Mesa Falls: Up Close and Personal

If you'll remember with me when I went to Mesa Falls in September of 2009 and the view of the Lower Mesa Falls was a long ways down. The Upper Falls is more up close and personal due to the boardwalk that was built, but I always left craving for more. I wanted to be closer to the falls - to be next to the Lower Falls and at the base of the Upper Falls somehow. From up high I could see a path near the Lower Falls but I never could figure out how to gain access to it or if it was even open to the public.

I learned from a friend the directions to hike down to the Lower Falls on an old dirt road beginning from the Upper Falls - Mesa Falls best kept secret. Jumping at the chance to experience Mesa Falls up close and personal my friend, Carrie and I didn't waste any time checking it out.

Before making it to the main parking lot of the Upper Mesa Falls the road forks, taking the left fork the pavement turns into gravel and then you come upon a dirt road on the left that has a closed gate blocking the road. This is the trail head. (I believe there is a wooden sign directly across the dirt road that says Lower Falls. (Tip: I parked off to the side of the road near the trail head so I didn't have to pay for parking). The hike from the Upper Falls to the Lower Falls is a 20 minute jaunt of beautiful pine and aspen tree mixture, fluttering Pink Lady butterflies, and the sound of the flowing river nearby. The end of the trail spits you out just above the Lower Mesa Falls. Let the adventures begin!

At the end of the dirt road looking down on the Lower Mesa Falls.

A little rock cove we discovered as we rocked climbed our way down to the Lower Falls. After scrambling down it looked like there was a trail already created to the lower left at the end of the dirt road. I'd recommend going that way - much easier and safer.

Carrie rejoicing after she overcame her fear of climbing halfway down this rocky route.

The rock that I am sitting on is not connected to any of the other surrounding rocks until about 15 feet down. Adrenaline surged through my body as I carefully made my way onto it. The base of the falls was about 40 feet below me.

ABSOLUTE PURE BLISS & SERENITY!
Every now and then a gut of mist from the waterfall would spray upwards and engulf me.
No words to describe it.

The view of the Lower Mesa Falls from the rock outcropping I was sitting on.

Carrie braved the scary step onto the rock outcropping and joined me.

Carrie soaking in the moment and the peaceful roar of the falls.

Another view of the Lower Falls as we followed a trail around to get even closer.

Sitting as close to the top of the falls as one could possibly sit!
Up close and personal

Looking upstream from the picture above were these mini falls. We enjoyed our lunch sitting in this area surrounded by the falls. Heaven!

After walking upstream a ways along a trail we made it back down to the riverside on a small land outcropping to enjoy the cool rushing water of the river.

We then hiked another 1 - 2 miles upstream that was almost all boulder hopping we came upon this small area of paradise. It literally felt like we were in Hawaii or somewhere like it. This three tier waterfall runoff/spring is another best kept secret of Mesa Falls. So peaceful!

Playing around in the many small waterfalls and enjoying the
cool splash of water on a warm summer's day.

Carrie taking a refreshing drink of the water. It tasted so good!

Upper Mesa Falls!!
It was somewhat difficult journey to make it here
from the Lower Mesa Falls but every step was worth being so close!
Again, no words to describe it. You have to experience it yourself.

It was tempting to try to make it closer
to the waterfall than this rock, but we didn't dare try.

We found a surprisingly easy way to make it up from the base of the Upper Mesa Falls to the boardwalk where the viewing of the top of Mesa Falls is most commonly seen. It wouldn't be that hard to go from the top down either if one wanted to hike from the
Upper Mesa Falls to the Lower Mesa Falls. ;o)

The journey down to the Lower Mesa Falls, being next to the falls, following the river, and then making it up to the Upper Mesa Falls - with a small piece of paradise along the way - was an incredible experience! I still hold previous memories of Mesa Falls with dear and close friends near to my heart; this experience just added to those memories and has made Mesa Falls an even more special and memorable place for me. I wish I could take others close to me there, but hope that either through my experience or even their own experience there they too can enjoy Mesa Falls as much as possible.

View more Mesa Falls: Up Close and Personal pictures on my Photobucket. There is even a video of the Lower Mesa Falls

Playing in the Dirt

Playing in the dirt and mud is a fun past time activity - jumping in it, having fights with it, getting dirty in it, riding through it, etc. But what I didn't know until recently was that adding dirt to your diet is another feature of dirt and mud that I have been missing out on! What a deprived child.

Worms and fresh cut grass are great compliments
to the dirt and mud dessert dish

For a celebration I made homemade hummus vegetable pizza with homemade pizza dough and fresh vegetables, a side of fresh, juicy watermelon, and for dessert - dirt with worms and grass as toppings. It was quite the meal and everything tasted deliciously down to earth! I would highly recommend adding dirt and/or mud to your diet.

Smell of Homemade Bread

A few years into collage I was visiting one of my previous roommates one evening. When I walked in the house was filled with the smell of fresh homemade bread; my friend was just waiting for her bread maker to finish up the last few minutes of baking. I loved the idea of a bread maker. Over the years I occasionally made fresh homemade whole wheat bread by hand; it's a lot of work and time, but always worth the sacrifice. I received a bread maker as a gift from my parents this past year for Christmas but I didn't actually receive it until the beginning of this month. (It's a long story). I was excited when I received my bread maker (or should I say found it on a distant neighbors front porch). I went right to work, first reading the instructions and learning how to use the machine and reviewing all the different options it has. I decided upon what my first bread machine loaf would be....

Whole Wheat Walnut Cinnamon Raisin Bread

It didn't quite turn out in a loaf shape. I think the dough was a little bit too stiff to spread out in the baking pan before it was cooked, so it turned out in an odd shape. With that in mind I tried a second time.

Rosemary French Bread

Now that is more like it! This loaf came out perfect. I added just a little bit more water than it called for during the mixing cycle and then when it was on the rise cycle I checked to make sure the dough had spread out in the pan. I loved the taste of the Walnut Cinnamon Raisin loaf and the softness/moistness of the Rosemary French Bread.

I also made dough for a hummus vegetarian pizza I made. The dough turned out perfect and I couldn't ask for a better pizza crust.

I am not sure what I'll try next. The bread machine not only makes breads but doughs for various other uses, and jams, etc. Maybe I'll attempt my own homemade jams this summer. I love taking a few minutes to dump a few simple ingredients into a bread pan and then having the aroma of freshly baked homemade bread fill the house!

May Challenge: Success (and still learning)

"Reach for the Stars!"

Throughout my life I have had dreams, desires, and wishes to do certain things or to go certain places - some of which I have fulfilled, but many still to be accomplished. Over the last several years I have gained an ambition in life and my dreams have become alive to me. And within the last 8 months or so I have aggressively pursued my life-career dreams as I have finally discovered what I truly want to do.

Following your dream is something that I have become a huge advocate of recently. No matter what age you are everybody has dreams, desires, and wishes of things they would like to do or accomplish, but so many of us just put them on the shelf and leave them at that - just dreams - often finding excuses to justify why it will remain only a dream. "If only this" ... "If only that" The list is endless.

As I have shared with others my dreams and the accomplishment of my dreams several people have asked me variations of this question, "Where do your dreams come from and how do you know how to reach them?" I have thought a lot about this question and I have found a few keys things that I believe are essential in answering that question. It is my attempt to share those things with you here.

About a year ago I listened to a motivational speaker who said something that has stuck with me. He said, "Brick walls are only there for a reason - they let us prove how badly we want things." I think it is safe to say that a lot of people don't see the whole picture when it comes to dreams. They only see the dream itself, but they miss the whole journey of getting to that dream, which is what makes reaching the dream worth it!

If I wanted to stand on the top of Mount Everest, I could pay for a helicopter ride up to the top or I could take the necessary steps needed to climb to the top. Sure, one is a lot easier and less time consuming than the other, but which one is more of an accomplishment and brings the most lasting satisfaction? This can be applied to almost every dream, desire, or wish we have because there will always be an easy way around it. I have found that it is the work, sweat, and time of the journey that brings the most learning, growth, and satisfaction of reaching my dreams.

It's a different experience when you feel the freedom of working hard to pay off your debts verses having them paid for you by somebody else. It is a different experience when you grow a garden and enjoy the fruits of your labor verses going to the grocery store and purchasing the food. It's a different experience when you push yourself beyond your capabilities and knowledge verses saying you can't do it without even trying. Everybody can reach their dreams. The question is, how bad do you really want it?

Believe In Yourself

This is one of the most, if not foremost, important keys to have in reaching your dreams. You don't even need a dream to believe in yourself. If you simply believe in yourself that you can accomplish something great - whatever it might be - in your eyes, then you're ready to begin the journey! There is a quote painted on my living room wall taken from the movie, 'Eygpt' that says, "There can be miracles when you believe."

Have A Purpose

I have found that if there is no purpose behind reaching your dream, it will most likely not happen. Having a purpose gives one the drive, motivation, and determination to reach their dream(s). For instance, when I ran the Teton Dam Half Marathon I didn't do it for the sake of doing it or for the bragging rights, but I had a personal purpose/cause that I ran those 13.2 miles. That cause got me to the finish line.

Stick With It & Never Lose Sight

The dream determines the amount of time needed to invest into it. No matter how long it might take to reach the dream one must be dedicated to every step of the way. Sometimes in this busy, crazy, and fast-paced world we tend to want or even expect our dreams to come true overnight. It doesn't happen like that. Remember, it was the turtle that won the race - not the hare.

We must never lose sight of the end goal or the dream. Currently I am getting into shape/training for a triathlon this coming summer. I have been working out Monday-Saturday for the past two weeks and see or feel little results from it. It can be discouraging but I have to keep the proper perspective and know that my body won't magically be changed to the state/condition I want it to be in. But thinking ahead a few months from now my body will be in a lot better condition than it is now if I keep working at it every day. Being in shape for the triathlon will definitely pay off in the end.

Don't Be Afraid

FEEL THE FEAR & DO IT ANYWAY! Achieving your dream(s) is challenging. We will question ourselves and wonder if we really want to go after that dream. Nothing worthwhile is easy. Fear takes away believing in yourself. The journey to our dreams will be filled with overcoming fears, the unknown, learning new things, opening new doors and opportunities, stretching our limits, and rising to the challenges before us. At times we will want to shrink away, make excuses, or throw the towel in all together. Don't do it. It's the challenges we face in our journey that allow us to blossom.

Work Hard

Your dreams don't have to be something big or outlandish. Start simple and let your dreams grow. Never let yourself slip into getting by the easy way. It's not worth it and you'll be disappointed. As said before, nothing worthwhile is easy. I think you'll be amazing by how much you will grow and how much more alive you become. You will begin to seek for challenges and be so much more open to trying new things all the time!

Now....


*Note: There are dreams out there that are not within reason or adhere to certain laws, boundaries, and limitations. I only refer to those dreams which are reasonable and achievable within the realms of unalterable laws, boundaries, and limitations in all aspects. (In other words, please don't go jump off a building in an attempt to fly).

Unequal Equalibrium

When I was around the age of 10 or 11 my youngest brother, Ben and I had a contest to see who could spin around in a circle the longest. I don't remember who won the contest but I do remember that the time we spun around was greater than 10 minutes long. I also remember that after I couldn't spin any longer I laid on the ground holding my stomach as the room continued to spin around me for a very long time. I had a very similar experience like this today at the Cannery.

As a child, when living with my Grandma and Grandpa Gillmore, my Grandpa worked at the cannery and would bring home on occasion the large empty tin cans. He'd help us punch holes in either side, thread a string through them, and then use them as stilts. Besides just have fun walking around 8 inches taller, we'd often have races against each other on them. This simple tin can was a hit! But I never once did go to the cannery that he worked at. Today was the first time I had ever stepped foot into a cannery.

I have been wanting to go for a really long time, but was always quite intimidated by it because I had no idea how it all worked. When the sign up sheet went around a few weeks ago in Relief Society I let my intimidation get the best of me and I passed it right on by. Later I expressed my desire to go to the cannery to my roommate Krissy and she also said she was interested in going as well. It so happened that both our schedules worked out for us to go.

We showed up at the cannery this afternoon at the appointed time, both clueless. With nobody around we kind of guessed where we were supposed to go and what we were supposed to do. Finally somebody saw us and could tell we were a bit confused and directed to another part of the building where we were supposed to be. We went through the doors to the other part of the building and entered the production room. We stood around, again clueless until a kind gentleman saw us and had pity on us. He further directed us as to what we needed to do. Finally after getting all geared up in our hairnet, latex gloves, and plastic apron we were put to work on the Chicken Noodle Soup assembly line.

I was placed on a flate rotating table that had in the center of it a mixed pile of frozen carrots, celery, and chicken. Around the edge of this rotating table were round holes where 8oz tin cans were lined up beneath each hole. My job was to scoop a little more than 1/2 cup of the frozen mixture and place it in every third can. My two other fellow scoopers filled the other two cans I skipped. 1-2-3-pour. 1-2-3-pour. Pretty easy, no problem...until a couple minutes passed.

It was like I was jolted back in time to the spinning contest I had with my brother, but I wasn't the one spinning. I had to use all effort to not tip over from being dizzy. You would think after doing this for 4 hours your body would get used to the spinning. Nope. And even when the table stopped spinning it looked like and felt like it was spinning but in the other direction. It was really trippy. I didn't dare let go of that table once it stopped spinning until I was certain I wouldn't fall over. It didn't take me long for my equalibrium to balance itself out again. I am grateful that I didn't get the queasy, stomach-twisting feeling like I did in the spinning contest.

Besides the trippy dizzy experience, serving at the cannery was a fun experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the next time my ward has the opportunity to go and help out. It definitely was a learning experience as well. It was pretty amazing to go back into the warehouse section of the cannery and see all of the other packaged/canned food they had already done.

Another intimidating challenge crossed off my list. Sign me up again!

Big Milestone

It began on February 23, 2009. With a number of little milestones behind me I still had yet one more big milestone to pass. After almost two months my hard work paid off on April 15, 2009. I passed my National Registry EMT-B Exam certifying me to be an EMT-B anywhere in the United States.


I am ecstatic, yet it seems so surreal to me still! I would have never dreamed of getting to where I am now in the short amount of time that I did. My training is definitely not over, but has become a lifelong training of learning and gaining new skills and experience. I am excited to put what I learned into practice to help other people in need.

Current Certifications/Trainings

EMT-B
Wilderness EMT
Medical Person in Charge
Wilderness First Responder
Whitewater Rescue Technician
Fire Fighter I Training
First Aid
CPR

No matter what age you are, everybody still dreams. Go after your dreams! The road might be long and it might be difficult, but there are rest stops along the way and the destination is more than you ever dreamed it would be. And even if you don't fully reach your dreams, the journey is worth every step because that is what molds you.

"It's not the destination that is important, it's the journey"