Skiing is kind of like mining; you want virgin ground.

Skiing is kind of like mining; you want virgin ground. 

I don’t know why they call it skiing into powder. It should be called melting into powder. It’s quite contradictory if you think about. Melting into something even though it is more than 20 degrees below freezing; yet, it somehow all makes sense. If you’ve ever taken a closer look at butter melting on a simple piece of toast, you’ll find that it slowly fuses into it, until it simultaneously seems to become one in the same. That is how it feels to be skiing in fresh untouched powder. You start to become lost, not all at once, but fluently like butter on toast. Your worries soon leave you and you are transfigured into a world that can only be found on slopes of a mountain peak. You are waist deep in such a simple substance: a snowflake. So light and easily destroyed, but gathered in millions and hundreds of millions they become a child’s playground.

Some people cower at the sight of a blizzard, but I thrive on them. Why would I depart upon the sight of more snow? I revel having snow grace me on the lift ride up. It’s just another reminder that I’m doing the thing I love. You can barely see 15 feet in front of yourself, but that’s what makes it a challenge. People will come into and out of view like ghosts, fading away and being encompassed by the snow. It is like a movie where you enter your suspension of disbelief, but somehow it is real. As the blanket of snow thickens, it begins to obscure the light. Soon you are unable to distinguish ridges and drops. You’re perception has been tarnished, and you must rely solely on your experience now. It is a true test of skill and gut reaction. It is Mother Nature’s ultimate challenge, and it is not to be taken lightly, but instead attacked head-on

          Being on the lift is like watching a trailer for the best movie that ever existed. You get to preview the landscape and start to plan out your next run while suspended 40 feet off the ground. You start to compare yourself to other skiers, “I’m a better skier than him, but maybe not as good as that guy.” Then you finally touchdown on mother earth again, as the wind is rushing over the backside of the mountain and over the peak, testifying to you that you’re not the most powerful thing out there. Finally, the movie begins. You get to customize it and make it as relaxed or exhilarating as you want. You get to carve up the mountain try new things each time. And the best part is, the movie starts over and over and over again.



I'm going to add more. 

Canyoneering

About a month ago, the young men went down to Goblin Valley for a campout. We stayed the night in the park, and did some exploring while it was dark. Some of the kids who I thought would never be afraid almost peed their pants while walking through the rocks and their shadows so we eventually turned back.

The following morning we ate breakfast and went to this rock canyon about 45 minutes away. We dropped one of the trucks off at the base and drove around to the top with the other truck. After a short hike, the adventure finally started with a repel. I was one of the first to go and got tripped on my feet placement at first, but quickly straightened out. Immediately, I realized that any phobia of personal space was out of the question. Most of the rocks were close enough that you could have slowly creeped to the top with just counterbalancing your force on each side. We learned this new technique how to help a friend down a short but steep incline that you don't want to get your repelling gear out for. You just let them slowly slide down and when they reach you at the base, you just push their weight back into the surface, which slows their momentum. The adventure had 3 to 4 repels depending on whether you free climbed parts. Overall, I spent more time suspended in air between two rocks than I did on the ground. It's like all the climbing around your house that your mom never let you do. And at the end, we came out at the location where they filmed the movie 127 hours. Overall, a really fun trip. I'll get pictures posted soon. 

Fourwheeling

To start off, I love fourwheeling. Riding fourwheelers is pretty fun, but its the places they take you and the people your with that make it amazing. Over the years I've been on some pretty fun trips. We've been to moab and visited arches that are impossible to get to otherwise. We've gone up to Monty Cristo right as the leaves were changing. I've gone mudding in Texas, and sledding behind fourwheelers in Idaho. Generally though we go up the canyon a lot because it's close. It's a fun ride once you get past the original rocks at the beginning.   We also like to go to Saratoga Springs where you can find all sorts of abandoned mines.

I imagine I'll take a lot of my dates on fourwheeling rides because it's a fun activity. We were riding the other day and my dad said I could take anyone I wanted with us, and then once I can drive, then I can also take us wherever we want. Some places I still want to visit, include the sand dunes and island park. Also, the girl I like also likes fourwheeling so that's a win win.

Another highlight to fourwheelers are that in the winter, we hook a plow up and that becomes my shovel(if we have any snow).

Whatever it is you like about fourwheeling, everybody knows it's the dirt mustaches at the end of a long day that create true satisfaction.

Why?

I have decided to make this blog to document all the cool and unique experiences I have had. It will be used more as a journal with pictures and ideas, rather than the typical blog. Anyone is welcome to view it but just know my intentions in creating it.

The name of the blog comes from a joke between Kaleb and I. We were  repelling and the motto "And thus they were hardcore" was a saying we came up with. I am going to try and make this blog reflect this motto. It will contain adventurous experiences and events that have already happened or that I'm working towards. Most of the content will be outdoor activities, and many will reflect repetitive topics with new experiences. I will add to this blog whenever a new activity is present in my life. I hope you enjoy!

It's videos like these that motivate and inspire me. It shows me all the things that are "humanly" possible and just makes you think what's in your own realm of possibility. Of course I know I won't be able to do any of the stunts in the video but it is still inspiring and fun to watch.