Tag Archives: adventure travel books

The Little North Fork of the Middle Feather

Posted on by
Reply

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the wind longs to play with your hair.”                — Kahlil Gibran

Paul Z in action on one of the Sierra classics>

 

The late Paul Zirkelbach (also known as Pablo) was talking very excitedly on his cell phone as we cruised along Route 50 in the spectacular Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. “Lars just told me about a new run that isn’t in any guidebooks yet. It sounds really good, so I think we should do it.”

“How hard is it?” I asked.

“It sounds hard, but he said it was really good,” he replied. “The takeout is the same as Devils Canyon, and that is one of my favorite runs.”

“Sure, sounds good, why not? Let’s see if the rest of the group wants to join us,” I said.

We had been paddling for a couple of weeks in the Sierras and were feeling quite confident.

The rest of the story:

Table of contents:

First Descent of the Mekong in Tibet

Posted on by
Reply

John paddling “Twisted Sister” on the First Descent of the Mekong in Tibet

But Pete had already made up his mind: The river was too difficult and dangerous for the rafts to continue, which meant the trip was over! I was very disappointed, but I agreed with his decision. There was a chance that the kayakers could go on alone, but we needed to discuss it with the rest of the group.

I walked downstream alone, contemplating my life and this incredible river. Even though I was definitely past my prime, I was feeling pretty good. My neck was still sore from the five-day bus ride, but the pain was fading, and my old spirit was coming back. I also knew that, between the political situation there and my age, if I didn’t make it down the canyon this trip, I would probably never come back.

My thoughts drifted to one of my favorite lyrics by Tom Waits — “Opportunity don’t knock/He has no tongue and she cannot talk” — and I tried to think rationally, while my adrenaline was pushing me to continue.

More photos and details:   https://danceonedge.com/?page_id=34

Divorce Boat in the Grand Canyon

Posted on by
Reply

“A successful team beats with one heart.”

— unknown author

John and Mary running “Satan’s Gut” with a divorce boat in Cataract Canyon on the Colorado river.

“My friend Gary has a permit for the Yampa River, and I’ve heard that it’s really good. Would you like to try a river trip?” I asked my girlfriend Mary.

“That sounds like fun,” she replied. “What will I ride in?”

More info:     https://danceonedge.com/?page_id=900

Table of Contents https://danceonedge.com/?page_id=22

The Devils Tower and the Grand Teton

Posted on by
Reply

 

West face of the Devils Tower in Wyoming.

The trail wandered through a pristine forest and soon reached the magical high alpine zone that I was learning to love. The rock was a lot more stable then The Deadly Bells, and I quickly scrambled up to The Belly Crawl Ledge. This was mentioned as one of the cruxes in the guidebook, so I studied the route carefully before starting the traverse.  Crossing the ledge was easy, but it was a bit icy and very exposed, and the weather was deteriorating rapidly, so I moved cautiously.  A sudden squall of icy rain slammed the mountain as I looked over the edge at the infamous North Face. But the squall passed as quickly as it had arrived, and I continued on the safe ledge to the double chimneys. This crux had a rating of 5.4, which means that a rope and technical gear were recommended, but a confident climber would find it easy.  I stopped for a brief rest and studied the route very carefully.  If I slipped here as I had on the Devil’s Tower, I would probably die or be severely injured, so mistakes were not an option.  The route looked fairly reasonable and the weather was clearing, so I took three deep breaths and headed upwards.

The first moves were a bit scary, but they felt good and I started to relax and truly enjoy the high-altitude experience. There was a secure place to rest about half way up the chimney, so I stopped to take a breath and survey the fabulous mountain scenery.

“Wow!” was about all I could think, as I looked down at the Middle Teton and off toward the plains of Idaho.  If there is a stairway to heaven, it is in the mountains, and I felt like I had found it.

After a brief rest I looked upward. The path looked easy, so I carefully followed it and arrived at the summit just in time for another squall, which dropped a bit of sleet and headed on its way.  After a quick lunch, I found the rappel anchors and started to head down.       Table of Contents   https://danceonedge.com/?page_id=22

Adventure in the Andes

Posted on by
Reply

There are many stairways to Heaven and they can be found in the lofty mountains. of the world.

View of Nevado Piramide and some other high peaks from Huascaran.

Nevado Huascaran from Yungay. The bare rock face is the result of a huge Avalanche in 1970.

 

View of the Huandoys from high on Huascaran

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about the Andes: https://danceonedge.com/?page_id=877