corona arch rope swingin'

"So I just go???"
- the last few words out of my mouth before yelling at the top of my lungs as I took the 100 foot drop below Corona Arch.

This was possibly the craziest thing I've done in a long time, second to skydiving when I was 18. My roommate and I hiked to the top of Corona Arch while a group of people were swinging, inspected the gear and riggings, and jumped. If Clint hadn't jumped first I probably wouldn't have tried it. He jumped without hesitation! I barely had time to start recording with my camera. After watching a couple people swing from the arch it seemed pretty safe, but somehow that hike back down to the canyon floor didn't seem so bad! But I just had to try it and I'm glad I did. Try everything at least once, right?

You'll love my facial expressions mid-flight.



Spring break has come and gone too fast! Braden and I originally went to Moab to volunteer for and run the Canyonlands Half Marathon and Clint came down to have fun and see some family. Saturday after the race we all decided to hike Corona Arch and ended up jumping off of it. I don't think I woke up race morning and said to myself, "I want to jump off a cliff today," but it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

Would I do it again? YES. 100%. It would be a lot easier the second time anyways. Sometimes I wonder if it ever gets old for some people, but I guess not, otherwise why are they still doing it? Whatever, call me an adrenaline junkie.

amasa back

A couple weekends ago I went down to Moab with a roommate who was running the Moab Red Hot trail run. It was awesome to spend time with family and friends and the outdoor temperatures couldn't have been better! The morning before I headed back north for Logan my brother Joseph and friend Kerri and I rode the Amasa Back trail. The last time I attempted that one was about four years ago when I got sick! I was ascending the long uphill at the beginning when I was coughing and spitting out bloody mucus, and then my derailleur broke. So.... I figured it was a good idea to turn around and coast back to the trailhead. Little did I know at the time that a broken bike part was the least of my worries, but alls well that ends well right?

I've been experimenting with different angles and techniques with this little camera. This is a fun two minute video that I put together from the ride, and ends with a wreck and a broken GoPro mount.

Lost in Lost Canyon

I just got home from an overnight backpacking trip in The Needles district of Canyonlands! Ivy got an internship for the SCA and is a park ranger there. River guide buddies Mike, Joe, Stephen and Amber joined Ivy and I hiking in Lost Canyon, Peekaboo, and Squaw Canyon. The trails were amazing! We hiked on solid slickrock for miles, where the trail is only discernible by numerous rock cairns until we descended through slots into canyons filled with meandering streams and newly-leaved Cottonwood trees. We explored several Indian archeological sites. I am always amazed at how well-preserved the wilderness is in the Needles. There are mountains of untouched cryptobiotic soil! The trails are followed and the campsites are well cared for. I love that place.

Camp broken and ready to go this morning at our campsite, LC3

Several animals visited us last night: hungry mice, Rodents of Unusual Size, and squawking birds at 4am. But after 10 miles, that pad has never been so comfortable!

We hiked to Peekaboo and found these incredible pictographs. I've never seen hand-prints like these.

Claret Cup Cactus

Ivy and I. She only has 5 more weeks here!

Gemini to Baby Lion's

Here's a few pictures from the weekend. We rode Gemini Bridges in the morning with snow at the trailhead, and rappelled in the afternoon with bitter winds. Never a bad day for adventure!

The crew at the bridges - Mick, Tyler, Arlee, Sterling, Jed, Mike, Chris, Chris.

Where are we? 

Jed was our shuttle driver, and at the trailhead he just decided to follow us. We had truck support on Gemini Bridges! At the end I suggested we ride with Jed through the flat and uphill. He dropped us off at the top and we bombed down to the parking. Sweet!

Chris just got a new static rope so we can go canyoneering. So Mick took us to the top of Baby Lion's Back in his Jeep to test out the new rope on the rappel up there.

Crotch shot

That night we were too tired to do anything, so we let Dumb and Dumber play while we napped on the couches.

P-anca Positive Vasculitis with Pulmonary Hemorrhage

Yeah, I'm not sure what it means either. I know it's NOT contagious or genetic and we're working at getting it into remission.   So I'm taking a lot of medication. Basically the antibodies in my body attacked my lungs and I coughed up so much blood I needed four blood transfusions. (This post explains my condition better)

(Typed from a few days ago in the hospital) Wow, right now I'm  completely free. The only machine I have touching my body is on my lap: my mom's laptop. No oxygen, intravenus antibiotics, or sensors. It feels so liberating. I looked in the mirror for the first time yesteday in 3 weeks. I shrunk about 25 pounds, so I'm looking pretty scrawny. As far as I know, my name has been on the prayer rolls for the Timpanogos, Jordan, Logan, Ogden, Provo, Monticello, Salt Lake City and Fiji Temples. The youth in my stake even fasted for me, and that's when my condition started to turn around. Maralee Francis made t-shirts with my face on the back and "WWCAD?" (what would Christopher Andrew do?) on the front. Wristbands were made with my name on them. A two-day fundraiser was held at the Moab Adventure Center selling burgers, wristbands and other things. Several local businesses donated gift certificates, time, money. Ivy Hazlett made a facebook page for me and wrote an article in the Times Independent newspaper. Everything has truly been a blessing. I've needed them. Here's what's happened the past couple weeks:

March 13: I start coughing up blood, but I'm not worried. Things are normal, work, church activities, and even a short mountain bike ride. I'm excited for the Canyonlands Half Marathon in a week. At the end of a ward dinner I get the chills and ask my dad if he can take me home. He checks me out, says it looks like I have pneumonia, and starts me on antibiotics. He and our hometeacher, Mike Arehart, give me a blessing.

March 14: I stay home from church.  I'm sleeping in my parent's bedroom.

March 16, 1 am: I did pretty good during the day, but suddenly got worse tonight. Having more trouble breathing. My dad takes me to the hospital.

March 17: Did okay today. Brother Hugentobler, Joe Heywood, and Terri Stucki visit me.

Around 4 am:  I'm taken to get an X-ray of my chest. I have to stand up for the X-ray, and I collapse from loss of blood. I always kinda wanted to be able to say that I've passed out, I just didn't imagine it would be that way. Afterward I smiled and chuckled about it. A few minutes later in another room, I was told I was going to be life-flighted to Grand Junction. My mom comes to see me and my dad leaves to pack up a few things and start driving. I feel strangely at peace, and I know everything is going to be alright. I ask my mom to make sure Ivy knows what's happening to me.  Then I'm put to sleep, a tube is put down my throat to breath for me, and I'm put on the helicopter.

March 21: My Stake President, Todd Stubbs, tells the youth in third ward that if they pray and fast for me, they can expect a miracle. The youth organize themselves and have a stake-wide fast for me. Many people have already have fasted for me. My condition starts to turn around.

March 26: In my sleep, I pull my breathing tube out of my mouth. They don't put it back in because I'm breathing okay on my own now and they were just about to take it out today anyway. My first memories are like nightmares. Everything is dark and I struggle in bed, finally summoning the strength for a feeble "help". I wake up later with what feels like a machine sewing something inside me. Sounds weird, I know, but that's what it felt like. I cough and and suddenly the hallucination ends. I'm awake now. Looking at all the machines around me and seeing nurses walk by my room I realize I'm in a hospital. I wonder when someone is going to notice me and tell me what I'm doing here and what's going on. I feel very thirsty, but nobody will get me anything to drink because they're worried I'll choke on it. It seems nobody is paying attention to me, and I can't understand why I can't even get out of bed. The sun is shining through my window, and I ask someone what time it is. It's 9:12 am. Every nurse that speaks outside my door sounds like my mom. Finally I see familiar faces, it's Joe Heywood and Ken Ballentyne! I'm so happy to see them. I ask Joe when the Canyonlands Half Marathon is, and he told me it already happened. "What?!" "Yeah, you've been out for two weeks." "Two weeks?!" I can't believe it. I ask him if he has his cell phone on so I can call my parents, but the hospital's machinery gets messed up by them, so no phones. Finally my parents come, and my grandparents are here too. I am so happy to be alive. I get water, and it tastes like water never has before. My tongue feels out of place and my ears ring constantly-I feel like I'm willing myself to live. I plead with God to let me live. I'm not afraid of death, but I know my family needs me. Later my parents and grandparents leave to go where they're staying. I have the weirdest hallucinations.

March 29: Moved out of the ICU. Smaller room makes me feel claustrophobic. Sleeping is uncomfortable. I continue to make lots of progress. I don't need as much oxygen, no more IV fluid, I'm eating all my food, and I'm starting to gain some strength back. I can brush my own teeth and even push the buttons on the TV remote! :P

April 1: I wake up at 3:15 am and can't sleep. I call my mom and tell her to pack up because it's time to go home--I want to get out of here! Despite my eagerness, I can't leave until my doctors come and check up on me later in the morning. Argg! After I sleep some more, the doctors come by, check me out, and say I can go.

Mom brings real clothes, which I put on with difficulty. My pants practically fall off my scrawny waist. I'm wheel-chaired to my grandparents' motor home in the hospital parking lot, where they've been staying the last couple weeks. I sleep all the way to Moab.

When I get home I find an awesome banner on the garage door, signed by a bunch of my friends. Mom takes me over to the MAC (Moab Adventure Center), where my friends are putting on a fundraiser for me. Everyone is wearing my shirts, holding posters, and cooking burgers. It's SO good to see my friends again! Emma (John Clayton's little girl) is adorable. She tells me she loves me and hugs me and blows me kisses. Dallen Dalton is dressed up like a hot dog. I have awesome friends.

Later on, after my second nap of the day, Ivy arrives from BYU! Logan Lewis, Clinton Day, Sherri Day, Ivy, my parents, and I watch "The Blind Side." Afterward Ivy and I have an arm wrestle. Just don't tell anyone she beat me. Dang!

April 3: General Conference! During the first session, the choir sang my favorite hymn, "How Firm A Foundation." Before the Priesthood Session, Jed, Zak, Ivy, Rachel, and Clinton come over. We throw a frisbee around (pretty well, too) and then play a game of Sorry. On our way home from the Priesthood Session, my dad and I stop at City Market, where we run into Brian Hays and Doug Garrett. My dad makes me drive around in one of those stupid wheelchair things, but I keep bumping into food displays. People should have to have a license to drive those things! Before too long, I give up and just leave it. Being in public is strangely confusing and overwhelming. I can't really explain it. We go home and have root beer floats (with cookies'n'cream ice cream, the best). Exhausted, I hit the sack.

April 4: Charlotte and Big Chris come down from Pleasant Grove bringing Anna, Matthew, and Olivia back home. We eat my aunt Charlotte's chicken curry, my absolute favorite food. Although General Conference is great, I'm so tired I sleep through most of it.

April 5: I go to seminary with Saren. It's great. Brother Jackman, Robbie Sweeten, Saren, and I talk about everything from good movies to bad illnesses.  I come home exhausted but excited.

April 6: I work on this blog post. Typing is getting easier. Now my fingers go where I tell them to, instead of fumbling around.  I can even start practicing the piano again. I drop my college classes and the ACT test that I'm supposed to take Saturday :( Oh well.

From here it's going to be a slow recovery, slowly gaining my strength back. Just walking up stairs gets me out of breath. I want to be working, hiking, biking, and running all at the same time. Frustrating, but with all that's happened so far, I'm sure I'll make it. Relationships with family and friends couldn't be stronger. Thank you all for your amazing support and love. I can't wait to be back (with a normal body, that is)!

The only things I clearly remember from my days of sedation: Get Well card from Saren (signed by a ton of people from school) and a photo of Ivy, Zak, Lily, Clinton, dog Sunny, and me on a hike. Like I said, amazing friends.

So many machines...

Hidden Valley

The last day of spring break we decided to go hiking (surprise surprise, right?) to Hidden Valley. As we were walking along the trail, Ivy pointed up to the rock face and said, "I bet we could climb up that crack and get on top...", so we did. It was awesome, we could see for miles!

Rainbows sure are tasty!

And here's another scorpion we found.

Spring Break

With confilicting school and college schedules, my spring break was kinda short, but it was fun! On Tuesday it was warm enough to go on a water hike, so we went to Negro Bill. After soaking everybody and catching some minnows, we headed to the Hazlett's to eat homemade pizza and play ultimate frisbee.

On Thursday we went with a group from out of town to Delicate Arch in the full moon.

Here's a cool Wind Scorpion I found on the slickrock!

Then on Friday I "helped" with the Boy Scout BBQ. Like my shirt? :D