:: May 10, 2006 ::

Trippin' in the Southwest

Ski season is over... it actually ended April 18th for
me, but Breckenridge stayed open util April 23rd.

I tried to write an email before i left on this trip,
but things got pretty crazy and i never got around to
it. Instead, here are mike's words about the end of
season:

------------------------------------------------------

WeLL - it's shoulder season here in Breck - Mud
Season, vacation time for most of us seasonal
employees. Ben's ski shop is closed - my hotel is
open, but i'm out bitches...gone to the great
southwest for 6 weeks. We leave - tomorrow.

This past week has been epic - well, more than epic.
If you can think of a better word for something that
transcends epicness of a vast scale i would like to
get some feedback because Ben and i have been
searching for the right word.

Parties, bonfires, kegs and riding at A-basin in 60
degree weather, knee or waist deep powder days,
bikinis in the snow, dressing up in ridiculous attire
more times than i ever did as a child, insanely
incredible live music ventures back to Denver,
Boulder, etc., and more random moments than you can
shake a stick at all have summed up one of the
craziest winters i never could have imagined.


Tomorrow night we should be in Moab, then alot of Utah
hiking - slot canyons and what have you - then onto
the Grand Canyon where we will attempt to reach the
bottom and see it for all its glory - then alot of
desert hiking in Arizona working our way down to
Sedona and then Tucson - then onto Mexico where we
will hope to not be ambushed and killed. Back up and
around to Havasu Falls, Vegas and loop it back home.
Very very hot weather awaits, entirely not what we're
used to. Our internal thermometers were reset this
winter - skiing in -20degree at the base / -40 degree
at the top - that was the coldest day i experienced -
made all the rest of the days at 0 - 5 degree seem
normal and 20 degrees plus was warm, damn warm,
t-shirt weather.... 90 degrees in the shade in
Arizona is going to feel like a convection oven. I
hope to come back brown.

Hopefully i am going to make it back to VA for my
nephews 4th birthday on the weekend of the 10th of
June - i hope to see some of you, if not, there are
some weddings in the near future for some friends who
fell into that trap (only kidding). If you can, meet
up w/ us in vegas near the 1st of june - if not - come
out to Breck in the summer and camp out w/ the black
bears and ben and i.

-------------------------------------------------------

Here are mine again:

So begins the crazyiness and absolute joy of freedom
again. Mike and I have decided to take a month long
trip down through utah, arizona, mexico, back to
vegas, and home again in coloroado.

We have grand plans of making a dvd or something of a
slide show for the winter season, and most likely what
will become of this spring trip. I've just bought an
800 dollar digital camera, and mike has a pretty good
camcorder, so theres plenty of electronics filling our
car. The subaru is going to make this journey instead
of mikes larger and roomier honda element. But, fair
is fair, since we took his car last time, and it is
jut the two of us this time. The subaru has faired
nicely so far.

So far, we've partied hard the last few days of the
ski season, having a keg on the 'beach' at A-basin,
throwing a house warming party at the end of the
season... go figure, and then skiing the last skiable
day at breck and then heading off for moab, ut to see
our old college friend, Derek. He lives just outside
of moab in a yurt he and his wife built. they showed
us around moab, to the moab brewery which does 15 cent
wings(mike plans to eat 50 on our way back through),
and then the long drive back to his place. They don't
like to advertise where they live, and we were on of
the first to visit the new land. It's an amazing
place, something that i would not think that two
people could manage on their own. But Derek and cindy
are more than resourceful enough. I helped fix a
generator, learned to slackrope walk(think tightrope
walking), came up with design ideas for making the
yurt more energy efficient, played outside darts and
washers, and tried some mountain biking around the
property. Everything starts out as crazy ideas, but
they manage to make things work. While I'm on the trip
and have internet access, i'm looking into how to make
juniper gin. They have loads of juniper trees around,
and it is possible to make gin out of their berries.

So, after we sobered up, we heading south through many
a slot canyon. Canyonlands and Capitol Reef(the
northern cathedral valley) where we saw the Temple of
the Moon and Sun right as the sun was setting. We hit
a state park as well, goblin valley, and saw the
hoodoos and little wild horse canyon, a 9 mile loop
through some nice wide slot canyons. We hiked the
escalante river to see Phipps Arch. There were three
river crossings and mike dropped his shoe on the last
one. The current was fast, at least faster than i
could run after the shoe. so he hike out of the trail
with just one shoe. Then to lower calf creek falls,
where we took a very very cold shower.

Then down to Hole in the Rock road in Escalante/Grand
Staircase national monument. We squeezed through
peekaboo and spooky slot canyons, which i had done
last august. we tried a different route, and tried to
get another slot canyon in that day, but it required
some technical climbing and it was damn hot. Instead,
we drove on to Broken Bow Arch, which is huge. The
cottonwood trees were just releasing their seeds, so
it looked like snow in the canyon.

The next day was a day trip down and out of Coyote
Gulch. I had attempted this one as well last august,
but couldn't find the one way down. Instead, this time
we did the trail in reverse and went down what was
called 'crack in the wall', hiked upstream, and
climbed out a 45 degree slope up. It was absolutely
beautiful, pictographs, 3 arches, gorgeous scenery
everywhere. Then the long walk back to the car in open
desert and full sun for 2 miles.

Then to Buckskin Gulch and 'the wave'. The water pools
in buckskin were so cold that after getting through
them, we just kept walking down the canyon hoping to
find a way out so we didn;t have to come back through.
no luck as it was getting late and we had to get out
of the canyon before dark. The wave requires a lottery
to get a permit, which we didn;t want to wait for, so
we just gps'ed the location and drove on down the road
and dead reckoned it. my coordinates weren't quite
right, so we found 'the wave 2'. not as good as the
overly photographed one, but the canyon down to the
touristy section was nice.

Finally into Arizona, we drove through Page, and this
was our first real experience with civilization the
whole trip. After finding that it was too late to pay
for antelope canyon, which is run by the navajo tribe,
we went to waterholes canyon. It's accessed right off
a bridge, and a car had fallen into the ravine and
gotten lodged there. So, to get into the canyon, you
now have to climb down this car. The canyon got too
steep and we headed back to antelope. The indians had
all gone home, so we poached the canyon and did our
own tour of the lower section.

the next day we paid for the upper section, but it had
lost its awe appeal since we'd seen so many already.
But we had the Grand Canyon waiting for us. We did the
touristy things in the late afternoon and talked to
the ranger about a loop hike. I had wanted to do a
similar hike that my mom and dad did back in 1975.
However, it was booked up and overcrowded. Instead we
did the Tanner-Escalanted-New Hance loop. 30 miles of
absolute splendor. We camped on beaches everynight for
3 nights right by the colorado river. Saw two
rattlesnakes. Well over 10000 feet in elevation
gain/loss during the hike. It was so tough carrying
all that weight since we had mostly been dayhiking,
but the destination each day was more than worth it.
On our hike out we me a nice couple that was from
flagstaff. they told us of a nice brewery to visit,
and the girl ended up missing her bus, so we all hung
out. We were going to stay with her at a hostel next
to the brewery, but frugality overcame us, since we
haven't paid for a place to say yet in two weeks, and
we drove out to meteor crator and camped just outside.

If you've seen the movie starman, the end scene is
shot here and i visited here with my parents when i
was a child. It just looks like another mountain, but
to think how it was made is pretty awsome.

Sedona, Az must be where all the people from Vail go
when winter is over. There are huge houses here and
you have to pay to park at all the trailheads. We saw
three arches in one day, and did 8 miles of hiking all
in 3 different hikes.

Visited Montezuma's well and castle, both very
interesting old indian cliff dwellings. Right next to
the area is Arcosanti. This hippie commune tried to
develop there, but they are still trying to get the
funding going and merge urban architecture into
nature. The word of the day is arcology = architecture
+ ecology.

Sagaruo cactus are starting to pop up all around now
that we are near Phoenix. Going to camp in what we
hope is a lake filled with water. The river feeding it
was completely dry, and it's pretty hot here already
in May. Plus, I need a shower

We're making good time, and all we have left to do is
vist my cousin in phoenix, our friend in tuscon, and
then drive on down to mexico... more updates and
hopefully pictures to come....

ben.

______________________________________________
LLama Gratis a cualquier PC del Mundo.
Llamadas a fijos y móviles desde 1 céntimo por minuto.
http://es.voice.yahoo.com

.: Ben Hansen :: 8:44 AM [+] 0 comments

.AFOOT.and.light-hearted,.I.take.to.the.open.road,.Healthy,.free,.the.world.before.me,.The.long.brown.path.before.me,.le
ading.wherever.I.choose....Henceforth.I.ask.not.good-fortune-I.myself.am.good.fortune;.Henceforth.I.whimper.no.more,.pos
tpone.no.more,.need.nothing,..........Strong.and.content,.I.travel.the.open.road....The.earth-that.is.sufficient;.I.do.n
ot.want.the.constellations.any.nearer;.I.know.they.are.very.well.where.they.are;.I.know.they.suffice.for.those.who.belon
g.to.them.......Still.here.I.carry.my.old.delicious.burdens;.I.carry.them,.men.and.women-I.carry.them.with.me.wherever.I
.go;.I.swear.it.is.impossible.for.me.to.get.rid.of.them;.I.am.fill'd.with.them,.and.I.will.fill.them.in.return.)....You.
road.I.enter.upon.and.look.around!.I.believe.you.are.not.all.that.is.here;....I.believe.that.much.unseen.is.also.here...
.Here.the.profound.lesson.of.reception,.neither.preference.or.denial;.The.black.with.his.woolly.head,.the.felon,.the.dis
eas'd,.the.illiterate.person,.are.not.denied;.The.birth,.the.hasting.after.the.physician,.the.beggar's.tramp,.the.drunka
rd's.stagger,.the.laughing.party.of.mechanics,.The.escaped.youth,.the.rich.person's.carriage,.the.fop,.the.eloping.coupl
e,....The.early.market-man,.the.hearse,.the.moving.of.furniture.into.the.town,.the.return.back.from.the.town,.They.pass-
I.also.pass-anything.passes-none.can.be.interdicted;.None.but.are.accepted-none.but.are.dear.to.me..You.air.that.serves.
me.with.breath.to.speak!.You.objects.that.call.from.diffusion.my.meanings,.and.give.them.shape!....You.light.that.wraps.
me.and.all.things.in.delicate.equable.showers!.You.paths.worn.in.the.irregular.hollows.by.the.roadsides!.I.think.you.are
.latent.with.unseen.existences-you.are.so.dear.to.me....You.flagg'd.walks.of.the.cities!.you.strong.curbs.at.the.edges!.
You.ferries!.you.planks.and.posts.of.wharves!.you.timber-lined.sides!.you.distant.ships!....You.rows.of.houses!.you.wind
ow-pierc'd.façades!.you.roofs!.You.porches.and.entrances!.you.copings.and.iron.guards!.You.windows.whose.transparent.she
lls.might.expose.so.much!.You.doors.and.ascending.steps!.you.arches!.You.gray.stones.of.interminable.pavements!.you.trod
den.crossings!....From.all.that.has.been.near.you,.I.believe.you.have.imparted.to.yourselves,.and.now.would.impart.the.s
ame.secretly.to.me;From.the.living.and.the.dead.I.think.you.have.peopled.your.impassive.surfaces,.and.the.spirits.thereo
f.would.be.evident.and.amicable.with.me.....The.earth.expanding.right.hand.and.left.hand,.The.picture.alive,.every.part.
in.its.best.light,.The.music.falling.in.where.it.is.wanted,.and.stopping.where.it.is.not.wanted,....The.cheerful.voice.o
f.the.public.road-the.gay.fresh.sentiment.of.the.road....O.highway.I.travel!.O.public.road!.do.you.say.to.me,.Do.not.lea
ve.me?.Do.you.say,.Venture.not?.If.you.leave.me,.you.are.lostDo.you.say,.I.am.already.prepared-I.am.well-beaten.and.unde
nied-adhere.to.me?.O.public.road!.I.say.back,.I.am.not.afraid.to.leave.you-yet.I.love.you;....You.express.me.better.than
.I.can.express.myself;.You.shall.be.more.to.me.than.my.poem....I.think.heroic.deeds.were.all.conceiv'd.in.the.open.air,.
and.all.great.poems.also;.I.think.I.could.stop.here.myself,.and.do.miracles;.My.judgments,.thoughts,.I.henceforth.try.by
.the.open.air,.the.road;)....I.think.whatever.I.shall.meet.on.the.road.I.shall.like,.and.whoever.beholds.me.shall.like.m
e;.I.think.whoever.I.see.must.be.happy.....From.this.hour,.freedom!.From.this.hour.I.ordain.myself.loos'd.of.limits.and.
imaginary.lines,.Going.where.I.list,.my.own.master,.total.and.absolute,....Listening.to.others,.and.considering.well.wha
t.they.say,.Pausing,.searching,.receiving,.contemplating,.Gently,.but.with.undeniable.will,.divesting.myself.of.the.hold
s.that.would.hold.me....I.inhale.great.draughts.of.space;.The.east.and.the.west.are.mine,.and.the.north.and.the.south.ar
e.mine.......I.am.larger,.better.than.I.thought;.I.did.not.know.I.held.so.much.goodness....All.seems.beautiful.to.me;.I.
can.repeat.over.to.men.and.women,.You.have.done.such.good.to.me,.I.would.do.the.same.to.you....I.will.recruit.for.myself
.and.you.as.I.go;....I.will.scatter.myself.among.men.and.women.as.I.go;.I.will.toss.the.new.gladness.and.roughness.among
.them;.Whoever.denies.me,.it.shall.not.trouble.me;.Whoever.accepts.me,.he.or.she.shall.be.blessed,.and.shall.bless.me...
..Now.if.a.thousand.perfect.men.were.to.appear,.it.would.not.amaze.me;....Now.if.a.thousand.beautiful.forms.of.women.app
ear'd,.it.would.not.astonish.me....Now.I.see.the.secret.of.the.making.of.the.best.persons,.It.is.to.grow.in.the.open.air
,.and.to.eat.and.sleep.with.the.earth....Here.a.great.personal.deed.has.room;.A.great.deed.seizes.upon.the.hearts.of.the
.whole.race.of.men,....Its.effusion.of.strength.and.will.overwhelms.law,.and.mocks.all.authority.and.all.argument.agains
t.it....Here.is.the.test.of.wisdom;.Wisdom.is.not.finally.tested.in.schools;.Wisdom.cannot.be.pass'd.from.one.having.it,
.to.another.not.having.it;.Wisdom.is.of.the.Soul,.is.not.susceptible.of.proof,.is.its.own.proof,....Applies.to.all.stage
s.and.objects.and.qualities,.and.is.content,.Is.the.certainty.of.the.reality.and.immortality.of.things,.and.the.excellen
ce.of.things;.Something.there.is.in.the.float.of.the.sight.of.things.that.provokes.it.out.of.the.Soul...Now.I.reëxamine.
philosophies.and.religions,They.may.prove.well.in.lecture-rooms,.yet.not.prove.at.all.under.the.spacious.clouds,.and.alo
ng.the.landscape.and.flowing.currents.......Here.is.realization;.Here.is.a.man.tallied-he.realizes.here.what.he.has.in.h
im;.The.past,.the.future,.majesty,.love-if.they.are.vacant.of.you,.you.are.vacant.of.them....Only.the.kernel.of.every.ob
ject.nourishes;.Where.is.he.who.tears.off.the.husks.for.you.and.me?....Where.is.he.that.undoes.stratagems.and.envelopes.
for.you.and.me?...Here.is.adhesiveness-it.is.not.previously.fashion'd-it.is.apropos;.Do.you.know.what.it.is,.as.you.pass
,.to.be.loved.by.strangers?.Do.you.know.the.talk.of.those.turning.eye-balls?....Here.is.the.efflux.of.the.Soul;....The.e
fflux.of.the.Soul.comes.from.within,.through.embower'd.gates,.ever.provoking.questions:.These.yearnings,.why.are.they?.T
hese.thoughts.in.the.darkness,.why.are.they?.Why.are.there.men.and.women.that.while.they.are.nigh.me,.the.sun-light.expa
nds.my.blood?.Why,.when.they.leave.me,.do.my.pennants.of.joy.sink.flat.and.lank?.Why.are.there.trees.I.never.walk.under,
.but.large.and.melodious.thoughts.descend.upon.me?....I.think.they.hang.there.winter.and.summer.on.those.trees,.and.alwa
ys.drop.fruit.as.I.pass;).What.is.it.I.interchange.so.suddenly.with.strangers?.What.with.some.driver,.as.I.ride.on.the.s
eat.by.his.side?.What.with.some.fisherman,.drawing.his.seine.by.the.shore,.as.I.walk.by,.and.pause?.What.gives.me.to.be.
free.to.a.woman's.or.man's.good-will?.What.gives.them.to.be.free.to.mine?.......The.efflux.of.the.Soul.is.happiness-here
.is.happiness;.I.think.it.pervades.the.open.air,.waiting.at.all.times;.Now.it.flows.unto.us-we.are.rightly.charged....He
re.rises.the.fluid.and.attaching.character;.The.fluid.and.attaching.character.is.the.freshness.and.sweetness.of.man.and.
woman;....The.herbs.of.the.morning.sprout.no.fresher.and.sweeter.every.day.out.of.the.roots.of.themselves,.than.it.sprou
ts.fresh.and.sweet.continually.out.of.itself.)...Toward.the.fluid.and.attaching.character.exudes.the.sweat.of.the.love.o

f.young.and.old;.From.it.falls.distill'd.the.charm.that.mocks.beauty.and.attainments;.Toward.it.heaves.the.shuddering.lo
nging.ache.of.contact.....Allons!.whoever.you.are,.come.travel.with.me!....Traveling.with.me,.you.find.what.never.tires.
...The.earth.never.tires;.The.earth.is.rude,.silent,.incomprehensible.at.first-Nature.is.rude.and.incomprehensible.at.fi
rst;.Be.not.discouraged-keep.on-there.are.divine.things,.well.envelop'd;.I.swear.to.you.there.are.divine.things.more.bea
utiful.than.words.can.tell.......Allons!.we.must.not.stop.here!.However.sweet.these.laid-up.stores-however.convenient.th
is.dwelling,.we.cannot.remain.here;.However.shelter'd.this.port,.and.however.calm.these.waters,.we.must.not.anchor.here;
.However.welcome.the.hospitality.that.surrounds.us,.we.are.permitted.to.receive.it.but.a.little.while......Allons!.the.i
nducements.shall.be.greater;....We.will.sail.pathless.and.wild.seas;.We.will.go.where.winds.blow,.waves.dash,.and.the.Ya
nkee.clipper.speeds.by.under.full.sail....Allons!.with.power,.liberty,.the.earth,.the.elements!.Health,.defiance,.gayety
,.self-esteem,.curiosity;.Allons!.from.all.formules!....From.your.formules,.O.bat-eyed.and.materialistic.priests!...The.
stale.cadaver.blocks.up.the.passage-the.burial.waits.no.longer....Allons!.yet.take.warning!.He.traveling.with.me.needs.t
he.best.blood,.thews,.endurance;.None.may.come.to.the.trial,.till.he.or.she.bring.courage.and.health.......Come.not.here
.if.you.have.already.spent.the.best.of.yourself;.Only.those.may.come,.who.come.in.sweet.and.determin'd.bodies;.No.diseas
'd.person-no.rum-drinker.or.venereal.taint.is.permitted.here....I.and.mine.do.not.convince.by.arguments,.similes,.rhymes
;.We.convince.by.our.presence.........Listen!.I.will.be.honest.with.you;.I.do.not.offer.the.old.smooth.prizes,.but.offer
.rough.new.prizes;.These.are.the.days.that.must.happen.to.you:...You.shall.not.heap.up.what.is.call'd.riches,.You.shall.
scatter.with.lavish.hand.all.that.you.earn.or.achieve,....You.but.arrive.at.the.city.to.which.you.were.destin'd-you.hard
ly.settle.yourself.to.satisfaction,.before.you.are.call'd.by.an.irresistible.call.to.depart,.You.shall.be.treated.to.the