The summer is gone

It's November. Practically December. The summer has come and gone. The aspen leaves around my quaint little home have turned and fallen. Months marked by learning a new place. I'm not actually sure where it went but so it has. I've come to realize that keeping up on a blog for me is not easy but I do know that it is still there. Posts from the last years travels, and experiences. From meeting people, living and moving on. Such is life. Today I opened one of my old journals. I've affectionately began referring to it as my adventure book. Those who know me best, know that I love lists. They seem to make order out of chaos. Looking at the few pages that I scribbled in, I found a list. What joy! A life list of sorts and all quite large projects if I do say so myself. On that list- become a yoga instructor, get my masters degree. check, check. Four more items remained unchecked but that is okay, I'm still working on it.  Here I thought may be a good place and time to share some moments that have unraveled over the last months. Reader enjoy.

Time on the Road

Somewhere near the North Rim, Grand Canyon, Arizona

(above) Cactus on the road to the Green River in Arizona. (Below) Canyons with the Henry Moutains in the foreground, Utah

Cedar Mesa at sunset, Utah

Cabin Life in Ketchum

Structured life has begun once again. I found my way to Idaho a little more than four months ago. Prior to that I lived out of a truck. And while the truck took me to many adventures, most of which revolved around the desert south west, my heart yearned to settle. I wanted to garden, I wanted to can food, I wanted to wake up in a bed.

Life took me here. A new job turned into much more. It has turned into a new chapter in life. With this chapter came a new pup named Lily, a perfect quaint little cabin in the woods and boundless opportunities to explore, adventure, visit beautifully amazing hot springs and reunite with true nature. So this is my life. Today I finally rode my bike to work only to realize that the fixed gear commuter that carried me mile after mile in flat Corvallis, Oregon is a real monster to try to ride up hill in a hellish headwind. I suppose one of two things will happen. Either I will get in pretty darn good fixed gear shape real fast or the more likely outcome: the Oregon commuter will be swapped for something a little more hill friendly.  

Camas Prairie

The more time I  spend in Idaho the more amazed I am. We have resumed our weekend warrior schedule, making the ambitious exploration jaunts on the weekends. In grad school this killed me; Mondays left me longing for sleep. Here it is different. My backyard still holds so many undiscovered treasures that the weekend warrior missions are not the previous 3+ hours of driving just to get there. AND I am no longer writing a thesis. That helps too.

 

 This past weekend we made our way to the Camas Prairie. To the passing eye it looks nothing more than a sagebrush flatland. Passerby you are deceived! This place is fantastic. We explored on foot for hours and discovered deep blackrock canyons, cavernous lava tubes and even came across an old junkyard. One man's trash is another's treasure. When you take the time to set out on foot it is impressive what you may find...

Rusted out

 A snowy hike in the foothills turned up this impressive rusting out relic of mining endeavors

Oh Idaho

 

end of the season chanterelles

The end of the season. Chanterelles. Or maybe just the beginning.  The jaunt to Oregon was bittersweet. A final foray for the season and a mission to collect belongings out of the storage unit. Wrapping up life in a place you call home is never easy but I think the continual downpour might have made it just slightly more so.  Two days spent at the coast turned up the strongholds in the chanterelle kingdom. The ones that refused to give up but instead proved to hide like nobodies business. It took not only a full-on rain samurai suit but also a considerable amount of digging around through water laden ferns, moss and fir needles to uncover these little delicacies.

 

Busy Baby B

The times are a changin. The newest addition to the extended family; busy baby B. I'm adoring the opportunity to get know him and marvel at his perfect mini-person features. Loving be an auntie.  


hotsprings

 The last few months have provided the opportunity to visit some new hotsprings, a favorite pastime of mine. On the way back from Oregon we stopped for a few days at a lovely place called Avalanche Ranch. A small working farm, antique barn and cabin rentals complete the experience. Although I very much enjoy the springs lost in the mountains, the uniqueness and beauty of the many pools at this place are quite welcoming.

The newest pool at Avalanche Ranch; a cedar tub in the old barn

 

I've been to a number of "natural springs" and yet every time I travel through Idaho it never ceases to amaze me. The springs here have an appeal unlike anywhere else. Generally clean, without hoards of people and surrounded by beautiful forests make Idaho's hotsprings an unbelievable experience.

And finally onto the most recent find and one of my favorite yet. The hotsprings along the Verde River in Arizona. This place is remarkable. It was a historic lodge from the 1920's that burned down in the 60's. What remains is this: the springs, the old foundation and a lot of care from some hotspring loving locals. The springs themselves are a bit terrifying in depth. Something like 9 feet that crawl under the stone structure only to open into caverns. Not somewhere one would choose to venture but indeed a pleasant soak assuming you stay on the surface. The catch to this place is that it requires a decent wade through the river to get here. We opted to hike above the spring and then blow up the packrafts and partake on a bit of squirly ride to the springs in lew of the immersion. A smart choice in November.

Ruin

 History in some of the most unusual of places. I've found a new interest in recent ruins; they have stories. Sometimes the stories are on the surface and other times they are locked deep within. These old army barracks were a bit like a maze- dorm style bedrooms, work spaces, a theater, labs, dining halls. Abandoned, a history left for demise.

 Colorado ghost towns...remnants of mining and life at 12,000 feet.