9.5 out of 10, a.k.a. The Vastly-Superior Summer

Damn!

I just got home from a little St. Patty's party watching my friend Matt Lewis rock out with his band. When they started into a cover of Neil Young's "Down by the River" I smiled so big I almost turned my face inside out. Life is really amazing and I plan to keep it going. I told Krissy that it's about a 9.5 out of ten, but I don't know what could even be missing. Maybe some hot, girly lovin'. Who knows?

The real point of this blog is to get the word out about this summer. This summer has the potential to top the summer of 2005, the summer of 1998, the summer of '99. The year of 2009 is poised to be one of the funnest in known history. Why?, you ask. Because I have decided to grab this summer by the hoohahs and make it that way. I'm going to tell you what makes summers amazing. Then I'm going to tell you what I/we are doing this summer. Last, I'm going to name some names, and leave other invitations open as to who will be participating in this, potentially the greatest summer of them all.

In order to understand what makes a good summer, it's important to review some of the years gone by and what made them so good, also, the things that just make for good activities-the stuff good summers are made of.

1998 was the year that I and the guys graduated from high school. I spent May traveling in southern Mexico and was greeted upon my return with my first taste of what post-high school Rexburg had to offer. Girls were abundant, the weather was so warm and friendly, and the days were spent doing the things that I loved. I did work that summer, but that was easy enough, and I didn't let it get in the way. I hiked in the Tetons, and tasted the thin air of the tall mountains. We took the four-wheelers out to the sand dunes so many times. It seems like we went nearly every Monday to steal the girls away from their little FHE groups. That summer faded into fall, Ricks College Expedition, and new friendships.

1999 was similar to '98. Fourwheelers, barbeques with sausage and Mt. Dew. Lots of new friends. There was camping and hiking and caving. The spillway, the sand dunes, Green Canyon. I ate at Craigo's Pizza every night without fail. Small pizza bomb, pepperoni and mushrooms: $2.36. What a deal! Rambo was a classic game that showed it's head quite a bit around this time.

One of the things that made these summers so great was the people behind the activities. There were always people at Craigo's to hang out with. There was always a crew doing something. The whole crew was never there, but the gang was big enough that we were guaranteed enough people to pull off some type of shenanegins. (had to use that word since it's St. Patty's) The Red Dragons, the EBR, the Prep Girls, the Grey Ghosts-who were really just Dragons that didn't want to go through the initiatory beating in the back of craigos. Most of all, the 186.9-my gang! There were all the girls in Natalie's apartment, Kim's apartment, and all the people that they knew. It was crazy!

2005 was a year that certainly changed my life. I started mountain biking, canyoneering, and climbing all that year. Only twice, between Memorial Day and November that year, did I fail to climb a mountain, decend a slot canyon, or go through a cave at least once a week. The Gregories were certainly the wind in those sails. I have Sam and Devan to thank for sure. Never, ever did I have to worry about what I was doing on a Friday night; I was going canyoneering. Saturday night I was too tired to do anything after the day's activities, so my weekends were filled.

So my point - This summer is poised at the tipping point of being the most amazing summer yet. Gas is cheap enough for now that it won't limit our opportunities to see the best of what the west has to offer.

Here's what we're going to do. Some things have approximate dates, some are wide open.

Indian Creek - Climbing - This coming weekend. Get your harnesses and get ready for some hard climbing. If you can't do that, come camp out/hang out or get ready for next week

Zion NP - Canyoneering - Memorial Day weekend, or sometime close. Anyone and everyone should be down for this. Pine Creek, Keyhole, Behunin. We could throw in some climbing for the more hard core.

Devil's Tower, WY - Climbing and Camping

City of Rocks, ID - Climbing and Camping
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Destination unknown - Anasazi style/primitive camping trip - This will take some planning ... or not.

Lake Powell trip - Devan's got a boat. If we get this crew big enough, we'll get a houseboat for showering and cooking, but camping on the beaches is supreme.

Darby Canyon Ice Caves - Sometime after June - Caving fun fun fun!

Grand Teton - Last half of August - Get tough folks. This is not for the faint of heart. Dad, I would like nothing more than to stand with you on top of this mountain. Let's do it this year.

I'm open to so many more suggestions, but that's a start.

Finally, the people who need to be included. You're all invited. I'm mostly just using this as a guilt trip to make certain people show up. Also, it shows that the group will be big enough to pull this off.

Devan and Ginny, Sam and Massiel. Of course the Gregories will be there. We're going to be building Devan's new house this summer too, so that should provide some fun.

Summers, get your ass out of the house, and quit making up lies. We need you.

Little Devin and Dirty Adam, the climbing kids.

Alex, the climbing king.

My family. Dad and Mom, come to Zion this year. You'll love it. Brian, unemployment, or lack of work just means more time to play. Stacy and Julia and Jeff, you too. Karie, you want to learn to climb. This summer is going to be the one to do it.

Will, you get a line all to yourself. :)

Marianna, the Logan crew, Josiah Griffin, Joe Griffin, Jake Moss. I'll have friends coming in from out of town constantly. Tyson Crosbie, you don't have that long of a drive to meet us in southern you-ta ha ha. Little Adam, Toni and Misti. Tanner. Lizzy D. Dodge and Krissy. Beatbox Kyle. Cynthia A. So many more. Just come along and ride with us ... fantastic-slide slide slippity slide.