jessica’s not-a-blog

Kolob Canyons

nobody@vox.com(jessica) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:26:47 -0700

Like a cowboy lost in the desert without provisions, some days I get an insatiable and desperate craving for water. When I started hearing that hoarse, dry plead in my mind, Utah was first to come to mind. Sure, I could go to Lake Mead. I could even run around in one of the busted sprinklers that spouts water everywhere except on the grass. But the air in Utah is so crisp! The Horchata at Perks! coffee hut is so good! Zion it is. It was a little cold still for the Narrows, so we tried out Kolob Canyons in the northwest side of the park. It delivered everything: deep blue sky contrasting the red rocks, a winding creek, wonderful air, trees for climbing, threats of mountain lions (who doesn't want a little suspense?)...

All over another amazing hike with Kris.

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End of Year Roadtrip '07

nobody@vox.com(jessica) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:09:34 -0800

End of Year Roadtrip '07

What better way to end the year than to go on another roadtrip! Staying at Zion Mountain Resort was the perfect contrast to our day-long hikes through Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Zion National Park. Our little cabin kept us warm, as did Perks! coffee, layers of long underwear, and always wearing two pairs of socks.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes was beautiful, but I'm partial to desert landscape. Big sweeps of reddish dunes against the sweeping clouds of a big sky took my breath away. Or maybe that was the wind chill, biting at any exposed skin.

Bryce Canyon was unlike anything else. We hiked through the big hoodoos and snow capped formations, a maze of alien landscape. The Queens Garden trail from Sunrise point, connecting to the Peekaboo Trail Loop, then back up out of the Canyon was our leg-tiring hike for the day.

This time at Zion we hiked Upper Emerald Pools and then the Sandbench trail, and ended the drive home with another round of Perks! yumminess. All this in combination with the warm cabin and a fireplace made for the perfect ending to 2007. Now, for 2008...

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Vertigo Schmertigo

nobody@vox.com(jessica) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:34:45 -0700

Zion 2007

Didn't realize I had a fear of heights until Zion's trail called Angel's Landing. Switchbacks galore, Lombard Street-esque ascents, then a climb over a rocky crag with a life-chain to prevent plummeting to your death hundreds of feet below ...this hike will make you self-realized in a hurry. Most photos were taken at spots of intrepidation, but we made it to the end. Heck, if old people were doing it, why couldn't we?

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