Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Wow It's Freaky Windy ...
Today was freakishly windy ... You possibly noticed I was talking about the wind when I posted this.
On the San Mateo Bridge, about 5 miles south of these photos, there were several newsworthy events in the afternoon. Within a short period of time ... one, a truck turned over heading west on the bridge, two, a commercial fishing boat got pushed by the wind into the bridge causing damage to the bridge, and three, a kayaker (capsized and out of his boat), had to be hoisted up from a position in the water hugging the bridge pillars. Currently the bridge is still closed in the westbound direction, with current estimates for reopening at 4 A. M.
Never mind all this, I shot a bull's eye at 40 yards with an unpredictable gusty wind ...
When I shot these, the wind speed was 36-40 and the the gusts were 45-49 at the San Francisco Airport (SFO). Granted, I was in a bit of a sheltered location, because I was in the forest up on skyline at Kings Mountain, which is a bit higher than SFO and the highest thing around. So gusts at the top of the trees might have been hurricane force or higher, when I was shooting those arrows. Based on my crazy wind estimation skills, I think the winds where I was shooting might be about 15 mph, with gusts to 30 mph, since I was in a valley and under the canopy.
The weather today was crazy, and there were gusts as high as 58 mph today at the San Francisco Airport.
These two shots are taken somewhere close to the San Francisco Airport (notice the incoming plane), very near the height of the insanity, at 3:45 or 4:00 P. M. I cruised out there because I decided it was too dangerous to drive on the freeway, and I was wondering what it might be like to kayak in this kind of wind. There were three foot swells in a place that normally is calm, and swimmers, kayakers and windsurfers might be found "playing" around. For me ... it looked scary as hell.
These two shots are taken somewhere close to the San Francisco Airport (notice the incoming plane), very near the height of the insanity, at 3:45 or 4:00 P. M. I cruised out there because I decided it was too dangerous to drive on the freeway, and I was wondering what it might be like to kayak in this kind of wind. There were three foot swells in a place that normally is calm, and swimmers, kayakers and windsurfers might be found "playing" around. For me ... it looked scary as hell.
Here's what it might look like in the morning.
On the San Mateo Bridge, about 5 miles south of these photos, there were several newsworthy events in the afternoon. Within a short period of time ... one, a truck turned over heading west on the bridge, two, a commercial fishing boat got pushed by the wind into the bridge causing damage to the bridge, and three, a kayaker (capsized and out of his boat), had to be hoisted up from a position in the water hugging the bridge pillars. Currently the bridge is still closed in the westbound direction, with current estimates for reopening at 4 A. M.
Never mind all this, I shot a bull's eye at 40 yards with an unpredictable gusty wind ...
Monday, April 6, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Blackflies ...
Well -- I am reading, as is my wont, another book about a an epic journey, and have to admit, I am quite enjoying myself. I feel a bit self-absorbed. Injured foot. Good book. Nothing better to do really. Great weather. It's Bill Bryson's book A Walk in the Woods, which chronicles his effort to hike the Appalachian Trail. It's quite funny and entertaining.
He says:
... It was only nine miles over easy terrain, but the black fly made it a torment. I have never seen a scientific name for these vile, winged specks, so I don't know what they are but a hovering mass that goes with you wherever you go and are forever in your ears, mouth and nostrils. Human sweat transports them to orgasmic ecstasy. They are particularly relentless when you stop to rest, or take a drink -- so relentless that eventually you don't stop to rest and you drink while moving, and then spit out a tongueful of them. It's kind of a living hell. ...
Reading this I burst into laughter and remember sitting in a classroom when the conversation somehow turns to the subject of blackflies biting ... someone or something of that nature. One of my fellow students starts to laugh because she is remembering something funny and I, of course am laughing now because I remember the same thing.
You see we, her and I, had recently been camping together in the Ventana Wilderness on an exceptionally hot summer day. We found this incredible rock bowl just a few yards or so from our camp. It was about 15 yards deep and 20 yards in diameter, just high enough to hide us from any passers by, shady and small enough so we could feel intimate. We spontaneously decided to take off our clothes and play in that rock bowl for a while. Quickly stripping our clothes off and throwing them into a pile, we scaled the side of the bowl. naked, and danced down into the center of the bowl, absolutely prepared for our own orgasmic ecstasy.
Hordes of blackflies immediately descended on us, drinking our sweat and biting the most delicate parts of our bodies repeatedly. We tried desperately to ignore them. They were relentless. Despite our delight, we were immediately compelled to return to our clothes.
Which, we had piled on an anthill.
He says:
... It was only nine miles over easy terrain, but the black fly made it a torment. I have never seen a scientific name for these vile, winged specks, so I don't know what they are but a hovering mass that goes with you wherever you go and are forever in your ears, mouth and nostrils. Human sweat transports them to orgasmic ecstasy. They are particularly relentless when you stop to rest, or take a drink -- so relentless that eventually you don't stop to rest and you drink while moving, and then spit out a tongueful of them. It's kind of a living hell. ...
Reading this I burst into laughter and remember sitting in a classroom when the conversation somehow turns to the subject of blackflies biting ... someone or something of that nature. One of my fellow students starts to laugh because she is remembering something funny and I, of course am laughing now because I remember the same thing.
You see we, her and I, had recently been camping together in the Ventana Wilderness on an exceptionally hot summer day. We found this incredible rock bowl just a few yards or so from our camp. It was about 15 yards deep and 20 yards in diameter, just high enough to hide us from any passers by, shady and small enough so we could feel intimate. We spontaneously decided to take off our clothes and play in that rock bowl for a while. Quickly stripping our clothes off and throwing them into a pile, we scaled the side of the bowl. naked, and danced down into the center of the bowl, absolutely prepared for our own orgasmic ecstasy.
Hordes of blackflies immediately descended on us, drinking our sweat and biting the most delicate parts of our bodies repeatedly. We tried desperately to ignore them. They were relentless. Despite our delight, we were immediately compelled to return to our clothes.
Which, we had piled on an anthill.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Oh Crap!.
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Well, this is kinda self-inflicted maybe. My foot was really itchy so I scratched it a bit, then it turned into this after a couple of days. I am not sure, but I suspect that the new shoes might have contributed to the problem.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
On Any Sunday
Today, a friend and I went for hike in the Redwoods at Purisima Creek. We hiked a loop totalling 7.1 miles and dropping from 2000 ft to 600 ft, then climbing back to 2000 ft. It wasn't radically steep in any one place, just continually and equally punishing. We did a loop including the Whittemore Gulch Trail and the Harkins Ridge Trail from the North Ridge parking lot. 
The map only shows part of the route. You can follow the black dotted line to see the balance of the trail.
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Banana Slug
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Purisima Creek
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Then we went for lunch at Alice's Restaurant.
The map only shows part of the route. You can follow the black dotted line to see the balance of the trail.
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Banana Slug
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Purisima Creek
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Then we went for lunch at Alice's Restaurant.
Friday, March 27, 2009
The North Face Mountain 25 Tent
North Face Mountain 25 Tent Without Fly
So, I bought a new tent ... A North Face Mountain tent, and right away I am going to complain about it. One obvious thing is that it's pretty heavy. At 9 lbs. 6 oz. it is heavier than it's specifications and too heavy for one person to comfortably carry. Winter solo travel will be a bit compromised with 10 pounds of extra tent and snowshoes or skis, add additional clothing and the pack total goes up to about 60 pounds.
Another thing is that it's hard to set up, especially the first time. It's not really that intuitive. It will require solid anchors to be really effective. If you happen to purchase this tent I would definitely recommend setting it up at home before going out, especially if you're headed into bad weather.
Mountain 25 with Fly
It has 2 Pockets
Roomy Vestibule
Finger Pull
The finger pull at the end of the topmost pole is a consistent with the kind of thoughtful quality found in most of the North Face top of the line stuff. The topmost pole provides for two vents found at the very top oy the fly. This should help eliminate the need to carry a Canary™ along when expecting heavy snows.
One exit
Second Exit
Fly with Door Open
Two Vents
Once it is set up it looks to be really solid, with snow flaps on one end and two exits and vents, plus a roomy interior, it looks like it would be pretty comfy for an extended stay in ... say ... a blizzard. I noticed that it is quite warm inside and I a thinking it might not be the right choice for a summer adventure into Death Valley.
One area that I might be a bit concerned about, is the center section of the tent, where it tends to want to bunch together, and will possible allow the fly to contact the tent on the sides, or flap excessively in a good breeze. Solidly pegging down the tent should help to counteract this tendency, but might be more than difficult in sandy or muddy conditions.
Second Exit
Fly with Door Open
Two Vents
Once it is set up it looks to be really solid, with snow flaps on one end and two exits and vents, plus a roomy interior, it looks like it would be pretty comfy for an extended stay in ... say ... a blizzard. I noticed that it is quite warm inside and I a thinking it might not be the right choice for a summer adventure into Death Valley.
One area that I might be a bit concerned about, is the center section of the tent, where it tends to want to bunch together, and will possible allow the fly to contact the tent on the sides, or flap excessively in a good breeze. Solidly pegging down the tent should help to counteract this tendency, but might be more than difficult in sandy or muddy conditions.
Wetter places ...
I was walking up Yosemite Creek with my friend Camera Jim and I was recalling an event there with some of my friends, some snow and, I suspect, a few beers, or some Jack Daniels (this was many years ago), where I was challenged and convinced by one of my friends to fully immerse my bragging hiney into the previously mentioned, same said 32 degree creek. It was obviously 32 degrees, because it was in many places covered with ice.
Anyway, I did and took his $100. The rules were that I had to get wet to my neck, and stripping to the skin was my idea (let's keep in mind that this was a long time before that crazy Bear Grills was around encouraging unknowing people to do stupid life threatening things while alone and far from help in the wild).
I told Jim another story too, in the morning when we were camped at Camp 4. I told him a story about an Indian (native) I met in Camp 4 years before. His name was Norman. Norman was from Los Angeles and was returning to nature. He was going to live off the land. In Yosemite Valley. He told me he was going to shoot a deer with a bow and arrow, cook it and eat it. I was really suprised when the next night Norman had a rack of ribs over the fire ... deer ribs.
He offered to share, but I declined ... " I have stuff to eat."
The following day when I returned from a hike my other companions in the camp told me that the Rangers had come for Norman ... and that they had defended my gear ... "It's not Normans" ...
Apparently Norman had gone down to Merced River to bathe. His nudity provoked a response from the Rangers, and they arrested him. Apparently it's ok to shoot a deer in the NP but not to be naked.
I've been unemployed for a while, and I've been sketching out a new catchier resume. I thought maybe a photo of myself and a few photos I've taken might liven it up. During the process, I began to realize that things like being a 7th grade volunteer lunch time recreation advisor for the 3rd-5th grade playground at the neighboring school might be an indicator of a serious life long commitment to leadership in recreation. And that more recent events in my life may also be indicating same, I started making lists of the "important" things I'd been doing. Volunteer photo work for environmental groups, Photo workshops I'd attended and helped with, workshops I'd conducted on my own, certifications like these:
ScrumMaster, Certified by the Scrum Alliance.
Wilderness First Responder, Certified by Northern Arizona University Rescue Medicine thru 01/2012
Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR and AED), Certified by the American Heart Association thru 01/2011
Basic Plus CPR, AED, and First Aid for Adults, Certified by Medic First Aid International thru 10-1-2010
And suddenly I was thinking of the wilderness training I 'd had, you know, Indian guides at 5 yrs, old. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Webelos, Eagle Scouts, my knot tying badge, 8th grade wilderness first aid, vision quest, shaman training ... and then I started thinking about my more recent and important training:
Intro to Sea Kayaking, Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center, Sausalito, CA
Kayak Roll, Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center, Sausalito, CA
Sea Kayak Surf Zone, Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center, Sausalito, CA
Climbing Belay, Mission Cliffs (Touchstone Climbing), San Francisco, CA
Basic Climbing Skills, Mission Cliffs (Touchstone Climbing), San Francisco, CA
Then I really started thinking how all this training doesn't really cover what I actually know. Ironically, this is true in many aspects of my life. Things like:
Wilderness Travel
Fire Starting
Winter Camping
Backcountry Safety and Hygiene
Snowshoeing
And how none of it even comes close to suggesting the way that my very presence in a workplace improves the general health of the workplace be my being a constant advocate for fitness, health, good diet, and ongoing exercise. How do you write that in your resume? Maybe a list of your climbing skill level, combined with all the adventures:
Yosemite – Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Little Yosemite Valley, Badger (Winter).
Canyonlands – Chesler Park, The Needles
Zion
Mokelumne Wilderness
Superstition Wilderness
Joshua Tree
Death Valley
Grand Canyon
Desert Tortoise Conservation Area
Olympic National Park
Puget Sound
Missisippi River Headwaters
Sandwich Notch
Prarielands National Park
Saguaro National Park
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Giant Staircase
Water Canyon
Rock Creek
Feather River
Death Valley
Memphis Blues Festival
Europe
Asia ...
Well, I am thinking ... It's all pretty ridiculous at this point. There's no way that list will ever demonstrate any thing about what actually happened. The not getting lost. Navigating in the dark without a flashlight. Hiking with my father. The trails found, rattlesnakes not biting me, falling into the river, or not ... the crossings, the photos, the traveling companions passing out in the shower, plane flights, gear issues ... eating raw octopus and drinking soju in Choung Ju, South Korea. The companionship, leadership, following, friendship, the teaching, the stories told, or not ... a sandwich in a two table cafe in the alps, or life without mushrooms ... or just something as simple as not being stripped of my possessions by the gypsies on a bridge over the river in Paris.
There's so much of what I am that I can't possibly explain. Especially not in a resume or Curriculum Vitae format. There haven't actually been that many people that have bothered to really know. Maybe there's 5 or 6. One was my (umm -- ex) wife, who I never really talk about in my blog. Another is my daughter, who I don't talk about that much, either. Another is one of my lifelong friends that I studied art with early in my life. More signifigantly is the woman who liked to hit the road and swim (naked) in every backwater puddle we could find. So I said ... maybe my resume needs to be a list of the waters that I've been naked in:
Salmon River, Idaho
Clearwater River, Idaho
St. Joe River, Idaho
Weir Creek, Idaho
Lochsa River, Idaho
Coeur D’Alene River, Idaho
Snake River, Washington
Columbia River, Washington
Illinois River, Oregon
Mokelumne River, California
Stanislaus River, California
Eagle Creek, California
Tuolumne River, California
Keough Hot Springs, California
Hot Creek, California
Mono Lake, California
Crystal Springs Lake (shhh!), California
Little Yosemite Creek, California
Russian River, California
Rock Creek, California
Cottonwood Spring, California
Colorado River, Arizona
That's 22. I think that's pretty impressive. How many places wet have you been naked in?
Other waters I’ve been in or on.
Lake Berryessa, California
Lake Mendocino, California
East Walker River, California
San Francisco Bay, California
Eel River, California
Truckee River, California
Sacramento River, California
Seal Slough, California
Pacific Ocean, California
Sherman Island (SF Bay Delta), California
Puget Sound, Washington
San Juan River, Colorado
Lake Minona, Wisconsin
Huron River, Michigan
Missisippi River, Minnesota
Atlantic Ocean, Florida
Lake Kanasatka, New Hampshire
Pemigewasset River, New Hampshire
Some frozen lake near Whistler Mountain, British Columbia
Mediterranean Sea. Marseilles, France
That's 20 ... Once I met this woman on line and she accused me of not being a water person, because I don't much like boats. I think the truth is ... I'd rather be naked in the water than in a boat.
Anyway, I did and took his $100. The rules were that I had to get wet to my neck, and stripping to the skin was my idea (let's keep in mind that this was a long time before that crazy Bear Grills was around encouraging unknowing people to do stupid life threatening things while alone and far from help in the wild).
I told Jim another story too, in the morning when we were camped at Camp 4. I told him a story about an Indian (native) I met in Camp 4 years before. His name was Norman. Norman was from Los Angeles and was returning to nature. He was going to live off the land. In Yosemite Valley. He told me he was going to shoot a deer with a bow and arrow, cook it and eat it. I was really suprised when the next night Norman had a rack of ribs over the fire ... deer ribs.
He offered to share, but I declined ... " I have stuff to eat."
The following day when I returned from a hike my other companions in the camp told me that the Rangers had come for Norman ... and that they had defended my gear ... "It's not Normans" ...
Apparently Norman had gone down to Merced River to bathe. His nudity provoked a response from the Rangers, and they arrested him. Apparently it's ok to shoot a deer in the NP but not to be naked.
I've been unemployed for a while, and I've been sketching out a new catchier resume. I thought maybe a photo of myself and a few photos I've taken might liven it up. During the process, I began to realize that things like being a 7th grade volunteer lunch time recreation advisor for the 3rd-5th grade playground at the neighboring school might be an indicator of a serious life long commitment to leadership in recreation. And that more recent events in my life may also be indicating same, I started making lists of the "important" things I'd been doing. Volunteer photo work for environmental groups, Photo workshops I'd attended and helped with, workshops I'd conducted on my own, certifications like these:
ScrumMaster, Certified by the Scrum Alliance.
Wilderness First Responder, Certified by Northern Arizona University Rescue Medicine thru 01/2012
Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR and AED), Certified by the American Heart Association thru 01/2011
Basic Plus CPR, AED, and First Aid for Adults, Certified by Medic First Aid International thru 10-1-2010
And suddenly I was thinking of the wilderness training I 'd had, you know, Indian guides at 5 yrs, old. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Webelos, Eagle Scouts, my knot tying badge, 8th grade wilderness first aid, vision quest, shaman training ... and then I started thinking about my more recent and important training:
Intro to Sea Kayaking, Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center, Sausalito, CA
Kayak Roll, Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center, Sausalito, CA
Sea Kayak Surf Zone, Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center, Sausalito, CA
Climbing Belay, Mission Cliffs (Touchstone Climbing), San Francisco, CA
Basic Climbing Skills, Mission Cliffs (Touchstone Climbing), San Francisco, CA
Then I really started thinking how all this training doesn't really cover what I actually know. Ironically, this is true in many aspects of my life. Things like:
Wilderness Travel
Fire Starting
Winter Camping
Backcountry Safety and Hygiene
Snowshoeing
And how none of it even comes close to suggesting the way that my very presence in a workplace improves the general health of the workplace be my being a constant advocate for fitness, health, good diet, and ongoing exercise. How do you write that in your resume? Maybe a list of your climbing skill level, combined with all the adventures:
Yosemite – Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Little Yosemite Valley, Badger (Winter).
Canyonlands – Chesler Park, The Needles
Zion
Mokelumne Wilderness
Superstition Wilderness
Joshua Tree
Death Valley
Grand Canyon
Desert Tortoise Conservation Area
Olympic National Park
Puget Sound
Missisippi River Headwaters
Sandwich Notch
Prarielands National Park
Saguaro National Park
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Giant Staircase
Water Canyon
Rock Creek
Feather River
Death Valley
Memphis Blues Festival
Europe
Asia ...
Well, I am thinking ... It's all pretty ridiculous at this point. There's no way that list will ever demonstrate any thing about what actually happened. The not getting lost. Navigating in the dark without a flashlight. Hiking with my father. The trails found, rattlesnakes not biting me, falling into the river, or not ... the crossings, the photos, the traveling companions passing out in the shower, plane flights, gear issues ... eating raw octopus and drinking soju in Choung Ju, South Korea. The companionship, leadership, following, friendship, the teaching, the stories told, or not ... a sandwich in a two table cafe in the alps, or life without mushrooms ... or just something as simple as not being stripped of my possessions by the gypsies on a bridge over the river in Paris.
There's so much of what I am that I can't possibly explain. Especially not in a resume or Curriculum Vitae format. There haven't actually been that many people that have bothered to really know. Maybe there's 5 or 6. One was my (umm -- ex) wife, who I never really talk about in my blog. Another is my daughter, who I don't talk about that much, either. Another is one of my lifelong friends that I studied art with early in my life. More signifigantly is the woman who liked to hit the road and swim (naked) in every backwater puddle we could find. So I said ... maybe my resume needs to be a list of the waters that I've been naked in:
Salmon River, Idaho
Clearwater River, Idaho
St. Joe River, Idaho
Weir Creek, Idaho
Lochsa River, Idaho
Coeur D’Alene River, Idaho
Snake River, Washington
Columbia River, Washington
Illinois River, Oregon
Mokelumne River, California
Stanislaus River, California
Eagle Creek, California
Tuolumne River, California
Keough Hot Springs, California
Hot Creek, California
Mono Lake, California
Crystal Springs Lake (shhh!), California
Little Yosemite Creek, California
Russian River, California
Rock Creek, California
Cottonwood Spring, California
Colorado River, Arizona
That's 22. I think that's pretty impressive. How many places wet have you been naked in?
Other waters I’ve been in or on.
Lake Berryessa, California
Lake Mendocino, California
East Walker River, California
San Francisco Bay, California
Eel River, California
Truckee River, California
Sacramento River, California
Seal Slough, California
Pacific Ocean, California
Sherman Island (SF Bay Delta), California
Puget Sound, Washington
San Juan River, Colorado
Lake Minona, Wisconsin
Huron River, Michigan
Missisippi River, Minnesota
Atlantic Ocean, Florida
Lake Kanasatka, New Hampshire
Pemigewasset River, New Hampshire
Some frozen lake near Whistler Mountain, British Columbia
Mediterranean Sea. Marseilles, France
That's 20 ... Once I met this woman on line and she accused me of not being a water person, because I don't much like boats. I think the truth is ... I'd rather be naked in the water than in a boat.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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