Sloth Ironwoman Games 2019

Inspired by the Toucan Rescue Ranch annual Sloth Ironman Games, I decided to challenge myself to create and complete my own Ironwoman games to show my support for the sloths! Having conquered my first Sloth IronWoman Games in 2018 with a mountain climb, marathon and zipline, I wanted to set new challenges for myself in 2019. This year, I decided to tackle the ABCs of the Ironwoman challenge: Adventuring through through Paria slot canyon on the Utah/Arizona border, Biking 20 miles around Arches National Park in Moab, and Climbing the highest mountain in Arizona (Mt. Humphreys at 12,633ft). Joining me on this adventure was my best friend Tessa and the official mascot of the Sloth Ironwoman Games, Celestial Sunshine the Slothicorn.

Day 1 – Climbing Mt. Humphrey’s

Apparently climbing to the highest place in a state is called ‘highpointing’. So that’s what we did, we high pointed the tallest mountain in Arizona, about 10 miles round trip, fighting 40-50 mph winds at the top to conquer the first challenge. While it was certainly no 14er (14000ft), the elevation gain was several thousand feet, and paired with the wind, it made for quite an exhilarating hike. But we got some mild protection from the gusts at the top thanks to a very sturdy rock wall, which allowed us to take a breather, take a puff, and take a summit selfie. I’m unsure how much more ‘high pointing’ I will pursue, but it was a fantastic way to kick off the Games! After the hike, we drove north to the Utah/ Arizona border to set up camp at the trailhead of the canyon. The night sky was stellar (pun intended) and the Milky Way smiling down at us reminded us of how extraordinary and infinite this experience called life truly is.

Days 2 & 3- Adventuring and Backpacking in Paria Canyon

Starting our adventure bright and early the following day, we were picked up at the crack of dawn by our shuttle driver, Yermo, who was going to drive us to the end of the canyon so we could hike back to where my car was parked (as it is a one way trek). Yermo was full of helpful tips and good advice to help us make the most of our adventure. We got into a very interesting conversation when he mentioned that this was the first year in 60 years that there was no monsoon. Which has drastically affected the local wildlife. He said that typically he sees an abundance of hummingbirds, horny toads, tarantulas and snakes during the spring and summer, but this year, he was hard pressed to see one or two of anything. I casually asked from the backseat what he thought could be the cause of this and he paused and said, “uhhh, climate change, duh.” And it felt so refreshing to hear someone else say it!!! He went on to tell us that he had been a guide for a local resort and he had the ‘opportunity’ to take Ivanka and Jared Trump out for a tour. The topic of global warming came up and he could tell the concept flew right over their heads. But what I suggested, and what I have to constantly remind myself, is that by educating people and sharing knowledge, it is not my purpose to change their mind. My purpose is to simply plant seeds of transformation and new perspectives so that eventually THEY can change and shift their own views. So that was an inspiring way to start the journey. As this was my first overnight backpacking trip, I didn’t quite know what to expect, but between me and Tessa’s sense of confidence and excitment and with the power of the slothicorn, I’d say it was a mighty successful trip. We saw no snakes or scorpions (for better or for worse), there were no injuries, we didn’t break or lose anything, we found a perfect, isolated (as if the whole place wasn’t isolated) spot to pitch camp, we slept well, the weather was perfect, there was VERY minimal litter, we had plenty of water and shnacks and we didn’t have to carry that much of our own waste out with us 🙂 We saw the resident nesting ravens, heard them caw as it flew out of a dark ominous cave. That we then hiked into. It also took the liberty of being our alarm clock at 7:30 the next morning. A polite time to rouse us. The puddles and mud pools were actually quite fun to trek through, some of which were about 3 feet deep. One risk I was thankfully not aware of during our hike was quicksand. Which is apparently a real thing and in Paria Canyon. And I have a hunch we unknowingly came upon some and wisely decided not to go that route. But ya, that would have sucked. A lot. So we avoided that. The petroglyphs, or rock art, that we spotted was an incredible reminder of the profound antiquity of human existence in this area and Tessa and I had good fun trying to depict them and create our own stories about the people and the goats. There was one unsolved mystery that really stumped and disturbed us though. On the first day, within the first 5 hours of the hike, we came upon, 8 (8!) mysteriously dead animals on the path. 3 mice, 1 dying mouse (which upset me greatly to witness), 1 bat, 1 hawk and 2 tarantulas. All dead. None of the animals had visible wounds or causes of death and all of these creatures are adapted to live in this environment. They also had not been preyed upon. It was concerning to see and when I asked the ranger she had reaonsable explanations for the bat and tarantulas, but she said the mice was a weird case. I’m unsure what to think of it, but the ranger said “Nature can be harsh” to which I replied, “So can humans.” Poison did cross my mind as a potential culprit, but without doing an autopsy there is no way to tell. And common sense told me not to haul one of those little mice around with me for 2 days. This was a stark reminder of why protecting all living things on this planet is so crucial. Species are disappearing at exponential rates due to manmade cause and I for one refuse to idly sit by while this happens. I choose to use my words and my actions to protect and fight for this planet. This is the purpose behind what I call my ‘awareness adventures’, using my platform and experiences to promote conservation of and donations for various environmental causes and organizations. So again, if you would like to support the Sloth Ironwoman Games, you can do so my supporting Toucan Rescue Ranch by donating either directly here: https://toucanrescueranch.org  or to the Facebook fundraiser I have created here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/252262122334874/252262129001540/ .

Day 4- Biking in Moab

We left the isolation of the slot canyon behind and checked out several more touristy areas along the way to Moab including Horseshoe Bend. In part due to the crowds, we only spent a short time there, enjoying a nice sunset picnic on the ledge overlooking the great landscape. A large fire to the west, possibly a prescribed burn, was causing the sky to become thick with smoke, creating a fiery red sun as it dipped below the horizon. We again found a lovely camping site to pitch our tent for the night about an hour south of Moab. In the morning, we started our day in classic Moab adventure fashion,  by grabbing a fair trade coffee Moab Bomb (iced mocha with ice cream) at a local cafe and shopping for rocks, fossils and crystals. Heavily caffinated and fueled by crystal energies, we  headed into Arches National Park. The scenic route, while congested with tourists, was beautiful nonetheless and we were able to find a spot on the side of the road to pull off and unload the bikes. Initially thinking any and all of the trails were bike-friendly, we quickly realized that was not the case and we would have to stick to paved and gravel roadways. Not ideal, especially on a road bike, but we started down one road thinking it would connect to a trail that would lead us in a loop back to the car. Well apparently Google maps is a lying bitch because there was no trailhead and we just kept biking into the desert oblivion for several hours. Fortunately, because it was a road, there were several trucks that passed us and each asked if we were alright and needed any water (which I did eventually take someone up on, cuz ya, I ran out). It was very refreshing to see the mindfulness and kindness of strangers. 17 miles (and 2 lizard sightings!) later, Tessa and I were back at the car and on the road again to Boulder.

We had officially conquered the 2019 Sloth Ironwoman Games!!! So the physical challenges were complete, now for the challenge of achieving our goal of raising $300 for Toucan Rescue Ranch. I figure, if we can get all those adventures done in 4 days, we can raise $300 in 1 month! So, if you would like to support the Games, save the sloths and help me put the FUN in FUNdraising… you can do so by donating here : https://www.facebook.com/donate/252262122334874/252262129001540/

Thank you for following along on the adventure friends. As always, stay happy and be the change you wish to see in the world 🙂