Drenched (aka - Tenting it on the Olympic Peninsula)

So, I've discovered the problem with tent camping on the Olympic Peninsula is that there is a very high likelihood of getting rained on, thus having to take refuge under a makeshift tarp shelter for hours on end.  And when one is stuck huddling under said shelter for an indeterminate length of time,  just watching the deluge around, there isn't much to do.  Thank heavens for box wine.  That was the only thing that helped us pass our time the first couple of days we were out there.  The incessant rain forced us to huddle under the tarp like pathetic refugees, and filled the air with so much moisture we couldn't even read our books or play cards; it was just too wet.  So, we sat and drank.  Good times. (Please note the sarcasm.  Even box wine gets old after a while.)  But, after two days, the rain relented and we were granted some sunshine.  Still, nothing really dried out.  (I don't think that part of the world ever does.). We stayed as damp and musty as ever.  But, at least, we were able to get out from under the tarp and expand our world.  We hiked and admired the old-growth trees; some so massive, one could only guess as to how old they were.  We lounged by the lake, and let Puppy swim to his heart's content.  By all accounts, it was a perfectly lazy Labor Day weekend.

Now, we've shed the forest and are chilling on the coast.  It's not the warm, sunny beaches of SoCal that we're accustom to (cloudy is the word of the day), but the scenery is breathtaking.  I think we're doing the Pacific Northwest well...

Rained Out

Road Trip Day #14 - Well, we didn't have any luck with blue skies yesterday.  So now, we look and smell like drowned rats.  So far, camping on the Olympic Peninsula has proven to be a very soggy ordeal.  We're not going to quit, though.  We're rough 'n tumble campers and are going to tough it out.  The forecast is predicting bluer skies, so we're hoping for the best.  If not, we'll be back to drinking boxed wine under the tarp.  Bleh.

Over and Done

Road trip Day # 13 - It's amazing what a few days of rest can do for the body.  Considering how thoroughly wrecked I was on Sunday night, I feel great.  My quads are a little fatigued and my back is still in knots, but those are the only physical remnants of Sunday's Ironman.  It's almost sad.  After all those months of training, planning, and obsessing, it's just over.  Sigh.

But now it's time for the fun part of our road trip.  Now it's time to play.  We've crossed the border and are back in the states, exploring the Olympic Penninsula.  We spent last night at Dungeness Forks campground, tucked back into the Olympic National Forest.  Today we're headed south to Wynoochee Lake, and are praying the rain lets up.  It's beautiful out here, but wetter than wet.  The peninsula is certainly living up to it's reputation.  All we can do now is hope for the best and, possibly, a break in the clouds.  A little blue sky would go a long way...

Pure Michigan

I don't know how many people have actually seen the "Pure Michigan" ad campaign, but this vacation is turning out to read like the story-board from those commercials. Seriously, I've had more than a few moments this past week when I've felt like I've stepped into the television and found my way into a cinematographic imagining of what a vacation in Michigan should look like. It's been amazing. First, the triathlon. Then, camping along the lakeshore in Warren Dunes, lazing on the beach during the day and gathering around the campfire at night. Now we're in the central portion of the state, golfing and hanging out with friends and family on sun-basked patios. The weather has been perfect. The white wine has been crisp and chilled to perfection. The microbrews (i.e. Bell's) have lived up to my memories. I've climbed sand dunes and caught fire-flies. Mouse reeled in his first big fish. I made s'mores with my nephews. I even baked a knock-out blueberry cobbler with local, Michigan blueberries last night. (Thanks, Bon Appetite, for the recipe.) I know this all sounds so mundane, especially when juxtaposed against our usual adventurous escapades, but I think we were due for a little boring. Dull or not, all of this has been a welcome respite from the insanity of this summer.

Now, we only have two days of vacation left. After that, we have a very loooong drive ahead of us; Twenty hours of navigating through the midwest monotony, to be exact. And, while I'm not looking forward to that tortuous drive, I am sooo glad we made the effort to make it out here. We've seen family and friends, the puppy has had a blast, and I've been reminded of how nice it can be to visit my childhood home.  Thanks, Michigan.  See you next time.

Outdoor Therapy

There's nothing like being in the great outdoors to wash all of my worries away. We arrived in Grand Teton National Park last night, and the Boise debacle already seems lifetimes away. It's chilly up here, but also stunningly beautiful. It's just what I need to recharge my body and soul. We're taking it easy for the next couple of days. We car-camped at Jenny Lake last night and are in search if some hidden sites at the northern edge of the park today. Tomorrow, we're headed into the backcountry for some solitude. I can't wait.

Kayaking the Colorado

As if we hadn't pushed ourselves enough on  Saturday, Mouse and I decided to add a little more excitement to the weekend.  That's how we found ourselves paddling fiercely up the Colorado River  as the sun was setting behind the Arizona canyons, desperately hoping our riverside campsite would show itself before darkness enveloped us. (Yes - we actually were headed upstream.) We had made this trip before, and knew we were close, but were becoming slightly more nervous with every stroke.

We hadn't intended to push our luck like this.  We had had every intention of getting an earlier start. As soon as we got back to Vegas on Sunday afternoon, we switched out our gear, grabbed our kayaks, and headed past the Nevada border to kayak the portion of the Colorado River just south of the Hoover Dam.  But, of course, one thing always leads to another, and we ended up putting in at Willow Beach Marina much later than we had intended.

Initially, I was thrilled we had launched at the later time.  The heat of the day had passed, making our paddling much more comfortable.  After battling the blistering climate of Zion the day before, I welcomed the lower temperatures afforded by the shaded protection of the canyon walls.  Even better, the upstream current was almost negligible, making our paddling a breeze.  But my excitement faded as the daylight diminished, and we passed mile marker after mile marker with no campground in site.

True to form, we spotted our intended destination as night was quickly closing in, and skimmed our kayaks up along the sandy shore just as the last tidbits of light vanished from the sky.  If we had been a moment later, we would have had to navigate the river in complete darkness.  Leave it to us to arrive just in the nick of time.

The Arizona hot springs is one of our favorite little hideaways.   The only way to reach this semi-remote camping area is either by boat, or a fairly long hike from the highway, so it often feels like our own private getaway.  Unfortunately, we weren't so lucky this trip.  A very large, loud, and boisterous group of girls had already set up camp by the time we had arrived, their music and shrieks of laughter dashing our hopes of a peaceful night.  Fortunately, we were still able to find a secluded spot tucked back into the canyon, which allowed for a little solitude and some sense of tranquility.  We sipped our wine, chilled by the fire, and welcomed this chance to relax after such a strenuous weekend.  It's moments like this that remind me how lucky I am to live the life I do.

Just Being in Joshua Tree

I wish you could have seen me, sitting cross-legged on top of the picnic table, stirring spaghetti over a miniature camp stove.  I was bundled up in a more layers than I could count and must have looked ridiculous, but I didn’t care.  (Besides, the layers were necessary.  It was cold!)  I was too busy drinking my wine, humming along to whatever sufficiently-hippy tune was playing, and making sure the spaghetti didn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  It was a typical Friday night in Joshua Tree – dark, frigid, and unbelievably windy – but the stars were out and it was still a gorgeous night.  I couldn't wipe the smile off my my face; I was in heaven.  It’s amazing how little it takes to make me happy.  Give me a little wilderness, a roaring fire, some good food, and even better company, and I’m content.  It’s just nice to get away from it all, to forget about the modern world and all of our normal obligations for a spell.  That’s what this weekend was all about.  We needed to take some time to get away and relax.  So, we packed our gear and headed to Joshua Tree National Park for the weekend.  And, even though the weather conditions weren’t ideal, we still had a good time; being there gave us the opportunity to just be.  And just being in such a breathtaking-ly gorgeous location always feels like such a privilege, like something we don't deserve.  It was exactly what we needed.  It was a great weekend.