The day was beautiful. The weather was good. I had gone mountain biking the day before, and, let's be honest, the day before that as well. I put up this post on the BYU Outdoor Adventure Meetup Page. This was the reaction that I got. Too bad no one went with me. I had a blast. Of course there were times that weren't so blissful, but such is life. Right?

     Rock Canyon is a wonderful place just above the Provo Utah Temple. It is a short drive from pretty much anywhere in Provo and there are quite a few people that use this trail to get out of the city life. It's so great to have nature so close.

     Exploring the trails around Provo has proven to be a rewarding experience. It is so easy to get out into the mountains. They are, in a sense, right in my backyard. Some of the trails that I have come across here have been, Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Rock Canyon Trail, and Slate Canyon Trail.

     When I posted the above on my Facebook I don't know if I knew what I was in for. It was to be the third day that I would take my Gary Fisher out for a spin. The weather was good. The air was a little heavy and it could have rained, but to my knowledge it didn't. 

     A girl with attended me from behind the counter at the bike shop that day. I proudly told her I needed two 26inch by 2.1 tubes. She asked me if I wanted the thorn resistant tubes or regular tubes. I asked the price and decided on the regular tubes. Thinking back now, the thorn resistant tubes would have been nice. I got some gloves and as she was helping me check out I noticed that her hands were blackened by what looked like grease. Impressive, a girl that works on bikes! How many of those do you find walking around? I might get myself in trouble saying that, but really, think about the last five bike shops you have been in. How many of them had girls working in the shop.

    I drove up to the parking lot and got myself ready to go. The trail is steep so I took off at a good pace. I had done this once before. There is no reason to kill yourself at the bottom with your big chain ring. There will be plenty of time to die on your small ring up higher. The trail up Rock Canyon is not one to be taken lightly. If you do you may not make it up. I just spun near the base and slowly climbed my way up. Near the base of the canyon there is a lot of loose gravel. There are bigger rocks spattered here and there. I passed a man that told me another biker was ahead of me. He also said he didn't envy me.
     As you go up the trail gets narrower and the rocks turn into obstacles and there seems to be more dirt in between them. Somewhere in this mix of gravel and rocks, snow adds to the treacherousness of the trail. In the midst of my struggling I saw the other biker! He was a little way above me! I think my competitiveness kicked in and I tore at the hill.

     I had gone up some nice single track the day before. I had run out of time and had to go back down. The video I sent to my family said "tempting," referring to the trail ahead of me. This day I got my chance to take off into that frontier. I kept going through mud and obstacles. It was a great challenge! I finally got to the campground that the other cyclist had stopped at.

     He had some wood and a small wooden bowl and was using snow to get a shaving brush wet for some reason. I later found out that he was going to take pictures of a shaving set for a photo contest. He tried taking pictures of his shaving equipment in the snow and by some flowers. I had my little camera as well, so why not snap off a few shots. The yellow flowers had an intriguing shape. I didn't understand it fully until I saw one fully open!

      We finally decided to head down. The other biker had no rear brake so I let him go down first. I didn't envy him! I worked nimbly down the trail, braking, accelerating, picking lines in the rock infested trail. My back end felt weird so I stopped and pressed on the tire and heard air spew out of it! I changed the tube and continued on my way. I kept going down, feeling a little more confident than the last time I had come down this path. A bridge crossed the small stream that trails along the path. I crossed it and flew off the end. The back tire slammed down something and was pinched flat again. I was close to the car but after a while I decided to fix the tube anyway. I watched as rock climbers maneuvered above me. I patched what I thought was necessary and then put the tire back together. As I pumped air still escaped. I found that there were more problems. I fixed them and tried to put the tire back on. This is where I pinched the tube with the tire lever. I put a quick patch on it and put it back together. Finally I was on my way!

     The decent was quick and fun! Many people used that same trail that day, an old man that talked to me about having the means to fix my bike, couples out climbing by the green gate, and two little princesses in matching purple dresses hiking up with their family.

     I got to play a little and explore some new places that day. All I can say is get outside! Go exploring. Life's too short to waste it!

Pictures by Coben Hoch

To see the rest of the comments on the Facebook post check out BYU Outdoor Adventure Club Meetup Page.

Salt Lake Adventure! The beginning of many...

Trains, homeless people, slack liners, Brazilians, FAMILY… 

     This weekend I took a trip up to Salt Lake City. I decided to make an adventure out of it! Traveling around with a backpack and a camera, getting to know new places, it sounds a lot like a dream to me. Look out for more trips like this.

     I got a ride to the train station from one of my roommates. Ahead of me was a girl that was going North on the train as well. I didn't know exactly where I was going…. PERFECT opportunity to ask directions. I got to know her as we rode the train north toward Salt Lake. We got off the train together and parted ways. 

      Drinking my Gatorade on the train left me with a certain fullness in the bladder area. I looked around for a bathroom and finally asked someone who pointed me in the right direction. At some point I talked to the Security guard who said something about the station being a war zone. I don't think I fully grasped the situation at that point. 

      I took off and saw another photographer taking pictures of the local scene. It was a good place to take some shots. He asked what looked like a random person to pose for him. It was great. I learned that that is a totally feasible way to get subjects for your shots.

      I got off a long way from my destination. I could have probably taken a tram or a bus closer to where I wanted to go, but where is the adventure there? It gave me an opportunity to learn. I passed a street lined with homeless people. I got pictures of some great flowers by the Little America. I learned that macro mode pays off.

     I used the technique that I saw employed by the other photographer and asked some slack liners if I could take a picture of them. Look what I found.

      These were some of the best slack liners I have ever seen. The one in the picture above was a skier who attends West Minster college. If he had his choice, he would ski six days per week. 

The mission reunion with Brazilian friends coupled with seeing my family made the trip all worth it!

Pictures taken 04/05/14

Turn around and the weather will change!

     The clouds shroud the mountains like a magicians cape. The rain comes down like spittle from someones lips. Everyone walks around with their faces scrunched from the wetness. Then the clouds give way just enough to see some of the mountains, not as much snow as I would expect, but there is some up there.
     The weather in Utah has it's ups and downs. There will be nice days and then days like this. I looked outside and saw white coming down. It was not an April fools joke, but if it had been it would have been a good one. According to the National Weather Service it is 45 degrees and overcast. We have a 50% chance of snow for tonight and a chance of snow for tomorrow.
     According to the BYU ESC Weather Summary on April 1, 2013 the low temperature bottomed out at 39.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The high for that day was 57.7 degrees. There .21 inches of rainfall were recorded. In 2009 the low was 23.9 degrees the high 41.6 degrees and .09 inches of rain fell.
     I look outside now and I can see blue sky. The sunlight sparkles off the wet trees. So what should I wear. Do I wear a jacket or a tee-shirt? During spring in Provo you have to be prepared for anything….

These pictures were taken within seconds of each other. Literally, look in another direction and the weather will change!

Pictures taken April 1, 2014