Pine Creek Canyon of Zion is a great slot canyon for someone just learning about canyoneering.  It’s fairly short and non technical,  has minimal swimming and good anchors.  Zion Adventure Company set us up with wet suits for a minimal cost.  I wouldn’t say that a wet suit is required, but it will definitely make the whole experience more enjoyable.  You do, however,  need ropes and basic rope experience.

1. This is the first rappel into the canyon.   Right now my wife is thinking “If I have to swim through stagnant, dead animal invested water, he’s never going to hear the end of it.
2. Let the cussing begin. There’s no turning back now.
3. A narrow sliver of sunlight warms up the moment.
4. Hope you’re not afraid of the dark, and what might be in that dark water.
5. Now how often do you get to see and rappel through a double arch posed in the middle of a slot canyon?  Take a photo now!
6. Hey Lisa, did you see that move “The Descent”?  The one with the creepy people eating monsters that live underground?
7. Gasp for breath now, that water is cooooollllllddddd.
8. “Step into the light Carol Anne..” oh wait, wrong movie reference.
9. Don’t look down now, but…
10. Only some boulder hoping left.  Almost there!

Pictures

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We need to get rid of our inventory and are selling these CrossFit t-shirts at cost to all gym owners and trainers, if you buy 10 or more.

Men’s Red

Sizes

Small Medium Large X-Large

Men’s Green

Sizes

Small Medium Large X-Large

Women’s Red

Sizes

Small Medium Large

Women’s Purple

Sizes

Small Medium Large

We just published the Artefinosurfacedesign.com website this past week and have been getting great feedback.  It’s a WordPress based site that uses the SimpleViewer Pro slideshow software.  Jimmi Lou Stack is a gifted painter with an eye for detail as you will see in her work (and website).

The Virgin River begins just below Brian Head, UT and then carves a dramatic canyon through the western portion of the Colorado Plateau.  This is the highlight feature of Zion National Park.  The Virgin’s upper canyon is referred to as the Narrows.  Hiking the Narrows top down is a popular attraction for those seeking adventure.  Zion’s Narrows are commonly done in two days, but that requires a sometimes challenging to get bivi permit.  It also means you’ll be carrying bivi gear which you might fall in the river with.  The day trip (16 miles) takes most parties between 9 and 11.5 hours.  We were able to do in just under nine hours our first try.  It was a long day hiking down the river in a beautiful canyon.  I’m not sure where else you’d get a similar experience.  The hardest thing for us was the endless hours of walking on slippery rocks in the river.  This slipping around pulverized our feet and worked the stability muscles in our legs.  The last couple miles were painful.  Aside from the length, and these mentioned issues, the narrows is not a very strenuous day.  The descent is very gentle so the only thing taking your breath away may be the current or the scenery.

1. Take the shuttle service – It’s a long bumpy ride up to the beginning of the narrows.  The shuttles are very reasonably priced and it’s not a drive you need to do twice.  Here is a link to additional shuttle information.
2. Rent a hiking pole – I had trouble with my collapsible hiking pole collapsing on me and I just gave up and put it on my backpack.  I guess the narrows destroys these types of poles as well.  The ones you rent are made of wood and it’s unlikely you’ll break them.  You’ll want a hiking pole for sure as the current is strong in places. Hiking pole rental information.
3. Wear sturdy shoes – we wore running sneakers and our feet were destroyed.  Some more sturdy footwear would be better.  The canyoneering shoes are popular and can be rented, especially in cooler temps.  I think even stiffer light hikers would have been a big improvement.  Pretty much everything you might want for the narrows can be rented at the Zion Adventure Company.
4. Hike on the road – For the first couple of miles, you will have the option of hiking along a dirt road or in the river.  Take the road option.  You’ll have your share of hiking in the river for the rest of the day.  The time you’ll make up in this section will save you from getting out at dark.
5. Hike on the trails – you can make much better time hiking on the trails alongside the river whenever possible.  You will be constantly crossing the river to do this.
6. Don’t bother exploring the side canyons – I’m sure the side canyons are beautiful, but isn’t 9-11 hrs of exploring a canyon in a day plenty?  Just keep moving.
7. Look for the camp sites and side canyons to measure your progress – The camp sites are marked and numbered so these are easy to match up to your map to see where you are.  The side canyons are not marked, so they are a little tougher to tell which one is which.
8. Extra water – we brought 3L/100oz (the large size camelback) each of water and that was enough for us to get down the canyon with in 100-degree temps.  The canyon is cool, so you won’t burn through too much water.  If you need extra, plan on getting it from deep creek or one of the springs toward the latter half of the day.  The Virgin River can be silty and cattle graze at the headwaters.  Use some sort of water purification method to treat your water.  A camelback is recommended, as you won’t have to stop to drink.
9. Take care of yourself – The narrows is a long hike, and would feel much longer with a twisted ankle.  There are no escapes. Remember to eat throughout the day.  Keep food handy so you can snack and hike at the same time.
10. Bring a dry bag – Take a light pack, preferably a dry bag, but you can hold the pack above your head in the deeper water if need be.  At 75 cfs we encountered water up to chest level, but swimming was not required. Outdoor Research’s DryComp Ridge Sack worked perfectly.

There you have it.  Go experience Zion.  It’s a beautiful place.

Highlighted Gear We used in The Narrows

• DryComp Ridge Sack – This was the perfect bag for this adventure.  It was lightweight, the perfect size, and kept my goodies dry in the deeper sections.  I didn’t have to hold my pack over my head like my fellow hikers had to.  One thing to remember with this pack is that it doesn’t have any sort of frame, so you need to pack it tight (not necessarily full) in order for it to sit nicely on your back.
• Asolo Modular - We didn’t feel the river was cold enough to warrant renting the canyoneering shoes.  These sneakers worked great for moving quickly along the road and trails.  They also did a great job of emptying the water as I walked and held up well to all of the abuse.  I was also pleased that they didn’t allow too much sand or rocks inside.  They were a little soft for the miles of walking on slippery river stones.  My feet were a bit pulverized by the end of the day.  This of course was not what these shoes were designed for, so this doesn’t come as a big surprise.
• Coconut Cream Pie Larabars – I would suggest bringing a variety of food and plenty of it.  The Larabars pack a healthy punch and the Coconut Cream Pie is my favorite flavor.  It’s got a lighter flavor than many of the others and I like that about it.
• Transit Sun Hat – This hat was designed for hot desert temps.  It does a great job of keep the sun off your face and the sticks and bugs out of your hair as you duck and weave through the trail sections of the narrows.
• Pirahna Knife- I like this little guy.  There’s no excuse not to take it on any adventure.  It’s sharp, and doesn’t take up any extra room.
• Accessory Cord – tie your goodies down so they don’t float away down the river on you.

Pictures From The Narrows

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Kellie Day (Dayzign Graphics) and I wrapped up the final touches on the Knight and Day Communications website and launched it yesterday.  Kellie created the design and I built the site based on her design.  It is another WordPress site.  Many of the pages pull in blog posts that are sorted by category giving the site a more dynamic nature.

First you may be asking why is there a pack review on technology site?  Well, that’s an easy answer my friend.  Web Designers are Super Heroes.  Not only do they straddle the bridge between technology and creativity, in their spare time, they go out and do things like fight crime, climb mountains, hang from cliffs or frozen waterfalls, and do what they can to preserve humanity.

I’m going to skip over the techy details of the pack.  That’s already been done.  Here’s the link for you to read about all of the Nanon’s features, and a much more involved review than mine.

The Nanon is a 50-60L dyneema pack designed for lightweight backpacking. This is Lowe Alpine’s answer to a lightweight pack that maintains Lowe’s standard of durability.  There are lighter packs out there, but this one is made of tough dyneema and is fully featured.  I was surprised how many pockets and features it had.  Lowe does make a less featured version called the Zepton.  It seems my guide friends often forgo the features, but I personally like to have different pockets for a few things I want easy to access.  Those things for me might be a snack, headlamp, car keys, etc..

I first thought the Nanon would be more of a overnight only pack meant to shave off a little weight, but after a quick inspection I was wrong.  The only real areas of weakness appear to be the fast-tex buckles and the water bottle pockets on the sides.  Although those pockets are nice, I fear how they will hold up against a patch of scrub oak.  The dyneema fabric has a real solid feel to it.  Lowe has incorporated lots of fit options, so most anyone should be able to get a good fit out of the pack if they take the time to adjust it. The weight savings were obvious upon taking it out of the box.  Dyneema is of course lighter than a nylon pack, but the webbing used is also about half the size of what you normally see on a pack.  The fast-tex buckles are proportionally half the size as well.  The mini fast-tex buckles are pretty cute.

It was a few weeks before the snow let up here in Ouray for me to get out and take the pack for a test run.  On a weekend trip to Castle Valley, near Moab, Utah, I loaded the pack up with rock climbing equipment and a rope, and marched up the 1,500 ft. steep slope to a formation called the Rectory. We climbed a route called Ministry (although not with the pack) and returned to the ground with snow falling from the sky.

I haphazardly loaded up my pack with a bunch of gear and set off down the hill.  My partners were complaining about light packs.  I guess I must have grabbed their gear as well.  The Nanon carried great and the extra weight didn’t bother me at all.

Sometimes you just want a pack that you can throw on your back and go.  The Nanon served this purpose exceptionally even at the upper end of the weight it was designed to carry.

The Nanon does pretty much everything you need it to do in a featured and durable package.  I will digress for a moment and mention a few things I would like to see different.  I don’t like fasttex buckles.  They are just too easy to break and then they leave you high and dry.  A careless misstep around camp, and your hike out is going to be miserable.   Make that more miserable than it was going to be anyway.  They can’t be repaired in the field either. I like the Lowe Alpine load lockers much better and was disappointed not to see these on the Nanon.  I may retro fit my waist buckle with one of these load lockers.  The webbing fits just perfect and it will be an easy upgrade.

I also wish Lowe Alpine would put ice axe holders on all of their packs that resembled the system Black Diamond and Cilo Gear uses.  The big pocket on the Nanon has just enough room for ice axes and crampons, so this is a moot point in this case.  The webbing straps just don’t accommodate the leashless ice tools that are being used today.

I would recommend the Nanon to carry around your Mac Book Pro or in saving humanity.  I’m psyched and I’m looking forward to my next adventure with the Nanon.

This a an example of the SimpleViewer, which is a way to display photos on your website.

[simpleviewer id=13]

Anyone out there who has children, especially teen-agers, will understand the need for parental control software. Even if your not concerned about your kiddo going to the “naughty” sites, there are many other sites out there that will fill your computer with viruses and turn your child into an online addict.
After our last visit to the computer doctor to fix our childs machine we decided we were done policing and arguing and decided to investigate parental control software.
What we were looking for-
Because we home school, our child is on the computer much of the day. We were not as concerned about him viewing inappropriate sites, but we were fed up with trying to constantly look over his shoulder to see if he was staying on track with school. As well, we wanted to limit his overall computer time with out having to police it. Lastly, we wanted to keep him off gaming sites and other sites that are notorious for malware and viruses.
What we found -
My initial search brought me to a site called Well-Researched Reviews. It supposedly provides unbiased reviews for various types of software. They recommended a program called Web-Watcher, which was the most expensive one listed on the site. The email I received from the customer support seemed a little fishy, so I continued my research and discovered that the Web-watcher software was most likely a scam. They charge you for the initial software, then keep charging you for upgrades, threatening to take away your access if you don’t pay. It’s likely the well -researched reviews site is owned by the same makers of the software. After doing a bit a reading, I discovered that many of the parental control software companies are actually scams, some even getting your log on and password information to various sites, including bank accounts and using this information to with draw money. I decided on a giving Web Nanny a shot, which I found on www.cnet.com, a good place to find legitimate, unbiased reviews.
Web Nanny has the ability to do everything I was looking for plus the following features: Profanity masking, Social Network Monitoring, Proxy filtering, URL blocking plus provides you with detailed reports on your kiddo’s Google Searches and usage. I am in the process of setting it up and I think it will make our life as parents much easier. Web Nanny also has developed software to for hand held devices such as smart phones. I will report back in a month or so with an update and let you know if we are happy with the features.
As a parent I think technology has made our job a lot harder. I honestly hate all the hand held devices and can’t believe the number of parents I know that don’t monitor or restrict the time their kids are “plugged in”. We have no idea what our kids are encountering on-line and with so many ways to access the internet, it’s nearly impossible to shield them from a world that they are possibly not ready for.

Check out one of our latest completed web projects, the Ouray Brewery.  The client wanted to go with something that was rustic, fun, and representative of Ouray.  The brewery doesn’t open until this summer sometime, so we’ll be able to add more pictures and content then.  This site was built on the WordPress engine.

As a web designer I’ve long struggled with having to test websites in a variety of different browsers.  Technology is a rapidly changing field, and the ways to go about doing things is rapidly evolving as well.  Just a couple of years ago, I bought a Mac so I could test websites.  I had to keep my PC computers though so that I could test the websites on Internet Explorer.  You could only have one installation of Internet Explorer and so I essentially needed two PC computers to test for Internet Explorer 6 and 7.  What a headache it was!  Internet Explorer 6 was long a headache for me, but I no longer support it (nor does Google) so that headache is gone.  I got around that problem on my Mac with Paralells, a Virtual Machine software that allowed you to have multiple operating systems on one machine.  That was great, but each Virtual Machine (or operating system installation) took 10 GB of space.  I could go on and on with my troubles and how I have solved them with various solutions, but only other designers would be able to relate to this painstaking proceedure.

Enter the Future!

Here are two online tools that will allow you to test your website on various internet browsers.  Yes, you can have Safari, Firefox, and Internet Explorer 7 and 8 all in one place!

Adobe Labs
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/browserlab/

Spoon.net

http://spoon.net/browsers/

Making the Fixes

Internet Explorer: I find using Internet Explorer 8’s Developer Tools to be useful in trouble shooting IE errors (found by pressing F12).

All Other Browsers: Get yourself two firefox plug-ins to make your life a whole lot easier.  The first is Firebug, and the second is Web Developer.  If your site works in Firefox, it will work fine in most other browsers.

Notice a trend here?  All other browsers vs. Internet Explorer.  Yes, it’s been that way for some time now.  IE is a thorn in most web developers sides.

Validate Your Code

Another great starting place for figuring out how to check for errors is by validating your HTML code.  The W3C has a great online validation tool (http://validator.w3.org/)

Hope this helps! Happy troubleshooting!