packing & coming home

the summer has been long and full.... and as much as I have enjoyed every minute of my extended adventure, u was good and ready to make my way back home to the bay area after we got out of the canyon.

one of the more annoying aspects of living out of the car for so long is the constant packing. pack, unpack, reorganize. repeat. ugh. before being able to set off for home, just about everything had to come out of the car one last time. the canyon gear was laundered, separated, and repacked. this process took me an entire morning. all I wanted to do was throw it all into the car, and dump it all at home, but it simply wouldn't have fit, and the gross damp muddy canyon gear would have rotted in the days it would take to get home.

marlowe and i iced up the cooler, and checked out of the hotel at noon. one last stop at a brewery in town for lunch, made a plan for the journey, and we were on the road.... or so we thought. during lunch, we got a text from one of the group participants that she had ended up in the hospital that morning, so we delayed our departure to make sure all was ok and lend a hand. our delay ended up being another night and day in flag. once we were sure the girls were stable and set for their change in plans, we left once again, around 5pm the following evening.

pretty tired and worn out, an adventure home (via the north rim if the grand canton) was no longer quite as appealing as just getting there. that first night we made it 5 hours through fantastic lightning storms to Barstow, where we got a nights sleep, and looked at our route with fresh eyes in the am.

Gettin home was a priority, but driving up the 5 for the day would have sucked out my soul. we decided to take the scenic route up 395 on the eastern side of the sierras. it was a gorgeous day, answer both enjoyed seeing the landscape change to the dramatic mountains (hello mt Whitney!). after a prolonged stop in mammoth for lunch, and a tasting at the brewery, we continued on crossing west through Yosemite, where the golden cowboy got to say hello to half dome again! instead of rolling into SF super late at night, we took one last detour up to the river camp for the night to get the end of season download. boy am I glad I didn't go through angry August. ha.

slept next to the river (best sleep I got since the canyon!), and was refreshed in the am. we said our good byes. and made one last stop in the way down to the bay to meet marlowe's brand new niece Ava in Sacramento.

it was a long journey, but we made it to Berkeley to drop marlowe off mid afternoon, and enjoyed a beer with Allison while we told some stories, and relived a few highlights from the trip!

back in the car.... I was on my own for the final push into SF, my home. ;)

on the flip side

had a amazing 15-days floating down the Colorado river through the grand canyon with the ETC folks. i won't lie, it was a good amount of work being the trip leader for the ETC folks, and making sure that everyone was getting the most out of the trip as possible, but always worth every second spent in the magical place. a big piece of my heart and soul lives in that canyon, and I treasure every opportunity I have had to visit it down there.

it is really hard to begin to summarize the experiences, or put into words the cohesive community that our group became. the guides we partnered with in this trip really brought an amazing amount of experience and energy, which allowed us to push boundaries, and make the accessibility of the adventure a success for everyone.

some highlights were:

-playin a knock down, drag them out game of whiffle ball in redwall cavern mixing up folks in wheelchairs at bat, and folks with visual impairments as the runners. not to mention barbara diving into home plate flat on her belly, missing the plate by 6".

-using the IKs and wheelchairs attached to poles to carry Elena and mandy up into some of the side canyons, especially shinomu creek to the waterfall where we all frolicked together.

-moonlit hike up to nankoweap with the rest of the guides. (ssshhhh... don't tell! ha.)

-paddling the double IK through Upset rapid with marlowe, and getting chomped in the last wave... only to look downstream and see Liz come through upright on her own!!!

-pillow talk at night with marlowe! :)

-making the rounds and checking in with everyone in the morning and throughout the day. I had some amazing and wonderful conversations with each and every individual on the trip. learning to balance emotional and physical needs.

-dressing up in my pink frilly dress at tequila beach, and then putting myself to bed after a few too many g&t's. (tinkerbell down!)

-Mandy and Dori's constant laughter!

-quickly arriving in the canyon, getting my dirty river guide on, and cherishing every moment I was there!

-barbara and somer taunting each other with profanity playing koob!

-learning new information and techniques from our guides.... trying to remember as much as possible.

the memories will keep coming, and keep a smile on my face for a long time to come. I hope that I can be part of many more trips through the grand canyon in my lifetime!!

we had a pizza party back at the hotel in flagstaff to celebrate the night we returned. more laughs, memories, hugs and smiles were shared over a few well deserved cocktails! it was bittersweet as always to break from the group we spent 15 intense days with, but time to move on.

into the big ditch we go!

smiling faces all around. can't wait to get on the water.... and float!

ETC Grand Canyon 2012. woot woot!

ttfn. talk to y'all again on the "flip side"...

:)

...on our way to the grand canyon!

everyone arrived in flagstaff as planned today, and we all met up this evening for our pre-trip meeting to start getting to know each other, and get the download on all our gear and trip logistics. it was an extraordinary amount of information for all to absorb, but making sure you have everything you need for this kind if trip is essential!

after the meeting, we wandered around the hotel checking in on each other, and helping to cram everything into the three dry bags we will be living out of for the next 14 days. it was a long night, with lots of piles of gear and ziplock baggies, but I think everyone is in good shape.

me, i am mostly packed, and I need to get this blog up to date (last thing on the to-do list), then get to sleep! we are rolling out at 6:30 tomorrow am! yikes.

I'll try to post one more time tomorrow, but as I am the "ETC trip leader" for this adventure, I am sure I'm going to be dragged in 15 directions from the moment I leave the room.

we will be rafting through the grand canyon blissfully for the next 14 days, and I will have ZERO access to phone, email, etc.

I can't wait to hand myself over to being completely offline, and 100% in the moment. :)

changing gears - connecting with river people

back in flagstaff, it was finally time to immerse myself in the upcoming grand canyon trip. i have come so far, and still have such a huge piece if my journey in front of me.

myself and two other etc guides, Elena and barbara, came out here early to meet with the outfitter guides to do a mini "disability awareness training", and get on the same page for adapting our trip to the needs of our group. this particular trip is a coming together of 2 canyon outfitters, and ETC to bring a group of folks with mixed abilities on this amazing journey. for this particular trip, we have 24 people, 4 of whom have visual impairments, and 2 who have mobility impairments and use wheelchairs. everyone who signed up to go on this trip brings a ton of enthusiasm, and collaborating with the outfitters, we bring extra gear and techniques to make it as comfortable as possible for everyone.

it was awesome to sit down with the guides before the trip and go over everything, something we have never done before, and should definitely do again! combined, we have a lot of accessibility gear, and we all practiced getting used to it together, and discussing how it could work for each individual. this is going to make transitioning to the river trip and adapting to whatever we encounter so much easier! :)

back to flagstaff

i said bye to the SF friends in Vegas, and changed direction to head back east to flagstaff. I managed to keep pace with the torrential downpours, and had to pull over twice along the way because I couldn't see a thing!

I was happy to make it back to flag in one piece!

viva las Vegas!

from Moab, I made my way down to las Vegas to meet up with some SF peeps who were in town for the national APA Pool league tournament. the team I play on went to the "citywide" tournament, but did not win a spot for the Vegas national competition. it was a lot of fun to hang out with ned, and poke around to watch the sf teams and players compete. I was really surprised at how big of an event it was... there had to be 250 pool tables running rounds of competitions from 9am till 2am+.

after being on the road for so long, it was also really nice to spend time with people who exist in my SF life. made me a little homesick to be back in the bay area, and home again. but, soon enough... I still have things to do.

I can't believe that I managed to stay in Vegas for four days, a new personal record! the time went by quickly relaxing by the pool, wandering the strip, and watching the tournaments.

the day I had to leave to drive out to flagstaff, az, it was pouring rain, and monsoon thunderstorms. everything in Vegas flooded!

rafting the "daily", or fisher towers

at some point in drinking beers with Becky, I volunteered to go on the water with her on her Friday trip. it took a second to change gears, and think rafting again... but I was excited to row, and check out this upper section of the Colorado.

in Utah, you need a guide license to take customers, so I was only able to row the lunch boat. I was super stoked about that, but I am sure the other guides were a bit bummed I took such a coveted spot in the trip. oh well. ha.

the scenery on the Colorado around fisher towers was amazing. the group, men with varying levels of autism, was also a lot of fun and a little chaotic. they were all over the place, and at times hilarious, but seemed to be having such a good time supported by a great group of staff. it reminded me of etc trips, where the boating is the least interesting aspect of the day, and I was happy to see Becky's program serving awesome people.

the boating, however, was flat as could be (compounded by a really low water year), hot and long. such a worthwhile trip for the group, but pretty brutally boring for the guides.

hiking negro bill

after the tour of the office, Becky and I decided to try and be active... and went for a hike. Moab is set in such a stunning area surrounded by big red slick rocks, with canyons cut deep into the rocks. the hike into negro bill canyon was a nice flat-ish hike along a stream weaving through the canyons. 2.25 miles out, we reached a dead end at a huge rock arch. it was a hot and humid day, and we hiked in the middle of the afternoon.... but there were plenty little shaded areas along the creek to cool off. after so much driving, it was awesome to get out and WALK!

after a little siesta, we went over to the guide house, and chilled with Becky's staff, and had a delicious BBQ. it was the last night for one of her guides, so it was a nice little send off.

'splore office and Lucy

the next morning, after a leisurely breakfast, Becky took me over to her guide house and warehouse to show me around. very different from the etc river camp, but she had already brought little personal touches such as a trip board. ;)

beck was also eager to show off her project motorcycle, Lucy. becky bought Lucy in rough condition, and has been tinkering around, and has gotten her to run. she starts, and beck drives her up and down the hill (slowly!). needs a "few" parts before she is road legal... but sure a fun project!

visiting Becky in Moab

after a wonderful day and night of relaxation, I hit the road again, and drove from flagstaff up to Moab Utah to visit my rafting friend Becky. she took a new job this year managing the rafting program for a company called 'splore, and was just about at the end of her first long low-water season.

we spent the night I arrived catching up over some beers in town. 2 of her guides joined us, and we managed to gab until almost 1am. it was great to have time with Becky to hear about her challenges, successes, and plans for future seasons. this job really seems to be a great position for her. not easy at all, but one in which she can really grow.

swimming hole

after a few hours of looking at a computer screen, I was ready to shut that down, and get outside! for all the traveling I have done, I hadn't really spent too much time outdoors in the sunshine or being active. there were a lot of little whoop-de-do trail to walk around viewing different places, but not as much walking as I am used to! mainly driving, driving, driving. ha.

for the afternoon, sitting by the side of a river by a swimming hole was exactly what I needed, and that is what I did. found a little spot just north of sedona on the way to flagstaff (where i booked a room for the night). i got a few beverages, snacks, a book, and chilled for hours! it was delightful! :)

relaxation and decompression

after dropping Kate off, I had open road in front of me, and a week and a half before I need to be in flagstaff for my rafting trip through the grand canyon.

I had a few people to visit, but was completely beat, and needed an unscheduled, unplanned day of relaxation. pretty much on auto pilot, I drove back up to Sedona (cuz it is so beautiful!), and found an Internet cafe to camp out for a bit to get my bearings. I had a little bit of work to do, but mainly spent my time browsing the web, and seeing what is going in in the world. I've been so out of touch!

it was a nice change of pace to sit, and have no plans for a minute or two!

by the numbers...

this phase of my summer Roadtrip has come to a close. traveled west to east with christina (phase one), spent three weeks catching up with friends and family on the east coast (phase two), and drive east to the grand canyon with Kate (phase three). two more pieces to go... chilling our west (phase four, this coming week), and grand canyon rafting trip (phase five) yet to go. woah.

by the numbers, Kate and I traveled 3,610 miles together in 9 short days.

since I left SF 6 weeks ago, I have driven close to 8,500 miles... and I am still a month away from being back in sf. there is so much to think about and to say about that... but right now, I need some sleep. ;)

crack of dawn. literally.

to make kate's 10am flight out of Phoenix, we had to leave Sedona by 6am. the alarm sure came fast this am!

although we were both in a non-caffeinated haze, we drove out of Sedona as the sun was rising behind the giant red rocks, and it was gorgeous. I'm glad Kate got to see the beauty, even if only in passing.

the drive down to phoenix was fast, and as we descended the mountains, the landscape filled with giant cactus, and the temps rose rapidly. as the news told us, the temps in Phoenix haven't gone below 90° at night for 6 days, and it was already over 100° at 8am when I dropped her off. ugh!

our goodbye was brief. we have had the adventure of a lifetime in the past 9 days. there are no words available to top off our adventure.

winding down

we took our last looks, and left the grand canyon around 5pm, heading south towards flagstaff and Sedona. it is hard to comprehend taking anything else in, but the drive from the canyon to flagstaff up into the mountains, is another beauty unto itself. up and over 8000ft + passes, flag is nestled into the side if the mountains, and has a real charm to it. i couldn't pass up a stop at the beaver street brewery for a much needed beverage and bite to eat.

we drive down to Sedona from flag just as the sun was going down. by the time we got to town, it was dark... but you can feel the surrounding beauty.

we settled into the hotel, and we got Kate packed up for her flight back to MA. it is bittersweet for this chapter of my road trip to come to an end, but I couldn't have asked for a more special time, spent with such a special friend. I feel truly blessed to have had this time and opportunity in my life. :)

stunning, saturated and satisfied

we spent the day Monday wandering around the grand canyon village, taking in the sights, park films, gift shops and generally being overwhelmed by the canyon itself. we took the park bus out to the western viewing area if hermit's rest, and enjoyed the serenity of the ride, as well as a some time just chilling at picnic tables writing out postcards. as the culmination of an already overwhelming trip, to say that Kate and I were pretty saturated is an understatement, but it didn't take away from the wonder of the location.

the grand canyon is truly an amazing hole in the ground. it is full if history, science, culture, art, and wildlife. there are people from all over the world converging in this spot to take it in, and it is a place everyone should make a point to see in their lifetime, it is that grand. standing at the upper rim, it is truly surreal and untouchably expansive. floating on the river at the bottom of the ditch, as I will be doing again in two weeks, is another kind of connection and perspective. it is tactile, and consuming.

camping under the stars!

for this westward crossing, we have been traveling at such a pace that hotels have been our best option when arriving late in the evenings. we knew we wanted to stay in the park at the grand canyon, and Kate was awesome enough to make us a reservation a month ago for a camp site. we called for a late arrival, but were pushing to get there by 7 to register, before the office closed. I was so nervous because we arrive a little after 7, but it was no problem registering (phew!). we only figured out a few hours later that we had crossed another time zone, so gained an hour in our favor. I sure do like gaining hours traveling west more that I liked losing them traveling east!

we set up camp super quick, and headed up to the rim lodges to catch the sun setting, and grab some dinner. we walked around taking in the breathtaking canyon in the evening light as long as we could, then settled into a restaurant for din when I was about to gnaw my fingers off.

with a sense of accomplishment in arriving at our planned destination for this trip, we were both happy and at ease. it has been a long journey in a short amount of time! we ordered a bottle of wine, toasted Kate and sanjiv's 2-year anniversary, and proceeded to chat like a bunch of schoolgirls for hours. it was a fab evening, and so nice to be sharing it with such an important friend!

the night was topped off by pulling our sleeping pads and bags out of the tent, and sleeping under the stars for the night. there was almost no moon, the stars were bright as can be, and we even caught some "shooting stars" from the persiad meteor shower. of course I was asleep in 3 minutes flat, but not before I made my wish on a shooting star. ;)