Active Toby

Overview: The Thanksgiving holiday afforded my friend and I the opportunity to explore southeast Utah where we logged over 1800 miles on the road, backpacked amongst ancient ruins, mountain biked 2 famous trails, slept in a solar-powered yurt and only showered once!

Kane Gulch: The 12-hour, 750-mile drive from San Diego to Utah finished atop of the Mokey Dugway just outside of Mexican Hat, UT at 4:30am. We parked the truck off the road, pitched the tent and got 5 hours of much needed sleep. We awoke to a grey sky and a breath-taking view of the Monument Valley and the Valley of the Gods.




With rain in the forecast we knew our backpacking trip through Kane Gulch and into Grand Gulch was risky since flash flooding can occur from .2 to .5 inches of rainfall. This route is best known for the well-preserved collection of Anasazi aka Ancient Pueblo People ruins in this canyon from 1200 BC. Tim and I really wanted to explore this area so we decided to give it a shot despite the eminent danger. To safeguard, we shared our itinerary with our emergency contacts, registered with the Kane Gulch ranger station and designated an escape route through a side canyon 11 miles into the loop.

Here's the trip plan:


The scenery was beautiful as we made our way through the flat and into the wash which led way into the canyon. Our pack weight was a reasonable 40 pounds which made for a pace of roughly 3mph. At mile 7, we came across the first set of ruins. It was fascinating to see the small little dwellings, the petroglyphs and the pot shards. It was like an outdoor and interactive museum. After a few more miles of trekking, we set up camp and ate dinner just as the rain started at 6:30pm.




Thanksgiving Day: By morning, the rain hadn't let up and was only getting worse. The tent was beginning to leak and water was flowing down the trail like a stream. Our camp site was at the junction of the side canyon we designated as our escape route so we made the logical decision and called off the rest of the trek. Our escape route was by no means a walk in the park. This was rugged third-class scrambling over boulders, through streams and up steep and slippery cliffs. By the time we reached the highway and started trekking alongside the road, we were cold and wet but knew we made the right to get out. A mile later, 2 cars stopped and gave us a ride back to our truck at the ranger station which was a much needed morale boosted. The group was from Arizona and they were planning to do the same route we were until our story convinced them otherwise.

Here's the slideshow:


Once we were back on the road, the rain turned to snow as we climbed in altitude. Our friend's yurt in Monticello, UT sits at 7,500 feet and already had a couple inches of accumulation. It was a relief to take refuge in the warm and dry yurt and to eat our backpackers Thanksgiving feast.




The next day we met the rest of the folks staying at the yurt. The snow let up so we cleaned our gear, helped out with projects around the newly constructed yurt, made a run into town for supplies and feasted on real Thanksgiving leftovers with our friends.

Slickrock: The rest of the group went to rock climb at Indian Creek while we made the drive into Moab to ride the famous Slickrock trail. On the drive to the trail, we dropped off the recycling from the yurt at the Canyonlands Community Recycling Center. I couldn't believe how beautiful the terrain was with the La Sal Mountains to the east.



Our ride at Slickrock was a real eye-opener. I was pretty nervous when we first got going because the rock was still wet in places from precipitation the day before which made for some sketchy climbs and descents. My wheels were literally slipping and spinning out at times. I stayed in my easiest gearing for the majority of the ride because when we weren't climbing straight up, we were dropping into a freakishly steep descent met by another steep climb. I was exhausted by the time we completed the main loop but back at the mountain bike shop I purchased a 5-minute shower which really lifted my sprits (and 4 days worth of dirt). Where to get a shower in Moab

Here's the slideshow:

Porcupine Rim: On our final day, we decided to kick it up a notch and attempt the point-to-point mountain bike route known as the Porcupine Rim Trail. The four of us dropped a car off at the end point and shuttled to the top. The ride started with a few miles of very technical climbing before reaching the ridge and beginning the descent back into Moab. The entire ride took us four hours and was the highlight of our trip. The views from the top were incredible, the terrain was technical and fun and our group enjoyed the whole experience. We finished the day off with a great meal and a few pints at the Moab Brewery.




Here's the slideshow:

Recap: This experience was just what I needed to celebrate my passion for adventure, the outdoors and our beautiful country although it does seem unconventional in the traditional sense of Thanksgiving in America. I did have the chance to speak with my family back east while they were together for the holiday and continued the family tradition of finding the family Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I am very much looking forward to joining them in two weeks to finish the year together, celebrate all that was 2008 and get excited for another year of adventure in 2009. Happy Holidays!

Overview: After an incredible 11 months of training and competition, the off-season is here! Recovery from Silverman has been smooth and I'm super excited to explore Moab next week and return with clearer goals and intentions for 2009.

Silverman: The recovery process has been minimal; Achilles tendons were swollen for a few days after the race but besides that, all systems are good to go. Despite feeling well physically, I continue to pass on opportunities to join friends who are training and working out. I need the psychological break in routine because I know: 1.) run mileage will ramp up significantly in mid-January and 2.) 2009 is going to be as big if not bigger than this year.

Moab: This year's Thanksgiving road trip destination is Moab in Southeast Utah. The tradition started in 2005 with a backpacking trip in Zion Nat'l Park and last year in Grand Canyon Nat'l Park. Unfortunately the forecast calls for rain. We'll see what changes over the weekend. My main concern is flash flooding in the canyons where we'll be backpacking. Either way, the plan is to be all geared up and make safe game time decisions based on the conditions. I'll be sure to send mobile updates along the way but am looking forward to stepping off the grid as well. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving holiday where/however you choose to celebrate.

Recap: Following a break-through year of training and competition, it's really important I recover both physically and psychologically. It's also important to address some of the physical imbalances that are inherent with a full multisport season. We'll get more into that after the Thanksgiving break so I'll catch you all back here after the holiday. Make it a great one! ~Toby