pandora_parrot | We are hot

I mean, it's almost 40ºC out here!

And well..

We also *look hot* in our hot-ass wetsuits:

That's the group at the end of Keyhole Canyon today. It wasn't as cool as it was last year, but it was still a fun canyon.

Okay. So a little bit of an update. It's day 3 of Zion 2010, and we are so far having an absolute blast.

Day 1: Arrival and Emerald Pools

viesti and I arrived in Zion on Friday after a 12 hour drive. We had only gotten a tiny amount of sleep that night while driving, but that didn't stop us from doing a light hike later in the afternoon. Just a nice hike up a mountain to look at some emerald pools. I really amazed myself coming down from the hike as I was incredibly nimble compared to how I've been in the past. I was leaping from rock to rock, jumping around, and even running in places. I'll talk more about that in a second.

Day 2: Mystery Canyon
Last year, Mystery Canyon was the one that almost killed us. This year, we did it right. We got in early and got to do the last rap in full view of a whole bunch of hikers that were hanging out in the Virgin River Narrows. Very different experience than last year, doing it during the daytime and having the river not overflowing. Quite a lot nicer, I must say.

Of note about this is that I again was experiencing myself being a LOT more nimble and capable of movement. I was jumping, hopping, and otherwise moving very deftly across the environment. I did downclimbs like they were almost nothing. I am a *LOT* more fit than I was last year. By a *LARGE* margin.

Also of note was that

viesti did amazing. Mystery is probably one of the more challenging canyons for a beginner to start on, and she did amazingly. A little rough at the start, but by the time we started doing the rappels in earnest, she was completely confident and skilled. She managed to impress everyone with how quickly she picked everything up.

Day 3: Keyhole Canyon
Keyhole is that really nice short canyon we did last year. A sweet little "water park ride" of a canyon. This year, there was a lot less water and that water was a lot more cold, but it was still enjoyable to be down in the bowels of the earth hiking around.

Unfortunately, one of the crappier aspects of today has been the fact that my muscles are super sore from yesterday.

auntysarah calls it "Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness" or DOMS. We figure its from the fact that I was jumping and hopping around so much yesterday, something that I haven't had the ability to do before in my life. Apparently, my cardiovascular system is finally outstripping the capabilities of some of my muscles. Astounding, but quite annoying when I'm trying to walk around and nearly in tears from the pain.

And on:
So tomorrow is going to be a nice day of rest for me, because I need to rest my legs something fierce. On Tuesday, we're hoping to do Englestead canyon, our first class 4 canyon out here. I'm going to need to be fresh for it.

Unlike last year, I find that I'm not terribly interested in taking a lot of photos of this place. I've shared this stuff with you before and this year's photos won't look all that different from last year's. Instead, I'm more focusing on sharing my experiences with my friends and loved ones, especially

viesti. I'm really enjoying watching her reactions to everything out here and taking in all of the beauty.

Anyways, I'll probably chat with you folks agian when I have a chance. Have a great night!