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! 

Kelly Canyon Ski Resort, Ririe, ID

Kelly Canyon Ski Resort, Ririe, ID (Feb. 15, 2016)

Kelly Canyon Ski Resort, OK maybe resort is a little bit of an exaggeration... Its a 4 lift hill and 2 of the lifts were broken, but its close to home and relatively cheap. The two big draws to this location are one: proximity to town. Its like a 30 minute drive from Idaho Falls. And two: night skiing. They light the whole hill up at night and you can cruise the slopes until 9pm if you like.

So, I'm pretty much a newbie to downhill ski's. Don't laugh to hard if I look terrible in the video, its like the 3rd or 4th time I've ever been downhill skiing with a multi year gap between tries. I love teli-skiing (free the heel and the soul will follow!) but my kids are into downhill skiing and I like a new challenge so here I am giving it a go! I'll tell you what though, it's completely backwards! On teli-ski's you drive your downhill ski forward into a turn. On downhill ski's your uphill ski ends up forward on your turns. My brain did not want to accept this concept for the first couple of runs and face planting ensued. 

Porter and Tyler on top of the hill.

On the note of video's... I have discovered that uploading a video to the blog is a pain! I am not particularly computer savvy so that may have something to do with it but the only way that I seem to be able to get the video link to actually play is if I download it to YouTube first then attach the YouTube link. Initially I had attached several different small video's to this post but I couldn't get any of them to play so I consolidated everything into one and made the YouTube video above.  

Normally I'm bootin' up the hill or skinning up but today it was nice to ride the lift!

Porter and Tyler joined me for the day. Both of them have done  quite a bit more downhill skiing then me so naturally their suggestion is to go down the iciest steepest hill for our first run of day. Gotta love brothers... Needless to say they laughed and I crashed over and over and over.

I, however, was not the only one, as the video above is proof that both Porter and Tyler ate it! That they were bored with my slow decent and decided to try spinning circles all the way down the hill is besides the point. The circle spinning resulted in the only crashes I witnessed the two of them make. Now, in all fairness I suppose I must point out a small detail... Porter was down from his home visiting and against my recommendation he didn't bring his own ski's. Well, as it turns out the only pair of ski's that were available for use were an old pair of women's rentals that we picked up at a thrift store and a pair of size 12 boots (Porter is like a size 8). So, Tyler and I were making jabs at his way out of proportion feet all day! He rolled with it and skied pretty decently even with the handicap.

The local area had a warming spell for the week and it was a balmy 37°F for most of the day. Consequently, my three layer mountaineering outfit was a little toasty and I had to strip some layers off after two or three runs. This may have been exasperated by the excessive quantity of crashing...

A little snack before we hit the slopes again.

Nothing like junk food to make it a successful day. If you haven't noticed from my other posts food is kind of a big deal to me. I truly enjoy getting some delicious grub before after or during outdoor adventures! This pit stop came just in time too, I had worked a night shift before meeting my brothers to go skiing so at this point in the day I think I had been awake for something like 30 hours and my energy level was waning just a little. Normally, concession food is such a rip off and you end up hungry afterwards because the portions suck but I actually thought this was a pretty decent deal. It was something like $6 for a chili dog combo.

So, we spent a good chunk of the day looking for jumps that Porter could talk Tyler into hitting. Porter skied up to me at one point and said, "I just like watching him crash, he can't help but try every jump. He's like a bug with a bug zapper, if we ski past a jump he will try to jump it!" and that was pretty much true. At one point we had cut over to the halfpipe on the hill and Tyler was in jumping heaven! Normally, Porter and I would have enjoyed watching some epic crashes but Tyler brought his A game and stayed upright for most of the day. 

Porter doing some Warren Miller jumps!

Porter, loves to push the limits. I think he was a little disappointed with the tiny jump in the video. I'll totally make fun of how weak it was but really inside I was thinking to myself, I totally would have face planted!

To make up for the "tiny" jump on the ski hill Porter decided to try one last jump. We found this neat spot with about a 7 foot drop into powder. Maybe its a little shy of Warren Miller status but we had a great time.

Me, Porter, and Tyler after a great day hanging out and skiing.

Thanks to Porter and Tyler I had always enjoy getting out with you guys! Skiing, junk food, being outside with family, doesn't get much better!

-Adventure on!

Trail Creek Pond, Victor, ID

Trail Creek Pond, Victor, ID (Feb. 13 2016)

Porter (my brother), Hunter, and Alice inspecting a new hole.

When my brother Porter is in town conversation and activity has a tendency to rapidly move in the direction of a line and reel. It could be dipping flies on the South Fork in the summer, flipping a spinner on a backcountry creek in the fall, or drowning worms on the frigid ice in the winter. Somehow or someway we always end up chasing fish when he is around. 

On this particular visit it was decided that we would give an old favorite a try for some rainbow trout. Trail Creek Pond is a fun little family fishing spot. In the summer its an excellent location to take the kids outside for a picnic and an opportunity to catch some rainbows! In the winter the pond freezes leaving about 6-8 feet of water and a whole bunch of hungry trout under the ice.

Alice trying to decide how to walk in all her layers!

It's always interesting trying to brave snow and cold with little ones but Erin and I have never liked the idea of just calling it quits on activities because we have kids. So, I find that I'm always looking for some way to make outdoor activities easier and more comfortable for the wee ones. Hunter is old enough now (8) that he can pretty much take care of himself or at least let me know when he has a problem. Scarlett and especially Alice are still young enough that they don't understand the importance of staying dry and how to layer to stay more. Scarlett still gives me silly looks when she says, "My fingers are cold." and I tell her to put her beanie on and zip up her jacket. "Dad my hands are cold not my head!”

Tyler (my other brother) with the first catch.

Part of the problem with outdoor activities and kids is that gear gets expensive!!! and kids grow so fast that it is physically painful to drop $140 on a Gortex jacket that your kid is only going to fit into for about 4 months. Consequently, I have become a huge fan of thrift store or second hand shops. You wouldn't believe some of the cool stuff people drop off at thrift stores. I have found name brand stuff like Patagonia, North Face, and Marmot. The kids all have pretty nice three layer systems (base layer, fleece insulating layer, and Gortex outer layer). The nice part is that I'm probably only invested about $50-$60 into each kid. 

Hunter, Teal, and Alice hamming it up on the ice.

Alice is still so tiny that after I stuff her into long johns, fleece, Gortex, gloves, a beanie, and pack boots she can hardly move! But she is a trooper! She was pretty content to waddle around each fishing hole and peak down to see if she could spot any fish. Normally, I have a jacket on her that is a little smaller but I decided to put her into this REI brand jacket that doesn't fit Scarlett anymore. The arms are still so long that her hands don't stick out the ends. As it turns out I think this is an excellent idea for toddlers. Normally, Alice tries to escape her gloves and hat as quit as I put them on put with her hands stuck inside her jacket she couldn't get her gloves and hat off!

The fishing wasn't great on this particular trip, it happens sometimes, but we had an epic snowball fight and the kids enjoyed themselves, which makes it a win!

-Adventure on!

Teton Pass, Wilson, WY

Teton Pass, Wilson, WY (Feb. 4, 2016)

     So, Teton Pass is probably in my top 5 favorite places to go skiing. Growing up, my brothers, my dad, and I would ski Teton Pass 10-15 times a season. Wikipedia gives the following description of Teton Pass: Teton Pass is a high mountain pass in the western United States, located at the southern end of the Teton Range of western Wyoming, between the towns of Wilson, Wyoming and Victor, Idaho. The pass provides access from the Jackson Hole valley to the Teton Valley of eastern Idaho, which includes the access route to Grand Targhee Resort through Driggs, Idaho. To the south of the pass, lies the Snake River Range.

Looking back up the hill at the pass.

     Wyoming Highway 22 crosses the pass and becomes Idaho State Highway 33 at the Idaho border, which continues northwest to Victor, then north to Driggs. The pinnacle of the pass is 8,431 feet (2,570 m) above sea level and is approximately 11 miles (18 km) west of Jackson. The maximum grade on the road is 10% and several avalanche slide paths traverse the road along its length, including Glory Bowl slide area. During the winter months, the road is often closed in the early mornings for avalanche control by the Wyoming Department of Transportation. The area is popular for backcountry skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking.

Cutting through the pines.

     The pass is a few miles south of Grand Teton National Park. Parts of the route to the pass are located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Wilson, a small town, sits at the base of the east side of the pass. Teton Village and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski area are northeast of the pass.

Awesome powder!

     So, as Wikipedia says Teton Pass is popular with backcountry skiers. This is why, its free, you can drive all the way up to 8,431 feet (so that mean less booting up the hill), and you have access to some of the best powder in the country. We use to park at the top of the pass and either pick a route down the hill right from the parking lot or boot up different parts of the surrounding mountains to get to more remote slopes.

Selfie while gliding down the old pass road.

     On this particular trip my dad and I got dropped off at the top by Erin, my wife, and we decided to just take a quick route down the hill right from the parking lot. Neither of us are expert downhill or telemark skiers so we aren't going down any double black diamond Warren Miller type routes! Imagine a intermediate slope at a ski resort covered in 4 feet of awesome powder, then double the length of a typical ski hill and thats about what we did at the pass. After you finish the main part of the run you meet the old Teton Pass road and get about a two mile long bunny hill style slope that winds its way through a pine and aspen tree forest to a trail head and parking lot at the bottom of the hill. Its a fun way to kill 1 1/2 to 3 hours.

All problems can be fixed with duck tape!

     I've kind of been out of the skiing game for a few years and haven't had a chance to practice cutting tele turns so I was pretty pleased to slice a handful of nice turns out of the hill without face planting! Unfortunately, about 3/4 of the way down the hill my old rusted cable binding snapped, resulting in an impressive face plant, and I was stuck with one ski that I couldn't attach to my boot. I tried to duck tape my boot onto the broken binding and while it was not awesome it was just enough to get me down to the parking lot!

     Even with a broken binding I still had a great time. This is a beautiful place to go be outside and I have a lot of great memories skiing here. I would totally recommend this area to anyone who wants to cut a few turns and enjoy the wilderness. And after your done your only a few miles away from Jackson Hole and and a delicious lunch at Merry Piglets!

-Adventure on!