Grand Canyon

My how time can fly!

Since my last post , we have conquered the Grand Canyon! It was probably one of the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, and one of the most amazing experiences as well. The temps were breaking 100 as we backpacked down. At the bottom an oasis greeted us along the Colorado river. However, the heat did not subside. Most of our free time was spent sitting in Bright Angel creek staying cool, or in the canteen sipping lemonade. There were air conditioned cabins (which we did not have), flush toilets, and running water. This trip was quite different than any other backpack trip I've ever been on. The deer did not mind you, and would graze mere feet from your presence. Meanwhile lizards would stare at you and do push-ups, challenging the viewer to a macho man contest. Most of the other visitors were nice, and the staff was great at Phantom Ranch. The hike back out, 11 miles and over a vertical mile in elevation, took 10 grueling hours. At times I wanted to leave my pack where I sat. If the heat had not been so harsh, I believe the hike would have been much more enjoyable. The views, streams, and mini waterfalls helped create a distraction from the never ending sunshine. At the end I was victorious. Despite the heat, the aching calves, and sun burnt shoulders, I do it all again in a heart beat. Only next time in March or November, not May!

February

Well, the entire month has gone by in a blur. Not much excitement has gone on. We went to our first commercial hot springs last week. Miracle Hot Springs, 9 miles from Hagerman, Idaho, aproximately 2 hours from Boise, was quite nice. There's still nothing like being fully in nature, but the set up was still enjoyable. Josh and I rented a private soaking pool (which was weird paying to hot spring!), there was also a large warm swimming pool, and a smaller public soaker that is kept at about 105 degrees. They have alligators on site, which was pretty cool to see, as well as geodomes to rent for an overnight stay. That day we also drove down the road to Balanced Rock park, and hiked around a bit. The canyon was a bit spooky with the loud echoes, clouded skies, and jagged rock formations. The girls went with us, as usual, and had a great time. Josh and I have been busy working and preparing for summer to arrive!

Sunrise Soaking @ Skinny Dipper

Last week, on the 21st, Josh and I woke before dawn to trek out on our next soak. We traveled to Skinny Dipper hot springs, just outside of Banks, ID. It was still dark when we arrived. With our flashlights and trusty trekking poles we began the ascent. A quarter mile up isn't usually too bad, however, when the path is slick with ice and snow, it's a different story. We made it safely up with out any falls! This is quite the feat for me, as I am not always the most graceful of people. We enjoyed a beautiful soak while watching the sun rise. The hike back down was even more treacherous. Thank goodness for our trekking poles! Thanks, Mom.

We are begining our training for our May hike into the Grand Canyon. This will be my first trip there, as well as Josh's. As that comes closer I'll give more details. So far, 2007 has been a wonderful year!

New Years Resolution

It is a new year, and with that comes the ever anticipated new year resolutions. My main one this year is keeping in better touch with my family and friends. Time slips by so quickly that I can't always seem to be able to let everyone know what's been going on. I'm not abandoning personal emails nor phone calls. Those are too important. What I want is a way to keep every one more in the know, so to speak. I'm not sure how often I'll post, my life isn't always that exciting. I will post as often as I can though. I feel that by telling my story my loved ones will get to know me better, and in turn we'll all be a little closer.

I want to start off by explaining the title of my blog. Billie's Shoes is a story my mom wrote about me many years ago. It tells the tale of my growing up into a woman. How I've worn many different shoes from dancing to running shoes. I can not read this story with out a tear coming to my eye. It moves me so deeply, as she does with her strength and love for all. I am proud to be called her daughter.

Here's a brief recap of 2006. It was a very interesting year. Josh and I had much joy as well as much sorrow. I started my wonderful job at the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council. Josh graduated from college! At the end of summer we lost Josh's best friend, Brandon in a motorcycle accident. He is deeply missed. As tragedies normally do, we began to reevaluate our lives. As sad as this accident was/is, it helped bring a new joy, a new faith, into our lives. We were able to enjoy many wonderful camping and backpacking trips this year. Our adventures brought us into the Olympic National Park in Washington, all over Idaho, up to fire-watch lookouts, Josh even ventured into northern Nevada to several new hotsprings, and we attended our annual Dave Matthews Band concert at the Gorge in George, Wa. (For those of you who do not know, Josh and I are avid hotspringers. Josh runs www.Idahohotsprings.com which also tells a tale of us, and so much more!) I went to Seattle and Las Vegas for the first time. I loved both places. I also was able to spend a weekend in Coeur d'Alene with my mom and brothers. Christmas brought us to Arizona this year. Josh's family has recently moved to the Phoenix area. It was such an amazing place, so different than Idaho. Absolutely beautiful. Josh and I are planning on moving down there within the next year. I will attend Arizona State University and work towards finishing my degree in Environmental Studies.
There is so much more about 2006, but this blog is about 2007.

This year hasn't brought much excitement so far. We went to Bonneville hot springs on Monday, the 15th. We drove for about 2 hours up into the mountains, slowly watching the terrain change from icy sagebrush to snow encrusted pines. We then hiked a little over 2 miles through a snowed in campground, trying not to lose our footing. Our shutterbugs came out capturing the beauty before we enjoyed a relaxing soak and returning home to our two dogs, Sara and Dolly. We've also been trying to enjoy the little bits of snow that Boise is getting. It has been an exceptionally cold winter, so all of the soft snow is nice and crunchy.

For now, that is all. The year is young and I'm looking forward to all of the excitement and new adventures. Please bookmark my blog page so you can keep up with me. I love you all.

~In peace, Billie