Day 12

Blank Canvas

I got up a little later than I usually do, it felt nice. I got my things together and went to a coffee shop to upload photos and edit them.. I intended on writing and posting but the internet was sooooo slow. It was killing me how slow it was. This was the second day that I had internet but was so slow I  couldn't post a thing! I may as well not have had it, what a tease! I uploaded my slot canyon night shots and it took an hour just to get them up... blahhhhh! Finally I was out of there.




 The drive to the Grand Canyon was nice. It was a pretty chill drive. No radio stations again, I finally remembered to put some songs on my itunes so I will have music when there is no service. Its all old but whatev- it is better than nothing! When I got to the GC, I got the feel of the park. Its pretty much a regular two lane highway that turns into the park. You can ride through and get to the other side and keep going to Flagstaff if you're on the South Rim. I decided to go to the South Rim because it was easier to get to and easier to my next step after that. It worked out perfect, because I was having a hard time deciding which to go to. I wanted to hike and camp to Havasu Falls, (on the North Rim) but you have to have a permit to be able to hike down to the bottom can camp and it takes a while to get. That is more of a planned trip food wise too. Where I ended up was just fine and awesome.

My Motto

 When I got there, I stopped off at all of the scenic points and looked at the amazing views. After a few stops, I went to go find camp. Camp in the park was $18- um no thanks. So I left the park, there is a national forest right outside of it. There are little county roads that you can camp on. They make it easy to get a good spot. I set up camp and made spaghetti- It was yummy:) When it got dark, I played with light some and then crashed. I was going to attempt to do a 6 mile hike into the canyon. Down three and up three. :)

Day 11

Sum up of the evening of day 10:

So I did go to Delicate Arch to check out the sunset. It was about a mile hike up! There were little rock statues all along the way so you didnt get lost, I thought that was neat-  but I am easliy amused, so...

Rock statues that guide the way to the arch

This was the trail up to Delicate Arch

I got to the top and there were tons of people there for the sunset. People speaking all different languages, mostly French. Cameras and tripods were everywhere- I got some nice sunset shots:) I decided that I was going to camp there. I started to hike down, it was getting dark, and I forgot my headlamp so I had to make it down with the light that was left. I started talking to a sweet guy named Anthony on the way down. He is in the military in North Carolina. He was a lone traveler too. I think that is says something about people who don't mind being alone, just wanting to get out there. I admire that.

I had to get a selfie :)

People enjoying the sunset at Delicate Arch

The main goal for that night- success! 

Sleeping out at the arches was pretty amazing. I could have slept right on the rock, it was still warm from the sun all day. It was surprisingly the warmest spot I have slept thus far, also, it was the safest place (as far as living things around me) I felt sleeping too. I'm not sure if it was because I knew there weren't any bears up there-- or people-- I just did.  I thought about sleeping out in the open, but the area where this arch is, is shaped like a big bowl... and the bottom of the bowl.. is well, a huge pit about 200 feet down. So I opted to put my tent up so I couldn't really roll anywhere. It's not like I would actually be sleeping hard enough for that to happen, but it settled my mind a bit. That was the first night I didn't put my rain cover over my tent either, so I could see the stars falling asleep, it was magical. I saw so many shooting stars and one so close it was bright green! I wonder how many rituals have gone down at these arches... they have to have been worshiped by someone at some point. They are too magnificent for them not to be. 

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Day 11--- I woke up at the arch at 5.. I figured there were lots of people hiking up for sunrise to I got up and broke down my tent quick. I brushed my teefies and sat down one more time to just sit and stare. Okay-- on to my next venture. Just as I was walking out, there someone was.. 5:30 in the morning, it really is the best time to go. Its cool out and there aren't many people out. Its kind of hard to take in such a beautiful site when there are 50 other people there too. But that's just me. The chick who walked up was a lone traveler as well, she was doing the four corners of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Keep on keepin on, sista, we got to stick together! 

Horseshoe Bend, Page Arizona- Colorado River

Picture of a picture ^

I left the park and headed towards Page, Arizona to go to Antelope Canyons. The town was real small and had a huge dam that made the city what it is. It also has slot canyons that are stunning. I saw photos on instagram from some photo people that I follow and had to go. They also have Horseshoe Bend that is beautiful. I did Horseshoe Bend at during the day, found a campsite, and got some real food out and then went to the night photo tour with Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tour with Lionel Bigthumb around 9:30. He was a great guy and so glad that I just happened to stop at this place to check out Antelope Canyon. If you get the chance, check them out for sure. They have day tours, but they are packed and I love night photography so I decided to pay the extra buck to do it. So 100% worth it. I had such a great time. 

By this time I was beat.. I went back to my camp site and crashed hard! 

Day 10

Double O Arches
Moab, UT

Well! I got my happy ass up at 3am today! I drove to the arches to get some star shots. It is about a 20 minute drive up to the arches and the arch I went earlier in the day, isn't a far walk. During the day it was packed! It was great to go in the middle of the night. The stars and the milky way are just amazing! I couldn't believe my eyes. I worked on a time laps, I need to watch some tutorials on it. I found out that night to day time lapses are complicated. Ill work on that, but I did get one of the sun coming over the rocks.. which was pretty, but a little shotty. I shot until about 7:30am. I was pooped, I went back to the tent to nap for a while but it was hot as hell, so I just got about an hour in. I came into town to edit and write for yesterday and today.

I have been having dreams at night, the last two nights. Which means that I am getting used to camping and being outside pretty much 24/7. I have found comfortable ways to sleep and I have been sleeping harder- which is nice. When I first started my trip I was waking up at all hours of the night. At one point I had gone to sleep at about 10 and woke up at about 2:30am. Half asleep I kepting trying to change the function on my digital watch, thinking that it was on stopwatch or something. There was no way it was 2 am! It was disorienting. But now, I sleep almost all though the night. Happy Camper... literally. 

The girls I met yesterday went to a swimming hole close to here. Im going to go check that out and then hike to Delicate Arch, which is about a mile and a half. I am going to try and camp out there. So I can get some night/morning shots again without having to get up so early. Well see what happens. But Im out for the day and ready for some sunshine. Ill leave you with a few photos of the start shots I got last night! Sunset pics tomorrow! 

Here is the Moab time laps that needs some work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ViKpOrlGc

I love satellites! about 4:45am 

You know I love light writing!

About 7:30am Moab, UT

Day 9

You know I had to take at least one road shot! (Byway 128)

The view of the ride down 128 to Moab.

WHEW! Today was great! I woke up, ate some oatmeal, and got my things together to start the day. I rode about 20 miles down the Colorado River to get to Moab. The scenery was just beautiful.. huge land formations everywhere you look. It blows my mind to think of how many millions of years it took to create this. I mean, I really can't wrap my mind around it- and that is why I take photos- as a reminder of how small I am and how short of a span of time that I am here on this Earth.

This place!! Double O Arch

Double O Arches

As I was driving down 128, I saw paddle boarders riding down the river. I thought that would be perfect on a hot day! I rode into town and signed up. I didn't have to be there until 1:45, it was 9:30, so I hiked to the Double O Arches. It is beautiful! It was just enough time to hike and eat lunch before my paddle board ride. 

I saw this and had to do it! 

Seriously, look at that! 

My guides were awesome, Joy and Adam. Joy is a guide here (Moab, Utah) in the summer and in Hawaii in the summer. I would love that. Adam is a guide here in the summer as well. They both work at Adrift Adventure, if your in the area, check them out!  We rode about 15 minutes up the river and set out. We had a few rapids to ride down, couldn't believe that I didn't fall off! It was so nice to be on the water that I could actually get in without freezing to death! The sun was beating but a quick jump in and it cooled you off real fast. After a few rapids, it was smooth sailing from there on out. It was very calming and serene to ride through the middle of these beautiful red cliffs. I thought about what it would be like for settlers to come upon this area of the USA. I can't imagine not knowing this was here and riding up on it, that would be incredible. 

So peaceful! 

My group was a good one. A bride and her two best girls and our two guides were the only ones on the trip. I love when you get small groups. They were yogies and they all did hand stands on their boards... success! When the trip was done, I gave them some Deep Eddy Vodka mini's for their bachelorette gathering. From there, I went and had some dinner at the Moab Brewery. It was good and filling:) I am getting up at around 3am to get some star shots at the arches. So Im off to bed. Until tomorrow-- :) 

Ya! Yogi girls! 

Great Crew on the river ride!

Camp Hermes for the night<3 br="">

Day 8-- I think

Ride to Moab, UT.

I love road trip days.  The scenery is just breath taking. I drive for hours and when it comes time to stop I’m bummed, I don’t know how that’s possible!  I drove from Fort Collins, CO to Moab, UT today. I’m almost to Moab, anyway. I took a back road to Moab and came to a campsite around seven, called Dewy Bridge campsite. I decided to just stop there so I could cook and make a fire before it got too late. This is the first time I've been able to make a fire because of burn bans, but I got a good one started. I hadn't started a fire in so long I thought maybe I forgot how. Nah, I think it’s like riding a bike- you never forget.

Fire at my campsite 

 This is also the first time I have been able to camp and use my computer. It is not primitive camping so my car is right next to me.  I feel odd sitting here in the middle of nowhere with a beautiful river flowing behind me, the stars are starting to shine, and I’m on my computer. Oh technology.  I may as well get it done now so I can get an early start tomorrow at Moab.  I am so excited to see the Arches and Island in the Sky! I am pumped to get star shots! Whew!

When I was on the road today, I was thinking of how I can keep traveling and stay out in nature with a job. I was thinking how can I motivate people and get them out in nature, or how can I organize trips to take people somewhere they want but they can't do it alone.  Can I make a book? I don’t know… How do I get my work to Travel Magazine or Outside Magazine? Do I just email them that I want to make an appointment to show them my work? Do I just show up at headquarters? Why don’t they teach us this in college? All I remember my professors saying is you can’t give up, it’s cut throat, so just keep going even when you think it’s the last straw. I’ve never felt like it’s the last straw with my photography, ever. But when is a good question. I won’t give up, but sometimes you wonder. That is why I am on this trip. Nothing was going to happen as long as I was doing any other sort of work back in Austin. I did this to focus on photo and get better every day, learn new techniques, and learn about myself. I think at the end of the day, that is all you can do if you are truly focused on something.  Set a goal- and get after it! Okay enough sappy stuff—but that was something I thought about a lot today.

Made it to Moab! Yeww! 

 On a different note, while going through Colorado, I was driving up and down through these huge red, rocky, mountains and as I look up I see this huge swing on the very top of the mountain. “Whoa! I have to ride that!” So I take the next exit and pull into a gas station to see where it was. They pointed me in the right direction and BAM! There is Glenwood Adventure Land! You take a gondola up to the very top and there are about 10 small rides. It was great! Everyone was very friendly. I went straight to the Canyon Swing and waited in line, it was short. I GoPro’ed it- I am just screaming the whole time. It was way too much fun, every person that got off of that had huge smiles:D  So glad I stopped to do that. I rode the gondola back down and was on my merry way.

A few short hours later Im here at my campsite, sitting next to my camp fire … on my computer, haha.  Im going to bed and getting up early J Talk to you soon!

Day 7

  Yesterday was really kick ass! I woke up early as usual, I went to fill up w gas and found a coffee shop to upload photos.  Then I was off to go white water rafting. I drove up to Fort Collins to meet up with some friends for the trip on the Poudre River. My buddy Marshall moved up here from Austin to be a rafting tour guide. My friends Ogden, Kirk, Claudia, and Brian met me there- it was a great crew! Malcolm was our main guide, as Marshall is certified but still learning the river. They both did a great job.

Such a great crew on the Poudre River! 

We went to rental shop and rented wetsuits (the water is 40 degrees!), helmets and life vests. We started heading up to the put in spot and we came across a group that got wrapped around the Killer Bridge. It is named that for a reason. We stopped to help them get the boat free of the raging water. It was quite the ordeal. I think it is something like 3,600 cfs (cubic feet per second) is what the river is flowing.  For a visual, imagine 3,600 basketballs floating on the surface passing one fixed point in one second, for every second.  That is fast! So when this boat hit the bridge sideways, it literally wrapped around the bridge pylon.  Malcolm told us that bridge pylons are one of the most dangerous structures in the river. 

Guide tying rope and letting air out. The rope is looped around a tree and pulled my 7 men to get it out. Video posted soon. 

In order for them to get the bridge unwrapped someone had to get down on the raft from the bridge to let some air out and tie multiple ropes to the raft and wrap the rope around the nearest tree for leverage. From there about 7 men pulled the rope to try and pull it free. It didn’t budge. That’s how powerful the river is. I mean 7 full grown men could not move this thing - at.all. After several tries and tying more ropes in different spots and letting more air out, they finally set it free. The customers that were on that tour headed back to on the bus so there were two rafts that still needed to get back to the end point. They aired up the raft that had beeb stuck and we rode it down for them. Since our guides knew the other guides we helped them out. So we got a little taste of it before we actually started our trip—two hours later we were able to start our trip.

Poudre River 

                 

We got to our spot and took turns airing up our raft.  We suited up and got ready to take off. We had a safety meeting and told us everything we need to know about the river and what to do in all scenarios- what to do if we fall out, if the boat flips, how to pull someone back in if someone does fall out- and so much more. I think that was my first safety meeting that was an actual safety meeting- lol.

The water was about 40 degrees. Chilly! But we had booties and wet suites so it wasn’t bad. We had class 3 and 4 rapids and the river is the highest it’s been in about 10 years they said- so it was a fast and awesome ride we got to experience. I don’t think my GoPro quite did it justice. There were some big rapids. And my camera auto turned off on the biggest rapid…the class 4. I was so pissed! It was on my helmet and so I couldn’t see if my light was on. It was by far the gnarliest one. It was so amazing.  Empowering. Wow. We worked as a team well. We really had to work together, I love working as a team. There’s something about all working together to get something done, because you couldn’t do it alone, that is really amazing.  “You win together or you swim together,” Malcolm told us. And he is right- if you don’t paddle together and work together people fall out or you hit things you don’t want to hit.  We hit a few places where someone almost flew out and Marshall pulled them back in! Wheww! I had my feet locked in that thing! That was such an amazing experience, I can’t wait to go again--- Thank you Marshall and Malcolm for the amazing ride. I will be back at some point!

We all went to eat- I was craving a burger, that river wore me out! After we ate, I went back to a campsite that on the river we rafted and set up, watched my GoPro videos and passed the f out! Up and at ‘em at 5 30 this morning. Made it to the coffee shop for some intwerbs. It’s crazy how I was out of my campsite and in my car at 7 and its already 8:45. I feel like its so late! Haha. But Im about to post and head to Moab.. I’ve been waiting for this! Eep- I can’t wait!!

I don’t think I will have service for the next couple of days but I will be sure and write everything down so I can update you on the beauty of MoabJ 

I will post videos of the trip soon- I need to get on the road! 

 Talk soon. xoxo

Day 6

Hi!

 Yesterday was one more chill day before I hit the road again.  I washed my car and reorganized it, washed clothes and got all my ducks in a row.  Some days have to be for cleaning and reorganizing- it feels good and clears the mind.  I feel that it’s important to be organized to some extent to keep you sane. There is such an overload of clutter in our brain from tv, the radio, and advertisements having your own things a little less cluttered has to make a difference in our day to day life, right?

The hike back down. 

In the evening I went on a hike on one of the many trails that Colorado has to offer. I always thought I was lucky to live in Austin with all of the greenbelt trails. Here, there are countless amounts of places to go hike.  I drove on 170 until I saw a trailhead and parked.  Courtney had things to do, so I went out alone today.  There really is nothing like being alone in this massive nature. I almost feel invincible when I am with someone else, but I am reminded of what vulnerability is when I’m out there alone. My senses are heightened and I am more aware of everything around me, I like the feeling though.

This trail was my favorite so far, there were a lot of open fields to look at. 

I am going white water rafting today. I am pumped! I have a friend from Texas that moved up here to be a guide. It will be neat to see what he has learned. What a badass job to have, that must be job that you wake up every morning and love going to work. I can’t wait to see how the video turns out! Whew, and that water is going to be so cold- but so worth it.

Just love that sunshine yellow on the fields:) 

I thought these were neat, they look like bark to me.

Im off til' tomorrow! Ya'll have a great day:) xo