Update... Cont...

Hollis and I have been having lots of fun; from the arid deserts of Southern California to the Pacific Northwest, we've been discovering lots of stunningly beautiful places in between. We both particularly like Porland, but I'm particularly fond of the Mojave and the funny Joshua Trees and lizards. Hollis likes the green misty Cascades with the cool climate that always requires a jacket.

Here are a few pictures from Yosemite. It's such a huge breathtaking park; I could have explored it for weeks.


A view of Yosemite Valley.

View of the Valley from Glacier Point. This park was so unbelievably beautiful. You had to hike to get away from the crowds, but it was worth it.


Half Dome from our hike to Glacier Point.

Yosemite Falls

The Ahwahnee Lodge where my grandpa recovered from a WWII injury while serving in the Navy in May/June 1945

Updated. Finally.

Black bear in Sequoia National Park. He was happily grubbing around for food.


Big old trees.


Joshua tree. The Mojave National Preserve was actually one of my favorite places to go- the flowers and plant life were truly unique.


Death Valley. No life, just salt flats at 282 ft. below sea level and 117 F


Hoover Dam. It's a dam. With a lot of water.

Out of the Wild

There is no possible way I can update all of the things I've been doing, so I'll just write an excerpt from a John Muir book Hollis and I have been reading. He may be a bit crazy, but hey, he's the crazy guy who started the whole national park thing we've been enjoying.

"Tell me what you will of the benefactions of city civilization, of the sweet security of the streets- all as part of the natural upgrowth of man towards the high destiny we hear so much of. I know that our bodies were made to thrive only in pure air, and the scenes in which pure air is found. If the death exhalations that brood the broad towns in which we so fondly compact ourselves were made visible, we should flee as from plague. All are more of less sick; there is not a perfectly sane man in San Fransisco.

Go now and then for fresh life- if most humanity must go through this town stage of development- just as divers hold their breath and come ever anon to the surface to breathe... Go whether or not you have faith... Form parties, if you must be social, to go to the snowflowers in winter, to sun-flowers in summer... Anyway, go up and away for life; be fleet!

I know some will heed the warning. Most will not, so full of pagan slavery is the boasted freedom of the town, and those who need rest and clean snow and sky the most will be the last to move.

Once I was let down into a deep well into which choke-damp had settled, and nearly lost my life. The deeper I was immersed into the invisible poison, the less capable I became of willing measures of escape from it. And in just this Condition are those who toil or dawdle or dissipate in crowded towns, in the sinks of commerce or pleasure.

When I first came down to the city from my mountain home, I began to wither, and wish instinctively for the vital woods and high sky. Yet I lingered month after month, plodding at "duty." At length I chanced to see a lovely goldenrod in bloom in a weedy spot alongside one of the less frequented sidewalks there. Suddenly I was aware of the ending summer and fled. Then, once away, I saw how shrunken and lean I was, and how glad I was I had gone."

-John Muir

Grand Canyon.... or Hot Microwave Oven of Death????

After finally arriving at the Grand Canyon, I was very excited to embark upon the 7 mile hike through the canyon. I thought I was well prepared with enough water. Taking the shuttle to the trail head I was looking at all the other hikers thinking how unprepared they were with their little water bottles while I was carrying 4 L on me. As we began the steep decent, I realized that most of these hikers were turning around after half a mile or so. We were going 3.5 miles into the canyon to a location called Dripping Springs. Everyone said it was beautiful, so I eagerly hiked down. Apparently I forgot to drink enough water because about 1/2 a mile from the spring Hollis noticed that I was about to pass out. I had only drank a liter of water compared to his 2 L. I force my way the last half mile thinking that this was going to be a lovely desert oasis with water and shade. We turn the final corner and see this:

Literally a puddle formed by a rock dripping water. Not nearly as exciting as I was hoping and definitely not worth the intense effort we both had to put forth. We stay there a while in shade while I recover and chug water. I feel better by the time we leave this location. Both Hollis and I have 2 L left. I wanted to stay longer, but I knew it was just going to get even more hot and miserable the longer I waited around in the shade. We leave this point at around noon.

During the accent I'm still sucking down water like there's no tomorrow trying to make up for the severe dehydration I incurred by not drinking enough on the way down into this hot hell hole. The temperature rises the further you go in the canyon and by this time of day there is no shade. I run out of water about half way through the accent and I start to get worried. Hollis only had about a L left. Basically, to sum up the last half of the accent: misery. The sun was unrelenting, it was dry, I had stopped sweating, and it was very steep. For a few moments I thought I was going to have to just lay down on the trail while Hollis went and got a ranger or something with water. Literally it was Hollis' constant prodding that got me to the rim. He was also miserable and almost out of water. While we were resting and sitting under a pathetic excuse for a shrub, we saw 2 hikers coming our way armed with 4 gatorade bottles full of water. We asked where they were headed, and they said Dripping Springs. We told them not to do it because we had far more water than they did and were incredibly miserable. They didn't head our advice and I really wish I knew if they had made it or not. It was an all around grueling 3 hours, and I have never been so happy in all of my life to be off of a trail. We beat the canyon that day... but barely.


We got a picture at the trail head utterly happy that we defeated that monster of a microwave. Notice how the sweat lines follow where our camelback straps were.

After that we were completely wiped out and rode the shuttle back to our camp. We made freeze dried beef stroganoff and potatoes and scarfed that down so fast. It tasted so good and I'm not even a fan of stroganoff. I was just so happy to be eating something other than a Cliff bar and water. We then made a second dinner of beans and rice. That is how hungry we were.

By the time we finished gorging ourselves on food and water, we got back on the shuttle where they took us to a point on the canyon to watch the sun set. This required no physical work but was the most beautiful scene we had seen so far.

So hiking several hours yielded a tiny dripping spring, but riding on the shuttle rewarded us with this view. It was beautiful.

We went to bed immediately once the sun went down; we were so tired. We were just very thankful we didn't end up like the guy on this poster they have plastered everywhere.


We definitely earned some respect for anything that actually lives in the Grand Canyon because it's a particularly miserable place to be stuck in.

Moutain Biking vs. Hiking*

Today we went mountain biking along the same trail that we hiked yesterday. You would think, "Biking should be easier and faster." NO. That is not the case. First of my many problems with mountain biking is that you don't actually get to see the beautiful scenery around you because you are 100% focused on reading the trail and watching out for things like rocks and roots. If you do happen to be distracted (as I was when I saw a cute little robin) you proceed to run off the trail and fall over.

Second, the trail, which is about 18" wide and covered in rocks is entrenched which makes it hard to peddle. It winds between trees and along steep ridges that towers above a raging river. If you do fall you have the option of either slamming face first into something hard (pick a rock or a tree), or you can fall off the sheer face of the trail into the rushing Piedra River that is full of frigid snow melt. In that case to you hope a tree or rock stops you.

The last point, which is really about me being a wuss, was the omnipresent brambles that lined the trail and scratched your legs as you pass.

PS. Climbing sucks. So does descending.


Trail I can do. Notice it's lovely flat, rock free topography. Sadly this comprised only about 20% of the ride.


Trail I can't climb. Notice the ubiquitous rocks. This was an easier part of the trail, and I was just tired and looking for a reason to rest. Pictures are a legit rest reason.


This is Hollis' mountain biking face. Notice how chipper and upbeat he is.
This is my mountain biking face. :( Please click the photo to enlarge it to truly get the essence of my feelings.

Despite all of this whining, I actually did have fun and will be doing it again later.

*I'm a new mountain biker. This was my second time on a real trail.

Just wasting time...

Yesterday Hollis and I went to Durango and ate at a sweet Himalayan Restaurant. We sat at the bar and talked to our very interesting Nepali bar tender Karzi. We ate some delicious entrees that I can't remember the name of, had mango lassi, and a pot of Himalayan spiced wine (similar to mulled wine) which was very nice as the sun set and the air got a little chilly. The Iron Man bike race was going on which meant we got to watch a lot of road bikers speed by. It was incredible how fast they were going up hill in such an altitude. We saw one bike (obviously not participating in the race) that was encased by a large paper-mache trout. It was pretty ridiculous. Then we stopped in a bar playing live music and Hollis knocked back a few beers while we listened to a local group called Stone 66. They were actually pretty good.

Today we were lazy bums and slept in. We went on a hike on the Piedra River Trail which had some of the most beautiful scenery I've seen so far. I took the camera with me but was sad when I realized that Hollis left the battery for it back at the house! Our plan is to pack up tonight, do laundry tomorrow/buy camp food, and go back to that trail.

Pagosa Springs, Co

Today I woke up early and took a hike upstream the San Juan River while Hollis slept. The river was brimming. Worked up a good enough appetite and then made Hollis some grits which he has never had before. Crazy since he's from the south.

After that we did a bunch of boring stuff like grocery shop and eat lunch. We took a hike on the Turkey Creek Trail (6.7 miles at around 8,600 ft) and saw some very beautiful scenery.

Skunk cabbage seen off Turkey Creek Trail

Manly Hollis drinking a Pagosa Brewery Growler.

All semblances to manliness are gone after this picture.

Turkey Creek.

San Juan River... completely full!