Becoming an Antarctica Explorer...

Is now officially off of my Bucket List.

After 38 years of venturing up, down and sideways in the Grand Canyon, this was my most frigid journey there yet. I was freaking cold! Don't believe it when an REI Lumina sleeping bag is guaranteed to keep your toes snuggly cozy at 25 degrees. It LIES! 

So anyplace remotely close to the point of liquid water turning solid is off of the Sambur Bucket List. 

Despite the abnormal Minnesota temperatures, the Grand Canyon still rocks figuratively and realistically. 

I can't think of too many places I'd rather be turning 60 than the Great Defile. Then again, I never turned 60 before either.

Be well and explore,

Jeff

"Don't look back...

Something might be gaining on you."

Satchel Paige

It took me 60 years to come to this moment?

So how do I spend my birthday?

Looking down into the Grand Canyon. 

It's older than I am and more photogenic too.

I might smile more often though. 

I start a 5 night backpack trip on Sunday with Cat Pumford (Mark granted her a kitchen pass to hang with me). 

I'm hoping on my climb out from Phantom Ranch, I won't be saying "I think I can! I think I can!"

Be well and don't look behind you.

Cheers from above the Rim, 

Jeff

PS: Thanks to all for those birthday wishes.

If you ask...

real nice, I'll tell you where I found these gems.

Remember, you can look, take photos but don't touch. And you can't tell the ghost of Dick Nixon (the tagger) where they are either.

The two Triangle Dudes were 20' above me.  The artists must have been amazing rock climbers or used archaic scaffolding. Michelangelo performed his artwork on his back. I'm impressed by both. They all shared a do or die attitude about their passions.

Hint: it's in Utah.

From the brewpub friendly city of Flagstaff, AZ.

Good night!

The ice on the creeks chased me from the northern territories. 

"You won't have...

Nixon to kick around anymore!"

Watergate, the only President to resign and a few racist quotes to boot. That is how I remember Tricky Dick.

Now we find he's a vandal in our nation's wonderlands.

Remember this classic? "Don't change Dicks in the middle of a screw. Vote for Nixon in 72!"

Oh those 70's.

Those were the days!

Canyonlands National Park...

Is younger than me. I'm happy to announce the red rocks and the dirt are older though. It was 50 years ago when the former managers (the BLM) decided the land had negligible Moo and Mineral potential (Grazing and Mining). They offered it up to the NPS who said, "Sure! Why not?" 

The Bureau of Land Management didn't consider the monetary value of the landscape's inherent beauty. I do. It's priceless.

En route to Bluff, (Yawn!) Utah.

The bright lights and brewpubs of Flagstaff are calling me on Friday night. (It's cold, might be tonight!).

Good day!

Jeff

Arches for the...

Melancholy. With the onset of blink-and you-miss-it daylight time (dark-thirty time), my old arch enemy SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder) kicked in. I'm coping with the malady by being in the sunlight as much as possible. I practice pretending I'm a plant. Now if I can get photosynthesis down, my food bill would be water, oxygen and sunlight. 

(I'd sneak in a brew for the essential minerals). 

Arches National Park and the Devil's Garden hike always cheer me up. It worked again today. 

From Moab, Utah enjoying Happy Hour with an IPA.

Jeff

Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah...

A scenic wonder with an unfortunate name. Who knows if a few onnery cowboys really corralled some less than perfect wild horses on this spit of land to languish and die? It might be high time for a name change.

I know! Let's name it like we do subdivisions in suburbia! 

How's? 

Pleasant View Acres State Park.

Give a look-see at the photos. Are those views pleasant or what?

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday,

Jeff