True Grit

Zen Trail, St. George, UT 

On March 17, Darren and I did the "True Grit" mountain bike race.    I did the 23 mile course, he the 51.  The picture above shows a piece of the Zen Trail.  Which is totally UNzen if you ask me.  The picture doesn't show the technical stuff.....I guess the downhill on Zen is totally Zen, but the race bypassed that part - a blooming poppy something or other that needed protecting...

It was one of the most technical trails I have ever biked, or walked my bike, on. I could see it becoming fun if I had a few times to ride it and know what was coming.  The other part of the race was a GREAT trail.  TONS of climbing.

Darren did amazingly well. 17th out of 70 in his category.  I was thrilled with my time.  I didn't know what to expect for my time.  If I ride Smitty's (20 miles) I consider it a LONG and tough trail, in 3 hr. and some change-  I feel great.  

So when I exited the trail with only 1.7 miles of pavement left in 2:50ish I was thrilled!  It was head wind all the way back and I have to admit I swore out loud at the wind!  I wanted under 3 hrs. so badly!  I tried to ride as aero as I could and cranked a hard gear!  I'm sure the people in the cars passing me thought I was a crazed lunatic surely escaping from a facility - 2:59.  I heard it called out, and saw it on my watch!

My time on the website says 3:01.  bullcrap.

Perfect weather, besides wind, challenging (to say the least) course.  Not sure I will do it again, though:)

First Kayaking of the Season!

http://frontierplay.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-boating-on-camas-creek-hour-from.html

Gila Monster Encounter by Darren

While riding a mountain bike extensively in Southern Idaho it is not uncommon to come across rattlesnakes.  With my phobia of snakes it's amazing how many sticks look like snakes and will freak the beejeepers  out of me while on my bike.

I now have a new phobia, thanks to my recent mountain bike race in St. George.  I was about 37 miles into the race, near the top of a steep climb in a rocky, technical section of trail - and in a very oxygen deprived state.  I swerved to miss a long flat rock. I looked down at the rock as my pedal went over what appeared to be a multi-colored , rubber lizard iguana looking thing.

My fatigued state of mind helped dull my senses and I then had  a 5 second delayed total snake freak out.  Then I thought, wow a rubber lizard!  What a cool prank to play on someone.   I'm thinking who would hike out to the middle of nowhere to place a lizard next to the trail?   Whoever it was, was really committed to giving someone a good scare.

Life would probably have continued with me always thinking I encountered someone's rubber lizard iguana thing out the middle of the desert.  Unfortunately, shortly after this strange encounter the rider behind caught up to me and asked if I saw the crazy lizard.  He then continued to tell me how this supposed lizard was actually very much alive, and hissed at him!

Come to find out this lizard iguana thing was actually an endangered Gila Monster.  Yes, they do have a venomous bite comparable to a coral snake.

I've been scarred for life and now I'm going to see sticks that not only look like snakes but also crazy lizard rubber creatures where ever I ride.   As I write this, I wonder if it's possible that the one rider was actually hallucinating that the rubber lizard thing actually hissed at him.  Yes, I'm sure that's the case.

Happy Birthday Darren!

It's Darren's Birthday.  On Facebook today it says he is turning 42. It's a lie.  He is much older than that today - 43!  But will always look, act, bike, ski, kayak (minus the waterfalls) like he is 25.


Some people are just like that.


Also, he LOVES it when I talk about him, tell people stuff about him, (ok he hates it)  so since it is his birthday I will talk about him, just a little.


He is the best dad EVER.  The picture above epitomizes Darren's relationship with our kids. Always involved, teaching, helping, playing, and working.


The picture is on the Snake River just below Jackson.  Darren and Brady, 8, have just purposely swam through "Big Kahuna" a giant wave in low water, as it was on this day.  Darren is teaching him about current, eddy lines, waves, holes.  I never tire of looking at Brady's cute little legs and Chacos cinched on his skinny feet.  The angle of his head shows he is listening, learning.  


If I had pictures of our entire life, there would be many like this.   


The kids respect Darren, I think a lot of it has to do with the way he treats them - he respects their intelligence, their abilities, their character - and expects as a lot out of them because of it - and they have definitely risen to the occasion.


OK enough.  He truly does hate stuff like this about himself. And, after all, it is his birthday.


I'll just add one more thing.


He is my very best friend.

Nostalgia

Darren just posted this picture on our Frontierplay blog.

I can't believe they were once like this!

This was on the South Fork of the Snake River by Palisades Reservoir.

I remember that it POURED all night.

These three littles were still excited and ready to go.

Still are.

Second Attempt - Jarbidge Peaks

The Jarbidge Peaks lay out there taunting us.

Not willing to be defeated, Darren and Justin, set off a mere six days after our original trek to try to finally conquer all four peaks!

This is a picture from their GPS pretty much sums up the story. Triumph!

I'll post pictures anyway.

Magellan with Jarbidge Peak in the background.

Last push to the summit of Jarbidge.

Summit Jarbidge Peak

Mr. Shortcut on Jarbidge

In June, Darren and Justin made a self-supported mountain bike trip from "here" - where his pole is pointing

to "here" - where his pole is now pointing.

The trip was from the Nevada-Idaho line to Fairfield 126 miles total in 2 days.

(A story for another post that I have been trying to get Justin to write for 6 months!)

J man on Jumbo Peak

D on Jumbo

Square Top Summit

Square Top

Looking toward the biggie - the Matterhorn

Closer to the Matterhorn

Victory atop the Matterhorn. No standing for pics here. It is an overhanging sheer drop thanks to a slide.

You might not believe this, but Darren HATES heights. In this picture he is saying "hurry hurry - just take it!" He said it was a crawl to the top, touch the summit just to say you did it, and get out of there!!!

They came back tired, yet triumphant, glad they didn't have to go back again. AB attempted it a few weeks later, but due to weather, only got 70 feet higher than our first attempt. Paige, Brady and I still have the unfinished task hanging over our heads. Someday....amnesia will have to set in before I get Paige into the Jarbidge again.

Is it any wonder that Justin is Darren's shadow? Darren would be my hero if I were his 15 year old son, too! Good buddies those two!

L.C. - Elsie - Land Cruiser

Is this not a total Smith boy car?

Lovin' it.