Olive and America

The American West, a mess of red rocks, juniper trees, buttes and vast expanses. An unforgiving landscape that boasts some of the most popular National Parks in the United States of America. As a bearded American needing to quench my thirst for adventure I decided it was high time I saddled up the hog for a solo journey. I should mention that I recently acquired a new motorcycle, Olive, who is bigger, stronger and faster than my previous one. Two hundred and fifty miles of lonely two lane highways, sprinkled with a couple of twisty canyons, separated me from my destination. So, with red rocks on the brain and the rumbling of my trusty steed beneath me, I set a course south, for adventure, for excitement, for freedom and for the love of America.

I had never been on a long distance ride, this would be a trial run to discover if I was manly enough to endure the rigors of a solo trip. After my first hundred miles I was ecstatic, cruising through scenic landscapes with unbridled views from every direction, I was convinced that I seeing the west the way God intended. The miles melted away and before I knew it, the red sands of Moab were welcoming me to my destination. Arches National Park. After meeting up with a good friend of mine, a Ranger in the park, it was time to go exploring. I would like to give a big shout out to Leslie and Nathaniel for taking me way off the beaten track so I could experience some of the lesser known areas of Arches.

My second evening in Arches, I decided to spend with Olive, cruising every mile of road the park had to offer. Leaning in and out of turns, whizzing by monoliths of stone, coming over hills to a churning sea of red rock frozen in time, never before had I taken in this landscape in such a grand scale. After getting to the end of the road I turned around to make my way back, the sun had just slipped below the horizon in front of me and the full moon had made her appearance behind me. The landscape I had passed before now turned into a shaded tapestry of shifting shadows. What were once lone towers of rock blended in to the stone walls behind them, giving them an unfathomable depth. Only once the sun had fully set and a crisp spring chill had gripped the night air, did I decide to leave the park.

I don't believe thats photos are able do justice to a true human experience, but they are fun to look at. So here are some now, thanks for reading!

Olive, ready to roll out.

Made it to Green River.

"Life, uh... finds a way" -Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park

Leslie and her map skills.

We decided this would be "Moonisota Arch"

Crazy how nature do that...

Olive and the Lasal Mountains. 

That there is an Arch.

End of the road.

AMERICA!

Packed up and heading home.

So, Flying is Neat.

Here are just a few of the pictures I've been able to get over the last few months.

Utah's West Desert

St. George, Utah

The Grand Canyon

Looking Fresh in Arizona

Over the Great Salt Lake

Bear Lake, Idaho

Swamps in Missouri

Spending some time in the white room

Getting above the clouds

Millington, Tennessee

Fog over a river

Take off at sunrise

Windy day on the Great Salt Lake

Sunset

Flying is fun!

Keep Your Eyes to the Skies

It's been a weird couple of months since my last post. Ok ok, it's been eight months since I've put anything on here. My apologies. Here's hoping that I can get back on track.

I've always been jealous of birds. I mean seriously, birds are jerks! Flitting and fluttering about with their hollow bones and their stupid bird faces. Why should they be so lucky? To be completely untethered by earthly bonds? Well it's about time I did something about my jealousy and it would be an outright lie if I didn't say that bird envy was roughly twenty percent of the reason I wanted to learn how to fly airplanes.

My first experience of getting to be at the controls of an airplane was nothing short of magical. It was cramped, it was hot (small aircraft don't have AC), I had no idea what I was doing and I was sitting next to some dude I had met five minutes prior. But I had said I wanted to learn how to fly and this was apparently the first step to reaching that goal. He gave me a brief rundown of how it was going to be, we were going to take off, do a little tour of the area and then head back. An hour later we were back on the ground but I was still flying high. This was it. Flying was for me.

I came back the next day and started my official training, flying almost everyday for at least an hour until they let me go off on my own. Being allowed to fly all by myself was an experience I will never forget. I remember thinking to myself "Who the hell thought it was a good idea to let me, a 26 year old dude, go flying all by himself!?!?" It was pure bliss. Being at the controls, no one to help me should something go wrong, getting to be an independent pilot, it was everything I could have ever dreamed of and more...

Fast forward two months, I'd done the time, done the studying and it was time for me to take my test. The Private Pilot check ride. Much to my embarrassment I failed the first time around, I failed the oral exam before I even got to go flying. These things happen. After a few days of intense study I was ready to try it again. Aced the oral exam and moved on to the flying portion. Now, I should mention that you are required to have at least 40 hours of flight time before you are allowed to take your test. Most of the time people require more time than that because flying is a weird thing. It's not really like driving a car or a boat or anything else I've ever driven so it takes time to get used to. But whether it's in my genes or I just have a knack for it, I took the test right at 40 hours. After a little over an hour of flying we were back on the ground and I had passed! Just like that I was now a pilot. A very novice pilot to be sure, but nevertheless I am a pilot now.

I plan to continue my pursuit of aviation, so if you keep your eyes to the skies you just catch a glimpse of the hobo kid streaking across the horizon.

Rainbows are neat.

First time on my own! But first lemme take a selfie.

Heading down to Pullman, WA.

Lake Coeur d'Alene!

Representing Vivid Roots #LiveVividly

The little Cessna 150

This is what I'm working with.

Suns out guns out.

Just waiting my turn.

Hayden Lake! I think...

Pretty excited guy after passing my check ride!

Goblins, Snow, Mountains and Fun

With the little time off that I had between jobs it was a necessity to get out of the house and into some adventure! This post is mostly gonna be pictures so enjoy!

Adventure partner.

I found an old engine!

Been there for a while.

#swag

Goblin Valley is crazy.

Almost like Mars.... probably.

A goblin!

Climbing for a view.

Artistic?

Crazy crazy.

It's like a cathedral.

Neat.

Waking up after a dusting.

Just outside Capitol Reef.

A cold sunrise.

Adventure Dog!

Little snow blanket.

Walking the ridge.

A dog in the wind...

The icy shores of Fish Lake.

Blue skies!

Off-roading anyone?

The path less traveled.

Winter Wonderland.

Dashing through the snow.

Almost got stuck a few times.

Made it to the top!

Vroom!