2015 November » You Can Sleep When You're Dead: Blog by Colleen Miniuk

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Nov 292015
 
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CMS and Mom at Put In

Jacque and Colleen just seconds before beginning our paddling adventure on Lake Powell just north of Hite (at the North Wash/Dirty Devil take out) last Tuesday morning. iPhone photo courtesy of my Dad, Bob Miniuk.

Hi everyone,

After three absolutely spectacular days paddling almost 40 miles on Lake Powell, on Friday morning, my Mom and I found ourselves in terrifying 6-foot swells (per the park ranger’s estimation) in between miles 110 and 106, where we feared for our own – and helplessly, each other’s –  lives for over three hours along the towering cliff walls.  We are physically unharmed, but are emotionally shaken.

A park ranger in police rescue boat literally just happened to pull into Forgotten Canyon on his rounds, where my Mom and I had taken refuge out of the winds and waves along a two-foot spit of sand at the base of a large talus slope no more than 10 minutes before his arrival.

In talking with him, he suggested conditions were going to get worse over the next 6-7 days with a large storm from California dropping more south than expected (which explained the swells despite having a “clear and calm winds” forecast…) and that a second storm following behind it.   Having just survived scary conditions, my Mom and I could not see ourselves enduring “worse” than what we experienced.  We are not above or stronger than Mother Nature.

We accepted a ride from Forgotten Canyon to Halls Crossing from the park ranger on the rescue boat.  My Dad picked us up from there yesterday afternoon, and we are now home.

As we work through a swirl of emotions – relief, disappointment, immense joy, sadness, pride, and everything in between – we are so grateful for a number of things:

  1. Our lives!
  2. Our glorious 4-day, 40-mile adventure through gorgeous canyons – no exaggeration, we had some of the best times of our lives out there together.  Might have been shorter than expected, but it was certainly no less epic!
  3. Help from complete strangers, especially NPS Rangers Anthony and Marty, when we needed it most.
  4. The amazing support from our family and all of you as we took on this journey.

The dream of paddling the length of Lake Powell does not die, it merely changes.  As those who have been on my workshops before know well, “The plan is the plan until the plan changes, and the plan changes often, so plan on it!”  I am going to use the time I had planned to be on the lake to stay under the radar and off-grid through mid-December to sort out the recent life-changing events and options for “what next?”

Stay tuned for more, including all the details of this unforgettable and incredible adventure on Lake Powell…I’m writing our amazing story as fast as my little hand can go.

Once again, we’re so thankful for all of your encouragement and support!

~Colleen

Nov 222015
 
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What life boils down to for the next 14-days…an iPhone snap of all the material items we’re bringing for our Lake Powell paddle trip.

Whelp, after months of planning and preparation, it’s hard to believe that the big day has finally arrived!  We depart for Utah today, and will begin our ~150-mile paddle on Tuesday morning!

As we head out, thought I’d share answers to some of the most frequently asked questions I have received about this trip from others.  If you have a question about our trip that I’ve not answered below, please leave me a comment, and I’ll be sure to address it upon our return in a future blog.

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Why, exactly, are you doing this?
I have many reasons, including but not limited to:

  1. As George Mallory once suggested about why one would climb Mount Everest, we are paddling the length of Lake Powell, “Because it is there.”
  2. Because we can (meaning my Mom and I are physically and mentally capable of taking on such a challenge.  And let’s face it, we aren’t getting younger so we might as well do it now…)
  3. Because I want to.  It is really as simple as that.  (And it’s funny how our society doesn’t seem to accept that as a good enough answer…I digress…)
  4. Not many have attempted to do it (I know a handful of men have accomplished the same feat on stand-up paddleboards, but I have yet to find any women who have).
  5. This is my big chance to be as adventurous as Pippi Longstocking, my childhood hero!
  6. I would like to share in an unforgettable adventure with my Mom and show her what true freedom and bliss feels like.
  7. I wish to disconnect from the world long to refresh and rejuvenate my mind and spirit for all the exciting opportunities ahead.
  8. Because I wanted a physical and mental challenge.
  9. Because there is a little voice inside my head that still isn’t sure I can…but I’m going to do it anyway!
  10. Because you guessed it, you can sleep when you’re dead!

You mean, you are not doing it to make a political statement? (Note: this question is typically followed by an in-depth dissertation about how the Glen Canyon Dam drowned the Colorado River OR how we have no water in the desert.)
While I do have fairly strong opinions about the Glen Canyon Dam and our water shortage here in western United States, the magnificent sandstone walls, the undulating waters, and singing canyon wrens do not hold any political positions; I see no reason why – while I am among their beauty and in their home – I should possess one either.

If I’m to make any important statement as a result of going on this journey it would be to remind everyone tuning in that, wait for…you can sleep when you’re dead!  I do not mean literally (as in we should run around doing things 24 hours a day).  I mean that when faced with an opportunity to do something or not do something, especially your dreams – no matter how big or small – I hope you feel inspired and courageous enough to just GO FOR IT!

You only get one life, and it goes in a blink of an eye, so why not fill the time you have with much joy, meaning, curiosity, wonder, and gratitude?  I cannot come up with a good reason not to, but if you do, please, by all means, leave me it in a comment below.

How far are you going?
We are starting at the North Wash/Dirty Devil take out, which is just north of Hite, and finishing at Wahweap Marina.  If we followed the milepost/buoys exactly, we are looking at about 141 miles.  However, that does not account for the many side trips and meanderings we will likely do…in the end, I would guess we will likely finish around 150 miles.

How long will that take?
Incorporating time for paddling, rest days, wanderings, weather conditions, etc., we are hoping to complete the trip in about 14 days.  We are in no rush and will not take unnecessary risks when faced with unfavorable weather (especially high winds).

BUT fellow photographers (and patient partners and spouses) know how fast “I’ll just be 10 minutes” can turn into an entire afternoon when you’re enthralled a magical place…considering this (and possible weather delays), we’ve packed food for 20 days.

Why are you going in November?
After I decided to pursue this idea, I checked my calendar and found the only time I could commit to a chunk of time within the next 12 months fell in this November and December.  I did not want to wait – now sounded like as good of a time as ever.

Although many have and will disagree with me, I feel it offers an absolutely ideal time to complete our adventure.  It offers the prospects of the cooler temperatures (compared to scorching summer weather), a reduced chance of brutal winds (as seen in the spring), and fewer boats on the lake than most other months (so we would have the lake to ourselves).

Won’t it be cold then?
Perhaps.  Don’t care.

Weather forecasts suggest temperatures ranging from low 20’s to mid-60’s.

My Mom and I completed our recent trial run at Lake Powell in 65-degree temperatures during the day.  We were so warm from expending energy and the sun, we actually wished it was about 10-20 degrees cooler.  At night, we were on the warm side of cozy during nighttime temperatures around 40-45 degrees.

We have packed winter gear, just in case, and our sleeping bags are rated to 0-degrees (mine) and -30-degrees (my Mom’s).  I’ve bet my Dad that we will feel warm most of the time…and I only bet on things I know I will win!

Are you insane? (or alternatively, “Are you crazy?”)
Not clinically, no.  However, I did just buy a selfie-stick (for use with my new fancy GoPro) so that may affect my status.

Will you be blogging or posting your process on Facebook?
In our fast-paced society where multi-tasking is not just the norm, but also expected, I wish to jump into this experience with open hearts and minds to soak every bit of the experience in without distractions.  So, no, I will intentionally not be blogging during our trip.

That said, beginning on Tuesday morning when we start our journey, you can follow our tracks recorded by my Delorme InReach tracking device by visiting https://share.delorme.com/ColleenMiniukSperry and use the password dreambig (one word) to login.  If I have my technology properly figured out, I might post a couple of messages via my Delorme to my Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/CMSPhoto (CMS Photography) and https://www.facebook.com/ColleenMiniukSperry (my personal profile).

How can we learn more about your trip once you get back?
I’ll likely write a blog upon my return, but I plan to write my first adventure travel book from this journey.  So stay tuned!

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Words cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who provided a song recommendation for our Lake Powell Paddle Playlist.  What an incredible mix of music from an incredible group of people!

In addition, I’m so thankful to those who have sent notes of encouragement and wishes for a safe, happy trip.  Your kind and uplifting words mean a great deal to me, and you can be sure we will carry every single one of your sentiments with us as we paddle along.

Wish us good luck…and good weather!
Colleen

Nov 172015
 
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My Mom, Jacque, kayaking in Warm Creek Bay during our recent trial run on Lake Powell in preparation for our trip next week.

My Mom, Jacque, kayaking in Warm Creek Bay during our recent trial run on Lake Powell in preparation for our trip next week (taken while standing on my SUP).

Today marks T-7 days until the start of what will no doubt be a memorable SUP/kayak trip down the 150-mile length of Lake Powell with my mom, Jacque (in case you missed my previous blog post, visit “What’s SUP? An Epic Adventure Awaits” at youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/whats-sup-an-epic-adventure-awaits).   I can hardly sleep at night, and that’s not only due to all my last minute preparations for our two-week adventure, but rather my overwhelming excitement to get this party started!

One of those last minute details calls for me to load what I’ve called the “Lake Powell Paddle Playlist” (try saying that three times fast!) onto my iPhone.  Now, when I put out the call to all of you to provide favorite inspirational song, I had no idea what to expect (other than I know they’d all be fantastic, of course).  But, I was completely blown away by the wildly diverse and incredible ideas you sent to help us paddle to when times get tough out there on the water and we need some positive vibes.

Thanks to those of you who sent musical recommendations in, I now have over five hours (!!) of sentimental, calming, heart-pumping, thought-provoking, and inspirational music to keep paddling along.  What I loved most was seeing each of your personalities shine through in your suggestions.  I also appreciated hearing from many of you the inspirational backstories of why the song(s) meant something to you.  I appreciate all who shared their heartfelt stories and songs with me.

As promised, here’s the current playlist with the Song – Artist (and my friend who contributed it) in no particular order:

  1. Thank You – Johnny Reid (Brian Hayward)
  2. Ballad of Edward Abbey – Tom Russell (Jackson Frishman)
  3. I’m So Glad – Cream (JP Bruce)
  4. Old Man River – Paul Robson (Rick Jacobi, Mike Hayden, and Richard Penney)
  5. Watching the River Run – Loggins and Messina (Lynda Holman)
  6. The Mary Ellen Carter – Stan Rogers (John McCoy)
  7. Happy – Pharrell Williams (Toru Kawana and Sheri Skocdopole)
  8. Beautiful Day – U2 (Toru Kawana)
  9. Miss Hesitation – Jesse (Robert Rader)
  10. Ridge Top – Jesse Colin Young (Robert Rader)
  11. Astronomy – Metallica (Robert Ford)
  12. Move Along – The All-American Rejects (Jodi Stemler)
  13. Learn to Fly – Foo Fighters (Jodi Stemler)
  14. One – Creed (Jodi Stemler)
  15. Steady as She Goes – The Raconteurs (Jodi Stemler)
  16. If Today Was Your Last Day – Nickelback (Jodi Stemler)
  17. Wherever I May Roam – Metallica (Jodi Stemler)
  18. Every Day is a Winding Road – Sheryl Crow (Jodi Stemler)
  19. Dreams – Cranberries (Jodi Stemler)
  20. Linger – Cranberries (Jodi Stemler)
  21. Pocketful of Sunshine – Natasha Bedingfield (Jodi Stemler)
  22. The Time of My Life – David Cook, (Jodi Stemler)
  23. Sweet Dreams Are Made of This – The Eurythmics, (Jodi Stemler)
  24. Carry On – FUN, (Jodi Stemler)
  25. Fly Away – Lenny Kravitz, (Jodi Stemler)
  26. Good Life – OneRepublic (Jodi Stemler)
  27. Paris – Grace Potter(Jodi Stemler)
  28. Apologies – Grace Potter (Jodi Stemler)
  29. Stars – Grace Potter (Jodi Stemler)
  30. Closer to Fine by the Indigo Girls (Jodi Stemler)
  31. Outshined – Soundgarden (Jodi Stemler)
  32. Are you Ready – Creed (Jodi Stemler)
  33. Cochise – Audioslave (Jodi Stemler)
  34. Flies in the Vaseline – Smashing Pumpkins (Jodi Stemler)
  35. Come With Me Now – (Wish I Could) by Kongos (Brett Prettyman)
  36. Best Day of My Life – American Authors (Brett Prettyman)
  37. But Not Tonight – Depeche Mode (Brett Prettyman)
  38. Rolling in the Deep – Adele (Ron Niebrugge)
  39. Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – (Ron Niebrugge and Mark Berry)
  40. The Moldau – Bedrich Smetana (Paul Vang)
  41. Cheerleader –  Omi (Amy Novotny)
  42. A Thousand Miles From Nowhere – Dwight Yoakum (Stan Burman)
  43. Imagine – John Lennon (Katie Bond)
  44. Dancing in the Dark – Bruce Springsteen (Kurt Repanshek)
  45. Stronger – Kayne West (Kris Millgate’s son)
  46. I Won’t Back Down – Tom Petty and the Heartbreaks (Kris Millgate)
  47. Proud Mary – Creedence Clearwater Revival (Monica Halveka)
  48. River Runs Red – Midnight Oil (Thomas Graham)
  49. Gooey – Glass Animals (Floris van Breugel)
  50. Feel Again – One Republic (Amy Minton)
  51. Demons – Imagine Dragons (Amy Minton)
  52. Stronger – Kelly Clarkson (Mary Gamble)
  53. We are the Champions – Queen (Mary Gamble)
  54. It’s My Life – Bon Jovi (Mary Gamble)
  55. What a Wonderful World – Louie Armstrong (Mary Gamble)
  56. Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Judy Garland (Mary Gamble)
  57. 10,000 Reasons – Matt Redman (Mary Gamble)
  58. Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) – Hillsong UNITED (Mary Gamble)
  59. Night Rider’s Lament – Jerry Jeff Walker (Tim Mead)
  60. Haiku – Doug Hammer (Carol See)
  61. Sitting on Top of the World – Amanda Marshall (Sheri Skocdopole)
  62. Where the Black Top Ends – Keith Urban (Sheri Skocdopole)
  63. Against the Wind – Bob Seger (Carlene Drake)
  64. Let it Whip – Dazz Band (Jacque Miniuk)
  65. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – Proclaimers (Rob Miniuk)
  66. The Final Countdown – Europe (Rob Miniuk)
  67. The Valley Road – Bruce Hornsby and the Range (Jackie Klieger)
  68. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison (Jackie Klieger)
  69. I’ll Be There – Jackson 5 (John Penney)
  70. Con te Partiro – Andrea Bocelli (Sue Penney)
  71. Something’s Coming – Jim Bryant, Russ Tamblyn, Marni Nixon, & Natalie Wood (Sue Penney)
  72. Quiet Your Mind – Zac Brown Band (Christy Schroeder)
  73. Let it Go – Zac Brown Band (Ty Stockton)
  74. Paradise – John Prine (Phil Bloom)
  75. Spanish Pipe Dream – John Prine (Phil Bloom)
  76. Everybody – John Prine (Phil Bloom)
  77. The Bottomless Lake – John Prine (Phil Bloom)
  78. Say Hey (I Love You) – Michael Franti and Spearhead (Jen and Michael Raffaeli)
  79. The Sound of Sunshine – Michael Fronti and Spearhead (Jen and Michael Raffaeli)
  80. I Like to Move It – Madagascar 5 (Jen and Michael Raffaeli)
  81. No Scrubs – TLC (Jen and Michael Raffaeli)
  82. Wagon Wheel – Old Crow Medicine Show (Mark Berry)
  83. Muddy Water – Daniel Jenkins (Lynda Holman)
  84. River in the Rain – Daniel Jenkins and Ron Richardson (Lynda Holman)
  85. Got to Give it Up – Marvin Gaye (John Divan)
  86. I’ve Been Everywhere – Johnny Cash (Barbara White)
  87. I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack (Dawn Gould)
  88. Dead Man’s Party – Oingo Boingo (Rebecca Wilks)
  89. Too Much Stuff – Delbet McClinton (Rebecca Wilks)
  90. The Happy Wanderer – Friedrich-Wilhelm Möller (Tom Rust)
  91. River Road – Crystal Gayle (Lindsay Guthrie)
  92. Alberta Bound – Gordon Lightfoot (Lindsay Guthrie)
  93. Arizona, I Love You – sung by Rex Allen Jr. (Lindsay Guthrie)
  94. Roar – Katie Perry (Carol Gray)
  95. Hallelujah – Justin Timberlake(Carol Gray)
  96. All I Ask of You – Phantom of the Opera (Carol Gray)
  97. If I Had a Rocket Launcher – Bruce Cockburn (Bill Rau)
  98. Hold On – Alabama Shakes (Marty and Shirley Hill)
  99. Ends of the Earth – Lord Huron (Marty and Shirley Hill)
  100. Going Up the Country – Canned Heat (Donna Drake)
  101. Down by the Water – Decemberists (Donna Drake)
  102. I’ve Got the World on a String – Frank Sinatra (Donna Drake)
  103. Seven Nation Army – White Stripes (Donna Drake)
  104. Where the Streets Have No Name – U2 (Donna Drake)
  105. America the Beautiful (Ray Turkin)
  106. The Red Tower – Ah-Nee-Ma (Harald Johnsen)
  107. River of Creation –  Ah-Nee-Ma (Harald Johnsen)
  108. Light from the East –  Ah-Nee-Ma (Harald Johnsen)
  109. Canyon Dreams –  Ah-Nee-Ma (Harald Johnsen)
  110. Sitting on the Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding (Chris Serjak)
  111. Scatterlings of Africa – Johnny Clegg (Chris Serjak)
  112. Cruel Crazy Beautiful World – Johnny Clegg (Chris Serjak and Marcia Fischer)
  113. Mighty River – Vusi Mahlasela (Chris Serjak)
  114. The Passenger – Iggy Pop (Marcia Fischer)
  115. Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac (Marcia Fischer)
  116. Radio Nowhere – Bruce Springsteen (Marcia Fischer)
  117. Ray of Light – Madonna (Marcia Fischer)
  118. Trouble Me – 10, 000 Maniacs (Marcia Fischer)
  119. Day Tripper – The Beatles  (Marcia Fischer)
  120. A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles (Marcia Fischer)
  121. Wave – Antonio Carlos Jobim (Marcia Fischer)
  122. If I Had A Boat by Lyle Lovett (Marcia Fischer)
  123. Time To Move On – Tom Petty (Kim Vandenberg)
  124. Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty (Kim Vandenberg)
  125. American Girl– Tom Petty (Kim Vandenberg)
  126. Ticks – Brad Paisley (Ena Flynn)
  127. Online – Brad Paisley (Ena Flynn)
  128. Mud on the Tires – Brad Paisley (Ena Flynn)
  129. PM’s Love Theme – Craig Armstrong (Betsy Anderson)
  130. A Wink and a Smile – Harry Connick, Jr. (Betsy Anderson)
  131. The Magnificent Seven – The City of Prague Philharmonic, Paul Bateman cond. (Betsy Anderson)
  132. The Aviators – Helen Jane Long (Betsy Anderson)
  133. We will Rock you – Queen (Lynette Tritel)
  134. Rodrigo Solo – Rodrigo Y Gabriela (Lynette Tritel)
  135. Summer album – George Winston (Lynette Tritel)
  136. The Sun in the Stream – Enya (Rick Beach)
  137. Free Ride – The Edgarwinter Group (Judy Lovelett)
  138. Here I Go Again – Whitesnake (Judy Lovelett)
  139. On The Road Again – Johnny Cash (Judy Lovelett)
  140. Running Down A Dream – Tom Petty (Judy Lovelett)
  141. Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root (Carol See)
  142. Soak Up the Sun – Sheryl Crow (Carol See)
  143. Take on Me – Aha (Carol See)
  144. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper (Carol See)
  145. How You Live (turn up the music) – Point of Grace (Carol See)
  146. We Won’t Give Up – The Afters (Carol See)
  147. Carol of the Bells – Transiberian Orchestra (Carol See)
  148. I Found You – Louis Landon (Carol See)
  149. Family – Louis Landon (Carol See)
  150. One – Metallica (Kirk Forbes)
  151. Right Now – Van Halen (Kirk Forbes)
  152. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin (Don Eden)
  153. Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits (John Murphy)
  154. Number 1-4 – Penguin Cafe Orchestra (John Murphy)
  155. Start Me Up – Rolling Stones (Rusty Pinckney)

Isn’t it an amazing list?!  Thanks again, everyone, for helping to make this trip even more special to me!

A little later in the week, I’ll post some answers to FAQ’s I’ve received about the trip so far so stay tuned!

Colleen

Me paddling during our recent trial run on Lake Powell (photo courtesy of my Mom…wouldn’t you agree she did an excellent job placing me off-centered and looking into the photograph as well as keeping the horizon low to emphasize a cool sky, even if there were a couple contrails…not to mention the awesome reflection…all while trying to keep herself from falling out of her kayak…HAHAHA! Ma, ya done good!)