I'm a Badass

Inspired by an NPR interview of the guy who apparently gets to choose who the badass of the week is each week, I'm nominating myself.  Why?  I just knocked another totally awesome thing off of my bucket list.  (A bucket list that hasn't been fully formed, but includes awesome things that I've done after I've done them.)  I went ziplining yesterday!  It made me think of how many really cool outdoors-y things I've done, and this is a chance for me to reminisce.

I was one of those kids that wasn't allowed to get dirty.  I remember wrecking my bike once and coming home to a berating while I was standing there bloody and muddy.  I've also never really been camping, and I'd be lying if I said that I was Mr. Outdoors.  I'm more of one of those guys who likes adrenaline.  Here are the cool things I've done, that I can think of, in reverse chronological order (omitting roller coasters):

1. Zip-lining along the canopy of a redwood forest near Santa Cruz, CA
I actually thought this was going to be scarier, but instead it was just pure fun.  The longest line was my favorite, and I feel like I was particularly skilled at ziplining.  I know they wanted to offer me a job.  ;)  Fat people can go faster, so I was rockin' the speeds.  This is a pretty fun little adventure for anybody in the Bay Area, so go do it.

2. Bouldering in the hills near Santa Barbara, CA
A magical guide came out of nowhere like a Native American ghost and showed us some of his favorite climbs (there's a dynamo named after him up there).  I still have little proof that he actually exists and wasn't truly not-of-this-world.  I'm actually a shitty rock climber, but everyone else I went with was good and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

3. Downhill & Cross-Country Skiing in Lake Tahoe, CA
Annie's family are all pro skiers.  I've been catching on a little at a time.  I've become a decent enough cross-country skier.  There's little hope for me in the downhill department.

Totally my badass face (and bitch goggles)

4. Sky-diving in Tracy, CA
Yes, there was a dude on my back.  However, it is still a crazy ride!  I highly recommend it.  I jumped from 15,000 ft (pretty much the highest you can go).  It was a full minute of free-falling, and this makes me want to watch the video that I had made of it.  I know I spent a good 10 seconds of it trying to pick my nose.  They said it would be hard to do.  It wasn't.  What do you guys think, 10 points for my hair after landing?

5. Mountain Biking in Lake Tahoe, CA
Annie's parents each have $3,000 mountain bikes.  Her dad took Annie and I for a tour when I was regularly mountain biking.  Annie had to stop a little early.  Just like those trails in the mountains are fun to hike and ski, they were amazing for mountain biking.

6. Top-rope Rock Climbing at Devil's Lake in Baraboo, WI
Again, I'm a shitty rock climber, but I'm up for any type of organized trip like this.  On a side note, it is fun to look back at pictures before I had the standard 'turn to the side and put a thumb up' or 'duck face' poses that I use now since I hate having my picture taken.

No surprise I'm put front and center to pose on top of the rocks.

7. White Water Rafting on the New River Gorge in Fayetteville, WV
"Paddle together or swim alone" is the quote on the back of the tshirt I bought.  I've since then turned it into a cutoff that few people ever get to see.  We did everything from swimming through Class III's to rafting through multiple V's.  I have a picture hanging in my room of my raft full of people while we were fighting major rapids.  I just don't have a digital copy of it to add here.

So, what's there left to do, Bungee Jump?
~RoB