The Grand Canyon - Inspiring the Possible & Knowing your Limits

The Grand Enormous Canyon.  The Father of all Canyons.  The Alpha, the Chief, the Omega of all Ravines and Canyons that ever hoped to be formed on Planet Earth.  You just can't fathom how Grand, how Majestic this place is, until you have beheld it with your own eyes.  The Grand Canyon commands respect, the landscape unforgiving, and the level of reverence required for this place is clear as the cuts in the cliff faces.  With 1,000 ft. drops, you come to realize how anything is possible.  If this place can be formed, could exist, then anything is possible.  This is the ideal that was inspired in me as I gazed upon one of the most mighty wonders of our Earth.  The whole experience is humbling, and should you choose to venture here, on one of the most beautiful yet treacherous landscapes ever formed, then take into consideration my fellow friends - know your limits, because your life depends on it.

On our way to the Grand Canyon we crossed the Colorado River.  I suddenly felt filled with inspiration.  This landscape inspires you - makes you feel bigger than what you are, because you are in the presence of something so incredible.

Just look at all that Canyon!!

Seeing the Grand Canyon at this angle was insighful.

Insight is exactly what I achieved on this trip.  Just seeing this place is an adventure, but choosing to move through this environment, to take on this landscape is a whole other undertaking.  For one, danger lies everywhere.  If you decide to descend into the Canyon just know that you need to be sure of your footing.  Steep cliff faces sneak up on you, so it's important to trek slowly, carefully, and be completely aware.

The landscape is oh so taunting.  There is just soooo much to do.  As you hike the rim (I was on the South Rim) you see so many opportunities to venture off the path to what I call "Peninsulas", which are parts of the canyon that jut out into the larger expanse, creating a 360 degree view.  There aren't any official map trails that take you to these peninsulas, but they are there, and many of them are fairly accessible.  Others, not so much.

This lovely shot was achieved because I ventured out onto a peninsula.

I prefer to stay a body length and a half away from the edges.

The important thing to remember though, is that just because you can climb down into the Canyon, does not mean you know or have the ability to climb back up.  On one of my treks down to a particular very tempting I could not resist peninsula, involved me descending around 100'.  The arena - I must admit looked sketchy from the rim, but I had to try it, see for myself if it was doable.  I ended up around 100' down, to find that there was a 14' drop or so, with no clear visibility. I would have needed a rope, to see if the drop was something I could climb down/up.  Instead I stood a few feet away from the edge, eyeing the drop with one arm slung around a tree, leaning as far as I could (safely).  Here's the thing.  The Canyon terrain has alot of loose gravel, and it's really, very steep.  If you were to take a tumble, lose your footing, even on one step, your dead.  The terrain is absolutely unforgiving.  There is no coming back from a fall, so everything you do you have to be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN you can do it.  If not, don't even attempt.  At this point I was uncertain if I could move down any further, safely.  So I came to that point. That point where you say to yourself, "I know my limits, and this is it."  So I opted to go back.

Going back was interesting however.  There was one section, a 6' drop that I came down, very easily. Getting up 6' is no big deal for me... when I have a bit of a run up.  But if I have to do a muscle up to get up, ha!  Think again.  This was a big fail on my behalf. I realized that I had absolutely no run up, because of course, I'm on the Grand Canyon.  I also wasn't going to attempt a cat, not on smooth rock without ledges or holds, and the only way I could get up was if I jumped into a support.  Hmmm no thanks.  I will not be doing any jumping on any ledges.  So I found another way back.  At this point however, when I realized I wasn't going back the way I came, I felt a strike of fear within me.  And fear... is BAD news.  I quickly composed myself with my go to breathing exercises, and knew I needed to act fast but CAREFULLY.  It's not good to be in a bad situation for long, because being out there can be very, very unnerving, and it will play with your mind.  I knew it was important I got out soon, within 15 minutes.  Otherwise what can happen is your brain starts to release oxidative stress, and can cause panic, nausea, and all types of problems.  So I focused on problem solving.  I knew I could create a switch back pattern if need be. And so that's what I started to do.  I kept myself on sure footing, and started creating places using my right hand, digging into dry soil on more flatted areas, to make it more flat, and less gravel ridden.  Wherever I moved, I was certain I'd have sure footing to get to where I needed to go.  I created one switch back (sort of, more like two foot holds), that's really all it took, a few foot holds and the rest is history. I scrambled and climbed back to the top, and when I got to the top of the rim sighed with relief and said out loud, "Oh Thank God."  

The point of all this - I made a miscalculation that could have costed me BIG.  What seems like small beans, is not small beans when it comes to terrain at this scale.  But luckily I was able to stifle my curiosity with reason - "I know my limits and this is it".  When I reached the top, I knew I had pushed the boundary.  I had done something that pushed the envelope for me, but I still listened to that voice - that inner wisdom that tells you when it's time to stop.  Sometimes, in certain situations, it's just better to quit, and by doing so, you'll end up on top.

Which brings me back to possibility.  Everything and anything can be possible.  But you have to avoid set backs that will end you.  And that's an important life lesson.  Most lessons we face in life give us some elbow room, to come back from our mistakes.  But there are some mistakes that cost too much, that are too crippling to us, to ever allow us to live up to the potential we had in the first place. It's important to know when we face those lessons - to be aware of what is really before us.  It's my hope and prayer that we all take the time to seek out that wisdom for ourselves.

- Elle Beyer

Zion - The Promised Playland

Did I just land on Mars?  Nay - it's ZION!!!

Zion National Park - out of all the places I have been in this world, this is one place I KNOW I will see again, because it's one of those places that you MUST visit again and again.

The terrain is out of this world, and a mover's ultimate playground.  From the moment you set eyes on this place it will take all the willpower you can muster to stop yourself from stopping in the middle of the road and abandoning your car, so you can run and frolick on the hills.  Only these hills are not some prairie land. These hills look as if you just landed on another planet.  From tones of red and orange, to the deepest and richest shades of brown, adorned with the evergreens, you find yourself on the faces of smooth sandstone, enriched with caves, rock climbing holds galore, bouldering, rock scrambling and hopping, tree climbing, and canyoneering.  What's more is the lovely Virgin River that flows through the canyons, offering a cool place to swim and wade.  You can hike up the river for the famed and scenic "Narrows" hike, or give yourself a thrill of a lifetime on the "Angels Landing" hike.

A view of the trees being highlighted by the sun among the lovely rockscape (Riverside Walk).

The point of this blog post however, is to give you some insight on what you can do with the family - in particularly small children, anyone needing a stroller, or in a wheelchair.  As and adventurer and explorer there is much more to tell, and much more to do and see, but for this post, we did that which was fun for the whole family, and focused on the fun and safety of our smallest explorers.

Check us out!  2 couples and 9 kids to our names.  Teaching our kids about exploration, sustaining and protecting our beautiful lands, and having some family oriented fun.  Our youngest explorer was my niece Contessa who is 2 years old, and is quite possibly the cutest thing on the planet.

Cute kids right here.

Camping is always a great option - and is very affordable in Zion, however because of our Family Reunion and wanting to make sure our 90 year old Grandma and Grandpa felt comfortable, we stayed at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort.  This place was beautiful, and they had tent sites, RV, cabins, and vacations homes all available.  They are actually outside of the park, if you exit via the East entrance/exit of the park.  We stayed in a 5 bedroom vacation home that could house up to 24 people.  We were very comfortable in this beautiful custom made log home, and enjoyed the scenery and comfort of this lovely handcrafted sanctuary.  Prices started at around $770/night, included towels, laundry facilities, full kitchen (furnished with dishes and glasses), bedrooms downstairs (important for folks with canes and/or in a wheelchair), cable television, game room, large patio, balcony, fire pit, and access to the property open use amenities - a two tiered swimming pool with 2 water slides, basketball, volleyball, tennis, recreation barn with billiards and ping pong tables, and then plenty more activities that you could add on/pay for at a reasonable $11 per activity such as zip lining, ATV, horseback riding, jeep tours, and much more.

Our lovely custom log vacation home - fits up to 26 people very comfortably.

The boys knew what to do.

The two tiered pool and water slides were a great way to relax and get away from the summer heat.  There is also two hot tubs, picnic tables, and hot showers.  The amenities were clean, well kept, and the customer service was excellent.  Water was served pool side regularly, a refreshing addition, and kept the whole family happy and hydrated.

But OH THE PARK!!!  We enjoyed a full day on the Riverside Walk and ventured on the first part of the "Narrows".  It was an easy 1 mile stroll (2 miles roundtrip), paved and level most of the way, stroller and wheel chair accessible, and only takes a 1-2 hours to complete.  However, taking the free shuttle bus from the Visitor's Center to the drop off point (Temple of Sinawava) took nearly 40 minutes.  So take into account that you'll need an extra 2 hours for shuttle bus time.  My tip is to go as early as you can to avoid the parking hassle at the Visitor's Center (which is packed by about 9am).  If you end up going later/mid morning, you'll likely need to park in town (Springdale) which is only 5 minutes outside the park and you can shuttle back into the park.  Side Note - Springdale is adorable and has lots of great eateries, and shops.  So plan on 4 hours to be safe, plus you'll want plenty of time to enjoy the River and all the rock climbing/hopping, and bring some water and snacks.  Pack out all your garbage, as there are no cans and don't feed the animals (even though they are super cute and friendly).

Here I am with one of my boys - Adriel age 7.  We conquered this large boulder.  And the rest of the kids did too.  And husband Lon as well.  We just couldn't resist.

The glory of the Virgin River - We swam, we climbed, we rock hopped, we basked in the sunlight.

 

I was inspired to do a straddle headstand.  Can you spot me?

The kids learned team work as we crossed the River.

This place is a MUST stop if you are looking for handcrafted items made from local Navajo tribes.  We ended up buying 4 large arrowheads at $6/each for our 4 boys.  The craftsmanship in Southern Utah is world class, from jewelry, to knives, to blacksmith/metal art - it's all pretty amazing work, and affordable.

I hope I gave you some insight as to the many possibilities that await you in this wondrous canyon paradise called Zion National Park.  I was amazed at all the incredible views, fun things to do, and versatility of this place.  It's a true gem, and I found it to have a great energy about it.  I felt a great sense of awe and excitement everywhere I turned.  One last bit of info (and I apologize in advance to all my Vegan friends and clients who may not find this helpful) but I know my Paleo peers would love this bit of insight - just outside of the East entrance, there is a FANTASTIC restaurant (farm to table) operation that serves the most delicious buffalo steaks and burgers EVER.

Ooookkkaaayyyy!!!  Now go to ZION people!!  And as usual - don't forget to invite me along :)

- Elle Beyer

Some fun videos for your enjoyment

Why Surfing and Stuff is an Adventure to be Had

This weekend I went to LA & San Diego for a business seminar and while I was there I embarked on a movement adventure that encompassed a few of my favorite things to do.

- Trained with beloved colleague Terry Taneie at his Hollywood Action and Fight Choreography class held on Wednesday's at Barnsdall Park 5pm-7pm.

The View of Hollywood from Barnsdall Park. The smog covers the famed Hollywood sign in the distance. But it was still a lovely sunny day sporting temperatures in the lower 80s.  Can't complain about that. 

- Trained at Tempest Freerunning Academy SouthBay. Their facility is INCREDIBLE, inspiring, the staff professional and friendly, and the vibe was really supportive and positive.

It's truly difficult to capture the awesomeness of this facility, especially when you are discreetly taking pictures as to not look like a tourist. This is their tribute to Santorini, Greece - famed Art of Motion location within the freerunning community. 

- Rode bikes to the Queen Mary in Long Beach with my bestie, and we did headstands on the beach.

A backbend for the Queen? Sure why not.

Some headstands seemed appropriate.  

- Surfed with my childhood bestie - Harmony Silverman - Athletic Trainer - in the beautiful San Diego seaside.

And finally, a moment to capture the title of this blog post.  

So among all these movement adventures, I'd have to say the surfing really challenged me, and inspired me. For one, I'm terrible at it, so my immediate curiosity sparks many questions in my mind as to what muscle groups I have neglected to train?  What stability exercises have I not addressed in my movement bubble?  What awareness and adaptability skills have I yet to explore and develop?

At which point I realized that surfing is a cross-movement discipline.  It's a combination of swimming, parkour, pilates, and endurance training. It's also a consistent HIIT workout (high intensity interval training), and the ultimate form of resistance training. In addition, the required balancing skills and ankle mobility is not to be ignored.  Not only that but it also requires a high degree of intuition (gained through experience only) and knowledge of oceanography, and wave patterns is especially helpful.

Who should surf?  Well, if you love movement, you should definitely at least try it.  Surfing works the shoulders and upper back, as well as requires core stability and strength. But for me, the most important takeaway is that your transverse abdominis, as well as your internal oblique muscles are engaged and strengthened to a high degree. Here is where I get excited. If you are a parkour practitioner, fighter or martial artist - core strength and stability is really extremely important, and finding fun, functional, cross training activities that are working out those deeper core muscles that stabilize the spine is exciting news!! What this means is that I can spend days or even weeks on a surfing adventure, and consider that an extremely productive and health oriented activity that will help keep my back strong, and even increase my fighting skills. So there you have it! Go have yourself a surfing adventure and don't forget to invite me to come along.

- Elle Beyer

Swimming with Sharks on Mother's Day

This last weekend for Mother's Day my family and I took advantage of the Birthday Special on Catalina Island.  My twins (who's birthday is on May 7th, and this year turned 7) received free admission to board the Catalina Express roundtrip, which saved us around $120.00.  We decided to do an adventure weekend on Catalina to celebrate their birthday and Mother's Day.  I took this as an opportunity to plan a wild and authentic adventure for the family.  Zen (my youngest) turned 4 several months ago, and over the last several months I have been training him - taking him on weekly 5 mile night hikes.  I have 4 boys (9, 7, 7, 4), and we live in a nice little suburb.  So naturally the tradeoff for convenience is that you need to find yourself in the wilderness from time to time to free yourself from the box life.  This was one of those adventures that truly freed us from the box, and I must admit, it was extremely physically demanding, but also the most fun I have had on a family vacation... I'll start off with BULLET POINTS - from there you can decide whether you want to read on, and if this is something you'd like to try/do.

What we saw while diving and snorkeling in the Sea:
- Schools of Leopard Sharks!!
- Crystal Blue Ocean with 100 feet of visibility
- Kelp Forest (beautiful but also terrifying)
- Schools of Fish of all kinds
- Crabs and Shellfish
- Seals

The very lovely and secluded and primitive campground of Parson's Landing

What we saw while exploring the Land:
- We hiked 14 miles round trip from Two Harbors to Parson's Landing in 3 days on the Trans Catalina Trail (TCT) I carried a 60lb pack the entire way, and the kids each had their own packs, weighing between 2-7 lbs. 
- We hiked a strenuous 1250' ascent within 1.5 miles (then hike another 4.5 after that) we were at the near top of the ridge of the Island and were able to see the Pacific Ocean on both sides of us!  A seriously epic moment.  The highest point we climbed was at 1750' of elevation.
- No fresh water (you have to carry it/bring it/be prepared/have rangers leave it for you in a locker at midpoints along the trail)
- We saw a wild Bison roaming outside our tent!!
- Fox
-Pelicans and tons of other birds
- Cactus and Succulents
- Gold and Red grasslands
- Red Eucalyptus trees

A morning surprise - Wild roaming bison on our campground

The Hike - is amazing.  It's beautiful, but also brutal.  The sun beats down on you because there is hardly any shade, and because it's a desert island the weather can be extreme, first being hot, then cold, within a period of 10 minutes. If you hike the ridge, the wind can be stiffening, because carrying your pack and hiking causes you to sweat, but the wind can give you a chill.  So dress in layers, it will protect you from the sun and the wind, and also keep you warm.  Dress down a layer or two if you get hot, but have your sweater handy.  If you take the TCT to Parson's Landing, be prepared for some strenuous labor on Fenceline Road.  It's a 1250' ascent/descent within 1.5 miles.  With the kids I had to walk behind them with a hand on their back because they were having trouble getting their footing on the path.  For much of it they had to QM and use their Parkour skills, as there is a lot of loose rock/gravel, and when you are going straight uphill, your calves and ankles are getting a run for their money.  If you wanted to increase the strength in your quads and hammy's, this path will make you a champion.  If you ever complained about doing crab walks in parkour class, this is the time you would be thankful for them.  Crab walking is great for steep ravines and ridges, and when you are in the middle of an Island, with a limited supply of fresh water, with the sun closing in on you, you need to keep moving.  I must admit, and boast a bit - my kids were total champions.  There was a point, on the trail where I was questioning my judgement as a mother, and wondered if we were going to make it.  The nice thing about Catalina, however, is that you can get cell reception most anywhere on the Island, which makes a great contingency plan in case you need to call for help.  I had done my research, and made sure we would have a contingency plan, in case my kids couldn't make the trek.  My kids were good sports (there was a bit of complaining about 3 miles in, but after we saw a snake in the road, and chipmunks running around everywhere, and a bird snatching a big ol' moth and eating it right in front of our eyes) the kids were all about the trail, and wondering what more they would see.  My 4 year old needed us to carry his pack for about 8 miles of the trip, and we even took turns carrying him for about 1 mile - but other than, they were true champions.  I was a proud mother on Mother's Day weekend - the best gift of all... but there was another gift I received on Mother's Day, and it was freaking amazing.  Read further...

We could see the Pacific Ocean on both sides - here we are at 1250' of elevation resting at the near top of the ridge

Diving - in Catalina, is first class.  You get crazy visibility - around 80-100' depending on the amount of sun in the day.  We were lucky enough to get 2 days of clear visibility ranging from 30'-80' most of the time.  My kids and husband love the water, and spent a good deal of time swimming and playing in the waves.  I love to sunbathe, and dive.  So after loading up on excessive calories to keep me warm during my diving ventures, I'd head out either with my husband or business partner/friend Corey on excursions.  We took turns watching the kids on the beach, while we buddied up.  My only regret is we didn't have a Gopro - so I don't have any underwater shots.  Which is a shame because we saw some rad stuff.  The highlight however was on my last dive excursion in Two Harbors - this one I first went out alone, checking out the rocks and fish.  My business partner/friend - Corey ended up coming out later so we decided to explore a cove.  I moved ahead, and saw a ton of shells and bones.  My first thought was "hmmm that'd be cool to see some shark, looks like a feeding ground".  Lon and Corey had seen a few Leopard shark the day before, and I was super bummed I hadn't seen any at all, so I didn't get my hopes up that I would see anything.  I navigated towards the shore and as the I neared the shore, I came face to face with 3 Leopard Sharks.  Let's just say.. it was an "OH (insert expletive here) moment.  I was within 10' of a school of Leopard Sharks and at that point couldn't see where I could surface because they were swimming in knee deep water!!!!!  I turned back to catch Corey's attention.  "Shark ahead!" was what I managed to gurgle underwater.  I pointed in the direction, Corey stayed still, and then he saw it - 3 tails flickering around in the sand.  Oh those Shark like ways!  How they can be so fast, fleeting, and down right intimidating.  Corey motioned that we move to the side, but I was ready to swim the opposite direction.  The only thought was to put as much distance between us and the multitude of teeth ahead.  Sure they can't exactly swallow you whole, but they can tear you apart piece by piece, especially when there is many more than one.  And the thing about sharks is if you actually see them, then there is many... MANY more nearby that you don't see.

So we swam, away... or so we thought.  I was behind Corey, eyes all alert from side to side.  Corey then tapped my shoulder and and pointed ahead, stuck his hand up like a fin and pointed towards the shore.  My thought was "Dear Lord just help us get out of the water without losing a limb!!"  At that point we were knee deep, and just had to make for land as quickly as possible.  So we went for it swimming past that which lurked nearby.  We scrambled up onto the shore, smiling big grins, wide eyes, and in awe.  Needless to say we were totally amped.  I mean holy crap!!  We just swam with Sharks!!  It wasn't the first time for either of us... swimming with Sharks... but it's just as much of a rush as any other time, if not more.  The more encounters, the more you know and realize how out of your league you really are when you are in the Sea.  Of course, the chances of being attacked and harmed by a Leopard shark are really next to none, they are deemed pretty much harmless to humans... still though... why take any chance at all?  Their mouths can clearly take a chunk off, so why chance it?  I say nay... let's not play with the sharks.  

Long story short, I got to swim with Sharks on Mother's Day... and it was FREAKING EPIC!! Later Lon, the kids, Corey and I ventured up on the ravine to take a good look down into the cove that we were diving.  We counted 10 Leopard Sharks! 10!  We were literally swimming in their feeding ground.  My kids were so excited to see the Sharks, but it was a lesson learned on my behalf that Sharks lurk even in the most shallow waters.  Literally 10 Sharks in knee deep water people!!!

Diving in these crystal blue coves. For the Kelp forest dive we climbed around some rocks to get to a good spot.

What Else? - The Kelp Forest dive in Parson's Landing was rad.  Terrifying, but rad.  Why is it scary? It can be pretty disorientating.  It's like swimming through an underwater forest maze, and you just never know what's around the corner.  Plus the kelp is literally right next to you - EVERYWHERE!  So if you are claustrophobic, this can start to affect you.  I really enjoyed this dive, but also felt a bit panicky near the end, and was ready to surface.  It's one of those environments you really need to acclimate to if you are going to spend a good amount of time down there.  I think if we had several more days, I would have wanted to do this dive several more times, just to get a bit more comfortable.

Waking up in the morning, emerging from my tent to see a wild bison roaming around was RAD!!  I observed from a good distance, and just watched him graze around.  This was my first time seeing a wild bison in real life, so that was a really cool experience, and my kids enjoyed checking him out too.

In Two Harbors the wind was really minimal, so we slept under the stars for a night. 

 I'd highly recommend an Adventure Getaway.  You experience so many incredible things, and it's a fun challenge for the whole family.  I was so inspired this weekend that I just had to write about it... and Catalina really is a beautiful terrain to explore.  If you have experienced some amazing Adventure getaway's, feel free to post in the comments, I'd love to hear them!

- Elle

Progression vs. Perfection

What is it in us that makes us think that our goal needs to be perfection? Whether it is perfecting a new parkour skill in the gym, landing a new flip "just right", or even having that "perfect" recipe or piece of advice to share with a friend. I don't know about you but I have developed this annoying inner voice that seems to speak up as I learn new things or want to share things with friends that's always saying things like, "it's not quite ready yet" or "I should clean this up a little before I show anyone".

Is it pride? Sometimes. Insecurity? Often. Important? Not usually. So, I am here to silence that inner voice and say "who cares"?!? The reality is PROGRESSION should be our goal, NOT perfection! We should strive to always be moving forward in whatever it is we are doing or wherever we are going. One of my favorite things about Parkour is that there is always another progression, always something new to strive for...a longer precision, a higher wall, a softer landing, a smoother climb-up, a longer handstand...Whatever it is, there is always another level to progress to, a new skill to learn. Of course, you can master the basics and fundamentals but all that means is that you now have so many more progressions you can go for!

Let me take a moment to clarify that there is always another progression for YOU, where YOU are at. Perfection is about comparing ourselves to those around us and striving to be like or better than others. Progression is about starting where you are and improving from there.  And when we realize that progression is the goal (and not perfection) we can refrain from judging the imperfections in the people around us or judging ourselves based on what someone else can do and start encouraging one another where we are at and where we want to go!

In the spirit of this post I am going to add a little video of something I am working on. It's a combination of one of my favorite new vaults and a favorite tumbling combination. I was encouraged to post it earlier, at which time I promptly replied, "I definitely need to clean it up first!" And bless her heart, Elle quickly responded back, "Progression!"  I often think I need to replace my inner voice with Elle's or one of the other encouraging voices of the wonderful women I train with! Well, that little encouragement led me to put these thoughts together and share them (and the clip) with y'all!

Michelle <><

A Blue Streak Adventure

Elle here!  It's been awhile, but that doesn't mean we haven't been living adventurously.  Up here in NorCal there is this awesome place called Blue Streak, and it is a special secret little gem known by explorers and parkour practitioners.  Consider doing a backpacking hike, and spend the night under the lovely stars.  We really enjoyed sleeping next to the calm healing waters, and spending an entire weekend climbing and parkouring on the giant smooth granite boulders, exploring underwater caves, cliff jumping, swimming with minnows, and aweing at the incredible clear blue scenery.

To the left you can see blue streaks across the granite slabs.  I wished I had more experience and knowledge in Geology so that I could figure out what kind of minerals made up the blue streaks.  I have been doing some light research, trying to figure out what it is. This is a great example of how our natural environment inspires us to learn and become better than what we are. 

To get there can be quite the adventure, as it is a 2 mile hike.  Simple yeah?  Well it's totally non-intimidating until you get to the last 1/4 mile.  Reason being is that there is this cool fork in the trail.  You can go right... or left.  If you're feeling dangerous, go right.  If you're feeling like you want to live on the edge and enjoy the view, go left.  The left trail takes you right along a cliff face.  The trail is relatively steep, and really dusty, so be careful of slipping.  It actually wouldn't be bad at all if it wasn't for the dusty trail, and be sure to pack light and minimally.  Having added weight, can be burdensome, and make sure your pack is well balanced.  The trail is really narrow, so minimalist is the way to go.  

If you go right... be prepared to scoot on your butt for most of the way.  And it is dusty.  And STEEP.  Boy is it steep.  Which makes you want to curse the dust.  Imagine a dusty narrow trail/slide going pretty much straight down, but it's nice and curvy too, so you need to maintain control so as not to slide off the mountain face to your death below.   Meaning you'll actually be climbing a lot of the time, and throwing your stuff down below, as you make your way.  But because of there being a lot of dust, rather than grippy rock holds, it's more like climbing and scooting and sliding on a straight down narrow dusty trail holding on to brush.  Because many of the rocks are unstable.  So basically, if you go right, be prepared to part ways with your stuff.  You'll be tossing your pack, rolling it, and leaving it to fend for itself.  Make sure you don't have anything breakable in there.  Be prepared to adapt, because the trail becomes very ambiguous.  

This wasn't a girls jam - we went with the Free Flow Trainers for our Quarterly Trainer Pow Wow. Every quarter we get together for fun and food.  It's a jolly old time. 

The crab walk totally came in handy as we made our way down the rocks.  See my shadow taking the picture?  I was determined to make it into the photos somehow. 

 After you have reached Blue Streak, and have had a chance to wade your toes into the beautiful water, you'll desire a wet suit.  I didn't bring one, but had fun swimming and exploring the caves anyway.  The only thing is a wet suit would have made it easier for me to spend longer periods of time in the water.  Especially when you are in the caves.  In the caves, the water temperature drops even more, and once a chill reaches your bones, and you start shaking uncontrollably, you kind of wish you had a wet suit to help insulate you during your experience.  Your experience is going to be pretty amazing and intense.   It is totally magical to see these amazing natural wonders, to swim/stand underneath a waterfall, seeing streaks of sun light speckle the cave walls and clear water.  It's incredible, slightly unnerving, and you are left with a feeling of wonder, a sense of danger, and a clear sense of awareness.        

It's easy to get lost in the caves.  I wouldn't recommend going alone. Besides the cave exploring, there is rock hopping, climbing, cliff jumping, and so much exploration.  We stayed put with our camp, but if we wanted, we could have spent a lot more time, several more days even, just moving up or down stream, and seeing what else there was to see.

As far as directions and how to get there - it's about 2.5 hours from Rocklin, CA.  Make sure you get in touch with someone who has been there, otherwise it will be difficult to find.  It's not a clearly marked path or anything.  But if you do want to give it a shot at finding it on your own, your best bet is to do a google map search of: Candy Rock Quarry, Stanislaus National Forest, Murphys, CA 95247.  Candy Rock is a different swimming hole and is not to be confused with Blue Streak.  But it's in the same general area.  There is a turnout (where you park) and there is a big tunnel (fenced off) in that turn out.  Then you walk down the road until you see a tiny little trail veering off to the right.  It's the first trail that you see after that turnout, but it's easy to miss.  It's a short walk from the turnout, probably 1/4 mile.  The hike to Blue Streak is about 2 miles.  You'll be swimming in the North Fork Stanislaus River once you arrive.  Be sure to practice leave no trace - carry out ALL your garbage!  Don't litter this place - it's amazing and beautiful, let's keep it that way.  If you have been there, feel free to leave a comment, and if you have any other suggested places to check out in that area please do so! 

4th of July Hiking Trip, and that One Time Shayna and I Weren't Really Prepared for Snow

Hello hello everyone, Emerald here. I hope you are all enjoying the heck out of your summer.  I myself have been a little pressed for time/finances, but luckily I live in an area where some really awesome nature is pretty easily accessible.

Like many people, I had a pretty sweet three-day weekend for the fourth of July.  Don't you love it when holidays are conveniently placed?  I do.  I always kind of roll my eyes when a holiday like the fourth is on on a Wednesday or something, and you have to go back to work the next day and finish out the week.  Don't get me wrong, I will totally take the day off, and I will take it happily, it's just hard to stay motivated during the rest of the week.

ANYWAY, three-day weekends are great. and I had one.  And since the backpacking trip I had planned with the room mates had kind of fallen through due to various scheduling conflicts, I and another friend headed up to Castle Peak on Donner Summit to climb the peak and make a fun ten mile loop out of it.

Before you ask, no.  I wasn't barefoot.  The climb up to Castle Peak is steep and a lot of it is pretty scree heavy.  The ascent up the peak is at about mile three, and I am not overly fond of the idea of cutting up my feet early on in the hike.  Because this lady learns from previous experiences.

This hike is one of a few that I kind of fall back on when I just want to get outside and do an easy (ish) ten miles somewhat quickly.  Maybe I am not in the mood for hiking somewhere new, and I want something predictable.  I love being up in the Sierras.  I grew up in Truckee, so that area always feels like home, and it feels good.

The last time I did this hike it was with Shayna, and there was still a whole honking lot of snow going on.

Frontage road on the way up to Castle Pass.

Luckily, we had both brought boots along with our minimalist footwear, so we were able to keep going. The scree going up the peak was a little slippery, but we made it on top alright. 

Backside of Castle Peak

View of the meadow from the ridgeline

View of Castle Peak from Basin Peak

Unfortunately, the snow was enough that it obscured the already kind of faint trail going down the other side of basin peak, and while I know where the trail goes and how to get there, I didn't fancy trudging though a bunch of three foot drifts for a number of miles.  For whatever reason that just wasn't appealing that day.  So Shayna and I ended up not completing the  loop and just came back the way we came.  Somewhere along the way, Shayna lost a shoe....I don't think we are quite sure what happened there.  And my boots were pretty old, and had been in the trunk of my car for about two years...so halfway down the mountain both of the soles just came off.  Random! Thankfully it happened after I decided it would be a good idea to circumvent the peak and instead navigate through snowdrifts that came up to about mid thigh.  Yup, definitely managed to outsmart the trail there.  Good job Emerald.   So Shayna and I, shoeless and soleless, descended from the majesty of Castle Peak and drove home to eat and take naps. 

This hike last week couldn't have been more different.  For one thing, no snow!  

Look at all that green!

Instead of snow, all of the wildflowers were blooming so that everything was colorful and felt wonderfully alive.  It's always really neat to see how life thrives even in places that spend more time snowed in than not. 

Okay I lied. There is still some snow.  

This trip we were most definitely able to complete our loop.  Corey and I have both summited the peak before, and it is a huge pain in the butt, so we took the trail that avoids the top and goes directly to the ridge line.  The ascent from Castle Pass to Castle Peak is about 2000 feet in one mile. It's steep. And when you are coming from an elevation of zero, it can be a little brutal. 

Wildflowers on the ridge, courtesy of Corey's camera

Trail up to Basin Peak

 Look at that!  I have apparently never done this hike so early in the season.  Flowers were exploding everywhere.  Nature was on top of it's game on Independence Day this year.  And the sky gets so blue up there.

As you can see, all of the work and heavy breathing on your way up is totally worth it.

Whenever I do this loop, I like to find the lock box on Basin Peak.  Inside is a funny little notebook that people write in to say hello, and that they've been there.  I like looking through all the different people and reading through their reactions to the trail.  And I always look for an entry from Doug and I in 2012 from our trip to Paradise lake.

I like how I'm all like "Cool hike, man!" and Doug waxes a little poetic and says some nice stuff. 

As I mentioned before, the trail down Basin Peak can get a little faint at times, but if you just keep a sharp eye out and keep to the left at any trial splits, you are good to go.  Plus, pretty!

Ten miles up in the mountains is a great way to start a holiday, and after we had eaten a huge lunch we both felt perfectly justified in napping and lounging around the house for the rest of the day. 

So that was my Fourth of July.  What did you do?  Did you have an awesome outdoor adventure, or did you keep it local and hang out with family and friends?  Have your shoes (or other gear) ever gone kaput on a hike?  Because if that kind of thing has happened to you, you should probably tell me about it below. 

Hope you all are well, and have a great weekend!