Bring Back The Geo Metro

Bring Back the Geo Metro. I'm still getting 45 miles to the gallon on the highway. Sure, its really not the Most comfortable car. The owner's manual says load capacity is 600 pounds. That's a three people and gear on a good day.

It has a trunk, but no rear defroster.
It has a tape player, and awesome speakers. For those of you too young to remember, the tape came after the vinyl disk but before the CD. Thats light years before the mp3 and the IPOD.

The tires are small and inexpensive. The battery will last over 7 years. The oil filter looks like it belongs on a lawn tractor.

It is a stick shift. I've finally changed the spark plugs on this 1996 gem of mine. With 114,000 plus miles on it, I figure to keep it many more years.

If we all had good mileage cars, could we finally quit drilling for oil?
If we could learn to combine trips, car pool, or walk a little bit more, could we quit buying oil from the middle east?
Maybe we just need to quit buying all that plastic crap made with petroleum?

I think when we finally get a handle on alternative sources of energy, and we cut back on our endless consumption, oil will be the vinyl disk of the Energy Industry.

Grandkids will listen to our Remember-When stories, When I Was Your Age stories and say, "You actually Burned Oil in your car to make it run?"

They'll shake their heads, wrinkle their nose and say, "that's nasty".

Emerald Pools with Rainmaker

This morning we hiked up to Emerald Pools. Even with an "early start" after breakfast there were many other hikers. A lot of kids too, some with little hiking poles.

By turning left after the main North Fork Virgin River bridge, we ascended first to the middle pools. Then, threading our way through the crowds, we took another left and headed up to the upper falls. The water fall had all but dried up. It was cool, much cooler there. Shady, water, and good sitting rocks were taken advantage of by yours truly.

Then, after due time, we descended down path ways, rock steps, between massive three story boulders, to the junction with Kayenta Trail (heading north to the Grotto area) and the lower falls trail. The lower falls actually is a raining -dripping event which felt wonderful in the heat. Rainmaker had his High Definition camera tucked under his shirt for protection.

I really enjoy hiking early mornings because the trails are less crowded, and the shade is so comfortable for viewing this fantastic place. Today, a Saturday in mid June, many people were out early with their families enjoying it as well. Its good to see the children here.

The Free Table

This is a picture of a "free" table. People who are sick of stuff, or done with stuff, or just basically don't want to pack it up and take on the road with them, donate it to the table.

There are some pretty good books to be found, items of clothing, sometimes a board game or empty jugs for water.

Every once in awhile someone will "clean house" and dispose of stuff that's been sitting around for a long time.

Every dorm has its laundry room, and that's where some free tables are found. Other dorms have free boxes near the lounge. Just depends on who starts the box, and if HR approves.

They say the best things in life are free. I've been pondering that.

What are the best things in life?

Love. That's not really free. There's much emotional work and a measure of selflessness that goes with real love.

One must invest time. That's not free either. If it were, we would all stock up on it as much as possible. Seems like there's never enough time. Sometimes we even try to buy time : using convenience foods, multitasking, postponing domestic tasks in an effort to grab a few extra minutes of "free time." And when there is "free time", doing nothing, accomplishing nothing specific brings guilt.

One of the best things in life are children. They sure aren't free. There should be a lot of investment in them. Not so much the material things but the things that matter like time and love.

One of the best things in life is your health. That sure isn't free. I don't think a single person, especially an older person would dispute that.

So, I've come to the conclusion that the best things aren't free. They actually require the most, and that's a commitment to give the best of yourself.

Hidden Canyon with Rainmaker

This morning before work,
and after a good breakfast in the EDR, I enjoyed a hike up in Hidden Canyon with Rainmaker.

It was cool and we passed only one couple until the return trip.

The trail has some chains embedded in the side of the canyon wall where one may grab ahold to aid in climbing, decending and generally avoid death.

A couple mountain bikers tried to use the trail, but I found my "voice" and told them it wasn't allowed. The sign clearly shows a red X through the bike picture.
There's also a sign warning of possible death, and that others have died on that trail.

Hidden Canyon doesn't seem that scarey, though. Some pavement, some drop offs. Not a place to be caught in a flash flood. Basically I felt today we escaped injury, Angels Landing is death.

Fallen Heroes

These flowers will soon be shriveled and blown away in the wind. I'm not sure if they had enough time to grow viable seed within their short life times.

Somebody decided to pick them while hiking in Zion National Park. Somebody decided it wasn't enough just to enjoy their beauty for a short time. Somebody couldn't just walk on by and allow the flowers to continue living happily, soaking up sunshine, surviving on the little moisture available, producing seeds to further their species.

I remember picking flowers when I was a child. Back in those days, we didn't hear about global warming, or revegetation. Our mothers were happy to recieve the gift. I guess most of these were dandilions, or marigolds grown in the garden.

So, I'm not saying this is evil, just an outdated concept, unnecessary, perhaps simply a spontaneous reaction.

I hope we can evaluate before we take action with such long lasting consequences. Look beyond the immediate gratification of picking the flower in its prime, using it for our personal need, then casting it aside in the dirt.

Its just a simple thing. Just about respecting the beauty without having to physically own it.

Simplicity is the Spice

I'm a complicated woman who loves simplicity.

Friends, hanging out on Whitney, after hiking all the way from Mexico.

Sitting around a campsite cooking Ramen. A trail heading north.

Albert Einstein wrote "Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity" . These were his three rules of work, and he is a genius.

I'm lounging on a rock in the foreground here. We'd climbed Whitney that morning, after stashing most of our backpacking gear in bear boxes down in Crabtree Meadows. As long distance hikers know, the longer you hike, the less you carry. You get it down to basics. The stuff that doesn't work you replace, or get rid of entirely. You look for gear you can fix yourself while on the journey. Our journeys had begun at the Mexican border, in late April. Now, it was June.

I still love the simplicity of a long trail. My co workers will see me eating with just a spoon. It makes sense to me. Why use a host of utensils when your basic spoon does it all?

I carry an solar powered L E D light, having given up on flashlights and batteries. Still use a silnylon wallet. Drive a 1996 Geo. Pants with pockets and jackets with hoods is my mantra for recreational clothing.

Always keeping things practical and simple to reduce the clutter and maintenance of material things.

To read an essay on my Ultralight Philosophy

check out: http://trailquest.net/BRwondering.html

By stripping things down to key functions, we can save ourselves many product failures. That's always been my way.

A Special Hike in Zion

I love doing explorations. Hiking alone is great fun Seldom does a person actually go a whole day on a trail without encountering another individual. During those times we can shrug off societies rules of no burping, talking aloud to oneself, farting, or childlike wonderment.

We don't have to be way cool. Our clothes don't have to match or be designer labeled. In fact, the shirt I found was a Small and I cut its label off.

We can fail to reach our objective without feeling weak. We can elect our break times or continue mercilessly in heat and storm. I like it.

A good trail partner is a rare gift from the gods. If you find one, treasure them, and let them know it.

Zion Activities

The shuttle bus is pretty important in Zion. No other traffic is allowed except park rangers, polices, ambulances.

We park employees may drive our vehicles up to the Lodge which has the same parking lot as our dorms. Of course, window stickers and Employee IDs must verify that we are indeed employed here.

The shuttle bus runs frequently beginning before 8 a.m and ending around 11 p.m. They are free to ride as often as you like. That's pretty cool cause you can catch a ride up to the Temple and hike that paved trail and catch the bus back. Or, ride it to the various trail heads in the park, do the trail, then jump back on the bus to the next one.

During the mid morning to mid afternoon rush, they actually come every 7 minutes. On the front of each one is a place to load bikes or kayaks. Very user friendly.

The one I road back from the Visitors center had a recording with a nice voice describing all the views and landmarks as we road past. Gave the driver more time to focus on the road. According to a sign I saw, a bus is not allowed to pass bicycles. If you're on a bike and you want the bus to pass, you must pull over and stop.

Good rules to follow to keep everyone safe, comfortable, and accommodated in your National Park.

Trail to Grotto

This is one of my favorite trails in Zion, if for no other reason it leads to the crossroads for many others. On the Lodge side of the road, the east side, this trail is six tenths of a mile, leads to the picnic area where there are picnic tables, bathrooms, and a shuttle bus stop.

Crossing the road you have access to the river trails, heading both north and south, both of which are dirt. Crossing the bridge, you can head south to the Emerald Pools by way of grotto trail, or heading north you can hike up to Scouts Landing, Angel's Landing, or even further to the West Rim Trail.

But, back to this nice little .6 mile trail. I find deer feeding along the path many mornings. There are neat rock formations, its not crowded and its pretty level and straightforward.

Last night it rained, and the temperatures are in the 60's. Pretty nice.

Update on Reality

This is the EDR where I eat in Zion. It's a pretty neat place, really. Especially neat since I now work on the Line.

The Employee Dining Room is open pretty much from 6 a.m to 9 p.m. Even when meals are not being served from the hot line (center of photo, at the window) an employee can come in, get coffee, soda, ice cream, fresh fruit, bread or cold cereal and milk. This is very handy because sometimes we sleep in or go hiking past the lunch period.

The wood chairs are sturdy, and the place is swamp cooled, a form of air conditioning that is Eco- friendly. Feels really good in there when it's especially hot outside.

I've been here in Zion a month now and know many of the employees. I'm really liking my new station on the Line. Last night I got a taste of being wheel man. It was fine and dandy, like playing house almost, until we got slammed with a ton of guests.

Then, I happily stepped back to being broiler bitch, and occasional gofer.

This seasonal working in a National Park is quite an experience.

If a person needs work and can travel, this job experience is a viable option.

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