Of our wedding day. Enjoy!
http://www.joe-gardner.com/movies/broadband-high-wedding.mov
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
1 Year Anniversary
Yesterday, Joe and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. We took the motorcycle up to Timpanooke Campground and set up camp. That evening we enjoyed a delicious, homemade Indian dinner complete with fireside naan and brown rice. It was heavenly. In remembrance of our Sundance wedding, we had Sunday brunch at the Foundry Grill. This is the same place we had brunch the morning after our wedding with a handful of our friends. To say the food here is decadent and amazingly delicious would be an understatement. We each had a cappuccino and I thought of Tom sipping his a year ago when we were here.
Joe and I have had an amazing year together. I look back on that snowy day in October and I still can't believe how perfect it was. Tom was our officiator and our good friend Steve read some amazing poetry. We shared our vows and within a few minutes, it was over. Food and drinks were served inside a beautiful cabin and my brother played music for us in one of his bands. Everything was magical.
This first year as a married couple has been wonderful for us, and I think this next year will be even better. There will be a lot of exciting changes for us, but we can't wait to face them together. Here's to new beginnings and here's to remembering good times!
Joe and I have had an amazing year together. I look back on that snowy day in October and I still can't believe how perfect it was. Tom was our officiator and our good friend Steve read some amazing poetry. We shared our vows and within a few minutes, it was over. Food and drinks were served inside a beautiful cabin and my brother played music for us in one of his bands. Everything was magical.
This first year as a married couple has been wonderful for us, and I think this next year will be even better. There will be a lot of exciting changes for us, but we can't wait to face them together. Here's to new beginnings and here's to remembering good times!
Monday, October 20, 2008
OK ESN:0-7400745
Just checking in! Everything is fine, click the link to see where we are at:
ESN:0-7400745
Latitude:40.4323
Longitude:-111.6444
Nearest Location: Mutual Dell, United States
Distance: 2 km(s)
Time:10/20/2008 22:25:43 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=40.4323,-111.6444&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7400745
Latitude:40.4323
Longitude:-111.6444
Nearest Location: Mutual Dell, United States
Distance: 2 km(s)
Time:10/20/2008 22:25:43 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=40.4323,-111.6444&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Snow in October
We received our first snow in the mountains last week. Of course, Joe and I had to go up and take some pictures up in the canyons. Here are a few up at Brighton, our favorite ski resort.
The contrast between the snow and the vibrant colors on the trees was striking. All that color is almost all gone now. It came and went so quickly. Last night, it started to snow down in the valley. I woke up to seeing our skylight lit up with fuzzy, white snowflakes. It sure makes me want to get bundled up and go out for a play. If this keeps up, we might be able to do some snowboarding by Halloween!
The contrast between the snow and the vibrant colors on the trees was striking. All that color is almost all gone now. It came and went so quickly. Last night, it started to snow down in the valley. I woke up to seeing our skylight lit up with fuzzy, white snowflakes. It sure makes me want to get bundled up and go out for a play. If this keeps up, we might be able to do some snowboarding by Halloween!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Day 27
Thursday 9/25/08
Bedrock - Naturita
Time Traveled: 2 hrs 15 mins
Distance: 23.07 miles
Food Eaten: Super oatmeal (3rd power - coconut, granola, flax seeds), coffee w/sugar, Probar, figs, orange juice, pie, fish sandwich, salad, a few onion rings, beer, iced tea
Morning came quickly and filled us with renewed hope and energy. As we rolled out of camp, several rabbits perked their ears up at us, no doubt happy of our departure. Back to the Bedrock Store, we returned for supplies; the most important being water, which we would need a lot of this day.
Right before we checked out, the same woman who helped us yesterday was talking to a local man and he mentioned her music. I looked over at the glass case that held a few CD's along with some other "gifts" and realization hit me smack in the face. Of course, this owner of Colorado's oldest, continuously running store was selling her works.
Another closer look confirmed my suspicions. Indeed, it was her on the cover. The woman who blinked at me through thick glasses seemed to be in disguise compared to the face on the album cover. This face wore no spectacles, and from the look of her vague, abysmal countenance, seemed to have so much more on her mind besides the price of spaghetti sauce.
Her name was Rose Griffin and as she rang up our merchandise I asked her about her music. The conversation escalated into an hour of words about the musicians in and around Paradox Valley. I felt an instant rapport with this stranger when she spoke of her quiet music career. I could imagine myself strumming my Martin Backpacker and cooing out a melody in the shadows of a warm, Colorado sunset.
There was a music festival in a nearby town coming up that Rose was playing in and we told her would go if we were able to. We never did make it there, but we did buy one of Rose's Cd's. I was a bit surprised at the quality of her voice and the creative melodies from that gawky, ragged woman. Still, after one listen of the whole album, Joe and I decided that it would be a fun gift for our good friend and fellow music lover, Brian.
While riding away from the store, I almost wished we hadn't spent so much time there. It was high noon and we could feel the anger of the sun on the road and within the bleak, desert landscape.
It was a rather short ride to Naturita, but it seemed to last forever because of the heat. I had to stop and eat after making it to the top of a nasty "little" hill and we were almost out of water when the road finally had mercy on us. A nice, long downhill took us the rest of the way into the small town, where we gratefully checked into a motel.
All throughout the night, Joe and I went back and forth on whether or not we should continue. Perhaps the very fact that we were even considering putting our trip to an end was a good indication that we were ready to go home. After some food, bad hotel TV and a long evening of pros and cons, I called my mother and our return back home was arranged.
My brother Collin drove our car to Naturita the next day and we all spent an evening at The Ray Motel, watching Phenomenon and making fun of John Travolta. We managed to make a delicious veggie burrito dinner right there in the room.
To our surprise, the next morning we noticed that the place we ate at the first day was shut down now for not paying their taxes. It was really quite sad, as they were packed for breakfast the previous morning. This seems to be a local trend in Naturita, for almost half of the Main Street businesses were closed down. I hope their economy can recover.
On this morning, the day after my brother's arrival, we set off into some gorgeous Colorado scenery. As I marveled at the magnificent Telluride Peaks, my thoughts went back to the very beginning of this expedition. When we started off in Roosville, MT, Joe and I were fully expecting to ride the Continental Divide in one trip. Needless to say, that is not what happened, but I'm all right with that.
Through our days of travel into the rain, wind, sun and snow, my perspective shifted along with the ever changing weather. I realized that what was important is not the mileage, the endurance, or even the routes taken. What truly makes a journey worth remembering are the experiences you live through.
There were a lot of hard times and there were a lot of easy signs. Both were just as valuable to our voyage and I wouldn't trade them in for anything. Someday we will go back and complete the CDT. When is not important, nor is completing the trail all at once. We are here to live life fully, not to prove to people our worth because of what we can do.
So much life is still ahead of us and many sunset vistas are calling our names. When we set out again, it was be with fresh eyes and light spirits. But for now, we'll watch the horizon fade from home.
Bedrock - Naturita
Time Traveled: 2 hrs 15 mins
Distance: 23.07 miles
Food Eaten: Super oatmeal (3rd power - coconut, granola, flax seeds), coffee w/sugar, Probar, figs, orange juice, pie, fish sandwich, salad, a few onion rings, beer, iced tea
Morning came quickly and filled us with renewed hope and energy. As we rolled out of camp, several rabbits perked their ears up at us, no doubt happy of our departure. Back to the Bedrock Store, we returned for supplies; the most important being water, which we would need a lot of this day.
Right before we checked out, the same woman who helped us yesterday was talking to a local man and he mentioned her music. I looked over at the glass case that held a few CD's along with some other "gifts" and realization hit me smack in the face. Of course, this owner of Colorado's oldest, continuously running store was selling her works.
Another closer look confirmed my suspicions. Indeed, it was her on the cover. The woman who blinked at me through thick glasses seemed to be in disguise compared to the face on the album cover. This face wore no spectacles, and from the look of her vague, abysmal countenance, seemed to have so much more on her mind besides the price of spaghetti sauce.
Her name was Rose Griffin and as she rang up our merchandise I asked her about her music. The conversation escalated into an hour of words about the musicians in and around Paradox Valley. I felt an instant rapport with this stranger when she spoke of her quiet music career. I could imagine myself strumming my Martin Backpacker and cooing out a melody in the shadows of a warm, Colorado sunset.
There was a music festival in a nearby town coming up that Rose was playing in and we told her would go if we were able to. We never did make it there, but we did buy one of Rose's Cd's. I was a bit surprised at the quality of her voice and the creative melodies from that gawky, ragged woman. Still, after one listen of the whole album, Joe and I decided that it would be a fun gift for our good friend and fellow music lover, Brian.
While riding away from the store, I almost wished we hadn't spent so much time there. It was high noon and we could feel the anger of the sun on the road and within the bleak, desert landscape.
It was a rather short ride to Naturita, but it seemed to last forever because of the heat. I had to stop and eat after making it to the top of a nasty "little" hill and we were almost out of water when the road finally had mercy on us. A nice, long downhill took us the rest of the way into the small town, where we gratefully checked into a motel.
All throughout the night, Joe and I went back and forth on whether or not we should continue. Perhaps the very fact that we were even considering putting our trip to an end was a good indication that we were ready to go home. After some food, bad hotel TV and a long evening of pros and cons, I called my mother and our return back home was arranged.
My brother Collin drove our car to Naturita the next day and we all spent an evening at The Ray Motel, watching Phenomenon and making fun of John Travolta. We managed to make a delicious veggie burrito dinner right there in the room.
To our surprise, the next morning we noticed that the place we ate at the first day was shut down now for not paying their taxes. It was really quite sad, as they were packed for breakfast the previous morning. This seems to be a local trend in Naturita, for almost half of the Main Street businesses were closed down. I hope their economy can recover.
On this morning, the day after my brother's arrival, we set off into some gorgeous Colorado scenery. As I marveled at the magnificent Telluride Peaks, my thoughts went back to the very beginning of this expedition. When we started off in Roosville, MT, Joe and I were fully expecting to ride the Continental Divide in one trip. Needless to say, that is not what happened, but I'm all right with that.
Through our days of travel into the rain, wind, sun and snow, my perspective shifted along with the ever changing weather. I realized that what was important is not the mileage, the endurance, or even the routes taken. What truly makes a journey worth remembering are the experiences you live through.
There were a lot of hard times and there were a lot of easy signs. Both were just as valuable to our voyage and I wouldn't trade them in for anything. Someday we will go back and complete the CDT. When is not important, nor is completing the trail all at once. We are here to live life fully, not to prove to people our worth because of what we can do.
So much life is still ahead of us and many sunset vistas are calling our names. When we set out again, it was be with fresh eyes and light spirits. But for now, we'll watch the horizon fade from home.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Day 26
Wednesday 9/24/08
La Sal - Bedrock
Time Traveled: 3 hrs 20 mins
Distance: 33.10 miles
Food Eaten: coffee w/hot cocoa, orange juice, banana, Thai food, oranges, ice cream sandwich, iced tea, beer, burritos (pinto beans, brown rice, salsa, chilies, corn, tortillas)
After packing up at the church, we spent some time back at the store having breakfast. A local told us there was a restaurant about 5 miles away and I had read about it being at mile marker 14 in a travel brochure. We left the store eagerly awaiting the food there and started off on our 4 mile climb.
It took us almost 2 hours to reach the top of the hill and we found ourself in the very small community of Old La Sal. At mile marker 14 we didn't find the restaurant, but we did find Mt. Peale, a Bed & Breakfast Lodge. Our grumbling tummies told us to look a bit more closely and I went up to the door to knock.
A sign told me that we were closed for a few hours, but before I could turn to go back to my bike, a butch looking woman came out of a side door and asked me if we needed help. I told her we were looking for a restaurant and she said the closest ones were in Moab. When she realized we were heading the opposite way, she offered us some leftover Thai food from the night before and we graciously accepted.
We ate our lunch in the beautiful dining room which was part of a huge living area that had been added on to the original A-Frame. The woman told us that she and her partner had been running the lodge for the past 14 years and her nephew had also been coming there for most of his life to work.
It was the nephew who fixed our food for us and he came out to talk once we had eaten most of our meal. He had dark, olive skin and brilliant blue eyes and when he spoke, he had a very comfortable, peaceful way about him. We learned of a beautiful meadow 5 miles up into the mountains that him and the rest of the crew enjoyed visiting. He spoke a little of the the spiritual retreats that were hosted at the lodge, and I immediately thought of our own plans to host retreats in Costa Rica.
When we tried to pay for our food, the young man insisted on taking no money and we left the quiet, beautiful lodge feeling refreshed, renewed and relaxed. Joe and I vowed to come back in the winter and rent a cabin with some friends to go snowshoeing.
I didn't want leave that wonderful, peaceful place nor all the sweet, generous people who lived there, but time was ticking and we needed to push on. Bedrock was still over 20 miles away and who knows what we had ahead of us.
The first 7 miles went by in a stunning flurry, all downhill with a few switchbacks into some of the most gorgeous country I have ever seen. It was almost like a Grand Canyon blanketed in lush, green forest. We soon passed into Colorado and the day grew very hot as we began another extended climb out of the canyon floor.
It was while we were on this stretch that Joe and I both decided that our bodies were growing weary of this journey and our home in Utah was calling to us. We took a short break at the day's final summit and at and ate oranges as we dreamed of our bed far away.
The next 7 miles into Bedrock was nice and easy being downhill with a flat section at the end. I almost kissed the woman who owned Bedrock's only store when she told us there was a camping area only 3/4 of a mile away at the Dolores River Boat Ramp. We made our way over there and enjoyed some well earned rest.
La Sal - Bedrock
Time Traveled: 3 hrs 20 mins
Distance: 33.10 miles
Food Eaten: coffee w/hot cocoa, orange juice, banana, Thai food, oranges, ice cream sandwich, iced tea, beer, burritos (pinto beans, brown rice, salsa, chilies, corn, tortillas)
After packing up at the church, we spent some time back at the store having breakfast. A local told us there was a restaurant about 5 miles away and I had read about it being at mile marker 14 in a travel brochure. We left the store eagerly awaiting the food there and started off on our 4 mile climb.
It took us almost 2 hours to reach the top of the hill and we found ourself in the very small community of Old La Sal. At mile marker 14 we didn't find the restaurant, but we did find Mt. Peale, a Bed & Breakfast Lodge. Our grumbling tummies told us to look a bit more closely and I went up to the door to knock.
A sign told me that we were closed for a few hours, but before I could turn to go back to my bike, a butch looking woman came out of a side door and asked me if we needed help. I told her we were looking for a restaurant and she said the closest ones were in Moab. When she realized we were heading the opposite way, she offered us some leftover Thai food from the night before and we graciously accepted.
We ate our lunch in the beautiful dining room which was part of a huge living area that had been added on to the original A-Frame. The woman told us that she and her partner had been running the lodge for the past 14 years and her nephew had also been coming there for most of his life to work.
It was the nephew who fixed our food for us and he came out to talk once we had eaten most of our meal. He had dark, olive skin and brilliant blue eyes and when he spoke, he had a very comfortable, peaceful way about him. We learned of a beautiful meadow 5 miles up into the mountains that him and the rest of the crew enjoyed visiting. He spoke a little of the the spiritual retreats that were hosted at the lodge, and I immediately thought of our own plans to host retreats in Costa Rica.
When we tried to pay for our food, the young man insisted on taking no money and we left the quiet, beautiful lodge feeling refreshed, renewed and relaxed. Joe and I vowed to come back in the winter and rent a cabin with some friends to go snowshoeing.
I didn't want leave that wonderful, peaceful place nor all the sweet, generous people who lived there, but time was ticking and we needed to push on. Bedrock was still over 20 miles away and who knows what we had ahead of us.
The first 7 miles went by in a stunning flurry, all downhill with a few switchbacks into some of the most gorgeous country I have ever seen. It was almost like a Grand Canyon blanketed in lush, green forest. We soon passed into Colorado and the day grew very hot as we began another extended climb out of the canyon floor.
It was while we were on this stretch that Joe and I both decided that our bodies were growing weary of this journey and our home in Utah was calling to us. We took a short break at the day's final summit and at and ate oranges as we dreamed of our bed far away.
The next 7 miles into Bedrock was nice and easy being downhill with a flat section at the end. I almost kissed the woman who owned Bedrock's only store when she told us there was a camping area only 3/4 of a mile away at the Dolores River Boat Ramp. We made our way over there and enjoyed some well earned rest.
Day 25
Moab - La Sal
Tuesday 9/23/08
Time Traveled: 4 hrs 55 mins
Distance: 36.50 miles
Food Eaten: coffee w/sugar, eggs, red potatoes, whole grain toast, apricot cinnamon scone (shared), a few bites of apricot oatmeal pecan cookie, ice cream (shared), Probar, burritos (black beans, chilies, brown rice, salsa, string cheese, tortillas)
Our last and final voyage out of Moab started off wonderfully. We hit up Eklecticafe for breakfast, which serves homemade, fresh, delicious food made with organic ingredients. I think I have a new Moab favorite.
We were in high spirits when we headed out of town with no wind. Our trip was however, still long and grueling. Our asses felt all the hours and miles when we finally rolled into La Sal after 6 pm. The two public buildings in this town consist of a general store and a post office. We were lucky to get to the store before closing time as our food supply was running low. Ingredients for simple burritos were purchased and we backtracked 2 miles out of town to the LDS church.
This is where we set up camp for the night as there were no other options available to us and we did not have the energy or will to keep riding indefinitely. The church was a blessing with its soft lawn, but also a curse as we woke up in the middle of the night from the sprinklers. I had to run out of the tent naked and bring our gear under shelter of the vestibule.
I felt the sting of the cold water and I rushed to get back inside my warm sleeping bag. The sprinklers kept going long throughout the night and when they finally stopped, they started back up again only moments later. I fell asleep long after the ordeal, listening to the coyotes wail out to each other under the eerie, moonless night.
Tuesday 9/23/08
Time Traveled: 4 hrs 55 mins
Distance: 36.50 miles
Food Eaten: coffee w/sugar, eggs, red potatoes, whole grain toast, apricot cinnamon scone (shared), a few bites of apricot oatmeal pecan cookie, ice cream (shared), Probar, burritos (black beans, chilies, brown rice, salsa, string cheese, tortillas)
Our last and final voyage out of Moab started off wonderfully. We hit up Eklecticafe for breakfast, which serves homemade, fresh, delicious food made with organic ingredients. I think I have a new Moab favorite.
We were in high spirits when we headed out of town with no wind. Our trip was however, still long and grueling. Our asses felt all the hours and miles when we finally rolled into La Sal after 6 pm. The two public buildings in this town consist of a general store and a post office. We were lucky to get to the store before closing time as our food supply was running low. Ingredients for simple burritos were purchased and we backtracked 2 miles out of town to the LDS church.
This is where we set up camp for the night as there were no other options available to us and we did not have the energy or will to keep riding indefinitely. The church was a blessing with its soft lawn, but also a curse as we woke up in the middle of the night from the sprinklers. I had to run out of the tent naked and bring our gear under shelter of the vestibule.
I felt the sting of the cold water and I rushed to get back inside my warm sleeping bag. The sprinklers kept going long throughout the night and when they finally stopped, they started back up again only moments later. I fell asleep long after the ordeal, listening to the coyotes wail out to each other under the eerie, moonless night.
Day 24
Moab
Monday 9/22/08
Time Traveled: 2 hrs 45 mins
Distance: 23.80 miles
Food Eaten: Mocha, bagel w/hummus, beer, Probar, chips w/salsa, fish tacos, black beans, rice, margarita
This morning we were ready to be out of the over-touristy Moab. Our stay had not been very exciting. Brian and Amy drove with us down on Friday night and we checked into our hotel, got some wine and headed out on the road to Potash.
The four of us found a secluded area and spent most of the evening sitting on a large rock, drinking, staring at the amazing scenery and talking about such things as modern evolution. The stars came out and lit up the sky, with the milky way brilliantly visible. I found myself getting lost up there, swirling around the infinite astronomical landscape. When I came back down, my friends were giggling at the silent rock giants around us. I joined in and we laughed as we found Abraham Lincoln's face in one subdued formation. Many more faces and figures popped out at us, and we spent a good hour pointing them out to each other.
In the morning, we checked into an RV campground and our friends drove the car back to Salt Lake City. We met up with my girls from Wysteria and made our way to their rented condo. After I showered and dolled myself up in my belly dance garb, we all headed down to the historic Star Hall where the Tribal Sands Belly Dance Festival was being held.
Unfortunately, the whole show was a disaster due to the endless sound problems. Every single performer had issues and the sound guy was too inexperienced to fix the situation. Some of the music sounded like static and it was difficult for both the dancers to dance as well as for the audience to enjoy. The group that was putting on the festival said that this was their 6th year running. I'm not so sure of that. It was really quite a shame, as the venue was gorgeous and so many different groups had come so far to dance at this event. The saving grace of the evening was that I got to spend time with my girls again. And the Thai dinner before the show. That was good!
Lessons were learned and I doubt we'll go back to that festival, which is really too bad. The trip to Moab wasn't all for naught, as the next morning Wysteria was found frolicking in Arches National Park for a photo shoot. After our bright and shiny romp in the sand, we went out for breakfast and then my belly friends left for Salt Lake City.
Another evening was spent in the dreaded RV campground that night and in the morning our first exodus attempt failed miserably. Headwinds of at least 40 mph were faced and we only reached 8 miles in 2 hours. Joe's leg was hurting him and we both decided to head back to Moab and spend another night there. It took us less than 20 minutes to get back to town.
This time we chose a different RV campground that was much more pleasant with lots of trees and even several cats to play with. The day was spent relaxing with many hopes that tomorrow wouldn't be so windy.
Monday 9/22/08
Time Traveled: 2 hrs 45 mins
Distance: 23.80 miles
Food Eaten: Mocha, bagel w/hummus, beer, Probar, chips w/salsa, fish tacos, black beans, rice, margarita
This morning we were ready to be out of the over-touristy Moab. Our stay had not been very exciting. Brian and Amy drove with us down on Friday night and we checked into our hotel, got some wine and headed out on the road to Potash.
The four of us found a secluded area and spent most of the evening sitting on a large rock, drinking, staring at the amazing scenery and talking about such things as modern evolution. The stars came out and lit up the sky, with the milky way brilliantly visible. I found myself getting lost up there, swirling around the infinite astronomical landscape. When I came back down, my friends were giggling at the silent rock giants around us. I joined in and we laughed as we found Abraham Lincoln's face in one subdued formation. Many more faces and figures popped out at us, and we spent a good hour pointing them out to each other.
In the morning, we checked into an RV campground and our friends drove the car back to Salt Lake City. We met up with my girls from Wysteria and made our way to their rented condo. After I showered and dolled myself up in my belly dance garb, we all headed down to the historic Star Hall where the Tribal Sands Belly Dance Festival was being held.
Unfortunately, the whole show was a disaster due to the endless sound problems. Every single performer had issues and the sound guy was too inexperienced to fix the situation. Some of the music sounded like static and it was difficult for both the dancers to dance as well as for the audience to enjoy. The group that was putting on the festival said that this was their 6th year running. I'm not so sure of that. It was really quite a shame, as the venue was gorgeous and so many different groups had come so far to dance at this event. The saving grace of the evening was that I got to spend time with my girls again. And the Thai dinner before the show. That was good!
Lessons were learned and I doubt we'll go back to that festival, which is really too bad. The trip to Moab wasn't all for naught, as the next morning Wysteria was found frolicking in Arches National Park for a photo shoot. After our bright and shiny romp in the sand, we went out for breakfast and then my belly friends left for Salt Lake City.
Another evening was spent in the dreaded RV campground that night and in the morning our first exodus attempt failed miserably. Headwinds of at least 40 mph were faced and we only reached 8 miles in 2 hours. Joe's leg was hurting him and we both decided to head back to Moab and spend another night there. It took us less than 20 minutes to get back to town.
This time we chose a different RV campground that was much more pleasant with lots of trees and even several cats to play with. The day was spent relaxing with many hopes that tomorrow wouldn't be so windy.
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