Story

Today was our first real day of adventure on our Utah road trip. Our very first destination was the upper section of Zion National Park called the Kolob Canyons. Sadly the lighting was terrible so I couldn’t get great photos of the terrific landscapes that were all around us. There were giant canyons with walls seemingly stretching to the skies and rivers that paved roads for giants. It was quite the sight and to enhance the experience we decided to take a hike up Taylor Creek. A nice six mile hike along a river that eventually ends at a double blind arch. ...

Today was a driving day. With each days goal in mind we have set out again on another road trip to try to grasp just one corner of nature’s beauty and try to hold onto it. AS always, our beautiful country has so many wonders it is near impossible to see them all. But that will never deter my attempts. The following week my mother and I will be doing a road trip around all of southern Utah, seeing national parks, hiking, running, photographing, and having a generally awesome time together in the desert sun. ...

This year’s Memorial Day Criterium is also the NCNCA Junior State Championships. It’s not a surprise to see Jack leading the pack in the 13-14 group. He eventually won it, but Adrien from Gabe’s SJBC team did an awesome job staying right on his tail and eventually getting second place. Now it’s time for the 15-16 age group to roll. Zeke, Tim, and Gabe will be working together to help Zeke lock in his Junior Points Series (JPS) win. Henry from Tieni Duro broke away early as he often does, but this time none of the other teams were willing to work together to chase him down. SJBC had their plan, Tieni Duro certainly wasn’t going to chase, and Matt from Specialized was on his own. I’m sure it was frustrating for a number of the riders, but big kudos to Henry for winning state. ...

The Mt Hamilton Classic road race is an epic ride, and Gabe has come to give it his best. It’s far and away the longest climb he’s ever done, more like 3 of the usual mountain climbs right in a row followed by lots more climbs on the other side of the mountain. We’ve got the lucky hat, the magical dog, and plenty of time to warm up. It’s a beautiful day for the climb out of San Jose, and there’s no shortage of climbing specialists ready for action. Charlotte and I head out to Livermore to hang out while Gabe is visiting the pain cave. ...

Yesterday’s stage of the Tour of California was a blast, so Charlotte and I are back on the road to watch the riders leave Seaside for the long ride out to Paso Robles today. Bob Roll is here too along with plenty of bikes. Gabe is in school, so unfortunately he’s not able to collect more autographs for his hat. Plenty of great riders getting ready to roll from Radio Shack, Garmin, Rabobank, and BMC. The start is so much quieter than in Livermore, almost a bit like rolling out on a small training ride. Livermore sure did a great job yesterday. ...

It’s the time of year again when the biggest road cycling race in the USA comes to our neck of the woods, the Amgen Tour of California. This year Gabe is working to get tons of autographs from some of his favorite riders on a cycling hat. Some of his favorites include: Jens Voigt, Johan Van Summeren, Laurens Ten Dam, Oscar Freire, Lars Boom, Bernhard Eisel, Taylor Phinney, and George Hincapie. ...

Gabe is racing today in the legendary Cat’s Hill Classic today. I suppose it’s a classic having been around for 38 years, rolling over rough pavement, and including a killer 23% grade hill. Gabe and I previewed the course a few days ago, but now it’s time to watch the Cat 3s (including quite a few juniors) enjoy the hill. The junior 15-16 pack comes racing around for their climb up the hill. ...

Because I have so many photos from our zoo adventure I am going to break ti down for each animal we saw. The first is the Emu. An incredible creepy and slightly gross bird. Similar to an ostrich but weirder. There is only one thing I enjoy about emus, their eyes. They have such brightly colored eyes and it is there only redeeming feature to me. Within an animal’s eyes lies all their beauty. ...

Today is an interesting and probably history making day. Today our President Obama made a public announcement declaring that Osama Bin Laden, the figure-head of Al Qaeda, has been killed by American troops in Pakistan. This event puts us in a strange position for many reasons. The main being that events like this allow us to sit in wonder and realize that in this very moment that history is being made around us. Will I and thousand of others remember this day, or will it be swept away in the tide of our memories. It is a strange thing to be able to take a step back and realize that in this very moment history is being formed. Not just in regards to Osama’s death but events all over the world. ...

Blue Herons are an animal that I see plenty of but still pique my interest like all wildlife. It is amazing how even after seeing this animal all my life I still find it fascinating. Wildlife never gets boring because it is never the same. Each movement in its fluidity is a step towards something new and I hope to be there to watch as this creature sets out on its path to who knows where. ...