Sunday, April 18, 2004

My training for the Backpacking trip is coming along nicely. the first hike wasnt as hard as I thought it would be with a loaded pack, but my legs were sore for a few days afterwards...got to work past that. Climbed Squaw peak again, and this weekend I did a 10 mile rollerblade run thinking it would be good to mix it up. Bad move. I was buzzing along with my buddy Charlie from Atlanta...when I lost my balance at a high speed. I knew I was going to fall, so I dove for the grass alongside the path. I rolled a few times and felt my knee pop in the process. DAMN! now I have a twisted knee. Is very sore, and is painful to walk today. That was a bad move! I will definately have to work through this to keep on schedule with my training. Next weekend I am scheduled to do a 7 mile backpack training hike. Wish me luck.

Sunday, April 11, 2004

Happy Bunny day everyone! I spent my day out watchin the real bunnies hop through the desert.
I am currently in-training for a backpacking trip to Havasu falls in the Grand Canyon next month. Is something I have wanted to do for a very long time. Havasu falls is accessable only by foot...and is a 10 mile hike from the southwestern Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is acutally a part of a chain of spectacular waterfalls located in a remote part of the havasu indian land. I am told the falls pour into natural travertine pools and the water is a surreal aqua blue, and creates a tropical micro climate that is truely an oasis in the desert. The idea of backpacking down the canyon and back out 10 miles each way has kept it a dream. However this past January a buddy booked me as a part of his group reservation to the falls in May. I am a little nervous about it since it has been YEARS since I have been backpacking...much less anything of that distance and elevation. So I am training. I am climbing the intown squaw peak each weekend ( a 1.5 mile trail with a 1,200 foot climb.) and today I did my first distance hike of 5 miles with a fully loaded pack. I am beat...but I do feel jazzed about it. AND I got to see real live bunnies in the desert...and an eagle, some hawks, some partridges, lizards and chipmonks. Life is good!