tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74290116566436316652024-03-24T03:10:29.930-05:00Heather and Scott's AdventuresHeather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.comBlogger237125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-68970785990504434492019-10-04T16:24:00.000-05:002019-10-04T20:32:26.532-05:00Bike/Ferry Trip to Alaska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The idea started one day during some downtime at our favorite kitesurfing/surfing spot in Baja. Scott suggested we "bike to Alaska". What!? We had just finished reading a memoir of a young, unprepared guy who biked from Oregon to Patagonia. We also happened to have a Lonely Planet Alaska on our reading devices. After we thought about it a bit, we started to get excited about the possibility.<br />
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Over the proceeding months, we waffled back and forth about really doing it. Though we had road biked and mountain biked for years (OK, decades), we had never bike toured. We had also never camped in a tent (save for the 2 times in '97 on Mt. St. Helens and Adams).<br />
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Sometime at the beginning of June, we made the call to do it. We scrambled to do research, buy all the gear (both biking *and* camping gear), and start the trip while the weather was still favorable. Thanks to our friends Robyn and Doug, who just happened to need a house/dog sitter, we had a temporary home base in Portland to gear up. We finally started in the middle of July.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every horizontal surface at Robyn and Doug's was covered in boxes from REI, Amazon, and Sierra Trading Post.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our second day on the road with beautiful Mt. Adams in the background</td></tr>
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The trip took us from Hood River, Oregon up to Seward, Alaska. Our lovely friend, Michelle, wisely concerned for our safety, drove us across the river and up the narrow winding road a bit, so we actually didn't start in Hood River. We biked north up to the tip of Vancouver Island finally reaching Prince William Sound, Alaska, using 9 ferries along the way.<br />
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Let's just say, we learned a lot. We learned what it was like to bike with 50-70 lbs of extra weight (per person). We learned how to camp - tent, pads, sleeping bags, hammocks, stove, bear spray, cold showers with a water bottle. We also learned how to buy food for only 1-2 days at a time, which was a challenge for two people that make Labradors seem indifferent to food.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camping at Potlach State Park on the Olympic Peninsula<br />
The tidal changes are so huge that the beach disappears and pictures like this happen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the tide to peak at Miller Peninsula State Park so that we could setup our (illegal) camp.<br />
We had just enough room between the water and the cliffs to setup our tent.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stayed two days at this gorgeous camp spot<br />
Smugglers Cove Park on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another beautiful camp spot (never mind the explosion on the picnic table)<br />
Lois Lake, Sunshine Coast British Columbia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening walk<br />
Sayward, Vancouver Island, British Columbia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon rock-and-stick baseball<br />
Near Woss, Vancouver Island, BC</td></tr>
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The most unique part of the trip was our ability to camp on the deck of the 2 long ferries (3 days/2 nights each). Talk about a view! The "Inside Passage" weaves between islands and peninsulas along the British Columbia and Alaska coastline for 3-4 days. We had great weather for most of it. The last ferry across the gulf of Alaska wasn't as scenic, because for most of it, there was nothing but rolling waves that made us a little seasick.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first ferry, from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria on Vancouver Island<br />
We were glad we brought the binoculars to ogle the whales</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our arrival to Victoria, Vancouver Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseshoe Bay, BC</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port Hardy at the north end of Vancouver Island<br />
The launching point for many days and nights of ferrying</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The newest ferry we rode - it felt like we were boarding a spaceship<br />
This was the 16-hour day trip from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sqNWgXTaTXuNDh0pdTLCoG13wMParvIm2vgN0yXGcr_p6CXQSMpDxVVX6tcCFkeXSq13gnJljb2D3HzPnDDxZQW1EBAuusgMzoZ0JGcW2TSDKcNyHiTqZPyw9IYZaYhsFeTjnYkMQ57o/s1600/IMG_20190806_122200005_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sqNWgXTaTXuNDh0pdTLCoG13wMParvIm2vgN0yXGcr_p6CXQSMpDxVVX6tcCFkeXSq13gnJljb2D3HzPnDDxZQW1EBAuusgMzoZ0JGcW2TSDKcNyHiTqZPyw9IYZaYhsFeTjnYkMQ57o/s640/IMG_20190806_122200005_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful weather for our 16-hour trip</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQJCXGKviNTh2jJV6JFUJpzQnfythf1hI8dotL7C92-_2Ens80SWeSswgABB6kw9YcCZANLdhJsUoFH9KDGgZfw8PvyHifRo9y-VGN43ONrJowiiwGHRQM64BpxZjt4Ccu60sy-RPyN_M/s1600/IMG_20190810_160531810_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQJCXGKviNTh2jJV6JFUJpzQnfythf1hI8dotL7C92-_2Ens80SWeSswgABB6kw9YcCZANLdhJsUoFH9KDGgZfw8PvyHifRo9y-VGN43ONrJowiiwGHRQM64BpxZjt4Ccu60sy-RPyN_M/s640/IMG_20190810_160531810_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 3 day/2 night ferry from Prince Rupert to Juneau<br />
We couldn't believe they allowed us to hang our hammocks anywhere we wanted</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PdatX4wjh4gMAXT9ftuhvYyfPB1SGetsij4CGsQbrpeGuz38k4waQkgicwOXG-09xahzh5AcnPsTRvrp-gx9iHmqO0cxlLxegXvUFwPPWqjFdBawDTCCZUnHrlQPQpqFejW132qrFmb3/s1600/IMG_20190810_175509711+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PdatX4wjh4gMAXT9ftuhvYyfPB1SGetsij4CGsQbrpeGuz38k4waQkgicwOXG-09xahzh5AcnPsTRvrp-gx9iHmqO0cxlLxegXvUFwPPWqjFdBawDTCCZUnHrlQPQpqFejW132qrFmb3/s640/IMG_20190810_175509711+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camping on the ferry. Amazing views and lots of fresh air.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwbs-gRt3VIOxk46HYBVxmey5pYRntiPlJcystpi98J6A2GX6U3ZG1RQbvKXhIXU70KlMHlyhpYxy322tKuEhcriJV20KS5HMN6S9zBO3bXhrx-mJGt9N7ZgIWVGCE54O1Pj2Av_jiT5r/s1600/IMG_20190810_203727608+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwbs-gRt3VIOxk46HYBVxmey5pYRntiPlJcystpi98J6A2GX6U3ZG1RQbvKXhIXU70KlMHlyhpYxy322tKuEhcriJV20KS5HMN6S9zBO3bXhrx-mJGt9N7ZgIWVGCE54O1Pj2Av_jiT5r/s640/IMG_20190810_203727608+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening views of the Alaska coastline</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Lt4nOjfUSOl2a3Tm6zpi_lVTI55rTnIDouVi1BiGPkaLzuKhlRiL5DFJAWVgMb2uckRu8M5NKgd560GVlXKu8-xznO7yS2ny-t3ao1O7z1pQfBvWHm8LZlfl49idhJqxO0DEz4_UNkXs/s1600/IMG_20190813_191714864+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Lt4nOjfUSOl2a3Tm6zpi_lVTI55rTnIDouVi1BiGPkaLzuKhlRiL5DFJAWVgMb2uckRu8M5NKgd560GVlXKu8-xznO7yS2ny-t3ao1O7z1pQfBvWHm8LZlfl49idhJqxO0DEz4_UNkXs/s640/IMG_20190813_191714864+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our final ferry heading out to the rougher waters of the Gulf of Alaska</td></tr>
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We made friends with a few people on our ferry between Prince Rupert and Juneau. One of them lives in Juneau, and offered to lend us one of her sea kayaks. We paddled to the famous Mendenhall Glacier a few miles outside of town, just down the street from her house.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmmpOKlqZZSEHH5UfaiDzFHc9V_7UIK7UwYFSZwNZzUYMPUdRYeDVdycA7ARNv7nccUOlvL80MqODXuq8rojcGRRs4o0s8S0BAeHuWcxEoKb26g9KAM3GrpnMvg-5oUUrO4s3UyFyRaOG/s1600/IMG_20190811_141459706+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmmpOKlqZZSEHH5UfaiDzFHc9V_7UIK7UwYFSZwNZzUYMPUdRYeDVdycA7ARNv7nccUOlvL80MqODXuq8rojcGRRs4o0s8S0BAeHuWcxEoKb26g9KAM3GrpnMvg-5oUUrO4s3UyFyRaOG/s640/IMG_20190811_141459706+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A day of hiking (rather than biking) in Juneau<br />
Mendenhall Glacier</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqrramN-gm-saLxtp7QDyddsg6Nd5Ck-yOrEqoFj8BWKRoGJ0EyTJU-pdkyTcGIAIBu8tJQhQTy2-sAoL6eg3d-OIattVLVEtGHTlxWu2vo4CWhFJRTnvCHYUygdgOPSJodY59h-_7F6N/s1600/IMG_20190812_071528273_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqrramN-gm-saLxtp7QDyddsg6Nd5Ck-yOrEqoFj8BWKRoGJ0EyTJU-pdkyTcGIAIBu8tJQhQTy2-sAoL6eg3d-OIattVLVEtGHTlxWu2vo4CWhFJRTnvCHYUygdgOPSJodY59h-_7F6N/s640/IMG_20190812_071528273_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning calm at the Mendenhall Glacier</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD8JZSp8SLIkfI3wqrAGcifSU5AGEtu-bVlhgdCJpZ0b9fRV4GXdlY4U71l31AT1AJxYCxkq9K4_sIoEMZHWI0zYP7CSygFJa46dBllivY5zu5T_zLi8lRPxGSQr7QCFkYwTjDzibfX3C/s1600/IMG_20190812_071545043+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD8JZSp8SLIkfI3wqrAGcifSU5AGEtu-bVlhgdCJpZ0b9fRV4GXdlY4U71l31AT1AJxYCxkq9K4_sIoEMZHWI0zYP7CSygFJa46dBllivY5zu5T_zLi8lRPxGSQr7QCFkYwTjDzibfX3C/s640/IMG_20190812_071545043+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doug and Patty, our new ferry-friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Xpe3_nhvrQGM6i8oV625dGxOHSCaDf-aRnK1skiLodemo7hNuiDXbmQmpBfxeI8nzsuBybH0wRtUSrEPqRu4VTq581oTm_M1jMYjCZ_Qi5gLQUbqN-hKDjErYBaW4JHWa4G9YwFXGNtg/s1600/IMG_20190812_093912589_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Xpe3_nhvrQGM6i8oV625dGxOHSCaDf-aRnK1skiLodemo7hNuiDXbmQmpBfxeI8nzsuBybH0wRtUSrEPqRu4VTq581oTm_M1jMYjCZ_Qi5gLQUbqN-hKDjErYBaW4JHWa4G9YwFXGNtg/s640/IMG_20190812_093912589_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first sea kayak adventure complete. It was shockingly cold (can you see my clenched fist?).<br />
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, AK</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9EsRC4eD4gJev90BLCWNc5QRIbChFcd_XODtJ-NCCIPh89s_rAo5HcCFBldNetMxj8T-6gXftkWkkKrEVwc2NRKAZY4AOdCDQFVEQRbny1T8S92g6g1mSGL0WTIGtY874AH3_VjGCuHs/s1600/IMG_20190812_141951073_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9EsRC4eD4gJev90BLCWNc5QRIbChFcd_XODtJ-NCCIPh89s_rAo5HcCFBldNetMxj8T-6gXftkWkkKrEVwc2NRKAZY4AOdCDQFVEQRbny1T8S92g6g1mSGL0WTIGtY874AH3_VjGCuHs/s640/IMG_20190812_141951073_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nugget Falls, Juneau, AK</td></tr>
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As we reached our northern ferry destination (Whittier) we spent a glorious day hiking around with 360 degrees views of Prince William Sound and multiple glaciers. Sadly, every glacier we saw was quickly receding.<br />
<br />
The local saying is, "No matter where you are in Alaska, the weather is shittier in Whittier". The Amazon rain forest gets 9 feet of rain per year, while Whittier gets 19 feet. Lucky for us, it was one of the rare days with no rain and no wind. It was seriously glorious.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrQj25CMXUBAkQf4ALCruWa5vPe_t1CUadLYdYJ3Pcabim82pvXFModcANe778lzlTq_rGwU2xyA7PRkhTRPET5ZuDGD6rzAD4Rovw5kp-m2sBf76U105JEhLMTOsI8qb0DkcFBbIstI7/s1600/IMG_20190815_063418245_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrQj25CMXUBAkQf4ALCruWa5vPe_t1CUadLYdYJ3Pcabim82pvXFModcANe778lzlTq_rGwU2xyA7PRkhTRPET5ZuDGD6rzAD4Rovw5kp-m2sBf76U105JEhLMTOsI8qb0DkcFBbIstI7/s640/IMG_20190815_063418245_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning arrival to Whittier</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKpPYtMP2k78QgGrHyS7isYWLW-q6NlZy0d93BMxAbGYs8JQPGcR3ICPX3tHckGU1O4DlDC0egKXVd4LFl5NvYy-U8D-cf9J1jhd3v-ndAmmQCeiH_yoSGdnWf2mgOyPL7TDDgrAD9fvk/s1600/IMG_20190815_101849274_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKpPYtMP2k78QgGrHyS7isYWLW-q6NlZy0d93BMxAbGYs8JQPGcR3ICPX3tHckGU1O4DlDC0egKXVd4LFl5NvYy-U8D-cf9J1jhd3v-ndAmmQCeiH_yoSGdnWf2mgOyPL7TDDgrAD9fvk/s640/IMG_20190815_101849274_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quickly receding Portage Glacier</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNek9nY7k5MKV4AZzFLc3sS6sHfVpAjoUqy_CZCt-zuTPsjipscvd_YZKj6AWfh69U0Zm6sin4rgXSvoagi9b3KXlCttB_NGqICt_YGXL-gSw-kDkCfzMOomScon1tRJ_srLGgGvf7fzj/s1600/IMG_20190815_120218885_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNek9nY7k5MKV4AZzFLc3sS6sHfVpAjoUqy_CZCt-zuTPsjipscvd_YZKj6AWfh69U0Zm6sin4rgXSvoagi9b3KXlCttB_NGqICt_YGXL-gSw-kDkCfzMOomScon1tRJ_srLGgGvf7fzj/s640/IMG_20190815_120218885_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prince William Sound</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YbFyMWqHcGHYcxdhnmpxlwbaZ7XFQdNHkYYx-WQUlQFDhqmzAHnS8hWzA3aVxGl9X5q8Cpxusq23eiA1U6drUulCFfWY8Yc0UPFvzs5pT956fLycG3OTpqaQzMWCW7tKTAtoJPPw1_D2/s1600/IMG_20190815_122617255_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YbFyMWqHcGHYcxdhnmpxlwbaZ7XFQdNHkYYx-WQUlQFDhqmzAHnS8hWzA3aVxGl9X5q8Cpxusq23eiA1U6drUulCFfWY8Yc0UPFvzs5pT956fLycG3OTpqaQzMWCW7tKTAtoJPPw1_D2/s640/IMG_20190815_122617255_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water, glaciers, Prince William Sound</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We left Whittier on a high note but soon had to pay for our good fortunes. We spent the next 3 days biking towards Seward on a busy, loud highway. It was so loud that we wore earplugs while biking, and could still hear the traffic just fine. During our final day of biking, dormant forest fires were rekindled by strong winds, and we were engulfed in smoke.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBf6tnIyhaF9B9Kmee4FS0h8i7LrxrNSWZbrF7HgImmLo7haah8N1FvmWweGcxPQNAy8srwvJfndersM610KcqgjTw9gt2ZhobNWg0vSUwEz6Ql47CJk_r7RsQPQTPSGel7wfUsaOTjDgR/s1600/IMG_20190816_112342407_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBf6tnIyhaF9B9Kmee4FS0h8i7LrxrNSWZbrF7HgImmLo7haah8N1FvmWweGcxPQNAy8srwvJfndersM610KcqgjTw9gt2ZhobNWg0vSUwEz6Ql47CJk_r7RsQPQTPSGel7wfUsaOTjDgR/s640/IMG_20190816_112342407_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick break while biking from Whittier.<br />
Before the loud highway and smoke.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tFFcGAdxnlOtQBc9HLVkGMn5D7BxSMQztAsiV2cQ0zfbWFhVHF0YYqP9j42sQRdlf9oqRAtUViLvJWMA0-YaQ3FOpsC7GfPCLwPjvu0BmbQGUEhVkz6mj2Dieiu1quleYzR3Fnx54bzg/s1600/IMG_20190818_085259189+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tFFcGAdxnlOtQBc9HLVkGMn5D7BxSMQztAsiV2cQ0zfbWFhVHF0YYqP9j42sQRdlf9oqRAtUViLvJWMA0-YaQ3FOpsC7GfPCLwPjvu0BmbQGUEhVkz6mj2Dieiu1quleYzR3Fnx54bzg/s640/IMG_20190818_085259189+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still smiling, not realizing the smoke would lead to the end of our trip</td></tr>
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It took us some time to wrap our minds around what was happening and what we should do. There was no where we wanted to be that wasn't smoked out. In the end, we spent 3 days in Seward wearing masks, even while sleeping, and trying to organize our escape from Alaska. We ended up changing our flight, taking a bus from Seward to Anchorage, and camping at the airport. Things ended a little early, but after 6 weeks, we felt like we could happily be done.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwK9hptlo2ex7trGokLJuIN0rrpwT9ity-p0DeFx0N0wqH71SHm7_TP4Usu_qplxta6dsGXESCjydQ7Rrh1x9gKRAxMBeYzXNz468Nue04Cf3IKok03gQateoCTYLqoapeifnx0Hv1yRR_/s1600/IMG_20190819_113645845+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwK9hptlo2ex7trGokLJuIN0rrpwT9ity-p0DeFx0N0wqH71SHm7_TP4Usu_qplxta6dsGXESCjydQ7Rrh1x9gKRAxMBeYzXNz468Nue04Cf3IKok03gQateoCTYLqoapeifnx0Hv1yRR_/s640/IMG_20190819_113645845+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luckily, a local firefighter had some extra masks for us, as they were sold out in the stores</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27U4XLVSjETAJbvnNrcv6gQ1DfQeoiOscoD65jDc3T3_d6nr1O3NTmlKLH76GTfB0veGT_HNdDXjGThs9GrkRemwEKlFXQ22NYGcQKfXlxrxTxkPu4oWadXHCkJc99lFZvljWtEh3phEo/s1600/IMG_20190819_143058813_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27U4XLVSjETAJbvnNrcv6gQ1DfQeoiOscoD65jDc3T3_d6nr1O3NTmlKLH76GTfB0veGT_HNdDXjGThs9GrkRemwEKlFXQ22NYGcQKfXlxrxTxkPu4oWadXHCkJc99lFZvljWtEh3phEo/s640/IMG_20190819_143058813_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful views in Seward. The south wind kicked in long enough for us to explore for a few hours one day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9YdPKdvhFXhGrukQVih1rnCbKhePSqUv1yFhKFtGPTzfWqjxYCg9HzKUfhed0k8sxNkqR1ymwNBeAcd0ZYTTH5KAGtJxXL9g78kjB9yM87dx76nvJqKnbcF0ndR_s6qwpfZPmoRykNeq/s1600/IMG_20190821_201238594_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9YdPKdvhFXhGrukQVih1rnCbKhePSqUv1yFhKFtGPTzfWqjxYCg9HzKUfhed0k8sxNkqR1ymwNBeAcd0ZYTTH5KAGtJxXL9g78kjB9yM87dx76nvJqKnbcF0ndR_s6qwpfZPmoRykNeq/s640/IMG_20190821_201238594_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike-box fort in the Anchorage airport<br />
Not a bad night of sleep actually, and a fitting end to our camping/biking adventure.</td></tr>
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<br />Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-7838341964213923762019-07-13T00:35:00.000-05:002019-07-13T00:35:39.511-05:00Rock Climbing in GreeceI'm not sure how I learned about Kalymnos, Greece. Friends have been asking us ever since we returned from our trip there in March/April. It's a small Greek island closer to Turkey than mainland Greece, famous for rock climbing. My guess is that I read about it in a climbing magazine(?).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdO36ifZFi828rjeXt9lJDRBGtscmEY17GqqnERFdJTtoqByYLxocSliCoX6lGCEhtPsV-JqVuxzE_TcbIcWrcbsNlqeMHrFlMBZSDA5N3Ldh26mLcZWe-wvATsuuq_2022Mhl10tEOqj/s1600/map_of_Greece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="584" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdO36ifZFi828rjeXt9lJDRBGtscmEY17GqqnERFdJTtoqByYLxocSliCoX6lGCEhtPsV-JqVuxzE_TcbIcWrcbsNlqeMHrFlMBZSDA5N3Ldh26mLcZWe-wvATsuuq_2022Mhl10tEOqj/s640/map_of_Greece.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwA-p-8r4bjF8MQ4NG-XRLBqxt0Mjiqf1g7qE5FS_bCKPgc3ZAs3zHym1rT0KeIRjdVdFrNtZJ9cUFgvF0OoY-nnT1Bsg-Dg2BRGavvGZZ3U44v50iCFzcBxHNAPjddiSLvI6dgkIoDecp/s1600/DSC02851+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwA-p-8r4bjF8MQ4NG-XRLBqxt0Mjiqf1g7qE5FS_bCKPgc3ZAs3zHym1rT0KeIRjdVdFrNtZJ9cUFgvF0OoY-nnT1Bsg-Dg2BRGavvGZZ3U44v50iCFzcBxHNAPjddiSLvI6dgkIoDecp/s640/DSC02851+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found the flag of Turkey washed up with all the other garbage on what could've been a pretty beach</td></tr>
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The <a href="https://climbkalymnos.com/climbing/" target="_blank">short history of Kalymnos climbing</a> started around 1996. Since then, 3400+ sport climbing routes have been built, and the economy on this tiny island has been transformed. We stayed in an AirBnB, and our hosts were overwhelmingly kind and generous. They even had us over to their other house for dinner.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although we stayed in the lower level, our AirBnB hosts gave us access to the upstairs balcony</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4AM_v8Hx_aQYXbmAmTs6kpgkYRtpQJaNgTJAbL84r_NTudZlWfE18chM5_1UKG2rdRbZVSnCRttjbReGWgh8WkFvKdw3GqRXNczinxJ9yOcStQm8LhfvlgQ8QoVZHq1gcvambYJlocE9/s1600/DSC02792+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4AM_v8Hx_aQYXbmAmTs6kpgkYRtpQJaNgTJAbL84r_NTudZlWfE18chM5_1UKG2rdRbZVSnCRttjbReGWgh8WkFvKdw3GqRXNczinxJ9yOcStQm8LhfvlgQ8QoVZHq1gcvambYJlocE9/s640/DSC02792+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first day climbing. The water was so clear and the views were overwhelming.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRt_IMDcVRQ049uZ2Z7uX-_XU_hePF2U3me8jXiYH0WOl2DJ541RnKYw2uYkrj3nLw49CeAPSsUnQyGdwSxNgsmrVJ6MvhrMSkDn4vBzTO-q6DSyD3gItDZ-KxbYQQJcFwgohVBs7TMlip/s1600/DSC02837+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRt_IMDcVRQ049uZ2Z7uX-_XU_hePF2U3me8jXiYH0WOl2DJ541RnKYw2uYkrj3nLw49CeAPSsUnQyGdwSxNgsmrVJ6MvhrMSkDn4vBzTO-q6DSyD3gItDZ-KxbYQQJcFwgohVBs7TMlip/s640/DSC02837+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the main restaurants catered to climbers, and we giggled everyday when passing this sign</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaxiVb96V5KZqHpbP3w56VSDy1yqPC6ch-hRmpKuUjgCry9ST3ygzt1k6IcLuacGI6xhpVwRBB7ep3ACvo2GorixisOFuAFNbpcKF_Wd9acZAKkpzpnM9k7Q81dOWheXk6Stf_0ZgS9eR/s1600/DSC02925+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaxiVb96V5KZqHpbP3w56VSDy1yqPC6ch-hRmpKuUjgCry9ST3ygzt1k6IcLuacGI6xhpVwRBB7ep3ACvo2GorixisOFuAFNbpcKF_Wd9acZAKkpzpnM9k7Q81dOWheXk6Stf_0ZgS9eR/s640/DSC02925+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stunning views</td></tr>
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We're 1.5 years into rock climbing, and Kalymnos was a great place for us to work on our skills. On our off days (our bodies would probably have appreciated more of them), we explored underground caves and hiked (a couple pictures below).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAZVqUBLi4y845LYuAhhIsm5GZz573WJQ6sF1JydHOHbMew3nKAEzN4Zx5Ih5mAgmAWvATZhyphenhyphendiDMsnj9uWqz7-riVdF1NNOUqhISc_wAQfm67dRn_l86SEdgimG8HnkyAhh-52OsTFk7/s1600/DSC02853+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAZVqUBLi4y845LYuAhhIsm5GZz573WJQ6sF1JydHOHbMew3nKAEzN4Zx5Ih5mAgmAWvATZhyphenhyphendiDMsnj9uWqz7-riVdF1NNOUqhISc_wAQfm67dRn_l86SEdgimG8HnkyAhh-52OsTFk7/s640/DSC02853+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our favorite kind of adventure - no tourist infrastructure. Entering a hole in the side of mountain blocked off by a goat gate.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznNtnK5IvD6wmWSuc06TbR8c-RkxVsHczRo7zwnKMF8fl4MOnX6wzhA2LOXjY_dvByDHjJjJlS_zpKzP3ZuvLrs_Hgl0EVFySehaMFF4JDiGCCSpxnUwkFTNu5w30_aw1n4_7IfSot4il/s1600/DSC02855+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznNtnK5IvD6wmWSuc06TbR8c-RkxVsHczRo7zwnKMF8fl4MOnX6wzhA2LOXjY_dvByDHjJjJlS_zpKzP3ZuvLrs_Hgl0EVFySehaMFF4JDiGCCSpxnUwkFTNu5w30_aw1n4_7IfSot4il/s640/DSC02855+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading into "The Underworld" cave</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking around the small neighboring island of Kalymnos called Telendos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRLbYpRVPciBD9E5Tkr_RJ-yNoJR4wW92Bk05vB7iKlp9pyJiEajLjRM4HLLG85COz7VMobm0bjTuytZNp1gSnBlDUPSVaXcBwB_blIfyMI23MdGifPJG7mqcs_3JglYjvJBA-ZhbK71f/s1600/DSC02922+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRLbYpRVPciBD9E5Tkr_RJ-yNoJR4wW92Bk05vB7iKlp9pyJiEajLjRM4HLLG85COz7VMobm0bjTuytZNp1gSnBlDUPSVaXcBwB_blIfyMI23MdGifPJG7mqcs_3JglYjvJBA-ZhbK71f/s640/DSC02922+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful, protected spot to anchor your boat (hard to tell there is a boat down there). View from atop Telendos island.</td></tr>
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While we rock climbed, we could usually see the sparkling blue and turquoise Aegean Sea. We were there during March and April so the water was still too cold to swim. We tried one day, and made it up to our knees. We realize now why Greece is so popular in the summer for the stunning beaches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVI0LfvhEfpl6wPV43Gg9girqTxB68xOHs9sGRyr2DoDwa7K6Qkug7znsLRUfB8qq8iltOtbegZxEM0CL1lSd1p_ISvTaYFD-IlizlTNCMXmWDLXT3XR0ymemUP518PiCZdLyAAmnuEeRJ/s1600/DSC02952+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVI0LfvhEfpl6wPV43Gg9girqTxB68xOHs9sGRyr2DoDwa7K6Qkug7znsLRUfB8qq8iltOtbegZxEM0CL1lSd1p_ISvTaYFD-IlizlTNCMXmWDLXT3XR0ymemUP518PiCZdLyAAmnuEeRJ/s640/DSC02952+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbzlWEyN2E-f7r_GEoRPT0tpoC4KHN1anc-fnjZFT-lhWmtSscNpRb97zDVJcrSS4_kRPLFH6EghGH-UpejYzZrl94fESu80c6ccJB5XkhtOV6yGSavOIvUolLUu4Fx55bgPXAfSmJuub/s1600/DSC02975+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="1600" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbzlWEyN2E-f7r_GEoRPT0tpoC4KHN1anc-fnjZFT-lhWmtSscNpRb97zDVJcrSS4_kRPLFH6EghGH-UpejYzZrl94fESu80c6ccJB5XkhtOV6yGSavOIvUolLUu4Fx55bgPXAfSmJuub/s640/DSC02975+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Telendos Island - a short ferry ride away</td></tr>
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When asked about our trip, there's pretty much only two things that I feel I *must* share. First, I was overwhelmed by the wild herbs that grew everywhere on the island. We had fresh thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, and parsley everywhere we walked and climbed. The sage, thyme, and oregano grew out of the walls we were climbing. Back on the mainland, just outside of Athens, we walked through wild chamomile. All of it smelled delicious.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7T6VTeY9t-b9oQSAg3IlcG8-O2CMW2R2pd8KIBhQ3s6LFvt5-p0uJIiBc-HhevKNpSFKYA311fOVOqaudNGWgtNdCj-uYPp4bNROisNTL0lbuS0zMUjbtOnYMW7fuYP7GdklqsuGYBedB/s1600/DSC02799+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7T6VTeY9t-b9oQSAg3IlcG8-O2CMW2R2pd8KIBhQ3s6LFvt5-p0uJIiBc-HhevKNpSFKYA311fOVOqaudNGWgtNdCj-uYPp4bNROisNTL0lbuS0zMUjbtOnYMW7fuYP7GdklqsuGYBedB/s640/DSC02799+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical oregano bush right on our walking path</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJXX-dN_XzpMpWt83oxqMJ_GzQ73RQYBi2TFFBO6ghCPBwJTZRLGWuR9Wpb_PtRdYjnufHZ8FSuf-mH03WhwFF7-2qIa5bErmnEBJhpssTiSo6xRiCzxItzTU8wWWVrA2R56LzQNLLSKG/s1600/IMG_20190330_171225376_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJXX-dN_XzpMpWt83oxqMJ_GzQ73RQYBi2TFFBO6ghCPBwJTZRLGWuR9Wpb_PtRdYjnufHZ8FSuf-mH03WhwFF7-2qIa5bErmnEBJhpssTiSo6xRiCzxItzTU8wWWVrA2R56LzQNLLSKG/s640/IMG_20190330_171225376_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oregano for dinner</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyNSD7hs_mysBp1mKmWFIlZGRBshjvZIJNvucGibOx4o9VrSZAPD6Mt1p-lkW2X0skxX4XeWskI5WC6yflgwsQ0x_8OYDwsHtUBZ3m0KYQLVALYalDDTLR-CVmruSiOQ6AS0fiF2fryK0/s1600/IMG_20190423_155900479+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyNSD7hs_mysBp1mKmWFIlZGRBshjvZIJNvucGibOx4o9VrSZAPD6Mt1p-lkW2X0skxX4XeWskI5WC6yflgwsQ0x_8OYDwsHtUBZ3m0KYQLVALYalDDTLR-CVmruSiOQ6AS0fiF2fryK0/s640/IMG_20190423_155900479+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chamomile growing like a weed</td></tr>
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The other notable thing was the cats. Stray cats were everywhere. Some of them were really sickly and made us feel horrible. We took as many pictures of cats as we did architecture and rock climbing. We bought a lot of cat food, too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgOERzZGJUXLY1JoyRFSPy4tJqTCMDINX7T4R8yrDXCjSKxDxgmL8ve1H5muEYXtMe4e6WIiRVtCsE8u0AX5o7jBtkuAKKRsYSmpZBFOJVLpn8b7x92P9DVeJAZS38nYcoWe5qKTTc2EO/s1600/DSC02938+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgOERzZGJUXLY1JoyRFSPy4tJqTCMDINX7T4R8yrDXCjSKxDxgmL8ve1H5muEYXtMe4e6WIiRVtCsE8u0AX5o7jBtkuAKKRsYSmpZBFOJVLpn8b7x92P9DVeJAZS38nYcoWe5qKTTc2EO/s640/DSC02938+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stray-cat whisperer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTE7inAtPeTI6COn61gWspKOw-yQuYBPAPYXwaEbEzPgKKkuPU7fO0ltTzYqxQIHI6pJklbwqUQCwFZWESLg4j9zGo4-FGJM2p2RQydPr623FQnF_wJfxBvQwVgMY_HmyApRSjAUTqWeB/s1600/DSC03026+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTE7inAtPeTI6COn61gWspKOw-yQuYBPAPYXwaEbEzPgKKkuPU7fO0ltTzYqxQIHI6pJklbwqUQCwFZWESLg4j9zGo4-FGJM2p2RQydPr623FQnF_wJfxBvQwVgMY_HmyApRSjAUTqWeB/s640/DSC03026+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our nightly visit with one of the local kitties (who wasn't a stray)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7RehojREHDPyntvqyozG0xonfOOE_ZWV265dgoOkyI14vbDx-2Lb79qpNYAF1pv-qzaxxsNDMxPd8y50pdIQ1IVK2UmMpL8lfX-U4Jk8VdoEaDsBD_LNeXqOgkZqf5DwqzezcqdBYbEy/s1600/DSC02995+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7RehojREHDPyntvqyozG0xonfOOE_ZWV265dgoOkyI14vbDx-2Lb79qpNYAF1pv-qzaxxsNDMxPd8y50pdIQ1IVK2UmMpL8lfX-U4Jk8VdoEaDsBD_LNeXqOgkZqf5DwqzezcqdBYbEy/s640/DSC02995+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cats at our AirBnB that we fed everyday</td></tr>
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At the end of our month on Kalymnos, we headed to the Peloponnese region on the mainland to a budding rock climbing area called Leonidio (map above). We stayed there a week, but wish we had stayed at least a month. Similar to Kalymnos, the climbing, hiking, views, food, and hospitality really impressed us. In Leonidio, the lemons and oranges grew everywhere with the delicious smell of orange blossoms in the air.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMG1oiG9_0yJ-PTHY7E_5YDWfowBmdkO2f8Gp5rdTLQf29E5V8eOgEdVKSsSlC8cpKx1XvnordV4gcI0x_hAnI903Iuq3BF3eFpxAQqJf6COWNcKkGvOjvJ970WvZwt6f5Kw1yNoAxOioV/s1600/DSC03025+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMG1oiG9_0yJ-PTHY7E_5YDWfowBmdkO2f8Gp5rdTLQf29E5V8eOgEdVKSsSlC8cpKx1XvnordV4gcI0x_hAnI903Iuq3BF3eFpxAQqJf6COWNcKkGvOjvJ970WvZwt6f5Kw1yNoAxOioV/s640/DSC03025+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just another 500 year old building in the small town of Leonidio (lemons on the tree behind me)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7wTnyilaordYhQjRK4IKz7ssxmc7-k2e4y6G4M0hU04Pm0TraQab98BEt4G4X3L_hLDtGKbF53bpCoIc59krLZZ2eJCh98MgeFe8R1FsoNZQo92EEBAd4WeSRArZM6qM7-iU4-YYhDbM/s1600/DSC03021+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7wTnyilaordYhQjRK4IKz7ssxmc7-k2e4y6G4M0hU04Pm0TraQab98BEt4G4X3L_hLDtGKbF53bpCoIc59krLZZ2eJCh98MgeFe8R1FsoNZQo92EEBAd4WeSRArZM6qM7-iU4-YYhDbM/s640/DSC03021+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soaking our feet after a long day of climbing</td></tr>
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Visiting Greece really struck a chord with us and we hope to be back. If nothing else, it instilled a new sense of wanderlust that I hope will keep us exploring.<br />
<br />Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-20628388705139911692019-01-07T09:25:00.001-06:002019-03-04T17:48:26.783-06:002018 - The Year of No PicturesA notable thing about 2018 is that I barely took any pictures. It makes me sad, because I love taking pictures and I love looking at pictures. It also makes me sad because it means I didn't feel like anything was worthy of picture-taking, which is certainly not true. 2018 - the year of no pictures or just a sad, bad attitude.<br />
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The last time I checked into the blog, I was documenting our winter of 2018. It is now winter 2019.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisihwbZKDW8pVfcMQH0-KH53zcDwo4elmjlwAZlYQxOlnkMkZNn30MQRD2Y0alQsnobxAJfehsAf9DG6o77AlARs4B_1QbwhiHJOlesroP-tXeOEhfPRkof6mFK6O2p7oxFxm_U5q5Rn57/s1600/20180429_063148A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisihwbZKDW8pVfcMQH0-KH53zcDwo4elmjlwAZlYQxOlnkMkZNn30MQRD2Y0alQsnobxAJfehsAf9DG6o77AlARs4B_1QbwhiHJOlesroP-tXeOEhfPRkof6mFK6O2p7oxFxm_U5q5Rn57/s640/20180429_063148A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice camp spot above the Snake River in Idaho en-route from British Columbia to Baja</td></tr>
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Anyway, the main theme of 2018 for us, was surfing, SUPing, and kite-surfing. If you've been reading our blogs in the past, you know that Baja is our happy place. Our friend Clark Merritt gave us the following pictures of our camp in Baja where we spent about 5 months:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7Gm4YXcu_HIZyidlZugNvLlIGv9QRtbw2ruQDkccfg2KhfeFmXv3vQNlaiNh1VTJCQqBapiDsWTMQRSpKnxLTwx2E-v-BzKzpWqKx8X_XV3viD9X1GtcmTb2nKzJ9NylaEpbmzbINL7H/s1600/PSC-evening+%25282%2529+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7Gm4YXcu_HIZyidlZugNvLlIGv9QRtbw2ruQDkccfg2KhfeFmXv3vQNlaiNh1VTJCQqBapiDsWTMQRSpKnxLTwx2E-v-BzKzpWqKx8X_XV3viD9X1GtcmTb2nKzJ9NylaEpbmzbINL7H/s640/PSC-evening+%25282%2529+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQf0yjXX2nH7oQBQogbsVcQZO_BdLuYxYe3bexM911X6WBIbE9l8LF4YEHSUnzfZ2iLnuJYVG7a4InMsXeMhZbxqSJ9ajS1czwTp8kyBRfUrfNdMunZbGRXbfZuPcMWJAkWL8N1zvghR7q/s1600/PSC-SUNSET-B+%25282%2529+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQf0yjXX2nH7oQBQogbsVcQZO_BdLuYxYe3bexM911X6WBIbE9l8LF4YEHSUnzfZ2iLnuJYVG7a4InMsXeMhZbxqSJ9ajS1czwTp8kyBRfUrfNdMunZbGRXbfZuPcMWJAkWL8N1zvghR7q/s640/PSC-SUNSET-B+%25282%2529+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can barely make out El Tigre at the bottom of this sunset photo</td></tr>
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During the spring and fall, on our way to/from Baja, we got more into rock climbing. This new sport has ignited a spark in us - new places to explore, new things to learn, new gear to buy, different body parts to abuse, more reasons to fight during tense situations, the list goes on...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPM9xvW79ltCKK2Jw5hCIlL7DDsvnTuKdQJVTP-oG-lyz3lwNJx6NFlS1mRhKUuddg1p36AGFr16CAAiL6YjH5rjt7lS66MhK_JWBvYrwSPku8FdUrogRYEr6DymRw6jaKbcevvvaQoxY/s1600/IMG_0974+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPM9xvW79ltCKK2Jw5hCIlL7DDsvnTuKdQJVTP-oG-lyz3lwNJx6NFlS1mRhKUuddg1p36AGFr16CAAiL6YjH5rjt7lS66MhK_JWBvYrwSPku8FdUrogRYEr6DymRw6jaKbcevvvaQoxY/s640/IMG_0974+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing in New Jack City outside Barstow, California</td></tr>
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Once in Baja, we did our thing in the water. Lots of water time. We have very, very few pictures of it all. We definitely never took pictures during the best days. I want to change that. Here's a few random pictures that I found:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmqbXuApdhlisqrZ9G5B48eeFDHlz9mr2CpVt1xhtPicGbcMPDjDL2Dxkf7y50rH89HIMNvNKkidMBR9rPCMo3J0TbnO56XlleRp4JFIkmwO8Z1GD7-MJum2r5LbBxTXCYIRbgDumajBT/s1600/20180730_221818A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmqbXuApdhlisqrZ9G5B48eeFDHlz9mr2CpVt1xhtPicGbcMPDjDL2Dxkf7y50rH89HIMNvNKkidMBR9rPCMo3J0TbnO56XlleRp4JFIkmwO8Z1GD7-MJum2r5LbBxTXCYIRbgDumajBT/s640/20180730_221818A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our trick to making a wave look big: put your photographer in the water and squat on the wave</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfRZiuc0oJ8I6eGK-_7EjjaRjokHU57JJBqpQ-dlZwk2vJItknStATwTHJY-MBLI5Wimg7IDP8wmIDKOqQ5AZGk6lbySwh37IkpvwshtjVP6E1ualw_hZRGW1dvWLnMHMslRvEzzoHQ4h/s1600/DSC02354+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfRZiuc0oJ8I6eGK-_7EjjaRjokHU57JJBqpQ-dlZwk2vJItknStATwTHJY-MBLI5Wimg7IDP8wmIDKOqQ5AZGk6lbySwh37IkpvwshtjVP6E1ualw_hZRGW1dvWLnMHMslRvEzzoHQ4h/s640/DSC02354+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windy day with small waves at PSC</td></tr>
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Since we hung out in Baja for so long, there was lots of downtime. We got into long-distance running and I continued experimenting with painting rocks. This year, the theme became Baja-related wildlife.<br />
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In October, a couple of hurricanes hit Baja so we retreated to a hotel for a few days. We will never forget the hummingbird outside our hotel room nor the stray kitty that we adopted during those few days - fleas and all. Pictured below:<br />
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I will end this as abruptly as it started. Here's to a 2019 full of pictures.Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-10130100587758243592018-07-05T16:11:00.000-05:002018-07-05T16:11:04.100-05:00Our Winter in British ColumbiaAfter plenty of time to reflect on our winter, I'm feeling reminiscent and motivated to document it.<br />
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During the winter of 2018, while most of the western USA saw very little snow, most of the Canadian mountains got hammered. Before the snow really started falling, sometime in December, we fortuitiously committed to a 1-month rental in Nelson, BC and 1 month in Golden, BC.<br />
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The contrast between the two locales and towns was striking, which is exactly what we were aiming for. Snowy, cloudy, hippy-cool Nelson contrasted perfectly with cold, beautiful, sunny, small-town Golden. In both places, we pretty much did about the same thing every day. Climb up, snowboard down, climb up, snowboard down, eat, drink, eat, sleep, do it again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UDMKpgQzOBGNT9aejSEOsdbBkWPcimHBnjQRoRAXP1OGKi8hnF-zPMZrEhnbvgKnYUTG5CYk6bkUqKIp3Bwuqlz66gV-v8VLsmsH8pM9iNLnnKMFZlrUv1W-jAhvi2w_TvDQlv-SCq0E/s1600/20180131_123416A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UDMKpgQzOBGNT9aejSEOsdbBkWPcimHBnjQRoRAXP1OGKi8hnF-zPMZrEhnbvgKnYUTG5CYk6bkUqKIp3Bwuqlz66gV-v8VLsmsH8pM9iNLnnKMFZlrUv1W-jAhvi2w_TvDQlv-SCq0E/s640/20180131_123416A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearing the top of our climb, outside Nelson, with a rare glimpse of blue sky</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTDfw_ruNUw7eONtBzpbpYQqjgPgX9xtnHu41Ihv1E3QUd4J9m1rhbmo1guCP4p94YF2c6SpKYNWPNdMpekZWk4vRgdx_NmbbWX_Re6CwZDoD_rbovNcOKHpEsvIAOmSoHFMhWpGEV-qp/s1600/vlcsnap-2018-02-15-20h02m35s118+%2528Large%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTDfw_ruNUw7eONtBzpbpYQqjgPgX9xtnHu41Ihv1E3QUd4J9m1rhbmo1guCP4p94YF2c6SpKYNWPNdMpekZWk4vRgdx_NmbbWX_Re6CwZDoD_rbovNcOKHpEsvIAOmSoHFMhWpGEV-qp/s640/vlcsnap-2018-02-15-20h02m35s118+%2528Large%2529.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowboarding down the mountains outside of Golden</td></tr>
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While in Nelson, it was rare that we didn't see at least a few inches of snow *everyday*.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakQ2vxmYSzhkw3rHUHyOREwu5zTtked7zTYthUFcZ_c6OG9_QwUVKMKXnTFn35mMx5aNv370wQO1TBUKgLTYVv-JxXppSQ_YLMnr2yPMEJix4S3N8_xekXTh0QoybwzQfJH67XywkZVxY/s1600/20180125_112926A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakQ2vxmYSzhkw3rHUHyOREwu5zTtked7zTYthUFcZ_c6OG9_QwUVKMKXnTFn35mMx5aNv370wQO1TBUKgLTYVv-JxXppSQ_YLMnr2yPMEJix4S3N8_xekXTh0QoybwzQfJH67XywkZVxY/s640/20180125_112926A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up, outside of Nelson. Never at a loss for new snow. </td></tr>
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In contrast, Golden didn't have as much snow, but the stunning mountain scenery and sunshine made up for it. We learned a valuable lesson in Golden, too: -15 F is too cold for recreating outdoors. In fact, after we learned our lesson, lucky to have our toes and fingers intact, we were grounded for 5 days because it was too cold.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3OCL1cpkqkDFqpuNnXGyWsa_ljBSVse0lB1c4oIZeVhp8mtav1AJm00jTS_2AVIc8zhwIR_hCQjSOecTQon1O3x5QbhJQ-c09-n1fZ8nc2BIlUv4_aK0pGEJDsUAwxNqY9Sg0Ai-Pc6R/s1600/20180228_004237A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3OCL1cpkqkDFqpuNnXGyWsa_ljBSVse0lB1c4oIZeVhp8mtav1AJm00jTS_2AVIc8zhwIR_hCQjSOecTQon1O3x5QbhJQ-c09-n1fZ8nc2BIlUv4_aK0pGEJDsUAwxNqY9Sg0Ai-Pc6R/s640/20180228_004237A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The backcountry outside of Golden allowed us to get out of the trees into the high alpine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTLxVy-DaYVxe9JG3xJfTXjoZ8S3S8mcFxu9XfV5BtDE5V3FJUTzB2WlvC7acxJ83CAvzbiCuQ0u-hF4szm5_dX5L9RpZvl-hkjNHDA4MsBMmBkVFFuSn5XiyaVe8O2qIfBjpOofAE-7s/s1600/IMG_20180215_142326+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1437" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTLxVy-DaYVxe9JG3xJfTXjoZ8S3S8mcFxu9XfV5BtDE5V3FJUTzB2WlvC7acxJ83CAvzbiCuQ0u-hF4szm5_dX5L9RpZvl-hkjNHDA4MsBMmBkVFFuSn5XiyaVe8O2qIfBjpOofAE-7s/s640/IMG_20180215_142326+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowboarding outside of Golden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidllHP6nsTf22QzF7oWbAKWgMNT4fqh_tmq1JEQoJnJDN-qQy1-JMekY6BQLKlc2sgBqTFU_OXLqbn3JppaHuKHDCQRWnCxpEEAA8vc3t_SjOggothPmF885KBHWPDMQq0TK3nUzn8soSC/s1600/IMG_20180223_150646+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidllHP6nsTf22QzF7oWbAKWgMNT4fqh_tmq1JEQoJnJDN-qQy1-JMekY6BQLKlc2sgBqTFU_OXLqbn3JppaHuKHDCQRWnCxpEEAA8vc3t_SjOggothPmF885KBHWPDMQq0TK3nUzn8soSC/s640/IMG_20180223_150646+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunshine was usually easy to find near Golden, even when there were clouds</td></tr>
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While climbing up one day, we noticed some tracks (other than ours) in our old uptrack. After a bit of research, I learned it was probably a large wolf. The tracks were impressively large. I was hoping it was a large cat (cougar?) or maybe even a bear but it was probably for the best that we weren't being tracked by a hungry cat or un-hibrating bear.<br />
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Since we did a similar thing last winter (staying in Nelson for 2.5 months), it seems we're in a bit of a pattern. Having a solid structure to live in during the winter has been pretty damn cool. Both of us love it - LOOOONG hot showers after a cold, active day outdoors, followed by oven-baked food, and warm solitude on the computer, with Netflix, or a book.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homer overlooking Scott, while he researches the weather conditions and watches streaming music performances</td></tr>
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<br />Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-57578296031703926452018-02-20T21:58:00.000-06:002018-02-20T21:58:28.154-06:00Red Rock Canyon Rock ClimbingA few miles outside of Las Vegas, you'll find what I like to call the Disneyland of rock climbing. Red Rock Canyon is stunningly beautiful, and offers climbing for everyone from beginners to advanced rock climbers. With more than 2,000 climbing routes, it's in the top 5 destination climbing areas in the U.S. There's a 13-mile scenic drive through the National Conservation Area that attracts lots of tourists from Vegas, too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zvvhpejtcY67waxVmLELQ5cpTAwleFw-FT8a0Rf7PmGtAN-WRHkX7AVsFsxMadeN2Ayv_jQb94mu-XerDBd39mtcCysXz8BQ9Ph1EAveNRspsxWnbffTIwiJwN7TQejjNUYgV9Aghj8r/s1600/DSC01985+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zvvhpejtcY67waxVmLELQ5cpTAwleFw-FT8a0Rf7PmGtAN-WRHkX7AVsFsxMadeN2Ayv_jQb94mu-XerDBd39mtcCysXz8BQ9Ph1EAveNRspsxWnbffTIwiJwN7TQejjNUYgV9Aghj8r/s640/DSC01985+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun setting on Calico Hills in Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area</td></tr>
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We spent part of December and January learning to rock climb here. At first, neither of us were convinced we'd continue with this new sport. A few days in, both of us were saying, "this is kind of a silly sport". I mean, what's the point of buying all this special gear so that you can climb a vertical wall, all while risking your life? Imagine how far we could hike in the same amount of time!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw07zatQFn618zMjM06BbzEavhecW1Rxys6iFzULy7gx8utADT6m3X9c1KwmyMoIeE-_Ge-5ATIibv9Kuk2AkiXjXP_-aQuIx3xisEU7KM4jlstNbMp6fUrk4BlbKb_bAJiz19cySFeKU8/s1600/20160101_032815A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw07zatQFn618zMjM06BbzEavhecW1Rxys6iFzULy7gx8utADT6m3X9c1KwmyMoIeE-_Ge-5ATIibv9Kuk2AkiXjXP_-aQuIx3xisEU7KM4jlstNbMp6fUrk4BlbKb_bAJiz19cySFeKU8/s640/20160101_032815A+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our beginner training ground</td></tr>
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After a few days working through our beginner shit-shuffle, we started to really like it. We have finally purchased the last expensive bits of gear to make it real. Here's why I love it. First, getting to the crag (climber speak for "rock climbing spot") is an adventure in itself. It's just another way for us to spend time outside in beautiful places.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking into Calico Basin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbn4eJ9_TT2OoDJbVelbrCVs4AGhJxj7BlNgKF3qHex1IfS4pjTbcLcvnyisGtoglbpxCct2NvVEz597glrqV6jDCKb9i3g9VnYZ6MOxgezqcqOqyQGnpiaNrVSJ-OHRjCkPpLjj1X_jw/s1600/DSC02103+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbn4eJ9_TT2OoDJbVelbrCVs4AGhJxj7BlNgKF3qHex1IfS4pjTbcLcvnyisGtoglbpxCct2NvVEz597glrqV6jDCKb9i3g9VnYZ6MOxgezqcqOqyQGnpiaNrVSJ-OHRjCkPpLjj1X_jw/s640/DSC02103+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time for a lunch break</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Jzjm3YhcxBQRGWaX8WWIuBE4hP5wr9n93FEdA-s6bBuFbjJR66mwKBUsJoXrGMdGVYZNPnkk8CRe0hscjk9Z7fTpETT9keSpNNAmSZnNghrsjKMXtzTgdij5DQXPZetfrVpxZ5o8KvtM/s1600/DSC02105+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Jzjm3YhcxBQRGWaX8WWIuBE4hP5wr9n93FEdA-s6bBuFbjJR66mwKBUsJoXrGMdGVYZNPnkk8CRe0hscjk9Z7fTpETT9keSpNNAmSZnNghrsjKMXtzTgdij5DQXPZetfrVpxZ5o8KvtM/s640/DSC02105+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break at Civilization Crag</td></tr>
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Next, the gear and knots definitely challenge (in a good way) the engineer in me. There's a never-ending list of knots and hitching methods - some that you MUST know, some that you <i>should</i> know, and some that would be really cool to have in an emergency.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFcbRwgGZ2QzL4nDFOHz2R1dPViFUtebufHYgujgcyS7wdFhtkBcUmfm3tqvpb_f61qZzSLV2c7M9IXcAuH9qn36cpWRLg-3n2D8_OpqNrxjmqlvQZZE6f8fpFTSkKn_3D3O-8PjV_7r_/s1600/DSC02108+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFcbRwgGZ2QzL4nDFOHz2R1dPViFUtebufHYgujgcyS7wdFhtkBcUmfm3tqvpb_f61qZzSLV2c7M9IXcAuH9qn36cpWRLg-3n2D8_OpqNrxjmqlvQZZE6f8fpFTSkKn_3D3O-8PjV_7r_/s640/DSC02108+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead climbing on The Sun Never Sets</td></tr>
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The best part of rock climbing is the zen-like focus you feel while climbing up a vertical wall. It's like meditation without meditation. The Colorado rock-climber, Pat Ament, once said:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"When you ride your bike, you’re working your legs, but your mind is on a treadmill. When you play chess, your mind is clicking along, but your body is stagnating. Climbing brings it together in a beautiful, magical way. The adrenaline is flowing, and it’s flowing all the time."</i></blockquote>
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You know that saying, "the smell of fear"? Well, each day, Scott would get back to the camper and lament how his new "natural" deodorant wasn't working. It wasn't a problem with the deodorant, it was that his adrenaline-charged, fear-filled sweat was a little more ripe than usual. Seriously.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79lshFTtVicBk0ynvBhmN3pfScgrYsTF-hi5nlIkW5x0nvxduxMFxRcZMPdRPLkv_ompCGr4Va0JJcSiLTSzrgrkfiBHHyvqtw1RRw0VWtA0f__kFSiTshAngkQgzihEAUliFEFMo3RG1/s1600/DSC02094+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79lshFTtVicBk0ynvBhmN3pfScgrYsTF-hi5nlIkW5x0nvxduxMFxRcZMPdRPLkv_ompCGr4Va0JJcSiLTSzrgrkfiBHHyvqtw1RRw0VWtA0f__kFSiTshAngkQgzihEAUliFEFMo3RG1/s640/DSC02094+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fear-filled sweat on The Three Kingdoms</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6oFgJNnrgA-MAQsKycgzO3poyeyIfSVMwFER-vjDdhf3-jcW_w9aRJvjrlcflBdOu_qOi7l90-S7GpCpyuvJy4FK3kjJIaql722WpoJCUdcwMNOKnJyw4qcAlIDrUQcK1pDf78r-CBz_/s1600/DSC02072+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6oFgJNnrgA-MAQsKycgzO3poyeyIfSVMwFER-vjDdhf3-jcW_w9aRJvjrlcflBdOu_qOi7l90-S7GpCpyuvJy4FK3kjJIaql722WpoJCUdcwMNOKnJyw4qcAlIDrUQcK1pDf78r-CBz_/s640/DSC02072+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viagra Tower (we don't name these things) crag</td></tr>
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<br />Besides learning about the physical techniques and gear for rock-climbing, we're also slowly working through the mental techniques necessary to climb. Until now, I did not appreciate how scared of heights Scott is. His mind plays tricks on him like I've rarely experienced. As an example, when I get barely near a ledge, he's convinced I'm going to somehow fall off, and that I need to be anchored. I'm so impressed with his perseverance in working through it. It is eerily reminiscent of how I acted during our whitewater kayaking days. I was completely irrational about the danger I was in. I was constantly scared. We even had a term for part of it - PKS (pre kayaking syndrome). I'd get a headache and become cranky before our kayak run. I would be convinced I didn't have the skill to run the river safely. In reality, I was pretty skilled - if only my mind hadn't held me back so much. With these memories in mind, I try to be patient with Scott when I see him succumbing to irrational fear.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKd4bj49jbiKyTCMKWqJrs3H6tBU4iVWR6AvHglcmxINGIi7tEjErUuFr63Y7vdmCw2OIxHbxeHQUIK_Hu8pP2T7V5xapWBVRezrRxDwYH_K12UwNyXoEVdV4YTpeS-ztLEf3I28DdE4FP/s1600/pics+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="1022" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKd4bj49jbiKyTCMKWqJrs3H6tBU4iVWR6AvHglcmxINGIi7tEjErUuFr63Y7vdmCw2OIxHbxeHQUIK_Hu8pP2T7V5xapWBVRezrRxDwYH_K12UwNyXoEVdV4YTpeS-ztLEf3I28DdE4FP/s640/pics+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mind screaming "no" in 2003</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9Q2OslHz4Pt0nq6278ua4B8lhqrY3xrkbCbI6sRWSPPpZD1B2DSzXz9nqsSz5QWiiBCleq3zPF6DBAZCf2KC0_lnx2rlL_-YIEU8wqxJkmqJSkR3Ek-eqhiCB34EDerKNFS1UF_OZU7q/s1600/DSC02096+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9Q2OslHz4Pt0nq6278ua4B8lhqrY3xrkbCbI6sRWSPPpZD1B2DSzXz9nqsSz5QWiiBCleq3zPF6DBAZCf2KC0_lnx2rlL_-YIEU8wqxJkmqJSkR3Ek-eqhiCB34EDerKNFS1UF_OZU7q/s640/DSC02096+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue skies at the top of Civilization Crag</td></tr>
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Rock climbing in the southwest is a great thing to do in the spring and fall (when it isn't so hot). We're excited to do some more as we head south this spring.Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-30693149552866656032018-01-29T19:09:00.000-06:002018-01-29T19:56:30.753-06:00Sedona and Catsitting TuckerAt the end of 2017, we were patiently searching for that perfect snowy winter rental. During the search, we were distracted by a house/cat-sitting opportunity in Sedona, AZ. We just couldn't pass up a log cabin in Sedona with a cat and a hot tub. We didn't plan it, but while much of the nation was getting hammered with record-cold weather, we were enjoying unseasonably warm 70 degree sunshine.<br />
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Sedona is well-known for its amazing natural beauty with countless hiking and biking trails. But, there's an invisible side to Sedona. The cabin's owner clued us into much of this. The "VisitSedona" website described it like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigg7ZqA5KnEhbRQkiOmgT6tXbg6N3wuFFg1Mvu6e3Xu4GVIhKJHChrY_ynVgnQPZEzsYowJ3BWJGVNr-MhIe2UPiTOfMmN_fIyi7Oa7Y3eWYRAa3Fpshup6cOv-4BzCX_uE95aTytnTPrV/s1600/vortex.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="569" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigg7ZqA5KnEhbRQkiOmgT6tXbg6N3wuFFg1Mvu6e3Xu4GVIhKJHChrY_ynVgnQPZEzsYowJ3BWJGVNr-MhIe2UPiTOfMmN_fIyi7Oa7Y3eWYRAa3Fpshup6cOv-4BzCX_uE95aTytnTPrV/s320/vortex.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>"People travel from all across the globe to experience the mysterious cosmic forces that are said to emanate from the red rocks. They come in search of the vortexes. </i><br />
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<i>What is a vortex? Sedona vortexes (the proper grammatical form ‘vortices’ is rarely used) are thought to be swirling centers of energy that are conducive to healing, meditation and self-exploration. These are places where the earth seems especially alive with energy. Many people feel inspired, recharged or uplifted after visiting a vortex."</i><br />
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The jury is still out on how Sedona affected us, if at all. I promise, we <i>were</i> open to anything.<br />
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Since Sedona is popular for so many reasons, our adventures were shared with hundreds of other people over the holidays. As usual, the longer and harder trails provided an escape from the crowds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2SiRpftFzFiLNjUrNHPq4vtblloEfKH2EmjLL_s20gtM3Xsp0YS2qaU5E7ifjiRiZ8PiNWsUn8474vwifOx8slSFS8R1UBauADNQNMnQ84XuE6MEdQ7ldgGQ8TQIn1NjtzmbSHOAAHcw/s1600/DSC02001+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2SiRpftFzFiLNjUrNHPq4vtblloEfKH2EmjLL_s20gtM3Xsp0YS2qaU5E7ifjiRiZ8PiNWsUn8474vwifOx8slSFS8R1UBauADNQNMnQ84XuE6MEdQ7ldgGQ8TQIn1NjtzmbSHOAAHcw/s640/DSC02001+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We walked to the end of the driveway and up the road 30 seconds to take this picture at sunset - such an incredible location</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUABmkKy-YzSsYHXH1_xwTAIKvWtoVmMNYu-wWrbvUuGQx4BMErumduxEkGJIoRSLERuiZZkAPMU1xVP1y1cwLFAiLAekiz2xW7onmogzInNOhW-PNC1XFP7K1I0tuL267i4IaTPgPqUc/s1600/DSC02010+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUABmkKy-YzSsYHXH1_xwTAIKvWtoVmMNYu-wWrbvUuGQx4BMErumduxEkGJIoRSLERuiZZkAPMU1xVP1y1cwLFAiLAekiz2xW7onmogzInNOhW-PNC1XFP7K1I0tuL267i4IaTPgPqUc/s640/DSC02010+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking towards the famous Cathedral Rock</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-ndBCmezIRHwa43rhmIgOUDGT2QVZ3u3Ke4m4JtYMETxs3hPfF6qV_8iVp4yYvhrnKvGsdzLp03UHMn_D58EIbpdvyNmxCTaZ2s9PHaFg6Sy0xiENq5wZwsAEfds3R1lTEaqYrGVqQwy/s1600/IMG_20171230_112418593+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-ndBCmezIRHwa43rhmIgOUDGT2QVZ3u3Ke4m4JtYMETxs3hPfF6qV_8iVp4yYvhrnKvGsdzLp03UHMn_D58EIbpdvyNmxCTaZ2s9PHaFg6Sy0xiENq5wZwsAEfds3R1lTEaqYrGVqQwy/s640/IMG_20171230_112418593+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wilson Mountain hike rewarded us with awesome views.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL64pGwjeh3Ky_Y1YTWDF1zu7Bl-7HpBl3DrC1uTzK6onIHMas3splLuRZvnKpB7WB6Vq3RT_r8ai4rVs8dYB5xrizmOX_WqYUp7TlzvQ_y6hKxEz0zJvNbo5q4huvU3JF_cFgpQB_zFNs/s1600/DSC02021+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL64pGwjeh3Ky_Y1YTWDF1zu7Bl-7HpBl3DrC1uTzK6onIHMas3splLuRZvnKpB7WB6Vq3RT_r8ai4rVs8dYB5xrizmOX_WqYUp7TlzvQ_y6hKxEz0zJvNbo5q4huvU3JF_cFgpQB_zFNs/s640/DSC02021+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The creek in the backyard of Tucker's dad's house</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvEKZDe1_oYkryRvb5lHlWTDwmYf_YVoZrJMZA-kJ4Zz52G2ad-ZLbrVoDC7mbrWbwEw8JKLlUomD4SAN0qCLTYqgyy517GVkFL_mWM33gD5sd5QG4Ss1hseDq0BXGbJC3rtRtnjt13ZB/s1600/DSC02053+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvEKZDe1_oYkryRvb5lHlWTDwmYf_YVoZrJMZA-kJ4Zz52G2ad-ZLbrVoDC7mbrWbwEw8JKLlUomD4SAN0qCLTYqgyy517GVkFL_mWM33gD5sd5QG4Ss1hseDq0BXGbJC3rtRtnjt13ZB/s640/DSC02053+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Tucker was a sweet kitty that finally warmed up to us after a few days (our house-sit was 10 days long). After a week, Scott finally got an evening lap session. Tucker must not have been impressed, as it never happened again. He would teasingly walk across Scott's lap, but wouldn't sit down. Tucker never got up the nerve to sleep with us either, but on our last day, he gently climbed into bed for 30 minutes of morning snuggles. I'll take whatever I can get.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Snj70Lh-It4HmI9f2TDG8CWrXQpN3hEjXgW116ue0h5VXXDJDHcsuX-BOXbpDr8PLrUAEPWz_jIRV10KxnKoKvaCB7s-v0x2bMwjVCjtPxGWIL9guWVAe9Wvnt0-DwuxjtIwxIqZ5q4j/s1600/DSC02004+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Snj70Lh-It4HmI9f2TDG8CWrXQpN3hEjXgW116ue0h5VXXDJDHcsuX-BOXbpDr8PLrUAEPWz_jIRV10KxnKoKvaCB7s-v0x2bMwjVCjtPxGWIL9guWVAe9Wvnt0-DwuxjtIwxIqZ5q4j/s640/DSC02004+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the look of a kitty who is trying to sleep but also keeping an eye on the strangers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnJq79E31UmbmGcihh0NbSpSzhxNRtwdAj1xkX4vAVi9v5ivm7S3rIGigKHv93Ac_ElOZMzdwiMmtBdakxS-YKvP-K2SAfVRV9irUd7saGk5w4m411D7aEaYx5Ff99vJIpmNYK6lWce0y/s1600/DSC02022+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnJq79E31UmbmGcihh0NbSpSzhxNRtwdAj1xkX4vAVi9v5ivm7S3rIGigKHv93Ac_ElOZMzdwiMmtBdakxS-YKvP-K2SAfVRV9irUd7saGk5w4m411D7aEaYx5Ff99vJIpmNYK6lWce0y/s640/DSC02022+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good view of part of the log cabin. I took this picture of Tucker above (with the Panther!) eyeing Scott below. <br />
So much going on.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMhbVySEFudLHATdddbRM3lkAz8-ivlnNtcLWM8PYoPpLL2S24qZNfxwMHF_b1hy950RiTZrwWhWpTOJyKrFNQPwPIUhQl3F4hcK4JMPCT8570dIJ3m9Sin0ZMAGsJ_cT2QFJ1oXvm5Cl/s1600/DSC02052+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMhbVySEFudLHATdddbRM3lkAz8-ivlnNtcLWM8PYoPpLL2S24qZNfxwMHF_b1hy950RiTZrwWhWpTOJyKrFNQPwPIUhQl3F4hcK4JMPCT8570dIJ3m9Sin0ZMAGsJ_cT2QFJ1oXvm5Cl/s640/DSC02052+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitty trust</td></tr>
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While grounded in Sedona, we sold our well used mountain bikes and bought some cross country ski gear for Scott, all via Craigslist. That was an unexpected bonus to spending the holidays in Sedona. The whole experience was a worthwhile diversion.Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-85544065110754336072017-11-26T11:20:00.000-06:002017-11-26T11:20:18.125-06:00The Overwhelming Beauty of BDLAThe surfing spots in Baja have a special kind of raw beauty that sometimes only a surfer can appreciate. You have to be able to look beyond the barren backdrop of blowing dust and rocky desert. These are the places where we spend a lot of our time, but occasionally, we venture to the waveless east side of Baja. The east side is not so subtle with it's natural beauty - dramatic mountain peaks, calm blue water, nearshore islands, and most importantly, whale sharks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkqQpTsJyvv_q7CHehS9ibocLDrkVNiBG2EnjexV8Hue2a6mCnxChqZG4kZ0lHuLOG7PTeof54Mqbp2K3CNSYjlD9DGsfHvx4lv3bKP5PE7Y3Y4eFITsjtGYhI6TuhLYAwYlqXx5MbGi4/s1600/DSC01973+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkqQpTsJyvv_q7CHehS9ibocLDrkVNiBG2EnjexV8Hue2a6mCnxChqZG4kZ0lHuLOG7PTeof54Mqbp2K3CNSYjlD9DGsfHvx4lv3bKP5PE7Y3Y4eFITsjtGYhI6TuhLYAwYlqXx5MbGi4/s640/DSC01973+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the near shore islands (Isla Coronado) has it's own volcano</td></tr>
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We had been waiting the entire month of October for the weather to get cooler so that we could swim with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_shark" target="_blank">whale sharks</a> in the calm waters of Bahia de Los Angeles (BDLA) on the Sea of Cortez. This had been at the top of my bucket list for 6 years. The whale sharks spend the hot summer and fall months there. Whale sharks are not whales, but sharks, and they are the largest fish in the world. Ignoring people around them, they skim the surface, mouth agape, sucking up plankton as their main source of food. How can something so giant, survive on something I can't even see?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXylo2LNCKzhFe-Ycv1_hiraQCZo4wrwrokIcsxmulJhyKbO6OPqA58mOvcNSIkO54oJ6dWTdYE01Oj5vyB2kjQkMqQe80y6T7COGFZBvBwDXMdMLaKtWSjzs7ZglSKbNR45nRkImEwVKB/s1600/IMG_0641+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXylo2LNCKzhFe-Ycv1_hiraQCZo4wrwrokIcsxmulJhyKbO6OPqA58mOvcNSIkO54oJ6dWTdYE01Oj5vyB2kjQkMqQe80y6T7COGFZBvBwDXMdMLaKtWSjzs7ZglSKbNR45nRkImEwVKB/s640/IMG_0641+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water was a bit murky, teaming with food for the whale sharks.<br />This whale shark continued to eat as we slid into the water with our snorkel and mask.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeeAtmOJR5TE_h4WsuUj_s4HR_zZA2g9aI2UQRn7y5ctuHfAIobfcXzLd1BQIgpiqxupQc87DW-hSnGjbA6rBkhU5PPLWs6HT-JXxw-CSUqv9y8rdgM4wyPErWEFiEuO4eHZGjmf6tA9a/s1600/IMG_0725+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeeAtmOJR5TE_h4WsuUj_s4HR_zZA2g9aI2UQRn7y5ctuHfAIobfcXzLd1BQIgpiqxupQc87DW-hSnGjbA6rBkhU5PPLWs6HT-JXxw-CSUqv9y8rdgM4wyPErWEFiEuO4eHZGjmf6tA9a/s640/IMG_0725+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sucking up breakfast. <br />Juvenile whale sharks eat 46 lbs of plankton per day. </td></tr>
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Right at the end of October, the weather cooled down considerably, so we finally headed to BDLA. We got so lucky on our first visit. While driving to the south end, we questioned a guy about where we could access the water with our paddleboards. He owned property on the bay (along with many other gringos), so he kindly opened a gate that allowed us to drive to a beautiful, private beach. We launched our paddleboards, and within a few minutes, we were sharing the surface of the water with the resident, polka-dotted whale sharks. I was so happy, I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. I felt like a kid again. It was so awesome, we returned a week later (after some surfing on the Pacific side) to do it again. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGBfn90fCHpSxCTynOlI9Ps7C9Q02lCYUye-xNxc0AOSzFZbZo5YWNyUDCyD226z8F3A2TfI75FMw703YC9Edd4wjKazxpSM-SzXTLEKSj4oNO8Jn7izVJGH-kKu0ZSNuRyPyqDk9yXaD/s1600/IMG_0783+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGBfn90fCHpSxCTynOlI9Ps7C9Q02lCYUye-xNxc0AOSzFZbZo5YWNyUDCyD226z8F3A2TfI75FMw703YC9Edd4wjKazxpSM-SzXTLEKSj4oNO8Jn7izVJGH-kKu0ZSNuRyPyqDk9yXaD/s640/IMG_0783+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Private, gringo beach on the south bay</td></tr>
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According to wiki, the largest recorded whale shark is 41 feet (12.6 m) long. Unfortunately, we did not see any that big. We only saw the juvenile whale sharks that were probably only 15 - 20 feet long (still huge!). We spent enough time paddling around that we could recognize the "personalities" of the different whale sharks. One of them was very playful, and would swim directly under our boards. Another one, the biggest, was hanging out so close to shore that you could see the bottom below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6PkJtymh6MnQUdFjnBxltWZaqMjiTh9avCsuw9RQEsj7ycFxKyl_D_f1hLCCYwqgtoM6CEaTRqyAcVqs_BjSYGT04xuWMucB76IpTPAO8sOKYFUXrL-3iPvQQtCHZIIymSAneUhYNP3r/s1600/IMG_0776+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6PkJtymh6MnQUdFjnBxltWZaqMjiTh9avCsuw9RQEsj7ycFxKyl_D_f1hLCCYwqgtoM6CEaTRqyAcVqs_BjSYGT04xuWMucB76IpTPAO8sOKYFUXrL-3iPvQQtCHZIIymSAneUhYNP3r/s640/IMG_0776+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the biggest one we saw. Look at how close it is to the shore. </td></tr>
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On our second visit to the bay, we camped at the north end (Punta La Gringa) for 5 days. It was unusual for us to stay camped somewhere so long, when all we really did was watch the world go by. I couldn't put the camera down. Later, while I was going through all the pictures, I noticed I basically took the same pictures everyday. It was so beautiful, I couldn't stop. Some of the keepers below:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijw-DhtPQV1R8-voObB4UGR4GWJ3li6baZAjFnlG-jebNTu1tkwXgVUxFwuZl5WYXnXi8fSK-v7pevlgF8oyVW_BVyiB5JLCwU1FOIy11VLFRDVYqdBsOideEyBEmF7kjgg2pnPIqGkzwf/s1600/DSC01923+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijw-DhtPQV1R8-voObB4UGR4GWJ3li6baZAjFnlG-jebNTu1tkwXgVUxFwuZl5WYXnXi8fSK-v7pevlgF8oyVW_BVyiB5JLCwU1FOIy11VLFRDVYqdBsOideEyBEmF7kjgg2pnPIqGkzwf/s640/DSC01923+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We saved the GPS coordinates for this camp spot and named it "Best Camping Spot Ever"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYf9L4KNSv2Qr1FeH0EU05NOmvGRusSvpXHdzfja1THexjISVXihlGULqBVzH3p1iskSpTwDi0nc-d8eu9sfL4I1dqLF0Mja6oG-z0Xyh_0ILAjYSsF_H0-W8U1OhiGwK5rU6LuPgcwDr/s1600/DSC01927+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="1600" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYf9L4KNSv2Qr1FeH0EU05NOmvGRusSvpXHdzfja1THexjISVXihlGULqBVzH3p1iskSpTwDi0nc-d8eu9sfL4I1dqLF0Mja6oG-z0Xyh_0ILAjYSsF_H0-W8U1OhiGwK5rU6LuPgcwDr/s640/DSC01927+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDKOFJ-5LjIJw31nM8VQV4vyj31tg4kJvb0Dj8cnMsp53JgBESRuCCWj1lYpkXyNWBYIN77wUdEir8ANJ74Ori2yYGhRRs6-gBUWkto6x02Ob96u-7vEmso-A-FbG9OyvILL2Z_5hoyr5/s1600/DSC01953+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="1600" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDKOFJ-5LjIJw31nM8VQV4vyj31tg4kJvb0Dj8cnMsp53JgBESRuCCWj1lYpkXyNWBYIN77wUdEir8ANJ74Ori2yYGhRRs6-gBUWkto6x02Ob96u-7vEmso-A-FbG9OyvILL2Z_5hoyr5/s640/DSC01953+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moonrise at Punta La Gringa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGXpLBrgHaUUJR5Qhg97PazAEs-tc1KxP6oRia73oS7QcKzQcXUK_opRXWfu2JeFWpRr3-TDA9dPbOqzkN08tbCue5HNnsfJ4jLDdtEhEkQ-Qg2QwGGH1SG0UG2jIfMHpk4aqL1v_Kf2_/s1600/DSC01956+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGXpLBrgHaUUJR5Qhg97PazAEs-tc1KxP6oRia73oS7QcKzQcXUK_opRXWfu2JeFWpRr3-TDA9dPbOqzkN08tbCue5HNnsfJ4jLDdtEhEkQ-Qg2QwGGH1SG0UG2jIfMHpk4aqL1v_Kf2_/s640/DSC01956+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ate dinner while the moonrise entertained us</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8uHA9PDoZWVrApetdj6kNs9CMir7oHWb2oMwEo9njZa11Dn4nEmRu0-IomBYABkItrpaNRw9GzOhse2VkFxyNsoOIEq_buPZ1V33L-bUXCRVsz8qN3vFQ9T3rrDFhsQF5P53Gr2rvtlU/s1600/DSC01963+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1600" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8uHA9PDoZWVrApetdj6kNs9CMir7oHWb2oMwEo9njZa11Dn4nEmRu0-IomBYABkItrpaNRw9GzOhse2VkFxyNsoOIEq_buPZ1V33L-bUXCRVsz8qN3vFQ9T3rrDFhsQF5P53Gr2rvtlU/s640/DSC01963+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet, sweet Baja dogs. These were our pets for a couple hours. <br />They were so thirsty and hungry, I gave them their own bowls so they would stop the frantic inhalation of food.</td></tr>
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As a side note, after BDLA, I realized, we should probably own a GoPro instead of an old point-and-shoot camera in a waterproof bag. Maybe I'll get one for our next visit.</div>
Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-7990769110469902982017-09-29T13:04:00.001-05:002017-09-29T13:04:14.860-05:00Five Months at Punta San CarlosOver the past 8 years of living on the road, we have routinely felt a pull towards Baja. We love the isolation and undeveloped land of Baja, combined with the world class waves, kind, helpful people, cheap living, and excellent camping. To cure our home sickness for Baja, we stayed at Punta San Carlos, Baja for nearly 5 months this year.<br />
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I haven't felt compelled to write a blog post or take many pictures because really, we've covered a lot of it in previous blog posts (<a href="https://heatherandscottsadventures.blogspot.com/search?q=PSC" target="_blank">Punta San Carlos</a>). I can imagine the reader thinking, "blah, blah blah - kiting, SUPing, surfing, biking, hiking, yogaing". In addition to the blah, blah, blah which attracts most of our passion, we watched lots of sunsets and moon-rises (with margaritas of course) and spent time with new and old friends. PSC is becoming a second (or maybe a first?) home for us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kDQiaMEIN3wJLR7WXWqHIF8KxYO75cWAba9oiVwMw0xM3QzaVQbY535yk0w46g0p1RszQxk2EQ0yF0vMfIGEIexfyU3qjyqQWOrhcRPhdVzZ-BcNPqZc2xH-VultwVcblY8TVU-kJe3J/s1600/DSC_5930+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kDQiaMEIN3wJLR7WXWqHIF8KxYO75cWAba9oiVwMw0xM3QzaVQbY535yk0w46g0p1RszQxk2EQ0yF0vMfIGEIexfyU3qjyqQWOrhcRPhdVzZ-BcNPqZc2xH-VultwVcblY8TVU-kJe3J/s640/DSC_5930+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset glow (photo credit: Tom/Amandine)</td></tr>
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Staying at one place for so long allowed us to become intimately close to our surroundings - the wind, waves, tides, moon, sun, mice, rocks, snakes, rain, birds, dust, spiders, human neighbors, sea lions,...<br />
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I will let the pictures and captions tell a bit of our PSC story:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrIkJNADgz3NYaxhGU95Lhy69ran07T6DwLW1Hp1sQIIaBZ75j9sB3LBPlqTV0aZlXr6viIjsXXpYPh3DolJGg_DRPTr64G2DCC8HeRfsYX_v0dh81s9CXuUg0pz1cJqCFnkFGc7XorGw/s1600/DSC01582+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1600" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrIkJNADgz3NYaxhGU95Lhy69ran07T6DwLW1Hp1sQIIaBZ75j9sB3LBPlqTV0aZlXr6viIjsXXpYPh3DolJGg_DRPTr64G2DCC8HeRfsYX_v0dh81s9CXuUg0pz1cJqCFnkFGc7XorGw/s640/DSC01582+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our neighbors returned from town and sent their industrious, sweet daughters to surprise all the campers with bananas and broccoli (Rose is working hard to keep Bon Bon away)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEife78MA0v7HIPLBgXrCb_t3pRkzAywMj2hvhY6ldoNjz66C02wJaFSFhqjIIvT4Ge3GkVpZ_CS2RCkOMUYPFjyCKm4WFwzYUM9IjxAGO2wQN6KYQUdEg-X-TN8TfMu5Q8rz4qMrwox_vfe/s1600/DSC01585+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEife78MA0v7HIPLBgXrCb_t3pRkzAywMj2hvhY6ldoNjz66C02wJaFSFhqjIIvT4Ge3GkVpZ_CS2RCkOMUYPFjyCKm4WFwzYUM9IjxAGO2wQN6KYQUdEg-X-TN8TfMu5Q8rz4qMrwox_vfe/s640/DSC01585+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artur and Insa adopted a dog from the local fish camp and named him Baja. In this picture he's barely the size of a small boulder. He's 5 months old now and 10x the size.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseGz1GckGf3vuLpprsSIQrNJl3nYdCyPVXvTckiUhXeyEfaxqmAcWHo-LPOvENAqWmFUVprW62koLCtgJ5yVdO_Ex67GqttxmWm3O4kkTF7Ep6S_S0SYM8CpPQ_VmikcrNu8V1m2kQ1NN/s1600/DSC01592+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseGz1GckGf3vuLpprsSIQrNJl3nYdCyPVXvTckiUhXeyEfaxqmAcWHo-LPOvENAqWmFUVprW62koLCtgJ5yVdO_Ex67GqttxmWm3O4kkTF7Ep6S_S0SYM8CpPQ_VmikcrNu8V1m2kQ1NN/s640/DSC01592+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unknown surfer enjoying a wave at The Point</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcPXxLAlI63w2EEUEueWs8C2zLuYZwn81u4JkMghdg6nuE5KL0QvfFWpSgDEyqnLqrblvd8K_AAwQeJWgKknjFmNCxXDS0ZmZX35e-68Dwmn4iATqYVY8Q8R5vnilfgyRx6RSz0Y5eM4N/s1600/DSC01712+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcPXxLAlI63w2EEUEueWs8C2zLuYZwn81u4JkMghdg6nuE5KL0QvfFWpSgDEyqnLqrblvd8K_AAwQeJWgKknjFmNCxXDS0ZmZX35e-68Dwmn4iATqYVY8Q8R5vnilfgyRx6RSz0Y5eM4N/s640/DSC01712+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning routine - breakfast and coffee with a view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkG4j55DGSC8d6IJKwINmP2gbOuNaZdZF9WXROxaL7g_TtE1OFUtPgSv6KBG-ld17zmbu7mBEtvBHD6MUrd9GYDxXEiOaCr06B5aKP2dim6BDOJtI0WY8KgY_DAn4VnsFX1my0GnvuaO_/s1600/DSC01719+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkG4j55DGSC8d6IJKwINmP2gbOuNaZdZF9WXROxaL7g_TtE1OFUtPgSv6KBG-ld17zmbu7mBEtvBHD6MUrd9GYDxXEiOaCr06B5aKP2dim6BDOJtI0WY8KgY_DAn4VnsFX1my0GnvuaO_/s640/DSC01719+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our good friend, Gordon, riding The Point early in the morning (we can only hope that we will be this badass at 69 years old)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ba_ZYkvTcqDz15Y6xxJfpk3Q2P2y_3SGLLRmBeaudcJNRN1IEoqTi0abBGH-qXdW6QY0ll0Mn49EgcuIudgNM1A0_VULBGHk-l1gzt_5KWWOSHNOlDJErydXromwXZoRIPAoUUIQMzoo/s1600/IMG_4162+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ba_ZYkvTcqDz15Y6xxJfpk3Q2P2y_3SGLLRmBeaudcJNRN1IEoqTi0abBGH-qXdW6QY0ll0Mn49EgcuIudgNM1A0_VULBGHk-l1gzt_5KWWOSHNOlDJErydXromwXZoRIPAoUUIQMzoo/s640/IMG_4162+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Party in the hippie bus (Sebastian, far right, is the most unhippie of bus owners we've met)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUZns4MT4w7XCeLoycS8gTfCmJysUM1x1KDQlyJMxg9tQz_65JlFW4CpIgg14H4sPjojkOBDwWym9tiwmj6K_hXIov5Pj4_NdQSpqLiHMAsVKKQnuD65vGIJsCuBfFBHxf5z3zxJ8TqbA/s1600/DSC01730+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUZns4MT4w7XCeLoycS8gTfCmJysUM1x1KDQlyJMxg9tQz_65JlFW4CpIgg14H4sPjojkOBDwWym9tiwmj6K_hXIov5Pj4_NdQSpqLiHMAsVKKQnuD65vGIJsCuBfFBHxf5z3zxJ8TqbA/s640/DSC01730+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott doing the kitesurfing thing</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tuCIlPS1DERsOKWq6cARlO9IWlIdbVDZGGhvaYrKzlPKtjUzdTMONYWJn4L9bRi1IPQCaW5F7bs5nXWV37PJyHE7HYIeIzi5lBh6xf7VKdn0SJfKfsvU2C1yB0zPm-MWDT1TwVbY7e2Q/s1600/IMG_0593+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tuCIlPS1DERsOKWq6cARlO9IWlIdbVDZGGhvaYrKzlPKtjUzdTMONYWJn4L9bRi1IPQCaW5F7bs5nXWV37PJyHE7HYIeIzi5lBh6xf7VKdn0SJfKfsvU2C1yB0zPm-MWDT1TwVbY7e2Q/s640/IMG_0593+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My desert microgreen garden</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvI9XVjdT9EkQgkOk-w2TiLvYQjKpwcsmBvyWDyoZgJtzLuOYS2w0vfIo_gEuq5YbuMjFQH5-uWNXewtmQftwt9m5vx3UbBNzyqkrQ4KrCeMzGoimKKb56lpZoToZId31c49ylNm5A2Gh/s1600/P1090128+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvI9XVjdT9EkQgkOk-w2TiLvYQjKpwcsmBvyWDyoZgJtzLuOYS2w0vfIo_gEuq5YbuMjFQH5-uWNXewtmQftwt9m5vx3UbBNzyqkrQ4KrCeMzGoimKKb56lpZoToZId31c49ylNm5A2Gh/s640/P1090128+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campfire full moon rise (photo credit: Artur)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz2E8J7v2flgQB_sT2d_0FTQVcVJ_ZLR66SBW6bgK4-yT4R63gKN07sVih4izJYFrVlx8p-Yqp4Np9NuyvWJrh1mEXisx4e_Oqb7PSe8vsyfhYsK_O5Bh6-xDpnY0tLfFI6f6C7RVobgP/s1600/IMG_0596+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz2E8J7v2flgQB_sT2d_0FTQVcVJ_ZLR66SBW6bgK4-yT4R63gKN07sVih4izJYFrVlx8p-Yqp4Np9NuyvWJrh1mEXisx4e_Oqb7PSe8vsyfhYsK_O5Bh6-xDpnY0tLfFI6f6C7RVobgP/s640/IMG_0596+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year, I took up a new hobby (who needs adult coloring books when you have rocks?)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzgrY-cQ9Rg9zUY1YG5c1-6xivJgBE2UoOl1KT3F6v5H7kTH6EGbdCF7-h15Feh1aF3xAjLfEHwVBtX8dpEZK-yucgZprQnbIRVK6pFd4qUPKKORt4AG_RTRcToTdOXxFzdrtrW3O4XeQ/s1600/IMG_0602+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzgrY-cQ9Rg9zUY1YG5c1-6xivJgBE2UoOl1KT3F6v5H7kTH6EGbdCF7-h15Feh1aF3xAjLfEHwVBtX8dpEZK-yucgZprQnbIRVK6pFd4qUPKKORt4AG_RTRcToTdOXxFzdrtrW3O4XeQ/s640/IMG_0602+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An ancient Cardon cactus holding up a family of buzzards</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-RDUBEDfRnuu6zdeLDugMHuI_Tt8Up7nHoEhTKnLnyoInJ0kHtuVyFby_Tl5WB70EHvyk8PTcRCCQJUC25Wce6jfYapKtPNimOOykS896bi8o-3RcYABiip2N9ewZQZTUQ9fB3oVVYsh/s1600/IMG_0606+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="963" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-RDUBEDfRnuu6zdeLDugMHuI_Tt8Up7nHoEhTKnLnyoInJ0kHtuVyFby_Tl5WB70EHvyk8PTcRCCQJUC25Wce6jfYapKtPNimOOykS896bi8o-3RcYABiip2N9ewZQZTUQ9fB3oVVYsh/s640/IMG_0606+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The biggest tarantula we've ever seen</td></tr>
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Two weeks ago, we left Punta San Carlos, thinking the season was over. As it turns out, two of the biggest south swells of the season will be hitting San Carlos next week (shhhh). Therefore, so will we.Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-39499133184561947122017-07-08T08:08:00.000-05:002018-01-29T19:56:30.791-06:00CatsittingThis is for the cat people in our lives.<br />
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At the end of April, with plans to spend 6 weeks in Baja at our favorite remote kitesurfing/surfing beach, Punta San Carlos (PSC), we headed from Utah to California. On the way, we found a couple in Southern California looking for someone to house/catsit for 11 days (housecarers.com was our proxy). We jumped at the opportunity.<br />
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This allowed us to get our much needed kitty fix, while getting ready for our stay at PSC. It is remote - 4 hours to reach the nearest small town. So in preparation, we spend a lot of time stocking up on food. Purchasing and organizing all that food is a lot easier with a home base larger than El Tigre. The housesit also gave us a driveway for truck maintenance, repairs, and upgrades.<br />
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For 11 days, we were at the beck and call of 3 sweet, sometimes challenging, orange cats. Each one had his own quirky personality that kept us smiling and busy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKj-k1qIxre684wKroAQ2DP2PpsKYclDQd-5ciBcP_uqlNLHAzLITe0fswtn83VYZbGgCcZpDssYDjkbZS3T4v0sp_JIhIm9Z5DKLGwd-8FjtrskneOHoFOKSPyEDcY1vr36fyiMlqeAZ/s1600/DSC01496+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKj-k1qIxre684wKroAQ2DP2PpsKYclDQd-5ciBcP_uqlNLHAzLITe0fswtn83VYZbGgCcZpDssYDjkbZS3T4v0sp_JIhIm9Z5DKLGwd-8FjtrskneOHoFOKSPyEDcY1vr36fyiMlqeAZ/s640/DSC01496+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxPLfU9LKHJmooY-XLN0YqxkRkrNorayYjECxPKvwmp6UbU1vAXbEWnva-72-VMfs7wAC4FvEx6s4884rEy8DPszf2QE8PNlRKFDX1ixBIpJOWGE5olhq8j31bikB885biTqU2d9VmWN6/s1600/DSC01493+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxPLfU9LKHJmooY-XLN0YqxkRkrNorayYjECxPKvwmp6UbU1vAXbEWnva-72-VMfs7wAC4FvEx6s4884rEy8DPszf2QE8PNlRKFDX1ixBIpJOWGE5olhq8j31bikB885biTqU2d9VmWN6/s640/DSC01493+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max (aka Fatty) cleaning his buddy, Pita</td></tr>
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One of the cats, aged 17, named Pita, was hilariously demanding. He never stopped meowing at us. The only time he stopped, was when he was on our lap - pictures below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5TqWLFh6mWjeq2UYr1Lg88ARO_nk39yznMNCWzkm7oOtMWHoiqbtFDxzXQR3_VKi8MDbscuwddrOskQeS_c-ibTglKecus9LROzTPzB9a9FT-JEItZpu1UMPjbQ_OAw4qeddAO3XKIUQ/s1600/DSC01476+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5TqWLFh6mWjeq2UYr1Lg88ARO_nk39yznMNCWzkm7oOtMWHoiqbtFDxzXQR3_VKi8MDbscuwddrOskQeS_c-ibTglKecus9LROzTPzB9a9FT-JEItZpu1UMPjbQ_OAw4qeddAO3XKIUQ/s640/DSC01476+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pita, finally quiet</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u2bZj0LEBXbnfUJ70VOvpTUTSichc2inowghp3dw45ymZjRp-hRMiFo6W8iIhiV3QlqlFfFkZqOz24PmIUz6XSIszK1kqtAPqDAR1Bpj8WCYXNw0DIny0Em0bdp3quJgVWIP5cyCWbBo/s1600/DSC01498+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u2bZj0LEBXbnfUJ70VOvpTUTSichc2inowghp3dw45ymZjRp-hRMiFo6W8iIhiV3QlqlFfFkZqOz24PmIUz6XSIszK1kqtAPqDAR1Bpj8WCYXNw0DIny0Em0bdp3quJgVWIP5cyCWbBo/s640/DSC01498+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pita sat on our lap during dinner</td></tr>
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We laughed on our first morning, when all 3 cats joined us in bed before we woke up. We quickly realized who was in charge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZhzWj9b_XuXsO1U3fO6rPWoIvR_mR7cUxiYgz4BNfmI-sgvjCyfHDjIgJ5nA5mLQXXtVtUwXJTVg9ERPxD-VCRJCP5BAv0iVK6ChFHcL8kcNEtYEaib4cJ9LnKWxN65ho73y1zHR_gFu/s1600/IMG_20170427_073645569_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZhzWj9b_XuXsO1U3fO6rPWoIvR_mR7cUxiYgz4BNfmI-sgvjCyfHDjIgJ5nA5mLQXXtVtUwXJTVg9ERPxD-VCRJCP5BAv0iVK6ChFHcL8kcNEtYEaib4cJ9LnKWxN65ho73y1zHR_gFu/s640/IMG_20170427_073645569_HDR+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talk to the back humans</td></tr>
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Also, what is it about yoga mats and cats? At one point, I had all 3 cats on my mat while trying to do yoga. I was so bummed Scott wasn't around to get a picture of it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBci98PbTIzNPJrllmQTcL7o5yfOcgZkVPJIbZUCSF36PZH7trA0-v1gilyJfC-ytAQJMNYnE61Q7R4S3FrpRXFZnCI_IafE86oJFgwEBm5JC7m_FoY57qxmheRRBnaH6r-vnjXfCFodi1/s1600/DSC01477+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1600" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBci98PbTIzNPJrllmQTcL7o5yfOcgZkVPJIbZUCSF36PZH7trA0-v1gilyJfC-ytAQJMNYnE61Q7R4S3FrpRXFZnCI_IafE86oJFgwEBm5JC7m_FoY57qxmheRRBnaH6r-vnjXfCFodi1/s640/DSC01477+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working out on the cat mat</td></tr>
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The homeowners let us use their car to run errands. What an incredible perk. During future downtime or when we need to do some work on the truck, we hope to find other housesits, as this one worked out so well.<br />
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Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-87576738031497938832017-05-09T16:24:00.000-05:002017-05-09T16:30:56.156-05:00Conquering Fears With A New SportDuring our recent adventures with <a href="http://heatherandscottsadventures.blogspot.mx/2017/04/moab-utah.html" target="_blank">Trent and Michelle in Moab</a>, Trent unknowingly convinced us that our longtime dream to outdoor rock climb should/could be realized. Trent is an extremely accomplished, yet humble, climber. He solo <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aid_climbing" target="_blank">aid-climbed</a> a 2000 ft wall in Yosemite (or did he say 3000 ft?). He spent 5 days alone on the wall - 5 DAYS! This kind of accomplishment is unbelievable. I seriously don't even know what to say about it - especially after subsequently trying to outdoor rock climb for the first time.<br />
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A few days after leaving Moab, we watched a family of 5 rappel 140 feet off Cassidy Arch (pictured below) in Capitol Reef National Park. In the picture, you can see one of them rappelling towards the bottom. After watching them, I was emphatic, "That's it, we're getting canyoneering gear, and we might as well get rock climbing gear too."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92mktu-FzBzONJiLUyBuranUYcguBAeHsrv4U5s-Kv0KSbetxKsoKhwWVW9hHirZXAuxT1dO7p7TiGKl9BvzGq4wdDX90ENVMNxuX9L4EyvbPzgi_aeM1kcFdIZLlLvf4mFmfd8uMrZFd/s1600/DSC01348+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92mktu-FzBzONJiLUyBuranUYcguBAeHsrv4U5s-Kv0KSbetxKsoKhwWVW9hHirZXAuxT1dO7p7TiGKl9BvzGq4wdDX90ENVMNxuX9L4EyvbPzgi_aeM1kcFdIZLlLvf4mFmfd8uMrZFd/s640/DSC01348+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Scott spent days and days researching and ordering the gear. I was in charge of the learning materials - videos, online tutorials, and books.<br />
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I could tell Scott was excited, but it took me a while to recognize his trepidation. He's afraid of heights. Even while we were making some moves during our hikes in the slot canyons (<a href="http://heatherandscottsadventures.blogspot.mx/2017/05/slot-canyons-in-southern-utah.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>), he was constantly saying "but the consequences are so severe". Now imagine what his mind is screaming at the top of a 100-foot cliff that he has to turn his back on.<br />
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We found a canyon south of Las Vegas (Keyhole Canyon) for our first outing. Keyhole Canyon is considered a beginner's canyon. There are 4 rappels with the first being 40 feet and the last being 100 feet. It did not feel like a beginner's canyon to us.<br />
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Before tackling the big stuff, we spent a day and a half at the mouth of Keyhole Canyon testing our gear, tying knots, and practicing our climbing skills. We were glad we were totally alone, because our rock climbing skills are embarrassing. Both of us are questioning whether we will ever really be able to rock climb well. Maybe starting a new sport in your 40's is not a good idea, but better late than never...<br />
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This was our very first rappel (pictured below). The first drop is a test of commitment. Once you drop the first one, you are committing to dropping all of them. Unless you have the skills and equipment to climb out (we don't), there's only one way out of the canyon, and that's down. I went first (hence the picture from the bottom). There are a lot of instincts to fight when you’re stepping off a cliff. My first few steps were unsure and Scott immediately seized the opportunity to bail by declaring, "Maybe we aren't ready for this." You mean, YOU aren't ready for this? After each rappel we were ecstatic, and I was so proud of Scott. He was definitely conquering some fears.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eliCAfmjch5Y1ZhlUvnjPEAhkWxA3GdWOaRLKQQo6UtQ-WWkepKNbbs7HQvtb9wGWaPRx37x0gbjM8Tm8EB0YQEB0xzz3jEh0ZGvyx6V0wepCwCkdFL_7Zlt259BBsei0S-pTJPk6qzY/s1600/IMG_0573+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eliCAfmjch5Y1ZhlUvnjPEAhkWxA3GdWOaRLKQQo6UtQ-WWkepKNbbs7HQvtb9wGWaPRx37x0gbjM8Tm8EB0YQEB0xzz3jEh0ZGvyx6V0wepCwCkdFL_7Zlt259BBsei0S-pTJPk6qzY/s640/IMG_0573+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rappel #1 - overcoming fears </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rappel #2 - so loving this!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rappel #3</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rappel #4, the big daddy at 100 feet that ended in a water puddle with buzzing bees</td></tr>
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Canyoneering and rock climbing have opened up a whole new world of outdoor exploration for us. Oh the beautiful, remote places we will go! (hopefully)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our camping spot at the mouth of Keyhole Canyon</td></tr>
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Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-38984827191893586112017-05-06T23:26:00.000-05:002017-05-06T23:26:10.316-05:00Slot Canyons in Southern Utah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Utah is one of our favorite states for outdoor recreation and natural beauty. After 10 days of incredible mountain biking in Moab (which deserves all the hype it gets), we headed to the canyons of Utah in and around Capitol Reef National Park and Escalante National Monument. If you are curious, here is a link to somewhat explain the <a href="https://vault.sierraclub.org/planet/199611/nationalpark.asp" target="_blank">differences between a National Park and a National Monument</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning coffee with this view at San Rafael Swell</td></tr>
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The geology of the area lends itself to numerous canyons where some of them are so narrow, they are called "slots". Since we were visiting in the spring, there was still water left in most of the canyons.<br />
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The water rarely sees the sun, and is usually so cold, that it hurts to walk through. We went through great pains to avoid getting in the water.<br />
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Some of the canyons required us to wade in the water. I'm not embarrassed to admit that Scott carried me on his back for many of the swims because the water was so cold. Also, there were a few instances where Scott waded, but I bridged across, using every ounce of strength, flexibility, and determination to keep from falling into the cold, murky water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turning around almost immediately due to extreme cold. <br />Next time we visit "Tunnel Slot" we will have our wetsuits and booties.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrinkage? Check.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enduring the cold water for the photo op</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhausting bridge section - I made it! </td></tr>
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This area is such a wonderland for the kid at heart. We were enjoying the area during spring break which meant that we saw (and heard) many kids exploring, just like we were. Occasionally, instead of cursing the fact that there were so many school-aged kids everywhere, we talked about how it was a perfect and amazing place for them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Calf Creek Falls</td></tr>
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Moqui Marbles! These black, iron oxide balls filled with hardened sandstone absolutely fascinated me (picture below). I couldn't stop picking them up. I wanted to collect them (big no-no) and do something with them (but what!!?). The details of their existence is <a href="http://www.livescience.com/47936-how-moqui-marbles-form.html" target="_blank">still unsettled</a>.<br />
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We were lucky to arrive at the Golden Cathedral (pictured below) in Grand Escalante National Monument just as a group was rappelling through. They had started their hike from above, and the final descent was through one of the 2 holes. All three of the guys wore 7 mm wetsuits and were still shivering. Just to put this in perspective, my thickest wetsuit is 5 mm and it is THICK as far as wetsuits go (if you plan on walking in it).<br />
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One day, we got really off the beaten track by simply following a topographical map to a formation called the "Cosmic Ashtray". The picture (below) doesn't do it justice. In the middle of undulating sandstone hills, is this hidden crater containing fine, orange sand and a cinder cone. It felt so out of place, totally random, and eerie.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That is sand, not murky water</td></tr>
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Our time in the area inspired us to buy some canyoneering and rock climbing gear so that when we return, we can explore even more. Next blog post...Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0Escalante, UT 84726, USA37.7702663 -111.6021190000000237.7197843 -111.68314300000002 37.820748300000005 -111.52109500000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-8849446520867471412017-04-16T10:50:00.000-05:002017-04-16T13:17:23.302-05:00Moab, Utah After spending the winter in Nelson, we worked our way south to the biking mecca of Moab, Utah. The change in climate and recreational activities was energizing. It was, for the most part, warm, sunny, and dry. We couldn't wait for the inaugural first-of-the-year outdoor sunset happy hour!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott made an outdoor shower patio at our camp spot - hot outdoor showers are the best!</td></tr>
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It also so happened that our favorite road-warrior friends, Michelle and Trent, were on their way home to Oregon from Baja. Moab is on the way, right? Lucky for us, they made the detour and we spent the better part of a week biking, happy-houring, and sharing dinners with them. Friends like this are like gold. I am so grateful for the awesome conversations and belly-aching laughs (thank you Michelle).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margarita smiles</td></tr>
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The Moab area boasts a dizzying number of biking trails, as well as stunning 360° views, including distant snow capped mountains, and the red rock formations of nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting off the bike to appreciate the views</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaRTDtYHLfKZZSxzPoPceZEqWJj0WSSzFMDR6nbpZgNrpHzXQDdkOusCj-NwGq6DrqDZdxNcNjeTW1c5slE8-hn0UAy8KJRb5jPs6_OCU6MiMk1dtgFSYlxmnPFrg0JTXD2nodxh8ixx1/s1600/IMG_0547+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaRTDtYHLfKZZSxzPoPceZEqWJj0WSSzFMDR6nbpZgNrpHzXQDdkOusCj-NwGq6DrqDZdxNcNjeTW1c5slE8-hn0UAy8KJRb5jPs6_OCU6MiMk1dtgFSYlxmnPFrg0JTXD2nodxh8ixx1/s640/IMG_0547+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looming snow-capped LaSalle mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15Marf-GztglxMYVOCIjizCP_RD_owglmrOoR8vZgo2G9RqIzaGm1BtNcTX4C83GSAry2viS61O0iZ2YG7qdUh_x8mhLboPwzts4eFTuDc1i-8xQjAOBXJHT9C3QmIDxZaZA0KpgnSW6Y/s1600/IMG_0552+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15Marf-GztglxMYVOCIjizCP_RD_owglmrOoR8vZgo2G9RqIzaGm1BtNcTX4C83GSAry2viS61O0iZ2YG7qdUh_x8mhLboPwzts4eFTuDc1i-8xQjAOBXJHT9C3QmIDxZaZA0KpgnSW6Y/s640/IMG_0552+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No one needs to know this started with a few minutes of hesitation, right?</td></tr>
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Moab is a very popular spring break destination, but we managed to camp and bike far enough away from the actual town that we barely noticed. Like always, we'll be back.Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-33183891539319218972017-03-16T00:26:00.000-05:002017-03-16T12:00:10.041-05:00A Very White Winter in Nelson, British ColumbiaIf you happened to see our latest <a href="http://heatherandscottsadventures.blogspot.com/2017/01/planny-plan-part-iv.html" target="_blank">planny plan</a>, you may know that we planned to spend most of the winter snowboarding in Nelson, British Columbia. It was our first return to Canada since our wedding in 2005.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyvuLE_BnJD0o5ZFbfKSUYndTCTlf9sahtglOAuzNHMyDim3qgkfu0sD6pC4DPnBUJ9D-TnaOeMmn6F6XNbVfgTigvjyGGip5MtUiq-Wn8Eeq1DEe1WDQOhTV-jchBKZ8usbZl9DfbMCZ/s1600/DSC01262+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyvuLE_BnJD0o5ZFbfKSUYndTCTlf9sahtglOAuzNHMyDim3qgkfu0sD6pC4DPnBUJ9D-TnaOeMmn6F6XNbVfgTigvjyGGip5MtUiq-Wn8Eeq1DEe1WDQOhTV-jchBKZ8usbZl9DfbMCZ/s640/DSC01262+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canada welcomed us with open arms</td></tr>
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Our plans happened to coincide with a record-breaking snowfall for British Columbia and much of the west (lucky us!). In Nelson, schools were closed for the first time in 29 years. When we weren't backcountry snowboarding, we were digging out the truck, and the all important hot tub, buried under feet of snow. I'm not complaining.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoYgNLypPNSeKThZ-oYHL9YtcXgTpH7ZToJqoxLObardiG41-FrCm2deh7uwokroZUZ54jy13THNqrQQ0yKIAQq83OGoAMG6D8U_-fTvKrMLX0v7dtogKOXux0ejM-lfhwMrxe3ZORF2N/s1600/IMG_0452+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoYgNLypPNSeKThZ-oYHL9YtcXgTpH7ZToJqoxLObardiG41-FrCm2deh7uwokroZUZ54jy13THNqrQQ0yKIAQq83OGoAMG6D8U_-fTvKrMLX0v7dtogKOXux0ejM-lfhwMrxe3ZORF2N/s640/IMG_0452+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many dumps, after which we had to figure out where to put all the snow</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xp7GEFvqN9MVZH4MrYcJPB4Q4HZU0z2B3od-hDLF8seIleJl5rCNWeR06vIzieQ9c1pjZn9Xiek6Cv6zlNL9kmadCykl7f-uFx4El3kIgJ9gXlolL3f4hUm31wGoTZpcYxB-H4oJ18zG/s1600/IMG_0476+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xp7GEFvqN9MVZH4MrYcJPB4Q4HZU0z2B3od-hDLF8seIleJl5rCNWeR06vIzieQ9c1pjZn9Xiek6Cv6zlNL9kmadCykl7f-uFx4El3kIgJ9gXlolL3f4hUm31wGoTZpcYxB-H4oJ18zG/s640/IMG_0476+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well-shoveled path to the hot tub</td></tr>
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We found a really special backcountry stash 11 miles from our house. It was a lovely treed area that enabled us to snowboard during high avalanche-danger and no-visibility days, which was almost everyday. Too many times, I was secretly hoping for a day off because my legs were screaming. Now, spring is here too early, and I wish I had never secretly thought those things...<br />
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Here are some pictures of the beautiful area:<br />
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An added bonus to our epic winter was the unusual amount of live music, especially in such a small town. One of our all time favorite bands (The Rural Alberta Advantage) stopped in Nelson between their big-city shows. It turned out to be one of the best concerts we've ever seen. The venue was small, and the band was really into it. Almost everyone there was a die-hard fan.<br />
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Other memorable parts of the winter included the time when I happened upon a pine marten (!!!) slowly climbing up a tree, all while keeping an eye on me. These little animals are insanely cute (<i>cuter</i> than a teddy bear?). I'm so glad I happened to have a camera handy. So was Scott, who was further down the hill, listening to me describe the encounter over our walkie-talkies.<br />
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One thing about Nelson and the surrounding area, is that it isn't exactly a sunny place in the winter. It definitely reminded us of the dreary Northwest winters we suffered through for 10+ years. When the sun came out, we took pictures (see above) and one day, Scott got particularly inspired:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockin' the moss-tache</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally hippie-cool enough to live in Nelson!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Believe me. My stylist does the moss amazing work. No toupee. Totally natural."</td></tr>
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The snowy winter came to an abrupt end throughout the west. The rain is pouring on the mountains, so we are sadly packing our bags. Some of our favorite mountain biking destinations in Utah are reporting 70 - 80° F with sun. It's time for some vitamin D.Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-85964218960432628712017-01-28T12:12:00.000-06:002017-01-28T12:12:26.843-06:00Planny Plan Part IV<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We think we might have a planny plan!<br />
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While recently visiting my parents in Michigan, we spent countless hours trying to track down a winter rental, in a mountain town, for a season of backcountry snowboarding. As restless nomads, it's hard for us to commit to one place. We finally settled on Nelson, British Columbia, Canada as the object of our affection. We found a rental online, sent them some money, and crossed our fingers that the photos didn't lie.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Uiua0v_7UxHBa01MP_U0fgzK9jQOqjGOHdUFeE4BGhLgf0tvw7tnFFa-zvHXkeatCHo1GpTKJJznZML9BsRq89J8WtnJOcRt6v3blFwzBkXXLWzcvyRJocU1NjLVbs7YH52tNfeLJFM7/s1600/DSC01262+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Uiua0v_7UxHBa01MP_U0fgzK9jQOqjGOHdUFeE4BGhLgf0tvw7tnFFa-zvHXkeatCHo1GpTKJJznZML9BsRq89J8WtnJOcRt6v3blFwzBkXXLWzcvyRJocU1NjLVbs7YH52tNfeLJFM7/s640/DSC01262+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to British Columbia! Our last visit to Canada was in 2005 for our wedding.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful British Columbia</td></tr>
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Turns out, the rental suite couldn't be a better match. We are so pleased. We live below the owners and have a wonderful little suite with everything we need. I had no idea I could be so in love with our own, WARM, DRY space. Now I can say... Living in El Tigre during the winter SUCKS!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life is just too easy now</td></tr>
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Another long story about what we will do after the winter...<br />
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We told many friends and family that we had plans to spend the 2017 summer/fall driving to/from Alaska. This past December, as we drove away from the Baja coastline, both of us were harboring silent regrets about wanting more (of Baja). Luckily, Scott spoke up. We realized that there were many things at play that required a change of plans. For one, since we had plans to spend the cold (potentially cloudy) winter snowboarding, we weren't sure we would be eager for a subsequent trip to Alaska. Most importantly, we both feel like we are at the cusp of becoming better surfers and good kite-surfers. At our age, this sort of competency and passion can disappear so quickly. As such, we've decided to return to Baja in 2017 to chase waves and wind and sun yet again. Alaska will be there when we are ready.<br />
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Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-55484146710452685272017-01-19T21:43:00.000-06:002017-01-19T21:43:02.257-06:00Chiricahua National Monument and a Little SurpriseAs 2016 was coming to a close, we made our way from the deserts of Baja to the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. Winter started to slap us in the face with temps near freezing. We hastily spent many days getting El Tigre ready for the upcoming winter months, while parked in Tuscon, Arizona.<br />
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Our eventual goal was to arrive in Denver where our friends, Melissa and Dave, had our winter toys stored in their basement. On the way, we hit Chiricahua National Monument.<br />
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This national monument protects the amazing rock formations that formed over the past 27 million years (!!!) due to erosion. Erosion is pretty cool.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather getting ready for a failed attempt of a head stand</td></tr>
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We were amused with all of the "named" rock formations. Try to guess what these formations are named - some of them are more obvious than others (answers follow the set of pics):<br />
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Answers: Old Maid, Camel, Punch and Judy, Duck on a Rock<br />
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On to Denver we went, where we spent a couple of nights with Melissa and Dave. We ate yummy food, played cards, and enjoyed their cute pets.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott and Oscar enjoying their beds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85sjJyITEYBYHCcCEHHBtIMv091MW6kXBbBNAEhIlYWzRWr68wAa1sh7-NHB9KDoJxZ9UFSYjZK9JTy-unzwdp-7gVLIja5Xl2_jDkqUsIUy2ajwrWq3uje_SSqtXULVAk9UBgTQSn6e8/s1600/DSC01190+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85sjJyITEYBYHCcCEHHBtIMv091MW6kXBbBNAEhIlYWzRWr68wAa1sh7-NHB9KDoJxZ9UFSYjZK9JTy-unzwdp-7gVLIja5Xl2_jDkqUsIUy2ajwrWq3uje_SSqtXULVAk9UBgTQSn6e8/s640/DSC01190+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My buddy Melissa making us some delicious dinner!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cody finally got his bed back</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YUMMY dinner! Thanks Melissa and Dave</td></tr>
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Prior to arriving to Denver, I checked flights to Detroit and found an amazing deal. Soooo, we flew back to Michigan on Christmas day to surprise my (Heather's) family in Ann Arbor. I am a horrible liar so it took a lot out of me to pull this surprise off.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The surprise worked! We arrived just in time for dinner (although this picture was taken before dessert)!</td></tr>
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Winter is tough for us in Michigan because we can't spend as much time outdoors as we are accustomed to.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Heather and Braxson jumping away the winter blues</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Scott and Braxson playing football during a frigid Michigan winter</td></tr>
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My sister introduced us to the art of selfies with a "photo booth" app. We promised we wouldn't share the pics of anyone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXvvveox5fgtOoevlco-9upvaKCX5flqnLRQBarjhuC5McN0yrkxhfMP0hofSUtY5zn9nYaEtMUnW9CmxpEt9akBE1X4KH-7GSzbJDiUC8RscCcl22DJPJlt3zFsAWjnG0WVzjztrvnPD/s1600/01+Jan1+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXvvveox5fgtOoevlco-9upvaKCX5flqnLRQBarjhuC5McN0yrkxhfMP0hofSUtY5zn9nYaEtMUnW9CmxpEt9akBE1X4KH-7GSzbJDiUC8RscCcl22DJPJlt3zFsAWjnG0WVzjztrvnPD/s640/01+Jan1+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how we entertain ourselves in Michigan during the winter</td></tr>
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After quality time with friends and family, we headed back to Denver. Next blog post - The Planny Plan Part IV!Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-2035609101390917482017-01-02T21:32:00.000-06:002017-01-03T08:11:22.295-06:00Kid Time in BajaWe reluctantly chose to leave our happy place in Baja, and head north back to the USA. Our happy place wasn't delivering (waves, that is) so we decided to head north, do some chores, and start the snowboarding season.<br />
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On our way north, we stopped in the Cataviña desert. We've passed this unique area many times, oohing and ahhing at the boulder fields and cacti, but never stopped long enough to really experience it. This time, we spent the night among the cacti and boulders, and in the morning got right to business exploring the area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camping in the Cataviña desert, Baja</td></tr>
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Within a 0.5 mile area, we explored for more than an hour without retracing our steps. It was very easy to get disoriented. The rock formations, with caves and crevices, kept us climbing and descending the entire time. Our only mistake was not wearing gloves to deal with the abrasive rock. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The elusive Scott-bird, hatching out of his rock egg</td></tr>
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Our favorite cactus of Baja, especially prevalent in the Cataviña
desert, is the Boojum tree (or Cirio). It's like an upside-down carrot
that can grow (slowly) up to 70 feet tall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A blooming Boojum Tree (straight out of a Dr. Seuss book)</td></tr>
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We decided to devote an entire blog post to this place, because we've passed by it so many times without taking the time to explore. If you happen to pass through the area during the winter (when it isn't so hot), take an hour or two to explore. You'll feel like a kid again.<br />
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<br />Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-77990752066389424462016-12-09T21:28:00.000-06:002016-12-10T10:45:41.086-06:00Make America Mexico AgainI guess it's about time we checked in. It's been almost 5 months since our last update, and people are getting worried. <br />
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The Pacific coast of Baja has been our home for the past few months. Once we leave, it will sound and feel weird not to smell the salty, desert air, or hear the roar of waves while we sleep. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times - Baja is our happy place.<br />
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Some of the beaches we've been calling home:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Cardón</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At one with the pokey desert landscape</td></tr>
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My mom recently asked, "what do you DOOOO all day?". My answer, we kitesurf, surf, paddleboard, yoga, run, bike, read, do chores, play instruments (Scott), chat with new friends, get weird flu viruses (related to previous), eat a lots of avocados, cook delicious food, wrangle snakes, and watch the world go by - including cute sea lions and surfing dolphins.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little rattlesnake had a full belly and was resting under a rock near our tire</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best snake-wrangling husband ever - Mom, you would've FREAKED if you saw this snake!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just when you think you're alone in the dunes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the world go by</td></tr>
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Luckily, for our sanity, we've had very little internet access over the past few months. It's been especially healthy to be free of most media after the election, save some updates via AM radio out of Los Angeles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYyuFKCngULH-YF1V-Rys8KuFiwdazzFlCbnYEboKmu2N68H4kzVVWDgbChldX8x_kgf03aN_AB0wSYKLtOUo8ybZXHFupXSMklefvf-1-Ys-yR4AphJai5LYLlz8hRlOFf4N-qCn9wPn/s1600/DSC01039+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYyuFKCngULH-YF1V-Rys8KuFiwdazzFlCbnYEboKmu2N68H4kzVVWDgbChldX8x_kgf03aN_AB0wSYKLtOUo8ybZXHFupXSMklefvf-1-Ys-yR4AphJai5LYLlz8hRlOFf4N-qCn9wPn/s640/DSC01039+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We slammed on the brakes and made a u-turn for this picture. This was in the middle of the desert with no other buildings for hundreds of miles.</td></tr>
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Specifically, we spent June/July/Sept/Oct in our favorite kitesurf spot - Punta San Carlos. Some of our favorite people also make San Carlos their home during Spring/Summer/Fall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julie and Heather enjoying an evening session alone, surfing and paddleboarding</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing that kitesurfing thing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of our favorite San Carlos friends (missing Gordon and Julie/Simon though)</td></tr>
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August was jam-packed with quick visits with friends and family in Portland, Oregon and Ann Arbor, Michigan. For anyone bored enough to check, I quickly uploaded ALL the pictures I took of those visits here: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/vYq6eeokZ57wC6Gu9" target="_blank">Portland and Ann Arbor Visit</a><br />
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During November and now December, we have been exploring the Seven Sisters region, so named for 7 surf spots along a remote stretch of coastline near the middle of the Baja Peninsula. It's amazing that this sort of undeveloped coast still exists so close to California.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu21EexfUf9b46mKXb3Rg1KC76CM0hBy6oIYiifh-cuZ0bOOgMhLoQ1IoT1z0qT0UdYiVy3J1nTfDJsWiLIZxufcovm2VxNlCosy1uBmeajgVKalVglFB4Q0hIJ-niYZ_ByHlOBa2-W1rE/s1600/DSC01073+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu21EexfUf9b46mKXb3Rg1KC76CM0hBy6oIYiifh-cuZ0bOOgMhLoQ1IoT1z0qT0UdYiVy3J1nTfDJsWiLIZxufcovm2VxNlCosy1uBmeajgVKalVglFB4Q0hIJ-niYZ_ByHlOBa2-W1rE/s640/DSC01073+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Undisclosed spot in the Seven Sisters</td></tr>
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We're still in Baja and hope to be here through December. We promise to update more often!Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-80084481678192340292016-07-25T22:48:00.000-05:002016-07-25T22:48:00.691-05:00Heating Up In The California DesertWhile slowly driving towards our happy place in Baja, we hit Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave desert of California. You would not want to visit these hot, dry places in the summer - we were even pushing it visiting them at the end of May.<br />
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We climbed the Kelso Dunes in Mojave National Preserve as the sun was setting and were stunned by the views, lighting, and of course jumping opportunities (pictured below).<br />
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The weirdest surprise was the sound we heard while walking at the top of the dunes. It has been termed "singing sand" or "booming dunes". As you walk across the sand, it sounds like a loud, roaring, low-pitch rumble - like a large aircraft is about to crash land on your head. Apparently this happens in only 35 desert locations across the world.<br />
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Joshua Tree NP is famous for the copious amount of places to rock climb and of course, the Joshua Tree (pictured below). The name "Joshua Tree" was termed by traveling Mormon settlers in the Mojave Desert in the mid-1800s. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story where Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.<br />
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We worked our way south towards San Diego where we picked up our summer toys (surfboards, kiting gear, wetsuits, etc.) from a storage unit. Stuffed with toys and good beer (well-hidden of course), we crossed the border to spend a couple of months at Punta San Carlos, Baja.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of that needs to fit in the box?!</td></tr>
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<br />Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-66139203032844466292016-06-29T12:03:00.001-05:002016-06-29T12:03:54.400-05:00Zion National Park, Mormons, and Gooseberry MesaLike so many National Parks in the USA, Zion National Park is a must-see. The towering granite walls of Zion canyon attract 2,000,000 (!!!) visitors a year to hike, wade through water-filled slots, and rock climb. With our heads cranked skyward, we found some of the best views through the skylight vents of the shuttle bus on the way to our hikes. The view from within the canyon is spectacular, but we also chose a couple of hikes that climbed to the top for a well-deserved view from above.<br /><br />Both hikes were strenuous, and the popular Angels Landing hike was quite crowded, but it was well worth it. The large scale of the place makes it hard to photograph. Here are just a few pictures from below and above:<br />
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Near Zion is one of our favorite mountain biking desintations, Gooseberry Mesa. It's not easy to get to, and happens to be near the heart of FLDS country. This fundamental sect of Mormonism is most notably different from the LDS church because they believe in polygamy. One of the more recent leaders, Warren Jeffs, is serving a life-sentence for incest and child endangerment. After his father died, he married all of his father's wives (except for his mother). It is reported that he has 60 wives. Wikipedia tells me that half the population of the area is descended from only two men. As such, it has the highest incidence of a rare genetic disorder due to all of the cousin marriages.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warren Jeffs and his wives</td></tr>
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During our drive, my mouth hung open as I gawked at the women with coifed hair toiling away in the field in 90 degree heat. They wore prairie dresses over pants in addition to the traditional Mormon long underwear (I'm assuming the underwear part). I'm not sure who gawked harder, me, or the poor little boys in the grocery store who couldn't take their eyes off the skin of my legs, arms, and shoulders.<br /><br />The mountain biking and camping at Gooseberry was just epic. Our first morning camped there, Scott stepped out of the truck and said, "I feel like we're on our own planet". It was truly one of our favorite camping spots ever - the views and isolation were priceless. Pictures below.<br />
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<br />The mountain biking is slow and relatively technical. The trail is mearly a series of white dots on the rocks. In places the trail seems impossibly steep or rather torturous, but somehow you're able to make it up, down, and around almost everything. It doesn't take long to realize how grippy the Navajo sandstone is. The big faint white dots of the "trail" are visible in most of the pictures below.<br />
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<br /><br /><br />From here, we made our way towards Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve in California for some more excellent camping and desert isolation - next post!Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-16919109725320677142016-05-28T11:22:00.001-05:002016-05-28T11:22:06.317-05:00Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, UtahIn our last post, I mentioned that visiting <a href="http://heatherandscottsadventures.blogspot.mx/2016/05/winning-lottery-in-vermillion-cliffs.html" target="_blank">The Wave</a> was a great birthday gift... but it didn't end there. <br /><br />Situated in between all of the National Parks/Monuments between Utah and Arizona is a place called <a href="http://bestfriends.org/" target="_blank">The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary</a>. Scott happened upon it while reading about Kanab, Utah - the little town nearby. It's the largest no-kill shelter in the country, located on gorgeous property just outside of Zion National Park. The property is BIG - you need to drive between animal houses. They have more than 700 cats, 500 dogs, pigs, 100 parrots, bunnies, horses, etc. They have gotten worldwide press because of their work after Hurricane Katrina, their care for Michael Vick's fighting dogs, and a National Geographic TV series called Dog Town. We did a tour the first day, and were inspired to stick around a second day to volunteer. Another awesome birthday gift for me!<br />
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Unfortunately we didn't get very many pictures. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basking in the morning sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The competition for affection was fierce</td></tr>
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I could definitely see us coming back for a longer period to volunteer and explore more of this area. Their sign-up process for volunteering took 5 minutes online and the next day we were set up to spend the morning with the cats and the afternoon with the dogs - so efficient.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big male tabby making friends with the other big male in the house</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This old lady wouldn't let any other cat get our attention - we were warned that she gets very jealous</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were lots of "rafter kitties" - the ones too scared to get near the humans</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet pit-mix who couldn't get close enough to me</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was a little leary of Scott at first, but then wanted to be a lap dog</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two were definitely trying to de-rail my pooper scooping</td></tr>
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Yes, we scooped poop, but we also connected with some precious, adoptable animals. If you are heading to Utah or Arizona, I definitely recommend at least taking a free tour of their property and facilities. Oh, and also make sure to stop in for lunch at their all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet for $5, with a sweeping view of Angel Canyon.<br /><br />Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-15312231975104692072016-05-27T21:58:00.001-05:002016-05-27T21:58:19.170-05:00Winning The Lottery in Vermillion Cliffs National MonumentI wonder how many people have ever heard of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument (VCNM) in Arizona. It's called Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument on the Utah side. Situated just north and east of Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks, respectively, it's a lot less crowded, and really, really cool.<br />
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This area is well known for it's slot canyons and an amazing sandstone formation called The Wave. On our first day visiting VCNM, we hiked through a stunning slot canyon, Buckskin Gulch. According to Wikipedia "it's the longest and deepest slot canyon in the southwest United States and may be the longest in the world". A slot canyon is a narrow canyon, formed by the wear of water rushing through rock and can be quite dangerous during a rain storm. There is a giant log jam in the slot 40 feet up - that's at least how deep the water gets during a flash flood. Crazy. Lot's of pictures below:<br /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to climb down/up some rocks to continue our hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love imaging how this giant tumbleweed got into the canyon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not for the claustrophobic</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was our only exit if it started to rain</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This log was carried by water through the slot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoe-sucking mud that never sees the light of day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You didn't think we'd leave here without a jumping picture, did you?</td></tr>
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During our route-planning, we specifically decided to visit VCNM to see "The Wave". Due to a lack of planning, we learned a week before we arrived that we needed a special permit, and only 10 (!!) people per day get one. We felt pretty defeated, but decided that we would go through the process of entering the lottery. We drove 70 miles round trip to enter the lottery the day before we wanted to hike. There were 147 people vying for 10 spots. The process was hectic and crazy. I couldn't believe it when our number was picked first!! We won the lottery! Pictures below:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSKiUFzv8XcioqVFNcn76k0Pl4bsvnCQaDZfPwK10wjQ31WtHLEABfe3Bb2xqPffM-zzupxaCK0w9e_cmkpjn8_t3X4ZohOKWKF6PquwX6V64JJicIs4pVn2f3oePkpIj5gyvuct3F2bp/s1600/DSC00411+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSKiUFzv8XcioqVFNcn76k0Pl4bsvnCQaDZfPwK10wjQ31WtHLEABfe3Bb2xqPffM-zzupxaCK0w9e_cmkpjn8_t3X4ZohOKWKF6PquwX6V64JJicIs4pVn2f3oePkpIj5gyvuct3F2bp/s640/DSC00411+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hike out to The Wave</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXt6u4pRbpOpbR5Luk29YnJn0ZX42Tt_mUgDcQAFMGic6qB1C0_dFiF3MrHEWMu6Pj2XXL5cVBEQrEa38iK5k3hCdCe0__gf_ZNE7LME7eikR0KVowS7skbEnhFMU8ExoEyljm8iXZvox/s1600/DSC00413+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXt6u4pRbpOpbR5Luk29YnJn0ZX42Tt_mUgDcQAFMGic6qB1C0_dFiF3MrHEWMu6Pj2XXL5cVBEQrEa38iK5k3hCdCe0__gf_ZNE7LME7eikR0KVowS7skbEnhFMU8ExoEyljm8iXZvox/s640/DSC00413+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to do it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjKnMEneULiMuDmr2Q2-KoknFZK0fnxLYgwsDeaZp8bXYfvdZG2EsvmRwyKMIdN-_-0Ate0Hl64MkGIUtMGsoCReM7mcZgMIRfckyK1exnhJDnMCRZaZ9E6zrq4LKGW4KaUuELEsT-MqU/s1600/DSC00418+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjKnMEneULiMuDmr2Q2-KoknFZK0fnxLYgwsDeaZp8bXYfvdZG2EsvmRwyKMIdN-_-0Ate0Hl64MkGIUtMGsoCReM7mcZgMIRfckyK1exnhJDnMCRZaZ9E6zrq4LKGW4KaUuELEsT-MqU/s640/DSC00418+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When we approached The Wave, Scott said "I think this is it" and snapped a picture - it was just the entrance...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not "the" wave - just some cool stuff near it</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All alone at The Wave</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A different view from higher up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the "winners" who arrived as we were leaving</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T8pWDq5wRiAP6ah4FLNI2owmEnm5X1Ql5yFJorKdNnJYcqh6BAatw5DQzzZEIVWE3iuBXo3-rsnhMOmy2YVlMDz7_wN1uYsouJl5_92-PFq4gFyu5l_bmQtNrJHBNL1sK7vQHR5rc0ZC/s1600/DSC00467+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T8pWDq5wRiAP6ah4FLNI2owmEnm5X1Ql5yFJorKdNnJYcqh6BAatw5DQzzZEIVWE3iuBXo3-rsnhMOmy2YVlMDz7_wN1uYsouJl5_92-PFq4gFyu5l_bmQtNrJHBNL1sK7vQHR5rc0ZC/s640/DSC00467+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hike out</td></tr>
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<br />It's only a 3 mile hike out to The Wave, but navigation is intentionally difficult to discourage wave poachers. We crossed paths with some of the
other winners, and a disturbing number of lottery losers trying to find the path, but we were never hanging out together at The Wave. Wow -
all alone! This was also during the week of my birthday - what a perfect
sandstone birthday gift.Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-50034155666560027642016-05-20T20:25:00.000-05:002016-05-20T21:02:42.101-05:00A Litte Bit Of Everything Near The Four CornersAfter we left Santa Fe, our friend Gordon, graciously welcomed us to his house on the edge of a National Forest outside of Albuquerque. Here, Scott worked on the truck for a week, and we ran and biked in Gordon's backyard.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZR1qrvD0OfgQnT3s6qvmgv5cbxNKcLx9aBtthQwGuXx8IchExzw95lB_l6EChLx5jiVEwbKa7w0FYpwE3wIf6TV0SJhgftme3pRNhkSPdqTPwI75utNki7Hgt4xv4_Li0XTH5VrsCFzR/s1600/DSC00250+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZR1qrvD0OfgQnT3s6qvmgv5cbxNKcLx9aBtthQwGuXx8IchExzw95lB_l6EChLx5jiVEwbKa7w0FYpwE3wIf6TV0SJhgftme3pRNhkSPdqTPwI75utNki7Hgt4xv4_Li0XTH5VrsCFzR/s640/DSC00250+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not only did Gordon offer his house, property, and tools, but he also got down and dirty with Scott</td></tr>
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Near Albuquerque, we also met up with our long lost friends from <a href="http://www.thelongwaysouth.com/" target="_blank">The Long Way South</a>! They've moved on from adventuring in their pickup truck to a newly refurbished VW Westfalia. They were in the process of driving it from California back to Maine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisty7tDIFD1H5d6hhNqKn0Io8RZeVbBK0Ea_S58zYIYKbYwrxbcwrT9t2hjWetrWfkVH5L-P3PQ-7WAjvDXzvAnIWKCZ8zAbKVfU4PuUrJbEWMwZ3OdvYK4JhJguVpKkU6XXKWFJaUJvSR/s1600/DSC00237+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisty7tDIFD1H5d6hhNqKn0Io8RZeVbBK0Ea_S58zYIYKbYwrxbcwrT9t2hjWetrWfkVH5L-P3PQ-7WAjvDXzvAnIWKCZ8zAbKVfU4PuUrJbEWMwZ3OdvYK4JhJguVpKkU6XXKWFJaUJvSR/s640/DSC00237+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last time we saw Sarah and Nate was in Michigan 2 years ago. <br />
They were returning from their trip to the tip of South America</td></tr>
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Next up, the "four-corners" region. We barely scratched the surface of this area.<br />
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Our travels had us approaching the four-corners from the south, so we missed out on a lot of the Colorado and Utah portion. A common refrain these days seems to be "we'll be back!".<br />
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Mountain biking was the focus as we visited Gallup, NM and then up to Cortez, CO. Gallup was once known as "Drunk Town, USA", and Mother Theresa even listed Gallup along side Calcutta, as one of the world's foresaken places. It has a couple good mountain bike areas. The town is still a little rough around the edges, but then, so are we. Everywhere we biked, fellow mountain bikers talked about an epic trail near Cortez called "Phil's World". Someone online described it as "a trail you must ride before you die". We're both in good health, but decided not to put it off. It was indeed epic. It was FAST, relatively smooth, with a portion resembling a natural BMX park - jumps, banked turns, giggles, and smiles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SMOOTH!</td></tr>
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A few miles down the road from Phil's World is Mesa Verde National Park. It protects the 900+ year old Pueblo Indian cliff dwellings as well as some gorgeous landscapes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfbwH_WNqUcYCdeU8QvMY90OuexRS67mHjpCLXjlS2urUyIPtxjITqYY6N_ewwhMSx1e_-RrwpNJMv7zRvPEf7-zbAV2uJqE2h6NanQ2pYYRqDFNHaxPsZabEAFq27WKw7H-U8_iVLKrG/s1600/DSC00288+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfbwH_WNqUcYCdeU8QvMY90OuexRS67mHjpCLXjlS2urUyIPtxjITqYY6N_ewwhMSx1e_-RrwpNJMv7zRvPEf7-zbAV2uJqE2h6NanQ2pYYRqDFNHaxPsZabEAFq27WKw7H-U8_iVLKrG/s640/DSC00288+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A short little hike in Mesa Verde NP</td></tr>
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The ancestral Pueblos inhabited these cliff dwellings for only about 100 years between the 1100s and 1300s AD. It is theorized that they left (or died) because they had depleted their environment - sadly, the human's common story. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_nJD1n3cbh_sFNtfyiU2E41A1dmIEI-jUSdNHXuowqXEaalZIwUfOn14ivAYbL64K3kl5XbiMw13mWavM5FUosGU9qzt-LnnmZT44XLd3A6RrQekwh4An1ZJhoKGvmm-cSnPEpiil1aG/s1600/DSC00291+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_nJD1n3cbh_sFNtfyiU2E41A1dmIEI-jUSdNHXuowqXEaalZIwUfOn14ivAYbL64K3kl5XbiMw13mWavM5FUosGU9qzt-LnnmZT44XLd3A6RrQekwh4An1ZJhoKGvmm-cSnPEpiil1aG/s640/DSC00291+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the bigger dwellings that was not open to the public yet (tours start every June)</td></tr>
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We signed up for a guided tour of one of the accessible dwellings for only
$4/pp - it was totally worth it. We were a little surprised that we were
able to walk and climb through these ancient relics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Co2rF_amvoLapZX950oQ6xJ-hKU_k9oqxYiy5I9kqcXhGIuPzkfgwcswKQWQJj5PkRn3gYe3KOP5ctWyvN5_vnn-644S7fq44syMF7NFDDpsWOvGvgFuruSU1Ls2OuRjGOc_Lyb6qDeS/s1600/DSC00306+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Co2rF_amvoLapZX950oQ6xJ-hKU_k9oqxYiy5I9kqcXhGIuPzkfgwcswKQWQJj5PkRn3gYe3KOP5ctWyvN5_vnn-644S7fq44syMF7NFDDpsWOvGvgFuruSU1Ls2OuRjGOc_Lyb6qDeS/s640/DSC00306+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This ladder was not part of the original dwelling - only necessary to enable a one-way tour</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJK7J0QJAi277oDLzkC6YQrNNgqzXOJ2-uVLWDFsIMxCdxKeALUDIkXp9ifJfBOqFq9BQ4YfNJfWD75vvmO_y5kiEMU2PASCntJ0ZviN2OxfkBW3LsdCkLySDB8WMiVc5xRwZhy0CrVAF/s1600/DSC00309+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJK7J0QJAi277oDLzkC6YQrNNgqzXOJ2-uVLWDFsIMxCdxKeALUDIkXp9ifJfBOqFq9BQ4YfNJfWD75vvmO_y5kiEMU2PASCntJ0ZviN2OxfkBW3LsdCkLySDB8WMiVc5xRwZhy0CrVAF/s640/DSC00309+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dwelling we got to tour - you can see the ladder in the lower right of the picture</td></tr>
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Part of the tour included a tunnel that Scott was a little nervous about. The ancestral Pueblos were small people, averaging around 5'3". <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBKOmuCn_DcfXP8SrHx1RiFCJFIWe30pCAejXngJiuzUQf5bbr10c4b6hknbSL94U1UO_OSPPR1w_2pEMU5nM47pEsQH7WLvp6smUBut84kYeIfeAN5AtggbTfPNFkuUP-7AeCn1MMxqb/s1600/DSC00304+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBKOmuCn_DcfXP8SrHx1RiFCJFIWe30pCAejXngJiuzUQf5bbr10c4b6hknbSL94U1UO_OSPPR1w_2pEMU5nM47pEsQH7WLvp6smUBut84kYeIfeAN5AtggbTfPNFkuUP-7AeCn1MMxqb/s640/DSC00304+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tunnel was a little claustrophobic even for me - I felt bad for Scott and the giant man behind me</td></tr>
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The guy behind me was 1.5x the size of Scott, with a giant belly, broad shoulders, and quite a bit older. He barely made it. Surely people routinely get stuck in this throughout the tour season!?<br />
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The northwestern corner of Arizona is entirely Indian reservation (Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe). We stopped for a night in a reservation town called Kayenta. We parked off the highway between Ace Hardware and a pizza place. The security guard pretty quickly sought us out, and suggested we park under a light in the middle of the parking lot. He was worried about us being parked in a dark place with a lot of foot traffic. We felt like we were back in Peru, where the locals' paranoia about crime against tourists was overwhelming. I feel bad that people have to live in an area with so much fear and crime.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1G2ZWTQbfRCCwtVEocblfOyZjlB4Bo7viNai3GGSCv1ekz-E4Nbv-K9UJP3uosERIH79vXQKaxvqWy9J7bJZ53Xf3cFFVC3izs8AljXQDe_HAEwa0MeWJsiH74xumFJB26vsFVV18xoI7/s1600/DSC00325+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1G2ZWTQbfRCCwtVEocblfOyZjlB4Bo7viNai3GGSCv1ekz-E4Nbv-K9UJP3uosERIH79vXQKaxvqWy9J7bJZ53Xf3cFFVC3izs8AljXQDe_HAEwa0MeWJsiH74xumFJB26vsFVV18xoI7/s640/DSC00325+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While we were parked in the "dangerous" spot, a nice local asked Scott to fix his tire</td></tr>
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It's cool to realize how many places in the USA we visit that we've never been to (or even heard of) before. Without a doubt, we'll be back to this area again.Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-59498988201571247712016-04-30T16:07:00.000-05:002016-04-30T16:49:11.988-05:00Red or Green Chile With That? - Santa Fe, New MexicoA couple of weeks ago, we met my parents in Santa Fe. We had no expectations of Santa Fe, and I suspect that is one of the reasons we fell in love with it. The historic central plaza seemed straight out of Mexico and the old (oldest in the USA) adobe buildings were a new sight for us. And the food - I don't even know where to begin! "Do you want red or green chile with that?" - every time we replied "both", we were reminded that it's called "Christmas (you stupid tourist)". Scott was especially in heaven with the spicy New Mexican food.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUL9sKNztvMzqWolb0D5N4uhtLVKW9xE1n54rlTw8oTW6RGCPfVKfcK7IfryJUu0UUbx2fAo6E70917XwrobPRc4RHv94MrFBhyQfqkquTQ4DRl4guACmnFDyeEGHcN_2pm5L50Mg3Tr2/s1600/DSC00123+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUL9sKNztvMzqWolb0D5N4uhtLVKW9xE1n54rlTw8oTW6RGCPfVKfcK7IfryJUu0UUbx2fAo6E70917XwrobPRc4RHv94MrFBhyQfqkquTQ4DRl4guACmnFDyeEGHcN_2pm5L50Mg3Tr2/s640/DSC00123+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adobe building near the town square - Museum of Contemporary Native Arts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6InpaV_dvebVADvy3GeN-5j89iRXcUO6uhhGqBKTlXGF00nRoGu4HN1fMR1NH3xGgf43I-son7RpQHUrHz7atk73jKDEAtws58icFnLUr1ckejnqdBEBBVFtfvlGyjp6CAltTjWWvhmA/s1600/DSC00220+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6InpaV_dvebVADvy3GeN-5j89iRXcUO6uhhGqBKTlXGF00nRoGu4HN1fMR1NH3xGgf43I-son7RpQHUrHz7atk73jKDEAtws58icFnLUr1ckejnqdBEBBVFtfvlGyjp6CAltTjWWvhmA/s640/DSC00220+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Mexican breakfast with red and green chile -- Huevos Divorciados</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKQPGxmTjnjsiNixB7os9Aua3J1TVZadVUC8G1tBi3brgoshTuy43jaI7Y13brBMsBan5ewvkZFK2rLNCtImZgnyyI-HEb-5HFPs4J8u_TXo4Sxw24fPrCVGr_yMHfcGWSQk4DoD747V-/s1600/DSC00230+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKQPGxmTjnjsiNixB7os9Aua3J1TVZadVUC8G1tBi3brgoshTuy43jaI7Y13brBMsBan5ewvkZFK2rLNCtImZgnyyI-HEb-5HFPs4J8u_TXo4Sxw24fPrCVGr_yMHfcGWSQk4DoD747V-/s640/DSC00230+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dried chilies adorn the porches of many buildings in downtown Santa Fe including my parents' hotel</td></tr>
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Santa Fe sits at an elevation of 7,200 ft - definitely a record high for my
parents. Rising to 14,000 ft, the Sangre de Cristo mountains surrounding Santa
Fe were still covered in snow. We watched a dramatic thunderstorm roll across the mountains, complete with lightning and otherworldly lighting, all while enjoying a beer on the deck of a local restaurant.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxqUc11tt8GpGQcg2uzlVkC0NZoNIeycshHGls1vxnhUkKkq-X_IMpIaPYEZ_hn-WYKNWeHINoGT_Z_KA8hTDCCYFLxnHhyiVATNtPhn_BCWAA1y_SBQP_p-yzSatyHZEx-2-Bkeg5GmB/s1600/DSC00129+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxqUc11tt8GpGQcg2uzlVkC0NZoNIeycshHGls1vxnhUkKkq-X_IMpIaPYEZ_hn-WYKNWeHINoGT_Z_KA8hTDCCYFLxnHhyiVATNtPhn_BCWAA1y_SBQP_p-yzSatyHZEx-2-Bkeg5GmB/s640/DSC00129+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storming over the mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perched above the town square, we watched lightning in the distance, and drank La Cumbre brewery's Elevated IPA from Albuquerque (one of our new favorite IPAs!)</td></tr>
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Half the population of Santa Fe is Latino. We loved hearing the chatter of Spanish as we were walking down the street. The Native American influence is celebrated in Santa Fe as well, but sadly the population has dwindled to just under 3%.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside the Museum of Contemporary Native Art, this statue reminds me of my nephew when he pouts and says, "DON'T LOOK AT ME"</td></tr>
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Santa Fe is a huge tourist draw and the prices around the plaza reflect that. One day, we made the mistake of walking into one of the clothing shops on the main square. A table full of beautiful sweaters caught my attention so I checked out the price tag - $1500!!! Out the door we went...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTtl8pBqkFe8DesNddTFVhnB3_rotJmezEkNpHL1S7zhlvO6Ik_YhE7tzkEB84x47wieDgOK01Hui6pMlHxONisbWVvNWKuchTiI7UNIRrep8Y-175tnUoH3hP3Ct9NypUEXsTL-gqeFj/s1600/DSC00222+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTtl8pBqkFe8DesNddTFVhnB3_rotJmezEkNpHL1S7zhlvO6Ik_YhE7tzkEB84x47wieDgOK01Hui6pMlHxONisbWVvNWKuchTiI7UNIRrep8Y-175tnUoH3hP3Ct9NypUEXsTL-gqeFj/s640/DSC00222+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perched above the plaza with the $1500 sweater store in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great picture of Scott and Dad. What's not to smile about with Elevated IPA and some homemade chips and salsa!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little more food porn - excellent fish tacos</td></tr>
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My favorite part of the visit was our walk through the famous art district on Canyon Road. Again, I had no expectations, so maybe that's why it was so awesome. All of the art work we saw was outdoors. As you can see from the pictures below, the bronze sculptures were clearly my favorite. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5z9n0NOUXVFPxM5emQ5aovj4zMuX6uaZbktcwSFUe8OR37lk10JgRbx-FuUEuVnwI8fazYcyaNOomcp7z8A-M1hAqesPRBth4QYHladmCi0r8acWtzMJp-rYkhMbqCJtk0YxI794jsd-S/s1600/DSC00141+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5z9n0NOUXVFPxM5emQ5aovj4zMuX6uaZbktcwSFUe8OR37lk10JgRbx-FuUEuVnwI8fazYcyaNOomcp7z8A-M1hAqesPRBth4QYHladmCi0r8acWtzMJp-rYkhMbqCJtk0YxI794jsd-S/s640/DSC00141+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWV1Phrad2ph6EQJEJVE9kFv8NoPE6dqjugOvatP20CjuNGkL5ZA3Dyg6Io1IiTIsJfi67XclpjOVGbOE2kvACP9R5ZFoyw6RAHBy9UZPf3SOl51ouYqVQcueZsfQYR0l41NoYBTiNzVtZ/s1600/DSC00147+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWV1Phrad2ph6EQJEJVE9kFv8NoPE6dqjugOvatP20CjuNGkL5ZA3Dyg6Io1IiTIsJfi67XclpjOVGbOE2kvACP9R5ZFoyw6RAHBy9UZPf3SOl51ouYqVQcueZsfQYR0l41NoYBTiNzVtZ/s640/DSC00147+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is all BRONZE! Amazing detail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpwE45VvkLfL787espYoYd_-khjVJIY5aFvqKcXHVOvzOS2Ha2I7igpFCo4dSwC7C8PpaTbJwIB3uiS_qkPDa47pZdd7WJgJ4k_TtlbClhFwXkXSYZeHZrV97GXV2nNcMALId1ZGcBuoM/s1600/DSC00148+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpwE45VvkLfL787espYoYd_-khjVJIY5aFvqKcXHVOvzOS2Ha2I7igpFCo4dSwC7C8PpaTbJwIB3uiS_qkPDa47pZdd7WJgJ4k_TtlbClhFwXkXSYZeHZrV97GXV2nNcMALId1ZGcBuoM/s640/DSC00148+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole family was awestruck by these bronze sculptures</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oRCjWOsk06-vhphBp4hI8D4azAK0SaEqlfVym_YzBa0GEWUfpMRdqtUKdoToUjemyx-FmI2teXlc8lpOxxTmV-ocMmhRIaBxxLTybAWCiymlSrBn0ahyCCRaiKc4HKuLd9clGEQyH5Lo/s1600/DSC00150+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oRCjWOsk06-vhphBp4hI8D4azAK0SaEqlfVym_YzBa0GEWUfpMRdqtUKdoToUjemyx-FmI2teXlc8lpOxxTmV-ocMmhRIaBxxLTybAWCiymlSrBn0ahyCCRaiKc4HKuLd9clGEQyH5Lo/s640/DSC00150+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again, all bronze - buttons, beads, thread, hair, feathers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1maGMXpGDr0P8YvPSDmFbJkKeXeY0HoOYAEE5e9QqUAEeMrC4QM28uEjrv7j4Xgd2Ah98Sq7gmq397dPbT3Uh3K7pVNnx0KQDpuJpea3GnNrV3M1R3ZXdv1NzGZ-vHNQzCt61myYtgzg/s1600/DSC00153+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1maGMXpGDr0P8YvPSDmFbJkKeXeY0HoOYAEE5e9QqUAEeMrC4QM28uEjrv7j4Xgd2Ah98Sq7gmq397dPbT3Uh3K7pVNnx0KQDpuJpea3GnNrV3M1R3ZXdv1NzGZ-vHNQzCt61myYtgzg/s640/DSC00153+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love it when I feel this way</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VYLx4eDboAWkBpqMPjPnoOgu1JsVStIr0IIExeoI7dzemyNTIqFLHYol65_X7CZl7HJUAPElVo3aa1jJdTyhYQi4vkp07bxyTKLQ7J54Z2LxItRObeZlmJqrRjI9M6Nh7UUu7fwxoUoB/s1600/DSC00156+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VYLx4eDboAWkBpqMPjPnoOgu1JsVStIr0IIExeoI7dzemyNTIqFLHYol65_X7CZl7HJUAPElVo3aa1jJdTyhYQi4vkp07bxyTKLQ7J54Z2LxItRObeZlmJqrRjI9M6Nh7UUu7fwxoUoB/s640/DSC00156+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKKkCX_nWGK6k6ffWXtZ67nMTVZcx5X9iqO6gai2Lt2cVye5yJ-KNx-wgdIl3Pv09Llx2yaJ0n7sWiYOVeOGQrsSkY-j4mfxQXNoZH3QZG6C9I8PUGiHB7KOAYn36mK0fv3dLF4Vo7zfr/s1600/DSC00160+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKKkCX_nWGK6k6ffWXtZ67nMTVZcx5X9iqO6gai2Lt2cVye5yJ-KNx-wgdIl3Pv09Llx2yaJ0n7sWiYOVeOGQrsSkY-j4mfxQXNoZH3QZG6C9I8PUGiHB7KOAYn36mK0fv3dLF4Vo7zfr/s640/DSC00160+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad always keepin' the humor alive</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgMlvhuCasV0SEe9oK6BfqXSw5adV0Cz6Vu1WkHv1vSLWvBqFsBnGupKlRC-4gqXUGBdQjquZi76ww_Gh4fooAUOm4wTUa1HyHG4DhLkRuLfSYPfA3jkikRhmHM3cX8RkL5wJawFV5qfm/s1600/DSC00166+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgMlvhuCasV0SEe9oK6BfqXSw5adV0Cz6Vu1WkHv1vSLWvBqFsBnGupKlRC-4gqXUGBdQjquZi76ww_Gh4fooAUOm4wTUa1HyHG4DhLkRuLfSYPfA3jkikRhmHM3cX8RkL5wJawFV5qfm/s640/DSC00166+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to choose the cutest part of this sculpture - the pups fighting or the pup howling along in front of mom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl42qvrpB7GwFsH3Ctiw-c-TILLdp-PPi310tJfAzVaAG9HoZ6zEqT5aP_szfC6bVeltoH_5ReBg9DdezCb7TfWEZEeZX2m0mpJrLWOG4jTQpKEhI0IWyAH9svhZ9GqEAv2FIz4NwB1wZG/s1600/DSC00168+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl42qvrpB7GwFsH3Ctiw-c-TILLdp-PPi310tJfAzVaAG9HoZ6zEqT5aP_szfC6bVeltoH_5ReBg9DdezCb7TfWEZEeZX2m0mpJrLWOG4jTQpKEhI0IWyAH9svhZ9GqEAv2FIz4NwB1wZG/s640/DSC00168+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheeeeee!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZeVyUUIrV-7e_BWG_Fiz8lTBdJbkkCamYqjrilSBXIHvAXhd-K3m3GmXpy1TFhJwUH9IjfuxwdRRR7Z_wZuKKWSUUCRs-R7BfWyhaR3RHY_AZFBk6go4Q_EwQw8QXZKUrDU9a__tDsZe/s1600/DSC00180+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZeVyUUIrV-7e_BWG_Fiz8lTBdJbkkCamYqjrilSBXIHvAXhd-K3m3GmXpy1TFhJwUH9IjfuxwdRRR7Z_wZuKKWSUUCRs-R7BfWyhaR3RHY_AZFBk6go4Q_EwQw8QXZKUrDU9a__tDsZe/s640/DSC00180+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you know my dad, or have visited our house in the summer, you know he isn't much of a goose lover</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlSNLbhW8nh_4t8CLdJfMq2sBO4AJV5UhjBgiVGcu8yLYL3LE_o3ndICiWv7TqspGn3JHqy2SpbIwS-0ZaE8xNiw86RQPM9d88liFqfFLRcaVOqa0qOad5ZL2Dg266Ew-xH2B3AGMo_OW/s1600/DSC00187+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlSNLbhW8nh_4t8CLdJfMq2sBO4AJV5UhjBgiVGcu8yLYL3LE_o3ndICiWv7TqspGn3JHqy2SpbIwS-0ZaE8xNiw86RQPM9d88liFqfFLRcaVOqa0qOad5ZL2Dg266Ew-xH2B3AGMo_OW/s640/DSC00187+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBm9Righ0ezXMwU6g5whMZSZgBphR4nkTAZVvHYuTA_Ju1jV_5gH8Cy5QAmQp6mVdZrcrwu6cPeC23emY5RtqAizPjkJ2qXz1dTux5aBvR60a6Wp0u6mS_oOuH0AZA4qQW82ROjBtzWW13/s1600/DSC00188+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBm9Righ0ezXMwU6g5whMZSZgBphR4nkTAZVvHYuTA_Ju1jV_5gH8Cy5QAmQp6mVdZrcrwu6cPeC23emY5RtqAizPjkJ2qXz1dTux5aBvR60a6Wp0u6mS_oOuH0AZA4qQW82ROjBtzWW13/s640/DSC00188+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truffles, the pig</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Yy51Bo3xGbnyW3RU49lzEPhi3qaes9YJvbHW43RXdj-89exP73uSrFoTPqHsP3j2iGLrEM2lg-9NY9NcAGzysi5wUGeKollD7i3FenyB1mYdMPnKJsIsLPCD0pqfUutVRrbdxBofz1B0/s1600/DSC00190+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Yy51Bo3xGbnyW3RU49lzEPhi3qaes9YJvbHW43RXdj-89exP73uSrFoTPqHsP3j2iGLrEM2lg-9NY9NcAGzysi5wUGeKollD7i3FenyB1mYdMPnKJsIsLPCD0pqfUutVRrbdxBofz1B0/s640/DSC00190+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGBlnjBU5uy0eJYDzz5yjY541y98Eb0fLVQyp8lCMGYfto1SMXyoqXsK-5Yy5XtGEmuQLkKzISP356mtlEh_p2i-1gFSYn0VlsQTirFPVitqt8adcr5rFRX9YdfkHLZHFFXrg3c5ER8l-/s1600/DSC00193+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGBlnjBU5uy0eJYDzz5yjY541y98Eb0fLVQyp8lCMGYfto1SMXyoqXsK-5Yy5XtGEmuQLkKzISP356mtlEh_p2i-1gFSYn0VlsQTirFPVitqt8adcr5rFRX9YdfkHLZHFFXrg3c5ER8l-/s640/DSC00193+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This sculpture was called "Two pooped"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6sbfz2RujHqX3P8BXCqz1y1mQMWJiQ1WJVhtjXPbqoveCOfDoietiDtUcgidfLP0VRFQMmCfsWGN0C6CFD2cV-HBxoVXMDff2o4bngjmnIMIeAaDZFtfyfi-roI98bdEy2fKGnw4mFYT/s1600/DSC00195+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6sbfz2RujHqX3P8BXCqz1y1mQMWJiQ1WJVhtjXPbqoveCOfDoietiDtUcgidfLP0VRFQMmCfsWGN0C6CFD2cV-HBxoVXMDff2o4bngjmnIMIeAaDZFtfyfi-roI98bdEy2fKGnw4mFYT/s640/DSC00195+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truffles!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMn_3CEcnlKNlfEDdXqUUGLSIDKsBEv4mJHvwgrL9GjWLGWCZUj8mGyXuZmmFvozgDuywyi5CHn-kaPFnMVgKxF5q08D9B8nLpYcwkkl9YLNxdpfcljRdPqh_qalrqIc7L1TJajKiRps1/s1600/DSC00202+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMn_3CEcnlKNlfEDdXqUUGLSIDKsBEv4mJHvwgrL9GjWLGWCZUj8mGyXuZmmFvozgDuywyi5CHn-kaPFnMVgKxF5q08D9B8nLpYcwkkl9YLNxdpfcljRdPqh_qalrqIc7L1TJajKiRps1/s640/DSC00202+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJZXFZKmMJvs2vpxPNvbGP3pP2zfl39M43aCvy7wVnsEC53yz-SqHY9lFzDBjZzYDYrEXYCrNMl_LUoDZN35lfjCdKHBZGNEIM3IqkST-0iPI8r4ScWdWvGdCajkwsNPqf6pkDgKSzLUc/s1600/DSC00205+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJZXFZKmMJvs2vpxPNvbGP3pP2zfl39M43aCvy7wVnsEC53yz-SqHY9lFzDBjZzYDYrEXYCrNMl_LUoDZN35lfjCdKHBZGNEIM3IqkST-0iPI8r4ScWdWvGdCajkwsNPqf6pkDgKSzLUc/s640/DSC00205+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found an orange kitty. He was not made of bronze.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIXALks5lnFwm40hrE8rQk6KPZJnH9NVJr8_Ygd61HYTCHRhR9UIjMCJ_EaEKcq0Bb2tGpyxYjFBrPwqnrd7HhQyBoKZNt_gOZgXfgBGXIwxubX1v9N0tdVKheFVPfCy_lP3Dwz9wScQI/s1600/DSC00209+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIXALks5lnFwm40hrE8rQk6KPZJnH9NVJr8_Ygd61HYTCHRhR9UIjMCJ_EaEKcq0Bb2tGpyxYjFBrPwqnrd7HhQyBoKZNt_gOZgXfgBGXIwxubX1v9N0tdVKheFVPfCy_lP3Dwz9wScQI/s640/DSC00209+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott's favorite sculpture - the moose with skinny legs</td></tr>
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After my parents left, we were solely focused on fixing a few important things with the truck and our mountain bikes, so we never got to bike or hike the numerous trails in the area. We'll be back to Santa Fe for sure.Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-68656214891853611082016-04-16T21:02:00.000-05:002016-04-17T11:39:29.116-05:00 El Niño Winter - Jackson Hole, WYJackson sucked us in again for another excellent winter of backcountry snowboarding. When I say "another", I mean this happened once before waaaay back in 2003. That was so long ago, I remember using <i>DIAL-UP</i> internet with my pre-flip phone tethered to our computer to send emails. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvibryVR5rjOHYPcMLyu0MheN1-duKPK7mk6zmBVVpi8ljiSQNnZ6yHXURnrUSHqYnzxeaUO6cztfjI_coJJ42qa8i0wDAwpTngQiXczD7Q_-s6bf2d4nS2WrhoeTucJl0Ml76RHEQgNS/s1600/8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvibryVR5rjOHYPcMLyu0MheN1-duKPK7mk6zmBVVpi8ljiSQNnZ6yHXURnrUSHqYnzxeaUO6cztfjI_coJJ42qa8i0wDAwpTngQiXczD7Q_-s6bf2d4nS2WrhoeTucJl0Ml76RHEQgNS/s640/8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackson, 2003: That winter we lived in our good 'ol 1990 E-350 van</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living in El Tigre is downright plush compared to that winter in 2003</td></tr>
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Besides the most excellent backcountry-access to the Tetons, Jackson
surprised us with so much more. Jackson Hole sits in a physical hole at
the foot of towering hills and mountains, surrounded by National Park
and National Forest. The wildlife right outside of town is phenomenal -
moose, fox, coyote, big horn sheep, mountain goat, elk, deer, birds, ferret, otter,
bison, the list goes on.<br />
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One morning, the local moose family showed up for a photo shoot perfectly flanked by the Tetons. Pictured below:<br />
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Jackson is getting crowded but I don't blame anyone for joining the hoards who visit and dream to live in the Jackson
area. Winter is the off season, so I can't even imagine what it is like in the summer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the whales are migrating to the Jackson area</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The diversity in Jackson is a bit surprising. At first glance, you assume it may be a town dominated by absurdly rich people. Charles Schwab, Tiger Woods, Harrison Ford, and Dick Cheney are among those who either bought here or call Jackson home. But luckily that's not true. The locals in Jackson range from extreme mountain athletes to good 'ol cowboys and most surprising, a thriving Hispanic population. It was one of my favorite surprises about Jackson. Mostly, because I miss the Latino culture and all that it entails.<br />
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I would be lying if I acted like we did much more than backcountry snowboard almost everyday for the 7 weeks while we were there. We <i>did</i> try to diversify a little bit, like when Scott tried his hand at the "Songwriter's Alley" at one of the historic Hotel/Saloon's in town (The Silver Dollar Bar at The Wort Hotel). It made for good pictures, but the venue was frustratingly loud - people were not there to listen to the musicians.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott asked one of the other musicians, Andy, to play with him for one of his songs </td></tr>
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And when it wasn't storming too hard or raining on us, this is what we did for 7 straight weeks:<br />
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Around the middle of March, we weren't quite ready for winter to end, but a warm dry-spell convinced us to head south. We only made it 30 miles though. An updated forecast the following morning called for a big storm so we returned to Jackson. We enjoyed an epic week that started with 4 feet of snow over 4 days! After that, our legs were done with winter, and we were too. Thank you El Niño!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New snow up to my knees and it continues to snow!</td></tr>
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Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7429011656643631665.post-61029398644358803332016-03-17T20:39:00.000-05:002016-03-18T23:05:41.644-05:00Our Winter Logistics - Living in an RV in the WinterWe recently met a guy in Colorado who is living out of the bed of his truck, ski bumming for the winter - no heat and no insulation in <i>single digit </i>temperatures. In Jackson, Wyoming we see many single dudes similarly living out of their pickup trucks. It makes what we're doing seem downright plush.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our morning commute in Teton National Park, Wyoming</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_703508076"></span><span id="goog_703508077"></span><br />
So, with that in mind, it was hard to even fathom writing a blog post about our first experience living in El Tigre for the winter. What's the big deal, right? Below are some of our issues and some solutions that we discovered over the past couple of months.<br />
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Despite all of our upgrades this past summer, including insulation, the Tiger has a couple of winter-living challenges. First, the windows are single pane with aluminum frames. Clearly, this Tiger was not designed for winter-living (<a href="http://www.tigervehicles.com/tiger-models/bengal/" target="_blank">later models</a> have been designed better). The aluminum gets as cold as the air outside, collecting condensation and then freezing overnight. I put<a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-62-in-x-84-in-Clear-Plastic-Indoor-Window-Kit-2120-EP/100353672" target="_blank"> 3M Window Plastic</a> across the 4 windows/frames above the bed, which helps the condensation and icing tremendously. On top of the plastic, I put rigid 1/2" insulation against the bedroom windows at night - toasty. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKznMhj946-8s95-lv5V2oGKRtMjMFuCGaV_EsixqjbpmvVsJr7qACd1kjCFOO7b6M7iThF38SALm3lJ-2ovMxW8ZPb09DCJaaOIvZHNxL3TeIUb-y7ieqiGdGGWESWTEgXeliBZWzsk4N/s1600/IMG_0042+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKznMhj946-8s95-lv5V2oGKRtMjMFuCGaV_EsixqjbpmvVsJr7qACd1kjCFOO7b6M7iThF38SALm3lJ-2ovMxW8ZPb09DCJaaOIvZHNxL3TeIUb-y7ieqiGdGGWESWTEgXeliBZWzsk4N/s640/IMG_0042+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the horrible picture... <br />
Rigid insulation in place on the left. Also trying to capture the plastic over our "foot" window.</td></tr>
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We place Reflectix on the kitchen and living room windows at night, but the frames and sometimes the windows still inevitably ice up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYE2W9EP43LT_7uH5ZY7o5F5_J-Kr66s8mCQf1sjZ_DVgGLPGiC5pEP3uxTufWE8_tZa-J0pQ9i6KafuTBviJY8fezU5OdqcFaHmT_xFLJWsOow6LTpaMR0FNevsHo-HvE46qP4EjeTol/s1600/IMG_0045+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYE2W9EP43LT_7uH5ZY7o5F5_J-Kr66s8mCQf1sjZ_DVgGLPGiC5pEP3uxTufWE8_tZa-J0pQ9i6KafuTBviJY8fezU5OdqcFaHmT_xFLJWsOow6LTpaMR0FNevsHo-HvE46qP4EjeTol/s640/IMG_0045+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflectix works alright. It's better than nothing, but not nearly as good as the rigid insulation.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The plumbing isn't isolated enough
from the cold outside for us to feel comfortable keeping water running
through it (next big project?) - our fancy winter water solution is pictured below:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hgF8DVVfJ7qybod8yKyhIf2KTz9v_0NwOzlsVvlzNB73pMDgg0KqvZgVC1UlqtrD0Zho6-Xs_iFymvKWy8FPK5NkwFQlvO-JtwPiRHbo6NlODxUPcHWi0sMQuiX4DbxoppuO8p6r1gV-/s1600/IMG_0038+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hgF8DVVfJ7qybod8yKyhIf2KTz9v_0NwOzlsVvlzNB73pMDgg0KqvZgVC1UlqtrD0Zho6-Xs_iFymvKWy8FPK5NkwFQlvO-JtwPiRHbo6NlODxUPcHWi0sMQuiX4DbxoppuO8p6r1gV-/s640/IMG_0038+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our winter plumbing - 5 gallon jugs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVk8D6bDi4gw_wKsz5T21M9XJwFOj5xAngofBedftLfpLmXFC59VsYdcTR66O6-2KjitLDtIKIWANwZc-nsoD_hQAVUGIypnY7l_rmIsRXyhRzXCpmzIIVF37XtrruhLCQjGMvmlXWHS_b/s1600/DSC00047+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVk8D6bDi4gw_wKsz5T21M9XJwFOj5xAngofBedftLfpLmXFC59VsYdcTR66O6-2KjitLDtIKIWANwZc-nsoD_hQAVUGIypnY7l_rmIsRXyhRzXCpmzIIVF37XtrruhLCQjGMvmlXWHS_b/s640/DSC00047+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water bottle showers</td></tr>
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In the end, condensation\moisture is really our biggest problem. Besides settling on our windows, we also found that it collects under our mattress. Every morning, I prop up the mattress, and things dry out pretty well throughout the day. Pictured below:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE8iuqflQykop3N_XLjI3plf2meHGQ_o85I7MqFWyHiMYTexlWxvmJFBS-fnKioon7tGsMuIulBbTFSruZNzCMZ2skYA6FDNvXEZX78YVtv1tpCs7MfNZPSuniGfbBOt-Vtoft63q0Ak1/s1600/DSC00020+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE8iuqflQykop3N_XLjI3plf2meHGQ_o85I7MqFWyHiMYTexlWxvmJFBS-fnKioon7tGsMuIulBbTFSruZNzCMZ2skYA6FDNvXEZX78YVtv1tpCs7MfNZPSuniGfbBOt-Vtoft63q0Ak1/s640/DSC00020+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting those 8 lb weights to use this winter</td></tr>
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We keep most of our sporting goods in the box overnight, so things like our snowboard boots can get pretty cold. Here's the best way to warm up our boots every morning after driving the truck for a bit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9f70hmzRRSrFA-A_hmq4sIxz1ML6ah0b7aLdsjoLOF2ytoXQmoXRGyvD_VX0lUeTzAk3FLPNW0UamdSU4e7UEhz5qGUdmQzMhSUuZ-XCPOXPuyCZG0VR6emaOKTx4JDNbacZdBZ4Pm9dw/s1600/IMG_0052+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9f70hmzRRSrFA-A_hmq4sIxz1ML6ah0b7aLdsjoLOF2ytoXQmoXRGyvD_VX0lUeTzAk3FLPNW0UamdSU4e7UEhz5qGUdmQzMhSUuZ-XCPOXPuyCZG0VR6emaOKTx4JDNbacZdBZ4Pm9dw/s640/IMG_0052+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closing the hood makes a pizza oven for our boots (not while driving)</td></tr>
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On cold evenings after my shower, I discovered a great method for drying my hair - our fan propelled propane heater! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqFJk-RMFmN2vsenUDPpjPyBRn_sPv6QAlmusX7xAvC3ZTM415e-N8Ih9cbmsk2MvNavPLeskA0wGluAXuaLJsYUERa-Fp7ZqLYESycTGP3Ec1nb20u1GYHan75ibn7g9WFlhcaYiwAtG/s1600/IMG_0061+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqFJk-RMFmN2vsenUDPpjPyBRn_sPv6QAlmusX7xAvC3ZTM415e-N8Ih9cbmsk2MvNavPLeskA0wGluAXuaLJsYUERa-Fp7ZqLYESycTGP3Ec1nb20u1GYHan75ibn7g9WFlhcaYiwAtG/s640/IMG_0061+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Makeshift hair dryer - more water vapor in the truck (!)</td></tr>
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And now, my favorite winter-living hack that we haven't even used yet. During our time in Leadville, CO where the temps routinely dropped into the single digits and sometimes below 0 F° overnight, we realized we needed a cold-weather, off-grid solution for starting our stubborn diesel engine. Aside from lugging around a generator or finding somewhere to plug the engine heater into, Scott found a simpler option (if you know Scott, you know he spent countless hours researching this). He settled on a small radiant propane heater that fits<i> IN</i> the engine bay. The idea is to focus the heat on the intake manifold for a while to warm it up... without starting a fire. If we ever get a chance to you use it, you may be reading about us in the next edition of the <a href="http://www.darwinawards.com/" target="_blank">Darwin Awards</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAPQxnjZtVT-L4jW5uVlhR9CPmjUIUGaKYFJ9VlL5L3qhvPwI7LdKuNTe0qJvjhq6uNrJk0bB3EL5El-ipGQliMiHyhdrkm373IeCHCLD2iX21FN-9zaPto_YluuY9_CNhUGy3R9Q2OPF/s1600/IMG_0066+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAPQxnjZtVT-L4jW5uVlhR9CPmjUIUGaKYFJ9VlL5L3qhvPwI7LdKuNTe0qJvjhq6uNrJk0bB3EL5El-ipGQliMiHyhdrkm373IeCHCLD2iX21FN-9zaPto_YluuY9_CNhUGy3R9Q2OPF/s640/IMG_0066+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Radiant propane heater that fits under the hood for super cold mornings</td></tr>
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Heather and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07474926190998168370noreply@blogger.com2