Got down and did Heaps a second time, with five other guys, only two of whom had ever done it before...I was worried that it would be another "struggle to survive" experience, but everyone was extremely capable, and we had a GREAT time. Different experience altogether compared with last time. Water was a little bit higher which made things nice, and I did not let anyone borrow my wetsuit... Its amazing what twice as much neoprene will do to keep your body feelin' comfy. Here are some pictures...

Wow, a year since my last post. Just trying to graduate I guess. Here is something cool that I saw in Zion National Park last month:

Cascade Mountain Backcountry

Well, its time to sell the good old Land Cruiser. It was my dream to own one, and my wife's dream as well, but we have both decided to get a more kid friendly and gas friendly car. The LC only gets about 11 miles to the gallon. That sorta goes against the tree hugger side of me. Here is a tribute to the most amazing vehicle I've ever owned.

We went to Pt. Reyes National Seashore with Sierra's fam over the holiday. It was amazingly rainy and beautiful. Eli was a huge trooper the whole way, despite the look on his face in this picture. It was a beautiful trip.

I don't know why I didn't publish this post 2 years ago when I saved it as a draft, but here it is.

Baptist Draw into Chute Canyon, and up out the back door. Temp at night while sleeping was easily below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Tested my old sleeping bag's temperature rating (0 degrees). Lucky I had a biv sac, or I would have froze. In the daytime not so bad, but still pretty cold. All of the puddles but one were frozen solid. Total hiking time about 4 hours...was it worth the drive? I thought so...

Thanks to Brendan for a good shot of me rappin' into Chute. Shots of me don't happen as much anymore, so this was a pleasant surprise.

Here it is, the next big adventure. Englestead Hollow has been postponed to try and do "The Grand Traverse"...

One side to the other, across the Timpanogos Massif. Click on the image to make it bigger.

Tomorrow I hope to get down to Zion and do Imlay Canyon, the canyon of all canyons, this very Saturday...Unfortunately, the weather forcast is pretty dismal looking, and any chance of rain would shut me down. I've done Imlay only once before, 2 years ago with Dan Myers. I have since done quite a few canyons, leading all but one of them, and I feel ready to take two of my friends through this adventure. I'll post a pic of our trip when its over.

ZION
Sierra and I hiked Talyor Creek last week up to the "Double Arch Alcove", which actually doesn't even have one real arch. We left early, and made it there and almost back before the first of the crowds got there, and in the last fifteen minutes of our hiking we probably passed about 25 people on their way to the same spot. I also went a little ways (about a mile) up the canyon which is next in line to the south of this one, just to explore. It looks like a real winner, but I told Sierra I would be back in 15 minutes, and I can only jog so fast...

Eli really loved this hike, and I am excited for a summer full of trips with him to the most beautiful places on the earth, or at least the most beautiful places in Utah. Maybe Eli would like Imlay Canyon...? ;)

Flip Time

Last week Josh Heck and I were almost to the top of squaw peak, when time cut us off. Our wives wanted us home within about 20 minutes of this picture. Those who know where we are know this is possible but only by sprinting down the entire way...Anyhow, we couldn't let a good opportunity go to waste. Josh actually did a backflip, but I don't want to look less cool than him, hence no picture:) (actually his sweatshirt makes him look like an upside-down blur, and I have to get to class right now, so I'm jost not posting it...)

The Y Mount

John B Hoyt and I climbed Y mountain this Saturday in just about 2 hours. At first we were headed straight up the west face, but came to a tricky spot and decided to cut around to the south face and just take the easy walk to the top. The first pic is coming around the corner between the two faces, and the second is on the top of the mountain. You can see a pretty good storm cloud on Mount Nebo in the background.

Muddy Creek...

On Tuesday of last week Dan Myers and I went to the San Rafael Reef and did the "Squeeze" which is the first canyon directly southwest of the muddy creek gorge. Part of the stipulation for our trip was speediness, so that we would not be gone from our wives for very long. Therefore we did not take many pictures in the canyon.

However, there were some sweet moments of photographic wonder. Here is a shot of the gorge that I particularly like.
The canyon itself was purely gorgeous, but pictures will have to come some other time.

Spanish Fork Reservoir
~

We went swimming last Friday at a new spot. It's pretty fun. A little crowded and not too big, but the water is wonderfully cold, and deep.

August 5, 2005

I just wanted to say sorry for not having any great adventures to post here since I made this blog. My wife is due in 2 months, and even camping is kinda difficult for her. She is my adventure buddy, so if she doesn't go, I really don't want to either. There has been one exception, where I took Eva and Devin through icebox canyon about a month and a half ago. But other than that, since I've been married to Sierra I haven't gone on any adventure by myself.

I never want to become one of those husbands who ditches his wife and kids for a week to go play with his buddies in some exotic place, and by exotic I mean freezing, snowy, and wonderfully windy. I think if there's an adveture worth having, its worth having with your loved ones.

This doesn't always work though. Sometimes I end up dragging people places that are actually much too difficult for their enjoyment, and thereby ruin the experience for them. And that really ruins the experience for me too. If I take someone to a place that I love, to do something that I love, hoping that they will love it too, it really breaks my heart when they end up not loving it. Its like sharing your testimony with a friend, only to have them later become and anti-mormon.

Now that Sierra is pregnant, I think the likelyhood of this occurence is much stronger than before. So far in our marriage she has been so patient with me and has loved every place I've dragged her...but I need to use discretion.

So I think that if extreme circumstances warrant, I'll take a trip every now and then to some crazy place without my wife. Like in October when Dan comes back from Kiev and we do Heaps Canyon in Zion like crazy fools...! (...just kidding Dan, we can do whatever you want, but I doubt you want to freeze to death in the pitch black of that place...)

Anyhow, excuses aside, expect some cool pics or postings within a week.

Art

My Wife

Here are a few pictures of my wonderful wife Sierra. I argue that she is the most beautiful girl ever. There are some great girls out there, some of which I am priveledged to be friends with and some who are my sisters, but Sierra takes the cake. Tell me if you agree, or in other words, tell me how good your eyesight is. :)

MBHC

I would here like to mention what MBHC stands for. A quick Google search on the internet will give you Miami Behavioral Health Center and Mennonite Brethren something something along with much more. Unfortunately none of these are correct.

The real meaning of the acronym MBHC is "Mount Baker Hard Core"... It refers to a rare breed of human that resides mostly in the vicinity of the North Cascades with some subspecies being migratory for various reasons. And there is also an extremely rare case where individuals are born in entirely different environments, and have possibly never been to the North Cascades, but their DNA code contains all the right elements and its only a matter of time before they develop into a mature specimen.

The first person to categorize the MBHC was definitely not me. I'm not exactly sure how far it goes back. I first heard the expression from my good friend Nathan Walker, and he might know the original source. He might actually be the original source. Others who might know include Pete and Austin Gallant, Kipton Nichols, and Zack Smith.

If you have ever been skiing or snowboarding at the Mount Baker Ski Resort on a very stormy day, just before you headed in early you might have glimpsed through the fog and the wind some lone skier cruising down the steeps. Then the vision passes, the clouds swirl about you, and you remember that you fingertips are in the beginning stages of frostbite, so you head down to the lodge. What you saw up there was an MBHC.

Thriving in condition that most other humans despise, the MBHC come out in the worst of all storms. They are also known for their physical prowess, most of the time being too fast to observe for very long. They climb, snowshoe, mountain bike (ethically), kayak, and of course ski, telemark included. Sometimes there are snowboarders, but those are a select few in that most would-be MBHC snowboarders are seduced by the more punkish crowd that prefer a hamburger in the lodge to an icy blast of sleet on the mountain top. The migrant species are somewhat different, involving activities like canyoneering, surfing, and so forth.

There is much more involved with the MBHC, such as environmental awareness, loyalty to the other MBHC, and a cunning that far surpasses even most physics professors. The underlying foundation is the same in all MBHC. It can even be observed simply in everyday attitude. But for the sake of brevity, let it stand that the name is for real, not just for fun. So now you have somewhat of an idea of what MBHC means.

SIERRA


Here is a shot of my wife and car. Its too bad the mountain in the background is just Timp and not Shuksan or Baker... But the focal point is that beautiful woman in the red sweater. Sierra Rachel Brown. She is one of those rare cases of MBHC that has never actually seen Mount Baker. But nobody worry, the day is fast approaching when she will see that wonderful place and I am confident the urge will hit her like a ton of bricks to head up and go live for two weeks in a snowcave on the slopes of that blessed mountain, and then return many times.

But even if that weren't to happen quite exactly in that manner, I would still love her a ton! And I think the one person in the world who would qualify for an honorary MBHC title would have to be her. Trust me, she is amazing!

DAN MYERS


This is Dan. He is definitely MBHC, but he has yet to come with me on a crazy trip through the North Cascades. There are few guys I know that are as fast, tough, smart, or as cool as this guy right here. And there are definitely none cooler!

TELIA


Here is Sierra's sister Telia, towards the end of Quandary Canyon in the San Rafael Reef in southern Utah. Telia is one tough cookie, and depending on her love of snow, she might very well be another MBHC without even knowing it.

She is posing in this shot, not painfully dangling on the verge of consciousness.

GAYLEEN, MY SISTER

My Bro "P"

Let me just say a little bit about this young gentleman. He is smart, funny, smart, athletic, smart, daring, and did I mention smart? Yeah, well, he is. I hate to admit it, but despite my double major in Math and Physics, Phillip will end up being about 100 times smarter than I am. Luckily I'm still faster and stronger than he is...wink, wink:) However, something that might interests the ladies in him over me is the fact that he's still single...Haha! Here are a few more pictures: