telepathic stuntman

The top image was shot from inside the arch, 660 feet off the ground! The lower image was shot lying on the ground, looking up at four colleagues (and old friends!) - two from Canada, one from Wales and one from England.

We just spent the past week there for the HeSCA conference - a fantastic international group of people, gathered to share expertise about media production in the health sciences.

My latest painting which I’ll be donating to the Health and Science Communications Association (HeSCA) auction next week. It’s an EXPLOSION of color!

Acrylic, 16 X 20.

Roosevelt and 5th street.

I’ve started painting again and have three pieces in the works simultaneously. I finished the backgrounds last night and I think they’re looking swell!

We arrive at the Horton Creek trailhead at dusk. The plan is to hike up the side of the Mogollon Rim toward the mouth of Horton Spring, finding a suitable place to camp along the way. Conor and three of his friends are with me and Zach, one of the boy’s fathers, joins us as well. The trail is wide and easy to follow as it’s an old jeep trail. Before then it was just a narrow trail to connect homesteads in the area, one of which was L.J. Horton, a cattleman that settled near the creek. Horton lost his herd to thieves and never ranched again.

It’s very dark by the time we make camp in a lush forest along the creek. Zach whips up a quick chicken chili and we spend the night playing a stalking game in the dense dark woods. The sky is clear so I lie on my back in the tent, staring up at the super bright stars. At 12:30 I’m wakened by rain hitting my face. It’s starting to come down pretty good so I pitch a rainfly.

A warm morning comes and we make blueberry and bacon pancakes. They were delicious!

Bracken

Horned Toad

We all hike up the mountain toward the mouth of the spring. The weather is perfect. Bright sunshine, wildflowers in bloom everywhere, creek running hard and fast. We pass through clouds of butterflies. We carefully step over horned toads. An eagle soars overhead and screeches a war cry.

Desert Ironwood

Golden Columbine

Water Birch

Wood’s Rose

Fremont Indigo Bush

Spotted Blister Beetle

Horton Spring is an unusually large spring. Water literally gushes from the side of the rim supplying Horton Creek. We drink in the clear clean cold water straight from the spring and fill our water bottles. The air is heavy from the moist spray and everything is covered in thick cold moss. Despite full sun, it’s very dark from the heavy vegetation overhead.

As we return to camp, the rain returns. I hunker down in the tent with a good book and bottle of red, happy to wait it out. Soon the rain turns to hail! Heavy hail, the size of marbles and within minutes, the ground is white from it.

A couple hours later I join the boys in the deeper area of the woods, setting traps and snares for the fun of it. We accidently find a geocache in the crack of a large boulder and sign our names to the paper. We leave a compass and first aid kit in the ammo box and take a plastic lizard and keychain. The boys discover a heavy vine hanging from one of the tall pines – it’s a good forty feet long and seems pretty sturdy. We take turns swinging out over the embankment and its all good fun until the vine breaks! Unfortunately for me, I was the one swinging on it when this happened and I took a very hard fall, backwards and head first. The accident left me with headaches for the next couple days and my body still feels like it’s been in a car accident… but I’m fine.

Still, I don’t feel like running around much anymore and whip up a good pot of pasta – gorgonzola, walnut and wild mushroom cream sauce washed down with a good cab. Sleep comes early and fast that night and in the morning we break camp quickly. The return hike is all downhill and our packs are much lighter so it’s an easy walk out of there. A nice little trek with a little bit of everything, Horton Springs.

No words needed - just flat out beauty.

Olive the cat and a bunch of lemons from the tree in back of my house.

great name!

The cactus flowers have been blooming like crazy! More to come…

“It’s going to be below freezing tonight, the trails are muddy, you need to pack out all waste including toilet paper and human waste and it’s supposed to rain today.” The Park Ranger looked across at me as though that should be sufficient to send me away. No way! This trip has been in the works for months and I felt well equipped to handle the elements, no matter how nasty.

This was after a harrowing drive along Utah’s Scenic Highway 14, a little stretch of road that crossed a high mountain pass and connected Bryce to Zion. The drive was incredibly beautiful with fresh snow draped heavily across the pines, but it was also treacherous with drifting snow completely covering the road and cars in the ditch to the right and left. A little scary for this desert rat!

I collected my wilderness pass from the ranger and headed up into Kolob Canyon, the northern most region of Zion National Park. The plan was to park at the Lee’s Pass trailhead and hike along La Verkin Creek to a spot about six miles into the canyon.

As I rounded the corner I got my first view of the majestic rock walls of the canyon, shrouded in heavy fog and clouds, thick with snow and rain… this would not be an easy hike. From the very start my boots clogged with wet clay and became a couple pounds heavier. The winds felt like gale force and it was dark, really dark… at 12:30 in the afternoon.

The first two miles descend an open ridge with fine views of the finger canyons, which seem the unnatural result of a giant axe wielding madman.

Eventually I skirt the spire of Shuntavi Butte and descend more steeply through pinon-juniper forest along Timber Creek. The clouds are heavy and dark and moving extremely fast – this is the kind of place where weather rumbles overhead like a speed train.

The trail turns east and follows along the north bank of La Verkin Creek, a vigorous muddy stream running high and fast after all the recent rain. The trail is sandy and tough going but lined with lovely wildflowers and orange butterfly weed.

I reach the campsite after four hours of hiking and it still has not rained – yay! After quickly setting up the tent it’s a brief stroll to check out the surroundings. A beautifully clear spring flows less than fifty yards from the campsite. It’s crisp and cold and doesn’t even need to be filtered, but I do anyway.

I walk down to the creek and rest on a large boulder.  Something catches my eye. It’s a pair of mallard ducks!  They’re nonchalantly battling against the strong current while dipping their bills for food. The male takes a good look and decides I’m harmless and they swim past.

Dinner is a hastily prepared bruschetta of caramelized onion and tomato olive tapenade. Then straight into the tent! I keep adding layer after layer of clothing trying to get warm. Finally I’m wearing absolutely everything I brought with me – six layers! And slide into a double thick sleeping bag. The wind is battering the tent but everything feels solid. The strain of the day brings sleep in the blink of an eye. It’s 8pm and still light out.

Morning comes and it’s a perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky and already getting warmer. After a cup of Irish tea I wander up the canyon side behind camp to find the origin of the spring and shoot photos. A bit of boulder hopping and trailblazing and then it’s time for breakfast – wild blueberry pancakes with butter and maple syrup. By now I’ve shed all clothing except for t-shirt and shorts – it’s going to be a golden day.

I hike about a mile further up the trail till I reach an intersection where I can go further along the Lee Pass or head to Kolob Arch - the largest arch in the world.  I turn west to the Arch and am rewarded with an idyllic little trail that runs beside a clear, babbling creek. The trail crosses the creek and ends abruptly in a clearing with a sign warning hikers not to go any further. The 310 foot span seems anticlimactic because it’s dwarfed by the massive walls.

I drop down into a stream and follow it, hoping for a better view of the arch. I find that and much more – a nice forty foot waterfall! I hang out there for quite a while, soaking my feet in the cool water and getting a chilled spray shower.

Back at the trail intersection I decide to make my way toward Bear Trap Canyon to check out another waterfall about 3 miles away.  My legs are complaining so I find a good spot to rest up and have some lunch – tuna wraps and an apple with some trail mix. Back on the trail the exquisite scenery just won’t quit but my legs do so I decide to turn back and rest at camp.

That night the stars are out in full force. It’s getting cold again but nothing like last night. The sky is absolutely bursting with constellations – this might be even better than the Arizona skies. Dinner is rigatoni with mushroom, walnut, gorgonzola and alfredo sauce – yes!I manage to stay awake much later and stare up at the stars with a hot bourbon and cocoa warming my hands and belly.
A wonderful restful night and it’s another gorgeous day. Not a cloud in the sky. I pack up camp and make some oatmeal with wild blueberries and a cup of tea.

The hike out would be brutal – uphill most of the way, with the toughest part coming in the last two miles. The scenery is so dramatic and large scale that I don’t even mind the strenuous trail – it’s a privilege just to be in this space.
I make the trailhead by early afternoon, load up Big Blue and head to Las Vegas, taking one last look at the incredible gift I experienced as I drive back down the mountain. Kolob Canyon – Wow!

I arrived at Bryce Canyon National Park late in the day after negotiating through a wild winter storm in Flagstaff and sandstorms throughout northern Arizona. It was bitter cold and icy snow flurries pelted Big Blue as I entered Red Canyon, about thirty minutes outside the park and the first view of the region’s colorful hoodoos (the statuesque iron oxide formations everywhere).

First night’s camp was at the Bryce Canyon North campground and my only goals for the evening were to get warm and get some rest – tomorrow would be a big day of adventure!
The first stop upon entering the park was Sunset Point. It was snowing much heavier now, but fortunately the trails were still open. Ethereal and dramatic is the best way to describe the initial view. Hoodoos stretched out and down into the clouds.

I started with the Navajo Loop trail, a short but spectacular trail that drops directly into the canyon and weaves among the towering formations. As I entered the formation “Wall Street”, the trail was so slick with ice that the only way to descend was to sit and slide. This narrow canyon revealed only a sliver of sky above and fresh snow underfoot. I pass a couple arches carved by the water and then “Thor’s Hammer”, one of the park’s most famous formations.The giant Douglas fir trees living in this canyon are more than 750 years old!

At the bottom of the canyon is a fork heading off to Queen’s Garden trail. The canyon is quiet from the snow except for the occasional clacking of rocks eroding of the side of the cliffs as the snow melted. Bristlecone pines, some more than 1600 years old dot the escarpments.

The trail passes through a couple tunnels and then through some absolutely beautiful hoodoo castles – striking whites and oranges accentuated by the bright snow and green pines. The trail passes “Queen Victoria” the trail’s namesake and then gradually makes its way to the top, emerging at Sunrise Point.

From there it’s a short walk along the rim to the starting point, then lunch at the lodge.

I continue up the road toward Rainbow Point – the initial destination I had intended to start from for the backpacking leg of the trip, but as I ascended the mountain, the road got snowier and more treacherous. It was really nasty and cold and even if I wanted to tough out the weather, there would be no chance for any great views or photography due to the very low visibility.

I turned around at the Natural Bridge parking lot, where a stunning span or eroded red-hued limestone juts from the edge of the overlook. Although it’s called a bridge, it’s technically called an arch since bridges are formed by erosion of running water – in this case it was the freezing and thawing of water inside the cracks which shattered the rock and created the giant window.

At this point, it’s sooo bitter cold that all I can do is hop out for a quick photo, then rush back to the truck and creep back down the snowy mountain to the next viewpoint. The decision for tomorrow is easy: head to the lower elevation and warmer weather of Zion National Park and backpack into Kolob Canyon.

I found this guy on the La Verkin Creek in Kolob Canyon, part of Zion National Park. I named him Seymour Hopman.

I found some nice specimens at the  Botanical Gardens over the weekend.

Julia

Spicebush Swallowtail

Zebra Longwings

White Peacock

Zebra Longwing

It’s common knowledge that I make the absolute best martinis. This was last night’s offering: jalapeno stuffed olives, marinated in lime juice, with a fresh off the tree lemon twist… yum!

Our latest adventure took us to Bell Canyon, just south of Sedona. The plan was to mountain bike the White Mesa Trail as far as we could go, stash the bikes in the brush and then travel on foot along Beaver Creek until we find a good spot to camp for the night.

Riding a bike over rough terrain while wearing a 35 pound pack wasn’t as easy as we thought, but it was definitely exhilarating and fun!

We reach the Weir trail head without incident and start along a well marked trail. To our left is a steep cliff of Sedona’s red sandstone studded with Agave, Prickly Pear and Hedgehog cacti. To the right is the fast flowing Beaver Creek.

Engleman’s Hedgehog Cactus

The sky is clear, crisp and impossibly blue. The trail hugs the contours and spectacular rock formations surround us. The trail quickly disappears, overgrown by brush or washed out and we continue onward, rock hopping our way back and forth across the water and scampering up and down boulders. After about an hour of picking our way through the heavy flora we find a nice flat open area and make camp for the night.

We fish for a while in pools up and down the creek without a bite and decide to settle in for the night. Dinner is an Angel Hair Puttenesca. I sautéed onions, garlic and salami then added tomato paste and water and cooked the pasta directly in this sauce, then finished it with a little balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese. Yum!

The night is clear and the stars take center stage. We both saw nice shooting stars and I set my camera on the ground pointing up with a three minute exposure in an attempt to capture the fantastic light show. We both crash for the night to the sounds of the bubbling riffles of water and wind through the trees.

After a warm evening of good sleep we wake to a cacophony of bird songs and make a quick breakfast. We pack enough food, water, fishing and first aid gear to last for a day and head further up the creek. The scenery is just amazing and beautiful and we find a nice deep pool jumping with fish. I land a couple smallmouth bass that put up a good fight and release them, not wanting to carry them around all day (“we’ll catch em again on the way back”).

Greater Earless Lizard

We reach Bell Crossing, named after the old rancher Charles Bell who created the trail, and take the spur trail to the “Tongue of the Beaver”, a rock outcrop that looks like a giant diving board. We venture further along the escarpment and then down into the canyon and have a great time bouldering our way through problem after problem, sometimes climbing a tree and jumping across to a ledge, other times sliding down a ramp of sandstone and jumping to a safe perch at the perfect moment.

Lunch is tuna wraps and trail mix under a riparian ledge, and then back we go, retracing our route to camp. We stop to fish with no luck, but no matter, the scenery and weather couldn’t be any better and we were pretty worn out.

Claret Cup Cactus

Desert Paintbrush

Yellow Salsify

Back at camp I attempt to make fire with a bow and spindle. It takes a few hours of tweaking the bow, finding the perfect spindle and gouging the base and cup… but I finally succeed! The first time I’ve ever made fire without matches, lighter or flint. I leave the components of the fire kit under a tree for the next camper to play with…

One more night around a blazing fire. We’re listening to Neil Young, roasting sausages and baking bananas. The weather is perfect, no bugs are bothering us and the creek gurgles along. Life is good!

The way out…

Here at Telepathic Stuntman we’re chest deep into St. Patrick’s day and this is why - the Irish Car Bomb - drink up lads!

The Biopac training system teaches our medical students basic clinical skills.

In front of the Rock Springs Cafe in Rock Springs, Arizona. I love the fact that the machine is unplugged - somehow that makes it even more powerful!