div style=”text-align: center;”This spring has been a time of real adventure for me. As athletes, we are “on” from the middle of November through the end of March and so when April rolls around, we are ready for a bit of a break. This year, Noah Hoffman, Sarah MacCarthy, Zoe Roy, Mikey Sinnot and I set out for a 5 day backpacking trip in Escalante, a part of the southern Utah desert. Here is a snapshot of our trip./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; ” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9Rfa2NFNI/AAAAAAAAAHA/JGgkezf7CpY/s320/IMG_0454.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332070084054422738″ /div style=”text-align: center;”This is a gas station. The store is actually inside a mountain, /divdiv style=”text-align: center;”and they have awesome ice cream sandwiches!/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9ReletmjI/AAAAAAAAAGw/AHr-OQCcXIU/s320/IMG_0470.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332070069728811570″ /div style=”text-align: center;”As we got closer and closer to our camp site for the night the temperature kept dropping…/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9ReQkYFSI/AAAAAAAAAGo/fo9E0ArmTYs/s320/IMG_0467.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332070064115422498″ /div style=”text-align: center;”and dropping…./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9RfHA85NI/AAAAAAAAAG4/j3cRjcSbtR0/s320/IMG_0466.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332070078730790098″ /div style=”text-align: center;”and dropping!/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9Rft8jyxI/AAAAAAAAAHI/yVBSs1lP9o8/s1600-h/Mikey+and+snow.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9Rft8jyxI/AAAAAAAAAHI/yVBSs1lP9o8/s320/Mikey+and+snow.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332070089181350674″ //adiv style=”text-align: center;”What is Mikey thinking about right now? Arizona./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divbr /img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9Qb-uALuI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/HLOQc1gAxig/s320/IMG_0478.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068925452594914″ /div style=”text-align: center;”But, the snow disappeared for our sleeping, and though the temps were not /divdiv style=”text-align: center;”what we had hoped for yet, we were still smiling in the morning./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QcHOJKsI/AAAAAAAAAGY/tJagLouK8ys/s320/Lizard.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068927734885058″ /div style=”text-align: center;”But the weather warmed up and we found this guy sunbathing on the rocks./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QcXZzl-I/AAAAAAAAAGg/CXy0kEhLpvA/s320/Sarah+and+Mikey.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068932078770146″ /div style=”text-align: center;”Sarah and Mikey psyched about the warm sand./divbr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QbQH4xlI/AAAAAAAAAGI/uQS5LmQsJho/s1600-h/IMG_0507.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QbQH4xlI/AAAAAAAAAGI/uQS5LmQsJho/s320/IMG_0507.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068912944694866″ //adiv style=”text-align: center;”On one of our days we climbed up and over this arch (Jacob Hamblin Arch). It required a bit of a repel, and conquering a few of my fears, but we made it. Our campsite for the night was actually in those green trees that you can see through the arch. Beautiful mornings!/diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QbCNtRvI/AAAAAAAAAGA/E_TqZfmzUqE/s1600-h/IMG_0525.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QbCNtRvI/AAAAAAAAAGA/E_TqZfmzUqE/s320/IMG_0525.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068909211010802″ //adiv style=”text-align: center;”The five of us (Noah, Sarah, me, Mikey and Zoe) standing at the edge of the Escalante river./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9PosPZgtI/AAAAAAAAAFo/SWCw9-ZiQxI/s320/DSCN1499.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068044319064786″ /div style=”text-align: center;”And back to the snow…Last tuesday and again this Saturday a few of us SLC/PC folks set off to find some powder at the end of April. As you can see, we found some, and it was perfect./divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9PpAphKMI/AAAAAAAAAF4/7F9gDUr3Ou8/s320/DSCN1846.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068049797327042″ /div style=”text-align: center;”Pete Vordenberg loving the day, as usual./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9Pow9viFI/AAAAAAAAAFw/5oPxRO0fh0A/s320/DSCN1848.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068045587187794″ /div style=”text-align: center;”I have to admit, it’s hard not to smile on days like these./divbr /br /br /div style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8313858291794282393-2258494518681367237?l=lizhstephen.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
