Where to even start?

 Two blissful weeks of travel came to an end this morning as we arrived back to cold and rainy Jackson.  We put on over 3,500 miles on the truck on a mission to see as many friends and family as humanly possible in two short weeks in the Golden State, California....!  

The trip started with a mandatory stop off in SLC to play golf, rest, and see the gang down there.  

 Then we headed out for what turned out to be the longest driving day of the trip and completed the entirety of Hwy 50 in Nevada, otherwise known as the "Loneliest Road in America."  

Second stop, Tahoe/Minden, NV.  Joe and I snuck a day of fishing up at Carson Lake in.  Great to be back in the Sierra's.  

 Ahh, many miles together in those feet since we last sat here together!  Our favorite pier that we used to spend time on, West Shore, Tahoe.  Tahoe was as magnificent and amazing as always. 

 Joe, Chels and Ren-dogger.

 One morning we swung into Tahoe City to chill with "Sully", Chels' uncle.  

 One night we crashed with Katherine and Josh at Squaw Valley.  Thanks for the amazing dinner guys.  Your house rocks.  And to boot, Foopy joined us for dinner too.  

Oops, somehow below I snuck in a shot of me back on Hwy 50 taking in the solitude.  

Below this one, Foopy, Kari (completely random, happened to be at Squaw on a work trip), Chels, and a damn preggers Kat-Breath, looking great!

Ughhh......this blog is hap-hazard.  Its late, I am tired, goodnight now. 

Retreatin....

 A few more photos from the weekend that was over in Dubois getting ready for Chels' retreat coming up in the middle of June.  Advanced scouting on a hidden creek, scoping out good day hikes. 

 Marco, coming into the cave.

 If I was a geologist I could tell you what type of crystals were in the cave.  Rolfe.....?

 Katie and Scott down below.

First Josies of the Summer

 Post work Josie's hikes are back in like flynn now that the winter season closures have expired.  Yahoo.  Amazing hiking right out the back doorstep.  

Work Weekend...

We spent the weekend over on the eastern side of the "divide" putting together the logistics of Chelsea's retreat  www.shineomretreats.com  in Dubois, WY.  It wasn't all hard work though, there was a moto to a hike mission on Friday up to Lake Louise which was sweet.   

 

 It felt like summer.  Warm temps, no snow...

 Anna and Marco rolled into town and were a huge help.  Thanks guys!  Goodman, in search of a beverage in the booming metropolis of Duobis, WY.

 Chels, chasing a spring storm with the badlands in the background.  

Thats my girl!  Total renaissance woman.  Yoga pants and top complete with a moto helmet and boots.  Amazing. 

Yesterday was a really good day...

 Sometimes I have to take a pause and realize how lucky we are to live where we do and have all the stellar outdoor opportunities we do right at our fingertips.  Yesterday involved skiing spring corn in 70 degree sun in shorts and a t shirt, riding insanely buffed singletrack, and ohh yea, a 10 hour work day too!  

All good things come to a close, especially with snow!  Yesterday on my lunch break will be my official last day of skiing on the King.  As you can see, its getting a big spotty for snow and I always shut it down on the King when you can no longer link turns from the summit all the way down to the parking lot.  So long SK, youre  the best! 

 Then...., after work Jason and Nate and I headed over to the Swan Valley, in Idaho and rode the Rim Trail.  It's a really scenic, spectacular, and bitchin ride.  I am sore today.  

 Our rivers have officially gone dirty!  I didn't get out on the river to fish before the run off happened.  Ohh well. 

Ahhh......, cold beverages on the tailgate of the truck watching the sun go down, content after an awesome day. 

Moto Nation...

 We had so much fun riding the Pallisades on Friday that we went back again for more action on Sunday.  

Happiness is Chels riding a Moto in the mud!

 I broke my kickstand down in the desert a few weeks ago and haven't gotten the replacement one in the mail yet, so, luckily I had Chels to prop my moto up against because there wasn't a tree for miles.  

Spring showers.

Those photos are Good.......Man

 Full disclosure, Chels and I did not take these pictures.  But we know someone who is really cool that did!  That's right, Anna took these while we were down in Moab two weekends ago.  She can take amazing, amazing photos and its been fun to watch her get better and better with her photography.  The top one is of course of Delicate Arch with a bit of aide from a photo class that was up at the arch the same time we were and light up the arch with a flashlight and then Anna did the rest with the exposure settings...  F11 Jeff, F11.  !!!

Below encompasses all that is so freaking awesome about the spring and a warm night in the desert.  Friends, beverages, fire, full moon, etc. 

Moto Domination, Chels Style

 I can't for the life of me think of anything that makes me more happy in life right now than watching Chels learn to moto.  It's so freaking cool.  Chels is learning and progressing at a scary pace.  Yesterday we went down to the Pallisades Reservoir which straddles the Idaho/Wyoming border.  The lake level is probably 30 feet below summer levels right now.  The sand bottom of the lake makes for some of the most stellar moto'ing around.  You can make turns so aggressively and arc big ol trenches.  Its a freaking riot.  

Chels, taking a break, on a dry docked summer floating dock in the middle of the lake. 

 Chels, virgin sand, with the Snake River keeping her company.

The sand was "hero" sand. 

 

 I kinda got pretty close to Chels on this one.  You could lay it over so aggressively.  It felt like the perfect blend of riding sleds and ski racing.  

 And a couple of shots from last weekend down in Moab.  Chels, dominating, like I said.  

Century Mark

Yesterday marked winter 14 in a row of 100 plus ski days or more.  These days it seems a lot harder to get to the 100 mark.  Skiing over the years has proven to be more about exercise than anything else.  Still one of the best ways to stay fit out there!  Day 100 happened to be a powder day in May too!  Breaking it down looked like this....60 days at Snow King, all of which included a boot or skin to the summit.  14 days on Teton Pass.  19 at JHMR.  7 that I thought of as other including nordic skiing, GTNP, Beaver Creek, Park City, and sled skiing.  Needless to say, it was another winter of a lot of uphill days on the beloved Snow King. 

Too Much Desert Is Never Enough.

Last Saturday was a bang up day down in Moab for so, so many reasons.  But of course, the best being, that is was Marco's bday!  I like having a b-day so close to the bro....., he is an awesome dude and it gives us an excuse every year to try and coordinate a co-bday party.  The last couple of years it has been down in Santa Barbara, this year, Moab...  

Dogs, around a campfire, awesome.

 

 Saturday's pics are horribly out of order, but ohh well.  We all went our separate ways on Saturday between the moto, bike, studying, and hiking crowds.  Then, we all met up in Moab in the afternoon and crushed a sunset hike out to the Delicate Arch to watch the sunset.  Amazing, amazing time. 

 So yes, inquiring minds.  The van was so kickass.  The outdoor shower might just be my favorite accoutrement. 

 Really, really, really happy people.  Marco on his 33rd bday.  Cant wait to spend more days together in your 33rd year brother.  Marco, Me, Meagan, Goodtimes, and Keeley.  

 

 Chels and I started the day off with a couples moto ride out a sweet ATV double track.

 Then Steve and I went and conquered on of Moab's most famous rides that I hadn't been on since college and my mountain biking days.    Poison Spider was still just as cool as I remember it being.  

 Steve, sharing the slickrock with the jeepers.  

Bitchin view from the top of the Spider, looking down into the Moab valley, the Colorado River, out toward the LaSal Mountains, and down the Portal Trail.  

 After getting back from PS, why not ride right to the beach on the Colorado and meet up with the ladies for a couple of margs and a swim in the mighty Colorado River?  

 Same day mind you......., then out to Delicate Arch.  The crew, racing the sun.

 WOw...

Steve, charging some really steep sections on PS.  You know its steep when you are trying with all your might to keep your front end down and its impossible!