The Adventures of Kinky Reggae: A Vagabond for Beauty

My first solo canyon! No worries, this will not be a frequent event for me. But conditions were just right for this to work out. It's hard traveling alone and not being able to do anything besides easy day hikes. I bought the new Moab canyoneering book the other night and immediately started looking for something I could do. I only have 120 feet of rope, so that immediately ruled out many of the canyons in the area. From what I can tell, it seems like many of the canyons around here are technically simple but have big rappels. I think Brian referred to that as "cliffaneering." Well, I asked Brian about it, and he recommended Cameltoe, which was just perfect. I only told Brian where I was going so if it didn't work out, no one would know about my failure. It had just one rappel, and there were no committing downclimbs. At any point, I could have gone back the way I came (although it would have been a pain). Navigation was simple, made even easier by numerous footprints

Canyonlands is not a place for the casual day hiker. If you're not there for a hardcore adventure, you pretty much just enjoy the vistas. So, this is exactly what I did. I took a short hike to Upheaval Dome and enjoyed a peaceful moment listening to music and enjoying the view. I was really irritated when a loud family showed up and ruined it, but had to laugh- I was listening to the song "Stay Gold" by First Aid Kit. "Nothing gold can stay." The next hike I did is popular with the Moab locals- a mostly-level stream side hike to Morning Glory Arch in Negro Bill Canyon. There was a lot of traffic, but it was still fun. The arch itself is breathtaking; I wasn't expecting it to be so big.  I ran into a group of people with rope and asked them if there was climbing in this canyon. They said no, they were just rappelling. And as soon as I saw the arch, I understood. There was obviously a canyon above the arch... It would have been so much better to set up a shutt

My friend Allison always says, "I don't do arches," and for the most part, I agree with her. Yes, I think it's amazing how they form, but I'm usually not willing to hike out of my way to see one. But these arches in Devil's Garden... Well, I never knew I could be so excited about an arch. Landscape Arch I mean, seriously, how is this even possible??? The span is 290 feet, and, at its thinnest, it is only 11 feet wide. Parts of it fell down in 1991, so you're not allowed to hike under it. It may not be around for much longer.  The next stop was Partition Arch, two windows in a wall overlooking a gorgeous landscape.  Then came "Double O Arch," so I made an O face. (No, not that kind of O face... That would not be attractive.) Next was Private Arch. ("Shh, it doesn't want anyone to know where it's hiding...) It actually was well-hidden; such a pleasant surprise when it suddenly came into view.  This hike continued on a "primitive t

I met up with Brian and his friends/roommates  on Saturday night  with plans to do two canyons on Sunday: Pottymouth and Sinusitis. As soon as I read the beta, I was less than thrilled; keeper potholes are not my cup of tea.  Pottymouth and Sinusitis both drain into Warm Springs Canyon. In order to travel up Warm Springs, a rope needs to be set. (Unless you are Adam and have Spider-Man-like climbing abilities.) So, what most people do is descend Pottymouth, set the rope, then hike up and out and back down Sinusitis. Pottymouth was supposed to be nontechnical, but I needed a handline for one drop and rappelled another. Honestly, I think I was being a bit over-cautious, but in the moment I was nervous and Brian is all about doing whatever you need to feel safe. This is one of the things I love about doing canyons with Brian; he hangs out with the most hardcore people and yet has never rolled his eyes when I've asked for a handline. Anyway, the canyon was a lot of fun with some really

My friends planned a Pinterest-inspired birthday brunch for me. We bought princess dresses from Goodwill and played dress up. It was a fabulous day.

I think it's time to purchase that Winnie the Pooh top I've been wanting. Laura threatened to call my dad and tell him I've given up (apparently shopping at the Disney Store is NOT SEXY), but I don't even care anymore. Last month, I had a date with a guy who looked so familiar. After finishing my drink, I was able to place the face- Count Chocula. There was a strong resemblance. This is horribly mean of me to say, and normally, I wouldn't make fun of someone's face, because it's not like you can change that. But he was condescending. He made fun of me for hiking alone. He told me, "The waitress says you're a cutie, and... I think I agree." He paid, but went on and on about how great it was that he had done so. I don't think I smiled once during that whole date. I felt bad for him, because I think that behavior is caused by deep insecurities. But I had a miserable time.  I was supposed to have a date last week with another guy I met online.

Nina has been one of my best friends for 18 years. We are SO different, but I think of her as my sister at this point. We have been with each other through addiction, pregnancy, and suicide. We know each other's stories in a way that no one else can understand. As much as we irritate each other sometimes, she's not going anywhere. At this point, we're in it for life.  Our friend Rachel also lives here in Phoenix, so we shared Nina for the week she was here. Our first excursion was an attempt at El Capitan. This should have been a walk in the park, but it followed the recent pattern of things going awry. We got to the first rappel and the anchor had been removed. I had webbing, but I'd forgotten rap rings and my knife. I could still build the anchor and leave 30 feet of webbing behind, but what if the next anchor was gone, too? Then we'd be stranded in between rappels.  "Erin, you came into this canyon with two friends. But if you get us in some kind of trouble.