This past week, Nick embarked on an intricately planned man vacation with his brother, Ben, and a number of his best childhood friends. It evolved from the initial plan of a weekend get-a-way into a 5 day hard core outdoor adventure. Nick flew to Salt Lake City last Tuesday evening and, after a few hours of sleep, drove he and his buddies 4 hours away to Zion National Park. After setting up their campsite, they set off on a 6 mile hike on a rocky trail known as Angel's Landing. I felt panicky just listening to Nick describe the precarious pathway that they traveled with 1500 foot drop offs on either side. Yikes! The second day, they had a pre-dawn wake-up to get going on the Narrows trail, a 16 mile hike through a canyon with water filling a large majority of the base. After 11 and a half hours, they finished up, a little worse for wear. They more than deserved the relaxation that awaited them on Friday, when they connected up with a few more of their buddies at Lake Powell for some house boating and man fun. From the sounds of it, they had an absolute blast!
The precarious pinnacle of the Angel's Landing hike.
My handsome hubby.
Brother Ben & my Nick.
Just behind them...1500 feet straight down
Ben, Nick, Carl and Norm
Ben, Nick, Carl & Norm
Mikey
Ben and Mikey wading through the Narrows.
Carl taking a break in one of the waterfalls.
Norm manages to get through the waist-deep water.
Nick and Mikey trekking along.
Mikey grilling a feast fit for kings.
Nick and Ben sinking the anchor for the night.
Teamwork!
Gorgeous scenery.
The crew: Nick, Ben, Mikey, Cy, Carl, Andrew, Ben and Norm.
Ben, Mikey, Cy, Carl, Norm, Andrew & Ben
WOW! Those hikes looked insane and amazing. I never would have survived.
ReplyDeleteDid you enjoy your quiet weekend?
Thanks for posting them.
I never would have lasted on the hikes, either! I hear ya on being ready for a vacation by the time Nick got home, it was the longest long weekend in recent memory!!! I was glad to have broken it up with a quick trip to Indy...I am so glad they had fun, but I was really glad to have my relief back home!!! I was thinking about you a bunch, Cat, having the two to chase after, so glad you survived!! Nick was retelling some great Asher stories, you have a little chatterbox on your hands! :)
ReplyDeleteI love those pictures! Perhaps because half the guys were my family members and the other half I've known for most of my life! Is it just me or are they 13 year old boys again without parental supervision in the wilderness? And I can't remember when Mike wasn't Mikey! And I remember knowing Nick since I was eight, and then gaining a newfound respect for him when I was a freshman because I saw that he was the cool guy and I never imagined my brother being friends with someone who was cool. Ah the insights into a fourteen year old girl's brain! I'm glad they all got to get together and have fun!
ReplyDeleteYeah, they're all my brothers. I've known them since 5th grade. Sus, I totally remember when Nick because "cool" in high school and that was the funniest, strangest thing to me because he was dorky Nick who'd play magic or whatever those games were. BUT, when he became "cool," he would still come over and play those games and was still the same dork with the rest of them. Oh, I could go on and on with stories about them.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Ali, as Sus will attest, two is WAY better than one and easier in lots of ways. Plus, knowing he's not coming home is much easier than expecting him and then having him come late. Isn't that the worst? It's like every minute feels like an hour.
Let me set the record straight. In the past 31 years, except for an accidental moment or two, at no point have I been cool. I can assure you of this.
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