Disneyland and California Adventure, Anaheim, CA

DISNEYLAND AND CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE, ANAHEIM, CA  (MAR 24-25, 2016)

Left to right: Scarlett, Hunter, Erin, Me, Alice, Rhiannon, Kristen, and Marcus. The Disney crew ready for the park!

Disneyland....California Adventure...x2 days!

Well, it's that time of year again for the annual trip to the happiest place in the world! My in laws, Mike and Julie, are way to good to us, serious they are awesome! I joke about the marathon of two consecutive days at the theme parks but in reality it is a great time! Watching the kids race around in excitement trying new rides (Scarlett is finally tall enough for Indian Jones) or old favorites is extremely rewarding as a parent! I can't thank Mike and Julie enough for taking our family every year! The kids love their trips to D-Land with "Mimi & Papa" 

I've been trying out a new video editing app. This clip was done on VivaVideo. I like how it turned out. Now, I just need to work on my video shooting skills....I see a GoPro purchase in my future!

Day 1 at the park entrance.

My angle wasn't great on this photo, I was trying to cut the building crowds out of the frame but if you look in the background you'll notice the 60th Anniversary decorations near the entrance to the park. I thought it was kinda cool to visit the park on its diamond anniversary!

Scarlett at the Pearl Jewelry factory.

So, when Erin and I were dating we visited Disneyland several times. On one of our visits we found this little jewelry shack that lets you pick out a clam from a bucket then pry it open and recover the pearl inside. You can then have the pearl mounted in a piece of jewelry. Erin thought this was a really fun and special memory so this year we decided to let Scarlett pick out a clam and make her own piece of jewelry.

Scarlett with her new necklace!

Scarlett expertly dug through the bucket and found just the right clam. Soon the clam was pried open and we were on to picking out the right piece of jewelry to mount it in. Scarlett finally decided on this miniature Cinderella carriage and as you can see in the picture she is pretty happy with her choice!

Scarlett, Marcus, and I on the tractor ride in Cars land.

I love how kids smile in pictures! We started referring to Scarlett and Marcus as, "The Littles" They really enjoy cars land and the Littles have a particular appreciation for the tractor ride!

Erin, Alice, and I on the Toy Story ride.

OK, so, this is one of my favorite rides! Competition and shooting.... My wife is laughing right now as she reads this! Literally the most important part of this ride is having a higher score then Hunter, which is hard because he is like a video game ninja but over 9 years of his life I have managed to remain undefeated! Gotta enjoy it while I can!

Hunter showing off his 2016 pin selection.

For the past 7 years or so Erin and I have been collecting Disneyland pins. It's just a fun thing we started doing and the kids seem to really enjoy it as a way to commemorate their trip to Disneyland each year. 

Splash Mountain!

Well, I guess Hunter was trying to impersonate Goofy or something in this picture! To funny not to post! Splash Mountain is always one of our favorites and on the must ride list!

Alice in the Tiki Room.

This little girl cracks me up. For some reason she figured out how to stick her tongue out on this trip and now sticks it out at anything that gets her attention, like ALL of the talking creatures in the Tiki Room!

Scarlett and Hunter at the Mad Hatter.

Hunter sported his Donald hat from 2015 for most of the trip and Scarlett got a new Mini Princess hat to replace the tragic lose of her hat from last year....it worked out though because that tall red hat made her easy to spot in a crowd!

Scarlett, Rhiannon, and Hunter posing in the teacups!

These three buddies chased each other all over the two parks and went on every ride together! Cousin's are great fun! And all three of them are Disney addict's just like their moms! Good job moms! You made some good fun kids!

Me and the Dweeber (Alice).

Lots of pictures on this blog post! I cut back on the writing a little bit and just offered some insight to the photos. Not all adventures include a backpack and technical gear.....Lol, we had a great time as a family! Thank you soooo so much to Mike and Julie!

-Adventure on!

Irvine Park, Orange County, California

Irvine Park, Orange County, CA  - Mar 24, 2016

I once read a quote by an unkown author that said, "When you love what you have, you have everything you need. " I find this to be such a true and powerful statement. I truly love and enjoy spending time with my family! Even if we aren't fishing or backpacking or on some other outdoor adventure.

After arriving in Southern California to visit family and enjoy a little vacation my mother in law, Julie, invited us to spend the afternoon at Irvine Park, one of our favorite Socal parks!

During the holidays the park sets up themed activities and carnival games. On this particular vist Scarlett had her face painted like a fox, Hunter worked on cub scouts requirements by visiting the zoo,  Alice got play in bounce house, and we all participated in a big Easter egg hunt!

The kids loved exploring the park and enjoying the warm Socal weather! Alice was so excited to see all the different birds in the park and she even got to go for a walk with a friendly peacock!

 

Hunter was interested in the Ocelot, a large endangered cat that lives in the wilds of North American. Hunter filled out an information scavenger hunt as we toured the zoo to help learn more about all the cool animals.

It was an awesome afternoon with the family! Thanks to Julie, Erin, and the kids! 

-Adventure on! 

Cache Creek Trail, Jackson, WY

Cache Creek Trail, Jackson Hole, WY (Mar. 6, 2016)

Tanya (my mom), Scarlett, and Hunter (my kids) near the Cache Creek Trailhead.

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity...” John Muir. Sometimes even if it is only for a few hours I’ve got to get outside and do something. It’s a whole great big world and I love exploring it. Cache Creek Trail is a wonderful little spot to get outside, go for a walk, let the dog and the kids run, and just enjoy the outdoors.

Cache Creek Trail is more known for mountain biking as an entertaining ride that heads up Cache Creek; striking views of the Gros Ventre Range and Snake River Valley. In the winter a trail groomer sets tracks for cross country skiers and many snowshoe bound walkers. It’s a beautiful little spot so close to town you can’t help but occasionally stop by for a stroll.

Scarlett decked out in spring hiking gear and ready to go.

It was Sunday afternoon and we all desperately wanted to get outside and do something. Normally when a plan has not previously been put into place and last minute decisions are being made on a location to travel towards, Jackson Hole ends up on the short list. This day was no different as we decided that a family hike was in order and Cache Creek Trail was the perfect spot to get it done.

Erin with Drake, this dog is next level naughty but he loves Erin.

It was relatively warm (43 degrees) and strongly thinking about raining. The trail itself was still covered in about 10 inches of packed snow. The parking area was rapidly turning into a rutted mess, our Chevy HHR would not have approved but the Dodge truck didn’t seem to care. A quick potty stop, Erin hates pit toilets so I have to check for trolls before she will go, and some trail mix later and we were on our way.

Scarlett looking for fish with Teal in a little pool on the creek.

I brought my dogs this time which is always an interesting dynamic. My dog, Teal, is generally well behaved and doesn’t particularly care to get in other dogs business. Erin’s dog, Drake, is pictured next to naughty in the dictionary… Erin kept him on a leash for this one due to the large quantity of other dogs and hikers on the trail.

Scarlett was a total granola on this hike. She was excited and ready to go and had the outfit totally down. Remembering that I’m kind of… well, cheap and that gear for kids is expensive, it is that much more cool to me that Scarlett is well outfitted using mostly second hand stuff. She was wearing Keen hiking boots, Columbia rain pants, an REI Gortex coated fleece jacket, nylon gloves, a beanie, and a little daypack with water and treats. I’m probably invested something like $25-$30 for that setup. Not too bad.

Me and Alice, aka the Beebs, aka the dweeber, aka naughtier then Drake!

Hunter… well he wanted to do his own thing so he ended up in jeans and a camo hoodie. He did upgrade to North Face pack boots and a Gortex jacket after realizing that he might end up cold in all cotton and tennis shoes. I guess everybody’s got to learn, cotton KILLS!

The trail wasn’t too crowded and the kids decided to follow the grownups on a paralleling trail near the creek. It was quiet entertaining to watch Hunter and Scarlett stumble, trip, slide and fall in the deep snow near the creek.

After hiking about one mile up the trail we came to a spot where the kids found a sledding hill. No sleds, no problem! They just launched themselves off the side of the hill onto their bellies and slid down like penguins.

It was a pretty fun afternoon in a beautiful place. The dogs got a walk, the kids got to play, and everything was going great. Where.

-Adventure on!

City of Rocks, Almo, ID

City of Rocks, Almo, ID (Feb. 27, 2016)

Bouldering on Window Rock.

Erin at the Visitor Center sign.

Lets start climbing!

Edward Whymper, an English mountaineer wrote, “Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are naught without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end.” City of the Rocks granite is internationally renowned among climbers. There are over 600 climbing routes both traditional and sport. This blog entry details the trip that Erin and I just made to this beautiful place. From the quaint visitor center to the towering monoliths, City of the Rocks remains one of Idaho’s best parks. I have been fascinated with the geology and almost mythical or magically appearance of this park for about as long as I can remember. On this particular trip we stopped at the visitor center to pick up a new map and chat with the ranger, then we headed for Super Hits – Bloody Fingers to do a classic chimney climb, we capped the afternoon off with a stop at Practice Rock for a few low key top rope climbs.                    

A pretty view of some of the park.

Erin posing at Window Rock.

The visitor center for both the reserve and State Park is located in the historic village of Almo. The center is open seven days a week from mid-April to mid-October, Tuesday through Saturday during the winter months. There is no fee to enter the Reserve. After a 3 ½ hour sprint down I15 and I86 we pulled into the bustling metropolis of Almo, ID. Tucked into a remote mountain range in southern Idaho this SMALL village sported an Inn, a steakhouse, and the visitor center for the park. The visitor center looks like something out of a Thomas Kinkade painting. We were warmly greeted inside by one of the on duty rangers (in my experience rangers are pretty much the coolest). After a brief chat about what we were up to and the questionable weather we grabbed a new USGS Topographical map, a few bumper stickers and hit the road.

Striking a pose on Super Hits.

Selfies on my phone!

At least she is cute!

Dave Bingham a climbing guide and author of City of Rocks Idaho wrote, “Like Decadent Wall, “Super Hits” was another Jay Goodwin “theme” crag, with several routes named after Punk band songs from the ‘80’s.His ascents were mentally demanding (runout). Some have been retro-bolted while others are rarely climbed. Meanwhile, the original “70’s classic “Bloody Fingers” remains one of the coolest routes at City of Rocks, and still a challenging lead after all these years.” At Super Hits we decided to give the Chimney, a 5.6 route, a try. The wind howled viciously from the time we parked the car to the time we left. Tucked against the rock it was manageable but if you moved out into the open at all you had to brace yourself. This particular route is subject to afternoon shade and hadn’t melted off as much as other parts of the park. The shady conditions caused our belay location to be in a snow drift at the bottom of the Chimney. Frozen fingers and toes aside it was nice spot to knock off the first climb of the trip and we messed around with a 30-40 meter rap from the bolted chains on the top. 

Working a little 5.7 route on Practice Rock.

After thoroughly freezing our digits we decided to find a rock that was clear of snow and preferably in the sun. Scouring my topo and guide book for the perfect slab of granite to test my mettle I came upon Practice Rock. Erin scoffed that with such a name it might not be a fun challenge but when she saw the dry sunny belay sight her opinion quickly changed. Has it turns out my unpracticed skills deeply enjoyed the various 5.7-5.9 routes available on Practice Rock. My personal favorite a 5.7/5.8 called Betwixt. Coming from an intermediate climber of limited experience I would absolutely recommend this spot as a great spot to “Practice” you’re climbing.

Rappelling down the Chimney.

After a full day of Visitor Centers, Chimney climbs, and top rope “Practice” we found an empty camp site and broke out our cooler with a salami and cream cheese bagel picnic. Throw in some chipotle chicken salad and vanilla cherry soda and it was a win. From the quaint visitor center to the towering monoliths, City of the Rocks truly is one of Idaho’s best parks. Spending an afternoon outside with my beautiful wife enjoying nature and a little physical activity and yes some food is pretty undeniably a win. Until next time.

-Adventure on!  

Awesome lunch with my lady.

Of course we take pictures of food...its one of my favorite parts. 

Beautiful view of the valley.

Grand Targhee Ski Resort, Alta WY

GRAND TARGHEE SKI RESORT, ALTA, WY (FEB. 22, 2016) 

Grand Targhee Resort is a ski resort in the western United States, located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in Wyoming, near Alta. It is 42 miles (68 km) northwest of Jackson, accessible by road only by way of Driggs, Idaho. The resort has lodging, a spa, retail stores, and conference facilities. On the west side of the famous Teton Range, it is located 8 miles (13 km) northwest of the Grand Teton, and the majority of the slopes at Grand Targhee face west. The ski resort has three quad-chairs (two are high-speed detachable), one double chair, and one conveyor. The greatest vertical drop is 2,419 feet (737 m). It is rated as 85% Difficult and 15% Advanced in skiing. There are also Nordic skiing trails, snowshoeing, snowcat adventures, and activities that include sleigh ride dinners and dogsled tours. The longest trail at the resort is Teton Vista Traverse measured at 2.7 miles long. It averages over 500 inches (41.7 ft.; 12.7 m) of snowfall per season which ranks it among the top four ski resorts in North America. This is impressive where it is 670 miles (1,080 km) inland and the snow that falls is nearly always powder snow. The reason for the abundant snowfall is twofold. First, the area is on the west slope or "wet" side of the Teton’s, topped by Grand Teton at 13,775 feet (4,199 m) and, second, because there is a moisture channel through the Rocky Mountains formed by the Snake River Plain in Idaho that channels moisture from the Pacific Ocean to the west slope of the Tetons. The resort has two terrain parks as of January 2016. Summertime offers scenic chairlift rides, kid’s camps, music festivals, a bluegrass festival, and the 9-hole Targhee Village golf course. Grand Targhee is also within close proximity to Yellowstone National Park.

-From Wikipedia

Hunter and Scarlett on Shoshone Chair Lift at Targhee.

So, as I’ve said before, I am a telemark skier not so much a downhill skier… That being said I decided to give it a slightly more serious attempt this year than I have in the past. Really what happened is this…

When Erin and I moved back up to Idaho we moved into the tiny (like it doesn’t have a grocery store tiny) community of Swan Valley (technically we live in the city limits of Irwin but that is even more obscure and tiny so I won’t label it as such, everybody recognizes the general area as Swan Valley). So, the valley has one little school that runs grades K-8. The school has something like 50 students, if nobody is sick or on vacation. It’s a small school but they do some awesome things for the students. In the winter during January and February the school is part of a program that helps get kids outside and on the ski slopes. Normally, a lift ticket at Targhee is like paying for a round of golf at a PGA course but through the school the kids get 8 days of training and lift tickets for $65.00 a head. It’s an amazing program and the school’s PTA does a phenomenal job at keeping the rates as affordable as possible for the families in the community. The school transports kids that want to participate from Swan Valley to Grand Targhee every Monday thru January and February. This amazing program has made it possible for kids in the community to enjoy and learn how to ski or snowboard at a world class resort.

Because of this awesome opportunity my two oldest, Hunter and Scarlett, have taken up downhill ski’s for the season and in the hope of being a quality parent I have set aside my skin’s and tele ski’s in exchange for locked down heels and chairlifts!

On this particular trip the kids were excited to show me all the progress they had made. It really was amazing to see. Neither, had ever spent much time on a pair of ski’s before this winter and I remember them both stumbling over themselves in an attempt to just stand in skis and boots just a few weeks earlier.

Scarlett getting ready for her downhill class.

Scarlett, excitedly introduced me to her ski instructor, Tim. Tim, had the appearance of a Warren Miller Ski guide. I eyed his gear to see if mine was up to par with what a professional was using, my complete newbie-ness left me still unsure of how my thrift store secondhand equipment compared. He seemed to easily navigate around the park often times backwards so that he could keep an eye on his students. I could tell he was the type of guy that could probably ripe circles around most other people on the hill. In my slightly self-conscious competitive mind I imagined him being one of guys you would see heli-skiing back-country slopes in Tahoe or the Tetons. What amazed me the most was that given his obvious skill he had no problem being patient and fun with all the kid’s as they learned this new sport.

Hunter hamming it up after his race.

Hunter cruised around the ski hill like he was a seasoned expert and narrated the decent of every hill to me as though he was concerned that if he didn’t properly inform me I would certainly crash and embarrass myself. It made me immensely proud and happy to see him so engaged and confident in this environment that was so foreign to me.

On the school bus after a day skiing.

Grand Targhee was a wonderful place to visit, I truly enjoyed watching my kids ski. The snow was great, the instructors were wonderful, and the whole experience was a pleasure! I can’t wait till next time.  

-Adventure on!