From the Desert We Have Come

So I booked a show in Utah a while back and figured we might as well make a mancation out of it.  Utah is a beautiful state, and any time I get the chance to travel out that way, I’m all over it.  Here are a few pictures from the road…

This was the road from Salt Lake City to Park City, and it starts to get good when the pavement gives way to gravel.  First time to see snow this year   Zach and I were playing a company event, and they were gracious enough to put us up at the Stein Eriksen Lodge.  Could be my favorite hotel I’ve ever been fortunate enough to stay at.  If you ever get the chance, go.  You won’t regret it.

After Park City, we hit the road, picked Paul up from the airport, and headed south towards Bryce Canyon.

We set our sights on “The Under The Rim Trail”.  At 23 miles, it’s the longest trail in the park.  Contrary to what the rangers tell you, Bryce Canyon’s back country is beautiful.  If you like to escape the crowds and get away from the cars, it is well worth it.

Paul is one of those people that has a little mountain goat blood running through him…  What you can’t see from this picture is that the drop off behind him is straight down for a few thousand feet.

We made it 10 miles the first day and set up camp by a creek.  We were the only ones camping in the back country that night and the solitude was incredible.  The stars were out in full force.  A good pipe smoke under a sky like that is something everyone should do.

The next day we woke up with dead legs, and dead feet.  Hiking is one thing… Hiking with a 50 lb pack on your back through the mountains is another.  We ended up bypassing the last quarter of Under The Rim, and took Sheep Creek Trail back north.  Our total distance ended up being 17 miles in 1 & 1/2 days.  Paul snapped this picture as we were leaving the park.  I was hiding massive amounts of pain behind this pseudo-grimace…

Everyone swallowed their pride and cried uncle by mid-day.  Our original plan was to camp another night, but we were absolutely beat.  We tweaked our plans a bit and headed north that evening to the Wasatch brew Pub where we solved the world’s problems over some good ale and food.

Life is good.

Blaze a trail and live it.