Easter Weekend

After a long, full, productive week in the lab, I was definitely ready for the weekend. Thursday was the first day of spring, and though I didn't celebrate it with any pagan rituals, I did have to laugh thinking about them, recalling stories that Tara entertained us with on the ocean describing some of her old friends' eccentric ways. None the less, by Friday, I did need to get out and celebrate the new season by at least getting out and enjoying the outdoors.

On Friday night, Chad and a few of his friends and I headed out to Saguaro Lake for some midnight moonlight paddling. I had never been to the lake at night, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The full moon shone high above us, silhouetting the saguaros on the hills and turning the mill pond flat water into a giant silvery mirror. We dragged the canoes down to the beach at Butcher Jones RA and slipped silently into the smooth water. All was quiet except for a few late night crickets and the dip of our paddles. Some of my favorite times on the ocean were at night, Kohl and I rowing silently along in the moonlight, the beauty and tranquility of the vast nighttime ocean too much for words. The paddle out on Saguaro had much the same effect for me, and I was completely in my element, gliding along and smiling up at the Pleiedes from my watery vantage point. Some of Chad's friends were camping at the northeastern end of the lake, and we paddled out to join them for a few beers, a warm campfire (it got really cold around 2 a.m.), and lots of stories of adventure. Chad, Jeff, Richie, and Vicky just got back from a 6 day whitewater trip down the San Francisco River, so there were plenty of stories to go around. Rich also tried out Jeff's whitewater kayak, and accidentally learned how well it rolled in the frigid lake. We paddled back around 4 in the morning. I have never seen the desert so still or so quiet, and it was truly magical. I forget how much I miss the freedom and beauty of the ocean until I'm out on the water, and the moonlight paddle was really good for my soul.

After a few hours of sleep, I was back on the water. We had our second dragonboating practice with the ING Blazing Lions. I was a bit groggy at first after only three hours of sleep, but as soon as we started practicing starts, my adrenaline kicked in and I was having a blast once again. Although not half as intense as rowing starts, dragonboat starts are still a lot of fun as you feel the boat pick up, and speed just feels good. Before we knew it, our hour on the water was over, leaving me wanting more. These little tastes of water time are teasing, and have me seriously contemplating starting up sculling with Rio Salado despite my self proclaimed hiatus from rowing altogether. After the practice, Angel and one of our teammates Laura and I headed out to South Mountain for a hike. South Mountain is like a second home to me in the Valley, and it's interesting to see the change in the seasons in the preserve. When I first got back in late January, the mountains were just beginning to green up... small annuals germinating in the wet winter. A few weeks later, those annuals were full bushy, mature plants. Soon enough, the green exploded into a colorful array of purples and oranges. And now, with the sun getting more intense and the ground getting drier, the plants are starting to pack up and form seeds, preparing for the long, hot summer ahead. As we walked along the creek in Hidden Valley, the harbingers of summer were all around us... tangles of dried weeds and lupines with the last of their blossoms clinging to the uppermost spikes lined the path. It was a good hike though, and we enjoyed the perfect weather, knowing that it won't last forever here in Phoenix. After a late lunch and hanging out in Tempe for a bit, I was thoroughly exhausted and headed back home. Even though I was completely knackered, I am incapable of taking naps. I spent the remainder of the day getting things done around the house and playing with the new topographical map software that Pierre gave me. Pretty sweet stuff... and it's opened up a while new realm of possibilities for exploration. Who could sleep with thoughts of new adventures running through their heads? My body finally got the best of me around midnight and I crashed hard.

I woke up early Easter morning to The Edge's Sunday Morning Service. The chill acoustic music wasn't quite a sunrise sermon with First Baptist Church overlooking the dew swept fields of southern Indiana, but it was still good for my soul. After I got my fill of the tunes (some of which were on our iPods on the ocean - courtesy Ryan and his Edge CD, and brought me right back to the On The Go playlists that we made and listened to on our three hour long graveyard shifts) Angel, her friend Christy, and I took a trip up to Boulder Canyon for some hiking and playing. It's amazing how varied the seasons are in different parts of Maricopa County alone. The drive up was incredible, with millions of different wildflowers blanketing the hills leading up to Canyon Lake. We parked at the south end of the lake, and headed towards Boulder Creek. We hiked along the ridgeline for awhile, following Christy's dog Toby until the trail that we had been on ended abruptly on a bluff overlooking the creek below. We backtracked until we found a pseudotrail lower on the ridge and had a great time bushwhacking down to the water. We may be desert rats, but we sure do love our water. The scenery was breathtaking below: clear, deep pools of water surrounded by walls to climb and boulders to jump off of and rapids strewn with water-smoothed rocks at the end of the pools. Even though we knew the water was freezing, the clear creek just looked too inviting, so Angel and I tore off our shoes, contemplated our actions for about three seconds, and then jumped in. The shock of the cold immediately took our breath away, compressing our lungs as our bodies tried to conserve any heat that remained, and we crawled out of the water as fast as we could to regain our normal breathing. Even with our goosebumps and red skin, the power of the beautiful water was too strong for our wills, and in no time we were back in, swimming around, attempting to climb up the walls, and crawling through the rapids. The entire canyon just beckoned to be explored, so we headed upstream, the slap of our wet bare feet on the smooth dry boulders echoing off the high rock walls as we rock hopped back and forth across the creek. Deep green pools filled with moss covered rocks and and warm inviting sand bars kept our curiosity aroused as we pushed south, looking ahead to see what was around the next corner. We could have kept going all the way up the canyon to see where it led, but we figured that we had to save something for when Hannah is fully recovered, and we turned around after awhile and returned to our initial swimming hole for some lunch. Normally, my "lunch" on a hike consists of a Clif Bar and a banana, but Angel and Christy brought smoked trout, avocados, tomatoes, and crackers and we had a feast on the warm rocks beside the creek. After lunch we explored downstream and ended up bushwacking/climbing up the rocks along the wall. We eventually hit the trail home and followed it back to the car, enjoying the expansive vista of Canyon Lake in front of us.

Once we got back to Phoenix, we cleaned up a bit, and headed back out to Christy's family's Easter dinner in Tempe. Although I missed being with my own family on the holiday, it was nice to be able to share the evening with Angel and Christy and her family. Like any good family holiday, there was plenty of good homecooked food to go around and little kids running around in the spring grass in the backyard. I ended the weekend full of good food and ready to tackle the week ahead of me.