September 2008
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‘Tis the Season
The summer harvest is drawing to a close and I’m feeling mighty pleased with myself for being so ‘green.’ I don’t mean jealous, either. What I do mean is ‘green’ in all the trendy ways – urban gardening, energy conservation, healthy eating, and exercising. Instead of getting in my car to drive to the grocery ...read more
Next on the Agenda: Morocco
I always like to have a trip to look forward to; in fact, I think I’m outdoing even myself with the next one coming up in November: MOROCCO! It’s been ten years since I found myself with 4 complete strangers taking the ferry across the Mediterranean from Algeciras, Spain, to Tangier, Morocco. My college friend ...read more
Urban Outdoor Woes
I’ve been back in DC two weeks now, and I was in desperate need of my outdoor fix. I headed straight for the Billy Goat Trail, the best little outdoor challenge nearby. Hiking along the rocky outcroppings next to the Potomac River is one of my favorite ways to combine being outside with my balance ...read more
Parting Shots
So long for now, Utah!
Day 5: Zion National Park Backpacking Trip
It was the last day of Sol’s Zion National Park Backpacking Trip (technically just outside of official park boundaries). The only thing worse than setting up camp in a rainstorm is breaking camp in a rainstorm. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful to have made it through the night, but waking up to heavy ...read more
Day 4: Zion National Park Backpacking Trip
Today was Saturday on our Zion National Park backpacking trip, and predictions of Sunday afternoon thunderstorms were weighing heavily on my mind. I decided to stage our last night of camping as close to the exit route as possible; if the rains came in early, at least we could make it off the river and ...read more
Day 3: Zion National Park Backpacking Trip
The cameras were out like paparazzi today as we encountered one mind boggling overhang after another. We got lucky, ran into fewer patches of quicksand, and settled into a nice rhythm and flow of river walking. We rolled in to our sleeping quarters around 5 pm, hungry and getting tired. It wasn’t the Ritz Carlton ...read more
Day 2: Zion National Park Backpacking Trip
Technically speaking, the first several miles of Sol’s Redrock Backpacker, Southwestern, Utah trip are not too challenging. What does exist of the Virgin River is underground at this point, creating a compact and flat dry river bed. Occasionally we would opt to follow the 4-wheel drive road instead, which would take us up small sand ...read more
Day 1: Zion National Park Backpacking Trip
You all saw my prize rattlesnake in an earlier post, but the reconnaisance for this trip wasn’t all fun and games. Here’s the real story of the pre-Redrock Backpacker: Zion Outskirts, Utah scouting trip. It began around 7 am, when Lindy and I hit the road and left Orem to make the 5 hour drive ...read more
Zion National Park Backpacking Trip
What does one say after an encounter with the wild like we experienced on Sol’s Zion National Park backpacking trip last week? The excitement alone makes everyday life feel mundane, the spectrum of canyon reds fades all the green of the city to colorless. I feel like I’m coming off of a high. I think ...read more
