Canyon Adventure

Years ago, on our very first visit to Zion National Park, we visited Zion Adventure Company in the little town of Springdale, Utah, just outside of the park entrance.  We were immediately impressed with all they had to offer...classes, adventure days, equipment rentals, supplies, and expertise of the area to make the most of your trip to Zion.  We've seen them featured on some travel and outdoor shows since then and that made us want to go on an adventure day with them even more.  This year, we finally did it!  

 Hubby and I thought that a canyon adventure day was the perfect way to celebrate our 50'th birthdays (mine last year and his this month).  I called Zion Adventure Company in February and had no problem making a reservation for March because it's not during their high season.  It turned out that we were the only ones registered that day (aside from a large group).  So, our adventure was just us and our guide.

How awesome is that?!  

We got up early the morning of our adventure and stopped at Cafe Soleil Zion in Springdale to get breakfast and coffee.  I joke that coffee is my "bravery juice".  When I have some before skiing, I always do so much better.  So, I thought it might be a good idea for our adventure day too.  I ordered a soy, vanilla latte and it turned out to be the best coffee I've ever had!  No beany taste in the soy.  No bitterness in the coffee.  Just the most unique, smooth and delicious coffee ever.  The beans were from a roaster in Utah (Cafe Isis, I think).  We ended up going back every morning after that.  Now, I'm spoiled and can't stand the chain (SB) coffee.  So, I'm trying harder now to seek out the independent coffee shops.  The breakfast wraps we got at Cafe Soleil were really yummy too!

Our adventure began by meeting our guide, Bill, at 7:30 in the morning.  He started out by asking what we were hoping to do and experience that day.  He wanted to customize the day to what we wanted.

We went into the shop to get our canyoneering shoes, neoprene socks, and any other necessities beyond the basics that he'd already prepared.  Then, we hopped into a four wheel drive SUV and headed out across dirt roads to where our adventure was going to begin.

When we got close to our starting point, Bill pointed out Water Canyon high up on a rock mountain and told us that it was the canyon we were going to.  At that moment, I felt a slight twinge in my stomach and a little nervous.  We parked the car, strapped on our  backpacks, and started hiking.  I think it was at that point that something rather magical happened...the chatty,busy part of my brain got quiet,

strapped itself in, and sat down for the ride.  Ahhh!  For the rest of the day, 

I was always in the moment with no internal chatter.  It was wonderful!

The backpack I carried weighed between 20 to 30 pounds (I think) and made me feel a bit top heavy and awkward at first because I wasn't used to it.  With my now quiet mind, everything seemed to go in slow motion and I drank in every moment and I just focused on one step at a time.  I think my hubby was doing the same as he was a bit quieter than usual that day.  

We started out with a two mile hike, leading up into the canyon.

We sometimes crossed over or through water...

The canyon walls rose high above us on both sides.  The arch at the top of this wall is actually wide enough for quads to drive across.  I don't think I would or could do that!  But, knowing that helps give perspective as to how tall this rock wall really is...

Much of the trail was quite steep and we climbed over 1,000 feet in elevation.

The trail was often narrow with the edge dropping down to the river/creek below.
You can see the ledge/trail in the center of the photo and to the left...

The sights were amazing everywhere we looked.  Bill was very knowledgeable about the area, geology and history of the area.  He shared interesting information and stories with us throughout the day.

The large rock in the foreground fell from above several years ago and sat on the ledge of the huge rock behind and above it.  A couple of years ago, nature and water exercised it's power and moved the rock to it's present location.  It's about the size of a car. Incredible!...

The canyon was carved by water as is the Zion area.

This part of Water Canyon is an interesting example.  Check out the rounded rock walls.
It may look narrow but notice the tree trunk laying at the bottom...

The elevation gain and the heavy pack I carried made for quite a workout.
But, check out the reward...look at this view!

Where we started was in the distance, near the center of this picture,
at the end of the orange canyon wall on the left, where it becomes small...   Whew!

At this point, we pulled the dry suits from our backpacks and put them on over our hiking clothes.

There were snug bands of rubber at the wrists, ankles and a wet suit like band at the neck.  They're water tight and were going to keep us dry when we crossed through water.

Bill pointed out how they looked like Star Trek suits and suggested a Vulcan greeting...lol

The dry suits are quite expensive and since we'd be climbing around on sandstone we needed something to protect them.  So, we covered them in these attractive (NOT) coveralls.  Suddenly, I looked like a mechanic and hubby looked like an escaped convict.  The helmets, harnesses,
climbing gear, and backpacks helped to change that a bit...

We trusted Bill's expertise and experience and appreciated that he made sure we were comfortable and ready for each part of our adventure.  Before the first rappel, we learned how to hook up our gear and did a little practicing on a smaller rock.  I paid careful attention to everything he said...

Practice time...

Time for a bigger and much more exciting rappel...
A rounded out section of rock with a small waterfall that went down about 30 feet.

Hubby went first...

Woo hoo...down past and through the small waterfall...

And, into a pool of water below...

My turn!

Part way down, I stopped and gasped with excitement!

I wanted to stay in that one spot for a while and soak it in.

It was amazing!  Bill said that I looked like an excited nine year old!

But, there was much more fun ahead and I had to keep going down.

Once I got to the bottom and dropped into the water I started to panic a bit.

I didn't think to let slack out in my rope and it kept pulling me to the back wall.

I couldn't touch the bottom, had no idea how deep it was, and the water was VERY cold!

Once I let some slack out, I was able to start swimming toward hubby. 

Then, he was able to throw me a rope and pull me out.  Whew!

I couldn't believe how freezing cold I felt after just a minute or two.

This patch of  ice we'd seen just above the waterfalls should have been a clue that the water would be very cold!  I bet the water couldn't have been much warmer than 39 or 40!

It sure was pretty though.

The second waterfall was just below the first and a bit taller.
I have no idea how tall it was...maybe 50 feet...

I'm so amazed at how water can carve rock!

Look at that carved out section where Bill is standing and the water is falling.

It's like a big "U".  Amazing!  I wonder how many thousands of years it took to do that?!

Hubby went first on this one too...

Then, it was my turn...

The next challenge was this narrow flow of water.

We had no idea how deep it was and if we'd have to swim through.

Luckily, there was a narrow ledge that ran along most of the left side.

We went slowly and carefully.  Hubby slipped off at one point and couldn't touch the bottom!

Another example of nature and the power of water was lodged between the rocks and above our heads.

See the big tree and the root bottom above us?...

Our next challenge was a small waterfall.

Bill gave us the choice of going down it with or without a rope.

We chose to have a rope for security but realized, once we got to the bottom,

that we probably didn't need it.  But, I was glad it was there...just in case.

After that, we hiked down a bit to sit, eat some lunch, rest, and warm up.

Next, we needed to decide if we wanted to do a few more rappels.

I had realllllly wanted to do more that day.  However,  I was still very cold from the water. Plus, the steep hike up and the heavy backpack made my legs a little noodly and tired and we still had to hike back to the car.  So, sadly, we decided to call it a day and hike back.

Even though we missed out on a few more rappels, we had a full day.  The time had flown by so fast and it was already about 3:30 in the afternoon.  By the time we got back to Springdale, unloaded and back to camp, it was close to 5:00.  The whole day seemed like just a couple of hours.  Amazing!
I guess that's a sign that we had a really good time!

Here we are back in Springdale.  We had to get a photo of us and our great guide, Bill.
He was awesome!  He customized the day just for us, made us feel like comfortable and safe.  We never felt rushed.  We learned a lot about canyoneering, equipment, techniques and the area.
 And, he was like a friend.  We enjoyed his company very much.  Thanks, Bill!

We had a day that's hard to describe in just a few words except that it was amazing and SO MUCH fun!

It took me a few days to process it...in fact, I think I still am.

My brain stayed peaceful and quiet for a couple of days before the chatter started to return.

We already knew that we love slot canyons and that they have a magic quality to us.  But, canyoneering takes it to a whole new level.  It's like a drug and we feel addicted!  We can't wait to go again!!!

Many of the photos were taken by Bill.  His pictures, combined with the few we took with our camera provided plenty of pictures to remember our wonderful adventure.   He took photos of us throughout the day and gave us a memory stick with all of them on it before we left.  It's part of the package...along with all the necessary equipment, transportation...everything!  There were no extra or hidden fees.  Isn't that great?!  We would HIGHLY recommend Zion Adventure Company to any and everyone.  They rock!

Come back soon for a part of this adventure that I left out and that deserves a post all it's own!

Zion Get-Away

Hubby and I spent last week at Zion National Park.

Ahhh...one of our favorite places to be!

We started at the end of winter and the season officially changed to spring while we were there.

So, now, we've officially been there during all four seasons.  It's wonderful there at any time of year.

On this trip, the temps ranged from the 60's to near 80 for day time highs.  Nights were cool but not too cold.  I'm not sure how cold it got but I don't think it went below the 40's.

There were clouds a few times while we were there but most of every day was sunny. 

We went just before the busy season was to begin. 

The shuttles officially started the day after we left. 

Check out how empty the visitor center parking lot was...

It was very obvious that it was spring...trees were changing so fast that they often

looked different and more green in the afternoon than they did in the morning.

Nature is amazing!

These trees were the most surprising.  They barely had buds when we arrived.  A few days later the buds were bigger.  The next morning, the trees were covered in red...

As the day went along, the red blooms stretched out and became pale green.

Here's what the trees looked like a little further back...

We noticed these white, fuzzy looking balls on shrubs all over the park.

There were millions of them.  They look soft and fluffy.  I wondered what they were.

I wondered if they were the result of some kind of bugs.  

I tried to crush one between two rocks to see but it was just as hard as a rock and uncrushable.

Hubby found one on the ground and tried to peel the fuzz/white back but it was hard too.

We asked a ranger a couple days later and he told us that the white balls were created from a wasp.

The wasp injects a protein and it's eggs into the plant.  The protein causes the plant to create

the hard green shell to protect the eggs.  I wonder how the wasps will ever get out since it's SO hard.

This little lizard sat near us in the sun for hours one afternoon

while hubby read and I did a little needle felting.

Check out those long nails and the saw tooth edge of it's ear...  

We saw deer again on this visit.  They looked woolly from their winter coats.

We even saw some lounging around in the afternoon. 

I bet they were enjoying the warming weather.

This trip started out as an extension to hubby's grandmother's 90th birthday celebration.

She wanted to go to Las Vegas to celebrate.  Since Vegas (about four hours away) is over half way to our favorite place, Zion, it made sense to go there (about two to three more hours).  The Zion part of the trip quickly became a celebration for hubby's 50th birthday (this month) and my 50th for last year.

We were able to get reservations for the whole week at Watchman Campground in the park.

And, we scheduled a day to do something we've been dreaming of for years...

a canyoneering adventure!  So exciting!

Hubby's grandfather came down with double pneumonia a couple weeks before the trip.  He is doing fine now but grandma's 90th birthday celebration plans were changed.Vegas was cancelled and she had a wonderful party at home.  But, because we'd already paid for our trip, we kept with our plans and went to Zion.  We just eliminated the stop in Las Vegas.  We were relieved about that because we don't really like Vegas.  Although, we'd planned to hike in Red Rock Canyon while were there.

Maybe, we'll do that another time.

Our week in Zion was wonderful.  And, our canyoneering adventure was amazing!  

My next post will be the story and photos from that day.  :-)

Woodland Lace

My Spring cleaning this year has started with my craft studio and finishing up projects that have been WIPs for way too long.  I finished the Bora Bora shawl a few weeks ago.  This last week, I finished a lace scarf that I started almost a year ago.  I blocked it yesterday and just finished pulling out all the pins and taking pictures.  

Here it is...

The pattern is "Strangling Vine Lace Scarf".  It's a free pattern that I found on Ravelry.

It's well written and very easy to knit.

I just noticed that I didn't mark a needle size in my Ravelry notes.  Ooops!

But, I'm pretty sure I used the recommended size four that's listed on the pattern.
The finished size is about 7" x 76".

I used a skein of "Hazel Knits Piquant Lite" yarn in the 252 Woodland colorway (400 yards).

I love all the different shades of green.  It's rich and beautiful. 

The bits of light in it remind me of being in the woods with bits of sunshine streaming through.

Because of that, and all the shades of green you'd see in a forest, I decided to name my scarf "Woodland Lace".   I like that name much better than "strangling" lace.

The scalloped ends are a nice touch.

The overall pattern looks like vines and also like pine trees.

 Blocking is always like magic to me.

And, if I didn't know that blocking could turn this...

Into this...

I might not have continued after the first couple of inches.

I'm glad I did.  And, I'm so happy to have picked it up a few weeks ago and finally finished it.

It turned out beautiful and the timing is perfect for Saint Patrick's Day this weekend!

Ewe Turn

One day last week, when I was going to visit Grandpa in the hospital, I decided to take a different route  to get there.  Shortly after I made that decision and turned down this road I came across a road block.  

But, I was so glad...do you see what it is?...

Sheep!

It's been a while since I've been near sheep being herded in our area.  This was a treat.

They started heading my way a few times but the herder quickly re-directed them in the right direction.

I would have enjoyed watching them a lot longer.  But, the herders were very good at what they do and had them across the road and into another field in no time.

It probably seems odd that they were herding sheep along a railroad track.  

But, no worries because that track is rarely used.

And, just in case you were wondering why there are so many power lines...

there's a power station on that road.

Updates and Fun Finds

Life's been busy lately but good.  I got to work a couple of days this week at the yarn/antique shop.  So fun!  I love it!  I even taught a few classes while I was there.  Grandpa, who I mentioned went into the hospital on Monday, ended up with double pneumonia.  He seems to be doing pretty well though and was told that he'll be going home today.  I got the results of my uterine biopsy back last week.  It's good and bad news.  The hormone therapy improved the complex endometrial hyperplasia to simple endometrial hyperplasia (that sure is a long name!).  That's good in that the risk of cancer is almost nothing now.  But, the doctor recommended doing another six cycles of progesterone to try to completely fix the problem.  The bad news is that I'll have to go through that horrid biopsy again.  Ugh! But, on the bright side...that means I'll need more yarn therapy afterwards!  ;-)

I visited my daughter last week.  We went to lunch and ran a few errands.  In the afternoon, we went for a foot massage.  They said it was an hour and only $20.  Sounded good.  Turned out to be a whole body massage for an hour.  It was amazing!  We only had to take our shoes off.  We started out by soaking our feet in tubs of warm water while they massaged our necks and shoulders.  Then, we laid down and they massaged our scalps, face, arms, hands, feet and legs.  And, if that weren't enough, we then laid on our stomachs and they massaged our backs and necks more and our feet and legs again.  We felt amazing after that.  We tipped generously and it was still an amazing deal!  We'll definitely be going back to that place!  We ended our visit with dinner and she played her harp for me so I could hear some of the pieces she's working on and what she'll be playing in the upcoming concerto competition.  I've been listening to her play for years but she never ceases to amaze me.  Her playing is so beautiful!  

I've squeezed in a bit of shopping time here and there.  I'd love to show you what I've found...

When I visited my daughter, I stopped at Suzoo's Wool Works in Costa Mesa.  I'd never been there and, since I was nearby, I had to check it out.  I bought a beautiful shawl pin.  It was only $10!

On the way home from visiting Grandpa in the hospital this week, I stopped to check out some antique shops I'd never been to.  I found a transferware plate that I couldn't pass up.  Botanicals and birds are my favorite on transferware.  And, this shape is so unusual that I had to get it for my collection.

When I was working at the shop yesterday, I helped someone start her first crochet, lace shawl.  She chose a skein of Cascade Heritage Sock yarn in a gorgeous blue/teal color (color #5637).  I fell in love with it and there was just one skein left.  So, I had to buy it.  The color is quite different than in the photo.  Pictures just don't show how gorgeous it is in person.  But, this was the last skein and this yarn just came in the shop last week.  So, that speaks well to how beautiful it is.  It's also very soft.  It's made with 75% Merino superwash wool and 25% nylon.  I can't wait to make something with it!

I finally have a "normal" day at home today and my to-do list is super long.  I have lots to catch up on...including blogging.  So, I was sure to put it on my list.  

Now, back to laundry, cleaning, and all the other stuff.  Have a wonderful weekend!

I'm Here!

I'm still here.  Really, I am!  I really want to blog more often but the last couple of weeks have been crazy!  And, it's early Monday morning and already looking like it might be another crazy week.

I got a job a few weeks ago to fill in two days a week for two weeks at an antique/yarn shop for someone who was going out of town.  It was so much fun!  Yarn and antiques are two things I love.  Getting to work in a place where I'm surrounded by that was great!  I enjoyed chatting with the people who came in to shop and helping them find what they were looking for.  It was fun arranging the antiques to make the store prettier and help things be seen and sell.  And, of course, it was fun helping the yarn shop customers with patterns and choosing yarn.  I even enjoyed cleaning and organizing the store.  Each of those four days flew by fast and I had so much fun.  I was a little sad last Monday when it sank in that my job was done.   But, I may fill in more in the future as they need me.  In the meantime, I've taught a crochet lesson and hope to be teach more.  This yarn shop is tiny right now but growing.  That's good because we sure need yarn shops here.  

That kept me from blogging as much.  I've also had a crazy long to-do list and some day trips.  There's also been some illness in the family.  My dad has been battling with various health problems for months and came down with a bad case of shingles a few weeks ago.  He's been in so much pain.  Then, last week, my husbands 93 year old grandfather went into the hospital.  Luckily, he went home a day later and we thought he was fine.  But, grandma called last night and didn't sound herself.  She was quite worried about grandpa.  He ended up going to the hospital a few hours later and has pneumonia.  So, I'm heading to the hospital in a bit to see him and spend time with family who are there with him.  I'm hoping grandpa will be fine.  He's tough and if anyone can pull through, he can.

I've been doing a lot of knitting.  I'm fitting it into the waiting around time I've had. I've been working a lot on a lace knit scarf that I started last year.  The ball of   yarn seems to keep going and going.  It'll be perfect to take with me today though because it's small and easy to carry.  And, the rows are short so it's easy to put it away quickly.

I'm hoping this whole week won't be as busy and that I'll have time to do some blogging.  I have something to share that I bought last week, Penelope kitty needs a post to show how much she's grown, I have an update on my biopsy. And...hopefully...I'll have a new scarf to post.  Oh...and I promised another give-away for February but the month went by so fast and I wasn't able to get to it.  So, I'm extending it into March.  So, everyone who comments in February and March will go into the drawing.  I'll post the prize soon, I promise.

Have a marvelous Monday!

Bora Bora

Hip Hip Hooray!  This shawl is finally done!

I started it last spring and I should have finished it long ago.

All of the other South Bay Shawlettes I've made have crocheted up very quickly.

But, not this one!  The fine, single ply lace Malabrigo yarn was a bit slippery

and I didn't enjoy crocheting this project with it.  I took a lot of breaks from it.  

But, I sure do love the colors and how it looks!

  

I crocheted it with a size "G" hook.

It's delicate and oh so soft.

The finished size is 66" across and about 36 inches long from the center top to the bottom point.

It's big enough to wrap around arms and shoulders or drapey enough to wrap loosely at the neck.

It's light enough to wear in warmer months on a slightly cool day or evening.

The beautiful colors, pattern and texture will be such a wonderful addition to an outfit.

It's like soft jewelry.  And, I noticed that it goes with a lot of things.

It will soon be on it's way to a very special person...Patti.

She's my cousin's wife and she's one of the sweetest people you could ever meet.

She loves the beach and vibrant colors.  I thought she'd love the colors in this yarn.

The blues and greens look like the gorgeous colors you see in photos of tropical islands like Bora Bora

...the lush green landscape and incredible blues in the water.  So pretty!

I hope she likes it!

I made it with two skeins of Malabrigo Lace.  

There was a total of 940 yards but I have a bit left over.

This was my first experience with Malabrigo and it definitely won't be my last.

Malabrigo comes in such gorgeous colors and it's SO soft.

Gap-tastic

My Gap-tastic Cowl is all done!  I finished it last week but have hesitated to post it because I haven't been able to get good pictures of it.  I'd like to show it being worn but can't seem to get a picture of myself with it on because the camera is always in the way.  I took photos of it laying on a table...

It looks pretty good but doesn't show how it looks when it's worn.  So, I tried taking some with it on my dress form. The dress form is purple and I couldn't find anything to put on it that would cover the purple (including the neck part at the top) and look good with the cowl.  This is the best I could find.  I don't think the color looks very good with the cowl.  But, here it is...my finished Gap-tastic...

I love it doubled up.  It's so squishy, cozy and warm...

The color in the bottom two photos is more accurate.

I knitted this with size 13, circular needles.  And, I used two skeins (248 total yards) of Loops and Threads Select Wool yarn in the color, Taupe.  I really like this yarn but it's almost impossible to find.  When my daughter initially bought some, she could only find it at one Michael's store.  At that time, we could view it on their website in lots of beautiful colors.  When she bought it for me, it was still only available at the one Michael's store.  But, we could no longer find it on line.  I can't even find it listed on Ravelry.  I hope it hasn't been discontinued all together because I'd like to use it again.  

This was such a fun project!  I loved knitting with big needles and chunky yarn for a change.  When I finished this and went back to working on my blanket project and size 8 needles, they seemed so small!

Whew!

Yesterday was my dreaded follow up test to a surgery I had last summer and months of hormones to correct the problem to prevent that dreaded "c" word.  I was so nervous!  Most everything I've read about an endometrial biopsy was not good.  Many women describe it as horrible and very painful.  It's done in the office with NO anesthesia or pain killers.  So, to say I dreaded the appointment is an understatement.  Luckily, I have a wonderful doctor.  We communicated a lot via email.  She answered my many questions and tried to ease my mind about it.  She prescribed a Valium to ease my nerves.  Unfortunately, it didn't seem to help.  But she and her nurse were wonderful.  They took all the time I needed to pull myself together to go through with it.  While I was on the table, I held my cell phone and tried to show the nurse pictures of my canyon adventure from last Sunday and describe what we saw and did.  The distraction helped a lot but at one point a sharp pain surprised me and hurt so bad that I screamed.  Yikes!  It was hard to focus on the pictures and stories after that.  Luckily, it was quickly over and I made it through.  Whew!  The only good parts of this test are that it's quick and that it should give us information we need to keep me safe and healthy.

Whenever I go in for a pap smear, mammogram or other scary or uncomfortable but necessary doctor appointment, I treat myself with a trip to a yarn shop.  After this appointment, I think I deserved it more than ever!  And, there was a great little yarn shop just blocks away in the little town of Fallbrook, Labors of Love.  I'm usually a very conservative yarn buyer because of budget and practicality...I can only use so much yarn and I have too much already.  But, after this, I was ready to spend like crazy!  Yarn makes me happy!  Luckily, for my budget, I didn't find any yarn that I couldn't live without (even though they have a lot of gorgeous yarns).  But, I did find a great little book.  It has lots of different types of needle felted items with step-by-step instructions and photos.  There are some techniques I've never tried and it will be a great resource.

I think I still deserve lots of pretty yarn after that appointment though.  So, I'll be stopping in at various yarn shops whenever I'm near one to see what I can find.  And, when the test results come back with good news, I think I should celebrate with even more yarn!