Merry Christmas!...there, I said it and it feels good!

2016 is just about over.  This has been a great year filled with many great memories, many of which involve the people who read our blog...our friends.  We are fully into the swing of retirement...what day is it?  Really, what day is it? 😃  People ask if we miss work?  I guess that is a reasonable question.  No, we do not miss work.  We miss the people we worked with and have come to know over the years.  We keep in touch with many of them which is good, but it is difficult to replace the day to day relationships that work offers.  We do not miss getting up at 3 am in order to get a run in before work.  We do miss the self righteousness that goes along with getting up that early.  "Oh, you did not run this morning at 3 am?", "How sad"....  We now run, bike and hike at more reasonable hours, like 5-6 am so that we can beat the heat of summer, oh, and still proclaim, "yes, we ran this morning before our other workouts".  Somethings will never change!

The 2016 election year seemed to go on forever!  I think it was probably better or more easily tolerated for those of you who work, otherwise you would be looking at news on line all the time.  Oh, I forgot you do that anyway in between shopping at Amazon and looking at animal videos on YouTube!  I found myself constantly checking the news on my phone for the latest media attack on a particular candidate who seemed to draw a lot of media ire over every comment, tweet or facial expression of which he had many.  Well, all that is over, everyone is happy, resolved to the outcome and finally getting along.  Oh wait, not even close!  I can tell you from personal experience that the 4-8 years goes by fast and holding your nose helps.

2017 is going to be a busy year for Dave, Julie and Pete.  We are planning a ski trip to Park City in March, lounging by the pool in Rancho Mirage in May as well as various trips to Napa for wine pickups throughout the year.  In April we have a reunion with my brothers in Philadelphia (City of Brotherly Love, ironic).  We are also going on a bike trip with Western Spirit Cycling Adventures in June which will take us through the Black Hills of South Dakota.  Here is the link if you want to check it out, or come along!  It is a fairly easy ride compared to the Moab ride of 2016.
Western Spirit - Black Hills South Dakota

We are going to run a half marathon with Pete in July in Sonoma!  Yes, Pete is beginning to run!  69 years old and finally running and not just to the toilet at night.  We are starting him off slowly with run/walks...ok, mostly walks, but that is how all of us start.  He is doing great and should any of you consider this elder abuse, he is going under his own free will...sort of.  He can't tell his Julie no.

For fun we are planning to hike the Grand Canyon, Rim to Rim, most likely in October, hike Mt. Whitney in August (highest peak in the lower 48 states for you products of the California School system), perhaps do Half Dome again because we REALLY want Pete to go to the very top.  We may do Half Dome and Whitney back to back to avoid another drive to California.  We may also climb Mount Shasta in June so we can check it off the list. If any of you are interested in joining us, please let us know after you consult your physician and complete your will.

Last thing, we have been practicing our dance moves for months and have put together this Christmas greeting for all of you.  Yes, that is Cookie, Pete, Julie and Dave all dressed up as elves for your entertainment.  If you pay close attention you will note an unknown individual who had to step in when Dave twisted his ankle in rehearsals.  Please have a most wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Vacation from retirement....no not work!

You would not think that retirement is so taxing that it would require a vacation, but sometimes a break in routine is needed.  We traveled for Thanksgiving this year.  It was a wonderful trip in spite of the airport hassles, traffic and the plague so generously given by my beautiful grandchildren.  Ok, maybe it was not the actual plague also know as "black death", but I was pretty miserable for a week. Now Pete has it!  I do not think I can take credit for giving it to him since he got it the day after we got home and it would have taken some time to incubate.  Pete also traveled by plane, the filthiest environment known to mankind and has no hesitancy to pick up and eat a Pringle that has bounced off his tray onto his seat and then onto the floor.  Still, he blames me for his illness.  Oh well...

We were only home a few days when it was time to run off to California for our wine pick up.  What is that you ask?  A wine pick up occurs several times a year and involves driving to Northern California to visit the numerous wine clubs to which we belong.  This is tedious work that in addition to the 11 hour drive involves wine tasting at our favorite wineries as well as new ones we just have to join.  Why would anyone do that?  I ask myself that some question a few times a year as the "deal" we get as wine club members is dwarfed (is it ok to still use that term?) by the fuel costs, food, and lodging.  The problem is that the state of Utah, in its infinite wisdom has found alcohol to be so dangerous that it has to regulate it and only sell it in state operated stores.  That would be ok, except that the selection is minimal. Now I enjoy boxed wine just as much as the next guy, but that is not acceptable for Julie, hence the trek to Napa/Sonoma on a regular basis.

We purchased the largest SUV known to mankind in order to facilitate these pick ups.  When entering Utah with wine that is purchased out of state, you have to be VERY careful not to get pulled over.  We have heard stories of police pulling over cars at the state line and upon spotting alcohol in boxes, unceremoniously dumping the booze right there on the side of the road.  In order for us not to watch our cargo go down the drain we follow these rules...
1.  Set the cruise control to 69 MPH a minimum of 5 miles before the border.
2.  Turn the radio to Fox News and play it as loud as possible.
3.  Make sure all wine boxes are labeled as "Automatic Weapons". "Ammunition" or "Bibles".  That way if we are stopped, they will see that we have nothing dangerous to hide and will be waved through without incident.

Now I love telling this story about labeling our wine cases as "Automatic Weapons". "Ammunition" or "Bibles" in order to get them across the border, but if you have something as funny or offensive, I will be glad to add it to my repertoire. Let me know.

Back of SUV.  55 bottles in all!

The fall colors this time of year in the vineyards are simply amazing. We posted the following picture on Instagram with the following comment... Love the fall colors in Napa, especially the Reds and Whites. 🍷

Within minutes we received a comment from Cookie... "Not seeing any red and white".  I was shocked she did not get the wine reference, but in her defense, it was early in her day...1:30 PM. I then began to worry, did others get it?  Yes, everyone else got it!

On the second, or third day of wine tasting...I forget, we met up with Kathy.  We met her at our first stop and then took our vehicle with the plan of dropping her back at her car and the end of a very productive day of wine tasting.  Well, we had a great time.  We continued to add new wineries to our list and by the time we got back to our first stop the gates to the winery were closed and locked with her car safely tucked away.  It was okay since Kathy was not up to the drive home at that point.  As the adult in the group I had stopped tasting several wineries ago.  She ended up sleeping over on the hide a bed.  

Going...

Going...

GONE!!!

Just a few more pictures and a near death experience....

We love trying on hats..  Julie always looks beautiful..

Julie in a "Flapper" hat

Gorgeous scenery!  Oh and the winery was nice too.

Ok, near death experience...  On the way home we were on Highway 58 in CA at the light just outside of Boron.  As we approached the light was flashing red.  I mentioned to Julie that I thought it was strange.  The intersection was busy.  When it was our turn to go, a car just to the right of us jumped ahead into the intersection just as we heard sirens.  I paused for a second to see where they were coming from when a small white sedan came careening from the right just missing the car that had barely made it through the intersection.  The speeding car turned left in front of us just missing the bumper and was quickly followed by 3 screeching police cars with sirens wailing, all just missing our front bumper by inches.  It turns out the 5 occupants in the white car were part of a gang related drive by shooting and high speed chase lasting 45 minutes and ending just past where they almost hit us.  One civilian vehicle was hit during the chase.  So glad it was not us!  There would have been wine everywhere!!!  

One last thing, who names these restaurants?!!!

Ok, two more things....  Thought you might like this wine glass drying towel we spotted in Sonoma.

I'm sure you can think of someone who deserves this for Christmas!

If you are looking for Christmas ideas for Julie and me, this painting is available at the Cliff Lede Winery for only $50,000.  Just in case you need gift ideas!

Happy Holidays!

Fall Surprise!!!

In case you thought this was about the recent election, I'm sorry to disappoint you...  I honestly thought about blogging on the election, but then I remembered some of our dear friends were so disappointed by the outcome.  In fact it was a YUGE surprise.  We still love you and don't want you to feel bad about yourself for being less of an American.  I for one am clinging to my guns and Bible for support through these challenging times.

If you did not see the last blog you may want to go back and take a look.  I included a picture and challenged folks to guess what Pete was up to now...

What in the world is Pete up to?

I had a few suggestions about Pete's picture... Cloned?  Frozen for space travel?  While those were pretty good, they were not correct.  When Pete and I were away on our bike trip, Julie signed us up for Body Composition (FAT) testing!  Now I do not know if she was trying to tell us something, but what Julie wants, Julie gets.  A few days after our return, Pete and I were sitting nervously in The waiting room of Intermountain Live Well Center in Saint George.  I had my testing done before Pete so I could comfort him while he had his test.  Keep in mind he did not accompany me on my test.  I'm the blogger, not him.  My test went without a hitch and I am in fantastic shape for a 70 year old woman!  Only kidding, 12%, but you knew that.  I go to all of Pete's medical appointments for a couple of reasons.  1.  I explain he hates bright lights, never give him water, and the most important rule...no matter how much he begs, NEVER feed him after midnight!  2.  I provide translation services between doctor and Pete, mostly between Pete and the doctor. 3.  I find out the most interesting things to blog about!  So we enter the test area where they have the BodPod, pictured above.  You have to strip down to tight fitting shorts such as lycra bike shorts and the swim cap they provide for the test.  Fortunately for all of us, the technician and myself, Pete wore his lycra shorts under his clothes.  It was not bad enough seeing him in the TIGHT fitting shorts, but they were circa 1972 and had a four inch split up the side of one leg.  Who hangs onto something like that?  Pete!  The technician weighed Pete on a scale that is calibrated to a hundredth of a pound.  For those of you who were brought up in the California school system, that means it weighs even the small stuff...

We have been bugging Pete about losing weight since we came to STG.  We have had him on a strict exercise regime and diet, but he has only managed to lose 20 pounds.  Well, when he weighed in, he had actually lost thirty pounds since joining our team!  It turns out the piece of garbage scale he has is broken!  I'm sure you are thinking he has to have gotten rid of that piece of junk and bought a new, accurate scale.  No, he just makes the adjustment in his head, much like the clock in his truck which is ten minutes fast so he is never late...yet he is always late!  Anyway, the test went well.  They pump up the pod and measure the volume of air displaced and hocus pocus give you your percent body fat.  For medical disclosure reasons I can't divulge or in this case "diBULGE" Pete's body fat, but it is safe to say he would have been happy with the body fat of the average 70 year old woman.  Oh, and he has shrunk 2 inches...  In height!  Get your mind out of the gutter!  Needless to say, the training and dieting are still on going.

Cookie recently had some cosmetic implants...  Now I have never been a fan of the fake ones all the stars are getting.  I mean that is all you can see when you watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians.  Not that I ever watch that...  Julie encouraged her to get them as hers are kind of...how do I say this constructively, puny.  I have to admit, I don't look at them all that close, but her new ones make a YUGE difference.  Anyway, we wanted her to send us a selfie after the procedure and here it is.  Check out those babies!

Cookie selfie.  Smile!

Don't her eyelash extensions look wonderful?  What, you though I was referring to something else?  Wow, what a sick group of readers...Anyway, we loved the eyelashes, and can't stop laughing at the selfies...

Where is the camera?

We enjoyed Cookie's selfie so much we wanted to see how Pete did taking a selfie.  Well, we were not disappointed...

Pete's first selfie

We handed Pete the iPhone and asked him to take a selfie.  What you don't see is the burst of sixty photos per take as he would hold his finger on the button instead of pressing and releasing.  Here is my favorite...  Please do not allow the elderly to take selfies!

Look at that smile!  Such a photographer!

Hey, many of you do not know that our Pete was in the Navy.  In fact he was a Seal! The other day we took a hike around town and took a wrong turn and ended up against a wall.  In typical Navy Seal fashion, Pete elected to scale the wall rather than turning back.

GET ME OFF OF THIS THING!!!

I know that looks very impressive.  What you cannot see is Pete getting hung up on his stomach and Julie having to pull him off the wall.  Good thing we weren't in Nam.

Lastly we had some friends come and visit us.  Let's call them Shoes and Clay Babe (her choice) to protect their true identities.  I don't want people to think they have to worry about being blogged when they come to visit so we happily provide pseudo names to protect the innocent.  WE had a great time with Shoes and Clay Babe and even enjoyed the Super Moon at the Overlook Restaurant which overlooks (clever) downtown Saint George.

Dave, Julie, Clay Babe and Shoes

We also took them on a bike ride in Snow Canyon...

Now you know where the name "Shoes" came from...

We also went to Zion National Park and hiked to the top of Angel's Landing.

Pete, Clay Babe, Julie and Dave

Angel's Landing was named because it was so high it was thought only angels could get there.  Obviously this is not the case...right Pete?

One more thing...  I've reviewed the data for this blog and it has come to my attention that someone in France has been reading my blog.  I'm honored, but curious....  Feel free to use the comment section to identify yourself.  Also for the rest of you, please provide comments if you have any.  Requests for Pete are also welcome...  For example, how many of you would like to see and hear about Pete indoor skydiving?  Feeding sharks?  Swimming with dolphins?  Julie can get him to do anything and I can cover it...

Thanks for reading the blog.  

Pete clowning around.  You got to love that guy.  We do!

Red Mountain 2, Dave and Pete 0

It is really helpful, but not mandatory to read the May 31st blog regarding Red Mountain.  Well. we did it again. Not wanting to carry the guilt of the Red Mountain debacle with me forever, I suggested to Pete that we try it again.  Julie is away in Ohio hanging with her Soft Ball girlfriends at the Bowling Green homecoming so no better time to risk life and limb on Red Mountain a second time.  Besides, we are much better aware of the dangers associated with such a hike/climb.  What could possibly go wrong?

Water, check...Food, check...First aid kit, check...trail app, check...flairs, check...guns, check...prayer rug, check...we should be good to go.  Right?  Wrong!!!!  I am personally not worried about myself.  I've lived a somewhat long and enjoyable life.  It is Julie I worry about.  So much to live for.  Therefore, I'm glad she is not along as Pete and I take on the RED MOUNTAIN.  Pete drove us to the trail head which in and of itself is a death defying experience.  Luckily, we made it and started our hike. The plan was to go up the mountain, then head across to the gap above Tuacahn Amphitheater and then find a trail down from there.  Pretty easy...

Pete and Dave all Happy...before the hike!

The climb up went pretty well until Pete's knee began to "bother" him.  I know Pete is pretty tough and the mere fact he mentioned it meant it was hurting like a son of a gun.  None the less, we progressed on up the hill, passing two gentlemen who were on the way down. It is quite rare to see any human on Red Mountain since it is such an inhospitable place with no real trail.  I asked them if they were familiar with the way down from Tuacahn.  "Yes, it is impossible to find and consists of loose shale on a very steep slope".  "Perfect", I replied.

I eventually scrambled my way to the top and quietly waited for Pete.  I also opened the All Trails Application on my phone.  It generally has the trail you are on clearly displayed. The fact that it showed nothing was not alarming as there are no actual trails on the mountain.  Just ways you can go.   I began recording our hike which would show where the trail head was for the way down should we not find a suitable trail near Tuacahn.  I did not tell Pete as I love to hear his directions and suggestions on which way to go.  "This-a-way, that-a-way"...

Pete coming up the Mountain.

When Pete finally reached the top, we discussed the best way to get to Gunsight Canyon.  Having no trail map as none exists, we decided on a general direction.  I chose the path of greatest resistance because I wanted to make this a work out.  I was not disappointed.  Pete kept referring to the "other day". "The other day we came by that bush".  I quickly figured out that "the other day" was the last time we hiked the mountain, almost 5 months ago.  Who calls that "the other day"?!!!  I honestly need a decoder ring.  A few times we got separated.  "Were are you?"  He means "where", but it sounds exactly like "were".  If I slip in a "were" for "where", please forgive me, it is only so you can share my pain.  Oh, I forgot to tell you that Pete's plan for finding the trail head we were leaving was to look for "the" tree.  He actually said, "remember, the tree at the trail head so we don't get lost".

Trail Head view...which tree is he talking about?

We finally arrived at the area above the Tuacahn Theater.  The scenery was beautiful, but there was nothing that resembled a trail down.  

Tuacahn Theater Ivins, Utah

We started the long hike back to the trail head.  Memories of our last hike came flooding back to me.  Suddenly I got all sweaty, and a little flustered.  I'm not saying it is PTSD and do not mean to make light of it since it is a serious condition.  Let's just say I could have used Daniel right about then....I would actually enjoy Daniel even if I was not stressed.  If you do not know Daniel, check out this link.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/10/20/daniel-the-emotional-support-duck-takes-his-first-plane-ride-soars-in-popularity/

With the help of the phone app, we managed to find our way back to the "trail" head.  I use that term loosely since there are no marking what so ever and once starting down the mountain we soon realized there really is no trail.  There are loose rocks, sand and you name it on the way down.  You have to be very careful "were" you put your feet.  At one point I stepped onto a large flat rock probably 3 feet wide by six feet long.  Once my full weight was on it, it began sliding down the the hill.  I'm not much of a surfer and never considered surfing on a 400 pound+ slab of sandstone, but there I was riding the big one.  It stopped in about 3 feet which felt like a mile.  I stepped off like I meant to do it all along.  No, my pants were not wet.  I do not care what Pete says!  

Dave before the surfing event.

We eventually made it to the bottom somewhat unscathed.  Just as a side note, on the way up I could not help but notice a sleeping bag just off to the side of the "trail".  It was huge, unfurled with the flannel liner showing.  I mean who could miss such a contrast to the natural beauty of the "trail".  Well, I will tell you who, PETE!  I asked him if he saw it and he said "no".  What?!!!   Are you kidding?!!!  Nope, he did not see it.  So, on the way down, I stopped and rolled it up and carried it out the last half mile down the steep and slippery slope where I tossed it unceremoniously into the back of Pete's pick up where he is sure to see it...I think.

I have two last pictures pictures I want to share...

Dave and Pete after the hike  We are supposed to be pretending to blow our brains out, but it is hard to tell.  

Well, Red Mountain kicked our butts once again.  We will NEVER hike that mountain again, ever... unless someone came into town and desires a near death experience...

If I'm ever experiencing the same PTSD symptoms while hiking with Pete, I plan to rely on my new comfort friend....

Okay, it is not some cute duck named Daniel, but it works.  Meet Lilly!

I had to show you this.  I learned to do panoramas on the Moab trip, courtesy of one of the Buck brothers.

View from atop Red Mountain. Enjoy it as you will NEVER see it again on my blog!

Any idea?  Pete going into space?  Pete time traveler?  Cloning Pete?   Cryogenics?

Moab, Utah - White Rim Trail Trip

Where to begin...  As previously mentioned, we had planned this mountain bike trip for some time but due to a small fracture (is there such a thing?) in her right radius bone (forearm), Julie was unable to go.  That means that Dave and Pete got to go unchaperoned, and without adult supervision.  Had we been entirely alone, this would have been unwise.  Fortunately for us, we went with seven other riders plus two guides provided by Western Spirit Cycling Adventures.

Julie and I have ridden with Western Spirit in the past and had a great time.  Their trips are well run, they haul all your junk from campsite to campsite and best of all cook delicious meals.  It is glamorous camping, Glamping!  The White Rim Trail is 3 nights, 4 days of riding and while grueling at times, not so technical that you walk more than ride.  We wanted this to be a great experience for Pete and it would not help for him to get hurt.

The ride starts with a 5 hour drive from Saint George to Moab. I picked up Pete and after 6 trips back into the house, he finally had everything he would need for the trip.

5th trip, last trip was for his wallet.

Most of us would place everything we planned to take in one strategic locations so that we could efficiently transport it to the car.  Not Pete, he wandered around the house finding things he might need.  I was not annoyed by this behavior as I am used to it.  I was however annoyed by the amount of steps he accumulated in the process!

 Once we got on the road, the trip went smoothly.  We had the opportunity to visit every rest stop between STG and Moab, but time was not an issue so no big deal.  As you can imagine, the scenery along the way was gorgeous.  Giant red rock formations as far as the eye could see.  Pete began asking me what form or shape I would see in the various rocks.  Trying to go along and use my imagination, I would give him my first impression...  "King Kong climbing the statue of Liberty?" to which Pete would respond, "No, that is an old steam locomotive".  "Can't you see the stack and coal car?"  "Ummm, no".  Shortly there after he points out another formation..."What do you see?".  "Ummm...  a field of mushrooms with a bunny sitting in the center?".  "No, that is a train transporting cattle in open cars".  It went on and on like this, mile after mile, me trying to come up with some clever vision only to find out it always had something to do with trains.  All trains!  I considered running the Toyota into one of the rock formations just to end my suffering but decided against it as I would hate to damage one of the trains.

Finally we arrived in Moab and checked into the Holiday Inn Express.  The town is busier than I remember with tourists and outdoor enthusiasts.  We decide to walk to dinner at the Moab Brewing Company at the other end of town.  Along the way we saw two ladies off the road with easels set up.  Pete is immediately drawn (no pun intended) to them to see their projects.  They are drawing the surrounding cliffs with chalk.  Jokingly I ask how long we would need to stand their in order to photo bomb their drawing.  One of the ladies replied they would include us in the drawings as soon as we left...  How rude!  We continued the hike into town stopping at a rock shop and a bicycle shop.  Pete bought a pair of cycling gloves that were on sale.  We also stopped at the Moab Diner, where Cookie had pitched a fit over someone's onion rings that were left under the heat lamp longer than she thought was reasonable.  For obvious reasons we did not eat there, but we did get a couple of pictures...

Moab Diner

Pete reenacts the time when Cookie went off on a waiter because someone's onion rings had sat too long on the counter...according to Cookie.  Note that there were onion rings sitting on the counter at the time of this picture.

While inside the diner I looked around to see if there was a sign with Cookie's picture and warning, "If you spot this woman, do not let her linger by the counter, and be sure to spit in any food that goes to her table".  I'm sure it was there but perhaps in an area reserved just for employees.

We proceeded to the brewery for a total of 3 miles.  The food at the brewery was good, the beer even better.  Both of us ordered dishes with chicken breasts.  When did chickens get implants?  I mean I'm not complaining, but they were hu...uge!  (Trump)  I called my chicken Dolly and Pete called his Amber (Rose).  Totally stuffed we walked back to the hotel, another 3 miles.

The next morning we met my much older brother Randy and his lovely wife Lynne for breakfast as they were part of our riding group.  As you can see, Pete went light on the breakfast...

Pete asked me to let you know he did not finish the pancakes.  There was some powdered sugar left on the plate when he was done.

We decided we would hike in Dead Horse State Park.  Because it is a state park, we were unable to take advantage of Pete's senior citizen pass for all National Parks which is the best deal ever.  If you are 62 years or older you can purchase a LIFETIME pass to all National Parks for $10.  Pete still laments that he lost/misplaced his first pass and had to buy a second for an additional $10.  Still a great deal!  The hike was amazing.  It had views of canyons, rock formations (trains) and the Colorado river.  There were also some interesting potholes which contain seasonal pools of water.  Don't ask me how they are formed.  I guess I could look it up and report out, but I'm retired...  Anyway, the potholes actually contained some interesting life forms.  In one Lynne spotted tiny fish.  It is hard to imagine spending your entire life in a small shallow pool, but some people never leave Iowa.  Go figure.  In another pothole we spotted Gollum!

Pothole Pete! Or whack-a-mole!   Randy in the background.  

More pictures from our hike...

Lynne (Smiley), Randy (Crusher), Dave and Pete (Pete)

Whenever I blog about someone new who is familiar with the blog they always want a pseudo name.  I'm not sure why that is, but in an effort to please, I have given Lynne the pseudo name of Smiley because she is so darn positive.  Randy is called Crusher because of the way he crushed the group riding his mountain bike up hills.  It was amazing. Pete is Pete or Gollum.

Colorado River in the distance.  I have some better shots of the river which I will share later as they came on the ride.

After the hike we returned to town.  I thought there was something suspicious about this truck, but will let you be the judge.  It seems to confirm what I have always suspected....  you may have to look closely.

Before we knew it, it was Wednesday morning and we all gathered at the Western Spirit office in Moab.  We got to meet our guides, Sean and Matt and the rest of the riders, Gary, Wayne, Paula, Sebastian and Jason, the Buck Brothers from England via Los Angeles and Vancouver, respectively.  It was a wonderful group and we immediately bonded.  Our gear was loaded on a heavy duty 4 wheel drive truck which would serve as our life support for the remainder of the trip.  Meanwhile the bikes and riders were loaded on a van to shuttle the one hour out to the starting point, much of which was on a dirt road.  Once dropped off, the van would leave and we would be expected to ride the remainder of the trip until we once again met up with the van for the ride back to Moab.   Pete was uncharacteristically quiet on the van ride.  I suspect there was a bit of apprehension on his part.  After all, this was his first trip of this type and Julie was not around to provide nurturing and guidance.  Interesting how the roles switch.  Once at the trailhead the bikes were unloaded and off we went down a long steep descent consisting of switchbacks and loose rock.  Eventually we came to the bottom, some much faster than others.  The trail is basically a jeep trail so it can be rough, but not too bad.  We road the rest of the day stopping for sandwiches, fruit, salad all provided by the amazing staff from their truck.  They get ahead of the group and then set up such so it is ready to eat when we arrive. even setting up chairs to lounge in while eating.  

Not the actual lunch we ate on the first day, but a fine example of the spread they provided.

Lot's of healthy food.  In spite if that and all the riding, it is possible to gain wait on this ride if you do not watch it.

As mentioned, the food is very healthy.  In spite of that, some people have actually gained weight on these trips in spite of all the riding.  Right Crusher and Pete?  I'm going to avoid giving you a blow by blow of each day because  it would be tedious and not so exciting.  Instead I plan to share some highlights and pictures to give you a flavor of the trip.  

 

• On one stop we had the chance to climb down a slot canyon which is just what the name implies.  Only a few brave soles managed to do it and since I was one of them I will show you some pictures.  Many of the pictures include Sebastian since I could not take pictures of myself making these magnificent leaps and spiderman like crawling.  Others who braved the slot were Jason and Matt.  Pete was willing to try it, but as a loving guardian I had to tell him no...Julie would kill me if he got hurt.

Sebastian doing his Spiderman impersonation.

Sebastian working his way down the slot canyon

• Pete and Dave assisting each other in putting together their tents.  To say this was a calamity of errors would perhaps be an understatement.  To the best of my knowledge, Pete has never camped or put together a tent which became painfully apparent, not that I'm all the good at it.  Generally Julie runs this show and I provide any necessary force to get it done.  I'm sure anyone watching Pete and I would agree that two learning impaired chimps could have done better the first time and perhaps the second.

Dave's tent

I know it appears that a hurricane hit Pete's tent site, but it was all him.  He regularly used bushes for storage and hanging items.  On one occasion he left his Butt Butter in a bush...don't ask.  And then one day we were about to leave and I asked him where were his sunglasses.  I found them in a bush as well.

If you look closely at the picture above you will note a substantial outhouse.  Every 10 or so miles along the trail there are camp sites with one or perhaps more toilet such as this.  On the day of our longest ride, about 26 miles, several of us arrived in camp ahead of the others.  Keep in mind that the outhouse is sitting out there by the edge of the trail with a sign signifying the campsite name, in this case Airport Campground.  As the lead group stood there chatting about 30 yards off the trail in the camp area, Crusher noted that Pete was cruising right on by us.  We all yelled, "PETE", but he kept on going.  I did not have time to grab my helmet, but jumped on my bike in hot pursuit, continuously yelling his name as I closed his lead.  Finally as I caught up to him he realized someone was calling his name.  "Pete, didn't you see the outhouse?"  "Yeah, I saw it but did not know it was a campsite".  "I saw the outhouse up ahead", he added.  "Yes, but you road right by that as well!"  We all teased him about missing the campsite until Paula did the same thing.  Must have something to do with the name....

Pete's glasses in a bush.

• The total miles ridden over the 4 days is about 80 miles.  Some days were longer than others and made still longer by Pete missing camp.  The final day is climaxed (is it ok to say that) by what was advertised as a 1.2 mile ascent up a very steep and winding hill.  As we stood at the base and contemplated the climb out, the Buck brothers assessed what we could see of the climb which was quite a lot and decided it was significantly more that 1.2 miles.  They used kilometers but it was still further than we were being told.  Just to check I zeroed out my odometer and off we went.  4.4 miles later we were at the top.  The climb was not technical, but a grind.  I've been requested to say that Crusher finished first in 32 minutes which is a significant accomplishment.  Sebastian was close behind.  Smiley, Jason and I stopped for a few seconds to look at a Big Horn Sheep and still came in right behind the leaders.  Gary who is 74 years old and an amazing rider crushed the hill right behind our group.  Pete was right behind Wayne, literally as they both rode in the truck with Wayne in the front seat and Pete in the back seat.  Paula pulled the hills herself and rounded out the group with a strong ride.  

View from the top of the climb. 

View of the final climb from the top!

View of final 4.4 mile (or 7.3 Kilometers) climb out from the bottom.

A Big Horn Sheep, just not The Big Horn Sheep.  I took this in Zion, but thought you might like it.

Our life line, the support truck carries food, water, snacks, medical gear, our gear and us if necessary!

Lunch on the trail...roughing it.

The ride home was uneventful and Pete kept me entertained the entire way.  We are already planning another trip next year with Western Spirit.  They have a ride that starts in Bryce and goes to Zion along trails.  It is a bit more strenuous and longer than the White Rim Trail, but I know Julie will be ready and Pete won't have a choice.

Thanks for all the kind support for Julie.  She is about 2 weeks from being entirely healed but doing better every day.  We are heading to Austin to see nephew Syler play in a National Tennis Championship.  It should be both fun and exciting.  All the best!