April 3, 2014

The night had been long and cold. My toes feet were ice blocks in the cheap $30 sleeping back I bought at DICK’s. Chris didn’t sleep much better. We began our morning with some yoga, taking advantage of the beautiful view we had by the cliff of the mesa. Breakfast followed with yogurt and granola. Except when Chris dished up the yogurt, it had completely froze over the night. I never had fro-yo for breakfast, but I was pleasantly surprised. Ray stopped by soon after to join us on our biking adventure in Gooseberry Mesa that day.

I turned on my GoPro camera, attached to my helmet, and the three of us set off on a trail. At certain points the trail would venture 2-3 feet from the edge of the 500ft mesa. We rode on dirt paths, over boulders and between them, and along ridges. I felt like a kid in a giant playground jumping off rocks and maneuvering around them. Chris, Ray, and I would venture to the edge of the mesa to dangle our legs off and look out at nature’s abundant beauty. Many pictures and videos were taken. Ray was a seasoned mountain biker and had no problems keeping up with us on this 5 1/2 hour ride.

Once Chris and I got back, a camping neighbor got their car stuck on a raised rock and needed to be towed. Chris stepped to action, while “Bucket” and I did the towing to free this car again. Sweaty after the long ride, Chris and I needed to clean ourselves up. In the 55f (13c) degree weather, I decided it was time to have my first sponge bath. The check list: bowl of soapy water and a rag. Yes, it was cold, but very effective. We laughed at each other’s momentary discomfort and wrapped up in fresh clothes.

We cooked dinner for Ray and ourselves and chatted until the fire burned out and it was time for bed. Aware of the cold, we prepared for sleep with 2 layers of socks, sweatpants, a shirt and sweater, a beanie, wrapped like a burrito with a blanket, slipped into our sleeping bags, and our feet wrapped in another blanket. It helped :)