Another destination, and another series of lasting memories. I've had to pinch myself several times on this journey to make sure that I am not actually dreaming. How exactly do you explain the view of Utah's most picturesque mountain range from 12,000 ft just seconds before descending into white powdery snow that accumulates at about 500 inches per year. The ski lift will only take you up to about 11,000 ft, so your on your own from there. Hiking up the last stretch of the mountain took a greater physical toll on me than anything i've done since... well since paddling out into the rough waters of "Steamers Lane". I feel more alive than I have ever felt. Just when I think this whole traveling thing is getting tiresome, I'm revitalized to new experiences. The landscape just doesn't get old. As I drove across the state of Nevade I noticed smoke rising from the earths surface. Curious, I got off the interstate at the next exit and drove a mile down a dirt road to find the source of the smoke. The geothermal activity had created a boil in the earths surface. The dirt around the whole was moistened and the steam rising out of the ground was so hot you couldn't even set your hand over it. With just a couple of weeks left on my trip, I think back on the countless moments of ecstacy, and I think of ways that I can bring this excitement into my life for all of the days to come. Maybe I'll wake up one day to find it was all a dream, but until then I figure I'll just keep living it as the only reality I know.
