Saturday was our last day at Walt Disney World. We headed out early and made it to Animal Kingdom shortly after it opened. It’s the largest of the parks, although it doesn’t have TOO many things to do just yet, being the newest park and all. After walking through the zoo section at the front of the park, we started out the day watching the Lion King show, which we were practically ushered into. It was actually pretty entertaining, and we learned important things like how a giraffe makes a sound like a sheep. Who knew??
From there, we headed into Discovery Island where we admired the beautifully carved Tree of Life and wandered around the many trails. Then it was off to Dinoland U.S.A., where we rode the incredible DINOSAUR dark ride. Talk about intense!! It was really incredible, and I dragged Nate back to ride it a second time. Sadly, we discovered that Primeval Whirl, the double spinning mouse coaster, was down due to maintenance, so that’s an important reason to come back. Beyond that, we played around in the Boneyard, attempting to slide down slides and all that good stuff. We’re definitely kids at heart!
After Dinoland, we were off to Asia where we approached the most obvious attraction in the park: Expedition Everest. You just can’t miss this ride. An enormous replica of Mt. Everest climbs magnificently into the sky, and every now and then you see a train of people ascending its dizzying heights followed by screams of terror and delight. I knew about this ride, but I hadn’t bothered to read up on the details, so I went in not knowing what to expect…and what a treat it was! You start off climbing a ridiculously steep lift hill, and then you do a few gentle turns and twists before coming up to another lift hill that takes you…wait…where’s the track?? It appears that the track has been twisted and broken by the Yeti! What do we do?? “Aaaaaahhhh!!!!” The next thing you know, you’re plummeting backwards through utter darkness, twisting and turning and dropping until you reach another lift hill-like area. You get pulled up backwards, and the train stops as you watch the Yeti on the screen in front of you rip up more of the coaster track. Then the train is released and you plummet out of the mountain. After a few more twists, including a close flyby of the Yeti himself, you arrive back at the station. It was a really exciting coaster, and more so when you don’t know what’s coming! (Sorry for the spoiler!)
Then we headed over to Kali River Rapids, which I was hesitant about riding once I saw all the drenched people coming off. It was pretty chilly out, so that might not be the best plan of attack. Well, we did ride it, and everyone on the raft got soaked…and when we returned to the station, the ride op asked if we’d like to go around again…and we DID! Luckily the water seemed warm, but it didn’t help for the rest of the day, walking around with soaked jeans and a damp t-shirt. It was worth it, though, to experience one of the few raft rides with a substantial drop. What fun!
From there, we were off to Africa where we took the safari tour through the savanna, seeing all sorts of antelope, giraffes, elephants, lions, and rhinos, among other things. It was a pretty good ride, but nothing spectacular, really. I think Busch Gardens’ is better, actually. We then took the train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, where we toured the exhibits and had some ice cream. Then it was off to the 3D show “It’s Tough to Be a Bug,” followed by Everest and Dinosaur re-rides. Then it was back to Epcot for us!
We arrived back at Epcot pretty early – around 3:30, I think. We started our adventure in Future World, visiting everything we missed the night before. Among our adventures were the Living with the Land ride, which took us through some incredible greenhouses where they grew plants that required minimal soils and actually procured tomato trees, which last about 3 times as long as regular tomato plants. Much of what they grow is used at the park, too. They also raised tilapia and shrimp and alligators. It was just fascinating to see the incredible things they’ve come up with. Then we rode the Nemo ride, which was ok, though I understand it was better before they Nemo-fied it. It was situated in an aquarium, so the animated characters took away from the sea life in the background. I’m still kicking myself about not seeing the Journey Into the Imagination Ride, which we didn’t even realize was there, especially because its host is a dragon. Ah well, I’m sure we’ll be back someday!
After enjoying Future World, we headed off to the World Showcase. We had no idea that the Food and Wine Festival was going on, but what a lucky turn of events! Besides the already astounding number of countries and foods available when the event is not taking place, there were kiosks all along the lakefront, representing even more countries and culinary delights, each of which was quite affordable. It was like visiting the Taste of Chicago, in fact! We flitted from booth to booth, sampling all sorts of treats…spanakopita from Greece, escargot from France, chorizo quesadillas from Mexico, sushi from Japan, cheeses from Holland, Durban spiced chicken with coconut milk infused root vegetables from South Africa, seafood gumbo from Louisiana, meze from Turkey, various wines, including a wine sampling of Melbourne Australia area wineries, and that’s just what we tried! There were many, many more booths and foods to sample. It was incredible!
Besides the amazing cuisine, there were also the various shops, restaurants, shows and rides smattered throughout the World Showcase. Incredible replicas of famous buildings like the Eiffel Tower, stood regally along the waterfront – it really did feel like visiting a number of countries all in a few hours. We saw the 360 degree show about China, which could make a person dizzy, but was completely worth it, followed by Norway’s Maelstrom – a boat ride through Norse history complete with a tiny, though unexpected drop. Finally, we rode gondolas through Mexico, which felt more like Italy, save for all the stucco. Once we had made a loop of the Showcase, we headed back to Test Track for one more spin, this time entering the single rider line and getting on within five minutes. After a quick trip to the gift shop, we headed over to the lagoon to watch the incredible “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” show. This was an incredible fireworks show featuring an electrical globe in the center of the lagoon that would change images with the music. It was absolutely spectacular, and easily one of the best shows in the park. It was a perfect way to top off the trip, and I’m glad we stuck around.
Jeez, I feel like I must be forgetting something! There was just so much we did, it’s hard to tell anymore! Regardless, after we left Epcot, we managed to make it over to the bar that claimed to be tiki, next to our hotel. It was open this time, but unfortunately they don’t serve tiki drinks every night. Nor is it at all tiki themed. Regardless, we had a good time chatting with the bar tender, who just happened to be from Chicago! We had two drinks and headed off, exhausted from our adventures.
Our flight was at 8:30, so we were up before 6, just to get ready. Luckily, the flight back was uneventful, and we got back around 10:30, Mountain Time. I was absolutely exhausted the rest of the day and wound up passing out by 7! If that’s any measure of a good trip (which I think it is), it says a lot. This had to be the most “normal” of any of our vacations, by other peoples’ standards, but it was also an incredible one. It’ll be a while before we return to Disney, but in the meantime, we have a lot of magic to relive.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Disney Adventures Part 2
On Friday, we arose to the lovely sound of our wakeup call at 6:30. We had to be up at our timeshare meeting at 7:30, so we rushed to get ready and headed over there. Basically, it was a timeshare pitch for some Sheridan-owned company in which you could stay anywhere, anytime, blah blah blah. We went along with the pitch, and even toured around this location on a golf cart, but in the end, we managed to get out of being suckered in. It took about 3 hours, but for $100 off our tickets, it was worth it! Plus, we got free breakfast out of the deal. Too cool!
Once we escaped, we flew over to Disney, this time heading to the Magic Kingdom. I was excited to see that the boat ride to the entry gate was not a figment of my imagination, so our mini sailing trip was quite nostalgic for me. Once at the park, we started our trip counterclockwise, beginning at Tomorrowland. We started out with the Stitch ride, an all-senses show in which Stitch escapes wreaks havoc on the audience. I think I would have enjoyed it more before it changed from Extraterrestrial Encounter, but it was still amusing. Beyond that, we rode the Carousel of Progress which documented technological achievements over time. I swear the voice of the guy from the show belonged to Norm MacDonald, which was amusing. We also rode the Astro Orbiter, a simple ride in which you can control your ascent and descent, which is found in many forms throughout the parks (Dumbo, Aladdin’s Carpets, and a dinosaur one at Animal Kingdom). Next up was Tomorrowland Transit Authority, which takes you around and through many of the rides. We did another Toy Story-themed ride that involved shooting with a laser gun, but it wasn’t nearly as fun as the one at MGM. Finally, we headed over to Space Mountain, which had been down, much to our chagrin, and took a spin on that. I somehow wound up with the front seat, and the ride was just incredible from there! It was much better than I remember Disneyland’s to be, since, with the lighting of the stars, you could actually see a thing or two. There were a few neat head chopper effects and some nice drops. A very fun ride indeed!
After this, we decided to get a FastPass so we could ride the other track, and we headed over to the Speedway, where we tooled around to kill some time. Finally, it was back over to Space Mountain, where we got our second ride, this time with Nate in the front. What a good time!
After we’d seen all of Tomorrowland, we headed up to Mickey’s Toontown Fair where we rode The Barnstormer, another roller coaster. This was a fair-sized family coaster, though not all that memorable. From there, we toured Mickey and Minnie’s houses before hitting the road down to Fantasyland. As a child, this is the place I remembered most, and I recognized the midway immediately. We took a spin on Winnie the Pooh first, which was a confusing and very trippy adventure. It’s sad that they replaced Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride for this, although I wouldn’t doubt that they’re both equally as trippy. I guess in this case, the lead character doesn’t wind up in Hell, which is probably why they changed it to begin with!
Next up we took a spin on the Snow White dark ride, which was pretty fun, and much like the one in California. We attempted to do Peter Pan next, but the line was exceptionally long, so we got a FastPass and headed over to find Small World. In doing so, I was absolutely perplexed! At Disneyland, Small World is this enormous building at the far end of the park, extremely elaborate and mechanical and saccharine and really hard to miss. Since Magic Kingdom is so similar to Disneyland, down to the placement of most of the rides, I expected no less here. Well, oddly enough, the entire ride is crammed into a row of shops and restaurants, almost easy to miss. However, once you enter the queue, it’s just as cloying and elaborate as that entire building at Disneyland, with much of the same decor. Only you can’t escape! We waited in the 15-or-so minute line, singing along and annoying all the parents around us, I’m sure. It was great! Then we amused ourselves on the ride, trying to determine which country was which, which was actually not as easy as you’d think in some cases. Luckily, we got through the ride quickly enough to avoid going crazy, and we moved on to the next thing…Frontierland. While there, we avoided getting caught up in the parade by hoofing it over the adjacent boardwalk. From there, we boarded a raft and sailed over to Tom Sawyer Island where we explored the forts and windmills and other attractions. We also ate lunch at a seafood restaurant, where I was able to get the clam chowder I’d been longing for. Sadly, unlike Disneyland, they don’t serve it in a bread bowl, but it was still quite good.
At this point, it was time to get back to Peter Pan, so we rode that. I can see why I’d have liked it so much as a kid, as flying was always something I’d wanted to do, and it emulates it quite well, but it was incredibly short. It was identical to the one at Disneyland, too, from what I could tell.
After this, we headed over to the Haunted Mansion, where Nate was handed a timekeeper pass. Basically it’s just a lanyard you take with you to the front of the line so they can determine how long the wait is. It’s funny because Nate wanted to experience that and had actually mentioned it prior to getting in line. Unfortunately, the ride op who was supposed to take it was busy talking to someone and Nate had to bring it back to the cast member outside. No worries…he was asked to (successfully) do the same thing three more times on the trip. I guess he looks responsible or something. ;)
Haunted Mansion was fun – much like the one at Disneyland – probably identical. We did get stuck on it at one point, but not for too long. It’s always fun to see the ghost accompanying you in your car at the end of the ride.
After this, we headed over to Frontierland again to obtain another coaster credit on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It’s really a solid ride and a lot longer than it appears. We wound up in the first row, which was all well and good until I remembered that the guy who got killed at Disneyland’s BTMR was sitting in the same spot – one of the components of the “engine” car broke off and killed him. So that’s what I was thinking about the whole time. Still, it was a fun ride – maybe I’d prefer being further back next time, though.
Then we rode Splash Mountain, which is the same as Disneyland’s. Lots of great animatronics and a good splashdown. I’m actually surprised it’s still there, though, as it’s about as non-PC as you can get, and since they’ve stopped selling and showing Song of the South, I’m not sure that most people recognize the characters anyway. It’s still a fun ride, though.
Finally, we ended up in Adventureland, where we climbed around in the Swiss Family Treehouse, which was a lot of fun, and inspiring to me, as I could see living in a tree one day. It was much better than Disneyland’s recreation into a Tarzan treehouse. They should just leave well enough alone! From there, we rode the jungle cruise, which is hokey as ever, followed up by the Enchanted Tiki Room. All I could think about was what a mess all those birds would make if they were real, not to mention how you’d have to cover your drinks the whole time. I was lucky enough to see this at Disneyland in its original form, but now they have recent Disney bird characters in on the act, which is rather annoying, but whatcha gonna do? After this, we went to do Pirates, which was lame because it seemed like they’d removed some original theming, and now Captain Jack Sparrow is a part of it all. Oh well.
Our last ride of the day was a lap on the train, which was ok, but not spectacular. Then we boarded the monorail and took it over to Epcot for the evening. On the way, I saw an armadillo rummaging in the grass below, which was pretty neat. Never saw any gators, though, sadly.
What can I say about Epcot? It’s one of the most unusual and imaginative parks I’ve ever seen. I think it was both Nathan and my favorite, in fact, and that’s saying a lot, as there are no roller coasters there! Our first night at Epcot was a bit truncated, as we only had about 3 hours before close. We rushed around, starting the night off with Mission Space, which is touted as being one of the most intense rides in the park. It’s a flight training simulator, supposedly designed by NASA. You sit in a rather claustrophobic flight bridge with three other people, and each of you is assigned a duty. You’re supposed to press buttons while the ride goes, simulating launches and shields and all sorts of things. The ride is a centrifuge, pushing you back against the wall as it rotates, simulating an extreme launch. I think it does some other simulator motions as well, but that is the most intense. It was an interesting ride, but not nearly as exciting as I’d been told.
Next, we ran over to Test Track. This ride takes you on a journey through a vehicle testing facility, where they subject you to the things a car would experience during the process: uneven road surfaces, skidding, maneuvering wildly, heat, cold, slamming through a brick wall (or so you think), and speeding along upwards of 60 mph on an outside track. It’s probably my favorite ride in the park, actually.
After that, we went to Spaceship Earth, the ride that resides within the famous Epcot orb. It was a neat journey through the history of mankind and into the future. One neat aspect of the ride was the interactive component. At the end, the computer in your car asks you questions about your ideal future and then puts together your answers to create it for you. Plus, it takes your picture and inserts your faces onto the characters. Later, you can send e-cards to people (if you remember their addresses!) with your faces. Ours were hilarious. I looked devious yet bored, and Nathan had this maniacally happy expression. Good times!
Our last ride of the day would be Soarin’. This is a show in which you sit in seats that raise you above the ground, with your feet dangling. You’re positioned in front of a huge screen, and you watch images of California go by, simulating flying, complete with the smell of oranges and gusts of wind. It’s really an incredible ride, and exactly the same as the one in California. It was a relaxing way to top off the day.
On our way out, Illuminations, the finale, was already going on, so we decided to wait to see it the next day. We beat the crowds out of the park and headed over to the Disney Boardwalk where we ate dinner at the local brew pub. It had a much different atmosphere from the western brew pubs we’re used to, but the beer was good, and so was the food, so we were happy. We wanted to try the “tiki” bar near our hotel that night, but sadly, it was already closed by the time we got over there, so instead we played a few rounds of pool at the local pool hall. On the way over, I noticed that most of the tiny ponds in the area warned not to feed the alligators. That was a bit disconcerting, but I would hope that any gators that live in those small ponds are small themselves. Still, we never saw any.
Once we escaped, we flew over to Disney, this time heading to the Magic Kingdom. I was excited to see that the boat ride to the entry gate was not a figment of my imagination, so our mini sailing trip was quite nostalgic for me. Once at the park, we started our trip counterclockwise, beginning at Tomorrowland. We started out with the Stitch ride, an all-senses show in which Stitch escapes wreaks havoc on the audience. I think I would have enjoyed it more before it changed from Extraterrestrial Encounter, but it was still amusing. Beyond that, we rode the Carousel of Progress which documented technological achievements over time. I swear the voice of the guy from the show belonged to Norm MacDonald, which was amusing. We also rode the Astro Orbiter, a simple ride in which you can control your ascent and descent, which is found in many forms throughout the parks (Dumbo, Aladdin’s Carpets, and a dinosaur one at Animal Kingdom). Next up was Tomorrowland Transit Authority, which takes you around and through many of the rides. We did another Toy Story-themed ride that involved shooting with a laser gun, but it wasn’t nearly as fun as the one at MGM. Finally, we headed over to Space Mountain, which had been down, much to our chagrin, and took a spin on that. I somehow wound up with the front seat, and the ride was just incredible from there! It was much better than I remember Disneyland’s to be, since, with the lighting of the stars, you could actually see a thing or two. There were a few neat head chopper effects and some nice drops. A very fun ride indeed!
After this, we decided to get a FastPass so we could ride the other track, and we headed over to the Speedway, where we tooled around to kill some time. Finally, it was back over to Space Mountain, where we got our second ride, this time with Nate in the front. What a good time!
After we’d seen all of Tomorrowland, we headed up to Mickey’s Toontown Fair where we rode The Barnstormer, another roller coaster. This was a fair-sized family coaster, though not all that memorable. From there, we toured Mickey and Minnie’s houses before hitting the road down to Fantasyland. As a child, this is the place I remembered most, and I recognized the midway immediately. We took a spin on Winnie the Pooh first, which was a confusing and very trippy adventure. It’s sad that they replaced Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride for this, although I wouldn’t doubt that they’re both equally as trippy. I guess in this case, the lead character doesn’t wind up in Hell, which is probably why they changed it to begin with!
Next up we took a spin on the Snow White dark ride, which was pretty fun, and much like the one in California. We attempted to do Peter Pan next, but the line was exceptionally long, so we got a FastPass and headed over to find Small World. In doing so, I was absolutely perplexed! At Disneyland, Small World is this enormous building at the far end of the park, extremely elaborate and mechanical and saccharine and really hard to miss. Since Magic Kingdom is so similar to Disneyland, down to the placement of most of the rides, I expected no less here. Well, oddly enough, the entire ride is crammed into a row of shops and restaurants, almost easy to miss. However, once you enter the queue, it’s just as cloying and elaborate as that entire building at Disneyland, with much of the same decor. Only you can’t escape! We waited in the 15-or-so minute line, singing along and annoying all the parents around us, I’m sure. It was great! Then we amused ourselves on the ride, trying to determine which country was which, which was actually not as easy as you’d think in some cases. Luckily, we got through the ride quickly enough to avoid going crazy, and we moved on to the next thing…Frontierland. While there, we avoided getting caught up in the parade by hoofing it over the adjacent boardwalk. From there, we boarded a raft and sailed over to Tom Sawyer Island where we explored the forts and windmills and other attractions. We also ate lunch at a seafood restaurant, where I was able to get the clam chowder I’d been longing for. Sadly, unlike Disneyland, they don’t serve it in a bread bowl, but it was still quite good.
At this point, it was time to get back to Peter Pan, so we rode that. I can see why I’d have liked it so much as a kid, as flying was always something I’d wanted to do, and it emulates it quite well, but it was incredibly short. It was identical to the one at Disneyland, too, from what I could tell.
After this, we headed over to the Haunted Mansion, where Nate was handed a timekeeper pass. Basically it’s just a lanyard you take with you to the front of the line so they can determine how long the wait is. It’s funny because Nate wanted to experience that and had actually mentioned it prior to getting in line. Unfortunately, the ride op who was supposed to take it was busy talking to someone and Nate had to bring it back to the cast member outside. No worries…he was asked to (successfully) do the same thing three more times on the trip. I guess he looks responsible or something. ;)
Haunted Mansion was fun – much like the one at Disneyland – probably identical. We did get stuck on it at one point, but not for too long. It’s always fun to see the ghost accompanying you in your car at the end of the ride.
After this, we headed over to Frontierland again to obtain another coaster credit on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It’s really a solid ride and a lot longer than it appears. We wound up in the first row, which was all well and good until I remembered that the guy who got killed at Disneyland’s BTMR was sitting in the same spot – one of the components of the “engine” car broke off and killed him. So that’s what I was thinking about the whole time. Still, it was a fun ride – maybe I’d prefer being further back next time, though.
Then we rode Splash Mountain, which is the same as Disneyland’s. Lots of great animatronics and a good splashdown. I’m actually surprised it’s still there, though, as it’s about as non-PC as you can get, and since they’ve stopped selling and showing Song of the South, I’m not sure that most people recognize the characters anyway. It’s still a fun ride, though.
Finally, we ended up in Adventureland, where we climbed around in the Swiss Family Treehouse, which was a lot of fun, and inspiring to me, as I could see living in a tree one day. It was much better than Disneyland’s recreation into a Tarzan treehouse. They should just leave well enough alone! From there, we rode the jungle cruise, which is hokey as ever, followed up by the Enchanted Tiki Room. All I could think about was what a mess all those birds would make if they were real, not to mention how you’d have to cover your drinks the whole time. I was lucky enough to see this at Disneyland in its original form, but now they have recent Disney bird characters in on the act, which is rather annoying, but whatcha gonna do? After this, we went to do Pirates, which was lame because it seemed like they’d removed some original theming, and now Captain Jack Sparrow is a part of it all. Oh well.
Our last ride of the day was a lap on the train, which was ok, but not spectacular. Then we boarded the monorail and took it over to Epcot for the evening. On the way, I saw an armadillo rummaging in the grass below, which was pretty neat. Never saw any gators, though, sadly.
What can I say about Epcot? It’s one of the most unusual and imaginative parks I’ve ever seen. I think it was both Nathan and my favorite, in fact, and that’s saying a lot, as there are no roller coasters there! Our first night at Epcot was a bit truncated, as we only had about 3 hours before close. We rushed around, starting the night off with Mission Space, which is touted as being one of the most intense rides in the park. It’s a flight training simulator, supposedly designed by NASA. You sit in a rather claustrophobic flight bridge with three other people, and each of you is assigned a duty. You’re supposed to press buttons while the ride goes, simulating launches and shields and all sorts of things. The ride is a centrifuge, pushing you back against the wall as it rotates, simulating an extreme launch. I think it does some other simulator motions as well, but that is the most intense. It was an interesting ride, but not nearly as exciting as I’d been told.
Next, we ran over to Test Track. This ride takes you on a journey through a vehicle testing facility, where they subject you to the things a car would experience during the process: uneven road surfaces, skidding, maneuvering wildly, heat, cold, slamming through a brick wall (or so you think), and speeding along upwards of 60 mph on an outside track. It’s probably my favorite ride in the park, actually.
After that, we went to Spaceship Earth, the ride that resides within the famous Epcot orb. It was a neat journey through the history of mankind and into the future. One neat aspect of the ride was the interactive component. At the end, the computer in your car asks you questions about your ideal future and then puts together your answers to create it for you. Plus, it takes your picture and inserts your faces onto the characters. Later, you can send e-cards to people (if you remember their addresses!) with your faces. Ours were hilarious. I looked devious yet bored, and Nathan had this maniacally happy expression. Good times!
Our last ride of the day would be Soarin’. This is a show in which you sit in seats that raise you above the ground, with your feet dangling. You’re positioned in front of a huge screen, and you watch images of California go by, simulating flying, complete with the smell of oranges and gusts of wind. It’s really an incredible ride, and exactly the same as the one in California. It was a relaxing way to top off the day.
On our way out, Illuminations, the finale, was already going on, so we decided to wait to see it the next day. We beat the crowds out of the park and headed over to the Disney Boardwalk where we ate dinner at the local brew pub. It had a much different atmosphere from the western brew pubs we’re used to, but the beer was good, and so was the food, so we were happy. We wanted to try the “tiki” bar near our hotel that night, but sadly, it was already closed by the time we got over there, so instead we played a few rounds of pool at the local pool hall. On the way over, I noticed that most of the tiny ponds in the area warned not to feed the alligators. That was a bit disconcerting, but I would hope that any gators that live in those small ponds are small themselves. Still, we never saw any.
Disney Adventures Part 1
After years of visiting Florida and having its most famous tourist attraction elude me, I finally had the opportunity to head down to the Everglades State and partake in some Disney Magic. I actually had gone to the Magic Kingdom once when I was really little, and I don’t remember much from that trip, save for the Dumbo and Peter Pan rides, both of which I adored. I also remembered arriving at the gates of the Magic Kingdom by boat. I wondered if that were even true, though, as I thought it odd to not just walk to the gates from the parking lot…but I have to remember, this is Disney, and it isn’t like most other parks.
Other Florida trips saw us focusing heavily on things like Busch Gardens and Islands of Adventure, but Disney just never seemed to play into it. Things changed, however, when Nathan made plans to attend an engineering conference in town. We decided this would be an ideal time to check the parks off our list and see what all of the hullabaloo was about.
Nate arrived for his conference on Monday, and spent the next two days attending his conference and not really seeing much of the area. I arrived on Wednesday, and I settled into our hotel. He and his coworkers wound up staying at the Crowne Plaza Hotel right off of International Drive. As if that hotel weren’t nice enough, they were out of the regular rooms, and he wound up with a posh room on the executive floor. From 6 to 8, they have free beer and wine and fancy cheeses and shrimp to nosh on in their executive lounge, so as soon as we got there, we partook in those luxuries. We also had a stunning 14th story view (for a ride enthusiast) – we could see the bungee towers and even Universal’s Dueling Dragons roller coasters right down the street. It was splendid!
After indulging, we decided to see what International Drive had to offer. We walked down the touristy road, considering several restaurants before we wound up at Ming Court, an incredibly themed Chinese restaurant, where we shared some incredible sushi. Then we worked our way back, stopping at Bahama Breeze to sample their tiki drinks. It was ok for a chain restaurant, but no one can compare with Hala Kahiki. After that, we stopped in to Friendly’s for some ice cream. I had oddly been craving Friendly’s earlier that week, so we were pretty excited to see there was one in Orlando. Sadly, they didn’t have the turtle sundae I had last time, but our five scoop banana split was amazing! After all the scarfing, I was glad we walked – talk about needing to work off the calories!
On Thursday, Nate still had to attend more of his conference. We’d decided the day before to start with Disney this day, since he’d be done around noon, and I’m so glad we did because we wouldn’t have seen it all, otherwise. After taking it easy that morning, I eventually packed up and met Nate around 12:30. We drove off to the Comfort Inn, where we’d spend the rest of our stay, and checked in. We also inquired about Disney tickets, and it turned out that they had a deal going on – we actually saved $100 on our tickets in exchange for attending a timeshare pitch the next morning. Sounded like a good enough deal to us!
So after we got our tickets, we motored off to Disney’s MGM Studios, which is actually called Hollywood Studios as of this year, but it’ll be MGM in this story because it’s easier to type. It cost $12 to park, which is a bit hefty, but actually better than I expected. Once we arrived, we took the tram over to the entrance and got our tickets. We spent most of the day wandering around between FastPass acquisitions. (For those who don’t know, FastPass is a system in which you get a time to return to the line, bypassing waiting in the queue when you do, so you are free to do other things in the meantime.) I felt that MGM was rather incomplete in many ways, with a noticeable lacking of rides. We did do Tower of Terror, which we both enjoyed tremendously. It differs from the one in California in that there is a track that you ride along before arriving in the drop shaft. Each ride was different because it runs a number of programs, so you drop at different times from different heights. I am NOT a fan of drop rides, but I really enjoy Tower of Terror for some reason. It’s just so well themed and is one of the few rides that still makes me nervous.
The other major ride was an indoor coaster called Rock n’ Roller Coaster. It’s themed to Aerosmith, and the cars have little speakers behind your head so you listen to their music as you ride. It was an amusing little coaster, and though it had a loop, it was pretty tame. The scenery consisted of black lit road signs and such, but it wasn’t that spectacular. Still, it’s not every day you get to ride a roller coaster, hearing “Dude Looks Like a Lady” pounding in your ear!
Beyond that, there was an interactive shooting game themed around Toy Story that was actually pretty darned good – you ride around in little cars and stop in front of various screens where you pop bubbles and “throw” rings on the computerized characters. Plus, you didn’t use guns – instead, it was some sort of makeshift slingshot contraption, which was pretty unique. It was unusual to man at first, but really fun once you got the hang of it. It was a blast!
Beyond that, there were a lot of shows. We’re not big into shows, but we did see the Little Mermaid, which was “meh.” We also did the Great Movie Ride, which took you past scenes of old time movies. That was neat, and particularly funny when the guide got involved – it was just too hokey! Sadly, the back lot tour was closed, but we did have a fun time running around the “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” play area. I swear, sometimes those play areas are the best things in a park…luckily, you don’t need to have a kid with you to enjoy the ones at Disney. Haha! We also saw the Prince Caspian show, which was pretty lame, Star Tours, which I bet was good about 15 years ago, and then topped off the day with Fantasmic, the finale in which Mickey wards off his nightmares with a spectacular light show. It was pretty good, but I’m not sure that fighting the crowds was worth it.
So MGM wasn’t really that impressive to me, and I’m glad we did it on our shorter day. Had we not wanted to wait around for Fantasmic, we’d have probably left early and spent some time at a different park.
That night, we would seek out the Polynesian Resort because I’d heard a rumor that there was a tiki bar on the premises, and far be it for us to pass up a tiki bar. We eventually found the place, and after wandering around the grounds a while, we made it up to the bar. While the resort was extremely tiki-themed, sadly, the Tambu Lounge wasn’t THAT much so. Still, they had some good drinks on their menu, including the Lapu Lapu, which is served in an actual pineapple, and the Backscratcher, which comes with (get this!) a backscratcher! We had a fun time imitating Peter from “Family Guy” much of the night…”Backscratcher? Backscratcher!” Haha. After that, we stopped for dinner at McDonalds for some reason…I think it was all that was open. Sooo disappointing to not have green chile cheeseburgers on the menu, as it’s about the only thing from Mickey D’s that I’ll get, but at that point, a double cheeseburger really did hit the spot.
Other Florida trips saw us focusing heavily on things like Busch Gardens and Islands of Adventure, but Disney just never seemed to play into it. Things changed, however, when Nathan made plans to attend an engineering conference in town. We decided this would be an ideal time to check the parks off our list and see what all of the hullabaloo was about.
Nate arrived for his conference on Monday, and spent the next two days attending his conference and not really seeing much of the area. I arrived on Wednesday, and I settled into our hotel. He and his coworkers wound up staying at the Crowne Plaza Hotel right off of International Drive. As if that hotel weren’t nice enough, they were out of the regular rooms, and he wound up with a posh room on the executive floor. From 6 to 8, they have free beer and wine and fancy cheeses and shrimp to nosh on in their executive lounge, so as soon as we got there, we partook in those luxuries. We also had a stunning 14th story view (for a ride enthusiast) – we could see the bungee towers and even Universal’s Dueling Dragons roller coasters right down the street. It was splendid!
After indulging, we decided to see what International Drive had to offer. We walked down the touristy road, considering several restaurants before we wound up at Ming Court, an incredibly themed Chinese restaurant, where we shared some incredible sushi. Then we worked our way back, stopping at Bahama Breeze to sample their tiki drinks. It was ok for a chain restaurant, but no one can compare with Hala Kahiki. After that, we stopped in to Friendly’s for some ice cream. I had oddly been craving Friendly’s earlier that week, so we were pretty excited to see there was one in Orlando. Sadly, they didn’t have the turtle sundae I had last time, but our five scoop banana split was amazing! After all the scarfing, I was glad we walked – talk about needing to work off the calories!
On Thursday, Nate still had to attend more of his conference. We’d decided the day before to start with Disney this day, since he’d be done around noon, and I’m so glad we did because we wouldn’t have seen it all, otherwise. After taking it easy that morning, I eventually packed up and met Nate around 12:30. We drove off to the Comfort Inn, where we’d spend the rest of our stay, and checked in. We also inquired about Disney tickets, and it turned out that they had a deal going on – we actually saved $100 on our tickets in exchange for attending a timeshare pitch the next morning. Sounded like a good enough deal to us!
So after we got our tickets, we motored off to Disney’s MGM Studios, which is actually called Hollywood Studios as of this year, but it’ll be MGM in this story because it’s easier to type. It cost $12 to park, which is a bit hefty, but actually better than I expected. Once we arrived, we took the tram over to the entrance and got our tickets. We spent most of the day wandering around between FastPass acquisitions. (For those who don’t know, FastPass is a system in which you get a time to return to the line, bypassing waiting in the queue when you do, so you are free to do other things in the meantime.) I felt that MGM was rather incomplete in many ways, with a noticeable lacking of rides. We did do Tower of Terror, which we both enjoyed tremendously. It differs from the one in California in that there is a track that you ride along before arriving in the drop shaft. Each ride was different because it runs a number of programs, so you drop at different times from different heights. I am NOT a fan of drop rides, but I really enjoy Tower of Terror for some reason. It’s just so well themed and is one of the few rides that still makes me nervous.
The other major ride was an indoor coaster called Rock n’ Roller Coaster. It’s themed to Aerosmith, and the cars have little speakers behind your head so you listen to their music as you ride. It was an amusing little coaster, and though it had a loop, it was pretty tame. The scenery consisted of black lit road signs and such, but it wasn’t that spectacular. Still, it’s not every day you get to ride a roller coaster, hearing “Dude Looks Like a Lady” pounding in your ear!
Beyond that, there was an interactive shooting game themed around Toy Story that was actually pretty darned good – you ride around in little cars and stop in front of various screens where you pop bubbles and “throw” rings on the computerized characters. Plus, you didn’t use guns – instead, it was some sort of makeshift slingshot contraption, which was pretty unique. It was unusual to man at first, but really fun once you got the hang of it. It was a blast!
Beyond that, there were a lot of shows. We’re not big into shows, but we did see the Little Mermaid, which was “meh.” We also did the Great Movie Ride, which took you past scenes of old time movies. That was neat, and particularly funny when the guide got involved – it was just too hokey! Sadly, the back lot tour was closed, but we did have a fun time running around the “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” play area. I swear, sometimes those play areas are the best things in a park…luckily, you don’t need to have a kid with you to enjoy the ones at Disney. Haha! We also saw the Prince Caspian show, which was pretty lame, Star Tours, which I bet was good about 15 years ago, and then topped off the day with Fantasmic, the finale in which Mickey wards off his nightmares with a spectacular light show. It was pretty good, but I’m not sure that fighting the crowds was worth it.
So MGM wasn’t really that impressive to me, and I’m glad we did it on our shorter day. Had we not wanted to wait around for Fantasmic, we’d have probably left early and spent some time at a different park.
That night, we would seek out the Polynesian Resort because I’d heard a rumor that there was a tiki bar on the premises, and far be it for us to pass up a tiki bar. We eventually found the place, and after wandering around the grounds a while, we made it up to the bar. While the resort was extremely tiki-themed, sadly, the Tambu Lounge wasn’t THAT much so. Still, they had some good drinks on their menu, including the Lapu Lapu, which is served in an actual pineapple, and the Backscratcher, which comes with (get this!) a backscratcher! We had a fun time imitating Peter from “Family Guy” much of the night…”Backscratcher? Backscratcher!” Haha. After that, we stopped for dinner at McDonalds for some reason…I think it was all that was open. Sooo disappointing to not have green chile cheeseburgers on the menu, as it’s about the only thing from Mickey D’s that I’ll get, but at that point, a double cheeseburger really did hit the spot.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
It's Been a While
Man, I haven't written here in ages, it seems...no real excuse for it, I guess. Utah is over and done with, and I made it through none the worse for wear. It was a good experience, despite all the trials and tribulations - I'm glad I stuck it out and left on good terms. After my job, Nate came up and we drove to Yellowstone by way of the Grand Tetons. We saw lots of moose, some antelope, possibly a grizzly (I was driving and couldn't pull over to get a good look, but it was way off), and lots of bison. The scenery was great, and the geologic features were fascinating. We managed to see almost all of the major sectors of the park, save for the southeast leg. We managed to go on a few good hikes, and attempted to find the pack of wolves that reside in the northeast part of the park, to no avail. I think we saw a lot, considering we only had two days. Beyond that, we toured the Egyptian Theater in Ogden, and I went for a spin in the wind tunnel at I Fly Utah. It was a blast, though it was rather hard to breathe with the wind pummeling my nostrils like that.
Since I've been back, most of my time has revolved around training for a fitness assessment in order to obtain an interview with the NM Dept. of Fish and Game. You need to pass in order to qualify for the police academy, which I'd have to attend for five months should I get the job as a conservation officer. Well, I ran a mile and a half every day for two and half weeks, and when I took the exam, I passed with flying colors - I completed the mile and half run two minutes quicker than I needed, finished the 300m run in a decent time, did enough sit ups and push ups in a minute, and actually (to my shock) passed the sit and reach, which I've NEVER been able to do. Still, after talking to the people there, I determined I really didn't want the job. For one thing, I'm no cop...not even a forest cop...I can't see myself in police academy...not to mention the fact that I'd probably be in Hobbs, 5 hours from home, to attend it. Then, once out, I would probably be stationed just as far away, and I'd have to work on weekends, so I'd almost never get to come home. PLUS, everyone there was a red-necky hunter. They were actually joking about shooting the prairie dogs that were around (and these are the people who should be UPHOLDING the protected status of these animals). The guy in charge was also talking about how mad he was when he was 3 and saw "Bambi" for the first time...he was upset that no one shot Bambi's dad! Good grief! I would NOT fit in with these people.
So my interview was first thing the next day. There was no way they'd give me the job. For one thing, for as calm as I was when I went in, after I heard the first question and saw the stern, emotionless faces of the 9 panel members, I just couldn't think of anything to say! Words escaped me. The questions, had they been on paper, would have been simple enough, but I was at a loss for words. And the things I did say, no doubt, worked against me. Like when they asked about what things I would consider before introducing rainbow trout to a creek...I went into how we'd have to sample for sensitive species that may be affected, which is the RIGHT thing to do, but not what these people want to hear. What a joke. The other red flag, I'm sure, was when they asked if I would be able to kill an animal that was destroying someone's property. I said I COULD, but I wouldn't be happy about it (everyone else is a blood thirsty hunter), and I think I added that the animals were there first. Heh heh. Yeah, I didn't want the job, and I'm sure the feeling was mutual. Oh, they also asked me if I could kill a person! You don't get asked that every day!
So I got the call that night, telling me I didn't get the job, and I think I uttered, "Thank goodness!" Hah! Well, now I just have to find another job...which is proving awfully hard. There are a lot of jobs out there, just nothing in Albuquerque, and I've about had it with living all over the place. I mean, I'd like to see more of the country, but it's just too soon after my last adventure. So I'm looking into other things, such as a film internship here in town. We'll see what happens with that.
Beyond that, tomorrow I go to Orlando! No wonder I can't hold down a job - I'm never home! Maybe I really should get serious about travel writing. Well, I'm going to enjoy my trip and not think about all this. Hopefully it'll all go smoothly!
Since I've been back, most of my time has revolved around training for a fitness assessment in order to obtain an interview with the NM Dept. of Fish and Game. You need to pass in order to qualify for the police academy, which I'd have to attend for five months should I get the job as a conservation officer. Well, I ran a mile and a half every day for two and half weeks, and when I took the exam, I passed with flying colors - I completed the mile and half run two minutes quicker than I needed, finished the 300m run in a decent time, did enough sit ups and push ups in a minute, and actually (to my shock) passed the sit and reach, which I've NEVER been able to do. Still, after talking to the people there, I determined I really didn't want the job. For one thing, I'm no cop...not even a forest cop...I can't see myself in police academy...not to mention the fact that I'd probably be in Hobbs, 5 hours from home, to attend it. Then, once out, I would probably be stationed just as far away, and I'd have to work on weekends, so I'd almost never get to come home. PLUS, everyone there was a red-necky hunter. They were actually joking about shooting the prairie dogs that were around (and these are the people who should be UPHOLDING the protected status of these animals). The guy in charge was also talking about how mad he was when he was 3 and saw "Bambi" for the first time...he was upset that no one shot Bambi's dad! Good grief! I would NOT fit in with these people.
So my interview was first thing the next day. There was no way they'd give me the job. For one thing, for as calm as I was when I went in, after I heard the first question and saw the stern, emotionless faces of the 9 panel members, I just couldn't think of anything to say! Words escaped me. The questions, had they been on paper, would have been simple enough, but I was at a loss for words. And the things I did say, no doubt, worked against me. Like when they asked about what things I would consider before introducing rainbow trout to a creek...I went into how we'd have to sample for sensitive species that may be affected, which is the RIGHT thing to do, but not what these people want to hear. What a joke. The other red flag, I'm sure, was when they asked if I would be able to kill an animal that was destroying someone's property. I said I COULD, but I wouldn't be happy about it (everyone else is a blood thirsty hunter), and I think I added that the animals were there first. Heh heh. Yeah, I didn't want the job, and I'm sure the feeling was mutual. Oh, they also asked me if I could kill a person! You don't get asked that every day!
So I got the call that night, telling me I didn't get the job, and I think I uttered, "Thank goodness!" Hah! Well, now I just have to find another job...which is proving awfully hard. There are a lot of jobs out there, just nothing in Albuquerque, and I've about had it with living all over the place. I mean, I'd like to see more of the country, but it's just too soon after my last adventure. So I'm looking into other things, such as a film internship here in town. We'll see what happens with that.
Beyond that, tomorrow I go to Orlando! No wonder I can't hold down a job - I'm never home! Maybe I really should get serious about travel writing. Well, I'm going to enjoy my trip and not think about all this. Hopefully it'll all go smoothly!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Oh So Sore
Well, I did it!! I made it through the most dreaded week of all my time out in Utah!! The infamous pack trip. I was really worried about spending a whole week with my boss, not to mention two other people whom I didn't know a thing about, searching in some of the most inhospitable areas for the coveted pika. Well, I was supposed to head out with Kevin's boss (also Kevin, we'll call him K.B. for short) and some other random dude on Monday at 7am. It turned out Kevin would be late, and they decided it was best if I just drove out with him while they took the horses up to our campsite. I did meet them that morning, though, to hand off our equipment. K.B. seemed pretty friendly, but the other guy, Dean, was tall, somber, and quiet...and he looked at me suspiciously, so that made me a bit nervous, too. I took care of some business in the morning, and when Kevin was ready to go, we hit the road.
On the way, I told Kevin if we had a choice, I'd rather go with K.B., since we know where he works and know he's reputable. Kevin made a big deal about it, in a joking way, claiming I wanted him to be alone with some random serial killer in the woods. Heh. Actually, Kevin was mostly well behaved on this trip and didn't aggravate me TOO much (probably because we paired off with the other two throughout our time in the mountains). We even joked a bit - it was like the Kevin I knew the first two weeks out here. Thank GOD.
So we got to the Henry's Fork trailhead and began our 4.5 mile trek to the campsite. We were in pure wilderness, which means no vehicular traffic of any sort, just horses and hikers. Our hike out was really nice, as we headed past an old flying squirrel plot and into some beautiful mountain taiga areas. Just as we caught glimpse of Kings Peak (the highest peak in Utah), surrounded by other monumental mountains, all striped with snow, our GPS indicated we should bear left, leaving the trail and heading into the woods, so we did just that. Shortly thereafter, we found ourselves at the camp. Two tents awaited us, nestled under the protective cover of large fir trees. A fire was ablaze in the pit, and the site looked as though someone had lived there for a long time, with all the amenities up and ready to use. I had my own tent, being the only girl, and it was already full of all my things. Talk about first class service!
We sat around the fire that night, just talking and getting acquainted with everyone. I wound up talking more to Dean and discovered he was actually a retired highway patrol officer, and he was a lot more personable than he seemed in the morning. He's also quite the horseman, which is why he came along on this venture. I also found out that K.B., whom I WANTED to work with initially, was the one I had to watch out for...turns out he'd been arrested for ARMED ROBBERY in London! No joke! He told us the whole story...he was out there on his mission (yes, I was the only non-mormon on this trip) and his car matched the description of the getaway car - they were pursued by hoards of cops, including by helecopter, and were in custody for a whole day! It sounded like quite the ordeal!
I spent the night huddled in my four person tent, absolutely freezing. We were at quite a high altitude, and for some reason my sleeping bag, which is supposed to be good up to -35 degrees F, doesn't do the job it used to. Needless to say, I didn't have the best night, and my trepidation for the following day didn't help much, either.
Tuesday was our first day on the trail. The four of us did the first pika point together, so Dean could learn the ropes. He wasn't expecting it to be as strenuous as it was. We found ourselves out on the rockslide at 11000 feet, trying not to kill ourselves as the rocks shifted. Luckily, we found pika and no one was hurt. Oh, and on the way up, the scariest thing happened. K.B. brought us up this rediculously steep hillside on horseback, and Dean's horse (who was in front of me) couldn't get up and fell DOWN the hill INTO my horse, knocking MY horse down the hill...luckily my horse, Shebar, was able to catch herself and recover, holding up Dean's horse as it collided with us, and before he could take any worse of a tumble. That was SO scary, and after that I was really put off to riding up and down some of those hills. Oh, and it didn't help that later, while trying to get DOWN this hill, I had to lead Shebar by hand. She was in such a hurry, pulling clutzy me down faster than I could go, that I almost fell right under her as she was speeding downward. That pretty much spooked me out of ever wanting a horse...who'da thought the day would come! (I'll probably change my mind again soon...)
Anyway, we split up after our first pika point, Kevin with K.B., and me with Dean. I was glad to be working with someone older and not so spry. We completed two points that day, and I felt awful about dragging him clear up the shear edge of a mountain, but we found pika at both spots, so it was all worth it. That night, we came back and K.B. cooked us dinner (he cooked all our dinners...first class all the way, I tell ya!) At one point, K.B. asked where his stove grate went, and I mentioned I'd washed it down by the creek and returned it, to which he was surprised and grateful...of course Kevin, always trying to look good in front of his boss, chimed in that HE washed all the soup cans, to which no one reacted much. Hah! Speaking of which, while K.B. and Dean thought of just about EVERYTHING, they completely forgot eating utensils and bowls, so we had to eat all our food out of tin cans and we whittled all our utensils. Talk about living like mountain men! It really was an experience not to forget.
My second night in the tent went a lot better than the first, as K.B. suggested boiling some water and putting it in a Nalgene bottle, and then putting it in my sleeping bag. It actually did the trick and kept my bag warm most of the night. I couldn't have been more grateful.
Wednesday, we headed out even earlier. Whenever I'd hear the guys stirring, I'd pretend to sleep until I knew a fire was going and light started to appear. I was paired with K.B. this day, and we were going to hit three pika points, while the others were just going to do two. I didn't find that at all fair, but what could I say? This was the big boss-man, and I had to make a good impression. Of course, once we headed out, we wound up on the wrong trail - it went in the right direction, but it was NOT suited for horses. After a very tricky uphill climb, including a spot in which we had to jump a downed log while rising up 4 feet on very narrow trail with a cliff to our left, we were able to find our way back to the actual trail. We headed up to the top of Flattop Mountain, a vast, though flat, tundra that spanned across a number of connected mountaintops. I talked with K.B. a bit, but I was nervous, and I'm sure I sounded like a total moron...plus, I think I've dumbed my conversations down for so many people I've talked to in the past so as to not make them feel bad or think I'm elitist that when I talk to anyone, even my bosses, it comes out that way. NOT good. He didn't seem too weirded out by me, though, and we had decent convos about horses and field work and all sorts of things.
Our first pika point was a field of rocks that spilled out over the edge of the mountain. It went pretty well, in my opinion, but K.B. could see I wasn't too steady on my feet out there. I admitted I was a clutz, and he was pretty understanding the rest of the time, so that was good. Our next two talus slopes were pretty small, so we didn't have to spend too much time on them and still found pika. Between point two and three, we noticed that it was snowing on the mountain just across the canyon from us, so we debated on whether or not to even DO the next one, but we rode over there and did it anyway. While I was doing my survey, thunder boomed and we deemed it time to high tail it out of there. I was SOOOO sore from all this riding, but K.B. wanted to trot us out, so I became a veritable ragdoll on my poor horse, Bandit. It didn't help that my stirrups seemed to be too long at this point, and I couldn't even post (stand in the stirrups) to offset the bouncing. Luckily I think K.B. noticed my agony and we just walked at high speed out of there. There wasn't much thunder before we made it down the mountain and back to camp, though we did get pummeled by little pellets of snow the whole way down. Luckily, nothing accumulated.
We'd discussed the option of leaving that night, as we were done with the points and we expected the other two to be back at camp before us, but they were nowhere to be found, to our surprise. We sat around, nursing a fire as we were pelted by the wintry mix. About an hour later, the other two appeared with stories of horses falling down mountains (and giving Kevin a nasty rope burn, since he'd dismounted and was trying to lead it down said mountain) and hidden trails. By this point, it was too late to leave, so we just settled in to camp, admiring a lone bull moose who decided to bed down in the valley behind us, and sharing stories of the day.
I spent the final night freezing in my tent again. K.B. lent me his Nalgene along with mine, but it was so darned cold that even that extra warmth didn't help. The frostiness just penetrated my sleeping bag. It didn't help that this pack trip burnt off any fat I may have had left, so I had no insulation of any sort. I was treated to some weird dreams while I did sleep, and when morning came it was none too soon.
The guys were up before first light, and I made sure to pack all my gear before emerging from my tent. We packed up the horses, which convinced me again that I'm not suited for keeping equines. I could barely lift anything, and I am no good with knots, so forget about figuring out all those crazy straps and buckles. Eventually, K.B. and Dean told us to start hiking down (we only had 4 horses, and 2 of them were for pack at this point), so Kevin and I hiked the 4.5 miles back to the trucks and actually beat the horse guys back by about 10 minutes. By that point, I was so achy and dead that I had Kevin drive and stared blankly out the window the entire drive back. I'm so glad to be "home," and to know that I only have one more week of craziness left to endure! I hope everything is well with all of you and hope to hear from you soon!
On the way, I told Kevin if we had a choice, I'd rather go with K.B., since we know where he works and know he's reputable. Kevin made a big deal about it, in a joking way, claiming I wanted him to be alone with some random serial killer in the woods. Heh. Actually, Kevin was mostly well behaved on this trip and didn't aggravate me TOO much (probably because we paired off with the other two throughout our time in the mountains). We even joked a bit - it was like the Kevin I knew the first two weeks out here. Thank GOD.
So we got to the Henry's Fork trailhead and began our 4.5 mile trek to the campsite. We were in pure wilderness, which means no vehicular traffic of any sort, just horses and hikers. Our hike out was really nice, as we headed past an old flying squirrel plot and into some beautiful mountain taiga areas. Just as we caught glimpse of Kings Peak (the highest peak in Utah), surrounded by other monumental mountains, all striped with snow, our GPS indicated we should bear left, leaving the trail and heading into the woods, so we did just that. Shortly thereafter, we found ourselves at the camp. Two tents awaited us, nestled under the protective cover of large fir trees. A fire was ablaze in the pit, and the site looked as though someone had lived there for a long time, with all the amenities up and ready to use. I had my own tent, being the only girl, and it was already full of all my things. Talk about first class service!
We sat around the fire that night, just talking and getting acquainted with everyone. I wound up talking more to Dean and discovered he was actually a retired highway patrol officer, and he was a lot more personable than he seemed in the morning. He's also quite the horseman, which is why he came along on this venture. I also found out that K.B., whom I WANTED to work with initially, was the one I had to watch out for...turns out he'd been arrested for ARMED ROBBERY in London! No joke! He told us the whole story...he was out there on his mission (yes, I was the only non-mormon on this trip) and his car matched the description of the getaway car - they were pursued by hoards of cops, including by helecopter, and were in custody for a whole day! It sounded like quite the ordeal!
I spent the night huddled in my four person tent, absolutely freezing. We were at quite a high altitude, and for some reason my sleeping bag, which is supposed to be good up to -35 degrees F, doesn't do the job it used to. Needless to say, I didn't have the best night, and my trepidation for the following day didn't help much, either.
Tuesday was our first day on the trail. The four of us did the first pika point together, so Dean could learn the ropes. He wasn't expecting it to be as strenuous as it was. We found ourselves out on the rockslide at 11000 feet, trying not to kill ourselves as the rocks shifted. Luckily, we found pika and no one was hurt. Oh, and on the way up, the scariest thing happened. K.B. brought us up this rediculously steep hillside on horseback, and Dean's horse (who was in front of me) couldn't get up and fell DOWN the hill INTO my horse, knocking MY horse down the hill...luckily my horse, Shebar, was able to catch herself and recover, holding up Dean's horse as it collided with us, and before he could take any worse of a tumble. That was SO scary, and after that I was really put off to riding up and down some of those hills. Oh, and it didn't help that later, while trying to get DOWN this hill, I had to lead Shebar by hand. She was in such a hurry, pulling clutzy me down faster than I could go, that I almost fell right under her as she was speeding downward. That pretty much spooked me out of ever wanting a horse...who'da thought the day would come! (I'll probably change my mind again soon...)
Anyway, we split up after our first pika point, Kevin with K.B., and me with Dean. I was glad to be working with someone older and not so spry. We completed two points that day, and I felt awful about dragging him clear up the shear edge of a mountain, but we found pika at both spots, so it was all worth it. That night, we came back and K.B. cooked us dinner (he cooked all our dinners...first class all the way, I tell ya!) At one point, K.B. asked where his stove grate went, and I mentioned I'd washed it down by the creek and returned it, to which he was surprised and grateful...of course Kevin, always trying to look good in front of his boss, chimed in that HE washed all the soup cans, to which no one reacted much. Hah! Speaking of which, while K.B. and Dean thought of just about EVERYTHING, they completely forgot eating utensils and bowls, so we had to eat all our food out of tin cans and we whittled all our utensils. Talk about living like mountain men! It really was an experience not to forget.
My second night in the tent went a lot better than the first, as K.B. suggested boiling some water and putting it in a Nalgene bottle, and then putting it in my sleeping bag. It actually did the trick and kept my bag warm most of the night. I couldn't have been more grateful.
Wednesday, we headed out even earlier. Whenever I'd hear the guys stirring, I'd pretend to sleep until I knew a fire was going and light started to appear. I was paired with K.B. this day, and we were going to hit three pika points, while the others were just going to do two. I didn't find that at all fair, but what could I say? This was the big boss-man, and I had to make a good impression. Of course, once we headed out, we wound up on the wrong trail - it went in the right direction, but it was NOT suited for horses. After a very tricky uphill climb, including a spot in which we had to jump a downed log while rising up 4 feet on very narrow trail with a cliff to our left, we were able to find our way back to the actual trail. We headed up to the top of Flattop Mountain, a vast, though flat, tundra that spanned across a number of connected mountaintops. I talked with K.B. a bit, but I was nervous, and I'm sure I sounded like a total moron...plus, I think I've dumbed my conversations down for so many people I've talked to in the past so as to not make them feel bad or think I'm elitist that when I talk to anyone, even my bosses, it comes out that way. NOT good. He didn't seem too weirded out by me, though, and we had decent convos about horses and field work and all sorts of things.
Our first pika point was a field of rocks that spilled out over the edge of the mountain. It went pretty well, in my opinion, but K.B. could see I wasn't too steady on my feet out there. I admitted I was a clutz, and he was pretty understanding the rest of the time, so that was good. Our next two talus slopes were pretty small, so we didn't have to spend too much time on them and still found pika. Between point two and three, we noticed that it was snowing on the mountain just across the canyon from us, so we debated on whether or not to even DO the next one, but we rode over there and did it anyway. While I was doing my survey, thunder boomed and we deemed it time to high tail it out of there. I was SOOOO sore from all this riding, but K.B. wanted to trot us out, so I became a veritable ragdoll on my poor horse, Bandit. It didn't help that my stirrups seemed to be too long at this point, and I couldn't even post (stand in the stirrups) to offset the bouncing. Luckily I think K.B. noticed my agony and we just walked at high speed out of there. There wasn't much thunder before we made it down the mountain and back to camp, though we did get pummeled by little pellets of snow the whole way down. Luckily, nothing accumulated.
We'd discussed the option of leaving that night, as we were done with the points and we expected the other two to be back at camp before us, but they were nowhere to be found, to our surprise. We sat around, nursing a fire as we were pelted by the wintry mix. About an hour later, the other two appeared with stories of horses falling down mountains (and giving Kevin a nasty rope burn, since he'd dismounted and was trying to lead it down said mountain) and hidden trails. By this point, it was too late to leave, so we just settled in to camp, admiring a lone bull moose who decided to bed down in the valley behind us, and sharing stories of the day.
I spent the final night freezing in my tent again. K.B. lent me his Nalgene along with mine, but it was so darned cold that even that extra warmth didn't help. The frostiness just penetrated my sleeping bag. It didn't help that this pack trip burnt off any fat I may have had left, so I had no insulation of any sort. I was treated to some weird dreams while I did sleep, and when morning came it was none too soon.
The guys were up before first light, and I made sure to pack all my gear before emerging from my tent. We packed up the horses, which convinced me again that I'm not suited for keeping equines. I could barely lift anything, and I am no good with knots, so forget about figuring out all those crazy straps and buckles. Eventually, K.B. and Dean told us to start hiking down (we only had 4 horses, and 2 of them were for pack at this point), so Kevin and I hiked the 4.5 miles back to the trucks and actually beat the horse guys back by about 10 minutes. By that point, I was so achy and dead that I had Kevin drive and stared blankly out the window the entire drive back. I'm so glad to be "home," and to know that I only have one more week of craziness left to endure! I hope everything is well with all of you and hope to hear from you soon!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Sorrow and Loneliness
Today has been a really hard day for me. A year ago today, I lost my wonderful Dot. I know it sounds silly, but I truly think she and I were soul mates. I don't particularly believe that people can really be soul mates, but there's a special connection you can have with animals, and I believe Dot and I had that. They are loyal, they don't judge, and they are always there for you, unconditionally. She was definitely my cat, and I spent today walking the trails of the Ogden Nature Center in tears thinking about her. I believe in reincarnation, and, while it may sound rediculous, I hold out hope that maybe we'll be reunited one day. I miss her so very much!
And that gets me thinking about death...that's actually all I really ever think about! I think the Aquarian in me pushes people away because I fear loss, and I don't want to get too attached because I know I'll be hurt...because everyone dies. Death is the cause of my insomnia at night, and my persistent daily worries. I have always feared loss, and this is the ultimate loss. Today, almost all my thoughts are on death.
Anyway, I'm also battling extreme loneliness out here. I remember I always used to say I would love to move away to a mountain somewhere and live alone and never be bothered by people again. Well, I'm in essentially that situation now, but it's no where near as wonderful as I'd have thought. I actually crave human interraction. Instead, I'm left alone with my thoughts, which are often self-destructive. I think about how weird I often am, and how I probably come across as a total jerk sometimes, with my weird, often misunderstood comments. Maybe I'm a bad person. I know I'm really not, but I wonder if people might get that impression. Then again, why do I care what people think? Well, I care if they're my friends, and I think a few of them may have misinterpreted something I said. I feel such a gap between me and other people, and being out here isn't helping. I really don't know what would help. I'm struggling with hating who I am, pitying myself for my past, and not being able to reach out to anyone while I'm here. So between my self-destructive inner battlings and my sorrow for my sweet Dot, I'm just a wreck today. Maybe I just need to go back to my cabin and have a good long cry. Tomorrow is a new day...
And that gets me thinking about death...that's actually all I really ever think about! I think the Aquarian in me pushes people away because I fear loss, and I don't want to get too attached because I know I'll be hurt...because everyone dies. Death is the cause of my insomnia at night, and my persistent daily worries. I have always feared loss, and this is the ultimate loss. Today, almost all my thoughts are on death.
Anyway, I'm also battling extreme loneliness out here. I remember I always used to say I would love to move away to a mountain somewhere and live alone and never be bothered by people again. Well, I'm in essentially that situation now, but it's no where near as wonderful as I'd have thought. I actually crave human interraction. Instead, I'm left alone with my thoughts, which are often self-destructive. I think about how weird I often am, and how I probably come across as a total jerk sometimes, with my weird, often misunderstood comments. Maybe I'm a bad person. I know I'm really not, but I wonder if people might get that impression. Then again, why do I care what people think? Well, I care if they're my friends, and I think a few of them may have misinterpreted something I said. I feel such a gap between me and other people, and being out here isn't helping. I really don't know what would help. I'm struggling with hating who I am, pitying myself for my past, and not being able to reach out to anyone while I'm here. So between my self-destructive inner battlings and my sorrow for my sweet Dot, I'm just a wreck today. Maybe I just need to go back to my cabin and have a good long cry. Tomorrow is a new day...
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Two Little Words
I look back at my last post, and contemplate the indignant and roiled state in which it was written. I was mad. I was inconceivably fed up with my situation, and, considering all that rotten boss has put me through, it was most definitely justified. I am not a quitter. I have never quit (nor been fired!) from a job, and I was not about to start now. I did not want to screw over my project by not completing my stay, and I certainly didn't want to burn my bridges with the UDWR, especially since I've worked here in the past and may again in the future. I was so torn on what to do (even though it sounded like my mind was made up in my last post). Then, on Sunday, my phone rang. It was Kevin. I did NOT want to talk to him just then, so I let him go to voice mail. I listened when I got home, and he actually APOLOGIZED. I was floored. His brain actually worked enough to realize that he was way out of line in the way he talked to me (either that or his wife told him so). Regardless, that was really big of him, and my entire attitude changed dramatically...it's amazing what those two little words, "I'm sorry," can do. So I am going to stick it out...only 3 more weeks, I kept telling myself.
So here I am, on the Wednesday of my first remaining week. Kevin was "better" on Monday, though still rather patronizing, on top of his usual flakiness. Ugh. Still, I had a pleasant week ahead of me. I trapped two squirrel plots in really wonderful habitat but STILL didn't catch any. How disheartening! I did catch a chipmunk, though. Anyway, on my way home today I went to set traps in Ogden Canyon - one of the most inaccessible (though close to home) plots we have. Kevin's been there several times, and I have been there once, and it's just rediculous...steep, horrible undergrowth, inhospitable to clumsy humans. I was determined to get my traps set, though...no matter the price.
So I scaled four separate areas of the mountain, being forced down due to rockslides and mud on the first three. I made it up on the fouth one, though it was outside my plot. Once "up" (it was still about a 65 degree slope), I stumbled and crawled and injured myself in every way possible (though luckily not nearly as badly as I could have - I seriously wondered if I'd make it out a vegetable in some instances), but I managed to set three traps...unfortunately, I'm pretty sure they're all outside the actual plot, and they're all a lot closer together than protocol asks, but it was impossible to move around up there, and I'm sure that Kevin will be thankful when he goes to retrieve them. Which brings me to this...it's going to be really tough for him to get them back because I essentially slid back down the way I went up, and now there's no "easy" way up again...not that the way I took was easy - it took over an hour to get about 25 meters in. Oh well...not my problem anymore. I still have two more to set, which will be tomorrow's mission, but I'm going to set them in another part of the plot, hopefully far from that nightmare.
So next week is the dreaded pack trip into the Uintas. Luckily, we're going with two coordinators who have been here a while and have experience. I'm hoping we pair up with one apiece and do our pika work (so I won't have to work with Kevin). Plus, we'll have horses with us, so that should be exciting, if nothing else. Kevin has delusions of doing 11 pika points next week (we only need to do, like, 4 more, by the way), but we'll see how that goes. I'm not going to break my neck for this project, I've decided. I'm tired and I just want to go home!!
So that's life 'til now. This weekend is the State Fair (to enjoy, not to work - although I had a blast working it the other day - I never realized how good I am at interacting with the public). I have a few other ideas of entertainment for the weekend beyond that, but we'll see how it goes. Write soon!!
So here I am, on the Wednesday of my first remaining week. Kevin was "better" on Monday, though still rather patronizing, on top of his usual flakiness. Ugh. Still, I had a pleasant week ahead of me. I trapped two squirrel plots in really wonderful habitat but STILL didn't catch any. How disheartening! I did catch a chipmunk, though. Anyway, on my way home today I went to set traps in Ogden Canyon - one of the most inaccessible (though close to home) plots we have. Kevin's been there several times, and I have been there once, and it's just rediculous...steep, horrible undergrowth, inhospitable to clumsy humans. I was determined to get my traps set, though...no matter the price.
So I scaled four separate areas of the mountain, being forced down due to rockslides and mud on the first three. I made it up on the fouth one, though it was outside my plot. Once "up" (it was still about a 65 degree slope), I stumbled and crawled and injured myself in every way possible (though luckily not nearly as badly as I could have - I seriously wondered if I'd make it out a vegetable in some instances), but I managed to set three traps...unfortunately, I'm pretty sure they're all outside the actual plot, and they're all a lot closer together than protocol asks, but it was impossible to move around up there, and I'm sure that Kevin will be thankful when he goes to retrieve them. Which brings me to this...it's going to be really tough for him to get them back because I essentially slid back down the way I went up, and now there's no "easy" way up again...not that the way I took was easy - it took over an hour to get about 25 meters in. Oh well...not my problem anymore. I still have two more to set, which will be tomorrow's mission, but I'm going to set them in another part of the plot, hopefully far from that nightmare.
So next week is the dreaded pack trip into the Uintas. Luckily, we're going with two coordinators who have been here a while and have experience. I'm hoping we pair up with one apiece and do our pika work (so I won't have to work with Kevin). Plus, we'll have horses with us, so that should be exciting, if nothing else. Kevin has delusions of doing 11 pika points next week (we only need to do, like, 4 more, by the way), but we'll see how that goes. I'm not going to break my neck for this project, I've decided. I'm tired and I just want to go home!!
So that's life 'til now. This weekend is the State Fair (to enjoy, not to work - although I had a blast working it the other day - I never realized how good I am at interacting with the public). I have a few other ideas of entertainment for the weekend beyond that, but we'll see how it goes. Write soon!!
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