A trip down south for Memorial Day. It was a big group: Celise and Ken; Dan, Heidi, and Nelly; Dwight & Mb; Evan and Meagan; Alec and Daniel; and me and Martha.

This was our second trip down there and it is now officially a favorite destination. We have a great campsite dialed, secluded with views of the red cliffs, set on fire every evening right at cocktail hour. Then there is the incredible mountain biking accessible right from camp: Losse and Castro Canyon's right down the road and the Thunder Mountain loop about a mile away.

We had lots of great riding and hiking all weekend as well as fabulous drinks (prepared by Dwight) and some great campfire dinners -- including new adventures in dutch oven cooking -- something that we'll be doing more of on future trips, I'm certain. Martha made cornbread in it on Saturday night. When it popped out of the big iron pan perfectly -- it was a sight to behold.

The ride on the Thunder Mountain trail is in my top 5. Hard to argue with a mountain bike ride that goes through a bunch of Bryce like formations of red spires and hoodoo's. It' always just a thrill to be in that wild landscape and to do it on a bike makes it just that much more incredible. The ride starts with a long warm up on a paved bike path and then a small climb on a dirt road before you hit the trail proper. Then it is just single track heaven riding through high juniper forest on a swoopy trail that contours around with lookouts over the eroded red canyons that sweep away in every direction. Eventually the trail climbs up to a spot where it actually weaves in and out of the mushroom pillars of red rock. After a high lookout over a mini Bryce the trail drops down through a series of ridge lines with fantastic views of the canyon walls, red and white, all along the way. The trail finishes with a long slightly curving downhill that always make me want to laugh and sing. Just too much fun.