Keyhole Canyon

So the day after hiking the Subway we(Nate, Dustin, and myself) had planned to canyoneer through Keyhole and Pine Creek Canyons. After a later than usual start we checked the weather forecast for the day. Only a 20% chance of Thunderstorms, not bad, but not great.
At Zion's we picked up our permits and checked the weather. No problems at the moment, we'd decide again after Keyhole. This being my third time going through Keyhole, I led our team up a steep rock mountainside. The mountain is right next to the road. This is our view from the top.

We then decided to change into our wetsuits as we caught our breath from the steep ascent.
Dustin, chillin with his wetsuit.
Nate, ready to change and on the slick and sandy path that leads down to the start of the canyon.
We don't want to ruin our packs so we all, even me, moved them to our frontside. It's also easier to stem across water this way.
The first rappel into freezing cold water.

Nate's swim

Nate enjoying his refreshing swim

Classic hardcore canyoneer faces

Off rappel

Dustin stemming his way through this narrow canal to avoid swimming

Nate continuing through the slot

Our triumphant exit

On our way to the car, we noticed the clouds brewing so we checked with the ranger one more time back at the visitor's center and decided we wouldn't risk going through Pine Creek with the potential for a flash flood. A shorter than expected trip but it was still lots of fun. Thanks guys.

Sorry there aren't any photos of me. I'll try to get some from Nate and Dustin.

Timp Caves

For my birthday, Roland took me to Timp Caves. To get to the caves it is about 1 and 1/2 mile hike up about 1,000 feet. When you get up to the caves there is a ranger to take you on a tour. The caves were really cool! There were stalagtites and stalagmites and all the cool stuff that comes with being in a cave. It was a fun little trip!

On the hike up there was a couple of these cool underpasses, and I just had to have a picture with one.

Roland in the cave

It was really hard for me too get a good picture in the cave because it was so dark. Almost all the pictures turned out with my eyes closed. This is one where my eyes are actually open.

Stalagtite (The heart of timponogos)

Walking through the cave

This is at the end, when we were walking back down. It was a great view of American Fork Canyon

The Subway

Last Friday we were able to go to Zion National Park and hike The Subway. We were joined by our great friends Nate and Michelle. We also made a new friend, Phil. He joined us on the hike because he was on a 5-week trip by himself. It was nice to meet someone new. The hike was very fun, and also challenging. There were 4 places where we needed to use handlines, so all that supported us was our own upper body strength. It was all worth it though. The subway is a beautiful hike with incredible rock formations. So it was a great day!

This is the beginning of the hike where we had to hike down into the canyon.

There was a lot of water on the hike (This is Nate, Michelle and Phil)

There was also some swimming involved

Roland and I

One of the places we had to use handlines.

Michelle

Nate

This was a cool waterfall that you could walk behind!

THE SUBWAY!!!

Nate and Michelle

Dino Tracks!

This bat made the scariest noise. I thought it was a rattlesnake and then fell over Roland. It turned out to be a bat, but it was still scary as you can see from the fangs!
A beetle

Wasp Ball --the game

In this game you identify a target, preferably a nest of wasps (but any flying insect that stings will do), then attempt to strike them with a rubber ball and make it back to a safe area without getting stung.

Bowling with the family

some favorite tennis moments

Sweet serve



Excuse me?

Roland and Andrea's Summer so far

hey everyone! we have joined the blogging community! well, i guess we will start by showing some pictures from our new hampshire and st. george trips! it was really fun. I left for new hampshire on june 12 and then got to go to Gretchen's high school graduation. Congrats Gretchen! Roland was still finishing up school so he joined me about 2 weeks later. While there we were able to put on an anniversary party for my parents (their 25th wedding anniversary), go hiking and go bowling with the family. Then we were off to St. George to spend some time with Roland's family. That was also tons of fun. We were able to go on 2 hikes in Zion National Park, play baseball and tennis, make good food, and just have fun hanging out with the family. So the summer has been really good so far!

strawberry picking in new hampshire

dad and mom's anniversary party feeding cake to eachother

Ryan and Peder had a mustache off (They grew mustaches for a month to see who could grow the longest one) , and it just so happened the month was up when we were visiting. So we got to take some pictures of it. Here are some before and after pictures. (I think Ryan won, but I will let you decide)

peder and ryan before!

ryan after

peder after
family picture! We all hadn't been together for a long time, so this was really nice.

And then we were off to St. George. All of the family on the hike in the Narrows (The Yancey's were in town so that was nice)

tiffany, dennis, roxanna, maria and kevin

roxanna and rosieadrian

roland and I on a hike in kolob canyon

pretty butterfly

kolob arch

some nice frogs

A rattlesnake we saw on the kolob hike. It was kinda scary because I was about to sit right near where this beauty was. Luckily Roland spotted it.

Another snake. This one was not as scary.