Category: Uncategorized
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Heath’s perspective
Trouble at Phantom Ranch Written by Heath It’s evening and we are sitting at Phantom Ranch. A group of four people, two couples – 50ish maybe – are fighting beside us. We are at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It’s a long, grueling climb out. Hours and miles of climbing steep rocky steps. The…
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The Hike Itself
I feel a bit like roadkill. With only 5 hours of sleep, a Rim2Rim hike, two flights and a long drive in the last 60 hours, I feel like a dead raccoon. But was it worth it? 100 times Yes. Would I do it again? Never. Probably. We flew to Phoenix with our friend Sharon…
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Some People Never Learn
Why, you ask, am I sacked out in the Sioux Falls Airport with my legs elevated? Because I can’t say No. That’s why. I plain and simply can’t say no when I have a chance to hike the Grand Canyon again. When I not only survived but actually enjoyed my hike last time, I was…
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Up Is Mandatory
The alarm woke us shortly after 3am. Yes. Woke us! Clearly we had slept a little. It still hadn’t cooled off much, but there was a teensy breeze. Throughout the campground we could see the winking lights of other hikers packing up and starting up the trail. You do what you need to do to…
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Water is Life
Phantom Creek was calling our names, but Phantom Ranch Canteen was calling mine even louder. While the rest set up camp or plunged into the water, I set off the 1/2 mile or so to the Ranch and hopefully a cold drink. I’m not sure why cold drink seemed so important, but it did. And…
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Descent Into The Oven
“Wait for the Hikers Express just down the street at the Blue Line bus stop” they said when we checked the evening before. We wanted it all to go like clockwork cause we really wanted an early start to beat the heat. The Flex was parked at the Bright Angel trail head and there we…
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Grand Canyon or Bust
A Dream It all started when I was a small, square headed kid, listening as my dad told stories of hiking Bright Angel Trail down to Phantom Ranch and up again in one day. The talk of butchered feet, hot weather, stunning scenery and mules was enchanting and I vowed in my little heart that…
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Gifts
Part of me has been putting off writing about the final day of the sail because I can’t really describe it. I’m sorta sick of trite sentences talking about beauty, and feel like I’ve been plastering these posts with them. The fact is, this day was a Gift. Maybe a bunch of gifts. It was…
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Forts and Fog
Gabe and the 5 kids were waiting at the Marina gate by 7am, raring to go. Today’s discovery was Ft Flagler Historical State Park. Jenn and Gabe’s mom were driving there and bringing lunch while the rest of us stuck to the sea route. The sun shone as we headed off, but just past Travis…
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Here Be Whales (not)
Rob’s were stirring long before us. The wind forecast looked lousy so we’d grabbed the chance to sleep past sunrise. Otters and seals played in the mirror like water, and our hearts were full of optimism that soon we’d see whales playing too. After all, the hand drawn maps we’d picked up on shore had…
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Good Food and Mouflon Sheep
Robbie had raved about Stuart Island, so that was our first destination. The winds were practically non existent, so we had to run the motor. Just as we entered the Prevost Harbor at Stuart, the VHF lit up with, “mumble, mumble, orcas where the cows hang out, gssssht, mumble, battleship”. Our ears perked straight up…
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Fair Winds
Sometimes the romantic notion of sun twinkled seas, gorgeous green mountains, porpoises and seals, and unlimited relaxation with friends on a sailboat actually IS reality. We had chartered the Escape, a 36’ Bavarian Sailboat from Anacortes Yacht Charters and were off to explore the San Juan Islands. Gabe’s kids were holding the fort at home,…
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PNW
There is nothing quite as comfortable and happy as hanging out with old friends. Like, not old as in age, but old as in, we have serious history. Gabes and we spent 2012-2015 together in Kenya, and except for a couple weeks together in 2016, we hadn’t laid eyes on each other. Perfectly shameful, but…
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Au Revoir
Back in Abu Dis the weather remained cool and sprinkly. Outdoor plans got cancelled and we ended up spending some low key days, visited the Israel Museum, and even slept in a little! The guys visited the Mosque in Abu Dis on Holy Day, but us ladies didn’t bother. We weren’t prepared with headscarves and…
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Petra
The morning was foggy and cold and we were a little worried Petra would be half hidden in the clouds. We needn’t have worried, cause the clouds lifted as we reached the gate, and after awhile the sun even peeked out. This caused a rousing cheer among 400 or so of the other folks waiting…
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Rainstorms and Jordan
After weeks of no rain our luck changed. I absolutely love rain, it just makes things a little awkward when most of your days are spent outdoors. The thunder in the night was a gorgeous sound, and we woke up to a wet world. Quite a relief for Abu Dis, as they have been in…
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Jerusalem
And so things changed. Instead of waking up to Dalen and Karen making coffee and breakfast, we woke up to James making a more complicated espresso drink for the four coffee junkies in our group. Instead of large breakfasts involving eggs, meat, hummus and pitas, we ate toast and butter. Copious amounts of butter. We’ve…
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On the Jericho Road
The only good thing about feeling really sick is that at the moment you don’t give a hoot that you’re missing a party. Later it’s a different matter. The house emptied early, and I woke up to silence, sunshine, and a fun note on table from my clan. I brewed some chamomile tea and proceeded…
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Sick as a Dog
I started to feel crummy in Eilat, so immediately quit sharing water bottles, and by morning I knew I was headed for a full blown strep infection. Not something you want to have interrupt your vacation! The hotel had moved us due to renovations, so as a consolation prize they offered us the ENORMOUS breakfast…
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Rest Between Adventures
“You want some weed?” We were hanging out on the pier at Princess Beach, gazing into the clear blue water and watching a rainbow of fish swim around. Its by far the best place to see the fish when your at the Red Sea, so despite the fact that there are large signs warning against…
It’s a Small World 