Another Grand Adventure

Rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon is a requirement for everyone's bucket list.  To get to sit in the bottom of a massive ditch carved out by mother nature and float for over 250 miles will change your life.  It will forever be a highlight to have been in the bottom of the Grand Canyon looking up at it's vast size when most have only looked down from above in a few places.

Tomorrow I will put on and float under AZ89a as it goes over the Navajo bridge and not see another car for over 250 miles to Diamond Creek.  It's an opportunity that presented itself in a less than ideal way with my brother's lady friend backing out to get knee surgery and leaving me an open spot on the oars.  I was lucky enough to have the time available to get to join my brother on his first time down the canyon.

I had dreams of going down the Grand Canyon as anyone with reasonable amount of river miles does, but never thought I would get an opportunity to go before I was done with college let alone to get to go a second time before I turn 27.  I'm extremely grateful for the life that I have gotten to live and hope to keep on pursuing everything that makes me happy. I'm excited to put onto the river and be without cell phones, internet, running water and all the conveniences that don't fit on a raft, and you won't find in the middle of a National Park.  There will be much more, and current photos, to come when I get back to everyday life.  Until then, have fun, enjoy life and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

I'm challenging myself to write this blog to keep track of myself and so that family and friends can hear about my experiences in a seasonal summer lifestyle! In doing so I also hope to spread the word about an amazing organization that provides free outdoor adventure programs to young adults (18-39) with cancer. If you enjoy reading about my adventures I know you'll feel great knowing you helped change someone's life with a small or large donation to First Descents. Thank you!

http://teamfd.firstdescents.org/2013/fd/bennydubs/ 

Seasons are Natural

The seasons are guaranteed to change, it's just natural. This cycle will make the leaves change colors and fall to the ground which will shortly thereafter, if we're lucky, be covered in glorious snow. So if it's natural for our environment to  change around us seasonally, it makes sense to change our recreational habits along with them. For some of this this change also comes with a full change of lifestyle.

Mt Baker Ski Area

Winter is easy. Live at my small home in the mountains, slide on snow almost everyday which is made easy by my job as a ski patroller at least 4 days a week.  It's easy to find me in the winter, I still have a landline in the cell phone free town of Glacier, WA.

Then there's summer. Always there's the question in the winter of "so what are you doing this summer?" This is the question that has brought me to writing this blog.  I'm always debating my answers of "being a dirtbag", "working for a non-profit" or "guiding kayaks in the San Juan Islands". Never is there time to explain the jigsaw puzzle of jobs and adventures that make up my summer life.

San Juan Islands

I'm challenging myself to write this blog to keep track of myself and so that family and friends can hear about my experiences in a seasonal summer lifestyle! In doing so I also hope to spread the word about an amazing organization that provides free outdoor adventure programs to young adults (18-39) with cancer. If you enjoy reading about my adventures I know you'll feel great knowing you helped change someone's life with a small or large donation to First Descents. Thank you!
http://teamfd.firstdescents.org/2013/fd/bennydubs/