HAMMERIN' ON THE SOUTH KAIBAB

I took a couple of Chicago marathoners on a day hike, yesterday.  We made it all the way to Skeleton Point, had lunch, and back up to the rim in three and a half hours.  Here you can see Phantom Ranch and a little bit of the "mighty Colorado River."  It felt good to hold the quicker pace, but these guys really put the screws to me.  Thank you guys for the good speed work-out.  See you next time.

HOW I SPENT MY WINTER BREAK

 My brother-in-law and father-in-law have been wanting to see how my remodeling project has been going.  Well, the bathroom is pretty much finished.  I built it this room from the ground up.  It measures three-feet by seven-feet. 

This has been a big project for me and I learned alot:  plumbing, electrical, tiling, install windows, everything.  I still have quite a bit to do until I finish the whole master bedroom, but hopefully I will be able to piece it together in between my hiking trips.

SPARKIE'S GREAT ADVENTURE

I had the great oppurtunity to spend my last two trips with Sparkie, a dynamite little gal  from Hawaii.  We hiked all the way down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon with a couple of buddies from Tennesee.   It was great.  The biggest snow storm of the year and we were staying inside at the Phantom Ranch backpacker dorms. Here is a view from the tunnel to the Black Bridge.

This shot looks out and across the Bright Angel Trans-canyon fault.  A freak March storm dropped over a foot on the rim.

After our Phantom Ranch trip, Sparkie and I said farewell to our Southern friends.  We then met up with a couple of spring breakin' teachers for a few days of fun in the sun -Havasu Falls style.  The wildflowers are just now starting to pop out.  Here is a Cardinal Monkeyflower standing proud in the middle of Havasu Creek. 

A great big THANK YOU to Sparkie and everyone else who made these trips so special.  I hope to see you all for more hiking fun, in the future.

DAY HIKES FOR SPRING BREAKERS

I have been getting to take alot of super fun day hikes with some really nice families.  The South Kaibab Trail is a great experience for hikers of all ages -outstanding views along the ridgeline and not as much snow and ice as other trails.  I thought this picture, looking up at "the chimney" was a pretty good one.  I hope you like it.

ONE FOR THE GRANDPARENTS

                                                "Stayin' alive, ah ah ah ah, stayin' alive."
No.  Eagan hasn't been watching the John Travolta classics.  This adorable pic is of him trying on his suit for his cousin's wedding. 

WELCOME TO SUPAI

First trip back into Havasu Falls was AWESOME.  The family I took down there was so fun to hang out with. Mom, dad, and two boys -ages 10 and 12.  We got to explore down around Mooney Falls and swim around in the water there.  The boys got really fired up to check out the old mines in the area. 

WI had heard that the tribe had raised the permit fees by a considerable amount. So, I was really interested to see what changes had been made in the campground and to find out what our camp was looking like this year. 

Well, Dave, Scott, and the rest of the guys did an incredible job of setting up our campsite.  It is BY FAR the nicest spost down in the campground.  And to give the tribe credit, they have been working super hard on cleaning up the area, putting up new signs, and MOST IMPORTANT of all, they have really been keeping the bathrooms clean!

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

Well, Spring Break is definately here.  I have been doin a bunch of great day hike with some super fun families.  The trails are still a bit icy, but nothing to worry about.  The weather has been unbelievably beautiful.  I captured this iconic image of the mule wrangler adjusting his sandle during nice picnic lunch at Cedar Ridge, on the South Kaibab Trail.  I hope you enjoy the view.

AHA's newest CPR instructor

Always trying to improve myself, I have just completed the American Heart Association's course to teach CPR for healthcare providers.  My first class was yesterday and was I nervous.  They always place the most experienced students in first-time instructors class.  The first couple of minutes were pretty blurry, but then I got into the flow of it.  Everything came together pretty well and I learned alot.  The students were really great and the instructor-monitor was very encouraging.  Thanks to the staff at Flagstaff Medical Center for all your support.  I really look forward to working with you all in the future.