Dear United Airlines,

I appreciate that you charged me twenty dollars for my single checked bag. Not only did it barely weigh thirty-five pounds, but you lost it during my one, three hour stop in Denver. It would have been nice to not buy all new clothes for my job interview today. Thanks again for being such a great airline.

Yours truly,

- Kerry

Death Canyon

I hiked up Death Canyon yesterday with Charlotte. The trail zig-zags up the canyon overlooking Phelps Lake. The walls of the canyon are incredible and tower over the canyon valley. It was a nice easy afternoon hike. We hiked about eight miles round trip.

Sunset over the Tetons

There was an amazing sunset over the Tetons the other night. I took these photos from Kelly, Wyoming.

A great morning...

I woke up around 5 this morning when it started raining. At first I considered getting up while it was still dry to take down the tent and not deal with getting wet. After a moment of thought, I decided to go back to sleep and hopefully the rain would just pass over. Instead it started raining harder and harder.

I finally got up around 8 and took down camp quickly. I turned the car around and tried to leave the pull-out only to find that my car was high-centered on a rock. I was alone, so I spent the next miserable hour in the mud and pouring rain as I jacked up the rear end of my car to get it out of there.

[ Jacking up the benz ]

The entire time I was working on getting the car out, the puddles were getting deeper, the mud slicker, and I was getting soaked. It was not an easy task.

[ Once I got if off the rock and moving, I didn't let off the gas until I was on pavement ]

Phelps Lake

I went out to Phelps Lake today with Jake and Charlotte.

[ Phelps Lake and Death Canyon ]

[ Jake howling ]

[ Me & Charlotte ]

[ Scoping the rock ]

[ Charlotte ]

Gear Review: Yakima King Cobra Bike Rack

The King Cobra is my favorite bike rack for quick and easy use. It fits any size bike; 20", 24", 26", 29", and 700c. I've used it for both my road bike and my downhill race bike. The 'jaws' hold the front wheel securely and the rear wheel gets strapped down to the tray. There is a built in cable lock for safety, but I recommend using a second lock if you keep your bike in the rack for long periods of time. No wheel removal required. Overall, the King Cobra is easy to install and use, fits both round and square bars, and holds your bike very stable for those bumpy roads.

Click Here to buy the King Cobra at REI.com!
Click Here to buy the King Cobra at RackAttack.com!

Alaska for a week

I'll be home in Alaska during this time next week. It will be a quick eight day trip. For the ninth year in a row, I will be spending the 4th of July in Seward to compete in the annual Mount Marathon race. This will by my eighth year running the race, sixth as an adult.

Mount Marathon is about a three mile race, starting at sea level in downtown Seward. That might not sound too difficult until you learn that the race goes to the summit of Mount Marathon and back. Rumors say that the race dates back to 1908. A man was bet $100 in a bar that he could not climb to the summit and back in under an hour. It took the man 62 minutes. The race has been officially organized every 4th of July since 1925.

The first half mile is up the town streets to the base of the mountain. From there you climb 3,022 feet through woods and eventually into the open, loose rock until you reach the summit. There is not a specific route you must take. It's a free-for-all as the trails fork and competitors split in different directions. Once you reach the top, it's all downhill to the finish line. The downhill section is mostly loose scree until you hit the creek bed that funnels over little water falls and down to the final rock face. It's not uncommon for a snowfield or avalanche debris to remain on the mountain, which can sometimes work to your advantage. Average uphill speed is about 2 miles per hour; average downhill speed is about 12 miles per hour.

Competitors come out of the race covered in mud and blood. The last section before hitting the streets to the finish line is a large rock face at the bottom of a gully. This is the major view point for fans. Competitors literally hurl themselves down the cliffs as the crowd cheers. There are always numerous medical personnel and stretchers placed strategically at this location.

The race has a limit of 350 men and 350 women. It is very difficult to gain a slot in the race. The only real guarantee is by finishing the race the previous year. If you're new to the race, you must enter the lottery or participate in the auction, spots are bought for upwards of $1000.

Every year I tell myself I'm going to train for the race, but it never seems to happen as planned. One of these years I'd like to beat an hour. My best results yet was an hour and two seconds, which I'm both happy and disappointed with. In reality, for the time being, I'm just keeping my slot and trying to reach my goal of racing 10 years in the adult race. I've been injured in previous years and have become more cautious on the way down, knowing how dangerous the descent actually is.

Mount Marathon is something I look forward to every year. It's the one time of year that I know for sure I'll be in Alaska with my family and friends.

Check out the official Mount Marathon website.

Floating Flat Creek

It was warm and sunny yesterday. After camping in Grand Teton National Park, we decided that it was the perfect day to go tubing down Flat Creek. We started at the North end of town near Dairy Queen and ended at the new post office. The creek is still pretty high due to snow melt and rain, so it was flowing fast in sections. The first half was pretty relaxing with the occasional rapid or bridge to duck under. The second half was extremely twisty and had lots of mini waterfalls. I ended up doing an accidental backflip off one and lost my sunglasses. The water was cold.

South Landing of Jackson Lake

Jake called me up to go camping in Grand Teton National Park the other evening. It was a last minute decision, but with the long daylight, it worked out well. We camped at the South Landing of Jackson Lake. It was the first really clear night we've had in weeks. The hike in to our site was pretty short; more like glorified car camping than anything else, but it was fun. The views were incredible. Julianne and I drove to the convienence store in Signal Mountain in the morning to pick up some breakfast materials. I think our never-ending spell of wet weather has finally vanished.

[ Evening light on the Tetons ]

[ Jake and Charlotte tending the fire ]

[ Cooking dinner ]

[ Julianne holding some sage to get rid of mosquitos ]

[ Sunset over Jackson Lake ]

[ Morning light ]

[ Mike smelling the flowers ]

[ Cookking breakfast ]

Fuel prices are up

Over the last few weeks, fuel prices in Jackson have increased by a good amount. For once, diesel is cheaper than gas. It's been a long time since I've seen that.

Regular gas is at $2.51/gallon
Diesel is at $2.45/gallon

Hopefully this trend doesn't keep up.

A morning visitor

I had a small visitor while taking down camp in Gros Ventre this morning. He didn't stay long.

Towing Taunto

[ Hitchin' a ride home ]

Gear Review: Smith Variant Brim Helmet

I've always had trouble finding a helmet that fits my head well; this helmet was the solution. Not only does it have a great fit, but it's fully adjustable too. It has vents to let air in on those warm days or keep it out on the cold ones. Goggles fit nicely and the brim keeps the sun out of your eyes, allowing you to send it even harder.

It might be the off season, but it's also half off...you might as well plan ahead and save some money!

[ Smith Varient Brim in action ]

Don't forget to wear your helmet. They're comfortable, warm, and they'll save your head when you make a poor decision.

Click Here to buy the Variant Brim at REI.com!

Taunto moves to Mosquito Creek

We brought Taunto out to Mosquito Creek for a couple of nights. It was a good location. Fairly close to town, plenty of space, and right on the creek. I enjoyed our short stay.

[ Our site ]

[ Taunto looks happy ]

[ River chilled beers ]

[ Lisa is pumped on her new knife ]

[ Vehicles ]

[ Hanging out by the campfire ]

We attempted to move back to Gros Ventre last night, but Taunto died on the way back to town. I had to coast Taunto backwards down a curvy hill with a guard rail for about a quarter mile until we reached a pullout. Looks like we have some more mechanic work to do...

SEASONS Film Trailer

SEASONS - A new mountain bike film by The Collective.

Survival Skills: Start a Fire with Your Cell Phone

It could have more uses than you think...

Exploring Mosquito Creek

We took a drive out to Mosquito Creek today to find Taunto a new place to live. Lisa, Sarah, Mike and I had some fun on the exploration.

Mike got a little wet while playing photographer.

Freedom Riders Movie Trailer

Teton Freedom Riders Website

Joe & Peter make a quick visit

Joe and Peter make a quick stop in Jackson on their way to Alaska. A group of us went camping up in Curtis Canyon. For dinner, we made some delicious campfire food. We cooked burritos with bacon, eggs, peppers, cherry tomatoes, cheese, and refried beans. It worked out perfectly.

[ Arriving at our campsite ]

Gear Review: MSR Pocket Rocket Backpacking Stove

This is a tiny lightweight backpacking stove. It comes in a little case that can be shoved into your backpack with no worries. It's compatible with iso canister fuels. It's simple to use; light a match, turn on the gas, and you're good to go.

[ Cooking breakfast on the Pocket Rocket ]

I love this stove and have never had any problems with it, but I would probably consider the Snow Peak Giga Power Stove with Piezo as an alternate if I were to buy another. It's similar in size, the pot supports are a little more sturdy, and matches are not required making it easier to start in those windy situations.

Either way, you can't go wrong.

Click Here to buy the Pocket Rocket at REI.com!

Spare Key

After a small mishap the other night, I'm convinced that everybody should have a spare key on the outside of their car. I went on a solo mountain bike ride. I returned to my car around 8PM, started it up, and then got out of the car.

I didn't realize it until it was too late...the windows and sunroof were closed, all the doors and the trunk were locked, and the engine was running. My phone, wallet, and everything else I own was in the car.

After finding a cell phone to borrow, I realized that I don't actually know the phone numbers of any of my friends. The police station couldn't help me. After trying a coat hanger and any other possibilities, I called a tow truck company and paid $100 to unlock my car.

On a good note, I'm pretty sure it was the only night this week that it was not pouring rain.

Life lesson: have a spare key... ideally on the outside of your vehicle somewhere.

Taunto moves to Gros Ventre

Lisa and I moved Taunto out to Gros Ventre yesterday. It's a sick location. We're high up above the river and have some great views. We're pretty much right across from the Gros Ventre Landslide. I hear that there are good mountain biking trails in the area, so there is some exploring to do.

[ Driving towards Kelly on Gros Ventre Road. Sunny one side; stormy on the other ]

[ Taunto's new location ]

[ Whitewater kayakers on the river just below us ]

[ Mike and I made a small campfire this morning. No service? ]

[ Killin' time. You can see the RV in the background ]

[ We saw bison, pronghorn antelopes, and a coyote on our drive into town ]

[ Took a drive up to GTNP... first nice day in almost a week ]

Gear Review: The North Face Base Camp Duffel

It's pouring rain outside this afternoon. I figure I might as well stay dry inside the library.

The North Face Base Camp Duffel is the perfect bag for traveling. Fill it up with clothes or gear and you're good to go. The bag consists of one large main compartment with an internal mesh pocket. It has four compression straps to make your load smaller. It has handles on either end making it easy to throw around and backpack straps for easy transport. It also has daisy-chain straps to tie down any accessories. It's extremely durable and water resistant.

I have the large sized duffel (28 x 16 x 16 inches). Not too big, not too small. I haven't found any downsides to the bag yet.

Click Here to buy the Base Camp Duffel at REI.com!