Ladies, Gentlemen - Here's to a fantastic winter!  While comparing skiing styles once upon a time, my homie Alex told me that he prefers to remain airborne as much as possible.  At the time, I was a scared little tadpole, but now I know exactly what he was talking about.  Here's to people who push you:

Alex givin'er out in the Rock Pile on a fabulous April afternoon.

My life has been blessed with a large set of great friends and some of them also fall into the mentor category.  It's great to have mentors because they've been through shit before, which gives me a feeling of relief that I'm not alone.  Here's to mentors:

Matt Booth and I out-of-bounds trying to find the mysterious Lost Lake and its epic pow shots.

My older friends have graduated college, some friends have graduated law school, my little brother has graduated college, I've graduated college twice, and this spring the last of my friends will be graduating from college (mostly for the second time).  Hence, this was the last spring break trip I might ever be able to make.  The plan was set - Jim, Gen, and Petey would rally the extra-curricular activities through enemy territory into the edge of the desert near Barstow.  Bat Country, you know.  Joel and I rented a very fast car and met them in Zion, where a party of epic proportions began.  Good God, man.  Some folks out there are just simply described best as pimps:

In 48 hours we ran that Las Vegas town ragged.  We brought a safety kit of monumental proportions and just barely made it out alive.

Here's some of the lovely ladies (and gents) that composed the rest of the team.

Other folks are simply described best as marauding cannibals:

Mmm....scary

One of my favorite things in the world is a good campfire.  They involve all the best things - woods, warmth, friends, beer, whiskey, spirited discussion and camping.  This one was in Zion by a creek on a beach.  Not a bad way to waste away a spring break.  

We didn't get to spend nearly enough time in Zion.  We did get to hike this super exposed ridge up to Angel's Landing.  Unfortunately, temperatures prevented out canyoneering exploration of Zion, but the place was impressive enough that I'll be back.  

This winter I got to go to a little place warm, where the beer flows like wine, and the beautiful women flock like the salmon of Capistrano.  A little place called Arizona, where the shit went off all winter.  They received low elevation snows and torrential rains mixed with sunny days, which unleashed winter-time desert creeking for those so inclined.  Maria, Christian, and I rocked 12 straight hours out of Denver to fire the goods.  Hells Gate gorges on Tonto Creek.  

This here is the second drop in the Hells Gate gorge proper.  It's must run, very difficult partial scout, IV/V.  Christian gettin busy.

Here's Maria below another class V.  It had a nasty pot hole/eddy mess followed by a ledge hole.  The kayaking and scenery was top notch, but I didn't get enough photos because my busted ass boat was continually leaking and sucking out all of my energy.

The team at the second campsite.  The rock really is that red and followed by huge saguaro cacti.  

Christian giving into the final big hole.

Cheers!  What a fantastic winter!  Keep your eyes peeled for creeking updates coming to a blog near you soon.

da Duckie

Bonus shot (one for the ladies).