Crispyhouse

Arches National Park. This is probably one of the most famous rock formations in the world. Its really striking when you see it up close. Its real name is delicate arch and its only a short hike on slickrock to get to it. This is one of the must sees for any visit to Moab. I'd been wanting to go here since my last trip to Utah and it was nice to finish this National Park tour with such a distinguished landmark.

This is just the other side of Coral Reef National Park. Basically a huge ditch in the ground where the earth has seperated. Really cool slot canyons and huge red rock cliffs. After driving through the park on route 12 there are all these cool plateaus just hanging out in the prairie. I felt like I was in the movies.

Escalante is in the middle of nowhere. It was made a national monument in 96 by President Clinton and is bigger than Rhode Island. This view is off the side of route 12, by far one of the most spectacular roads I have ever been on. You can see forever and its all this crazy mars landscape. If I were a settler or a old time cowboy I would be so pissed that I had to travel over this terrain. The coolest thing though is that in a place like this geology makes sense on a huge scale. Here you can see firsthand without any doubt that yes this land used to be an ocean and yes the earth moves, and quite a bit. Its like there is a huge rift in the land.

so this is the crazy world of Bryce Canyon. and all those little spires are called Hoodoos. Hiked down below the rim and got to wander in and out of them all day. A really fun walk as there are trees and wildlife throughout the canyon floor then you hike up through the desert layers of colored sandstone. I was going to spend a few nights here but got called away when i got a message about me NZ itinerary. now don't be too mad. I am leaving on the 6th of June and headed not to NZ directly but somehow weaseled a free 4 day stopover in Fiji. Oh yeah baby here comes the beach. For now I am hammering out the details and hanging out in a few cool forrests in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Can you believe that this park is bigger than Rhode Island!.

So i made my way out of Arizona and have found new wonders in the mormon land of Utah. Other than a desperate lack of good beer the state has some incredible sites. I have been driving the senic highway 12 and around every corner is another beautiful vista. This photo is from my trip to Zion National Park. a shuttle takes you up the canyon floor and at the very end of the road you get to hike through the forrest till the trail ends at the river, but the hike is only begining. jump in the river and head upstream as far as you would like. the walls are straight up and it gets very narrow in some spots. Called, "the Narrows" for a reason I did this hike in the late afternoon and the angled sun on the walls brought out some incredible colors. It was also fun to hike in the river itself. Especially after spending time in the desert it was a great chance for some swimming and an evening cooldown.

So I did it, I visited the disneyland of national parks. The Grand Canyon, and while the crowds and development were kinda a bummer at times. The canyon itself is so incredibly massive and impressive that I still can't get my mind around the whole thing. I spent two days here and did a few hikes below the rim. There was just so much to see and do that I found myself very tired at night because of trying to take in so much. This is definately a place that i would like to go back to with someone else and spend a night at the bottom of the canyon or raft the colorado. it really puts you in your place.

To my homies from Prescott. Ok so i have left Arizona and i must say that i was completely astonished at how many wonderful things Arizona has to offer. My view of the state has completely changed. So Caitlin, Justin and Steph you may now laugh and i won't make fun of arizona anymore. that is till i ski it. the mountains looked tiny. this is a view of downtown Prescott, AZ at sunset. its a cool little downtown with a town common. i hung out here for a night before pushing to sedona. its a little off my chronological order. but there are a few people in AK that might want to see a little slice of home.

My campsite outside Oak Creek Canyon was amazing but the way out ended up being a journey in itself. I decided to try and find the main road out and followed some car tracks from a few hunters that had walked through my camp. Boy did I get lost. I wandered the back roads driving over crazy terrain for about 4hrs before I found a dirt road that took me all the way to Flagstaff. It was a bit worrisome for awhile but a sense of adventure kept it fun and if i hadn't been lost i never would have gotten this incredible picture that looks all the way back to Sedona.

After leaving Sedona I drove through Oak Creek Canyon and up an old logging road to find the perfect camping spot right on the rim of the canyon. Tough view to take while reading and writing in my journal. I feel like I am living the life of luxury with that awesome seven dollar chair from wal-mart. On my way into the campsite the road got ridiculously bad but my good old subaru carried me through the rocks and several herds of elk. Completely worth the effort. Little did I know that it was only the beginning of the adventure.

I visited Sedona on the reccomendation of a ranger at Joshua tree. I was not disappointed. Although the town is a bit touristy, after seeing the views I can completely understand why this is one of the centers for the new age movement. There is something magical about the red rock spires that surround the town.

I camped below this ridge on the north side of Joshua tree at a place called indian cove. Still learning how to use the new camera. The next ones will be better.

So the latest journey is a month long exploration of the southwest. Why not right? I have a month to kill before i head out to New Zealand, that is another story so I have decided to see this part of the country that is about as different from the landscape i grew up in as is possible.

    I started with a week in Baja Mexico with a bunch of friends from Montana, we roadtripped down and yes we stopped in Vegas for a weekend of insanity. Mexico was great as the house we stayed at had every toy imaginable. My favorite were the sea Kayaks. Surfing waves in a three person kayak was quite the trip, always ending in some spectacular crashes.

    After Mexico i parted ways with my travel companions and struck out on my own for a journey with several goals.

1. To see a part of the country that is completely different from where i grew up, and learn how to live in this kind of environment.

2. To spend some quality time alone in the wilderness reading and writing. I seem to quickly lose the solitude in my life and have found these kind of trips important moments to reflect on what i am doing and where I want to go.

3. To bask in some warm sunrays and swim in rivers before i head back to winter in New Zealand.

i seem to come up with new reasons everyday that i am on the road, but mainly i have come to the conclusion that i undertook this journey now because i felt i had to. something came to me while i was skiing alone one day and i decided that i needed to seize the opportuinity to spend some quality time with myself in a landscape that inspires me. So here we go