Outdoor Adventurers

Yep, just outside my door adventuring; check it out. "my house just down the mountain"

I wanted to share an unforgettable canyoneering adventure I experienced in September, 2024. I went canyoneering through Bluejohn Canyon in Canyonlands, Utah—the same canyon where Aron Ralston’s incredible survival story took place. If you don’t know the story, in 2003, Ralston was canyoneering solo when a boulder trapped his right arm. After five days of being stuck with little food and water, he made the impossible decision to amputate his own arm with a dull multi-tool to escape and survive. Along with his book Between a Rock and a Hard Place, his story was later told in the movie 127 Hours starring James Franco. Walking (and climbing) through the same narrow passages where this all happened was both thrilling and inspiring. As we descended to the location of the rock, there was still a long stretch of scrambling to reach the other end of the canyon—where Ralston made his final descent down a cliffside before trekking another six miles in the heat to find help. At one point, I couldn’t help but think, navigating this canyon with both hands is challenging enough—doing it with only one is unimaginable. It’s a powerful reminder of what the human body and mind are capable of when pushed to the absolute limit in a life-or-death situation.

One of my favorite hikes I’ve ever been on was in Oahu, Hawaii. This is called Laie Falls and the hike was amazing. This hike really put into perspective the saying “It’s the journey, not the destination.”