Fri Nov 24 The Outward Bound instructors said we would like the farm we were staying at in Paluga (just outside of Pifo), but we had no idea that it would be such a wonderful place. Soon after we arrived, our host Matheus gave us a tour of his home where he was born and raised; the place that had once been a plantation, then a monastery, and now an organic farm and felt very much like paradise, if not eden, with its lush grounds and artisan crafted buildings which had an almost Bavarian feel to them. Though the stories he [View Full Entry]

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Thanksgiving, 2006 Flying to Quito. Finished reading “The Way Out” by Craig Childs. The last chapter and discussion were awesome, articulating so well so many things that I have thought. Started “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson. I was excited by the unknown adventures that awaited me, and it was nice to be around latin people again in the terminal in Houston. On the plae, I sat next to Jean, a French-Ecuadorian who gave me tips on the country (Biscocho and Queso de Ajo are a must in Cayambe). Pilsener is the cerveza mas mejor. The flight into Qu [View Full Entry]

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Tuesday, November 21, 2006 Leadville We arrived in Leadville a couple days ago and it has been nice to have the luxuries of showers, heat, bunks, and meals that I don't have to carry or cook. I definitely felt the altitude when I arrived, but I am acclimating fast. This morning we went for a fast-paced hike in order to get the heart rate up and aid in acclimatization. I felt stronger than ever, which is a good sign because we will need to be in top form when we get to Ecuador on Thursday. Last night, we watched the movie [View Full Entry]

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Monday, November 20, 2006 Drew called today and I took notes. Please forgive that they are not as personal as he would write himself. They are in Leadville, Colorado until Wednesday and Drew has cell phone service until then. They will leave for the airport on Thanksgiving Day. He is a little nervous because it will be the biggest thing they have attempted so far and will be in a foreign country. He said he knows they are in good hands though. The instructors told them to eat as much as possible while they are waiting to go to Ecuador because [View Full Entry]

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Sunday, November 11, 2006 I looked at the map last night to figure out the latitude/longitude of where we are camped right now, and I think we are at LAT 38°18'45" and LONG 110°24'45". I may be off a bit because the map doesn't give much detail on LAT/LONG. We are camped atop a sandstone shelf overlooking a side drainage/canyon that flows into No Mans Canyon, which is South of the South Fork of Robbers Roost Canyon. We are within about 5 miles of where that guy Aron Ralston had to cut his own arm off when a boulder fell on [View Full Entry]

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These are some of the best pictures from The Mountain and Rock Sections. I am sending a more detailed letter and blog update in another envelope. We got to Moab today and I will try calling soon. Rock climbing was great fun and also a great challenge. I don't think my body is designed for that sport, though I will continue to work at it. We enter the canyons West of Moab on Monday and I am pretty excited. I will try and take more pics than I did in Joshua Tree. I was always so tired there. Love, Drew. [View Full Entry]

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Well folks, its that time. The crazy idea is becoming reality. I am going to Chicago this weekend, so this will be my last posting for a while. During breaks, I will try to mail updates to my Dad, who can then update the blog letting you know the latest. Here is a rough itenerary... most of the dates are guesses. I have also included mail instructions if anyone wants to drop me a line from home. Itenerary 81 Days: 9/25 - 12/14 9/25 - 10/14 Backpacking, Gore Range of Colorado 10/15-17 Town Days, Leadville, Colorado 10/18 - 11/2 Rock Climbing, [View Full Entry]

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I have uploaded a small fraction of the pictures from my trip. They cover the drive from Phoenix to Vegas and into Zion NP. All of the Zion photos did not upload, but this set will take you on hikes to Hidden Canyon as well as Angel's Landing. You can view them here. If you have the time and bandwidth, I recommend watching them as a Slide Show. More to come... [View Full Entry]

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Just a quick note, I will be back in Phoenix next week, resting and preparring for my next adventure, the three month Outward Bound adventure from The Rockies to Ecuador. When I get to Phoenix, I will be able to upload pictures to the site, so look for that. Everyone is invited to Rula Bula (in Tempe at 4th and Mill), where we will try to answer the question, "how much beer can drew's beard hold?" [View Full Entry]

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Fri 9/8 - Sun 9/10: San Ramon/San Francisco Friday I drove back to the bay area to stay with Scott and Christy in San Ramon. I got into town while he was at work, and killed a few hours at Barnes & Noble reading “Here is My Best,” a collection of writers choices of their own best work, and a brief blurb describing why they thought it was their best, or their least worst as most seemed to say. That night we caught up, watched college football in all of its High Definition glory, ate a great meal and put back [View Full Entry]

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