Hello all, this update comes after a couple of unforgettable days at the Mount Cook National Park. Despite the many photos and detailed accounts of friends who have traveled to New Zealand before, I am always amazed by how stunning the landscape continues to be. Words do little justice to this place, so be sure to be checking out Chad and Nick's blog for pictures (links on my page). Mount Cook is the largest mountain in a stretch of towering giants that weave into a deep valley; truly all roads stop there. This region has such beauty that I have difficulty imagining what can possibly top this place in the next months. We had a long, steep, uphill climb to reach the Mueller Hut through freezing rain and 90 km/h wind gusts; cold as hell. Once ... read more

So, there I was, driving a rental car I was not insured on through the perilous roads of Utah; for any of you familiar with my colorful history in that state, this event shouldn't be surprising. The time was 3:30am, and my first stint driving in an effort to keep everybody awake behind the wheel (a good idea). This is really where our adventure began as it was the first moment were we all nearly died. I was adhering strictly to the posted speed limit of 75 MPH, when I rounded a corner on the highway and was greeted by a herd of eight or so giant freaking elk in the damn road. Most of these stupid creatures were in my lane, thus causing me to break hard and swerve around them. As it turns out, ... read more