Showing posts with label RoamWithFam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RoamWithFam. Show all posts
These two men were Ruel Randall, Dustin's grandfather, and Kent Frost, a renowned explorer and recreation advocate in San Juan County, UT. Their backcountry forays are inspirational, they often left with only a single knapsack to roam and live off the land for weeks; true human powered adventure.
I
can recall a time I felt growing pains. I was walking down the hallway in our
house and a sudden pain shot through my leg, in fact I remember crying out that
I had just been shot in the leg with an arrow, a flint tipped Port Orford Cedar
shaft right through my femur. I've recovered from the incident, and have since
grown to the towering height of 5’9 (take that Port Orford Cedar). The point is
we all experience growing pains; in our bodies, relationships, jobs, in
everything. Life.
This last summer I was scouting out a bikepacking route for a group of high adventure scouts. The leaders wanted the boys to be pushed to their limits but still survive, thus avoiding the wrath of the ever-looming matriarchs. It just so happened that summer I found the most opportune subject in my fourteen-year-old nephew. I knew his matriarch, and wasn’t afraid of using him as the guinea pig. I planned out the route knowing what to expect 80% of the time; the 20% of unknown was a bonus and the real test (I thought) for my nephew and his age group.
For those of you not acquainted with bikepacking, simply put it’s taking everything off your back you would use for an overnight backpacking trip and attaching it to a bike. Then ripping down trails, fire roads, and two tracks (oh and the grueling uphill that always comes with the down). It’s a grand time.
Weekend arrived, we kitted out, and set out. The first section of the ride is a well-used quad trail, flowing gradually down hill like a river, and like any proper river has a few rapids. Having navigated it many times I bobbed and weaved through rock gardens and two foot drops. I had the upmost faith in Nat’s skills and knew that she would survive. In hindsight I should have covered my nephew in Go-pro’s, as he took on every rapid and failed miserable but recovered admirably…we missed out on some great crash footage.
The next bit was the unknown to me. It is an old two-track road that has been overgrown for the last umpteen years. The riding has potential, but the encroaching gamble oak reminded me of a scary movie scene that has arms reaching out to rip and tear their victims apart--the gamble oak was not much better. We all received a few slaps to the face, shirts ripped, and it was a gamble (pun intended) to use speed to bust through as an occasional oak arm would grab a fist full of break lever resulting in a bushy endo. In the end it was easier to push through all the grabby, grabby. Gaining a little in elevation we worked our way out of the slap happy forest and entered lush green meadows with knee high grass (a rarity in these parts) it was beautiful--in the kind of way an American GI would view the Guadalcanal or the jungles of Vietnam. Beautiful if you didn’t have to move to get through it. Hiding in the grass were hundreds of downed aspen trees not worth going around. We would dismount and carry the fully loaded bikes over and over. The short distance riding was not worth it, so we became mules and pushed, pulled, and hiked the bikes. It became particular enjoyable as the terrain got steeper and steeper. We did come across some interesting geological features for these parts, such as granite boulders like you would find in Little Cotton Wood canyon. The thought crossed my mind to re-visit the place with some bouldering pads, but the thugs in the slap happy forest pushed that thought aside. I would have to get my “Ash”(see Evil Dead for that reference) on in a serious way to accomplish that mission.
Eventually, we reconnected with a well-used track and enjoyed some deserved down hill time. We then spent the rest of the day and well into the evening burning our legs and lungs out on a consistent six mile climb. That night sitting around the stove on a ridge; huddled in our down jackets, backs to the wind and eyes on the stars I asked my nephew what he thought so far. His response, though pleasing, was surprising; he liked it, said it was harder than he thought it would be. Come to find out this was his first time camping away from a car. He had never spent a night out on a backpacking trip let alone a bike-packing trip. I thought about the activities of the day, especially his additional pain and suffering with all the extra wrecks he endured. Lots of pain, but lots of growth.
Besides a brutal little push up some steep two track the day, and trip, ended with five miles of rushing trail. Once again I lamented the forgotten go-pro to document a young boy's many and mighty wrecks. As expected the rapids didn’t disappoint and my nephew wiser from previous encounters took his time to pick a line and ride them out. He’s only fourteen and has lots of growing to do and with that, lots of pain. We all have growing to do in one-way or another, but that’s how you know your progressing, learning and enjoying life. Get out and feel some growing pains.
Post Sound Track | The Beta Band
Full Set | Growing Pains
Finding the perfect tree is no easy feat! Randall's mean business in their search...everyone spreads out and calls out when they think they've found THE tree. It typically goes like this, first the call <<I've found one, I've found one!!!>> Then, everyone rushes over...<<no, there's a bald spot--how about this one?!>>... <<uh that one's too fat--how about this one?>>....<<maybe if we cut off the top half?!>> Then finally after all the funning around Dustin's dad didn't even ask he just cut one down and declared our tree for the year. It turned out to be perfect, as it always is, and a great reminder here's the poem D wrote for the season
<<Year around it holds its ground,Merry Merry Christmas!
The color of an evergreen tree.
A simple sign to keep in mind,
That Christ was born to set us free.>>
Spent the weekend down in Çello with family, cattle and foraging. R & J were down with their kids, and Çello being the playground it is Claire & Liam lived it up. Boots, belt buckle, rifle, and shotgun these kids lived up the experience. Climbing hay bails to find secret onion stashes, spotting bucks in the hay field, climbing trees, collecting, riding in the pickup, finding G-pa's candy stash, and learning to climb fences...to be a kid again!
The weekend ended with a deer for winter store, refilled vessels, and most importantly converting the ones we love to biking....can you spot a cowboy hat on the bike?
Full set | Herding
A few weekends back we were in Çello for the Pioneer Day Celebrations. This is the one weekend where the town is literally busting at its seams, so much so our typical parallel street parking jobs have to be turned diagonal. There's a 24-hour fast pitch game, 5K, parade, park vendors, snow cone mustaches and a great firework show (the Randall's even have a homemade firework show). This weekend was especially special because our sweet niece Vilate turned 1!
Full set || V's B-day
We spent the weekend in Idaho for Isaac's baptism; catching frisbees, kicking soccer balls, and trying to score the best football catch. We don't take enough time to express what we believe--one of the greatest things we hold dear is our family. Weekends where we can come together always serve as a reminder of how dear these relationships are.
Full Set | Isaac's baptism
Though not fully my <<climbing roots>> as titled, Idaho does hold a lot of firsts and lessons learned. First multi-pitch, first lead, first mishap, first bail, and first booty (all in climbing terms, of course haha).
The trip was a great relief from the SLC valley heat. We spent the weekend with C, S, and their 4 boys visiting and playing around on a local cliff. 4 boys...need I say more? We're training them young, so one day they will be guides for us! All the boys, even Steve, with Collete's (my flannel wearing cohort) motherly persuasion and example rappelled and ascended like champs. As much as we do make fun of Idaho it is a pretty rad state (primarily due to the Stosich clan).
P.S. I was on fireman, so excuse all the bum shots.
In the wake of a brewing spring storm the afternoon was spent playing cowboy, and learning the ropes from a real one Dustin's dad. The farm filled with trucks, tractors, gates, and prodders unsurprisingly stands as a grand playground for fun to be had by all.
A great trip of firsts like crossing a single steel cable bridge in Fort William. Starting to shift though pictures and reminiscing on the great adventure we had.
The holidays are always the best. Good company of family and friends, awesome food, and most importantly crazy kids. Thanksgiving this year we spent down in Nephi at Dustin's sister's place, we were well entertained by Jada shaking her booty to Lady Gaga...among other things! With all the family and food Dustin and I needed to get out, conveniently there's a bouldering area about 20 minutes west of town we've wanted to check out. Basically you drive out of town towards Delta, the landscape is all pretty flat and barren. Then, after you drive over a pass bam you're surrounded by boulders the locals have (literally) tagged they're "Joe's Valley." Not only home to bouldering but a paintballer's paradise.
The climbing was stout, the rock super sticky, and definitely well worth the afternoon trip.
We needed a break from the city, so we called on Devin and headed south to finish up some more routes. Introducing Okie Okie. The name comes from a word banter we have with Becca (Dustin's niece):
D: yes, yes, yesHere's to Becca!
B: no, no, no
D: yes, yes, yes
B: no, no, no
D: Okie Dokie
B: Okie Okie
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