Hello again - summer's almost over!

Well I have had a pretty good summer. Super busy, but despite that I have found time to pursue my favorite pastime: whitewater kayaking.
I saw this video today, and was completely awestruck. This guy is ridiculously amazing. The double waterfall at 0:14 and1:50 completely blew me away at how aggressively he just rocked them both.

This is exactly the type of thing that inspires me (and most whitewater kayakers) to do what we do. (which is a lot less awesome at our skill level, but maybe someday...)
Hey I hope to post some more as soon as I get moved into my new place. auf wiedersehen!

Its been a while... Should I blog differently?

Well it has been a long time since I have posted. It's tough because if i post pictures (which is usually the reason I make a post) I find it a hassle to put them up both on my Facebook and this blog. I'll post one photo because I didn't put it on my Facebook.

This was when I was just at my family reunion in Washington, and went for a quick solo Canoe trip, so I thought i would document it (gotta love how handy cell phones have become).

So but this all begs a question that I want to ask all of you - should I keep going on how I've been blogging, or should I change my blog to less of a "this is what I've been doing" and more to a place that I can write up my opinions on various topics, post things I find funny, or the such. I would probably post things that I write on here (I've started to try to write fiction in my little free time). I realize that we hear enough opinions (especially from me if I start talking, hehe) so you might not want that.

Here's a quick example - I was shown this funny ad:
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=16179805&cat=196&s_cid=S0001
Apparently this is a very manly pontoon boat, as described voluminously by the seller.


So please let me know what you think! To blog the same? or to blog differently? Thanks!

NYC trip videos!

here are a few videos from my trip, as promised. They're from my statue of liberty trip, visit to the Museum of Natural history, and the Mets v. Pirates game.

This is a video of the Brain exhibit in the Museum of Natural history - it was pretty neat
the flashing lights are different wires they put up along the sides as you entered the exhibit, to represent brain synapses/neurons.

Mets game - Pirates a grey, Mets in white. A pirate steals second

This time the Mets are up at bat! and this guy gets a good single

well there you are, nothing to super special or exciting, but i thought i'd just post them!

New York City and Boston Trip!

Well this last week I visited my awesome sister Karene who lives in Manhattan. It was pretty awesome, and I have many pictures to prove this. It took me forever to upload them onto my facebook account, however, and so I will just give everyone a link to my albums!

my NYC experience:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150194512468951.316346.699223950&l=03acaf3b93


Visiting Boston:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150195031768951.316525.699223950&l=3aaf9efeb3


So there you are! It was really neat and I had a ton of fun. I think from all of the running around Karene got so tired she won't want me to visit again. hmmm... maybe I can use that as leverage. ;)


I have a few videos from the trip, and I think i will post those here on my blog this time, rather than FB.
until next time!

Provo River (Bridal Veil) Kayak run!

As I write this blog I think i still have traces of adrenaline in my body from todays ridiculously awesome trip. I went with a couple cool guys, Chris H. and Brad W., and Jessica W. came too to take pictures and enjoy the beautiful day. Thanks for the great pictures, Jess!

we didn't run the whole "Bridal Veil" river run, the upper part is too technical for me right now, so we just put in after all of the crazy stuff!

The river was pretty much continuous whitewater (mostly just easy class II), and a couple large rapids. It was easily the most intense and awesome run i have ever been on, and i enjoyed every minute of it. Even the moment that i got rolled and lost my paddle and had to pull my sprayskirt. I just got to shore and hitchhiked on the highway the rest of the way (there are just no eddies to pull boats and people to the sides!). Luckily the guys were able to keep track of my boat, but I lost my paddle. :(

Us putting in

 Yellow Helmet = Me, Blue boat = Brad, Other Orange boat = Chris

So there it is! I now unfortunately have a couple things to purchase (paddle, wetsuit, new neoprene boots, float bags...), but it was still so much more awesome than I can describe. Just ask anyone I told about it how excited i was hours afterwards just telling the story. (In reality i still have hope for my paddle - i'm going to check where the Provo empties into Utah lake for it tomorrow - they float)

well until next time!

Goblin Valley camping trip!

So Harry and Sarah and I went on a camping trip to Goblin Valley. It was pretty sweet. We first went to Wild Horse Canyon, and then to the famous Goblin Valley.Heres some pictures and videos to give you a taste of our experience

Intrepid packer Harrison

our trusty steed - the Tacoma

Nothing better eating breakfast in victory stance

(Japan)

posing trying to block out the ugly camper behind me

Here is looking back at the beginning of the Canyon hike - it was about an 8 mile loop

Me having fun just "a randin' around!"

this was a natural desire for everyone with all of the cool rock formations

this was one of the more narrow parts - this was a pretty neat part of the hike

we went to the right

When i put the camera on timer it fell over and it took the picture before i could set it back up and get back to the group, but i like this picture anyways!

Men climb rock

me testing to see if this hole in the rock wall was a good place to set it for a timer... but i like this shot too!

Sarah is just awe-inspired by Harrison's agility

The one thing deserts have that is pretty is how many different colors the rocks and dirt can be. here it may be hard to make out, but this rock shelf was very purple

Now this is our first look at Goblin Valley, peppered with lots of these odd rock formations and tons of people just "a randin' around!" (inside joke of the trip)

I decided to shimmy down a different way here

well, there it is! it was another very fun trip. I'm pretty sure we would all go to the same area again. see you next time!