Our first encounter with Zion Ponderosa Ranch

Portia is as cute and sweet a girl as you can find, and she's
great at putting up with me. Let's face it, we're a cute couple.

I guess we'll introduce you to our blog the way we were introduced to our new job -- on a weekend trip to Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort where we'll be living and working this summer. Before we go too far in, you should know that this is my (Erik's) first real blog post. Ever.

If you didn't hear this story from me or Portia already, I'll quickly retell it. Portia and I met in 2008 down in Zion National Park.  I worked with her cousin Chelsey at the time, and Chelsey invited my friend Chad and I to go on a camping trip with her and her cousins.  Portia and I met, spent the following summer falling madly in love, and got married in 2009.  I love canyoneering, I love Zion National Park, and I love my wife Portia.

One day I saw a nice lady named Kourtney running a little information table about job opportunities at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort. During various trips around Zion National Park I had passed the ranch, and when I saw something about working there I was very interested. I talked to Kourtney, and things worked out in a truly magical way.

 Portia and I are going to live on the ranch for the summer! I am going to be a guide and part-time marketing intern, and Portia is going to work at their reservation desk. They feed us, give us a trailer to live in, and they're even letting us bring our dog Charlie.  I couldn't imagine a more exciting summer.

Portia and our good friend Chad (who will also be at
the resort for the summer) getting ready to go down the zipline.

In March we went down to the resort for a training/tryout weekend. There were fifteen potential guides altogether (plus Charlie the dog). Everyone on the trip was really nice, and I think we'll get along with everyone really well.

We all rode down in a van together, and soaked in the jacuzzi that night before going to bed. The next day it snowed a lot, but we were able to to try out a few of the activities we would be guiding over the summer. The ranch offers paint balling, shotgun shooting, horseback riding, four wheeling, zip lining, rock climbing, and canyoneering. Pretty awesome.  Because of the weather, we only did a little climbing/rappelling, and we tried out the zip line.

All in all, I think we're going to have a great summer.  The food was truly amazing, our little trailer is pretty nice, and we will be living in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

I can't wait.

Me (Erik) on the climbing wall. They have an automatic
belay at the top that catches you if you fall. I'd rather have
 a person catch me than a machine.

Here's a few of the guides that were along on the trip. If Portia looks a little nervous there, it's because heights make her scared. But she went down the zipline anyway, and it was AWESOME.