Following the lead of Jason Hendricks at The Adventurist, I have submitted an article to the first annual Rock and Ice Magazine Blogger's Brawl writing contest. The winner is determined solely by number of votes, and the top 3 authors win some sweet gear and get their stories printed in the magazine.

The article teaser is below, but contest rules don't allow me to publish the complete article to my website. If you like what you read, please click the link below the teaser to read the full article and vote for it.

THE LAST STAND: LEARNING THE HARD WAY IN THE WASATCH

Photo by Chandler Blake

Tyler stood up and removed his coat. In an act of either profound
benevolence or chill-induced madness, he laid it over the flame,
hoping to buy us another ten minutes of warmth.

"WE CALLED IT OUR LAST STAND. Three eager teenagers lugging surplus rucksacks filled with random gear- deep in the Wasatch Mountains in the dead of winter. I've never been colder in my life.

I suppose our biggest mistake was not bringing a vehicle. Maybe Chan's station wagon was broken down again or maybe my sister needed to use our shared Chevy Celebrity- I don't remember. Either way, we found ourselves standing at the back of a ski bus, enjoying the last moments of relative warmth as the flurries began to float outside. Had we known then what we knew later that night, we may not have pulled the 'stop' cable so enthusiastically as we approached the Spruces picnic area."

Labels: BUDS, Trip Reports