CT update

So here I am only a few days into my hike and I have been taken down by a really bad blister on my left foot. My boot was rubbing on my heel and rubbed out a pretty nasty blister. So I am back at my Dad's place for a couple of days to let it heal before I set out again. I talked to a orthopedic guy who specializes in shoe fit and he gave me a couple supports to put into my boot that would prevent it from rubbing, but the main problem is my back is out of alignment, and that is playing hell on my walking. Carrying a heavy pack is probably not the best thing for it either, carrying a lot of weight is what helped to screw it up to begin with, not to mention the stuff that happened to me over in Iraq. So after my foot heals back up I'm going to head back out again to see how my back feels and then make my decision about what to do from there. The few days that I had out were wonderous though, and I had a good time being out in nature, by myself. It is kind of a bummer to get stopped so quickly into my trek, but hopefully it will be the only snag I experience. Any way hope everyone is doing fine and I will update again when anything new comes about.
Ben

Glen Canyon - The Visuals

While I'm sure they weren't on any illegal drugs, Ben & Jen did get some awesome visuals while in Glen Canyon. Here are a few pics for you all. Thanks Jen!

Glen Canyon

Ok so I don't have time to write a big blog entry, but I would like to take a few minutes to talk about my recent trip to the Glen Canyon National Recreation area. The Lawellin clan got together for a week and rented a houseboat down at Lake Powell and had a wonderful time down there. We rented a couple canoes and checked out a bunch of the little canyons back there. We spent most of the time in the Escalante river arm scouting out the various canyons and enjoying the beautiful scenery. It was really great. The temperatures were a bit warm, especially in the middle of the day, but it wasn't to extreme(at least for me). Now that, that trip is over I am about to take off on the thru hike of the Colorado Trail. I take off this Friday the 26th and intend on finishing on the 14th of July. I am doing it mostly solo, but some friends and family out in Colorado will hopefully be able to hike with my on the weekends. So stay tuned to the Idaho Rocks blog for updates on my progress and I'll try to post some pictures here and there. Any way take it easy everyone and wish my luck.

Ben

Camping on the Big Smokey & South Fork of the Boise

The water flow this year is absolutely huge. I've already been talking about it, but we took some more pictures this weekend of the South Fork of the Boise. I've posted a picture of this same location previously on this blog. Here you can tell how much more water is flowing.

The South Fork of the Boise River

Big Smokey Creek Canyon - Hike to Skillern Hot Springs

The way a weekend should be spent

Enjoying a beer around a fire. Nice way to end off a day of playing up the Big Smokey Creek canyon.

The View of Soldier Mountain from Aly's backyard

Yet another beautiful picture of Soldier Mountain. This one is from my sister's back yard.

Little Smoky Creek Area

Amie and I took a trip over Couch Summit yesterday and went on a bike ride. It is so nice over there right now, and we didn’t even see one person the entire time! We parked in one of the camp grounds right when you get over the summit. Then we rode our bikes out to Warswick Hotsprings and checked that out. The springs are overflowing right now, and since there is a bunch of snow melt, they aren’t very hot currently. Once that snow melt is done, they will be nice though! I’ve included a few pictures below. One thing I don’t have for you right now is a picture of the Black Bear we saw! He ran across the road and then ran up the hill. We got some pictures, but none really worth sharing.

This is a picture of Little Smoky Creek - Much bigger than normal.

This is a picture of Amie sitting above the hotsprings stream.

This is a picture of the Little Smoky Creek Canyon. Beautiful!

The View of Soldier Mountain from Mormon Reservoir

Amie and I went hiking out by Mormon Reservoir today. I thought this picture was cool because of the wildflowers on the ground, and Soldier Mountain in the background.

Eye Level with Soldier Mountain

Beautiful Picture of Soldier Mountain I just had to share. This was taken from some of the property for sale out by the Golf Course. Excellent opportunity for investment (and views), so don't forget to contact Amie if you know of anyone looking.

Camas Centennial Marsh

I wanted to take the opportunity to share some pictures Amie and I took last weekend. We drove out to the Camas Centennial Marsh, just outside of Fairfield & Hill City. The Marsh is HUGE this time of year. Especially with all the extra water we are receiving.

This is a picture of both of us near the top of the mountain we hiked up. You can see the Soldier Mountains in the background, and the Camas Marsh below.

This Picture is from the top of a mountain we hiked up. As you can see, the Marsh is HUGE this time of year. The big "island" in the middle is where you normally drive to. The road going out to it is completely underwater though.