Bryce Canyon and Under the Rim Trail

OK that picture is from Kodachrome State Park, but it begged to be included......

Right now we are at the lovely Slot Canyons Inn, located in Escalante, Utah. We are luxuriating for a night after several days of camping along the 23-mile Under the Rim Trail (well, 24.5 for us thanks to a short diversion as a result of an inaccurate sign) in Bryce Canyon.

The Under the Rim Trail is a toughie, I won't lie. However, it is less popular than I thought it would be - we saw just a few other people. I think this is because water can be very limited and it gets HOT down there in the summer. We got lucky with some recent rain (so the streams were flowing) and it was only in the mid-70s. It was nice to get off the beaten path away from the tour bus crowds at the top of Bryce Canyon for sure!

Anywho, what more can you say about camping in one of America's premier national parks? Words cannot capture it. Here are some pics instead.

Great weather at the start (woosh)

We look so energized and clean at the start.

The famous Bryce Canyon hoodos in the background

The point where we started.

Seriously......you hike in those socks - get some Smartwool man. Yer feet stink.

Bad fire but great views

Hot and bothered

Just making dinner

Dance parties every night at camp thanks to the Jambox

Dave at the "Hat Shop"

At the finish! I need a beer, and it had better not be 3.2%.

We are off to explore the Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument for a few days. We are hoping to camp along one of the famous washes or slot canyons here, but it has been raining and there is a flash-flood advisory. We'll see how it goes.

Also, I just had to plug Good To-Go meals. The company was started by a chef in Maine who was tired of crappy dehydrated camp meals so she started her own company. These meals are the shiz-nit! I am NEVER going back to those weird Mountain House cheese-burger macaroni meals with 8 million ingredients I cannot pronounce and don't want to eat. This tasty, veggie-laden Thai Curry was a gift from the gods after 11 miles of tough hiking.

Zion National Park

So here we are in beautiful Southern Utah. Aside from the 3.2% beer (seriously wrong), this place is really cool. How have I never been here before?

Our starting point for this summer's Radical Sabbatical - Phase II was Zion National Park. We camped for 2 nights at the Watchman Campground, which is just inside the park near the main entrance. Watchman is a pretty kick-ass campground, as far as car-camping campgrounds go. It was completely full but it still felt peaceful, was quiet, and was perfectly clean.

We had an easy first day with a few short hikes to all the famous stuff you are supposed to see. We rode the free shuttle bus around to see all the cool rock formations and what-not (cars are not allowed in the park, which is so AWESOME). Here are a few pics for your entertainment.

The Three Patriarchs - lovely

Scenic

Handsome

We took it easy on day 1 because day 2 was death....... 

We got permits to hike the 16-mile Narrows trail, which essentially follows the Virgin River from north to south. We took a bus to Chamberlain's Ranch about a hour drive outside of the park, and started there. You essentially hike along or in the river and finish the hike in the park.

Aside from ridiculously freezing feet in the morning (the water temperature was 57 degrees) and an embarrassing fall on some rocks right into the water toward the end - it was an unforgettable trip.

They say the average hiker completes this hike in 12 hours, 10 hours is considered a fast pace, and we finished in 9 hours (awww yeah - though mostly the fast pace was dictated by my coldness). It was a long day even at 9 hours, I can tell you that. 

Photos tell the story better than I can.

Frozen feet near the beginning.

Amazing one river can do all this.

Look mom, dry feet - for like 8 seconds.

So if you are thinking, "this sounds awesome - I want to go here." A few tips follow:

• Make your Watchman Campground reservation EARLY. I booked our camp site in January and it was almost full then. Get a shaded pr partially shaded site, you won't regret it.
• Get your Narrows permit EARLY. On the 5th day of every month at 10:00 a.m., reservations for the next month become available. You have to be on it if you want a permit during busy season. 
• Do not go during high-season (mid-June through August). Not only will it be 8 million degrees outside, but the park will be absolutely overrun with tourists eating ice cream and drinking coffee on the trails (really, why do Americans have to be eating and drinking during all activities all day - it's weird).
• Buy the $80 Annual National Park Pass. This thing has already paid for itself and we are just getting started at the parks.

Moving on........

We were supposed to be camping in Bryce Canyon for 3 days, but here was the weather:

Cold outside - warm in the car

He may be wearing shorts but he is freezing.

So we moved a few things around in order to camp in dryer conditions later this week. After all, setting up a tent in the mud is sheer miserableness. I'll let you know how it goes. All I can say is that it was a relief to be in a hotel room last night when it was absolutely storming outside.

Radical Sabbatial Phase II - National Parks of the West

Here we go! The Flying Monkeys are soon-to-be on the move again for Phase II of the Radical Sabbatical - National Parks of the West.

Why the national parks, you ask......

Well, when we were in London for those 2 years, I met so many people who had spend a few weeks visiting American national parks at some point in their lives. Now, these were freaking BRITISH people who had seen more of the United States than I had. I was inspired and humbled (and a little embarrassed, quite frankly).

So I got a guidebook and made umpteen-million camping reservations, hotel bookings, and backcountry permit requests. And don't think that was some simple task, because it wasn't. Every park has a different reservation and permit process and each deadline occurs on a separate date. You cannot miss a start date to make a reservation or a deadline because shit fills up FAST at the popular national parks. I had to be really organized to make sure I didn't miss anything and eff up the entire travel schedule.

Behold - the travel center!

Right now we are packing all our camping gear and food into the Subaru to head out for the next 2 months. We are headed to national and state parks in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and parts of Canada. Let's hope all that hard work on our permits and reservations pays off.

Packing the camping gear

I'll post lots of photos of the cool stuff we see when I find internet connections. Stay tuned!

Sam - The Dog that Broke the Mold, Ate It, Barfed It Up, and Ate It Again

The blog I never wanted to write. Though, I knew it was coming. I am home alone right now and feeling sad, maybe writing this will help.

We put Sammy down two days ago at the old age of 14. 

His arthritis got the best of him. Sometimes he'd eat, sometimes not - which isn't typical of Sam. That dog lived to eat. Then he fell down the stairs last week. I am not one to watch anyone or anything suffer, so we made the tough decision to put him down. 

If you have never had to euthanize a pet, let me tell you it REALLY sucks. I am still traumatized. Dave came with me to the vet (thank god) and was a mess too. 

We were hoping he'd just die in his sleep the night before so we wouldn't have to go through with it. Instead, he barfed on the couch and wouldn't eat breakfast (perhaps that was a sign).

He hated shows of affection.

Anyway, there isn't much more to say here. The house is a bit lonelier without his clacking down the stairs when I make coffee in the morning. I have to pick up food off the floor when I drop it. The cadence of the day is slightly off without his notifying me when it is time for a meal (that dog knew when it was 5:30 p.m., you could set your watch to his begging for dinner).

Favorite spot - under the dining room table

Our brave travel companion!

Ears flapping in the wind

Patiently waiting for a treat at the office

Guess who isn't allowed on the couch........

He did nothing but love us and clean up the kitchen floor. His enthusiasm for a walk, soft velvety ears, and Beagle-howl will be missed.

Career Break/Sabbatical - So What's it REALLY Like?

It has been just over 4 months since we quit our jobs, rented the house, packed our essentials into the Subaru, and took off for the Radical Sabbatical. So far it has been pretty amazing. Ten states and 10,000 miles later, there are no regrets - only great memories. 

We are relaxing here in South Lake Tahoe for about a month before taking off for summer adventures in our gorgeous national parks, including Bryce, Zion, Rocky Mountain, Glacier, as well as several other state and regional parks.

So what's it like to take a sabbatical? As is the case with everything in life - there are cool things and not so cool things.

Time - Just Time
There is nothing better than a morning spent drinking coffee while listening to NPR and knowing that you have nowhere to rush off to, nowhere to be, and no one waiting for some meaningless PowerPoint presentation that you just spent three days of your very short life working on. It is good for the soul to just hang like this. Americans are particularly bad relaxers, after all. We could all benefit from a daily siesta, a la Italy and Spain.

Also, this happens a lot: hey, it's Tuesday - wanna go to Napa/Mono Lake/Bodie (amazing ghost-town by the way)/Truckee/Yosemite/see friends or family/whatever. And guess what, we go and there are no crowds on a Tuesday anywhere - I really hate crowds.

Bodie, California - Dave really likes ghost towns and mines, he was giddy.

Lots of Learning
In addition to learning to ski pretty much anything put in front of me this winter, I have also learned to rock climb; golf like I am not a complete hack; backcountry ski whilst avoiding avalanches; make a perfectly thin Neapolitan pizza crust; milk goats; and make homemade yogurt and cheese. I am also brushing up on my German, Italian, and Spanish in anticipation of the 6 weeks we will be spending in Europe this fall. While not quite as productive as work, it is one hell of a lot more fun.

Feeling Good
So we skied all winter. Now we are mountain biking and hiking every day.....for hours.....it is awesome. We are also eating well because we have plenty of time to cook all those recipes I have been bookmarking for the last 5 years but never got around to trying. I feel so relaxed and healthy. For those that didn't know, Dave started going blind a few years ago because of work STRESS. Seriously, it was scary making plans for my husband to be blind in a few years. This break has definitely opened my eyes to how unnecessary and unhealthy all that is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please note that it isn't all complete rosy happiness and bliss. I am still the same Nervous-Nellie I always was. I can FIND something to worry about even during the most perfect blissful moments. That is just how I roll. So for your information, here are a few things to think about for your own Radial Sabbatical.

You Had Better Like Your Partner

I may look cute but I am a real pain in the arse.

Oh man there is a good bit of Amie+Dave time, which isn't always great. Spending the day apart  at our separate offices and hanging out after work (as is was for us before the Radical Sabbatical) makes for probably the right amount of time to spend with a spouse. Given that the rest of the world is working during the day, we are each other's besties right now - let's hope we don't kill each other.

I believe we got into a fight at the grocery store the other day because Dave wanted to buy packaged shredded breakfast potatoes (disgustingly processed) and I thought is was a bad idea because he'd never actually eat them. I was called a shopping-cart Nazi then I told Dave to just finish GD shopping by himself then......you can imagine what this looked like in the middle of Ralph's Supermarket at 10:00 a.m. on a Thursday. Jeez.

But otherwise, the lesson here is to keep your mouth shut on occasion and don't freak out about the lame stuff like preservative-filled refrigerated shredded potatoes. Also, take time to do things on your own and don't spend all your time doing activities with your partner because you will kill each other.

Schedule Your Time Off
It has really helped that we have three phases for our time off: skiing, then camping, then Europe. When not actually skiing/hiking/biking/traveling, a good chunk of our time has been spent preparing for and planning these phases, which I love. It keeps us (me) busy researching and learning about all the places we want to go. Not to mention, it is SO HARD to get camping permits at a few of the national parks we are planning to go to. You have to be online the second the permits become available, or you are screwed. You would not believe my Google Calendar right now.

Don't Get Wrapped Up in Your Head
Like I said, I am a worrier. I have recently found that the 80% of my worry capacity that I used to dedicate to work, has been dedicated to worrying about global warming, trash in the oceans, trash at Mount Everest,  air pollution, overfishing, etc. It is not healthy and it takes serious mental effort (and a fair amount of drinking) to not worry about that stuff. I have to work on that.

Approximately 10% of my worry budget is spent on friends and family. Then 10% is dedicated to worrying about all the certifications and professional development I am not completing and how that will impact my finding gainful employment post-sabbatical.

Aggghhhhhh - stop. It is a few months off. I have the next 40 years of my life for work. For now, I am going to (try to) relax and enjoy as best I can, like that mellow guy there on the right.

It's All About the Goats!

That's right people. We are farm-sitting in Valley Center, California. It is an absolute blast. This is exactly the type of thing I wanted to do while on sabbatical. We are giving a friend a vacation from her farm chores, learning new skills, and generally chilling the eff out - something we haven't been very good at for the last few months (must ski ALL day). 

Here is a typical day at the Z Farm (how far we have come from staring at a computer screen for 10 plus hours each day):

• Feed goats (3 adults and 2 babies)
• Milk goat
• Filter and prep milk for use
• Check for eggs
• Pick veggies from garden for eating that day
• Enjoy the day at the beach, hiking, seeing friends, etc.
• Feed dog, cats, chickens, and goats
• Milk again
• Sleep

Though we had a bit of trouble our first day of milking (involving yelling, panic, goats kicking, and the milk being ruined by a hoof in the bucket), it is pretty awesome now that we have the hang of it. And the goats don't seem to hate us anymore, which is nice.

Gratuitous goat udders

I had never milked an animal until last week, ever. It is definitely a two-person job (for us). We try our best to keep the goat (Shyly) happy while milking. We also have to ensure that we complete all the sterilization steps so that our raw goat milk is tasty and the goat stays healthy. 

So let me tell you that your arms get TIRED. Our division of labor is such that Dave feeds the goat while talking romantically her. I milk as quickly as possible while listening to Dave tell the goat how beautiful she is.......I am serious here. Sort of weird, but whatever - it works and everyone is happy!

Dave - king of all goats

There are also six hens. We feed these animals ALL our leftover food and they inhale it and make tasty eggs. It is really amazing how little waste there is on this farm. Any scraps or peels we don't eat are fed to the animals who in turn make us eggs and milk. Very circle of life-ish.

That is the chicken coop back there.

My friend has a gorgeous garden too. We are sort of at the end of the winter season and the beginning of the summer season. Thus, we are eating loads of lettuce, rocket, chard (my fav), carrots, and cabbage. Can you say glorious salads, Dave has never been so regular.

Sammy watching over the garden

Dave has garden envy.

We made today Farm Day. Instead of driving somewhere and doing an "activity", we just enjoyed the day at the farm doing our little chores, talking to the goats (Dave), and relaxing (me). Oh and there was lunch.......heavenly with a salad, two kinds of homemade goat cheese, and a bottle of Sancerre - because why not.

Sam is especially good at chilling.

Well the goats are calling us. Time for the p.m. milking. I will leave you with some more food porn (sorry, we've not been doing much here) from our pizza dinner last night. Tonight we are making osso buco with some of my friend's beef shanks from her beef share. This is redic. I am pretty sure the secret to happiness can be found in a garden/farm/kitchen like this.

Chevre and chard pizza - yes, please