We woke up 45 minutes before the sunrise.  We drove a few minutes to an overlook of Bryce Canyon.  As we walked from the car to the edge of the canyon we were the first people to put tracks in the fresh layer of snow.  As we walked towards the viewpoint I watched 2 of incredible friends walk side by side, listening to the soft crunch of new snow under their footstep.  The sun beginning to lighten the sky in front of them.  The quiet beauty of both nature and friendship combined into a magnificent scene.  You can’t help but be grateful for the moment.

We watched the sunrise and tried to capture small bits of the experience on camera as memorabilia of the experience.  Discussion turns to dreams, aspirations, family, and gratitude . . . of course with moments of humor and laughter. 

Then off to breakfast at the local café.  When you enter this state of consciousness you see the world and the people around you differently.  You wonder why the kid serving coffee has ended up here?  What are his goals and dreams?  You engage in deeper and more meaningful conversations with every person you come in contact with.  Seeing strangers as an extension of ourselves with only a different experience in life that has led them to see life uniquely . . . curiosity takes over and you want to know there story. 

We grabbed some snacks at the local grocery store and headed out to look at some property that interested us as part of business opportunity and for personal use.  Exploring the land on dirt roads and looking for prime cabin locations led us to an open prairie.  We stopped and watched over 200 antelope move across the land.  Snowy mountain peaks behind them.  It was another magical moment shared with friends. Connecting to both the land and the people once again.  Conversations of gratitude that spark discussions of goals and plans for the future based in calm contentment with where we are at this very moment. 

With the full day still ahead of us, we headed for some waterfalls and a highly rated restaurant off the beaten path.  The hike to the waterfall was another stunning display of mother nature’s beauty.  The hike brought us to the top of a huge canyon with a waterfall below us.  Several small pools of spring water and falls just dipping into the afternoon shade made for too much temptation to resist.  A quick strip to swimwear and a cold-water plunge will awake even the most exhausted soul.  The water was so fucking cold I almost lost my manhood, as became obvious by my high-pitched squeal upon resurfacing from the depths of the frozen underworld.  BUT . . .  I never feel as alive as I do in the moments after getting out of the cold water from a natural spring.  Clean and alive!  The kind of “alive” I can only feel when I’m at peace in nature.  Heightened by being there with friends.  That’s a moment I hope I never forget.  Sensationally alive!  The stresses of work, family, life . . . gone.  Just the quiet serenity of the moment.  The recognition that life itself is sensational.

When you share moments like this with others you gain a bond that cannot be taken away.  When you see others having their own version of this experience, there is an unspoken connection.  You’ve shared something more real and pure than most people ever get to share.

After the hike out we headed for food!  I don’t know if the food was actually as incredible as it seemed that night because we were on such a high from the days adventure, but I swear I can still taste it when I think back to that evening. . . sensational!  We sat down as the sun was setting.  We ordered more food than we could possibly eat but the menu looked so incredibly good that we didn’t want to miss anything.  The food is all locally grown and sourced, much of it from the owner’s own garden.