White Rim

Well, it's nice to be back after almost two straight weeks of traveling! These are just a few of the 346 pictures and videos I took on the White Rim trail. This was such a fun trip! I am not much of a camper, but once a year for four days, I can handle it. :) We had some really yummy food (cafe rio pork burritos two nights in a row. You would think that wouldn't be good, but they were both different enough that both nights were yum! And the dutch oven Chicken Pot Pie . . . Oh my goodness!) and had a great time with everyone there. Our friends Cam and Mandee put the trip together every year. Josh went last year and I saw that he had such a good time that I decided I would go this year as well. I'm so glad that I did. Even though I have never really gone mountain biking I had a great time and even did almost 30 miles over four days. I'm still a novice for sure, but I had a lot of fun. Mountain biking is definitely something I want to do more of and I really hope to go on this trip next year.
This was the view from the front of our tent on our last night camping . . .





A few of the die hard bikers coming up Murphy's . . . I think the hardest hill on the whole trail. Yeah . . . I drove the truck, not my bike up this sucker. Actually, I can't even say that I drove the truck the entire way cause it's a pretty scary hill and I made J'me drive his truck up the first part, which I'm not sure was even the scariest part. But I would have felt horrible if anything bad had happened while driving someone else's car. This picture doesn't show the scary part, but if you have been there, then you know!
I don't think this picture needs much explanation . . .

Cam and Mandee goofing off and making everyone laugh . . . as usual!

One of the first stops along the trail, don't remember the spot. But it was gorgeous. A little cold, but beautiful! And I think Josh looks cuter in his bike gear than I do. :P Although I did get a couple of compliments on my shorts. :)

The morning of the third day we played around a bit in some slot canyons. Sadly, the funniest part of this adventure was not captured on film. :( What was the funniest part you ask? Probably the part where I took off my socks and shoes to wade through a small puddle in the rocks before climbing down the last part of the canyon and instead of sliding my feet slowly down to the bottom of the puddle I decided it would be more fun to just slide my butt down to the bottom and get soaked up to my chest, at the same time sending a rush of water down the small canyon to everyone waiting at the bottom. Yeah, not my best moment, but at least it was something to laugh about! Oh, and then there's the part where Josh almost ripped my shirt off trying to pull me out of the freezing cold water. Good times . . . good times.

This is just a short video of me repelling (!) over a boulder onto Cam's (aka, the shuttle) shoulders. If you know me well at all, you know that I am a fraidy cat and don't like heights. But I've decided to become a little more adventurous in my old age so I wanted to try it. I knew I wasn't going to get hurt, I just had to take a moment to trust myself enough to do it. And I did!

All in all it was a really great trip. Wait, did I say that already? Well, it is worth saying again because I had the best time! I was worried that everyone would think I was wimpy or lazy if I didn't bike a bunch, but everyone was very cool and I felt good just even being there. Maybe next year I will be able to bike more and not walk up so many hills. But it was fun driving the Simpson's truck, too. I like to 4-wheel! Plus it made it so everyone else could ride more, which was a-okay by me. The real champ was Mandee . . . 8 months pregnant and camping for 4 days, plus driving a huge truck WITH a trailer behind it, which may sound easy but believe me . . . .IT'S NOT! Not on the White Rim anyway. Riding your bike was the easy part!

Being the Uber planner that I am, Cam is convinced that in two years I'll be planning the whole thing, instead of him. I'm not so sure about that, but we'll see. If it means I get invited back every year, then I'd be okay with that!