Ballistic Peach

Thousand Springs State Park

2011-05-09T23:04:00.000-07:00

Karma & I visited the beautiful Hagerman valley in South Central Idaho this weekend. The area has amazing panorama views of basalt canyons, natural springs, wildlife and hot springs! Below is a slideshow of some photos from the weekend.

1975 Alaskan Camper

2011-05-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

We took a quick trip to Montana this weekend to pick up our "new" 1975 Alaskan Camper. The weekend was filled with snow covered mountains, hot springs, brew pubs, and some interesting chainsaw art.

From Alaskan Camper

The Design of Flight

2011-04-19T14:32:00.001-07:00

When I was in architecture school I worked at the airport to help supplement my tuition and pay for flight time. Often I was allowed to help the A&P mechanics work on the airplanes and perform menial tasks for them. When the mechanics would rebuild or repair portions of the planes they would throw the old pieces into scrap piles and sorting bins I always thought that many of those pieces were art forms in their own right. The forms and curves of airplane parts are absolutely beautiful to me. When I am performing the pre-flight before I fly, the feeling of running your hands across the airfoils and propeller blades somehow makes you feel closer to nature. You can feel the principles and theories developed over the years that we now know as aerodynamics run from the tips of your fingers throughout your body. As we are embarking on this new company that will integrate architecture and aviation I have been researching other companies that incorporate design with aviation and came across this one.

I believe that this company shares the same passion for design and aviation that has shaped my life and career as an architect and a pilot.
interflight studios

I would like to finish today’s blog with a quote from Antoine de Saint Exupery – the famous French Aviator and author.

"Have you ever thought, not only about the airplane but whatever man builds, that all of man’s industrial efforts, all his computations and calculations, all the nights spent working over draughts and blueprints, invariably culminate in the production of a thing whose sole and guiding principle is the ultimate principle of simplicity? It is as if there were a natural law which ordained that to achieve this end, to refine the curve of a piece of furniture, or a ship’s keel, or the fuselage of an airplane, until gradually it partakes of the elementary purity of the curve of the human breast or shoulder, there must be experimentation of several generations of craftsmen. In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away, when a body has been stripped down to its nakedness.”
Antoine de Saint Exupery

4:38:38 pm Zeitgeist Half Marathon

2011-04-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

We ran the Zeitgeist half marathon today. It was a blast! Both Karma and I came in faster than our original goals. Karma was shooting for under 2:30:00 and she beat it by almost 10 minutes with a time of 2:21:44. I am super proud of her. It was so cool to watch her run across the finish line. My original goal was to be between 2:10:00 and 2:20:00 and at mile 10 I realized I could make it in under 2hours so I kicked it into gear and ended with at time of 1:53:19. Trent and Michele ran really well in addition to our friends Jay Stevenor, Sue Jurf, and JT Moore. JT and Sue finished the race hand-in-hand which was pretty cool. Bill and Patty Davis came out to watch the race and see Trent and Shelly finish and they brought Zoie along. Zoie gave me a big hug after I crossed the finish line. My Mom came out to watch the race too and it was great to have her support. The race was very well organized and there were almost 1,000 participants. After the race there was live music, food, and beer for tired racers. Below is a link to the zeitgeist website:

Zietgeist Half Marathon

Below is a list of the overall results for our friends and family

199
Tad Jones
Boise, ID
348
M
36
1:53:19
8:39
382
Michele Koci
Boise, ID
367
F
37
2:05:12
9:33
538
Jay Stevenor
Boise, ID
922
M
46
2:16:05
10:23
545
Trent Koci
Boise, ID
368
M
37
2:16:47
10:26
610
Karma Jones
Boise, ID
346
F
34
2:21:44
10:49
671
Sue Jurf
Boise, ID
352
F
39
2:27:34
11:15
672
Jt More
Boise, ID
470
M
46
2:27:35
11:15

The overall results can be viewed at the following link:

Zeitgeist Overall Race Results

Nina Simone

2011-04-19T14:29:00.001-07:00

Nina Simone (Eunice Kathleen Waymon) was active in the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's. Nina Simone died of breast cancer in 2003. A brief history of Nina Simone's life is available on Wikipedia.

Nina Simone

The artwork on this video is amazing and captures the essence of the song, "Feeling Good".

The video below contains the song "Sinnerman" which was produced in 1966

King Hill Irrigation District

2011-04-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

Karma and I attended the Centennial Celebration of the King Hill Irrigation District in Glenn's Ferry this weekend. My Great Grandfather Henry Jones was one of the original pioneers to homestead the land through the Carey Act in 1908. My Great Grandfather drew the first pick of land in the land drawing. His first choice was a parcel of land in what is called "Pasadena Valley". That land, coincidentally, would also be associated with our family through the marriage of Kathryn Mills and my Grandfather Wes Jones. Henry's idea was to grow orchards and the land in the Pasadena Valley was thought to be too hard pan for growing fruit trees so he opted for land just above and accross the river from what is now the town of King Hill. The land is still currently being farmed and is producing potatoes and grain.

The land in Pasadena was drawn by our "Aunt Nellie". My Great Grandfather Glenn Mills came out from Iowa to help Aunt Nellie farm the land. I spent a lot of time when I was young listening to stories told by "Grandaddy" of the great adventures he had in the early days of settling and exploring the land we call Idaho. Our family was some of the first to explore many areas in Idaho including the Sawtooth Mountains. The high alpine lake, "Lake Kathryn" bears the name of my Grandmother, a tribute from her father Glenn Mills.

The Centennial Celebration was at the Glenn's Ferry high school and it was absolutely packed!? It was great to see so many people in attendance. My cousin Ken Jones was the master of ceremonies and did an excellent job presenting. His wife Jan Jones coordinated the catering and did a great job with logistics and also found time to make cake for everyone attending. My Grandfather Wes Jones gave the prayer before dinner and also talked about the history of the area and the importance of the irrigation district.? We saw a few familiar faces and also made some new friends.

The Centennial Celebration was a great success. We learned a lot about the history of the project, of our ancestors, and most of all were able to meet members of the community that keep the area productive and keep the tradition of farming alive.

Travis Pastrana Double Backflip

2011-04-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite videos. Skill, concentration, years of preparation, and determination all coming together in a split-second to produce something exraordinary. It says something to me about the human spirit.

Happy Anniversary

2011-04-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Today is Karma and my Anniversary. This morning BoBeau and Hank and I made a little video to let Karma know how much we appreciate her. I am so lucky to have her as a partner in this life. Happy Anniversary Karma!

Patty Wagstaff

2011-04-19T14:23:00.001-07:00

Patty Wagstaff is one of my all-time heros. She is an absolutely amazing pilot. I love how passionate she is about the sport and I also have huge respect for her outlook on life. She uses a combination of creativity, concentration and skill to perform some of the worlds most difficult, precise, and beautiful aerobatics.

One Old Friend

2011-04-19T14:22:00.001-07:00

There is an old saying, "One old friend is better than ten new ones".

This is our friend Matt Haley. He was our room mate and friend during College at the University of Idaho. Matt lives in Portland now, and to prove he is a city slicker, he opted to bring his oversized suitcase camping with us this weekend. We camped up at High Valley with him and his parents on thier property overlooking the valley. There is a private lake that we took Karma's inflatable kayak out on and a little paddle boat that Matt's parents have. We saw tons of wildlife. Sandhill cranes, eagles, osprey, & deer. On Saturday, Matt, his Dad & Karma took the dirt bikes up into the mountains and picked huckleberries. They found a ton of them! On Sunday morning I made huckleberry pancakes and Karma, Matt & I went for a 25 mile dirt bike ride on some of the old logging roads for an increadible view of the valley below. Karma and I are really blessed to have such great friends & family.

Gunnison Colorado | Motorcycle Trip

2011-04-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing trip to Colorado this last week. Below are some photos from the trip.

Tad gearing up for the trip...waiting for Aaron & getting wired on coffee on the first morning.

A.J. & Tad ready for the trip

Scott (Wingman) Joined us from Portland and rode with us down to Gunnison. I don't know what he is pointing at & neither does he. We were heading across this amazingly remote area in Southern Idaho on Highway 81 between Idahome and Malta. It is one of the straightest roads I have ever been on.

Yes, I was the only one on the trip with hair. I had to ride with these two "cueballs" the entire trip down :). Just joki'n guys. Just remember the headblade http://www.headblade.com/ We did joke around about me shaving my head. Maybe next time....Yeah Right!!

What is he pointing at!? Next stop was Bear Lake. The border between Idaho and Utah cuts the lake in half. It is this amazing blue color and is gigantic! We had a little sand rally where we were spinning broadies and taking speed runs on the beach. Not an easy task with slick tires on. It was a blast. A.J. had the wildest ride and was throwing big rooster tails of sand in the air. We all made it back onto the highway without dumping our bikes in the sand.

Tad at Bear Lake.

The one drawback to the Triumph Bonneville is that it doesn't carry much fuel. We decided to push on to the next town for gas and just as we were about running on fumes we found this gas pump in the middle of the desert. It looked like it was deserted. There was no attendant or anything. Thinking we were in dire straights we pulled up to the pumps & sure enough just insert a credit card and start pumping. As we left we went around the next little hill and on the other side was a town...Kimmerer...hidden in the desert. We weren't as far from civilization as we thought! :)

We stopped in the town of Green River and bought some food to cook over my stove and a 12 pack of PBR. We strapped the beer to the back of my bike and headed South to Flaming Gorge. I saw a creek crossing on my GPS and gunned it to get down there before it got dark. I'm sure the guys were thinking, "Where is he going with our beer?!" We got to the crossing and it was Black's Fork of the Green River. We rode out onto this mud bar. We contemplated staying right next to the river, but were concerned if the river might rise in the night so we moved to higher ground. A.J. dumped his bike after getting stuck in the mud. Here is Scott pointing at me. The map says that this is where John Wesley Powell's expedition started from in 1869. This is God's country down here! We tried to swim in the water, but the banks were so muddy and the water so silty, that we decided to forgoe the bath since we figured we might actually be more dirty from swimming in the water!

A.J.'s self portrait on his engine case.

Packing up for another amazing day of riding. This was a beautiful morning. It was starting to sink in what we were really doing out here. Starting to forget about work and the stress of everyday life.

Brit Rocker "Red Winged Blackbird" at the "Flaming Gorge" on the Green River after crossing the border into Utah. Thanks for the cool shades "Chopper"!...and I know you guys were envious of my hydration backpack by this day...even though you were yanking my chain about wearing it early on the beginning of the trip.

Brit Rocker "Boise Legend" at the Flaming Gorge

This was a sweet bridge that we crossed on the way to the dam.

The Dam on the Green River at Flaming Gorge. It has a lot of the same features as Hoover Dam.

A little artistic photography by Tad.

This was a mirror on a tight hairpin corner to help see if there was any traffic coming the other way around the corner....Photo Opportunity!

Stegosaurus at the City Hall in Dinosaur, Utah

Stegosaurus Drive in Dinosaur, Utah

Scott & Tad and "Invisible Trevor" at Douglass Pass after crossing into Colorado!

Looking into Colorado from Douglass Pass

A.J. & Tad at Douglass Pass. Thanks for the earplugs Wingman!!

Who is this Hooligan!?..The Dude!!...Yep, we finally made it to Gunnison!

The bikes lined up at the overlook

View from the overlook - Looking South across Colorado

Hot enough for ya! 120 degrees in the sun!

A.J. at the North Rim of the Gunnison River Overlook

Looking down to the Gunnison River from the North Rim Overlook

The Artist at Work!!

Hillbilly on his 1976 T-140 Bonneville Traveler

Frog on his 1971 Norton with custom fairing & paniers

Wingman Scott showing us how it is done.

Looking up the Gunnison River Canyon

Blue Mesa Dam on the Gunnison River

Our Camp at the "Tall Texan". We almost got the boot the first night for being too loud.

The bikes lined up on the Streets of Gunnison

Scott the Carnivour

Looking towards Breckenridge, Colorado

At 11,344 feet the bike runs really rich. Maximum speed was about 60mph :)

Ivy League of Colorado

Enough said.

Headwaters of the Colorado River

Wyoming wildlife. We saw a bunch of these guys. A couple crossing the road in front of us which got your attention on the bike.

The Granite Mountains in Wyoming

What am I pointing at? This is called "Split Rock" in the Granite Mountains.

Our camp at Sink Canyon.

More Wyoming wildlife!

Feed the fish.

The Rise

The bike hits 10,000 miles

Red Rocks Wyoming

The Wind River Range in Wyoming

Teton Range, Wyoming

Sleeping in Chopper's backyard

Breakfast at Shorty's in Hailey, Idaho.

Sawtooth Hike - Baron Falls

2011-04-19T14:18:00.001-07:00

Karma and I went camping this Fourth of July weekend with our friends Clancy and Anne Anderson and Lee and Abby Fischer. We stayed at a spot along the South Fork of the Payette on the road up to Grandjean. On Saturday morning after a lot of coffee to get motivated we drove up to the trailhead at the Grandjean campground. We hiked towards Baron Lakes. Lee and Abby hiked with us for a couple miles and then turned back. They took Bobeau back with them since he was getting pretty tired and Karma and I were planning a big day ahead of us. Lee and Abby planned on taking Bobeau with them to Bull Trout Lake to go kayaking on the lake. Clancy and Anne were going to meet up with them and go to Bull Trout lake as well. Hank came with us and did really well. We saw a few horses coming down out of the mountains and a couple other hiking parties, but it felt very secluded. We turned East at the confluence of Baron Cr. and the South Fork of the Payette and headed up the wide canyon. Grandjean peak was to our South and there was still snow tucked away in the small areas that were hidden from the sun.

We saw lots of waterfalls cascading down the cliffs above us. We reached the North Fork of Baron Creek and found it a torrent of water. We searched downstream and found a large log to cross the Creek.

Our next water crossing was at Moolack Creek. We found a log upstream of the trail at this crossing.

The trail was covered in thick brush and we were glad that we had worn long pants for the treck. The temperature was a little on the warm side for long pants, but the protection they provided was well worth it.

We found a large tree with some shade and sat down to eat some Gorp and the first our Sandwiches. It was a good break. The only sounds around us were the sounds of birds and water rushing down the mountains. The wildflowers were amazing this time of year. I took photos of many of them that I didn’t recognize and some that I did such as Sego Lilies and Indian Paintbrush.

I will try to find the names out of some of the others later. On the way up we could hear woodpeckers pounding away at the surrounding timber. We also saw many trees perforated by their work. It took us about 5 hours to get to the waterfall and it was amazingly loud as we got closer to it. Huge amounts of water were tumbling off the mountains.

We discussed going up to the lakes, but felt a bit exhausted and we were running later than we had planned so we turned around about 7,600 feet in elevation. It looked as if we were about level with the top of the waterfall and after examining the topo map I confirmed our elevation with my watch and GPS and figured we had another 2mi to the lakes. On the way back I pumped purified water into our hydration packs from Baron Creek. We had really gone through a lot of water. We ate the last of our peanut butter sandwiches and almost finished the Gorp. The views in every direction were just awesome! It reminded me of the time I had spent in the Sawtooths with Grandaddy and my Mom and Dad when I was a little kid.

The trek out took us almost 4 hours so we ended up hiking for almost 9 hours straight. Our feet and legs took a bit of a beating between sore muscles and blisters. We stopped at Sacajawea hot springs on the way back to camp to rinse off. We got back into camp around 9:00 at night and made a steak dinner. After dinner we hung around the fire with friends until we couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer. We slept outside under the stars and woke in the morning to a squirrel running over our sleeping bags. What a great weekend!

Boise's Whitewater Park

2011-04-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

I went running with my dog Hank after work last night along the Boise River Greenbelt. We stopped at a beach along the Boise River and he played fetch with a stick he had found. This is the same area that I go fly-fishing after work in the summer. We are so lucky living in Boise with the proximity to wildlife and the outdoors.

As I ran next to the proposed Esther Simplot park, I saw excavation equipment moving dirt & beginning inital grading for the new park. It looks as if construction on the new park is finally underway!! It got me thinking about the plans for the new Whitewater Park along this stretch of river and what a benefit it will be to our community. It will be a great venue for slalom kayak competitions, a whitewater practice course, and will bring more interest and vitality to this area of our City. Best of all, it is within walking distance from my house :) What a great way to spend a hot summer day!...Kayak surfing in the cool, clear water, just out my back door. Idaho really is an amazing place to live.

Click on the links below to see more on the proposed Whitewater Park and the new Esther Simplot park.

http://www.boiseriverpark.com/

Boise's Whitewater Park

Running

2011-04-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

Karma and I ran 4 miles from Discovery Park down to the Diversion Dam and back yesterday. It felt great! We went to Bandanna afterward and I bought some new running shoes because the support in mine was breaking down. I used them to train for the Sawtooth Relay last year, so I have no idea how many miles they have on them. I saw John & Joni Stright at Bandana and John was on his way to Toronto to get current in flying the DeHavilland Twin Otter. We went to the Flying M afterward for a mocha.

I went running tonight when I got back from flying. It felt great to decompress and think about my flight. I ran about 4 miles and checked out the area around Boise Cascade Pond. The new Ester Simplot park is going to be a great asset to our community. Also, the whitewater park is going to bring another positive aspect to our community in Boise.

The waterfront district is taking off! It is great to see it actually coming together.

http://www.waterfrontdistrict.com/

Back in the Pilot's Seat

2011-04-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

I went flying tonight with Flight Instructor Rick Reierson from Ponderosa Aero Club. I have been working on getting my license current again. We departed Boise Class C airspace and headed to the South of the airport above Kuna and Initial point. I did 30 degree banked turns for 360 degrees in each direction and S turns over a road. We also did turns about a point using an irrigation crop circle as a guide. I felt pretty solid in the ground reference maneuvers. After that we went over to Nampa and did some pattern work. I did three landings. The first was the best of the three. After that we headed back to Boise for a straight in approach. It felt good to be back in the air!

Pedicure

2011-04-19T14:08:00.001-07:00

Karma took me in for a pedicure after work today to show me what is required in a salon to perform manicures and pedicures. She thought it would be a good idea since we are working on the new salon for Scot Christopher and he will have full manicure and pedicure stations in the new plan. Although at first I was a bit reluctant to go, I did have a good time & ended up walking away with 10 sparkley toes :)

Matt Haley | Sand and Gravel

2011-04-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Our friend Matt Haley is infamous for leaving prank calls on our voicemail. Today he pulled off another one! It had me going for a bit. Take a listen when you get a chance, his calls are hilarious.

Click here to listen.

Good News Network

2011-04-19T13:58:00.001-07:00

Are you getting tired of all the negative news and reporting? I ran across this site called the “Good News Network” the other day and have added it to my homepages. There are a lot of interesting legitimate news stories that have a more positive take on our society and our world. There is even a free thirty day trial. Check it out when you get a chance by clicking on the logo below:

Killer Bees Spotted at Bogus Basin

2011-04-19T13:56:00.001-07:00

The 2009 ski season at Bogus Basin has been excellent! A great way to end the season was with the annual end of the season costume party. This year Karma and I were the “Killer Bees on Skis!” We met up with friends Clancy and Tucker Anderson and their families. Clancy’s son Oliver was dressed up as a Meerkat and kept us in line. Click on the image below to see a video of the last day and party at Bogus! Special thanks to Bogus Basin and the events director JJ McCleod for a fantastic season!

Killer Bees at Bogus Basin | 2009

The Sun Also Rises

2011-04-19T13:55:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway". Below is my favorite quote from the book:

“Romero never made any contortions, always it was straight and pure and natural in line. The others twisted themselves like corkscrews, their elbows raised, and leaned against the flanks of the bull after his horns had passed, to give a faked look of danger. Afterward, all that was faked turned bad and gave an unpleasant feeling. Romero’s bull-fighting gave real emotion, because he kept the absolute purity of the line in his movements and always quietly and calmly let the horns pass him close each time. He did not have to emphasize their closeness. Brett saw how something that was beautiful done close to the bull was ridiculous if it were done a little way off. I told her how since the death of Joselito all the bull-fighters had been developing a technic that simulated this appearance of danger in order to give a fake emotional feeling, while the bull-fighter was really safe. Romero had the old thing, the holding of his purity of line through the maximum of exposure, while he dominated the bull by making him realize he was unattainable, while he prepared him for the killing.”

~ Ernest Hemingway “The Sun Also Rises”

Lucky Peak Waterskiing

2011-04-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

We have been waterskiing every Wednesday night after work at Lucky Peak Reservoir. Tucker and Clancy and I grew up skiing in McCall on Payette Lake. We would get up early to ski before any other boats were on the lake & we would ski whenever we got the chance. They still have the same boat as when we were growing up. Waterskiing with great friends is still one of my most favorite things in life! Below is a link to a video of us skiing behind the Ski Nautique.

Lucky Peak Waterskiing Video

Songs My Mom Used to Sing

2010-01-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

My Mom used to sing these songs to me when I was a little kid. Most of the time she would sing them to me at bedtime. I think it is so important to either read to children or sing songs with them at bedtime. Whenever we babysit our nieces and nephews, Karma and I will read to them at bedtime. If we ever have any of our own children, I will make it a point to read and sing to them. The songs that my Mom used to sing to me go something like this:

“Sing….Sing a song….Sing out Loud…Make it simple…. to last your whole life long….don’t worry if it’s not good enough….for anyone else to hear….just sing….sing a song.”

I loved this song because it has always made me feel like I could do anything and that I should never be afraid to express myself.

Some other songs she used to sing to me were what we called “The Fishy Song” and the “Pufferbelly” song.

"Over in the meadow in a little bitty pool, swims three little fishies and a momma fishy too. Swim said the momma, swim if you can, and they swam and they swam right over the dam. Boop Boop bittum and a bottom shoe, Boop Boop bittum and a bottom shoe, and they swam and they swam right over the dam. Yeah!"

"Over at the station, early in the morning, see the little pufferbellies all in a row. See the stationmaster pull the little handle. Puff, Puff, toot, toot, off they go. Puff, Puff, toot, toot, off they go."

More than anything, these songs remind me that I am loved and that I have been very lucky. They also remind me of the power of song and that we should sing to each other more often.

~Tad Jones

Two Feet First

2010-01-02T02:36:00.000-08:00

I have always been one to jump into things with both feet but as I am getting older I find myself testing the water a little more before taking the plunge. When I began whitewater kayaking back in the mid 1980s I didn’t know how to roll my kayak back up for the first few years of my paddling career.

Tad Jones & Jamie Laidlaw Learning to Kayak

Whenever I would get turned over, I would pull my spray skirt and swim to shore with my paddle and boat. I figured I was no worse off than my parents who were good whitewater canoeists. If they capsized their boat, it was just expected that they would swim to shore and empty their boat and then be back on the water within a matter of minutes. Eventually this got very old in a kayak and was greatly reducing the fun factor.

Tad Jones Running an Oar Rig in Ruby Rapid | Main Salmon River

My first roll was not in a flat water pond or swimming pool like you might expect. I was on a six day river trip on the Main Salmon River, also named the “River of No Return” with my family in an old “infinity” kayak. The kayak was very long by today’s standards and was designed by Judson Zenzic and Ed Roper of McCall. It was narrower than a typical kayak with high side rails which, combined with a displacement hull, made the boat great for catching fast glossy waves. The drawback to the design was that the high rails also made the boat feel very unstable unless it was up on edge.

Tad Jones | Testing out a New Kayak | Spring Boating in McCall, Idaho

On the first day of the trip I flipped over in a hole. I was getting tossed about in the hole and really did not want to swim so I gave a roll a try. I popped right back up and wondered why it had been so difficult in the past. After that I practiced the roll until I could do it without a paddle and started enjoying kayaking much more. I initially learned what is called a “rodeo style roll” or “classic roll” where the boater starts with their body over the front of the boat and as the roll is completed the body ends up lying on the back of the boat. The problem with this roll is that if the boater rolls upside down again he has to go through the entire set up process and this roll also exposes the body and face to the bottom of the river. I later learned what is called the “C to C”, which is now the standard roll and a bit safer. Sometimes when I roll back up, even now, I will find myself on the back of my boat. The subconscious mind is a strong thing and old habits are hard to break.

During my college days at the University of Idaho I lived in a house with some other Architecture students. One of my roommates was Chris Amonson and he was an avid outdoorsman. We both developed an interest in rock climbing at about the same time. One of our other friends in the Architecture program named Rob Church also started climbing with us.

Chris Amonson | Climbing in the Early Days

We got our gear from a guy that had a single wide trailer out by Paradise Creek. He had taken a portion of his trailer and turned it into a little climbing shop. We bought a couple instruction books and some minimal gear. The University had recently converted one of the racquetball courts in Memorial Gym into a rock climbing gym. We practiced developing our technique in the gym. We would top rope the different routes and practice our moves on a short wall traverse. It was a good form of meditation. It became a great way to relax after stressful Architecture critiques.

Tad Jones | Climbing in the Early Days

At one point we entered a climbing competition and I won a backpack. The brand name of the pack was “Sundog” and later I would walk to class with my border collie puppy named “BoBeau” in the backpack. He would stick his head out of the pack and rest it on my shoulder. I also took him downhill skiing and cross country skiing in the pack until he got too big to tote around in the backpack.

Tad Jones | Climbing at Wa Wai

While practicing at the gym, I met another climber that sold me one of his old ropes for $30. He indicated that the rope had quite a few lead falls on it and that we should use it only for top roping. After procuring the rope, Chris, Rob and I promptly drove to some cliffs above the Snake River past Pullman called Wa Wai. It was our first time on “real” rock. We later would use the rope for protection while climbing buildings on the University of Idaho Campus. We climbed the back side of Art & Architecture South up into a nook under an arch. To our surprise there were names of many previous students etched into the masonry with the dates of their visits as well.

Art & Architecture South | University of Idaho

Chris had a friend that owned a paraglider and was going to be out of town for a few weeks. He lent Chris the paraglider and a small parachute. After class, Chris, Rob, and I would take the paraglider out to the rolling Palouse hills and lay the paraglider out behind us. We would get a good run and glide off the tops of the hills. We would glide about twenty to thirty feet off the ground and the feeling was absolutely exhilarating! I remember Chris being the first to try it. He had experimented with paragliders in the past and may have even had some instruction. I was nominated to go next as I was also training for my private pilot’s license at the time and it was thought that my newly acquired knowledge of aerodynamics might prove helpful. On one “sledride”, as we called those first flights, I was lifted a bit higher than anticipated by a gust of wind and I floated much further down to the bottom of a gully. In the bottom of the gully was a barbed wire fence and fence posts. I lifted my legs up to my stomach to just clear the fence and landed in the field beyond.

After practicing for about a week I woke up early on a Saturday morning thinking of bigger ideas. I went to Chris’ room and shook him awake. “Let’s go fly at Steptoe” I told him. Steptoe Butte is a large butte that rises out of the Palouse. It is said to be the top of a quartzite mountain extending deep into the earth. The surrounding fertile land was deposited around the mountain’s base during the Missoula Flood. The butte rises 3,612 feet above the surrounding sea of patchwork farms.

Steptoe Butte

We were excited to get the day started and we arrived at the top of the butte well before sunrise so we decided to take a nap until the sun came up. While asleep a fighter jet buzzed the butte startling us to consciousness. Later I would find out that the butte is actually on a military flight route. As the sun began to rise we picked two straws of grass & Chris held them in his hand. I chose one. Chris opened his hand and I had drawn the short straw.

We laid the paraglider out on the edge of the butte facing the wind. There were cows grazing on the butte next to us. I got harnessed up and put my kayak helmet on for some protection. We still had not figured out how to use the safety parachute, but I strapped it onto my body anyway, figuring if something did happen I would have a few seconds to try figure out how to open the chute.

Facing backward to the direction I would fly, I pulled on the chords much like lifting a kite into the air. The chute filled with air and began to take flight. As the tension in the lines increased it lifted me free from the ground and I spun around to face the wind. The next thing I knew I was looking down at a cow staring up at me and the cow was getting smaller. The wind was lifting me up from the launch site as it was being deflected off the face of the butte and being sent skyward. There is a radio tower on top of the butte and I remember being afraid of being blown back into the tower. As I realized I was moving forward and away from the butte and the tower these thoughts subsided. Then it began to occur to me that I was gaining altitude and had thoughts of blowing across mountain ranges and ending up somewhere in Montana. As I flew further away from the butte, I realized it was not thermal action, but instead the bending of the wind over the butte and I settled into a nice glide out towards the fields beyond.

It was one of the most surreal feelings I have ever had. The wind was actually quite loud through the holes in the kayak helmet, but the feeling of freedom has never been matched. I floated well above the farmland and over some power lines below. As I came in for a landing in a field I realized I was dropping altitude faster than I was comfortable with and realized I did not have the glider faced directly into the wind. As the ground rushed toward me, I tried to turn the paraglider to face more closely into the wind. I ran out of time and elevation and landed almost ninety degrees to the wind and landed hard. My legs couldn’t keep up with my velocity and I began rolling on the ground being tangled in the lines. The strong crosswind was keeping the canopy inflated and pulled me for quite a distance across the field before finally deflating and coming to rest.

Chris drove my jeep down off the butte and stopped on a road near to where I had landed. I gathered up the canopy and began the walk over to the jeep. We had a good laugh about my “graceful” landing and it was Chris’ turn next.

We headed back to the top and laid the canopy out on the ground. We got Chris in the harness seat and put on the kayak helmet. Just a couple tugs on the lines and he was off. Chris took off flying directly into the wind and watching him seemed much more graceful than the terrifying images that had gone through my mind when I was in the same situation. I wondered if my takeoff had looked that graceful to the observer.

Chris flew in a much different direction than I had. He flew much further and more directly into the wind. I watched him until he landed and then I got in my jeep and drove to a road near his landing area. It was an exhilarating day, but one that I would never again try to repeat without proper training. Today there are designated schools that teach proper techniques for paragliding and there are a series of endorsements and licenses. I believe there were a handful of paragliding schools back then, but we were just a couple of kids that somehow ended up with an amazing flying invention for a few days.

The experience now reminds me that wisdom comes with age. It also reminds me that with age comes a reluctance to try new things. It is a struggle to balance that reluctance with a willingness to explore new activities and set new personal limits. I also believe that to experience life to its fullest requires at least a little bit of reckless abandon.

That was my last experience with a paraglider. I think I scared myself pretty well that day flying off that quartzite mountain rising above the Palouse. I realize how lucky we were to escape injury that beautiful morning. Chris went on to receive proper training and has continued his paragliding career and has become an accomplished paraglider pilot. I have stuck to flying machines with engines, but I often revisit the memory of gliding like a bird without the use of a reciprocating engine. The paraglider pilot must be intensely aware of the weather and the wind patterns and direction. Paragliding provides an uncompromised connection with nature that is reaffirmed by the feeling of the wind on your face and the ground many thousands of feet below.

~Tad Jones

Lake Kathryn and the "X" on Reward Peak

2010-01-02T01:29:00.000-08:00

Something that my Dad said to me the other day keeps resonating in my mind. I showed him this photograph of Lake Kathryn that I took this summer when Karma and I hiked up there.

From 2009 Lake Kathryn

He looked at the photo and said,…”Look, you can see the “X” on Reward Peak”. Maybe it is just the whole ““X” marks the spot” thing….but it must have some significance to him. One of the only times I have seen my Dad cry was when we went up there together when I was a kid. I think I was about 10 years old…maybe younger. I remember feeling the pain that he felt, thinking of the Lake being named after his Mom, and I knew he was remembering how she died & what they must have had to endure. I wanted so badly for him to wash that out of his memory and concentrate on all the good times he had shared with family in the Sawtooths & how proud that Grandaddy was when the Lake was named after Grandma Kathryn. I wanted so much for Dad to turn his mindset 180 degrees and think about how lucky we are to be living this incredible life. I think it was one of the only times we were really ever so close. I remember breaking into tears too, just sitting there on a log next to the Lake with him and crying. It was very strange. I remember my Mom being there and asking me why I was crying and then telling me that it was because I was so sensitive to other people’s emotions. Now I know that “Empathy” is the word used to describe it.

Anyway, now I find myself writing this…I just woke up out of a deep sleep & had the image of the “X” in my mind, so I thought I would write it down. I am going to hike back up to the Lake this summer. I hadn’t been back to Lake Kathryn for so long, almost 30 years, because I was afraid to re-confront the emotions of that day. It’s funny when you think about all the things I have done in my life that have had a significant element of risk…running rivers…backcountry skiing…rock climbing…flying aerobatics…etc. Up until this summer, if you were to ask me the one thing I have been afraid of, it would have been the idea of feeling the emotion of that day over again.

When we were up there this summer I sat on the same log. I didn’t feel any of those same emotions. Instead, the sun broke through the clouds on that rainy day, long enough for me to take this photo; then I stripped down and jumped into the freezing cold water. It felt like a baptism of sorts. I would like to say that it washed away any negative energy from my life, but it didn’t. What it did do, was give me a bit of clarity. A deeper insight that life is what it is, that you do the best you can with what you have, and learn from every experience. It reaffirmed in my mind that we should celebrate each day with a positive attitude and that we should live life’s moments to their fullest…each day of our life is a very precious gift.

~Tad Jones