climbed a mountain, swallowed by a cloud, came down in darkness and rain

I wish I had some way of describing our experience on Mt. Timpanogos, September 11th. I finally know what if feels like to be inside of a cloud. Hope this video helps.

Have a killer day everyone. Be the change.

losing cairn

Pfeifferhorn & Broads Fork Twin Peaks • August 13-14... 2011

(above, left: Two small lakes/ponds cradled by a massive rock quarry, found shortly after taking the wrong trail that eventually lead us to an entirely different valley, which we climbed all the way up and over to get to Red Pine Lake -on our journey to Pfeifferhorn.) (above, right: Magical tree found early on our hike to Broads Fork Twin Peaks; a hike that began steep, kept getting steeper, and ended life threatening.)














(above, left: North facing view from just below the summit of Pfeifferhorn. The saw-bladed edge seen here was not unlike the one from which this picture was taken. You can actually spot the Broads Fork Twin Peaks on the distant mountain, (on the top/right, just to the left of the small dip.) Looking from just below the summit of Twin Peaks, [above, right], you can see Pfeifferhorn just to the right of the center, and Mt. Timpanogos off in the distance. This was one of the last pictures taken that day. We sat on a tiny ledge about 500 ft below the summit and contemplated whether or not we should risk not making it home alive to make it to the top.)














(above, left: My companions and I standing on the summit of the Pfeifferhorn. Mt. Timpanogos can be seen in the background. Extraordinary views. We passed a fellow carrying a guitar on his back, coming from the top... I've wanted to do that for a long time. Definitely a hike I will do again.) (above, right: Three mountain masochists near the beginning of day 2, on what was going to be one of the most challenging hikes to date. I have a new found respect for any individual who can manage to climb the Broads Fork Twin Peaks, and extraordinary reverence for the mountain itself.)


ALSO: WE SEED MEESE.

(That is, we came around a corner and found a mother and child moose who began fleeing when they saw us. Managed to get one decent photo of the baby.)

If you're interested in seeing more pictures, feel free to visit my facebook page.

Have a killer day, everyone. Be the change.

you tried to warn me

I plan to live forever. So far so good.

It took me the greater part of my life thus far to learn that only this moment matters. Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe it. And that's where it all begins, right? Believing in something? But we all know that believing in something is a far cry from living it. Having said that, I've always been a ridiculously sentimental person, so the past for me has been hard to escape. I can't help but lose myself in lament for days gone by. I have always felt everything that happens to me -very deeply. In the moment, I often imagine how I will one day look back on the memory, and occasionally make commitments to myself to remember. Such a strange and magnificent life it has been.

I remember, when I was about 5 or 6 years old, lying in my bed after a particularly traumatic day. I was hiding under a blanket and crying. I remember feeling afraid of adulthood, and of losing all of my magic powers. After praying for the chance to stay young forever, I made a promise to myself, (in so many words,) that no matter what happened I would always remain loyal to my younger self. I would never forget how I felt that night, and almost 30 years later... I still haven't.

So here I am, living today -keeping yesterday tucked safely in my back pocket with a book of matches and a ball of lint. The point I am making is that I have always done my best not to let down the former version of me. If I seem childish at times, now you know why. I can't say that I have always come through, and at times I feel very guilty for the occasional momentary lapse. Some days, like today, I find myself pondering my surroundings and the sticky ball of life I live in and wonder if that 5 year old boy would forgive me for the mess I've made of things. I hope so. Because tomorrow is bran new chance to live today.

And to you, the reader.... thank you for existing. Some of you may know how much you have influenced me, but most of you do not.

Have a killer day, everyone. Be the change.

what I did this weekend

climbed a hill...



rode my bicycle far away and stood under massive electrical currant at 3am...






















Have a killer day, everyone. Be the change.

swimming with the fishes

We drove out to the west desert near Utah Lake this weekend and camped for 3 days with some extraordinary people. Phenomenal experience. We played music and sang around the campfire, hiked through sagebrush and juniper bushes at 2 o'clock in the morning, listened to coyotes yell, avoided several desert scorpions, swam in the lake for hours, went fishing, and saw some of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen in a long time. In the end, it was exactly what I needed. Healing.

Though I could go on and on about these beautiful experiences, I can't stop thinking about swimming. The second trip to the lake was mind altering for me in many ways. There were thick storm clouds in every direction and lightning striking every minute, (admittedly not the ideal conditions for an afternoon swim), but swim we did. I decided to go out further into the lake than I had previously swam the day before, until I found myself about a football field's distance from the shoreline. Surrounded by mountains to the east, enduring an increasingly strong current toward the west and pelted by cold rain -I got lost in the magic of the moment. It was then that I made the decision to come back and swim the entire distance across the lake. Completely insane? No doubt about it.

Since our arrival home, I have been able to do a little homework on this new goal of mine. The distance from Pelican Bay (near where we swam) to the Utah Lake National Park in Provo is approximately 6 miles. Needless to say, this tidbit of new information has brought a sense of realness to my goal, as well as the need to take a few extra precautions before I take on the challenge. On a positive note, it seems that I am not the first person to have this idea. I was able to find some stories of others who had gone the distance. Some successful, and some unsuccessful. Regardless, my resolve is strong. I WILL swim across this lake.

I plan to be ready by summer 2012. Feel free to laugh and scorn and call me pretentious. I could use the motivation. Stay tuned, as I will keep you up to date on this and other foolish endeavors. Next up, 22 miles in 2 days: Pfeifferhorn & Lone Peak.



Have a killer day, everyone. Be the change.


(top photo taken by: Corina Koontz,
bottom -photo of my daughter, Scarlett -Utah Lake, July 30, 2011)

the view from up there

"A journey into the wilderness is the freest, cheapest, most non-privileged of pleasures. Anyone with two legs and the price of a pair of army surplus combat boots may enter."
-Edward Abbey

I starting climbing mountains seriously about 3 years ago, just after I quit smoking cigarettes. It began as something of an experiment and has since grown into an full blown addiction. Lucky for me, some of the my favorite people on planet Earth also enjoy climbing mountains... And luckier still, I live in an ideal environment for such an addiction.

I have several goals in terms of hiking, such as: reaching every summit in the Wasatch Mountains, and hiking Mt. Timapanogos barefoot and without carrying water. I have been hiking more this year than ever before and I don't have plans to slow down any time soon. Why hiking? I think it's because I learn something about life every time I go. THE BIG PICTURE HAS NO EDGES.

There is something magical and humbling about seeing the world from a different point of view, especially when you have to endure a certain amount of suffering to see it. From on top of a mountain, you get to see things like as they really are. You begin to understand both how insignificant and how important you really are. And another thing... Have you ever noticed that the human race behaves almost exactly like mold on an peach? Climb up to 11 or 12 thousand feet and think about it.

Have a killer day, everyone. Be the change.