Look under the building roof, just above the fence line for a view of the "clothes" line where they dry the orbiter parachutes after washing them. (Imagine the size of the washer!)
The vehicle assembly building up close...
...and the back side. If you look close, you can see portions of Discovery through the open door on the right.
One of the two launch pads getting prepped.
Yup... it's a bunker, but not for bunking people. It protects sensitive electronic equipment from the shock waves produced during a launch. The closest people to a launch are still over a mile away and everything is controlled 3.4 miles away!
A vew of the launch pad surrounded by lightening masts.
...mere feet from the Atlantic ocean.
In an attempt to give you an idea of the width (160 feet) of the 8.23 million pound shuttle transporting mobile launcher platform, here's a picture of one of the tracks it rides in. The crawlerway only has 4.5 feet of crushed stone, among other fill items in it's engineered depth.
Of course, what's a crawlerway the width of an 8 lane highway when you have one of the largest buildings in the world, complete with it's own climates!?! It only took 6,000 gallons of paint for the 209 ft x 110 ft flag on the side. For perspective, that's 2/3rds of a football field in lenth and width! Rest assured, there's plenty of room for the 71 cranes inside.
Standing upside down and slightly smaller than the building behind it.
It is tough to see, but the shuttle runway is in the background. Since it is a glider, they don't make the pilots steer around the light poles.
I wouldn't mind having one of my walls painted like this.
"Houston, we have a problem..." mission control room.
The largest rocket ever made, the mighty Saturn V for transporting men to the moon....and you thought I had a lot of energy!
More interesting facts about the vertical assembly building.
The bus that took the astronauts to the launch pad.
To the moon and back in this speedy (25,000 mph) little capsule.
...and I thought my door locks were sophisticated!
A man on the moon...
...and a moon rock for touching.
Typical goverment contractors working hard preparing another payload for the shuttle.
Since the lady wouldn't let me get a picture with the astronaut, I just took his picture.
The sunsets in Florida can be pretty too as I left the Kennedy Space Center and headed back to Idaho, the only place on earth where...
...you can openly advertise a "Pot Farm"! As I look through the pictures on this blog, there are many good memories, but I'm also about to embark with you on an unforgettable adventure into the depths of the Grand Canyon with lots of pictures for proof. So check back soon!

From Coast...

2010-11-23T22:12:00.000-05:00

The short list of things I am thankful for (big breath)...

God, family, friends, songs, church, snow, ice cream, car, Fall, Spring, Winter, Summer, cross country skies, Bible, love, sisters, warm bed, lawn mowers, sneakers, watch, mountains, job, baritone, trombone, music, waterfalls, travel, Special K, ham, cheese, mustard, salad, muenster and monterry jack cheese, role models, good genes, windpants, long sleeved T's, pillow, caring people, (take another breath) airplanes, aircraft carriers, USA, cranberry stuffing, sweet potato fries, books, cologne, deodorant, young people, ministry, Popular Mechanics, God's Revivalist, computer, Sportscenters Not Top 10, GPS, MP3 player, news, greeting cards, morning, sunrise, sunset, clear nights, full moon, wooden bridges, new places, soccer, sports, neighbors, change, Curious George, book club, board games, ice skating, roller blading, (take another breath) engineering feats, windows, corduroy's, sweatshirts, shoveling, Walmart, hospitals, teeth, warm socks, gym bags, racquetball, parks, Kleenex, trail mix, tent, camp stove, sleeping bag, sleep, screens, dishwasher, Google, Internet, laughter, ties, sewing machine, breakfast, pictures, adventures, cities, pranks, weekends, parades, ...just to name a few (exhale)!

Now how do I transition back to pictures? I need a gateway of some sort.
And could it be 'golden' please?
Somehow, we made driving across the Golden Gate Bridge part of our journey home.
Unfortunately, it was still shrouded in fog.
And after saying farewell to Fritz at the airport, we made one last scenic stop at...
...the Muir Woods National Monument...
...a remnant of ancient coast redwood forests as denoted by over 1,000 rings on this cross section!
Most mature trees are 500 to 800 years old, with some over 1,000 years old!
The sun light begins to shine through the dense forest, turning it from black and white...
...to sepia...
...and finally full color right before our eyes! Amazing.
That's a lot of green!

If it just looks like a clump of trees, you better click on the picture. Then, click on it again and scroll to the bottom where you'll find a path and wooden fence. That will help provide you with an appreciation for the tallest trees in this grove at over 250 feet! (And I thought I was tall.) Coast redwoods are the tallest living thing topping out at 379 feet in Redwood National Park!
As you could guess from all the moss, redwoods require moist environments.
A scenic view along a downed redwood...
...and more green groves.
On our way out of Muir Woods there were some scenic views of San Fransisco Bay. After that, we were on our way home, one of the longest 14 hour road trips. Sadly, Fritz made it across the country hours before we were back in Idaho. Along the way, I requested this picture...
...without the passenger realizing what was in the picture (while keeping the identity of the passenger anonymous... sort of). Don't think too hard. But pranks were mentioned earlier and I am reminded that I forgot to share a small detail from the previous post at Alcatraz. Try calling your relatives at work while you are strolling through a prison, exclaiming the unfortunate predicament you find yourself in and how some misunderstanding must be taking place. I am thankful for the little smiles along the way.

After working a few days (aka recouping), I'd be off to the airport and heading for the East Coast. So hang on tight as we go from coast to coast for another round of adventures in new places...

Shackled in San Fransisco

2010-11-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

If I were to mention prison, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Probably not the song "He Touched Me" by William Gaither. Unless you were thinking of Elvis Presley's rendition. Not that either? Well follow along as we find ourselves locked up on an island.

Que the music:

"Shackled by a heavy burden (ever been there?),

'Neath a load of guilt & shame (are you still there?),

Then the hand of Jesus touched me (this is the important part for sure)
And now I am no longer the same" (it's tough to argue with the results)

We'll get back to the song, but first a few pictures.

Que the pictures:

Nothing like starting the day off right as the fog rolled through our campground...
...engulfing the horses...

...the pier...

...and downtown San Fransisco. Many of you might recognize San Fransisco by the Bay Bridge engulfed in fog, but what about...
...these fancy port-a-potty's on the sidewalk? If you click on the picture and look close, everything self-cleans after each use so be sure to close the door when you're done or the next person will find themselves in a shower! (Don't you wish your bathroom was self-cleaning? Well it is... think about it.)
The San Fransisco Belle steamboat...
...and all your Christmas toys.
Although we didn't ride them, the old trolley cars are continually running.
New York colors.
There's the island...
...there's the warning...
...welcome to Alcatraz!
The Indians welcome you too.
The island comes complete with cell blocks, homes and the first lighthouse on the Pacific Coast.
In case you ever desired the free comforts of prison (minus the freedom), it's not a roof over our heads or a pillow to lay our heads on that makes life real. How often we take those we are with every day for granted and forget the reality they add to our lives.

Imagine looking out your window, watching the families of those who run the prison come and go while the guy in the tower watches you.
Alcatraz was notorious for its humbling experience.

That's all you would get.
Fritz had warned me...
...and eight inmates were murdered by other inmates, but this wasnt' one of them.
As if spending all those hours couped up in a car wasn't enough!
Still trying to become famous? You could try being a famous inmate, but you've got your work cut out for you if you're going to compete with the likes of Al "Scarface" Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly.
Views of the Bay Bridge...
...downtown San Fransisco...
...and the Golden Gate Bridge from the island.
The island started as a military fortification to guard against a Confederate attack. Next, it became a military prison for POWs taken during the Spanish-American War and then a federal maximum security prison in 1934. The prison closed in 1963, but was reoccupied by protesting native American Indians who added and modified some of the signs.

An artistic look...

...through a broken prison window.
The ticket out.

Today, the island serves as a bird sanctuary...
...with many gardens.
Sailing in the fog...
...and sunning on the dock.
How could so many ugly and ornery sea lions keep so many people mesmerized for so long?
You might wish you didn't ask as they flop around on each other...
...for a morning nap.
They'd get all dried out when a new one would hop up and crawl across looking for a parking spot.
Each dock had a clear dominate sea lion...
...leading to some interesting quarrels. But alas...
...someone would lose and get tossed off the island.

Lombard Street - the world's crookedest street...
...complete with a Crooked Street Task Force to minimize traffic jams.
The view at the bottom looking out into San Fransisco Bay.

We never did get to see the top of the Golden Gate Bridge due to fog, but here's a cross-section of a cable.

We deemed it strong enough and walked out on it...

...alongside all the traffic.

Sadly, a suicide hotline is needed. Remember the song we started with?

More scenic views of the bridge...

...and the fog.
After spending a day in the city, we headed back to watch the sun set across the Pacific.
When you take a ton of pictures...
...choosing one can be challenging.
Waiting for the sun to set, amusing myself trying to send a log back out to sea...
...without getting wet.
Who would have thought black gum was a good idea?
Ever hold jelly from a jelly fish?
A collection of sea creatures.
Meanwhile the lighthouse was still going...

...as we watch the sun drop over the horizon...
...illuminating the wind blown grass behind us...
...putting on a show in front of us.
It probably took you longer to read the captions then it took the sun to set...
...but don't miss the bird flying across the sky...
Or his buddies.
Nearing the end of another day...
We finally made it. Is the music still going? Can you hear the words of the second verse...

"Since I met this blessed saviour (remember when He touched you?)
And since he cleansed and made me whole (are you Whole? or still shackled?)
Oh I never cease to praise him (He is worthy)
I'll shout it while eternity rolls (like the endless ocean waves)

He touched me, oh He touched me
And oh the joy that floods my soul
Something happened and now I know
He Touched and made me whole."

I hope you can sing that song with confidence that He has touched you, He has made you whole and you can be with Him for eternity. No sunset can match that!

Straight West Coastin'

2010-11-13T00:30:00.000-05:00

We are returning to our regularly scheduled programming as Joe's Journey takes us from the magnificence of Yosemite Valley with it's towering granite walls to the open expanse of...

...the Pacific Ocean! Traveling west from Yosemite, we had passed by numberless miles of fruit farms and mouth watering fresh fruit stands. But that was nothing compared to this first beach sighting from the famed Route 1 as Shayna takes off for the water. Who cares about lunch!?!

Fritz takes it all in...

...as Shayna tries to avoid the big one.

Amazing scenery from the road...

...and our campsite! Granted, we weren't there much during daylight hours, but you were close enough to feel the warm breeze and hear the waves lapping at the shore.

After setting up camp, we headed over to Pigeon Point Lighthouse...

...with its beautiful flowers, weather beaten white fences and blue ocean views.

I did a double-take too.

Watching the waves pound against the rocks, splashing the air with each subsequent surge was mesmerizing. Maybe that's why the historic lighthouse doubles as a hostel.

A daily view I wouldn't mind.

Views looking west.

The sun glistens off the lighthouse windows...

...as a sea lion floats in the surf.

Sepia takes away the blue sky and pretty flowers but it reminds us of the peace provided amidst the beauty around us.

Ever try and convince your parents that missing paint improved the scenery? Maybe this picture will help.

These birds were circling, hopefully looking for fish and not targets.

It was easy to continue watching this scene.

Fritz captured this well.

Looking south towards our campsite, you can see Route 1 along the coast.

The crew.

The view.

Back to camp for some dinner before walking to the beach for sunset.

Besides the setting sun, look close and you can see the lighthouse jutting into the ocean on the right.

As you'll see in the next few days, fog was frequent near San Francisco, but the lighthouse kept going.

That's no chip on his shoulder...

...it's a crabby friend.

The best part is that these pictures were taken before he realized he had picked up a friend. (There are advantages to controlling the pictures that end up on a blog because I can weed out the picture of my face when a snowball got put down my back while driving through Yosemite.)

The sun slides behind the clouds...

...leaving a few colors in the sky...

...and a lighthouse beam to guide as we slithered in our sleeping bags and prepared for another day of adventures and even prison bars! Stay tuned!

Spring Turns to Summer and Summer to Fall

2010-11-06T17:47:00.001-04:00

"Only one life, so soon it will pass...

As the song goes, spring has already turned to summer and summer to fall. So while Joe's Journey continues from Yosemite to San Francisco, we're going to take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to provide you with some insights, or more appropriately, outsights from New York.
Views of Lake George from Black Mountain
More spectacular views on a warm summer day.
Brandon and Jamie are smiling big because they're in NY... really!
You can feel the refreshing breeze blowing off the lake combined with the fine scents of wilderness summers. Or is that the fan blowing across my feet?
Moving along to another fine weekend we started out early for Mount Marcy, New York's tallest point at 5,344 feet.
The view from Marcy Dam.

Sun rays poking through and providing a little warmth on a cool crisp morning.
There's the top! Only 45 minutes to go.
View of the Adirondacks from the top!
If you click on it and look close, you can see the town of Lake Placid. (The white roof is the rink made famous by the miracle on ice and the ski jumps are in front of the town.)
I believe that is Haystack in the foreground, a little different than the Idaho haystacks!
Either Lake Tear of the Cloud (origin of the Hudson River) or a pool of water formed by the recent rains. (This blog tour guide is losing his memory!)
But I haven't forgotten these faces... (Joe, Charity, Joy and Josh)

...or how to stand on my head. Skipping over a weekend, we headed out the same way again...
...except this time there were more leaves changing colors. Some red...
...others yellow.
With a little more color around Marcy Dam.

This time our goal was Mt. Colden via Avalanche Pass - a very unique hike for this area. Here you are looking through the debris at the bottom of a slide! A good time to think about where we would run if another section started to slide off...
...since getting stuck under there did not seem desirable.
Our first view of the very scenic Avalanche Lake.
Same view in sepia.

From top to bottom you can see that we coerced Ryan to come along with Joy, Josh and myself...
...and to look foolish.

Climbing to new heights.
Lake Colden... indicating we had yet to scramble upwards.
Another view of Lake Colden. Our rock scramble would be on the left.
Panoramic of the lake and surrounding mountains.
Some strange pictures have made it into this blog... and now bubbles.
Scenic views (aka pit stops for the weary) as we headed up...
...up...
...up. That's Lake Colden 0.4 miles as the rock rolls (similar to how the crow flies.)
Staring down the valley at the fall foliage and the town of Lake Placid in the upper left.
Speaking of how the rock rolls...
...this was the top of the slide seen previously. This rock got left behind. I've skipped over a number of adventures this summer and fall, but it is much more fun to go on the adventure then to write about it. Remember - we only have one life to live. So I hope you'll forgive me and just enjoy the pictures as they come. But if you're struggling, these last few pictures should really help as we headed up Buck Mountain on a cool autumn morning...

...as the sun rose in the sky...

...and the fog faded from the valley floor...
...surrounded by the magnificent colors of Autumn!

The beauty was surreal.
Almost enchanting as the sun broke through, lighting up the forest path.
Wow! We have a phenomenal God who is always good!
While the fog covered the lake below, colorful leaves covered the forest as the Adirondack mountains rise above the clouds.
"...so soon it will pass. Only what's done, for Christ will last. Only one chance to do His will. So give to Jesus all your days. It's the only life that pays."

Adventuring in Yosemite

2010-10-30T09:26:00.000-04:00

Picking up where we left off...
...and by picking up... aren't the bear canisters supposed to be bear proof? Remember the sign when we first entered the campground providing the status of bear attacks. Well now that you are all excited, this was just a box we accidentally tipped over. Nothing to see here...
...or here. While planning this trip, we were hoping Half Dome and some of the other hikes would be clear for hiking. Unfortunately, the first week of June was still too early and some of the great trails we planned to hike were still closed, including this scenic trip up to Glacier Point. So, I guess we'll have to go back another time! (Are you coming along?)
So, we drove around Yosemite Valley for some more pictures on a beautiful morning, catching some wildlife crossing the road...
...and great views across the meadow of the Cathedral Spires opposing the view of...
...El Capitan! How do I express the sheer magnitude of El Capitan, rising 7,569 feet in the air?

How about if Fritz zooms way in and you click on the picture and look really close. In the middle of the picture there appears to be a large bag of gear hanging. Straight above that is a little ledge with 2 people on it!

Here's another shot that might help.

Above and to the right of the ledge, there's another person climbing! No fear there! And yes, they slept there last night! And you thought I was crazy.
Zooming back out we have more beautiful views of the Three Brothers that wrap around...
...to Yosemite Falls (again).

I promise these are different pictures than the last post, and still just as amazing!
I believe this is Staircase Falls. Very creative, I know.
A scenic view along the Merced River...

...followed by another.

Fritz gets a refill from Yosemite.
Scenic Yosemite Falls in color...
...and black and white.
Half Dome! I'm looking forward to hiking to the top some day! But since the other scenic trails were closed, we decided to head up the John Muir Trail...
...or is that head down?

I don't remember all the details, but I believe that is Nevada Falls at the top and Vernal Falls at the bottom. Either way, you're about to get a closer look...
...of Nevada Falls...

...in front of Liberty Cap (7,076 feet).

Shayna takes refuge from the mist.

Another view of Nevada Falls.
Looks to me like an F-18! We were treated to a number of jets flying over, requiring a moment of silence and awe as the noise would reverberate through the valley.

Fritz demonstrates the endless supply of water found in a Nalgene bottle.
Can you hear the roar of the water crashing through the narrow rocks before plummeting 594 feet to the rock bed below?

How about the roar of mother's watching these two do headstands directly over the rushing water?

Standing next to the falls as it crashes over the edge of the sheer granite wall...

...traveling to the run out below.
Looking back you can see the tumultuous water below the bridge.

A side view as we continued down the trail.
A distinctly unique view of the valley in front of us that winds around to form Yosemite Valley.
Unplanned synchronized headstands.
I promise this isn't Yoga.
Maybe Fritz just takes pictures really fast.
There they go...
...and they're up, right next to the raging waters from Nevada Falls.
Traveling down further, the trail turned into a rain forest minus the forest. Well, and no rain... just enough water to soak everybody as the wind blew the mist off Vernal Falls.
Looking through the mist into the distance.

Vernal Falls in black and white...

...and color...
...and landscape...

...and a panoramic in portrait! Click on it for the full effect.
Wow - such grandeur.
Without color, I think some of the beauty is lost...

...although I do like these views of Yosemite Falls as the sun began to set.

In sepia...

...full color...
...and then one of my favorite pictures as the sun lit up half dome and the fields in front of us.
One more look at Yosemite Falls...
...and the ever abundant wildlife in small form.
If you zoom in, you'll see some more rock climbers.
I'll zoom in for you once...
...and again. You should be able to spot the gear stashed in the middle, way, way up there!
Following are a few pictures as the sun set and we sadly made our way out of Yosemite Valley.
What beauty to behold.
Golden granite...

...reflecting in the waters below.
Blue hues of sun set...
...and the brown hues of sepia...
...along with the three travelers.
As we drove the road back to Wawona campground, the final colors of evening...
...contrasted with a few stark bare trees...
...waiting for summer to attach some leaves.

That's all...
...for Yosemite. Now, if you like pictures, the good news is that the trip was only half over as we made our way to prison, errr... well, just check back soon for the full story. In the mean time, I'll probably post a few pictures of Fall in New York. As you probably imagined, there are lots of adventures continuing here as well. Enjoy!

Falls, Fun and Friends in Yosemite

2010-10-20T21:43:00.001-04:00

I am really excited to share this particular post with you as we adventure through Yosemite National Park, basking in God's glory. But first I must provide a little perspective from God's Word. Here's a few things God told us:

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33)

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away ...God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. ...the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. ...And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. ...And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Excerpts from Revelations 21)

Now THAT is exciting! I am confident that you have experienced pain of some sort this week. Maybe even sorrow or crying. I am certain you have experienced night and possibly the fear and evil that comes with it. But let me remind you that there is a place where we can all be together, without pain, without sorrow, without crying and without night. No evil, lies or abominations will surround us. Instead, it will be the presence of Almighty God, who is perfect in all ways, never failing, always loving and radiant as ever. Oh, and by the way, we can be there forever! Whew! Well I'm excited for heaven and I hope you are too. What you'll see below cannot even begin to compare, so just keep that perspective in mind as we take a picture tour starting with our entrance into...
...Yosemite Valley. That's El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the distance and Bridalveil Falls on the right.
Walking up to Bridalvail Falls where rain jackets are advised as you walk right up to those rocks in the foreground!
A panoramic of the falls and river it forms at the bottom.
We were privileged to see the falls when they were close to their peak and flowing through the woods below...
...and here too.
Fritz captured some great shots.
Imagine standing right next to the roaring waters as they careened over the falls and through the woods.
Fritz the sharpshooter.
Apparently I was taking too much time to enjoy the beauty...
...and it was only our second day couped up together!
After finally shooing them off the bridge, I was able to capture it in sepia...
...and black and white.
Continuing through Yosemite Valley, we had our sights set on Yosemite Falls...
...while he had his sights set on us.
"I'm watching you!"
Our goal for today? Hike to the top of that, Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, the sixth tallest waterfall in the world, a total of 2,425 feet of falling water!
A good view of Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls, nearly a 1/2 mile high!
A blue bird of some sort who gets to enjoy this beauty all the time!
3.8 miles, and we're off...
Fritz along the way.
Flowers...

...Falls...

...and Friends. The spray from the falls was very refreshing.

Upper Falls along with the run off at the bottom as the water heads towards Lower Falls.

You'll notice that many of the pictures in Yosemite were taken vertically because everything was so tall. Unfortunately, it's difficult to provide you with an appreciation for the 1,430 foot vertical drop from the top of the waterfall to the misty base in front of you. Yes - that is over a 1/4 mile!

Fortunately, there was a path cut out for us so we didn't have to scale the granite cliff in front of us.

Shayna takes in the view of Yosemite Valley from the top. If you zoom in you might be able to see my car!
Standing next to the top of the falls, looking down at the middle cascade section, which has a 673 foot vertical drop before the water disappears over the edge for another 318 foot drop to the Valley below.
Safety First: While napping on top, be sure to sleep in a place you can't roll off. Oh, and put sunscreen on before you fall asleep with sunglasses.
Fritz poses on top......while an airplane cuts through the clear blue sky! It felt like we were right there with it.

Wow - and a rainbow too!

A panoramic of Upper Yosemite Falls and the middle cascades...
...zooming in on the rainbow across the cascades.

Not sure what kind of tree it is, but it was pretty cool with the entire underside coated in a smooth red wood.
Half dome comes back into view on our way down.

One last look at where we were, standing next to the top of these falls with the spray in our face!

Moving along (a little slower now that we were all worn out), here are some pictures of North Dome along Mirror Lake.
If you look at it long enough, you'll realize it's a reflection...
...and not just an upside down picture.
A panoramic right side up.
Some awesome views.

Fritz takes cover behind his camera...

...but you can still see him behind the tree.

Wow...

...Wow...

...Wow (very similar to a previous "Wow")...
and Wow? Maybe a different kind of wow. The tie dye doesn't really fit in. As the sun made it's way towards the horizon, I bought ice cream and refilled the water bottles while the others got hot showers. (We were lucky enough to have some insider information on how to do this.) They were quick and we jumped in the car and started racing back to Glacier Point for sunset when Shayna realized she was missing her favorite hiking shoes. So, we turned around and headed back to find...
...them right where they were left, next to our parking spot. So, we were off again, stopped only by...
...this view as we headed out of the valley and around to Glacier Point.
We were just in time to catch these awesome views of Half Dome as the suns last few rays danced across the top.
OK, so I couldn't decide which picture I liked better so you get to see both.
After the sun set, there was still enough light to capture one last shot before the stars would appear. Now, I hope you have been amazed at God's handiwork in our little United States. Sure, He could have designed North America to be all rolling hills, plains and deserts. But instead, He created this beauty for us to enjoy. Can you even begin to imagine what He is preparing for us in Heaven? Well if you aren't on the edge of your seat yet, I'll give you a minute while we pull out the handy Coleman stove and cook some hot dogs, chili and even vegetables while the night sky and chilled air settles in. Then we'll walk back to the tip of Glacier Point and let you see the long exposure pictures Fritz captured for us!
Half Dome with a streaking plane or satellite overhead.

Half Dome. So many songs well up inside of me as I remember these watching these stars dancing in the sky above!
Upper Yosemite Falls with the last rays from the sun coloring the sky...
...and the village lights below illuminating the falls.
Just amazing what God can do!
Thank you Fritz for capturing these while we laid on our backs starring into the heavens...
...enjoying the reality you can only see through the pictures.
Trees in the foreground, snow capped mountains in the background and stars covering them all. Then you realize that those in New York are looking at the very same stars!
You can see the streak of lights from planes overhead. After taking it all in, we were ready for the trek back to the Wawona Campground. The downside of travelling so late and after everyone else is that we had to stop for night construction by...
...this cowgirl! You know you are out West when hardhats are shaped like cowboy hats.
Shayna looking official while...
...I struggled to stop laughing as I called in for backup. After a 30 minute nap, the real sign holder knocked on our window, woke us up and we headed off into the night, ready to repeat it all tomorrow! I hope you have enjoyed the picture tour and keep in mind how much better Heaven will be!
Amen.

Granite, Grizzlies and Groves

2010-10-16T17:25:00.001-04:00

Over mountains, through deserts and some desserts, with much excitement, we have finally arrived at one of the most anticipated National Parks that I had yet to visit, Yosemite National Park. Granted, you're probably not as excited as I was to arrive, since, well, you were not there. So we'll skip the sermon for today and take you right to the campground where we were greeted with this friendly reminder...
...beware of bears! While the statistics don't seem that alarming, realize that most of the campgrounds opened the weekend before and the sign had not been updated for about 4 weeks! As a side note, Yosemite literally means "those who kill", but those were the feared Indians, not the bears.
Entering from the South, we started at the Mariposa Grove, featuring more of the...
...giant...

...sequoia trees seen in the previous post. Compared to the people at the base...

...like Fritz...

...these trees were just plain massive. Here's a shot looking up from the base. Despite the damage at the bottom, the wide base diameters provide an excellent support structure for the voluminous trees.
The largest grizzly of them all.
In the last post you saw pictures of us driving through a fallen tree. Well they used to allow vehicles to drive through...
...these live trees, well, when kids weren't doing handstands, of course. If you are not sure which guy is the tough guy...
...hey, you try doing that while I watch. I know, I'm sure you are as impressed as the others in the picture.
Meanwhile, Fritz was taking pretty pictures of flowers so we would have something more soothing to show our Mothers.
Along with this soothing pose at the base of a giant sequoia.
From Mariposa grove, we headed north on Wawona Road (you gotta love the names) and over to Glacier Point Road. After a short little hike across the snow on to Sentinel Dome, we were rewarded with this view of Yosemite Falls from 8,000 feet.
Oh, and this view too.

Zooming in on Upper Yosemite Falls...

...followed by Lower Yosemite Falls...
There's half dome with either Vernal or Nevada Falls to the right.
Since you're probably wondering what we're thinking, let me tell you. "Wow! This 270 degree view with raging waterfalls, stellar granite cliffs and snow capped mountains all around was created for our pleasure. What did we do to deserve this and how long can we stay?" Not long enough would be the answer, so while we were there, I took plenty of pictures with hopes that I could some how describe the beauty God created for us.
Another view of half dome rising above everything else, despite missing it's other half!
If I have my geography correct, we are looking Northeast across the Sierra Mountains separating California and Nevada.
The Yosemite Valley floor just below us and where we'll be in the next blog snapping lots of pictures as we climb up the left side of Yosemite Falls!
Glacier Point, looking across Yosemite Valley at Half Dome...
...along with full-dome Fritz.
Hanging out for sunset, we were treated with a very animated ranger talk describing everything around until he was interrupted by...
...sunset...
...with beautiful views all around. You can still see Yosemite Falls on the right.
One last picture as the sun set after our first few hours at Yosemite. But rest assured, there are more pictures of waterfalls, the astounding granite cliffs and some really neat starry night shots coming to a blog, really close to this one capturing the adventures of the next two days. I get excited just thinking about it again!

Bees, Trees and Zzzzzes

2010-10-10T16:04:00.000-04:00

Where are you in your journey? Where am I? Since being back from Idaho, it seems as though my journey is now in the past, yet I seem to be spending just as much on gas. Hmmm. Maybe the price of gas went up. Or, maybe this journey has taken a turn and continued in New York. Rather than moose and bears, I see squirrels and family. Wait, those seem like odd items to put together. Well, you think about that, and when you're done, ask yourself where your journey is taking you. No, the path may not be straight, in fact, I am certain it will not be. There are too many uncertainties that create sharp curves, steep hills and cattle guards for crossing. Cattle guards? Yes, cattle guards. While I've never seen a cow attempt to cross a cattle guard, I have imagined their spindly legs and uncertain footsteps trying to balance on the narrow metal grating as they tiptoe across and suddenly... WHOOMP, down it goes, with one small missed step. Reminds me of a poor wasp who was buzzing about having a grand time, when...
...he landed in the butter. His journey had ended before he reached his goal. If your journey ends short of your expectations, will you reach your goal? Will you spend an eternity with the Redeemer of our souls? We can't afford to be stuck in the cattle guards of our life with no help in sight, wishing we had never dabbled in life's danger. If you find yourself stuck, listen to the Psalmist when he says, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth." (Psalms 121:1,2)

So start by looking up, like we did as the next journey started out...
...with a quick trip to downtown Las Vegas while waiting for Fritz to arrive at the airport. In general, Las Vegas only has shallow glitz and glamor to offer, along with these fountains choreographed to music.
But without the music, you'll just have to imagine a tune with the rise and fall of the water.
A clear blue sky, mountains or the desert landscape might be the subject of this picture. Or, the abundance of airplanes at an unmarked location in the middle of the Mojave desert. Hmmmm. Even with the binoculars, we couldn't figure out why anybody would need so many Boeing 747's in the middle of nowhere. If you know, let me know. Which reminds me, the trivia answer to the unknown animal in the last blog post was a rocky mountain sheep just starting to grow horns.
Moving right along, or is that around, a wind farm and...
...some very pretty flower pictures. While I can't take credit for the picture, Fritz can, and you should also credit him with putting up with...
...this little sequoia as well.
Fritz, the professional photographer of the group as we headed into Sequoia National Park. The rest of the pictures are a mix from both our cameras.
The road used to go under this rock.
Our first sign of wildlife...
...followed by the second. Not really - we may be wild, but Shayna's just providing a little perspective for this panoramic picture of a really, really wide and tall sequoia tree. How many homes could this tree heat in a winter?
As the sign says...
...the trees are wide enough to drive on...
...or under.
In the last post, we talked about bears in Yellowstone. Well here's a black bear lumbering amongst the Sequoia's, yes, on snow. (The trip started Memorial Day weekend.)
Though the picture is blurry, there is something artistic, peaceful and scary about the boy and the bear, a grizzly, walking in unison across the field.
Here's a clearer picture of the bear...
...along with another. I love seeing bears in the wild, but I have no desire to encounter a wild bear...
...like this poor family van. While I don't know the story, it's obvious that a bear literally peeled away the top of the door on one side...
...and successfully repeated it on the other side, breaking the window as well to gain access into the van. I have no idea what attracted the bear into the van in the first place, but it was most likely food or smelly products as benign as Chapstick.
Once inside, it proceeded to rip apart all of the seats...
...probably finding every last cheerio that had fallen in the cracks before scampering off. So we took note - never leave food in a vehicle unattended.
(John) Fritz, Shayna and I in a tunnel tree along the way.
By volume, sequoia trees are the biggest trees in the world. Some redwood trees grow taller, but sequoias have branches up to 8 feet thick and base diameters as wide as 40 feet, which could be wider then your house!
Here's a panoramic of a sequoia grove, but without...
...Fritz at the base, it's difficult to have a good perspective from the picture.
Our long days journey branched out of Sequoia National Park as we passed a beautiful sunset, winding our way to the campground.
The mountainous landscape under the setting sun made for a perfect finish to the first day of our journey.
One last look before we would finished winding down the Sierra Nevada Mountains where no city lights could be found...
...and Fritz captured the stars and a few boats on the lake next to our tent after dark...
...along with this man walking on water! So while we're catching some Zzzzzzz's on our journey, is your life's journey in the hands of the one who could walk on water? Why entrust it to those who sink in unbelief? In Psalms 118:8, we are told, "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." Man will fail you - God never fails! Check back soon as the journey turns into Yosemite National Park!

Bears in Yellowstone

2010-09-26T17:06:00.000-04:00

I have been thoroughly spoiled by the wildlife out West and in particular, at Yellowstone National Park. This weekend would be no exception as we saw lots of bears. Before we get to the pictures, I find it interesting how often bears are mentioned in the Bible. Oftentimes bears are mentioned in conjunction with lions and violent attacks. Contrast that with Jesus who, "...bearing his cross went forth into a place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha..." (John 19:7) where he bore our sins for us. Then, Jesus says in Luke 14:27, "Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." After becoming a disciple, He is willing to bear our burdens and cares for us! Do you trust anyone to do this for you? Why not trust God - He's already offered to do it for free. No need to bear your shame and reproach anymore!

What are the odds of capturing pictures of 11 bears within 24 hours? Well come along for a tour of Yellowstone National Park and it's assortment of wildlife starting with...
...yes, the Visitor's Center. Hey, I wasn't going to, but the store associate insisted. I promise that it's an optical illusion that our feet don't touch the ground... bearly.
Trivia time - Name the animal...
...because I have no idea what it is...
...but he seems to be enjoying something tasty along side the road. If you know what it is, let me know.
Most of you probably heard about the grizzly bear attacks at Yellowstone a few weeks after we were there. While we were only a few miles away from that particular campground, there were only buffalo...
...with their cute little ones roaming around.
They sure do start off cute, running around and playing with each other, even smiling for the camera.
A scenic view along the way...
...before passing some pronghorn deer.
I like the reflection of this loan buffalo in the waters below.
I would understand if you were petrified of bears because even this tree is petrified!
A black bear grazing and...
...and walking about while we watched in quietness (until the real wildlife tour guide showed up). At that point, we hopped back in the car and spotted...
...this guy up on a ridge.
For those who are genuinely concerned, this picture will give you a better idea of the distance. Of course, we would get closer, but not until after picking up a hitch hiker as the snow began to fall. Growing up in New York, it was contrary to my instincts, but the the snow was falling, the wind was blowing and he looked benign. Plus, I am admittedly more tolerant of picking up hitch hikers after my lone hitch hiking experience failed (see "National Parks Tour - Part II", May 5, 2010 blog post for all the details). Jonathon was friendly, albeit a little stinky, but we enjoyed traveling about 30 miles with him and listening to his stories. He was from a European country that has long since escaped my short term memory, and decided to spend six months back-packing from Mexico to Chicago, hitting National Parks along the way. So, after getting some tips for my upcoming Yosemite trip, Jonathon wished us a happy "Hasty Holiday" and we wished him safe travels.
In the meantime, we stopped at Mammoth Hot Springs...
...a unique...
...and interesting geological feature not found too many other places. God's creativity is not fathomable by us mortals!
But I can fathom what this bear could do about 10 yards away in the tall grass along the road. So, I scoped out the other tourists who had noticed it and made sure I could run faster then them! If you've been counting, this is number five for the day.
A pretty blue bird near Mammoth.
Do you see the face?
If you look close, you can spot a mother grizzly bear and three cubs. Some old folks had a scope set up and you could watch the cubs wrestling and playing with each other.
Remember "Where's Waldo"? Well where's the coyote? You'll have to click on the picture and look on the ridge line to spot him.
Standing just above the water falls looking down the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
Another view of one of my favorite spots in Yellowstone...
...and now in sepia.
Looking back through the fresh snow, you can see the waterfalls we were standing above.
Sometimes you get the pretty pictures when water covers the parking lot!
Pretty enough to take it in black and white too.
More views of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone...
and then one from Artist's Point.
A close-up as the snow fell...
...you can see the waterfall at the end through the snow.
Remains from the wildfires in Yellowstone last summer (see "...but the greatest of these is...", October 1, 2009 blog post for pictures of the wildfire and probably one of the most humorous posts).
I love the colors...
except when I think about what forms the colors...
...bacteria...
...and more bacteria.
Anytime there's a water main break, they tell you to boil your water for some number of minutes before using. Yet, this water has been boiling for years and it's still growing stuff!
Hmmm... I don't know...
...but it is still very pretty...
...along with the bridge enveloped by steam.
As the clouds passed by, I was lucky enough to capture the blue water, steam, clouds and blue sky!
Pretty...
...and unique...
...especially with the herd of buffalo crossing in the distance and, well...
...read the sign and you'll understand.
With the spring snow melting and the river running high and fast, jumping across rocks at the bottom might not be the swiftest of ideas...
...but it made for some good pictures.
Bear number 10 and 11 as we headed out of Yellowstone after another great tour. Keep checking back as I continue to caption more blogs for those who enjoy the best of the West!

One Last Sunrise With The Tetons

2010-09-20T21:19:00.001-04:00

With thirteen (yes, 13) blogs uploaded with pictures, it must be time to add a few captions and release them for your enjoyment. I figure there is no better place to start then a sunrise at Grand Teton National Park. Some of the details are a little foggy, but it seems like Eric and I worked second shift, drove home to change clothes and gear up (warm clothes and sleeping bags) and headed for the mountains. Arriving in the early morning hours, the stars were amazing - millions and millions of them. Galaxies, constellations, shooting stars and black holes, errr, the backs of my eyelids. I couldn't help but feel small (relatively speaking for those who see the humor) as I jumped in my sleeping bag for a few hours of sleep before the sun would rise. As usual, we started out at Schwabacher Landing, and here is what we woke up to...

...now that's hard to beat! You can just see the sun's rays starting to hit the peaks...
...as I started snapping pictures. I know what you're thinking - aren't these pictures the same?
No way - this one is in sepia...
...and this one is in black and white.
This one shows the beaver dam...
...and this one doesn't!
We were definitely spoiled by the quiet water with hardly a ripple or wave. Despite freezing temperatures and frost on the ground, no ice had formed either.
Okay, so you've remembered that I love the Teton's and struggled to delete any pictures, despite their similarities.
These captions probably take longer to read then the rising sun...
...but it's hard not to share God's creation as the pink reflections bounce off the water below.
Wow.
I know, it looks just like the last one, but it's not.
Here's a panoramic you can click on for a better view of the Teton range.
Unfortunately the sun would rise into the clouds of an approaching front, shielding the bright colors from the mountains, so here's one last look as the sun's rays touch the tree tops.
One last stop to catch the barns on Mormon Row in color...
...black and white...
...and sepia...
...and color (again), while being entertained by...
...fighting buffalo!
Sadly, like the water coming off the mountains and flowing by this barn, this was also my last trip through the park. In a few weeks, you will catch one more glimpse of the Teton's from afar, but this was my last trip for now. While I'm surrounded by the Adirondacks, Catskills and many other mountain ranges here in the East, I already miss the grand (get it?) Teton's as they stand so strong and powerful, while providing a beautiful canvas backdrop to so many adventures I enjoyed while in Idaho. But enough of the sentiment - we had to hit the local D.O.G. for some breakfast burritos before heading back home for a few more hours of sleep, another day at work followed by a trip through Yellowstone that you'll get to see when you stop back!

...To Shining Sea

2010-09-09T21:23:00.001-04:00

For those who avidly check this blog, well, you've probably been very disappointed over the last three months. Well I can't blame you, and I don't suppose there's any need for excuses. I'm just busy. Busy getting used to life in New York again. In the last post, yes, that one on June 6th, I left you hanging on the Pacific Coast. Go ahead and take care of your baited breath, because here's another quick sampler from...

...a sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. Don't worry, I'll spare you the mile by mile replay of how I went from Alcatraz to Florida, as they were only a few days apart - weddings. While I'm not a big fan of them, they do happen and I don't mind participating, especially when they're followed by trips...

...aboard a space shuttle! It's probably no secret that I was more excited about Kennedy Space Center then the wedding. But if you like weddings, don't go to far. There will be pictures showing up on this blog... after the trips to Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone, Yosemite, San Francisco... etc.

From Florida, I headed straight to a four day back-packing trip at Havasupai. Here's a picture of Moony Falls, one of just many beautiful waterfalls and other amazing creations we had the pleasure of seeing.

From Havasupai, I got a few more nights in Idaho Falls prior to my final farewells as I loaded the car and headed back to NY. The end of my 20 month stint in Idaho had finally come to a close. But don't worry, there are hundreds of pictures still being sorted and coming your way! Here's a picture of Devil's Tower in Wyoming, one of several sight-seeing stops along the way. For perspective, it is over 1200 feet tall!

Next up was Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the highest National Parks. Here's a view of the road as it winds through the Park mountains.

The St. Louis Arch, the gateway to the West. But for me, it was the last major sight-seeing event of the trip, successfully completing whirlwind tours of the West. I made an attempt to capture pictures of State signs each time I crossed a state line.

I'll bet you can guess which state I was about to enter. If not, click on it and look in the lower left corner and you'll realize that after driving ~3,000 miles across the country, I only paid $2.15 for tolls in Kansas, until I hit the Empire State. Fortunately, there were plenty of other reasons to move back home and you should get a glimpse of those reasons, just as soon as I caption pictures on the next 10 blog posts detailing all the sights I saw in my last few weeks out West. So stay tuned and I'll keep working on getting more pictures posted.

From Sea to ...

2010-06-07T01:01:00.000-04:00

For those wondering where I've been, here are just a few pictures to feed your blogging thirst, with many, many, many more to come, but you will probably have to wait a few more weeks for all of those. I have been busy using my last few weeks in Idaho to see things easier seen from Idaho then from New York. Here's the quick sampler:Grand Teton National Park at sunrise (again).Artist Point at Yellowstone National Park with a fresh coating of snow.Yosemite National Park in daylight......and as the sun went down.Alcatraz Island in San Francisco bay. I have a few thousand pictures to weed through and stitch panoramas together. But before that happens, I plan to be watching the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean (and completing the title of this post)! Oh, and then I'll be hiking down in the Grand Canyon and then something about moving... Check back in a little bit as I might get the chance to keep you posted on these last few adventures.

Climbing Out and Climbing Up

2010-05-18T13:50:00.001-04:00

A few pictures from this weekend will not adequately describe all that took place. There was the Friday night trip to Twin Falls for an excellent Revival service, but no pictures of the event. There was my attempt to feed the pond fish on Saturday, when I suddenly found myself in the pond. Now that would have been a funny picture, but I was sure to jump out before any witnesses could document the hilarious sight - fish food in one hand, dripping wet and covered in pond slime. Hey, sometimes even feeding the fish is an adventure. But this was quickly followed by......the borrowing of some fancy shoes (mine were wet after all)......and some more rock climbing.You'll notice the problem with climbing pictures, is that the view is always the same.Except this one is Chris......and this one Chris' daughter, Kristen.The whole fish feeding episode took away precious daylight, so we ended up climbing out after the moon had risen along with one of the planets.I was surprised how well the pictures turned out and you could even see the entire outline of the moon rising above the farm.Randomly choosing settings to capture the "real" image.This picture is taken across the placid Snake River in town. What you don't see are the falls between the foreground and the city lights in the background. That was all for one weekend, but I can assure you more adventures will be coming your way as I prepare for multiple trips in June!

Climbing Canyons and Climbing Tetons

2010-05-15T17:56:00.002-04:00

This blog post is the final post in a series of 11, and if you read the title, you'll know that the series will end right with a bunch of pictures from Grand Teton National Park. As you probably know, some weekends start early for me and this was another one of those weekends where I could......watch the sun set over the Buttes near work......over and through the fence.The next day would be momentous for me. Looking left......looking right......and looking up the rock walls along the Blackfoot River Canyon. The fun started by rappelling down......which required stepping out a little bit to get hooked in......followed by your mid-air handstand for the day. It wasn't until later that I thought about the mechanics of a harness and how it is not intended to hold you upside down. Oh well, something to remember next time.After rappelling down, you get to climb back up. You'll have to look close to see a guy lead climbing in this picture. I was amazed as he just hopped around with little to no grips, hand holds or foot rests. And what you don't see are any pictures topping my first rock climb! I'm told that it was a 5.9, but that doesn't mean anything to me either. So to celebrate......we passed a random barn with an airplane sticking out of it.Upon further investigation, it was only the nose piece, but still random... and cool (in my opinion of course). Maybe some day I'll have my own.But in the meantime, I bought my own tent (after the wind took out a corner on my previous tent). Unfortunately, not only wasn't I successful at selling rights to these promotional pictures, but the tent advertised to be 11' x 13' and capable of fitting 2 queen air mattresses was not nearly as big as advertised. The interior dimensions were closer to 9' x 8', and that is not big enough for the air mattresses. So, it has been returned and I bought another one to try again.Saturday morning, we weren't the only ones up at the crack of dawn. This elk was enjoying......the beautiful sunrise as we drove through Grand Teton National Park.Another view of the sunrise. This is only the first of many pictures where I couldn't decide which one I liked better.Look close to see the 2 moose......and 2 more moose in another field, before......gulp, the sun started hitting the peaks!I'm jealous of this elk - he gets to watch these sunrises every morning!I raced these two elk to Shawbecker Landing. I'd tell you who won, but I got distracted......by these views. Notice the ice still in the pond......along with a few ripples......as the sun started hitting the tops of the trees.The reflection was just so magnificent in color......and in sepia.We moved around to get some different views......although I have to imagine that many of these look the same to you.This was taken near Oxbow Bend. If you click on it, you'll see the moose laying down in the center of the picture, outlined by Grand Teton on the left and Mount Moran on the right.This is a panoramic of the whole range taken from the still ice covered Jackson Dam. You'll have to click on it for a better view.Zooming in on the big three peaks.Calvin from 'Calvin and Hobbes' has taught me how to put things in perspective for my Mom. After a particularly exciting (i.e. risky) adventure, I'll start out by showing my Mom a picture like this and saying "Mom, there were people skiing off the top of the Grand! That's just crazy. Just a hair of bad luck, misfortune or ill-timed maneuver and you're dead! I think I'll just stick to 'you fill in the blank' ." Ironically, a co-worker's friend died skiing off the Sawtooth Mountains this same weekend. But that aside, even if you look close, I don't think there's enough contrast in the picture to see the ski tracks coming off the top of the Tetons! Now that's an adventure I never plan to be up for.Click on the panoramic looking across Jenny Lake.After touring around the park and taking a nap (most of you were probably still in bed), the clouds had cleared, so we headed back to Shawbecker Landing......for a whole bunch more of the same pictures in color... ...and sepia......and black and white.At times the ripples were too much for the reflection......but then it would only be the ripples caused by the young ducks playing around.A slightly different angle......in sepia too.Proof that I was there and still awake.Something about "a typical Joe stance" with hands in the pockets.Another view......along with a panoramic you can click on.I'm still amazed at the detailed reflections in the pond.Can you name the baby critter? My guess is a baby beaver.One......two......and three more views from nearly identical spots. This would be all of the pictures from the weekend. That brings the blog current, for another day. At least three major trips are tentatively planned for the month of June, so it will be difficult to keep the blog up to date. But, with the last trip being my final trip back to New York, I'm sure you'll forgive me. In the meantime, there should be plenty of pictures to keep you busy. Enjoy!

Pine Creeks, Trees and Bridges

2010-05-13T20:11:00.000-04:00

Without much time to plan and a not-so-promising forecast for Saturday (yes, I'm still 2 weeks behind), we decided to take a hike up Pine Creek Pass. For those of you still basking in beautiful weather, how about......some snow? Well, snow and mud, but the mud would disappear once we got into the woods.Despite the falling snow on a Spring day, it was a scenic hike along the rushing river carrying snow melt. With visibility low, there was no point in adventuring to the top of the surrounding hills, so we decided to build a bridge. Why? To get to the other side of course. Keep in mind that the water temperature was in the low 30's, so falling in wasn't too desirable. A little risk makes the adventure all that more exciting ya know! Spying a few rocks where we could lodge some logs......we found some fallen trees......got one placed across the river successfully......and followed by a second.The other end was still under water......so the bridge work continued.The completed bridge......being utilized......by those not known for having good balance.Of course, the irony is that my feet were wet already from tromping through the snow, but at least that wasn't rushing water.We were all smiles until we heard a large "CRACK" come from the branch we were hanging on. But we did survive so you'll have to check back soon for some more great views of the Tetons!

Where the Heart Is

2010-05-13T00:23:00.001-04:00

Has anybody been wondering where "...the most beautiful place on earth" is located? Well join me on this...
...green jet as we fly West...
...yes, West, past Mt. Hood, on my way Home! (Yes, home is the most beautiful place on earth.) In preparation for moving home, I spent a few days interviewing in an attempt to figure out where to go next. But who wants to talk about work?
First things first, my Mom and I took a trip to Lee, MA for a little hike in the land of green. It's always a pleasant sight to fly home where the land is green and full of trees vice the brown open landscape of Idaho.
Mom holds up the boulders so I can walk through.
New leaves have arrived on the trees.
The view from the top of the fire tower looking toward Albany...
...looking down the steep narrow stairs...
...and looking upside down.
Bridge crossing the river at the trail head.
Albany was full of colorful tulips along the road...
...and in the park.
Saturday evening, Joy and I decided to go up Vroman's Nose as we journeyed through Middleburg.
Views down the fertile farming valley. Just out of view is the well known octagon shaped yellow house.
What can I say? It must run in the family.
I had to take a picture of these Schenectady street trees in case Spring doesn't arrive in Idaho before I leave. (And yes, it is still snowing in Idaho.)
The table is prepared as I spent as much time as possible with my family before flying back to Idaho to finish out my assignment here. Of course, the next couple of months will be packed with trips and activities as I make the most of my last few weekends of roaming free in Idaho. Luck would have it that some of those pictures will show up soon so hurry back!

To Boise and Back

2010-05-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

There's no way a weekend trip to Boise can top a weekend trip through the National Parks. But, good ole Idaho offers a few attractions as well. Last May, Shoshone Falls was flowing like never before. After a few warm days, I was hoping the snow melt would have the falls at full force once again. However, I was a little disappointed since the falls were relatively dried up, but they are still a sight to behold and a good reason to escape work.
There's not much color to them...
...and even less when you turn the camera to black and white.
But you could still catch some pretty reflections in a random pond above the falls...
...as the setting sun shone it's rays.
This isn't too far from where Evil Knievel jumped the Snake River.
Don't worry Mom - I wouldn't be trying any such tricks today. Thinking the sunset would be hiding behind the clouds, we continued West...
...driving straight into a fiery furnace.
Actually, that was the last post. This was just a magnificent sunset made blurry through a windshield and high speeds. (Although the check marks from oncoming traffic were a cool touch.)
The picture through the sunroof was only a little crooked. We'll have to work on the sunset pictures at slower speeds.
The next day we opted for the long and scenic route back to Idaho Falls. This took us through Idaho City, an old mining town (where old is relative to Western, not Eastern cities.)
Doing some hard time...
...before escaping, looking around to make sure no one sees him. In reality, I could hear shooting and felt the bullets hitting the wall behind him. After seeing all the holes between the slatted walls, I decided jail was no place to hang out.
After rounding the corner, we discovered what all the shooting was about. There was a real life shootout going on, except they were shooting targets, not people, well, except for the kid that unknowingly stood on the other side of the wall in the Idaho City jail!
This was a real competition with some young, some old, and all of them wearing some serious cowboy garb! You'll notice that some of them even had their nicknames, like "Old Buzzard", imprinted on their holsters.
I gave the guy in the yellow leather shirt 5 points for good form.
Moving on, we meandered through the mountains...
...stopping for lunch (not bad for 234,000 miles eh?)...
...along the river.
A view of the Sawtooth Mountains west of Stanley.
Stanley is one of the prettiest places in Idaho, whether it's in color...
...sepia...
...or black and white. Our timing must not have been very good because we missed most of the wildlife along the rivers between Stanley and Challis. But after a quick hike back to Goldbug Hot Springs for another great sunset, we headed home, maneuvering around all the deer and antelopes grazing on gravel. Check back tomorrow as the next weekend would bring me to the most beautiful place on earth...

National Parks Tour - Part VI

2010-05-10T20:49:00.000-04:00

Did you get your fill of Arches National Park in Part IV? Well even if you did, the last stop of our trip through the National Parks will give you a new perspective of Arches from the depths of...
...the Fiery Furnace. Now I'm sure most of you are familiar with the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel Chapter 3. These three men refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, which got them bound and thrown into a fiery furnace so hot that it killed the soldiers who threw them in. But much to the amazement of King Nebuchadnezzar, not only were the three men up and walking around in the fire, but there was a fourth man in the form of the Son of God! So the King called the men out and further inspection revealed that this same fire that killed the soldiers outside, didn't singe a single hair on their heads, burn their coats or even taint them with the smell of smoke. The end result - the King promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and made a new decree that no one was to speak poorly of God lest they be cut into pieces. Yikes! So how does that apply to us today? Are we standing up for God and worshipping Him alone? Are we trusting God to carry us through the storms of life? Are we living as though our God will prevail victoriously in the end? Are we willing to give all to walk beside Jesus?

I suppose you were wondering why this is called the Fiery Furnace. Well, it has nothing to do with the heat, but instead, the area has the appearance of being on fire in the afternoon sunlight. Since we were up early, I can't confirm this, but after watching a ten minute video instructing us to:
1) Only step on rocks and run-off areas
2) Be quiet - because this is a sanctuary and not a playground, and
3) Don't get lost... we were on our way (without a ranger of course).

Look close to see some of the arches from the previous day.
I don't know the names for the geological formations, but these massive, narrow rock structures were inviting us to run, jump, climb and play.
Now remember - it's not a playground, but that does look like Chris way up there.
OK, so there were some arches in there too.
This panoramic tried to capture all of it, along with...

...these two arches. I think I forgot to mention that this might not be the best post for Mom's to review, as there were no ropes or harnesses tying us off... just pure climbing and not much room for stumbling.
The scenery, along with the mountains in the background were awe inspiring.

Here's Chris climbing up to help provide you some perspective for their size.

Vertical walls (some people call them cliffs) on each side, oh, and Shayna up there on the right.

There's Joe hanging out on some towering rocks.
We spent about three hours just climbing all over.
There's another view with Chris looking small in comparison to the rocks surrounding him.

Narrow slots...
...and arches with people on them.
The arch in sepia.
Looks like a tear drop, formed by the fear of...

...a kid hiding in the boulders, scaring by passers. (Now remember to be quiet - the birds want to enjoy the area as well!)

Looks like one of those places you wouldn't want to get stuck.
Poor Chris - the "Joe-speed 'vacation'" must have worn him out. But now you have it all - 4 days, 6 parks, 1600 pictures (reduced to 800) and tons of fun. Who wants to go back to work after that? We all know that answer, but lucky for you, there are more weekends of pictures on their way so check back tomorrow! If you haven't been checking the blog for the last few days, be sure to click on "Older Posts" at the bottom or use the "May" menu on the right to see pictures from the rest of the trip.

National Parks Tour - Part V

2010-05-09T13:49:00.000-04:00

As promised, Part V takes us through Canyonlands as the sun set on our third day of adventuring around Utah.
Looking towards the Colorado River with a Jeep trail running across the canyon floor.
Looking under Mesa Arch...
...zoomed in a little bit...
...in sepia...
...and with a little more color.
A panoramic, but you still don't get a feel for...

...the shear drop off on the other side.

A view of the arch from the other side.
Grand View Point Overlook where the Green and Colorado Rivers meet.
Upheaval Dome - click on it for a better view of the grey sandstone in the middle that appears to have dropped out of the sky and landed in the middle of a crater.
A panoramic looking towards the Green River...
...zoomed in and in sepia.
Sunset from the Green River Overlook...
...continued...
...after moving to a different spot...
...for an excellent view of the pinks and blues as the sun set on Canyonlands, Part V of our trip. But before heading back, we would make one more trip into Arches to run around in the Fiery Furnace! Check back soon for the final blog that will close out this spectacular weekend.

National Parks Tour - Part IV

2010-05-08T15:51:00.000-04:00

Prepare yourself for arches, arches, and more arches, but no McDonalds at Arches National Park. I'm not good with names, so you'll just have to trust me when I tell you they really are different. We started out with a quick hike to Delicate Arch, first seen through...
...wait, that's not delicate...
...there it is!
After rounding the corner for the full view...
...along with a guy who carried his bike 1.5 miles uphill just for this picture, but probably safer then what we would do.
Regardless, here's a few pictures without people.
At different angles...
...and with two people doing handstands! ("Who are those two? They must be suicidal! We're not calling the paramedics.")
Jumping pictures
Tunnel Arch
Pine Tree Arch
Landscape Arch
Partition Arch
Partition Arch at a different angle.
Navajo Arch
Double O Arch...
...with sunning lizards...
...and stomping lizards. Don't worry - the drop off isn't too far on the other side...
...or is it.
Unique landscapes (I'm sure there's an arch in there somewhere)...
...with mountains in the background.
Confusing signs confusing people.North Window
More mountains while I wait for the others to climb up...
...Turret Arch. Of course, most people were taking pictures of the turrets on those two.
Still climbing around Turret Arch, providing a little perspective for their massive size. (The arches that is.)
North and South Window, combined to look like an eagle.
I think this is the North Window again with a rock hanging precariously...
...and a Chris waving on the left.
No caption needed... I just wish Shayna knew what she had coming. Somehow they claimed to be making fun of me when this picture was taken.
Do you see the Elephant Butte? (Yes, the one in the background.)
Double Arch
Climbing around inside Double Arch...
...and looking back at the trail. Look at the people walking to the arch for a better feel of how big it is.
If you click on it, you can see 4 arches in front of the mountains.

Posing...

...on a rock?

Or is that Atlas?

Meanwhile, Shayna keeps Balanced Rock balanced. That wasn't all for that day or for Arches National Park. But, it was time to head out and catch sunset at Canyonlands National Park, so stay tuned for Part V.

National Parks Tour - Part III

2010-05-07T00:34:00.000-04:00

From Bryce Canyon (National Parks Tour - Part II), we drove through Capitol Reef National Park and headed for Goblin Valley State Park. It's truly in the middle of nowhere, but if you happen to be driving through the middle of nowhere, you can't help but stop and play.

I don't know if it's bomb proof, but I'm sure this gas station will hold up in a storm as it's built right into the rock.

Now this looked dangerous, so I stopped and waited for the kid with no helmet to crash as he steered his mountain bike down the cliff. Fortunately for him, he didn't crash while I sat poised with the camera.

Here's the view of Goblin Valley. If you look close, you'll see some people standing on a hoodoo in the middle to provide some perspective.

Meanwhile, we headed off into the sunset...

...jumping from rock to rock...

...finding pigs atop hoodoos...

...people sitting on thrones...

...and Shayna riding a horse.

You don't need much of an imagination to see how the pig turned into a lizard atop the hoodoo as the sun set in the distance.

After hiking to the large white doom in the background of earlier pictures, we had a good view of the people below, wandering, running and hiding amidst the hoodoos...

...with snow capped mountains in the background...

...and a blurry leaping Joe.

Can you see the 3 people sitting on thrones? Too bad for the guy in the middle who had his head cut off and handed to him at his feet. Meanwhile, the guy on the left doesn't want to hear any of it and the lady on the right looks on contentedly.

Riding a turtle?...

...while Chris just looks on, making sure we don't get lost.

I should offer a reward for those you can correctly identify the green "stuff" that appeared on the railing as we ate our dinner. But I'm cheap, so I'll just tell you that it's stiff asparagus and there's a trash can just out of view of the camera. I don't have to explain the rest do I? Hopefully not because we had to pack up and head to Arches National Park where we would spend the next 1.5 days exploring!

National Parks Tour - Part II

2010-05-05T19:52:00.000-04:00

After hiking, rappelling and river walking in Zion, we headed to Bryce Canyon for some more adventures and amazing scenery. When planning this trip, I didn't anticipate snow in Bryce Canyon in April, but much to my enjoyment, there was still snow covering the canyon as we hiked across...

...but of course we had to get a handstand in first.

This panoramic was taken from either sunrise or sunset point. Click on it for the full effect.

Water, snowshoes and granola bars - check. Sunscreen - uncheck.

The famous "Wall Street" path was closed due to falling rocks, so we took a different trail down into the Canyon...

...offering spectacular views...

...lonely hoodoos...

...and new arches...

...with Chris holding them up. (After looking at this picture, we determined to feed him more on the next trip.)

Peek-a-boo...

...I see you.

I say this every time I'm there, but pictures just don't do Bryce any justice.

Click on the panoramic for another spectacular look back at Sunrise and Sunset Points.

Towering hoodoos...

...all grouped together.

I'm sure these pictures look the same to you, but when you're hiking through the canyon, every time you turn, it looks different as the sun and clouds dance across the horizon, casting shadows and rays on different areas.

We can't always be choreographed in our smiles...

...or our lonely walk up to Bryce Point. I'm sparing you (yes you, Mom) a picture of the sign we bypassed for the steep climb out.

Bryce Point - click on it for the full effect.

During the summer, there's a shuttle that can take you from Bryce Point back to your car... but not in April. I was confident we could hitchhike back. Much to my dismay, we ended up walking the 3 miles back to the car and were even turned down by pick-up trucks were we could have just hopped in the back. Oh well - it was good exercise anyways. But next time I'm going to try limping and see if we get any more sympathy.

Another cool arch - which you'll see plenty of in a future blog post. You'd think that would be enough adventuring for one day, but not for this crew. After driving for a few hours, we were on to more sunset adventures that you'll see in Part III, coming soon!

National Parks Tour - Part I

2010-05-04T22:09:00.002-04:00

You saw an interim report from this trip, but it's time for you to get a glimpse into this unique adventure. Arriving in Zion National Park, we aroused early, packed up camp and headed to the back country desk for our passes into Mystery Canyon. For those with good memories, you'll remember that Chris and I did this hike back in September, but that was before the snow. Here's the rest of the story...

An awesome view from the Visitors Center as the sun rose over the canyon walls.

After picking up our passes, we hopped on the shuttle and headed towards Weeping Rock, passing through the Canyon with these amazing views on the way.

Unfortunately, other then the trees, there's nothing to give you a good perspective of the sheer height of these rock walls.

One last view before we strapped on our packs and headed up towards Observation Point.

See the "weeping rock"?

Hiking up the Eastern face of the canyon, you get excellent views of the Western face as the sun continues to rise. If you look close, you can see a shuttle bus in the bottom right corner of the picture. How's that for perspective?

I'm not sure words can adequately describe the hike up as we cut into the face of the canyon.

An eerie scene along the trail.

Most of the canyons had snow melt rivers running through them...

...creating waterfalls...

...and deep gorges for peering into.

Most of you were probably enjoying budding trees by the second week of April, but not here.

One of my favorite views looking back down the canyon. We hiked up the canyon face on the left while Angels Landing, another popular hike, is in the forefront.

Standing on the edge, a couple of thousand feet straight up. Don't worry - this was probably the safest thing we did all day.

Unchoreographed and...

...choreographed handstands in the snow.

Mystery Canyon, but first we had to figure out how to get down into it...

...which included a few treacherous moments of scary slides where I graciously donated a few skin cells to the cause.

This gives you a little better perspective for the steep, icy, snow covered entrance into the canyon.

A great view of the canyon walls with a little water trickling down. The weather was beautiful for this snowy and...

...watery adventure. Our ultimate destination would be back to the Virgin River, at the base of the canyon. But first, we would don our wetsuits, rappelling about 10 times into snow melt waters. Shayna heads down here as Chris looks on.

Chris hooks in and heads down.

A neat view of Chris looking down.

It's not abstract painting, but a view up through the slot canyon with the sun shining on the wet walls.

Sometimes we used the rope, other times, logs.

This is a panoramic picture in an attempt to give you a feel for the sheer size of the walls overhanging the trail.

One last view from the top before we complete the last, and most exciting two rappels.

This 120 foot rappel was tons of fun, except that someone had to go first and get dunked in the icy spring you can barely see at the bottom.

Shayna heads down, hopping along the way. Looking for perspective? Find the guy at the bottom helping the others avoid the frigid pool.

This time we made it down without tangling all of the rope - just an added bonus.

We continued wading along, with one rappel remaining, and it would be...

...down a waterfall into the Virgin River below!

Shayna heads down the waterfall. Zooming in takes away the height perspective...

...until you try to find her at the bottom, along with some onlookers in dry suits. (The water temperature was in the 40's.)

I'm hoping you can click on this picture to enlarge it as it was an amazing view of the canyon with the river running through it.

Chris stays dry for one more moment after successfully rappelling down the waterfall.

One of my favorite pictures from the river.

Last time we did this, we walked out the river in the dark, doing some unintentional swimming. But after speeding through the hike, we had plenty of time to hike up river for some of these views.

Yes, this is almost the same picture, but I couldn't decide which I liked better.

We made it up river to Orderville Canyon, before deciding it was time to head back for some warmth.

The next morning we headed out, passing through the infamous tunnel with these views every so often.

One last view of Zion National Park as headed to our next adventure. Stay tuned for Part II - VI!

Scouting Mountains and Stomping Snow

2010-05-03T23:07:00.001-04:00

Only one measly post in April? How sad - but don't worry. I currently have ten blogs of pictures uploaded and waiting to be captioned! As usual, it is not the lack of pictures, but the lack of time to go through them all. But no rushing ahead - we must start back at the beginning - back before Easter that is!

Remember when the weather was warming and it seemed like Spring was here? For those who experienced 90 degree weather instead of snow this past weekend, maybe you don't. But here's a look at Scout Mountain with a cloud hanging over it.

We brought snowshoes in case there was still too much snow to be hiking in. But alas, in the car they stayed since the first few feet were clear. As you can see, that didn't last long, but who wants to go back?

And in case Spring really was here, Shayna had to ensure she got one more faceplant completed before the Spring thaw.

A great view with the trees covered in fresh snow at the base of the mountain.

Two hikers pretending not to care that their feet are frozen after hiking through deep snow without snowshoes that were still in the trunk.

No outing would be complete without it!

A herd of deer who were attempting to cross the road in front of me. Look close and I'm sure you'll see more.

Celebrating Easter in style!

Interim Adventure Report

2010-04-21T00:13:00.006-04:00

It has now been 20 days since I've posted any pictures, but I assure you it is not for lack pictures. Instead, it's lack of time to weed through the 2,000 pictures from the last few weekends. While I intend to give you a picture tour of those weekends, I've chosen a few pictures of the latest adventures, with a promise that the people pictures will come later!

The view of Zion National Park from Observation Point...

...before we did some canyoneering down into the Virgin River.

Next up was Bryce Canyon, still covered in snow...

...followed by Goblin Valley State Park.

Next, we stopped at Arches National Park...

...and Canyonlands for sunset.

Prior to heading home, we played in the Fiery Furnace. But that was just one long weekend, and hopefully it won't be too long before I get the rest of the pictures up for your viewing pleasure and the stories that make all adventures fun!

Hot, Cold, Up and Down

2010-03-30T23:06:00.000-04:00

It has been three months since the excitement of Christmas, Mr. Grinch and Handel's Messiah. But Easter is a joyous reminder of a Savior, who came to Earth as an example and teacher, suffered a horrendous death and fulfilled the prophecies of the Old and New Testament by rising again. Why? Because He loves me. Because He loves you. Because He wanted to provide the gift of eternal life to all who will believe on Him, trust Him with everything and follow His paths of righteousness.

The story is beautiful, but the reality of a risen Savior is an even greater privelege as we speed through life spending more time with Him, learning more about the depths of his mercy and willingness to provide grace to all who will believe!

While I cannot compete with the story of Easter, I did promise a good story from Jason on our recent snowmobiling adventure. After having some mechanical problems early on, Jason and our boss, Mike, got split up from our group and headed the opposite direction in an attempt to meet back up with us. Jason was leading the way down the trails and turned off the main trail to an ungroomed trail, perfect for climbing mountains - something he probably wasn't ready for his first time on a snowmobile. Realizing they weren't going the way they had intended, they decided to turnaround. Mike got turned around and headed off, leaving Jason, well... where was Jason? After waiting a few minutes with no signs of him, Mike turns back around and comes up on Jason just standing in the road with no snowmobile in sight. Of course that seemed a little strange but after Mike pulls up, Jason just points over the bank were you could follow the tracks down to a....

...tree. While Jason thought for sure he had just purchased a wrecked snowmobile that would be stuck in a valley until Spring, Mike was more determined to at least make an attempt at retrieval. So after a few pictures, they headed down the embankment for a closer look.

The hill was so steep they just slid down and discovered the snowmobile, seemingly intact and still running! While that provided some hope, they were at least 60 vertical feet of waist deep powder from getting the sled back.

Oh, and that little ditch you see the snowmobile sitting in - that's a running ravine under the snow, just soft enough to ensure they would be turning this sled around in a couple feet of water! (This would be confirmed later when they dumped considerable amounts of water out of their boots at the end of the day.)

After getting the snowmobile turned around and with their remaining luck, Team Arctic Cat (three families of serious sledders) stopped by with time to spare and a will to help. Of course, they had their own serious of questions like, "Did you come into the turn a little too hot?" and "Did you at least ride it down?" Ahem... no, and no Jason would reply. "I was just turning around and kind of fell off!" So, after an hour of pushing a snowmobile uphill in waist deep snow, along with the assistance of some ropes and two snowmobiles pulling up top... Mike and Jason finally crested the embankment with their fill of exercise for one day.

The next weekend started with an early morning hike up Taylor Mountain to watch the sun rise near the Teton's. Here's a view of the Teton's and a few windmills before the sun made its appearance.

There it is!

If you look close, you can see the sun and the Teton's in one view. I'm always amazed at how fast the sun moves when it is cresting the horizon.

Being a former ski resort, hoping up on a broken chair lift was mandatory...

...as well as hanging from it...

...and of course doing a handstand!

I've always had a fascination with snow plows (think of all the early mornings I would jump out of bed when I'd hear the snow plows coming down the street so I could watch them intently.) Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I did this just a few months ago. The only difference is that my hope for a snow day has long since vanished.

On our way down the mountain there were some great views of the Idaho terrain that we couldn't see in the

dark on our way up.

Moving on to last weekend, we got in another new adventure. We headed towards Salmon, which included a few stretches of canyon roads...

...pretty views of the varied Idaho terrain...

...some of which remind me of Southern Utah.

When the sign says "Watch for Rocks", you can see why, especially after a good rain.

More scenic driving through the canyons and along the river.

Soon enough, we would arrive at the trailhead for Goldbug hot springs. Can you see the "U" in the top of the mountains? The hot springs are just below that.

So after a quick two mile hike...

...an abandoned cabin...

...and great views......we arrived at the hot springs!There was plenty of room for playing round, standing under waterfalls...

...and many different pool temperatures to chose from.

Did I already mention the great views looking down the valley as the sun set? After a long soak in the hot springs and under the waterfalls, we took a moonlit jog back to the car and headed home, because there was still one day of skiing left!

Saturday brought another great opportunity for skiing. While many people seemingly gave up on the season, we enjoyed more fresh powder and of course...

...great views of the Teton's!

With fresh powder on an adjoining peak, we even hiked to the top of this ridge...

...and made some of the first tracks down. You can see where Chris went off a jump (middle of the picture), complete with the windmill affect as he landed it nicely, Shayna made the "S" turns on the right of the tree line while I went down through the trees followed by a straight shot to the bottom. While it doesn't look that exhilarating, if you look at the top, you'll see two people providing some perspective.

Then we had to take advantage of this jump while the powder at the bottom was still soft.

Chris going off a jump farther down...

...followed by ball of powder as he lands his body in the snow.

There's a lot to digest in this picture, so take your time. You've got a man in a yellow suit, a sign that says they'll take away your ski pass if you die and the Teton's. Oh, and three skiers who had a great last day of down skiing at Grand Targhee.

A picture perfect ending to another good weekend. Well, almost. Apparently the weekend wouldn't be complete without getting pulled over twice within 24 hours. Nope, not speeding, not doing anything dangerous. The first time, my car apparently matched the description of someone who had been driving around shooting a BB gun. But, before the officer had even made it to the window, he was already apologizing because "it obviously wasn't us". I took that as a complement and continued on my way. The next day they wanted to make sure there was nothing illegal in the car and nobody was on probation. The hilarity of the situation occurred when Shayna offered her ski pass as the only form of ID. That didn't work so after a stern warning (in between discussions about the ski conditions) to get my license plates cleaned, we continued home. And there you have it - another couple of weekends complete as we spring into April!