Circumnavigating Zion

On the first evening of our hiking excursion, our friend and host attempted to gauge the ability, interest, and comfort level of her friends that had just arrived in Hurricane, Utah.  After a nearly four-month retreat into the wild wilderness of the area, she had recently completed an amazing hike. It involved a 30’ rope assisted drop along rock ledges into the narrows, after which hikers would then swim across two deep pools of cold water to complete their trek. With mixed feelings of fear, excitement, and dread, I asked if there might be an easier hike to “break us in” to the climate and environment.  The next morning we began a series of hikes in areas surrounding Zion National Park.

The first hike took us to Warner Valley, an open space outside the Sky Ranch area of Hurricane, and was a simple stroll into the desert.  Two notes of interest are that Sky Ranch is a subdivision of homes with airplane hangars alongside garages, surrounding a private airfield. Also, if we were to continue roughly 50 miles along the dusty, bumpy road to Warner Valley, we would arrive at Grand Canyon just above Lava falls. This was clearly the road less traveled. For this hike, we simply parked the car and started walking westward across the landscape, acquainting ourselves with the flora, fauna, and rocks unique to this setting. It was a lovely transition, allowing us the chance to ooh and ah-h over many a plant and flower, and a rare treat to create our own path, unrestricted by others that had gone before us. If this had been our only hike, I think I would have been satisfied.

Warner Valley was the first of two hikes for the day and began the theme of seeing “something different.” Hike number two took us through the town of Hildale, Utah on our way to Water Canyon. Hildale, a fascinating anomaly of unfathomable lifestyles, is the lesser-populated polygamous twin town to Colorado City, AZ. Surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of Zion, it is sheltered by rows of privacy fences and partially constructed homes,and looks to be bursting at the seams with family expansion. Many traditionally coifed and clad wives and children were visible as we drove through the town featured in National Geographic Magazine’s 2010 article“Polygamists.”  

Water Canyon  begins at a small parking lot with a man-made reservoir, and follows a sandy trail along a small river tributary, ending for us in a narrow slot canyon and waterfall. Water and shade cool the trail, giving it a green and lush feel which is unusual for this harsh dry desert terrain. As we climb in elevation, the path narrows coming closer and closer to wet rock walls and moving waters, and crossing ledges of large moist slick rock.  With spring temperatures in the 80s in full sun, Water Canyon cools to much lower temperatures as the canyon walls close in, even retaining ice and snow below at the bottom of the slot canyon. Moving and falling water sprays the path and walls nurturing greenery in the most unlikely crevices. As evening approaches, we absorb the mountain stillness before returning to the radiant evening pre-dusk light, saving the ascent to Canaan Mountain for another time. Our evening is completed by the extended sunset with a lovely dinner to follow in Hurricane.

Thursday’s trek to Coalpits Wash presented water features that were completely new and different from the previous’ days hike. The trailhead, found just off a busy road leading into Springdale, is a traditional gate structure with a clearly marked path of dusty dry earth traversing along a rutted meadow lined by cottonwoods. After a short time, the trail meets the meandering stream while rocky peaks with Mormon inspired names like The Bishopric, Towers of the Virgin, and the Altar of Sacrifice watchfully line the distance horizon. Soon the trail became less defined as we crisscross the river frequently, amid small rocks and large boulders. The river is home to an endless supply of tadpoles and water-life, providing a respite of sound and coolness with moving water and inviting pools. Our hike became more of a meander as we stopped frequently to cool ourselves and enjoy the surroundings. During our day’s hike we saw only two other groups, one as we entered the gate, and the other after turning around to return. We hiked out hours later, beating the evening rush to Oscar’s Café in Springdale for a much anticipated cold beer and delicious dinner. Afterwards, our friend drove us along a steep, narrow road clinging to the cliff side to the Hurricane and Smith Mesa, a narrow winding road to , the location of the distant unlikely water tower. Along with the amazing overlook and plentiful fossilized wood, the mesa was home to a secret airbase, whose distant water tower had perplexed me for days. The airbase, which is still relatively unknown and now privately owned, was also known as Monkey Mesa since the airfield was used to test ejection seats on monkeys and black bears before animals were treated more humanely. This late evening excursion also gave us a small glimpse into life when the air cools and the animals come out to play.

A change in the weather darkened the skies on Friday keeping us closer to home and away from potentially muddy or rutted roads that might become impassible with impending moisture. Along the way to another destination, the sand dunes surrounding Sand Hollow Reservoir beckoned to us. Our friend said that the dunes were constantly shifting and changing providing endless variety of pathways to the Sand Mountain. ATV’s, like ants, dotted the distant terrain humming as they traversed the mounds in front of us, quickly discouraging us from continuing our hike. Even in the short distance we traveled, we became fascinated and amazed with the abundant life forms in this small patch of desert, nurtured by a large man-made water source.  Long, stripe-tailed lizards, jackrabbits, tracks and dwellings were proof positive of recent animal activities.

Returning to the car, we drove through an urban and highly commercial setting of distribution warehouses to the trail head of the Red Cliff Desert Reserve.  The trail set out like most others with a dusty path through shrubs, wildflowers, cacti, and yucca, but somewhere along the way we left common scenes and were transported to the land of geologic wonders. Soon large wavy piles of yellow-orange ridged rocks lined our way, while small round rocks called moqui balls were scattered at our feet, constantly shifting our focus from great to small objects. While the formation of moqui balls is a mystery, their circular shapes are said to be formed by a concretion of sedimentary rock, irregularities, minerals, and erosion.  My first experience with this sort of geological wonder was years prior on a visit to  Moeraki, South Island, New Zealand,where the perfectly spherical rocks as large as 9 feet in diameter were randomly placed by nature across the beach. These smaller cousin rocks looked more like leftover playthings from an earlier pre-dawn marble game. An occasional moqui ball was split in two revealing a bull’s eye and other patterns of discoloration. Disoriented, we moved for hours through and over ridges and across sandy pathways without a clear destination in site. We even entered an abandon cave-like ruins which were all that remained of earlier silver mining on the site. After hours of explorations we followed a more defined creek bed full of small rocks and larger boulders back to our trail. By now the approaching strong storm winds carried a huge number of blowing tumbleweeds which blocked and fought us as we made our to the car to exit this unusual scene.

At the end of our travels, our host wanted to know which hike was our favorite. Like many things in life, often the best hikes are the most recent ones since they remain vibrant, still resonating in the quiet places of my mind long after our feet have stopped moving. After this discussion, our friend revealed the circular pattern of our hiking journey thus making me feel that we had barely scratched the surface of the wonders and beauties found while circumnavigating Zion.

Stop and Listen

While flying back to Utah from a visit with family and friends in the Midwest, I was asked by the stranger sitting next to me what I learned from my experience.  He was a nicely dressed man who had stopped in Milwaukee to see his aging mother on his way to a mindfulness retreat in Sedona, Arizona. He said that he had learned to remember check in with his family to support and keep him grounded. I said without thinking that I had learned stop and listen.

Over the past year I have had a lot of time to stop and listen. Having been unemployed since July, I have filled my days with all the things that I didn't do when working.  Parenting style, exercise, diet, and general household tasks have all come under the scrutiny by me during my newly open schedule. For instance, instead of panicked rush to find suitable entertainment during days off and early release from school, I embrace these anomalies in my day, opening my home to as many kids as my son wants to invite home. Our house has become the go-to spot for games, entertainment, and food, well-stocked with all the treats these growing boys seem to like.

Exercise has become a new regular routine in my life. Each day I wake up thinking about how and where I will exercise next. Dressing for the activity is part of my morning ritual and commitment. In addition to walking 10,000 steps as weather and air quality permits, I have found dance and re-discovered yoga. Every day that I move gets me out of the house and makes me feel more whole and complete. In an year I have transformed from barely moving to never getting enough movement.

Being home alone daily has required me to make some dietary adjustments. For many of us, me included, boredom equals food. While I am not bored, there are many more transitions and opportunities to snack between daily activities. While tuned in to a recent Diane Rehm Show, another new daytime treat, I heard about the fast diet, which espouses both weight and health benefits to weekly fasts. It is focused on reducing food intake to between 500 – 600 calories per day twice a week. My approach to the diet is to practice mindfulness in the consumption of food, which has brought new excitements and challenges to my diet.  It has also made my kids aware of other people they know, such as teachers, who fast regularly. 

Speaking of food, as part of the sandwich generation, I have been caring for my mother for more than ten years since my dad died. Fitting her need for shopping, doctor appointments, books, and companionship into my work and family schedule had always been challenging. I found myself being resentful of her needs because they took time away from me and my family. A couple of years ago, brought in a live-in caregiver that cleans, does laundry, and takes her on some appointments. This has helped out tremendously. Now that I have a more open schedule, I can devote a better time of day weekly to her care that I am a part of like shopping, doctor appointments, and general home managment. This addition has made me more attentive and patient of her needs, allowing me feel better about myself and my relationship with her.

So, what does all of this have to do with what I learned on my recent trip? During my trip, I spent time with many family members and friends. My previously “busy” self probably wouldn't have taken the time to visit, much less stop and listen. By visiting on my own and fully entering people’s lives, I was able to learn how to reconnect with them more fully. The idea of stopping and listening more has made me more engaged with my surroundings. I was lucky to be able to afford unplanned time off, which allowed me to pause and appreciate others' lives more fully finding treasures that I hadn't realized were missing from my life. 

Denver ComicCon 2013

This weekend my family attended their first ComicCon, not the big one that everyone talks about in San Diego, but the newly organized Denver ComicCon. A ComicCon is a convention for people interested in all things nerdy like comic books, superheroes, science fiction, animation, and other small corners where a crowd of interested fans accumulate.

Our experience began on Saturday morning when we trudged off to the Denver Convention Center to join a multitude of strangely dressed trekkies, gamers, aliens, and others in the longest line we had ever been in in our lives. The line stretched under the viaduct, all the way along the side of the building. Bets were made to guess how long the wait would be, which turned out to be surprisingly short at just under thirty minutes. The costumed crowd made the wait entertaining and more interesting than an amusement ride at Disney World.

Once inside, lines started appearing everywhere and with no apparent reason. One costumed group of people I talked to said happily that they were in line to ride the escalator. After checking out a few lines and getting our bearings straight, we joined the line into the exhibition hall, which was still fairly empty. It was there that we met Frank Beddor, author of the novel series The Looking Glass Wars, based on the future adventures of Alice in Wonderland. Ben also met Steven Seagle, one of the writers responsible for creating the Ben10 series. Each of the authors was approachable, friendly, and excited that we were fans of their work.

In addition to a huge exhibition hall filled with writers, artists, and other stuff, panel discussions were being presented in smaller conference rooms. The first one we attended was on “nerd rock,” a sub-genre of rock devoted to the loyal fans of nerdy things. It was at this panel that we were introduced to the groups Harry and the Potters, Kirby Krackle, H2Awesome, and The Doubleclicks, who talked about what it was like to write about things that interested them. They espoused a message find your people, follow your dreams, and sing about what you like most. Later we attended a panel on Ben10 where all the questions were asked by the kids in the audience. The funniest panel was in one of the many, always full speed-dating sessions where 
a fully covered horse-head wearing person was talking to another participant.  I hope horsey
found true love. 

Hana was the only one of us dressed in cosplay, which is short for costumed-play, the combination of a fan looking and acting like their favorite character. She made us feel like we were body guards for a real-life celebrity, receiving many requests for photos and hugs.. While the number of anime fans were fewer than Doctor Who fans, there were sighting of other characters from Hana's anime series Hetalia and she was the only Russia. People often approached her by complimenting her costume and asking if they could take her picture. This added to her experience and allowed her to be on constant lookout for "her people." I was hugely impressed with the people in attendance at the Con who all seemed nice, open, accepting, and kind. It is easy to see that this was a highlight of the social calendar for many of those in attendance.

We all returned to our room in early afternoon for a bit of a break. Hana and I even took naps, a rare occurrence and sign of information overload. Instead of returning to the Con, that night we met an old high school friend for dinner and checked out Denver’s independent bookstore The Tattered Cover.  Returning to the hotel room also gave us a chance to plan our attack on the Con for Sunday.

On Sunday morning I set out early to see if I could acquire a special wristband that would allow me to attend the William Shatner talk. This put me in before 8 am with strangers, in a line which started at 5:30 am. By 9:30 am, I had my wristband, and went to the back of the exhibition hall to see if I could glimpse Shatner, George Takai, or any of the famous celebrities signing autographs. Charlie and Ben attended a talk by Colin Baker, the 6^th Doctor Who incarnation. I joined Hana at a panel on discussing how to attend a cosplay summit in Japan. Afterwards, we all reconvened and went to get an autograph from Dee Bradley Baker, voice actor for many of the Ben10 aliens, and some other favorite characters from The Last Airbender, and Adventure Time. He chatted with us and did the voice of Nanomech, a Ben10 alien. 

My William Shatner experience involved standing in yet another line between two Doctor Who reincarnations and Mr. Spock. Once inside I found a seat next to Black Widow from the Avengers and felt much safer. Shatner opened with a funny story about the aging of his dog Starbuck, and also answered questions by many fans. I found it astonishing that two of the first questions came from aerospace engineers inspired to work on the space program by Star Trek. The line between science and fiction is much finer than I ever would have imagined.

The whole ComicCon experience was focused on finding your people and following your dreams. This rang especially true following our family discussion earlier in the week about how people working sometime find their jobs lacking in fun, reward, or challenge. Some of the people at ComicCon found ways to work their passions into their lives, for the improvement of themselves and the happiness of others. Returning to the mundane on Monday was much harder than I had imagined.

Revisiting my youth

I am a reluctant movie-goer at best, often waiting until a movie is released in DVD and then forgetting that I wanted to see it in the first place. Last summer, I found out how fun it was to see a packed movie with friends, loved ones, and a bunch of fans. My nephew Erik's visit to Utah coincided with the release of the last Harry Potter movie. We pre-purchased tickets and took him to the midnight showing and had a fabulous time.The anticipation of waiting hours, both outside and inside the building, the perks of many costumed fans, really cool round 3-d glasses and free food, all added to the enjoyment of the whole experience.

That being said, there are a few movies that I would endure waiting hours in line. Our family are huge Lord of the Ring fans, having seen all the movies multiple times, even ALL in one day, and having traveled to New Zealand motivated, in part, by the movie. Still we did not attend the midnight showing of the The Hobbit, and instead opted to wait until the Sunday following the movie’s release, for viewing and host a post-movie Hobbit party. This decision probably had more to do with the fact that the release was on a school night. Because we live in a community predominantly views Sunday as the Sabbath, going to an early showing  of a newly released movie is like owning your own theater.

I am an admitted and committed trekkie, and have seen almost every TV series and movie connected with this title since I was really young. As a pre-teen, I used to stay up late and watch the first series in 1980s reruns through a crack in my bedroom door. In college and beyond I watched the Shatner / Nimoy movies. Even now, I can hardly believe that the first Wrath of Khan movie is 30 years old. My children were introduced to the movies and series years ago. While they thought the original series too boring, and the Picard series boring and slow, they seemed to like the movies and had favorite characters among Spock, Kirk, and Bones, just like I did. Because of this fact, we saw Star Trek Into Darkness (STID) this weekend.

STID was a big production, in 3D, and certainly fit the bill as an action-packed adventure. The basics of the plot were no different than any of its predecessors; there is a really, really bad guy who is going to do something horrendously bad unless the crew of the Enterprise stops him, and by the way, Spock doesn’t seem to show any emotions. While strange looking aliens, and huge sets have become commonplace in movies,this movie focused on a patriotic and moral message. We were all brought to the theater to relive our feelings during the 9/11 attacks as a flying object controlled by a madman crashed into a large building in a heavily populated city. Young Kirk, fueled by righteous anger over the loss of many lives including his beloved Captain Pike requests the mission to find the bad guy. The bad guy, who it turns out is Khan, a genetically engineered superhuman from the past, hiding in enemy territory is to be executed without trial, introducing one of the many moral dilemmas to the movie.


On the lighter side, there quite a few nods to the old series in this new movie. In this way, trekkies like me had the satisfaction of connecting with feelings from their younger selves. Not that there weren’t inconsistencies. Khan, played by the brilliantly talented Benedict Cumberbatch from the BBC's Sherlock series, changed the character both ethnically and personally. He reinforced the movie stereotypical bad guy with a British accent, but he could have been so much more than a madman with weapons. As the stronger, smarter adversary, he should have been allowed to trick the good guys before they outsmarted him.

This being said, for trekkies, the Star Trek series is about the relationships of the characters that we've grown-up and not the intellect and plot twists that make many movies worth seeing. The movie explored the Kirk / Spock and the Spock / Uhura relationships, while leaving most other characters underdeveloped such as the antagonism between Spock and McCoy. Scotty played a surprisingly important role off-ship leaving one to wonder how he maneuvered a ride on the Admiral's secret ship, USS Vengeance. Finally, Sulu and Chekov were just too young to be believable. But then again, all the actors are much younger than I am, so from that perspective I might be the flawed aging audience.Overall, I really enjoyed spending a couple of hours in a dark theater with my favorite fictional people from my youth.

Ode to a Skywhale

(photo credit The Canberra Times)

 

As the sunset melts behind the distant hills, the first flight of Skywhale across the countryside of Canberra comes to a close. Suspended, floating a short distance above the ground, she hovers with a satisfied all-knowing grin across her wide chin. Huge udders adorn her head like curled locks of hair framing her face. She is a creature borne of evolution of the mind, no longer held back by the water and land that once contained her. Wings would only hinder her flight as she flows gently over the land. Ephemeral, she floats above the earth for all to see and admire her essence and experience.

So many things in life are borne of experience, why not a skywhale? She comes from the mind of an artist, carefully rendered on paper, filled with air and dreams. Does the flight of only a day, or even an hour make her any less real? Life should not be measured by duration but by immersion. The sun fades at the close of each day, even as actions remain fresh in our minds long after the last light fades. Likewise, skywhale’s flight continues long after the air has left her silk-like skin.

Skywhale’s journey evokes the phrase “flight of fancy” as it seems to express more about the creative mind than the physical world. And yet, we do not have a phrase for the evolution from mind to physical form. Create seems too small for a being of such immense size and presence. Likewise, neither fantasy, dependent on disbelief, nor imagination, an internal image of the minds creation, are adequate descriptions for this fully evolved form. She, like her image, requires new parameters of the creative process to help ground her birth and being. The fact of her existence makes her much more than fancy.

Even as she smiles, it seems that Skywhale would be a lonely Cetacea, having left the water and all her friends behind to take flight. Would that her mournful song could carry across the lands, singing of the time when her strings would be cut and she would simply float away high into the heavens.