jumping in puddles...

honeymoon dia 43 – seattle

2012-01-20T13:04:00.001-08:00

last day in argentina and south america. we headed to el tigre – a sort of weekend destination for the portenos of buenos aires. since it was a monday, we figured it’d be less crowded.

we took the subte to the estacionomente del tren for the journey out to el tigre, about an hour NW from BA. the tren was quite warm – no open windows and lots of people + 90* temps. at least we had some entertainment when various people would run through the cabins either selling stuff, or like the one guy, singing songs for tips.

we exited the warm tren and proceeded to walk the town of tigre. very nice rowing center there. as we headed over towards the fruit market, which really wasn’t much of one on this monday, a guy approached us with a sales pitch for his boating tour service. nice guy. good product (do it for your wuhman). pretty helpful. he didn’t sell us anything, but recommended that we take the municipal boat – basically a bus/boat that takes people to their residences along the river delta and drops off a few tourists at restaurants and other various locations scattered amongst the waterways.

pretty sweet deal it turned out to be. the driver was amazing at dropping off passengers at all these random docks (try parallel parking a 50’ long catamaran 30 times). we got off at a restaurant dock and walked some paths. to where they led, we were not sure. but, we only had a few hours, so we walked for a bit, then ate lunch at a very reasonably priced restaurant. we shared chorizo and 1L of cerveza (stout) in the umbrella-protected warmth of the 90* sky. good salad too. kind of a nice closure on our trip. very peaceful. relaxed. beautiful. the random cat sitting in the netting above us was icing on the cake.

back to the dock we went to wait for the boat, which came every hour. dangled our feet in the brown waters of the river (which our one sales-pitch-guy said was “not polluted and good for the skin”) and admired our winter tan lines created by our sandals.

the tren back wasn’t as warm – less people. needed to get some cash for our final taxi ride to the airport. and that was it. no crazy ride or anything, just a normal exit. surprised the taxis have to pay at the toll booths here, but apparently that’s the way it rolls.

the airport was a mess. impossible to tell what line you should wait in because of a pan-am line for mexico. eventually we got it right and then after several annoying stations through customs, we just made our flight. same was true when we landed in washington DC and its customs shenanigans. 18 hours after leaving BA, we touched down in a snowy seattle. hollywood picked us up, and life in south america was now over.

average costs:
roundtrip tren ticket: 5 pesos ($1)
roundtrip subte ticket: 2.5 pesos ($.50)
roundtrip boat ride: 16 pesos ($4)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia43

note: i hope to have a reflective blog post in a few weeks about the trip. right now, recovering from hip surgery. i've also uploaded all videos to youtube now, so please check out: http://www.youtube.com/user/mikesutube4?feature=mhee

honeymoon dia 42 – buenos aires

2012-01-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

another late start to the day – customary in this part of the world apparently. we headed out for market day. all kinds of markets. big ones too. lots of people shopping. lots of unique products. we didn’t buy of course, but it was nice to look. always helps to have helado too.

then, on to the la boca neighborhood, where tango apparently originated. lots of shops and colorful buildings. thousands of people hanging out too. a very busy area this weekend day. as you walk the streets, you see various tango dancing couples. we watched for awhile, then ate (with our own restaurant entertainment of dancing, singing, and more), then watched some more tango as we left the neighborhood.

back to the hostel, and then out to an american sports bar to watch the 2nd half of a lousy packers’ playoff game. note-to-self: don’t care about sports teams.

average costs:
tango viewing: free, sans donations
bar entrance/food fee: 40 pesos ($9)
all photographs:

honeymoon dia 41 – buenos aires

2012-01-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

the first go around in BA was not that great for me. too many people. too much traffic. too much diesel. this time, it fared much better. probably helped to have a weekend day in town when all the locals were gone or siesta-ing.

first, our hostel was way nice. great bed. 16ft high ceilings. big open airy space in the center of the building with the rooms surrounding it. and probably the best or second best bathroom facilities of the trip. a perfect way to end. and, our host was way helpful.

today, we first hit up casa rosada – the house of the president. they were celebrating argentina’s bicentennial with free admission, so we did not pass that up. we took a tour with a bilingual guide, so it was quite informative.

we then headed off to the ecological reserve located on the rio de la plata (the huge river exiting the amazon at BA). apparently there’s wildlife here and in the two embedded lagoons, but if there was, we didn’t see it. instead, it just seemed like a large park for locals to walk through and find places for a siesta. pleasant enough, but my hip was really hurting this day.

from there, we walked across a bridge designed by famous spanish architect santiago calatrava – puente de la mujer (bridge of the woman). the artistic design of the bridge is meant to reflect the dance of the tango. coincidently, a group of 5 girls and 5 guys were on the bridge doing a photo shoot --- for what, we have no idea.

next, we watched some tango in a little plaza near the bridge and then headed to a newly opened museum. well designed for sure, but just a lot of reading to do (all in spanish), so not as rewarding to us non-fluent travelers.

came out of there and watched the flag of argentina be ceremoniously lowered – only a few feet from where we had randomly selected to sit.

back to the hostel. cleaned up. headed out to eat per the recommendation of our hostel host. it was far longer to get there than anticipated. the steaks were tremendous, but we didn’t finish eating until after midnight (the restaurant was still packed at that hour; babies in strollers, 2 year olds all awake). we headed for a nearby dance club for some tango, but it turned out they were playing more american music with a high entrance fee. combined with my hip pains this day, there was no dancing to be had for us – a disappointment for sure, especially for carrie. we’ll have to make up for it in seattle...

we somehow figured out a bus back to the hostel (20 minute ride), and collapsed when we got back.

average costs:
awesome steak dinner: 80 pesos ($18)
museums: free
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia41

honeymoon dia 40 – buenos aires

2012-01-20T10:55:00.001-08:00

today was a tweener day. we needed to be at the ushuaia airport at 4:00p for our flight to buenos aires, but wanted to be a little active as well. carrie’s IT band didn’t like her too much, and my feet still could use a break, so we did some walks around town.

first, we hit up a lagoon in town. en route, we pulled out our map and looked to see which way to go. a friendly local came over and asked where we were going. we respond: a la laguna del diablo. he pauses, shakes his head, and says “no hay nada,” meaning, there’s nothing there. still, after laughing, he pointed us in the direction carrie was intending to go anyway, and we parted.

at the laguna, we spotted the rare, beautiful cerveza dolphin. several of them actually.

then, we headed up a trail not too far from the laguna, hoping to find a viewpoint of the town. up and up. no obvious spot. so, we head out, walk down the road, and come across a potential viewpoint. good enough we guess. 3 minutes later, a tour bus pulls up, lets out 20 passengers, and they glance at us and then look out over the viewpoint. i guess we found it. too funny.

walked back into town. photographed some lupines. played on a highly metalize swingset with swings that make you feel like a geriatric, and pressed on. my hip was hurting quite a bit, so we stopped for a bit and carrie worked on me. then, off to museum of a former prison. too pricey for the time we had remaining in the day, so we decided to call it good, grab our stuff, and head to the airport.

the waiting area at the airport was confusing. eventually we found the right line to stand in and were on our way. adios 5am – 11pm daylight hours found here at 55* south latitude.

instead of taking the 2+ hour bus into buenos aires from the airport, we opted to get a taxi since it was 11pm. our driver = nuts. i’ll try to paint the picture, but it will never do our ride justice.

the taxi driver is a mid 40s argentine male, with shoulder length blondish hair. seems low key enough. music playing is 80’s american soft rock. no seat belts. the second we close our doors, the race begins. he’s just hammering. easily double the speed of all other traffic on the road. 7-lane wide roads simply means he doesn’t have to turn as sharply on corners; nah, just cut through all 7 of them. and when the slow driver in front of us is doing the same thing, just gun it and take him on the outside! best yet is accelerating from 120kmh, cutting lanes, all while all the traffic in front of you is braking because of the red light 100ft away.

half the time, it looked like the driver was falling asleep whenever i’d catch his eye in the mirror. we arrived at the hostel without a scratch. i told him “Ud. viaje muy rapido, no?” he smiled, laughed, and said something i didn’t understand before taking off. somehow, i wasn’t nervous during this drive. in a way, i knew that he was tuned into every one of his surrounding elements, much like a cyclist needs to be when biking through a city.

average costs:
laguna del diablo: free
viewpoint hike: free
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia40

honeymoon dia 39 – ushuaia

2012-01-20T10:25:00.001-08:00

called a cab for a ride to a trailhead this morning. 20 minutes and some bumpy roads later and we were at a random spot of a road with a gate. i guess this is where we go then?

we walked a road for a short while, paralleling the creek coming down from our destination glacier’s lake – laguana de los tempanos. the road was lined with thousands, if not millions, of buttercups. a fine way to start out a day. and the creek had a nice montana feel to it as well. the only downside was the muckiness of the trail in spots (compounded by my decision to wear sandals this day to prevent blister pains).

we crossed the creek using some cute ladder bridges, and the trail begins to climb steeply along a ridge. the forest here had the largest trees we’ve seen in patagonia and the crisp morning air made the hike feel like an autumnal excursion. like normal, carrie motored and i did my best to keep up. an hour or so later and we reached the lake. unlike most of our patagonia hikes, crowding was not an issue here.

we sat for a bit, explored the lake’s surroundings, and then decided to head up to a ridge to the west of the lake. some people take guided trips to walk on the glacier and up to the nearby summit, but we didn’t have the gear for that option – hence the ridge decision.

it turned out to be really enjoyable. super lush mosses and lichen covered the rocks surrounding us – the kind that when you step on it, it feel like you’re going to sink in forever. i picture these kind of plants essentially being the “start of life” for other plants.

also super awesome was this nice spiky ball of a flower that smelled like a blend of a pina colada and vanilla candles – except way fresher and purer. downwind of the flowers, you could smell the scent consistently for minutes upon minutes. quite a treat!

now, on the ridge, we rambled for awhile. great views of the glaciers on either side of us along with dozens of tarns left behind by a the receding ice. one of the tarns was so bright from the glacial silt that it seemed there were lights on inside of it.

enjoyed the top for awhile, knowing that we had some time to complete the rest of the trip and get back for the taxi pickup.

we took a different route down and walked around the topside of the lake to explore the many tarns where we saw a group of climbers that were somehow turned back on their attempt at the summit. not sure how. we dropped down the lake outlet to where we picked up the secret hidden high route trail to the valley east of us. quite a nice route actually, and it definitely beat going back down our trail for an hour and connecting at the trail junction for laguana encantada.

up and over we went. then down to the lake. we ran into a solo british hiker that was not very impressed by the “lagoon.” not sure what her deal was, but we enjoyed it, even with the clouds and light rain hitting us. it was interesting to see all the beaver dams on this lake and the destruction of the nearby forests. apparently, the beavers here were introduced from canada and are a real nuisance. reportedly, you can find them on the menus at the local restaurants too. earlier we had spotted one in a little pond. the little guy even slapped his tail on the water for us.

we hiked out and rested sore body parts in the creek (my feet, carrie’s IT band). made it back to the taxi pickup location where there was no taxi, and waited for awhile. like an hour. eventually called for one since it was clear our cabbie wasn’t coming.

returning to the hostel, we cleaned up and went out for some food. got ripped off this time, but at least the food was decent.

average costs:
taxi: 40 pesos ($9)
bottle of wine at restaurant: 40 pesos ($9)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia39

honeymoon dia 38 – ushuaia

2012-01-20T09:42:00.000-08:00

an early shuttle bus (7am) picked us up from our hostel. down to the bus terminal where we loaded a larger bus for our 12hr journey to ushuaia at el fin del mundo (end of the world). en route, we transferred off of the large bus to another large bus which was coming from punta arenas. only our transfer wasn’t at a terminal, or a parking lot, or a meeting place. no, when the two buses saw each other on the long, empty road we were on, they pulled over to the side of the road, pointed at us and told us to transfer. middle of nowhere. awesome.

drove for a bit and then reached a ferry location. the ferry pulls in, anchors, and our bus drives onto it. not the most secure connection between ferry and dock, but somehow it works. the ferry filled up with two buses, several cars, and a few trucks. the strait of magellan stood between us and the land on the far side. pretty cool to think of two oceans meeting.

big waves (6-8ft) played into my general fear of wavy water, so it wasn’t the most comfy ride ever, but the views were nice and we even saw some swimming penguins and dolphins.

a few hours later we stopped at a random restaurant for a 30 minute break. people pour off the bus, order their food, and hope to get it before the bus leaves again. actually, the drivers are pretty good about making sure everyone gets back on the bus – thankfully – as we were among the last to order.

finally, arrived in ushuaia which is arguably the southernmost city in the world. it is also the most touristy spot thus far on our trip and quite a large city. well developed port industry, lots of shops along san martin avenue, and really just a lot of houses and buildings spread along the winding coastline. the cool part is that just in the town’s backyard are mountains with low elevation glaciers (~3000ft).

lots of colorful lupines too. at first, near bariloche, we thought we had seen all the lupine colors (purple, violet, white), but here, there were many more (red, orange, yellow, pink). who knew? not the same kind of lupines you find in WA’s mountains, but close enough to certainly be relatives.

we did the town walk thing, got some groceries, and had drinks and food at a cozy little pub. really good stout beer here (beagle fuegian).

average costs:
stout beer (1L): 15 pesos ($5)
sandwich at random bus stop restaurant: 12 pesos ($4)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia38

honeymoon dias 34-37 – torre del paine

2012-01-18T18:48:00.000-08:00

well, after the big fire in the national park was put out, officials were quick to open it. an updated blog post said “the north part of the park is open.” not fully knowing what that meant, we went in person to find out.

we had planned to do the “W” trek – basically a couple of hikes strung together that form the shape of a W. each takes you up different valleys all leading to torre del paine (TdP). one sees a big glacier, another some lakes, another really nice views of TdP. two of the legs of the W were still closed when we arrived. at least the weather was spectacular that first day and we were able to do the “right leg” of the W.

most people do this leg as an overnight trip, staying at a refugio. we, despite not starting the hiking day ‘til after noon due to another bus ride from puerto natales, opted not to do that: 1) because it’s only 4 miles to the refugio and you’d sit there all day, and 2) it’s more fun sometimes to hike light and fast. and we did. carrie again rocketed off and passed people like they weren’t even moving. nice sharp valley walk with a gushing river and occasional nice forests.

like with fitz roy, the last section up to the really nice viewing area is chock full of warnings. stay on the trail! danger! stuff like that. cruised on up and, unlike fitz roy, had a nearly completely calm day to view this gem. after hanging out where everyone else did, we again broke a national park rule and went off the trail along this cool moraine ridge that paralleled the lake. awesome ridge. surprisingly exposed given that it was all sandy rocky moraine material.

got to a nice stopping spot and watched the hundreds of small waterfalls sheen down from the glacier above. much better view than the standard one. on the way out, we picked up an old trail and followed it to where it connects with the main one. sneaky national park management!

came back to town to start the second leg of our TdP trek – the northern part of “the circuit.” the other popular trek here is the circuit – basically walking around TdP through a series of valleys and occasional traverses. since this was our only other option available, we chose it!

kind of disappointing actually. you walk an old road for miles and miles. not that great of views. in fact, it’s 12km before you get to anything worth seeing. since our day was running late (bus + first hike + second hike), we lost motivation to reach the official camping area – campamento seron. so, yet again, another not so legal camp. given that we pitch the tent a few feet from where the cows have beaten in a path, there’s probably not too much impact.

our goal for day 2 was refugio dickson – a refugio at the junction of two valleys with a huge lake and a nice glacier view. only 22km to go. my feet weren’t happy with me again, so it was rough. so rough i declared the trail the “worst ever” – which in part is true due to the nature of the road walking to start and just how poorly planned it was. however, it did have some redeeming characteristics such as 5 miles of walking through endless fields of daisies. or the really bright green colors of these spiky bush plants. and of course the huge lago was good too. still, it was a tough day for me.

when we got to the refugio, we were pleasantly surprised by a showering facility. nothing elaborate. just some warm water and a waiting line where onlookers can watch you over the low hanging door. set up the tent and moseyed over to a nice little ledge looking over the large lago dickson with a large glacier hanging over it. as we made dinner, we marveled at the calmness of the lake given its size and the reputation of patagonia. 20 minutes later, the wind was howling and the lake had whitecaps. amazing shift in the weather here!

day 3 found me in a non-hiking mood because of my feet. carrie still had energy, so she headed off towards campamento los perros – basically a continuation of “the circuit.” 19 km total for the out-and-back. a nice forest, good perspective on nearby glaciers, and a little rain was reported back to me who lazily slept in the tent for most of those 6 hours.

packed up, and retraced our steps back towards the start of the hike. the trail wasn’t as punishing this time around, so maybe it was just fatigue and painful feet. this time, we actually made it to and stayed at campamento seron. the temps plummeted as we neared the camp. rain and sleet pattered the tent throughout the night. never very heavy, but enough to quiet down the otherwise inconsiderate fellow campers that wanted to talk all through the night.

the morning brought just enough sun to dry off the tent enough to pack it up. several hours later, and more fields of daisy, and we were back at the start of the hike. we waited for a couple hours for the bus, boarded, and began the journey back to puerto natales.

we checked into the hostel, which was extremely charming with a cuddly, cute cat,, and then headed out to town for some food and drinks. we scored a sweet happy hour deal on calafete sours – which are pisco sours combined with the calafete berry; 2 for 1! those hit the spot quite well. after that, we found a restaurant serving fast, cheap food with lots of locals – always a good sign. at dinner, we were serenaded by a senor with a poncho, hat, and a guitar.

average costs:
dinner: 6000 pesos chilean ($12)
calafete sours: 5000 pesos ($10)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDias3437

honeymoon dias 29-32 – el chalten

2012-01-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

left el calafete at 8:00a for the truly mountain inspired town of el chalten. 5hrs later, we were there. immediately forced to visit the national park ranger office and get lectured on proper park etiquette, no fires, etc. dropped our things at the hostel we planned to stay at a few days later, attempted to buy semi-complete meals at the local grocery stores (cookies, fruitcake break, chocolate, instant polenta), and hit the trail.

okay, el chalten has to be climber’s paradise. it’s basically one main street, maybe a mile long, with a little sprawl in either direction of that main road. on both sides of the town are walls prime for climbing. from town, the three main trails leading into the park depart, all maybe 10 minutes from each other. there’s maybe four mountaineering stores, 15 hostels, one gas station, one terminal de autobus, and three crappy grocery stores. a few houses and that’s it. once there, the main street almost always has more pedestrian tourist traffic compared to automobiles. looking down the road, all you see are couples and groups of 20 and 30-somethings with backpacks, heading towards their hostels.

like with the rest of argentina, the maps you get show times, not distances, between points on a trail. we’ve been in the 60% range on the time scale, so our 7hr hike, starting at 4pm, turned out to be not too bad. surprisingly, not the greatest or even well-defined trails, despite being in a popular national park. as we gained elevation, things became a little more lush --- not the semi-arid near desert conditions of the lower elevation terrain. one of the fields we passed through pleased us with pungent perfumes of clovers. fields and fields of clovers. simply beautiful.

from the highpoint of the trail, we dropped basically back to our starting elevation to a campground near lago toro. dozens of tents were scattered in this tiny forest on the edge of the valley. protecting the camground was a wall of logs, stacked 4ft high. there was even a porta-potty. well, make that a porta-potty shell, without the seat or inner workings. instead, two marks for your feet and a hole to aim for in the ground would be the waste disposal method of choice.

that night we heard winds with sounds i’ve never heard before. while we were mostly protected in the tent within the camping area, up above raged a war of air currents. picture hundreds of 747s taking off at the same time, and in all directions, and you’re close. the heating and cooling of the land and expansive icecaps nearby really does a number on air stability.

in the morning, we set off to find the nearby icecap – an area labeled “with guides only” on the map. with some searching, we finally found the correct place to cross the raging torrent of water coming from the glaciers above. unfortunately, the crossing was a single cable with a pulley system that one could clip a harness into and slide across hand over hand; we did not have a harness or anything of suitable strength that we could rig up to make this work. we contemplated doing it the brute force way, but concluded that a fall was imminent death (33* water, box canyon, 30ft fall). turned back and searched around the lake for ways to do it, but gave up. dang.

we backtracked from camp a few miles before reaching a turnoff location where the map said “guides recommended.” up we went to a pass where we could drop down into a different valley with tremendous views of fitz roy, lago torre, and rio torre. up and up. topped out and sat for awhile, marveling at the beauty in front of us.

the crux now: getting across the rio torre, which was 2-3x larger and faster than the previous river we were stumped by earlier. since the map read “recommended” instead of “required,” we thought we’d be fine. down, down, down. nearing the rio. carrie spots two cables. perfect. one to walk on and one to hold onto above, right?

well, that’s what we thought at least. not wanting to camp with the hoards of people on the other side of the rio, we opted to find our own spot (not allowed in the national park) and found a great area within a really green blanketed forest (we camped on gravel). tasty dinner. complete solitude. a nice end to the day.

the next morning, the obvious occurs. the two cables are really just two of the same lines like we saw the day before. trapped! we give some half hearted attempts at putting one leg over the rope, hooking your foot, and doing the hand-over-hand thing to slide across. way painful on the calves. the rope’s just too thin, and this was before even adding in the weight of the backpacks. we waited for 3 hours there, hoping some guided party would come through. nope.

plan C: head down this side of the river valley – the trail-less side. normally, no sweat with a good map. unfortunately, the maps you can get here are not that good. the contour intervals are 50m (1:100,000) and might as well read “not for navigational purposes.” heck, it shows a smooth ridge leading up fitz roy, which is certainly not the case.

anyway, worst case, we have to go back up and over the ridge we came down. best case, we find something plausible and get a bit scratched up. thankfully, we found a boot tread within minutes and had really nice views. only in two spots did we lose the trail for awhile – one was a nasty, scratchy stretch, the other was more-or-less a pick-your-own scramble route. after the scratchy stretch, we came across an expansive, flat field of blowing grass and clover. it was so beautiful, i absolutely needed to stop and absorb it for awhile. so we did.

a few hours later, nearing the location where we started the hike, we spotted a most perfect showering location. several small trickles cascaded down into a shallow pool. we had to stop and enjoy this finding as well.

walk, walk, walk. find the main trail. hike out to town. my feet are toast (mountaineering boots were overkill and just too warm) so all i want to do is stay in town for the night. unfortunately, the hostel we had booked for the next night had no openings this night, nor did anything else in town. after some sitting, eating chocolate, and letting the feet breathe, i rallied and we headed off for another overnighter, this time starting at the opposite end of town.

this time, a more popular hike. starting at 8:00p and knowing you still have a few hours of daylight is pretty fun and much nicer for the bugs and temperature. a nice, steady climb brought us to lago capri. tossed up the tent among literally 50 or so other tents in a small, confined area, and made and ate dinner (and drank beer! --- thanks honey) and watched the sunset (kind of) over fitz roy. the sun here doesn’t seem to offer up very good sunsets for some reason. somehow, despite the hundreds of people in camp, we, at the most obvious spot to hang out by the lake, had things all to ourselves. nice.

the next morning we headed to get up close and personal with fitz roy. tremendously beautiful valley walking followed by a steepish climb (with warning signs and all) to the lago beneath fitz roy. the valley felt like montana; the fitz roy vicinity felt like nothing i’ve seen before. very inspiring for me – making me want to become a better climber. it was fun to see carrie so strong on the ascent giving her recent hip/pain struggles for the past half year+. we passed maybe 100+ people on the way up and were passed by none – the way it should be.

you top out on a moraine above the lake. once there, we were greeted with the strongest winds i’ve ever felt. nearly knocked down multiple times. had to basically jump outward and forward to gain enough momentum to go downhill to the next step. yes, downhill. a small rock wall offered reprieve for some time while we ate and layered up. then, moseyed around the lake, crossed an outlet stream, and saw another lake.

the starkness of fitz roy is amazing. the colors of the lake are as pure as they come. it was simply a breathtaking place.

needing to get back to town for a 6:30p bus back to el calafete, we sadly had to boogey. ran down the trail. packed up. made it back way too early – which is nice sometimes, but would have been nicer to see one more thing up there. had some pizza and two 1L bottles of cerveza (which oddly doesn’t give you a buzz or make you feel the need to pee). boarded the bus, and left a beautifully sunny and spectacular part of the world.

average costs:
cancelled hostel: 0 pesos
camping: 0 pesos
national park entrance fee: 100 pesos/each ($22)
2 personal pizzas, 2 x 1L cervezas: 100 pesos ($22)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDias2932

honeymoon dia 28 – perito moreno glacier, el calafete

2012-01-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

ironically, in our most touristy spot of the entire trip, every one spoke the same language: amazement

the perito moreno glacier is a huge chunk of flowing ice fed by other glaciers further up-valley. the glacier terminates at two lakes: brazo norte and canal de los tempanos; both eventually connect to lago argentino, which is simply huge. at its terminus is a wall of ice that is nearly 200 feet high. a really nice boardwalk takes you around the place to all kinds of different vantage points and is nicely done. despite the huge number of visitors here, it’s relatively easy to have some peace and quiet and places to yourself.

we really enjoyed just sitting, listening, and hoping for some part of the ice to break off while we paid it attention. the sounds of the ice is very much like a cannon. of course, if you hear the sound, it’s too late to see the action given the enormous scale of the area.

we had plans to go off to a nearby peak to climb it, but the time in the day quickly evaporated (6+ hrs along the boardwalk) and we both had a case of apparent food-sickness (hard boiled eggs we made) that derailed those plans. it was an early night for carrie, whereas i had a less significant case of the food-illness.

we also received news that the torres del paine area, in chile, was closed due to a fire accidentally set by a tourist. this is heartbreaking news for carrie who wanted most to see this part of the world.

average costs:
parque de los glaciars entrance fee: 100 pesos each ($22)
bus ride to the parque, roundtrip (2hrs each way): 100 pesos each ($22)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia28

honeymoon dia 27 – el calafete

2012-01-06T18:27:00.002-08:00

in the morning, we packed up and headed for the terminal de ominbus again. this time, a short ride to the nearby airport followed by a short flight to el calafete, the mecca of young folks with backpacks looking to explore patagonia. went to our super busy hostel, made steaks, and headed out for new years eve. walked the main street to a nice bar where we had a good stout beer, a super chocolaty “irish stove,” and some kind of chocolaty brownie thing with ice cream and tasty syrups.

our waitress seemed to ignore us after the initial order, so we didn’t quite make it to midnight there. instead, as we were walking back to the hostel, fireworks started exploding from all sides. not just cheapo’s either, but real ones. the show lasted a good 10 minutes and had dozens or hundreds of contributors. kind of neat community effort. hello 2012.

average costs:
irish stove: 40 pesos ($9)

honeymoon dia 26 – puerto madryn

2012-01-06T18:27:00.001-08:00

needing to get the rental car back by 9am, we sadly had to leave our beach campsite. pounded out the kilometers on the dusty rough roads (sorry rental car company) and made it back to puerto madryn nearly in time. the owners (husband and wife) were nice and we chatted for awhile.

the husband commented on how he worked for walmart in the US years ago and learned a lot. in argentina, no one plans ahead. in the US, that’s all we do. in my observation, this is certainly true with all the construction elements i’ve seen throughout the country. no forethought of how things will interact with one another. need a drain? punch a random hole in the shower floor. how’s that toilet work? i don’t know, let’s stick some piping here. sidewalks? make ‘em level everywhere, and then throw in a bunch of stair steps to account for the fact that we’re on a sloped hill. one thing is true: there is no uniformity in the building world here.

we walked from the car rental place to our hostel. i caught up on blogs and carrie did more planning (she’s so great). in the afternoon, we took a 3 hour walk on the beach. judging by your entrance into the city of puerto madryn, you’d think it was a drab, industrialized waterfront. nope. instead, it was an incredibly nice beach that spanned for miles. lots of people out enjoying it on this midweek day.

we took a swim in the inviting water. there were almost no waves despite being 90% open to the rest of the atlantic. upon submersion of our feet, we noticed lots of little jellies. not jellyfish, but jellies. we haven’t looked up the name yet, but they were nearly 100% translucent save for small lines that would occasionally change to neon pink. how awesome! this clear little blob of jelly is. if you’ve seen the movie the abyss, you get a sense for it. further walking along the beach showed hundreds or thousands of these jellies stranded in the sand. occasionally you’d squish one in your feet if not paying close attention. the kids love ‘em. they stand in the water, scoop up the jellies, and throw them at each other. never witnessed anyone getting hit, but if they did, i imagine the jellies would explode. heck, when they get tossed, the jellies already partially rip apart. i feel bad for the jellies since they seem like peaceful creatures, but apparently the kids have yet to decimate the population based on the abundance you will find in the waters here.

average costs:
swimming in the atlantic: free

honeymoon dia 25 – peninsula valdez

2012-01-06T18:11:00.001-08:00

we left camp in the early hours to avoid paying the entrance fee. nope. missed that by a few minutes it appears. off we went to explore peninsula valdez and the seal and sea lion population. the several hundred kilometers of driving were all on gravel roads, occasionally the kind you high-center on. the rental car company said to never brake on curves (duh) and not to exceed 50kmh when on gravel. not happening. besides, it’s kind of fun to drive 100+ kmh on gravel.

when we arrived at our first viewing location, rain greeted our rooftop. not seattle rain either; real rain. on a beach, with rain patterning above, we had a romantic early morning siesta in the car. i thought it was pleasant anyhow. rain stops and we head down.

the peninsula is highly protected. you’re not even supposed to get out of your car if not in a parking lot or designated pullout area. as such, getting up close and personal isn’t possible, but it’s still a good viewing. side note: the camera lens (borrowed) i used for today and yesterday apparently doesn’t like my camera and has resulted in blurry pictures :(.

our first site had maybe 10-15 males, which are huge creatures, and their harems. seemed like the biggest males, maybe 5-7 of them, had 2-3 ladies each. the smaller, younger males, had none. like the penguins, they’re quite the funny creatures. all day long, laying out in the sun, they bark at birds and have constant squabbles with fellow males. occasionally, some of the fights look pretty aggressive. mouths seem to be too small to do any real damage to each other, and normally after a 5-15 second fight, the two males will separate from each other a few feet, then lie down and attempt to rest. apparently, they spend ~3 months without eating or returning to the water as they guard their harems.

we were fortunate enough to see what looked like a newborn. the placenta was on the ground next to mom and the pup and the little guy could barely walk. the birds wanted a piece of the placenta, but the sea lions weren’t having it, barking and lunging towards the birds.

we drove to various other viewing locations, occasionally seeing penguins along with the sea lions. mostly though, the first stop was the best. our last stop was to go look at “bird island.” we went, we saw. it was okay, but seemingly nothing special.

now, needing a place to sleep, we spied a gravel road heading off just outside of the bird island area. car camp on the protected peninsula? heck no. when we drove the road, we found a restaurant-like building (not apparently open for business) and a row of tents and campers vehicles. we checked around and some random guy said to camp wherever and it was free. score! not too often you get to camp free on the beaches of the atlantic ocean.

as the sun set, bird island earned its name. although ~1 mile away, it was like being in the center of a bird race track (sorry, didn’t have a good analogy there). those guys squawked all night long and into the morning. name, justified.

average costs:
entry fee for peninsula valdez: 70 pesos each ($16)
rain drop siesta: free
atlantic coast beach camping: free
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia25

honeymoon dia 24 – puerto piramides

2012-01-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

exited the bus after the long ride a bit groggy. carrie set off to get our first rental car while i manned the luggage and worked on photos. 2.5hrs later, after a bit of a scare on my part, carrie finally returned. in my head, i knew she’d been abducted. nope. just a tedious process. phew.

now, into the mayhem known as driving in a foreign country. so many of the roads here are one ways, but it’s quite difficult to tell which ones actually are --- signs are never in the same place and seemingly always different between the various cities. added fun: most intersections do not have signals or signs. it’s just kind of a free-for-all. somehow, it works well for the locals; in many ways, it’s like a roundabout that keeps traffic moving, but slowly and mostly safely.

from puerto madryn, we headed south to trelew and further south another 60+kms to punta tombo – the penguin colony. we bought the entrance passes, used overly posh restrooms, and boarded a van for a grueling (/sarcasm) 1km drive down to where the penguins like to roll.

the first penguin you see, you’re taking a bunch of pictures, even if they’re not very good. by the time the day is over, you’re much more selective. i think they said 50,000 penguins live there. easily.

funny little buggers. half the time they stand still, staring skyward, trying to cool themselves off (or just look like statues). other times, they honk at you, sneeze, or poop this funky green and white concoction. the remaining 30% of the time is spent either waddling to and fro (for no apparent purpose) or scratching themselves.

after the penguins, we headed back north towards gaiman, a welsh-founded town just W of trelew, via a 60km long all gravel road, so rutted we bottomed out the poor rental car a few times. a super helpful tourist center person got us on our way. despite feeling like we were more remote in our city-travels, it seemed like a city that was built with care. nice roads, even sidewalks, and a lot of little house with their unique kind of charm.

we even found the casa de te (house of tea). somehow, i was talked into it. and somehow, i drank my first caffeine in nearly 9 years. i quite literally felt drunk. the 6 (each) torts we had – all very sugary – probably didn’t help the cause. in all, it was a fun experience, but perhaps my last time in a casa de te.

charged up with sugar and caffeine, we headed north back towards puerto madryn where we struggled to get gasoline. weird thing we’ve noticed in argentina: long lines for gas. everywhere. we’re not sure if it’s because you have to wait for the gas station attendant to fill your tank (country law?) or because there are so few stations. similarly, it’s difficult to tell where to go exactly. even though they may have a sign on the sidewalk advertising four different types of gasoline, they likely don’t have them. eventually, we succeeded and pushed on.

past midnight now, we pull into puerto piramides in search of our free camping spots per the book. supposedly, there are some behind the police station and one other area. checked with the cops: nothing there. but, they did point us towards the other one. as we roll down the hill and find the “camp” area, we find three streets, none of which had functional buildings, and a slew of tents and RVs on either side of the street. hundreds of them, meaning most of the spots were taken.

as we’re driving and searching, we’re finding nothing “ideal.” suddenly, we’re stuck in the sand – literally. apparently beach sand is a good idea for roads??? i get out to push and two guys come over and help --- tent town is far from asleep at this time of night. phew. we find a good spot, set up camp, and fall quickly asleep to the soft sounds of music, drinking, and laughter.

average costs:
rental car: 400 pesos/day ($90)
house of tea meal and drink: 75 pesos ($17)
camping: free
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia2402

honeymoon dia 23 – bus ride, en route to puerto piramides

2012-01-01T17:36:00.001-08:00

spent some time on the beach in bariloche in the morning – not a special beach, just a strip of land behind some buildings. amazingly calm lake given its size. beautiful too. even more amazing is that we could just walk down to the lake without some fence or private property in the way.

we could see ash in the sky to the south, covering the mountains we exited the day prior. temps were heating up early this day as we waited for our bus in the afternoon, so it was only proper to eat some ice cream. followed by empanadas and a really good pumpkin/squash tort.

grabbed the bus around 5:00p and would not exit it until 7:00a the next day.

average costs:
double scoop helado: 19 pesos ($5)
empanada: 6 pesos ($1.25)

2011-12-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

dia 21-22 – refugio hiking near bariloche

after a reasonable starting time to the day, we were off for some more hiking. took the bus out to nearby lago gutierrez where our hike started. walked along a peaceful gravel road next to this large, beautiful lake for 2km and hit the trailhead. 10km to go to refugio frey. the first half of the hike took us through flat and dusty terrain, not fully desert, but not far from it. then, upward following a creek. the forest was pleasant enough as it’s nice to see leafy trees every now and again. intermixed were bamboo plants and lots of horseflies.

soon, we were at lagauna tonchek (toncheck tarn?). gorgeous setting for sure. some europeans were hanging out at the refugio drinking beer. looked like a good plan, but we weren’t staying at refugios this time; instead, onward and upward.

passed by the next lake, lagauna schmoll. this is where the refugio down below gets its drinking water and water for their bathrooms (which actually have running toilet water!). not sure how they dispose of the refuse from the bathrooms, but we did see a helicopter fly in and out of the refugio ~10 times on our approach hike.

amazing how beautifully clear these lakes are. zero bugs (minus the horseflies) too, so that’s pretty sweet. the only drawback is a restriction on swimming in some of them. alas, still incredibly nice.

from here we headed up and over a pass of sorts (one of many in the vicinity) and had a solid 1600 vertical feet of scree in front of us. awesome times. at least we didn’t have to go up it.

after emptying my shoes a few times, we were now in the forest approaching refugio and lago jakob. again, a stellar location with a gorgeous lake. this time, we took a dip in the lake as we didn’t see signs saying otherwise and observed that their water source came from a different location.

a strong breeze combined with a warm sun dried us off in minutes. amazing how warm the sun is here. our guide books tell us these parts of the world lack ozone for part of the year. judging by the abnormal feeling of heat and the whiteness of the sun, we’d say that time of year is now.

made dinner, watched the sun set, and rolled into the tent for a peaceful night of sleep not too far from the sound of the lake’s outlet.

the next morning we headed off for a side trip to another lake – lago tempanos. best lake of them all, by far. probably the purest looking lake i’ve ever seen. not sure if there’s a glacier or permanent snowfield above it, but there was certainly plenty of snow. even more amazing than how beautiful the lake was is the fact that it continues to rain down ash in these parts from a nearby erupting volcano. pictures carrie had seen showed feet of ash in the hiking areas where we now were. rain and wind must have taken care of it, and now, we only see remnants of ash on the trail or on the existing snowpack.

back to camp, packed up, and headed out. the local mountain club where we got some of beta for this trip informed us it was “all downhill” from here. that’s true, if you omit the additional 1300 vertical feet of gain you have. overall, it wasn’t bad, and some spots were quite nice. normally, it’s recommended to do this trip over 3 days, but we opted for 2. we felt it by the end (getting old and out of shape and all). fortunately, on our 4km road walk back to town after the hike, we were able to successfully hitchhike out. we had a hard time understanding him, and he us, but it still worked. back to a different bus stop and 6 pesos later, we were back at the hostel.

the day was somehow still young (since things here run quite late helps things), so we cleaned up and headed to town for some steak – well-deserved steak. despite being a touristy restaurant, the servers were a bit weird. the one who took the steak order (which was different than the drinks order server), told me not to order something after i asked for it. umm, why put it on the menu then? i got it anyway and it was good. carrie’s steak was probably the best we’ve had on our trip, maybe tied with the one cooked at our hostel back in montevideo, uruguay.

average costs:
bife de lomo (the good steak): 70 pesos ($16)
bus to/from hike: 6 pesos ($1.50)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia2122

honeymoon dia 20 – bariloche

2011-12-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

before grabbing the bus to el bolson, we stopped for some tasty helado (ice cream). yes, the breakfast lifestyle here is truly healthy. i enjoyed watching the way in which the city maintenance crew “mowed” the lawn in the median of the main street. instead of a single guy with a riding mower like you’d see in the US, it was a crew of 10-12 guys, most of whom ran weedwackers. a couple of them raked the grass and a few swept the streets. very military style operation. in and out in 15 minutes. no roses harmed. it’s certainly one of the things we’ve noticed here: instead of high efficiency equipment and techniques, the argentinians use people power to get the work done. cost of labor must not be as much of a concern here. another example: the day before, walking back to the hostel, we noticed they were installing a sidewalk access ramp – one of those things that wheelchair users need to access the lower level of the street. instead of ripping out the whole sidewalk in that area and repouring/recreating the sidewalk, there was a single guy there with a hammer and chisel chipping away the existing sidewalk. the final product looked good in my view, but certainly was not a “standardized design.”

also ran into our belgium friends again and said goodbye as our paths now diverged. all the new snow in the mountains, which you can very plainly see from the valley town of el bolson, is gone. one short little taste of winter.

again, it was difficult to tell it was christmas eve. there did seem to be more people on the streets, shopping and such, but again, no north american style of celebration anywhere. even though i personally no longer celebrate christmas in a gift-giving or spiritual sense, it feels off to me. i think it’s akin to living in hawaii where it’s hot or hotter all year long. no seasons. no discern of what time of year. right now, it just feels off.

anyway, back to the bus and back to the north for 3+ hours. bariloche is a much different town than anything we’ve seen elsewhere. here, there are new looking shops everywhere. things truly feel catered for tourists. prices are higher. tours are offered. package deals exist with hostels and hotels. and the clothing. the clothing is interesting. in many ways, the under-20 crowd wears 80’s style clothing and hair. similarly, the american radio station we often hear is 80’s style music, ranging from big hair bands, to metal, to love songs. but yet, there’s also the mix with cell phones and internet. it seems like the older crowd might have escaped the western trends, but that fate may not be so for them youngin’s.

walked up to our hostel, dropped things off, and walked the town for awhile before heading to christmas mass. at the cathedral, just before the service started, we found a mostly empty building. by the time mass started, it was just over half full. it seems people no longer frequent church here in the way they used to; the same is true, according to the belgiums, for most of europe.

for a spanish, catholic service, it was decent. fun to watch the kids run around in the front of service while the priest does his thing. afterwards, we returned home to the hostel where tito, the owner and host, was cooking up some asada. you can’t turn down asada. little did we know that in accepting the dinner plans, we were also effectively becoming part of their family christmas dinner.

it turns out, tito recently moved from the farming world to that of hostel owner. his wife wasn’t happy in bariloche, and grandma didn’t like the fact we didn’t understand her dialect very easily. still, it was a great dinner with new friends and warm hearts. it’s amazing how random hand gestures can help bridge language barriers.

at midnight, fireworks went off throughout the city. in fairness, in every town we’ve stayed, we’ve heard at least one fireworks barrage at some point during our stay. however, this time they were bigger and might even have been organized. as we went outside to look at them, tito’s kids were surprised to find presents awaiting them at the front doorstep. even mom, dad, and grandma got something from santa.

average costs:
helado (ice cream), 1/4 kg: 21 pesos ($6)
bus from bus terminal to hostel: 12 pesos ($3)
christmas (steak) dinner with family: 50 pesos ($11)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia20

honeymoon dia 19 – lago puelo, el bolson

2011-12-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

after sleeping in, we eventually rallied and grabbed another bus, this time from el bolson to lago puelo (the lake, not the nearby town which we drove through). what a cool spot! essentially, you can drive/bus to the base of a true alpine lake. the views of tres picas (3 peaks) and other mountains at the far end of the lake reminded me of the cascade river road peaks, but with a lake – a very clear lake!

a super helpful ranger-type person greeted us and showed us where we could go. we followed some trails through a swampy area (some special name for it i’m forgetting, but basically a swamp) and then later through several arboretums which highlighted native and invasive species. the last arboretum was really a prairie, which reminded me of my 8th grade biology teacher that loved and preached prairies. this one was particularly sweet smelling and had a healthy bee population.

on our walk, we came across several cherry trees. a couple of them held prime cherries. in seeing this, carrie climbed up and picked a couple of pounds. awesome.

we proceeded to a beach area (la playita - “little beach”) and ate cherries, read a book, and enjoyed the warmth. from there, we headed up to a lookout point where you can see effectively to the chilean border (east end of the lake).

sadly, had to come down and then get the bus again. on the way home, we noticed some of the small towns setting up christmas plays outside. kind of felt weird seeing: 1. christmas-like stuff in the middle of summer here; 2. that there is so little celebration, at least decorative, of christmas. i guess that’s why it’s called a different culture.

average costs:
bus to lago puelo: 10 pesos ($2.25)
hand-picked cherries: free
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia19

honeymoon dias 16-18 – refugio hiking near el bolson

2011-12-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

we set out for some more refugio hiking, this time with refugios that were occupied and stocked with food and lodging. only one bus takes you to the starting point of the hike – wharton – and we picked it up after an hour+ of waiting for it around 1pm. awesome bus! vinyl wood-patterned floors and walls and little 6” hammers to break the windows in case of an emergency. straight out of the 60’s.

i have no idea what wharton actually is (city, town, someone’s last name, etc.), but it was essentially just a random spot on a dusty rocky road. out we went, first down to a river, and then back up. crossing the two rivers was interesting. probably not as sketchy as the one bridge we took coming out of los penitentes, but certainly attention grabbing.

i think, in cases like these, ignorance truly is bliss. meanwhile, me, and my engineering mind, sees the different sized pieces of wood, in various states of condition ranging from “ok” to “how is this still here,” and i start doing calculations of what it should theoretically hold. factoring in dynamic loads and the extra weight of our packs, and i can get pretty nervous about these crossings. of course, the additional factor i account for is history – as in, others repeatedly go across this bridge, so it’s probably okay.

safely across, we head up some dusty paths that are more road than trail. lots of horse use in this section of the hike. the waters we hike along are aptly named – rio azul (blue river). while i generally hold WA’s mountains on a pedestal when comparing other forms of natural beauty, i must admit the water here is truly remarkable thanks to the glaciers and lack of sedimentation.

signs point us on our way and soon the paths become more trail-like – which is good for me since roads seem to suck my desire like a leech. up and up we head over the river. there’s a fair amount of box canyons here, and sure enough, we need to cross one of them to get to the refugio. three tiny logs, a suspect handrail, and a 300ft drop down to the river are between us and the other side. again, they work, thankfully.

the refugio (cajon del azul) is situated beautifully on a flat meadowy area with a cliffy backyard. the owners/caretakers have created and cultivated one of the finest gardens i’ve ever seen, even more special given then brevity of the growing season. peas, lettuces, tomatoes, cherries, berries, onions, and so much more.

add to that a custom brewed beer made only at this refugio, and it’s a pretty special place. carrie was greeted by two small cats as we entered this cabin in the woods. there were 3-5 hosts and only one other group of hikers – a couple from belgium with whom we had many long conversations over the course of the next 2+ days. we ate fresh made tort (which seemed more pizza-like to us, but whatever) and had a cerverza artesenal (homemade beer).

upstairs, a stack of mattresses awaited us. sleeping bag + twin sized mattress in a cabin in the mountains with rain panging off the metal roof above = way posh.

the next day, we intended to hike to refugio helio azul, mainly to go place on/near the glaciers. the weather, however, had different plans. we departed in the rain, which gradually turned to snow the higher we got. a few hours after leaving, and starting to get cold from the soaking nature of the rain/snow + wind, we opted to stay at the closest refugio – refugio natacion.

we arrived around noon to a very cold building. a young woman wearing thick leggings and a young man wrapped in a sleeping bag greeted us. we were cold and just wanted heat. inside a stone building with stone floors with no fire going was not warm. the guy started a fire (meager at best) and we slowly thawed. eventually the woman, who seemed to do 90% of the work around the place, was fed up with the fire and tossed a lot more on. ahh. warmth.

our belgium friends arrived an hour later and the four of us stood around the barrel stove, trying to stay warm, for the next 10 hours. we ate some homemade lentil stew and had another cerveza artesenal before heading out for a snowball fight. eventually we packed it in for the night. this refugio was not quite as posh, and neither was the sleeping quarters. we opted to grab a thin mattress and sleep next to the fire, which surprisingly only burned for another hour or so without the addition of new wood.

morning came and we awoke to blue skies and about 8” of snow on the ground. pretty cool pre-christmas snowfall in the otherwise hot southern locale of argentina. equally cool being in the mountains in a little cabin.

we packed and headed out and navigated through the snow-covered forest floors. glad we had experience otherwise we likely would have gotten lost many times as the forests here do not offer the same obvious paths as found in the cascades.

soon enough, back to wharton. we called a taxi, which came out to the same price per person as the bus (rode with our belgium buds), and waited outside the only apparent business in wharton – a bar/restaurant.

back in el bolson, we ate at a buffet, headed back to the hostel, and slept – for 14 hours. i think the cold refugio wore us out.

average costs:
bus to wharton: 10 pesos ($2.25)
torte pizza at refugio: 40 pesos ($9)
1L cerveza artesenal: 30 pesos ($6.75)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia1618

honeymoon dia 15 – el bolson

2011-12-23T19:45:00.001-08:00

had a good, fresh cooked breakfast at the hostel and left town at 8:45. 4hrs more on a bus to bariloche where ash from the nearby erupting volcano partially cluttered the sky. then, a quick transfer and another 3hrs to el bolson where we’ll be for a few days.

did all the usual stuff – checking in with the tourism offices, local places of interest, and so forth. walked gravel roads for awhile and finally caught up with our birds that squeak like bike horns – the buff-necked ibis. funny creatures.

i was tired for some reason and highly unmotivated. carrie, being that loving wife of mine, let us go back to the hostel at a reasonable hour. she made one heck of a steak (in a pan!) and we dined like kings and queens. by the end of our trip, our ferritin levels should be sky high with all the steaks.

average costs:
hostel, queen sized bed!: 150 pesos ($33)
bottle of wine: 25 pesos ($5)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia15

honeymoon dia 14 – junin de los andes

2011-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

after the 12hr bus ride, we picked up another bus (6hrs) to junin de los andes. nice and small town, the way i like ‘em. famous for its fly fishing, it attracts a few tourists, and prices reflect it a bit, but still not bad. our goal here was to climb the nearby volcano – lanin. unfortunately, weather’s forecast to roll in just about when we’d be going up it, so rather than top out on the snowy summit at 3776m in 110km/h winds, we left town and headed further south the next day.

while in town, we walked some of the gravel roads, hung out in the central park where a stray male dog gave his best efforts in courting a female dog, and had a nice dinner at a restaurant with a solo waiter that was clearly overmatched. he looked at us roughly 38 times before coming over to serve us. very strange.

our hostel host was super friendly; even greeted us with the customary argentinean cheek-to-check kiss thing. i find it amusing to enter various hostels across south america only to see the hosts sitting down and watching the simpsons in spanish. just not the same...

average costs:
large pizza: 39 pesos ($9)
1L stout beer: 20 pesos ($5)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia14

honeymoon dia 13 – mendoza/bus

2011-12-23T19:39:00.000-08:00

today was a break day, for the most part. caught up on seattle-life stuff and blog and picked up a bus that would take us SW to nequen – some 12hrs SW. fortunately, that 12hrs was from 7pm – 7am, so not too bad. on the way down, we passed through several towns with very busy main streets (here, the main street is either San Martin or 9 de Julio, reflecting their history --- essentially the equivalent to the US calling its main streets 4th of July). i am continually amazed with how thriving these small towns seem to be. not many people, but all the streets have a lot of activity, a lot of small stores, and a lot of people interacting. it’s kind of how i picture the US being in the 1950s before big department and chain stores eroded the middle class. similarly, i am continually impressed by the quality and number of city parks. they’re all so clean, well-designed, and used. no homeless population or scary people/parts like i often see in the US.

average costs:
bus: 285 pesos ($63)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia13

honeymoon dias 9-12 – eastern slopes of the andes

2011-12-23T17:23:00.001-08:00

mountain time. grabbed a 10am bus towards the andes. the bus followed route 7 (basically an interstate road, but with only 1 lane in each direction for most of it). a double decker bus again, it twisted and wound its way up the mountains. this is the main road crossing the andes into chile. the final 4km of road near the border goes through a tunnel. the old route through used to follow a series of steep (10% grade), dirt and gravel switchbacks up to a pass where the statue cristo de redentor stands at 3890m elevation. the current road is open all winter long, though only during daylight hours. we observed a great deal of bus and semi-truck traffic passing to and fro.

our stop was at los penitentes. in the winter, it’s a ski town – albeit it quite small compared to what we’re used to in the US. now, in the summer, it’s a ghost town. we were fortunate enough to talk with a knowledgeable guide that was in a nearby parking lot, assisting with towing a broken down vehicle. he gave us the beta necessary to plan out our few days here. his suggestion: cross the bridge over the de las cuevas river, walk 3km along the train tracks, and then head up a valley via trail.

no sweat on the route details. the hard part was starting out at 8400ft elevation after coming from 3000ft in mendoza. as soon as you cross the river, things feel very big and civilization far away, even through you’re on train tracks and essentially paralleling the interstate.

lots of trails here too, few of which were created by man. instead, there are free ranging horses, mules, and cattle everywhere. lots of dead ones too, often lying in the main creek coming down the valley. who has their water filter? immediately on our hike, we saw a recently deceased cow being devoured by hawks and other birds of prey.

i never seem to acclimatize well, whereas carrie does (not sure if that’s a product of where we grew up, or just random). so, as the trail headed steeply up the valley, it was tough. in fact, during parts of the trip, i felt it was tougher than rainier, mainly because of the scree everywhere.

four hours later, we arrived at the refugio, our home for the night. normally, when i think of refugio, i think refuse, as in trash. well, that was true here as parties have left behind food, camping equipment, and other things. here, the refugio was a small structure capable of hosting 3-4 people for a night’s sleep. we set up our tent, made some food, and watched the southern hemisphere stars emerge. they sure are bright and clear at 10,500ft.

morning dawned and we headed for the summit of los penitentes, some 3700ft above us – basically the height of rainier. it was a slog. i don’t like using that word much as i feel it detracts from the essence and beauty of hiking, but it was today. scree everywhere. sucking wind for me. still feeling sick. many steps later, we were on the summit. great views in all directions. very colorful rocks on all the neighboring peaks. a couple glaciers here and there, and of course, views of south america’s highest mountain, acongogua.

a 15 minute siesta on the summit in the warm sun, and down we went. headaches slowly diminished by the time we reached camp. packed up and headed out. we dropped about 1000ft from camp to another spot. we were both dehydrated and heads were throbbing. clear water is hard to find here; it seems to be either silty and semi-clear or just plain reddish-brown and something you’d only drink at last resort.

we set up camp sheltered partially by a large boulder with a femur bone beneath it. we’d later find bones set underneath overhanging rocks in many locations. local superstition?

an okay sunset with a field of flowers in front of us gave way to a chilly night. it is certainly desert-like here with its warm temps in the day (no clouds either) and cool temps at night. more wonderfully bright stars above.

the next morning we headed out. at the de las cuevas river, instead of walking back the 3km to the original bridge, we found another bridge essentially even with where the valley joins the main river valley. only this bridge was sketch. a combination of guardrails, 3x3 cross-slats, and broken 2x10s, all suspended by some ½” diameter cables. meanwhile, a rushing, muddy river raged underfoot.

fortunately, it held.

back to the road, we crossed over and walked west along the opposite side, sometimes passing through random ski slopes (like a single T-bar and parking for a dozen vehicles). 4km later, we were at puente del inca – a former hot springs resort, now dysfunctional because of excessive mineralization over the facade of the hotel. now, it’s a tourist attraction in itself.

we had three or so hours to wait until the next bus came to take us further up the road. we waited for a bit, but then carrie stuck out her thumb and we got a ride from a nice guy in a pickup truck. he drove fast and seemingly crazily, though i think it’s the norm here. when i say crazy, i mean something like passing on double yellow lines, on a blind corner, while going over a vertical curve. safe and sound, we arrived at las cuevas, the last town before the tunnel. a few restaurants here, but clearly, a town that time has passed by. seems like it might have peaked around 30 years ago, perhaps when the train still ran.

we followed the train tracks for a bit, and then the road. as the road headed left through the tunnel, we headed right up a valley recommended by the guide we met a few days earlier. cool valley for sure and it would have been nice to have a few more days here.

two relatively clear waterfalls quenched our thirsts and one of them even gave an extremely cold shower. essentially, count to three, fall forward against the rock wall with cascading water, stay in it as long as you can stand, and get out. the sun and breeze dried us off quickly, although a bit coldly.

we camped just under the falls, not too far from where the clear water met the red water of the main river. it was cold in this valley because of the winds. stars came out, but were partially blocked by passing clouds. at least we got to see some heat lightning which was occurring a valley over and causing our now clear skies to light up.

the next day we hiked out and back to las cuevas. had a few hours to kill there before the bus, so we read and then talked with a guy from uruguay for awhile. the bus came, and we got front row seats on the doubledecker. scary as shit for me! not only do the drivers drive fast and aggressive, the roads seldom have guardrails and almost never have shoulders. combine that with narrow lanes, a big bus, and a skewed perspective from being 20ft in the air (our seats), most of the ride felt like we were either driving in the gravel or going over the edge of a corner. the 15 tunnels we passed through also got your attention as there couldn’t have been more than 1ft between the corner of the bus and the walls of the tunnel. somehow, we lived to tell about it.

200 km back to mendoza, checked into our hostel again, and took needed showers.

average costs:
bus: 27 pesos ($6)
all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia912

honeymoon dia 8 – mendoza

2011-12-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

if yesterday was walking day, today was biking day. we headed out to wine country, which mendoza is well known for. we boarded a public bus and were whisked away to the vineyards, just over an hour outside of the city. a nice “stranger” on the bus said: “if you’re here to rent bikes and ride wine country, go to mr. hugo’s.” he proceeded to give basic directions to us and two other couples. of course, when we arrived at mr. hugo’s to rent our bikes, he was also the one completing the rental process.

the bikes were of suspect quality and quite difficult to pedal. i swear there was something within the bottom bracket that intentionally slowed things down.

biking was interesting. certainly no shoulders for 90% of it, but traffic was also light. plus, drivers in argentina seem to be quite attentive, albeit a little aggressive at times. most of the streets were again lined with the big, green trees and an irrigation ditch. carrie nailed the navigation and had the entire area figured out immediately.

we stopped at five wineries, one olive oil tasting room, and one chocolatier/liqueur. at our first two wineries, we were the only ones there. just us, the server, and fields of grapes with mountainous backdrops. it was essentially a private affair. the next two wineries had more people, but still never more than six. our last winery was the best in terms of a tour. the host was highly informed, liberated, and funny. first he would speak in spanish to most of the group; then for us, he’d start out by saying: “okay guys, ...” and then continue with his english-translated version of what he just said. every time it was “okay guys.”

lots of good malbec wines down here, though my favorite part of the day was the olive oil tour. never knew how olive oil was made; now we do. they showed us both the old way, and the new way – both are very innovative.

we finished the day with some chocolate and liqueur. the chocolate was nothing special, but we both enjoyed our liqueurs. from there, we biked back to mr. hugo’s where a party was starting. after you drop off your bike, you’re entitled to a much wine as you want. they pour it out of a pitcher into your plastic cups. sounds fun, but the wine was pretty bad. we each had a glass and proceeded to find our bus home.

average costs:
bike rental: 45 pesos/each ($9)
wine tasting and tour: 20 pesos ($5)

all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia8

honeymoon dia 7 – mendoza

2011-12-17T10:22:00.000-08:00

today was walking day. i estimate 10-12 miles. like always, the sun was out and shining bright.

one of the things we’ve noticed in argentina is the abundance of stray dogs. they just hang out on the streets or sidewalks. no apparent owners. just there. today, we met a friendly little fellow that really took a liking to us. as we were waiting at an intersection, this little guy came up to us. i petted him and played with him a bit. he gnawed on my feet playfully. it was a good start.

soon enough, we found we had a follower. he walked with us for at least a mile, if not two. like the big guy on the block, he’d stick his nose in anything he wanted to. chase down birds. bark at any biker or motorcycle. he even showed his dominance over a much larger dog. pretty much owned him. he’d jump in and out of the irrigation trenches. find food. etc. pretty cool little guy. we lost him when we went inside for groceries and missed him for the rest of the day.

onward, we went, to a large park. all kinds of things here (velodrome, mountain bike park, pond, soccer stadium, and big trees for siesta-ing). climbed up a hill with a statue on it. ate more ice cream. the trees in the city are very bright green and spacious. they really do make a nice spot for relaxing, as a lot of the locals demonstrate.

then, on to del rosedal – a park surrounding a lake/pond with roses and more trees! we also found some water, which was much needed. it’s easy to get dehydrated around here as there does not seem to be a lot of free water, as you’d find in the US. makes sense why most people are carrying around a 2L bottle of water.

at the park, we siestad and watched birds and bees – literally. capped off the night with a fine steak dinner, though it’s disappointing that a lot of the vegetables seem to be either not fresh or simply canned. i guess the hyperfreshness found in the US is something we take for granted, even though i’m sure it costs us (environmentally) a ton.

average costs:
popsicle: 2 x 13 pesos (2 for $3)
steak dinner: 50 pesos ($11)

all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia7#

honeymoon dia 6 – mendoza

2011-12-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

we packed up and said goodbye to our little coastal town. i really like it here. walked to the bus station, boarded, and got upperdeck seats. let me tell you, those upperdeckers really help you sleep well. before we knew it, we had arrived at the montevideo airport, ready to fly to buenos aires and then mendoza.

turns out, we were about 7 hours early, but the check-in person rushed us through, made some calls, had the current flight held for a few more minutes, and more. heck we were even rushed through security (right to the front of the line) and immigration. in the US, we’d be treated as terrorists or told to wait for our originally scheduled flight. not here. pretty sweet.

arriving in mendoza in the evening, we were greeted with warmth – the temperature kind. whew. hot.

we took a taxi from the airport to our hostel, made possible only through the help of carrie. he didn’t really know the location, despite us having an address and a map with the printed route. after finding three other hostels, eventually we got to ours. thanks dear!

dropped off stuff and walked the town. lots of parks. much more low key too. clean. all good things. they have an interesting system here – basically an irrigation system that comes from the eastern slopes of the andes, created hundreds of years ago. alongside every street in the city, there is a trench, about 2ft wide and 2-3ft deep. this ditch, along with now very large and old trees, line both sides of the street. it keeps the city cool, which is much needed. how frequently the trenches are flooded is unknown to me, but i suspect far less often than they used to be. when we passed their water reservoir (i.e. dam), we could see a bathtub ring lining it. we’ve also been told the glaciers on this side of the andes range are nearly all melted. add that to population growth and you get less water – like with every other place on the planet.

an interesting note: mendoza is the first place i’ve seen carrie not immediately able to grasp orientation and direction. she even had to rotate the map a few times!

average costs:
taxi (fixed fee from airport): 31 pesos ($7)

honeymoon dia 5 – la paloma

2011-12-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

a peaceful night of sleep was had. hard not to when all you hear is the ocean crashing nearby.

today, there was no agenda other than beach time. life’s a beach sometimes, but someone’s gotta do it.

from la paloma, we walked the beach northward for miles towards and beyond aptly named costa azul. the sand recently kissed by the waves offered bluish mirror-like reflections. que bonita!

i’m not sure how we didn’t get burned more (me, my feet; carrie, her shoulders) by the sun, given the 10+ hours in it. that’s more sunlight than seattle saw this past year until june i think.

before hitting the grocery store for food, we savored some well-earned helado. sometimes, i have no idea how these businesses survive. you sell two ice cream cones in the matter of an hour during what seems like a prime time of the year, and yet you can stay open? i guess things are a little different here in the south.

we made dinner, headed to the beach, and watched the sunset with our food and wine.

average costs:
helado, 2 scoops: 65 pesos ($3.25)

all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia5

honeymoon dia 4 – la paloma

2011-12-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

lazy start to the day. i’m feeling plenty sick by now (likely picked up in seattle before we left). we packed up, walked back to the bus station, and boarded for another 3 hr ride to la paloma, a very small coastal town.

the buses are interesting. they’re really nice, comfortable, and almost luxurious. they’re big cruisers, too, the kind you would think would only stop at high end bus terminals. nope. these buses stop turn onto random, small streets, pick up 1 or 2 people at a time, drop people off wherever they want, and so forth. the system works, it’s just a bit weird to see.

la paloma is as advertised. incredibly quiet. only a few cars here or there. seems to have two of each of the basic stores (grocery, gas, ice cream) and that’s it. we checked into our hostel, our first shared bedroom, and were amused by a local frog near the entry to the hostel. every 20-30 seconds it would give off a creeaaa sound --- something like a squeaky wooden door combined with a cat.

after dropping off the goods, we headed down to the beach where 90* sunny weather greeted us. walked and walked and walked. nice to feel sand on the bare feet. watched the sun set.

average costs:
pineapple: 70 pesos ($3.50)

all photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia4#

honeymoon dia 3 – montevideo

2011-12-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

dia 3 – montevideo
the name buenos aires might have been true before the automobile, but it is not today unless you enjoy the smell of diesel and the omnipresence of second hand smoke. so, we were not sad to depart, though the early ferry schedule could have been pushed back a bit later. while we were ready on time, our cab driver hadn’t a clue how to get to the ferry terminal: drive. turn around. go back the opposite direction. call the base. turn around again. proceed. stop. ask us again where we’re going. call base. ask us again. pull in somewhere and ask some random guys. proceed. and viola. we’re there!

made the ferry on time. boarded. and were whisked away to a foreign country – neighboring uruguay. while it sure seemed like we were crossing the atlantic ocean due to the size of the waterbody, it was actually just the mouth of the uruguay river. big guy!

we docked in colonia – a small town at the SW corner of the country. our understanding is that it’s becoming a touristy town. we’d agree, though it was still a very peaceful change from the life in BA. the roads are hundreds of years old and rough cobblestone. very little automobile traffic. most people are walking; but then again, most people you see are tourists. operation hours for most of the museums and businesses are 11-5, if that.

we moseyed around. looked at the big river we’d just crossed. went up the narrow stairs of the lighthouse for nice panoramic views. ate lunch at a corner restaurant overlooking one of the bays. upon receiving our bill, we learned that we’d be charged for the “ambience” of our seating location as well as the nice glasses and plates they used for us (standard wine glasses and dinner plates?). well, we figured that the extra 60 pesos charge should also include the waiter’s tip. proceeded to hit up a few museums of local history. interesting to see that some of the buildings utilize up to five different building designs (floors, walls, ceilings, etc) even though each building is very small. also interesting to observe that several thousand rocks of nearly identical character can be placed in display cases and be called historic.

we grabbed the bus to montevideo in the afternoon and got a few hours of siesta. siestas are much nicer when the bus isn’t freezing cold, as it was this time. alas.

montevideo was a nice change for a city after B.A. the streets were clean and it was definitely a more relaxed pace. we schlepped our bags for a mile or so from the bus stop to our hostel. definite improvement in hostel condition (new paint, floors, a bathroom that doesn’t have the shower head spraying down at the toilet without a wall between the two). super friendly hosts too. in fact, they cooked a nice steak, chorizo, and veggie dinner over a wood fired grill. the drawback: took forever (2+ hours) for the food and was served over a 90 minute period. the plus: awesome taste. one of the best steaks i’ve had.

we each had a 1L beer and chatted with the other hostel guests (sweedish girls, german guy, irish guy, some brits, and more). amazing how much they travel. also amazing how much they smoke (every single one of the ~15). nights get late fast in south america, which is likely a product of the late starts and the midday siestas.

average costs:
steak dinner: 300 pesos uruguay ($15)

all photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia3

honeymoon day 2 – buenos aires

2011-12-09T04:13:00.001-08:00

started with some free breakfast at the hostel, the only kind there should be. pretty basic croissants and such, but with a really enjoyable yogurt. mmm.

carrie led us to the subte for some underground transit fun. that thing was packed. up close and personal with a few thousand folks. did i mentions argentinians are aggressive? actually, it’s quite a refreshing trait in my view. it’s something i myself have lost and something i see lost in a lot of americans. the “go get it if you want it” attitude.

we spent the morning hours walking around parques within buenos aires, mostly arboretum style. a lot of interesting trees here. carrie specifically enjoyed the “sensory” section along with the ferule cats that call the parque home. i found out public facilities in this particular parque do not have toilet paper nor toilet seats in the men’s room. awesome times when you’re feeling a bit sick.

after that we pressed onto a japanese garden. high cost of entry there (2 pesos). en route we saw several dog walkers. carrie enjoyed seeing them since, well, there are a bunch of dogs and one person, and two, it just seems so out of place in BA. then, we sat and watched a little futbol with some parakeets for our friends.

we ate lunch and headed into a museum of decorative arts – essentially a building that housed goods from a turn-of-the-century house in BA. then, onto our free argentinian symphony. we stopped by the day before to inquire about tickets. turns out, they’re free somehow. must be that 22% sales tax in the country. before getting to the show, which started at 8:30pm (on a tuesday), we grabbed dinner. the wine offerings were in quantities of 137ml (one glass), 1/2 (half a bottle) and 3/4 (full bottle). our words failed to register with our waiter, so instead of a glass of wine each before the show, we got a full bottle. let’s just say that bottle helped me get through the show a little more easily.

average costs:
subway – 5 pesos ($1.10)
park – free
symphony – free

all photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia2#

honeymoon day 1 – buenos aires

2011-12-09T03:56:00.001-08:00

4hrs to houston, 10 to buenos aires. international flight way better than domestic --- more leg room, less people, continual running free movies repeated every 2.5 hours. what more can one ask for? had some nice views of the cascades while leaving washington too, so that was fun to ID some of the peaks we’ve climbed.

upon arriving in BA, it was difficult to find a place to get pesos. eventually, carrie tracked it down and we were on our way to catch el autobus to the downtown BA area where our hostels was located. slow bus fo r sure. endless stoplights for the entire route. lots of people on the bus too. finalamente, our stop. only 10 blocks to lug our stuff (PS: why did we bring so much stuff?)

checked in, dropped off our stuff, and headed out for a walk.
- first observation: no standardization whatsoever in the sidewalk design. holes everywhere. mostly about 2 people wide , but with 3 people on them. aggressive locals for sure.
-second observation: lots of people. on transit. on sidewalks. in cars. this city is alive. and it flows well somehow. cars mostly obey the lights, but pedestrians don’t. it’s quite the dance between the motorized and non-motorized crowds.
-third observation: buses. i think buses are the number one vehicle on the roads here. it’s virtually an endless stream. if we went more than 30 seconds without seeing one i’d be shocked. the crazy part is that most of them are full, with standing room only.
-fourth observation: density. every city block is flowing with people and traffic. there is shop after shop along every street and next to no chain stores besides the magazine stand and the candy shops. each store has customers. each store has a lot of employees, even when very small, which most are. most stores have a security guard on duty, sometimes multiple guards. most guards are staring lazily out the window or checking something on their smartphones. each store closes down the storefront at the end of each night with one of those metal barriers that pull down over the windws. each barrier is covered in graffiti.
-fifth observation: garbage. everywhere. the weird thing, though, is that the garbage appears to be in a state of flux. people toss out their garbage bags on to the streets. the clibo truck will come by, park for awhile, and rip open all of the bags of garbage, sorting the refuse for recyclables. they appear to recycle glass, aluminum, and paper --- but all of it appears to be sorted by the garbage collection company on the street. when you walk by a sidewalk at one point in the day, it could be covered deep in garbage. hours later, it’s clean.

walking was difficult for the both of us. carrie’s shoes were giving her blisters while her hips were painful and stiff from the transit. my hip hurt, as it’s been doing the past several weeks, and my back just doesn’t like standing or walking unless it’s in the form of hiking (i think the backpack helps things). still, we spent most of the day walking to and fro. carrie’s a natural at finding her way through a big city, even in a different language.

because the flow of pedestrian traffic really pushes you, we didn’t see much. we took some time out to check out a cathedral, which was nice since there was a downpour just about to begin, and then some other places with interesting architecture.

walking the streets back to the hostel was literally night and day. far fewer people out at night, though a new street level economy opens up. instead of the incessant traffic and noise, it was actually a bit peaceful. felt fairly safe too.

average costs:
-bus: 2 pesos ($.50)
-entre: 40-50 pesos ($10)
-wine: 40 pesos ($9)

all photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/mlh4480/HoneymoonDia1#

reflecting on 30

2010-04-02T00:20:00.001-07:00

well, the big 3-0 is approaching and boy am i feeling it. life now seems a great deal different than it did at 28 and certainly different than 26. compared to 22, i barely recognize the person i am. if i look at age 12, i would say that person and the one i am today are not related.

but, that’s the beauty of life – you don’t know where it’s going no matter how much you plan or how hard you try. the beauty can often and easily be mistaken for challenge. i guess in a sense they’re one-in-the-same. all that’s certain is that you’re born, live, and die. everything else is somewhat random.

i’ve been intending to again immerse myself in writing, as there are many emotional and confusing elements affecting my life at present. for most of the past 10 months following the bike accident, i’d deemed writing about such things as trivial, since, as i sat there and compared these things to THE thing (aka my fractured femur), these things felt menial, trivial, and like i should no longer be able to waste my and anyone else’s time to process them. but, as i’ve been learning of late, it’s what i need to do. heck, i don’t even care anymore if anyone reads this; i just need to write. following my 2009 summary letter that i sent to many people, and the surprising lack of responses, i figure no one cares enough to comment or read anyway, so here goes:

age 1:
apparently i had a seizure. my grandfather beat the ambulances to the house i was in after my mom called him. no apparent damage done.

age 2:
brewers make the playoffs. at the one of the games, in late innings, i’m sound asleep. something happens to make the crowd go wild and in doing so, i wet my pants.

age 3:
cracker jacks like to stick to my face. flew on the kiddie airplanes at great america.

From 2010 blog

age 4:
probably learned how to ride a bike. stole guitar keychain from local convenience store and my mom makes me return it, kicking, screaming, and crying.

age 5:
last year before school would take hold for the next 18 years. aunt was murdered near my birthday. started playing t-ball.

age 6:
kindergarten starts. cast handprints in some clay and paint it gold. become friends with kevin, who would be close through most of high school.

age 7:
super interested in dinosaurs and form a cool kids club where, during recess, we could play with our dinosaurs underneath a table in the classroom. complete my first baseball card set, probably forcing my parents to buy about 10 boxes of cards (with gum!) to get the entire 1987 topps set, which was ultimately an ugly set. placed in LEAP: learning advanced enriched program

age 8:
only kid in class to start in the red reading group. became best friends with brion and we spent many hours playing NES baseball games such as base wars, baseball stars, and bases loaded 2 – all quality games even now in hindsight... nothing like a game where you can be baseball playing robots with machine guns and laser swords to fight out whether you’re safe when stealing a base. spend majority of summer playing NES, swimming, and eating junk food.

age 9:
a new popular kid moves to town and steals the show in school. my group and i unite against his in a quest to get the most popular kid in our group to get a date with the hot girl (umm, a 3rd grader). by the end of the school year, we’re all super close friends, and that new kid, matt, becomes my best friend for many years to come. dissecting cow tongues prompts me to magically “be sick” that day. 3rd grade teacher challenges me to timed math competition and loses.

age 10:
group of friends spends tons of time playing in the woods behind my house, cutting down trees and having fires – including the random tire fire which resulted in a ticket for my dad. we also decide to play ding dong ditch on about the entire neighborhood – spanning some 2 miles in any direction. many post-midnight adventures were had. start picking up the slack for my sisters and their paper routes by negotiating business deals with them for payment of my services.

age 11:
total crush on my 5th grade teacher. i would go into work with my mom on some weekends and type electronic letters and save them on a big 5.5” floppy disk for my teacher to read. i have no idea what we conversed about. last year in elementary school marks my 6th and final top 3 finish in the annual school pumpkin carving contest – which my mom basically won for me. a class assignment is to come up with a slogan you wish to live your life by; mine reads: don’t take life for granted --- something i try to abide by today, but mostly fail miserably at. also have first crush on girl in my class – mindy. left her a teddy bear and a note on the bench at her house; no response.

age 12:
probably the start of my sarcastic, less appealing nature following a day in an art class where half the class completely picked on me for being fat and having a lot of facial moles. one girl titles me: mole boy. hurt from that day lasts quite awhile, probably until the start of college when people seemed to see you differently. get my first true job as a paperboy, pedaling that bike about 6 miles x 6 days per week with an early sunday morning route in the family station wagon mostly with my dad.

age 13:
money from paper route starts rolling in. i spend a good deal of it, inexplicably, on clothes and looking good – or at least what i thought was good at the time. IOU is the biggest brand in my closet. hairdo switches from buzz cut to a little longer to where i can put a gel in it – stiff stuff – and spike it up; hair is so sharp it pops balloons at school functions. baseball skills finally start to come around and our team is one of the best in the area. my dad takes me and kevin to great america several times per week after school – an inexplicable amount of driving. get my ass kicked by a kid on a chorus field trip after making fun of him.

age 14:
wear all bright-orange outfit to school (still thinking it’s cool). at least i had a black belt. in chorus, i cannot reach the bass level, instead topping out at baritone. at that moment, i decide chorus isn’t for me, eliminating what was once the best singing voice in my school. start weightlifting, but have that derailed with a broken arm after jumping off a golf cart and stumbling. baseball team wins league championship.

age 15:
paper route switches to morning hours. i’m out riding my bike at 3:00am! recall seeing a car fire on the nearby highway and being frightened. however, a good portion of the nights seemed to have clear skies and i recall staring up at the pitch blackness and bright twinkling stars. only once do i recall the weather being bad – a -25* night where my facemask became entirely frozen by the time i got home. final season of baseball where i’m actually a good player. matt attends private catholic school and somehow we became closer friends. his family now becomes my family.

age 16:
after getting license, i hold down three jobs simultaneous (paper route, fast food cook at hardees, and clerk at video store). still manage all A’s in school. video store job results in memorizing about 200 phone numbers and 400 movie numbers; i currently have about 5 numbers memorized now and that feels like the limit. weightlifting sets in and sends me down the path of health and exercise.

age 17:
get C+ on a quiz in AP government that accounted for maybe 2% of overall grade. at that point, i determine that school is stupid and not worth my effort. education was never the same since that unfortunate date. disrespect for teachers immediately soars. instead of focusing sarcasm and negativity on fellow students, it shifts to teachers. love for the milwaukee bucks is at an all time high. recall being very focal at games with my dad – something about as far away from my current life as i could picture.

age 18:
win 2nd straight school weightlifting competition for my weight class. spanish teacher offers me the opportunity to take 5th year class because i’m bored with the 4th year stuff; i decline since i no longer enjoy homework. calculus teacher and AP chem teachers are the last teachers i ever care about. quit all jobs to work summer construction job, changing the future of my profession once in college from medicine to civil engineering.

age 19:
first year at wisconsin-madison. spend way too much time with the guys on my dorm room floor playing quake and eventually watching dragonballz; happy times and certainly part of college, but not the most productive use of time. first serious girlfriend who would later move in with me at my parents house that summer (what was i thinking?). become friends with ben and qi and the good times roll. have my first taste of alcohol after being peer pressured by kevin and matt who are visiting for halloween.

age 20:
somehow stumble upon an asce meeting. i attend, discover the steel Bridge team, and am hooked. finally, something inspires me to try again. team competes and qualifies for nationals. nationals we do okay, but not good enough for me. also get plenty of excitement over the concrete canoe team and the races. become incredibly close friends with brandan and mike. live in madison for the entire year. house i grew up in is sold and the property split in half. i visit the area and the sight of that yard where i had many good memories is tough to swallow. many years later, i would retun and be sickened by the development of the entire area.

age 21:
2 year relationship ends with girlfriend; a new one would start up soon thereafter after i hit on her with the line of “i bet my friend $20 you would slap me in the face.” i lost the bet. live with ben and another guy at the edge of campus. tackle each other into snowbanks during a december snow dump. play music so loudly we should have been evicted or issued a citation. dedication to bridge and canoe skyrockets. squeak by to nationals for both. Bridge is dq’d and crushing; canoe team overall sucks, but paddling team does best ever – 3rd overall. i blame myself for brandan and i not winning men’s sprint race. on my way to indianapolis to visit my mom for christmas, i fall asleep while driving and roll my car about 7 times. slight scratch near my eye and a pebble size piece of glass in my hand. the 1984 buick somehow saves my life as i got up out of the car and walked the snow-covered grass median until the ambulance got there.

age 22:
madison is host of asce 150th anniversary and subsequent national student competitions for Bridge and canoe. i’m co-chair for Bridge, lead paddler, and president of chapter while working 30 hour weeks as student union short-order breakfast cook and supervisor. not sure where my energy came from during those times. Bridge team gets penalty that costs us national championship; canoe takes 5th overall, but races we placed 2nd, 3rd, and 4th – gut wrenching and emotionally destroying. following the competition (june 24, the same date as my bike accident in 2009), i can no longer function at work (construction). during solo work, i sit and cry and cry, eventually quitting because i can no longer function. meanwhile, help brandan and cj build their own house. girl on bridge team tells me that i intimidated her – likely resulting in the start of the collapse of my confidence and relative alpha-male behavior.

age 23:
final out the college stuff –barely. graduate midyear and take job in milwaukee in a civil engineering position. weird hours on a road project. still involved with Bridge and canoe in a similar role to the year before. spend 10 hours working, drive 2 hrs to madison, do Bridge and canoe stuff for several hours (like midnight paddling on a frozen lake and river), go to the gym to workout, drive 2 hours back to milwaukee (normally sleeping at a park n ride) and getting 4 hours of sleep for the next day. destroy national competition for Bridge, but take 2nd because my nut thread gets gunked up, costs an extra 3 seconds, and drops us out of the lead. win the canoe races in perhaps the greatest instantaneous feeling of my life. lose job. most of summer is a blur, tying up loose ends for the asce chapter. get another construction job and fall during work while remodeling, smashing a toilet on top of me and messing up my back. aimlessly wander in the job world and send resumes to seattle because that’s where mike is applying. land job and move.

age 24:
new place, new things, very isolated. try to get my feet wet with a bunch of things. work isn’t all that great. hard to meet people in seattle. start training for marathon. this is the last time my body will ever be healthy and young-feeling. start making some friends near the end of the first year in seattle. go on about 20 first dates. feeling very homesick, but i discover hiking and i’m hooked.

age 25:
life is picking up. start playing soccer and biking a lot. bulk up muscularly and am at strongest upper body condition of my life. mike moves out and we tear up the activity town. first trip we do, my IT band flares up. what’s an IT band? life feels mostly carefree.

age 26:
train and compete in first, and likely only, ironman. much potential, but always stricken down by injury and poor race performances. becomes very emotionally challenging to have injury constantly in my life. first bout of depression likely sets in. hiking season is prematurely shut down because of IT band. suddenly, life no longer feels innocent.

age 27:
my dad and i bike across the country and it changes how i view the rest of my life going – trying to get back to that 5th grade phrase. come back to seattle a changed person – on all levels. head out for a hike and meet hollywood and jt and mountains are forever changed in how i experience them. my truest athletic passion is formed and now supported. suddenly, life seems to have fun back in it. purchase first home.

age 28:
was going to be the year i would qualify for the ironman world championships. accident and injury derail those hopes and any motivation i had left. by this point, the on and off nature of the injuries crushed my willpower. relationship with mary is also on and off and crushes me repeatedly, but eventually spits me out a better person. i learn much about myself and emotions through counseling and introspective blog writing. it’s the first time in life i feel tired.

age 29:
without hope for ironmans, mountains become sole focus. start heading out on some bigger more challenging trips. join mountaineers class where i meet carrie and fall in love. feel like a kid again with her. everything is truly ideal. truck hits me. life changes. haven’t been able to shake the funk ever since. now truly feel robbed of innocence as i feel i won’t get back to what was physically or psychologically. while at the beginning of age 29 i felt like i really had found my happiness, my ideal lifestyle, by the end of 29, i can barely recall what the beginning of it felt like.

more to come....

the crutch

2009-10-12T22:33:00.001-07:00

the other night, while straightening up the garage a little bit to fill the new shelves i built, i came across my crutches. i’ve been off them now nearly as long as i was on them. for kicks, i decided to see how they felt – not like i’ve forgotten the ‘feel’ of having a broken leg or anything like that.

using just the right leg as my good leg, i swung around freely on them. it seemed much easier than it used to. perhaps it’s an indication of just how much concentration was required to negotiate through the menial surroundings. or maybe it’s just that i don’t have to worry anymore if i accidently put weight on my leg. when i switched it around, pretending my right leg was the injured leg, i quickly saw how uncoordinated i became.

instantly, it triggered memories of relative paralysis. the most vivid example i can think of occurred while watching carrie’s triathlon. at the park it was held at, near the beach, there was a little hill coming down off the sidewalk. it was probably four feet high and sloping down at 30 degrees. while i stood there on the crutches, seeing my destination all of ten feet away, i froze. i couldn’t make it down this hill. my foot would give out for sure, or worse yet, my crutches. any fall would result in tremendous pain since at that point, bending my leg was a two-handed process. reluctantly accepting my temporary reality, i crutched the several hundred feet along the sidewalk to a point where i could access the grass safely. later that day, i cried hard from a feeling of being trapped in a body that didn’t work, with a mind that couldn’t wait to get out.

and that brings me to my current dilemma – i still feel trapped. yes, life has resumed to mostly normal activities, in spite of the constant pain i have, but my mind has yet to follow suit. it’s stuck. i have these images plastered to my memory bank, and that seems to be the only thing i can remember from life PA (pre-accident). the imagine most engrained – okay, there are two – is of carrie and me.

image 1: we get done biking near entiat, which is a very desert-like area in central WA. it was a hot day with upper 90s and pure, direct sun. throw in a challenging bike ride, and by the time we’re done, we’re roasting in the afternoon heat. carrie suggests/demands a dip in the columbia river, which at this time of the year is getting assaulted with melting waters from a deep snowpack and glaciers. with water temperatures likely only a few degrees above freezing, we inch our way in. it was piercingly cold and the looks on our faces must have been priceless. the only look i remember is hers, and when i combine that with the excitement associated with the start of the relationship and the dramatic shift in body temperature, it’s hard to beat the moment.

image 2: we just took a walk together after work, along seattle’s waterfront, with pleasant evening temperatures. as we near her office building, a stranger on the street exclaims: “oh, just look at the two of you! you’re all smiles and so happy!” and we were. it was before the relationship got a dose of seriousness associated with the accident and everything that’s come since. it’s easy to see why i can so easily fall back into this image of life PA.

and so now, i find that i come back to those images often. as i’m writing this, i realize that these images, in a weird, twisted way, represent failure, and they are not unlike the images i long used during Bridge and canoe after not placing first in a race or the competition. but this time, it doesn’t feel like i had ‘control’ over the situation, and that’s where the trapped feeling arrives. maybe trapped is just another word for powerless?

as a result, my mind no longer functions the way it was learning to. i made tremendous progress with understanding, accepting, and improving myself during my ten months of counseling. suddenly, it feels like i don’t have access to those areas anymore. the world around me feels flat, not because it is, but because i have this trapped feeling.

the worst part seems that i don’t know what to do since trying to talk about it feels like a self-defeating cycle since i currently no longer have access to that world.

ha!

2009-09-01T21:50:00.001-07:00

funny. i was just browsing through old posts on this blog to try and rekindle some of the energy from earlier in the year. i came across my april 2 entry. towards the end of the post, it reads:
i’m positive my obsession with being in good shape now was highly influenced by my childhood and hanging out and being best friends with the fittest of the fit kids in school. i haven’t fully arrived at the level i consider ‘acceptable’ fitness, but apparently it’s good enough for others to like me as a result. is it good or bad? i don’t know. it doesn’t feel necessarily satisfying, but it is nice to know there are others out there i can hang with now. the real question is what happens when i break my leg, lose all my fitness and motivation, and become a slug? will they still be there?

unpredictable

2009-09-01T21:40:00.001-07:00

one of the most challenging aspects of the recovery process, and there have been many to choose from, is dealing with and accepting the unpredictability of my mood. there appears to be little rhyme or reason and that in itself is quite frustrating.

in the first several weeks following the accident, i knew there’d be emotional ups and downs associated with the pain meds, coming off of them, and my body and life returning to some sort of altered equilibrium. but even as the pain decreased and the progress moved forward, there was little correlation to my attitude.

i think it’s easy for the outsider (i.e. anyone but me) to look at it and think:
wow, look at the progress you’ve made. you must be so happy!
but for me, it appears to be different. for me, it’s not unlike the rest of my life and the way i look at things relative to me: it’s either 100% success or 0%. it’s a win or a loss. no middle. common theme, i know.

this recovery process is virtually a carbon copy with a different name.
okay, so you can bend your leg. great. what’s next?
oh, your x-ray looks good. great. what’s next?
weight bearing feels pretty good. great. what’s next?
and so it goes.

with every “mission accomplished” there is invariably a “next step.” this will not stop until i’m back at what i consider 100%, and that may be a long time; in the meantime, unhappiness and frustration and unpredictability will likely be part of my life, which of course sucks. but, this is how i operate. it’s what gives me drive and willpower and passion to push. it always has and likely always will. my greatest battle in life is always with myself. seldom do i get a win, but hopefully this time i will.

a reminder phone call

2009-07-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

like often happens, my dad will call me when i’m not by my phone or am sleeping. when i go to check my voicemail, i will sometimes hear a tale about something he and i were doing as we biked across the country together in 2007. a few days ago, he called and reminded me of our visit to minot, nd and the rest day we had there.

today marks two years since we were in new town, nd, and stayed in a hotel for the only time on the trip after some tornado cells brought havoc to the area. looking back from the seat i’m in now…. man does it feel far away.

the 2008 year of mountaineering really helped me find a new passion; it slowly cut into the incredibly strong resonance of the memories from the bike trip. of course, those memories will never fully disappear; they’ll just become intermingled with so many others. i think my dad’s message talking of the bike trip combined with my temporary inability to be in the mountains, or do much of anything, created some weird feelings in me. as of now, i cannot pin them down, but something’s churning.

and speaking of churning emotions, monday was my first physical therapy appointment following the accident. as i was lying on the exam table having my leg slowly taken through a small range of movements, tears overwhelmed me. these tears, interestingly, were triggered by no specific emotion or thought – they just came out.

was it the physical sensation of the range of motion i lost? or perhaps the pain that was triggered when my leg reached it’s new maximum movement position. maybe it was realizing how guarded my entire bodily structure has become to actually letting the muscles go and relax since it now knows of the pain associated with going too far. it was probably all of that mixed in with a little “i can’t believe i’m in this position” thought sprinkled in there.

regaining composure following a hug from carrie, we pressed on. a little while later, i sat down on a stationary bike. using my hands to slowly lift my leg onto the pedal, i positioned myself for some epic biking… err, should i say biking that resembled what i could do at the age of 3?

the instant that pedal began to move, tears really came down. i didn’t know what to fully expect upon returning to the bike, but i had guessed it wouldn’t necessarily be easy.

biking. such a simple motion really. it’s just round and round with the pedals. it’s a motion i’ve done roughly ten million times (literally) since moving to seattle. never before have there been tears like this. i recall crying on the bike trip when my IT band was flaring up and i was 90% sure i had to throw in the towel. this time, much like with lying on the table, the emotions and thoughts were nearly impossible to pinpoint.

it goes without saying that biking is an integral part of my life. taking it away like this is no small thing. nor is taking away all endorphins from my system. undoubtedly, there are many dynamics shifting in my body that i probably will never be able to fully identify, but will certainly know that something’s off – chemically, physically, and emotionally.

right now, it feels a touch overwhelming. all i can think about is counting down the days until i can put weight on this leg again. an image of this moment is seared into my brain; it is my carrot on the stick.

yummy pills

From accident

pleasant sight

From accident

getting in hollywood’s car

From accident

oh yeah, i found it ironic that my PCT guide books finally came in the mail. i got them at work today. seeing them sit beneath my looming crutches seemed only fitting as i’m now pretty sure the PCT is not going to happen in 2010. eh, it was only four years in the dreaming…

From accident

pain

2009-07-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

there are many things in life that cause pain, but most of them fall into two simple categories:
- physical
-emotional

and within those two categories, there’s so much cross-linkage between the two types it’s nearly impossible to tell them apart at times. case in point no. 1: my previous dealings with IT band issues. that bastard, which was a physical pain to start, ultimately hurt me so much more deeply emotionally than physically.

now, i sit, 2+ weeks after surgery from a very painful experience. the physical side of the pain was quite high – my personal highest on record, that’s for sure. i guess that’s what’ll happen when you get a ~45 degree shearing fracture through the top of your femur – the strongest bone in the human body – at nearly it’s thickest point.

as the days continue to pass, i continue to feel the loss of it all and this feeling only seems to be getting stronger – at least i think that’s what all this recent crying i’ve been doing is all about.

i love pictures and the experiences they capture. i take multiple thousands of them each year. i always surround myself with these pictures because they help me go back to those truly amazing moments i seem to experience relatively consistently nowadays. but now, post-accident, i find the pictures to be torturous – a reminder of everything i’m missing.

i’ve missed things before as a result of having to ‘shut it down’ for awhile to let my body heal. this, however, is so much different. this time, something was taken from me. it’s a completely different mechanism for the pain to originate and quite frankly, it really sucks.

the thing i find i miss the most at this current junction is the power of a hug. carrie and i still hug. it still resembles a similar motion we shared pre-accident. but now, something’s missing. i think it’s that very basic element of a strong man hugging a woman. that element is next to impossible to achieve now while i’m balancing on one foot or have crutches dangling beneath my armpits. that part has been temporarily removed from me and there’s absolutely nothing i can do to change it. it’s a very helpless feeling and it directly ties back into that of having something taken away from me.

i hate it.

tears rolled down my face as she left

2009-07-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

carrie came over last night. it was the first night we’ve been able to spend together since the accident nine days ago. this morning, she left, backpack loaded, to climb mt. daniel with hollywood, modern, and others from my class. as i sat there on that familiar couch, pill bottles strewn all over the coffee table in front of me, i couldn’t help but feel the pain of missing out on it – missing out on us – missing out on the summer – missing out on the life i’ve come to love.

of course, this was all bound to happen, right? placing all your eggs in one basket doesn’t ever really help smooth out rough times. it doesn’t help when the pain meds you’re taking have numbed your sense of life and all you really have the energy to do is sleep all day. i’m normally good for reading about 2-3 sentences straight, then get woozy, and will have to start again, often rereading the last sentence. progress, in this manner, is hard to come by.

it also doesn’t help when you’re the kind of person whose spirit feels crushed if he’s sitting inside and there are blue skies and bright sun out – like it has been for, oh, many weeks on end, especially the past two.

so, nine days ago…
biking into work, like always, i run into my biking buddy that i’ve long referred to as: balance boy. he was the first person i encountered that did a track stand, though his style was with a geared bike and much tougher than with a fixie. there was a guy on my tail that seemed quite fast, so as we were all sitting there at the red light at the base of the hill, i remember saying to BB how it was going to be a fun little race up the hill – the most challenging hill on the ride. we all took off in a sprint. i eventually gained the lead which i would hold ‘til the top. another quarter mile later we hit an intersection that’s been under construction for a month or so. normally, i’d be in the left lane here, but because of the construction and the timing of the lights and our arrival, it was the right lane this day.

the lights are green and have been for awhile – maybe 10 seconds – but traffic hasn’t moved because the traffic ahead of the intersection was congested. as i’m heading through the intersection, all one-way traffic, out of nowhere (okay, the center lane which was obstructed from my view) a truck is making an illegal turn in front of me (and the other bikers).

shit.

there were about five feet between me and the truck when i first saw him.

shit.

brake. turn. hard.

shit.

bam.

i collided with the side of his work truck near the flatbed portion. i didn’t go down right away. instead, i was kind of trapped on the side of the truck, repeatedly bouncing off its side.

when he finally accelerated a bit, i went down – hard – landing on my left hip.

normally when this happens, you kind of roll around for a bit and see what hurts. the other bikers asked if they should call an ambulance. i told them to wait. most things felt okay, except when i looked at my left foot, it was completely flat and rotated on its side, even though i was sitting upright. i didn’t dare move it either. i felt the pain lurking deep below. okay, let’s get that ambulance.

a few minutes later, sirens blaring, help was there. rolling onto that stretcher board hurt like a mother. my body was tensing up too. i could feel things about to start spasming. where are the pain meds!?!

ten minutes later we were at the ER. the docs there did all their poking and prodding. one guy, apparently not familiar with the concept of shoes, tried taking off my bike shoes simply by pulling them off, as opposed to undoing the straps. duh. the shorts and shirt were easier – snip snip snip. where are the pain meds!?!

this seemed to last forever. i couldn’t imagine what was taking so long. they seemed so concerned over my elbow i think they xrayed it multiple times. wtf! give me the meds!

that’s when the spasms kicked in. wow. talk about pain. every spasm caused me not only to move my entire body, including the broken leg, but also for the muscles surrounding the break to contract hard. i recall thinking how i’d rather be dead than feel this pain.

finally, finally i got the meds. i was still in plenty of pain, but somehow managed to call hollywood to let him know i wouldn’t be making the trip that weekend – crying the whole time. then carrie – still crying. then mike – still crying. it was that moment, the first one with a reduction in the level of pain, that i saw my entire summer evaporate.

eventually, they wheeled me into a room where i’d spend the next six days. before i knew it, visitors were piling in. hollywood and mike let people know about the incident, and the response was quick. while it was great to see everyone, it might have been equally great to sleep :) oh well, i can’t really complain.

the next day was surgery. i was wheeled in to the OR prep area. i really felt like i was going to spasm some more – something i definitely didn’t want to happen. fortunately, the gas mask came on and three hours later i awoke. catheter was in. pain was seemingly under control. ahh…

the third day they removed me from the drip meds. i was not happy about this. the second they did, i could sense i was going to spasm and be in considerable pain, despite of the tablet medication they switched me to. sure enough, there it was. dammit! so much pain for so long – at least an hour. no one seemed to listen to me. all i kept hearing was ‘just breathe slowly.’ yeah, great idea. sounds wonderful, except that i’m already well past that point. after enough cursing and yelling, they finally gave me another shot until the pills were more effective.

i think i also ate my first bite of food this day too. my appetite just evaporated. it didn’t really come back until just yesterday, but even still, it’s minor compared to normal.

day four brought the walker and the removal of the catheter. the removal was certainly a weird feeling – one that i can’t really explain nor wish to experience again. it took a lot of effort to learn how to pee again and was quite strenuous as well. the walker was discouraging because it showed me just how far i would have to recover.

by the fifth day, the hospital was trying to discharge me. umm, no. despite not being able to sleep for more than consecutive minutes at a time, i certainly wasn’t ready to go home and be completely helpless there. plus, i wanted to be sure the pain meds were dialed in so when i got home i wouldn’t spasm there without aid.

day six, hollywood picked me up around noon and we were on the way outta there. i was given the 10 minute lesson on using crutches up and down stairs, so i guess they figured i was capable of being discharged. the whole time i was there, i met maybe two nurses that actually listened to what i said and took legitimate concern. otherwise, the rest of them seemed hellbent on just being right. it was weird. i guess the patient shouldn’t question the profession.

since coming home, i’ve slept much more. i get about 8-10 hours at night and then a midday nap of 1-2 hours. most of the time, i’m just exhausted. i hope that’s my body recovering from lack of sleep in the hospital as well as repairing itself. the days aren’t very productive. i do what i can, but my ability to focus is shot with the meds i’m on. going back to work is out of the question while still on the meds. i see at least another week off. i’ve set things up with a lawyer to handle this case and feel that i will be in good hands. it’s always funny when your soon-to-be lawyer has heard of you before even meeting you from the hiking community…

From misc

looking ahead
i have several things to tackle:
- getting things organized for my lawyer
- getting on top of rehab exercises – which are very simple mobility kinds that seem to hurt me a ton
- breaking out of my funk of not wanting to move – i hope this is more a product of the drugs and less of my overall state in life

deja vu
-only a day before the accident, i had this thought pass through my mind: “man, i’m kind of sick of biking to and from work.” it was surely a product of being so tired lately and never feeling recovered. but shortly after that thought passed, i heard a little voice screaming: “careful! you don’t want to be taking this for granted. just think of what it’s like to be in the position where you CAN’T bike, but would give anything in the world to do it again like you’ve said before.”
-when hollywood dropped me off at home, the scene i saw before me was exactly like that of a dream i had years earlier. it was just one of those moments where you know you’ve been there before. crazy powerful mind.

thanks
throughout this whole process, i’ve truly been amazed by the number of people that have wished me well and offered their services for my disposal whenever i need them. a lot of the people are from the hiking community and i’m incredibly greatful for that. and there are also those long-time friends that have stepped up as well. i could make a pretty long list if i wanted to, but i just want to give out special thanks to three people:

hollywood – the guy will drop anything for me and always have such a wonderful attitude about it. he’s always playful, always helpful, and just a great person to have help me through this.

mike – of course mike’s there for me too. he gets the behind-the-scene credits of helping me around the house and doing the little things that i can no longer accomplish, like sweeping the floor of the mess i’ve made through the week, or watering the plants, getting food, etc.

carrie – she gets the most props of all because she has to deal with the crappy emotional side of the story. i mean, sure, she’ll of course do anything for me too, not to mention the PT work that would otherwise be next to impossible to get right now given my immobility. but she has to put up with me in my down mood that i’m currently stuck in. prior to this, everything between us had been wonderful and glorious. and now, some external factor has jumped in and altered it. grrr! the plans we had this summer are now shot as well. simply put, a lot of things have changed really quickly, and she’s been incredible, like always, at adapting to the new conditions in front of her. i cannot thank her enough. and, as a bonus, she continually provides me encouragement to get out and move – even if i whine and resist as much as i possible can :) thank you hotpantz! you’re amazing!

From carrie

the flip side
i could be dead. if, instead of bouncing off the truck, my wheels went out from underneath me, the truck easily could have run over me. that probably would have been the end of the story there. so, like always, there’s a silver lining if you want to find one. and now, i just need to continue to explore how to make that silver lining a silver lesson in gratitude.

laggard

2009-06-18T01:42:00.000-07:00

okay, totally slacking now on writing in a timely matter. it probably doesn’t matter much to anyone but me, but still…

last weekend, carrie and i shared an amazing 2.5 day backpacking trip in the olympics. my trip report captures the experience very nicely and shows ~100 pictures from it. this is a must read :)

and then, here’s a video from the climbs we did almost a month ago. modern put it together showing the rappelling portion of the climb where our ropes got jammed up.

a few weeks ago, carrie and i had dinner with wayne and karen. it’d be awhile since i last saw them, so of course it was good to catch up. plus, it felt really nice to introduce carrie to family. it also served as a reminder of how quickly time moves by and even though we’re located about 3 miles apart from each other, it’s really easy to go several months without contact. this is something i’d like to get much better at.

From jumping in puddles...

then, that following friday, jt, carrie and i went to the velodrome races in redmond. carrie and i biked there and met up with jt for a ride around lake sammamish. we then settled in for the races which were awesome. everyone rides a fixed gear track bike (i.e. heavy gearing and no brakes). these guys can move!

From jumping in puddles...

sitting there watching the races, i felt the need to compete with them. i feel i could do well – well enough to compete at least. you have to take a 4hr training course and then do two practice races before officially entering. so, if i’m going to do it, it better happen soon since 2010 i’ll be hiking and by 2011, i’ll probably barely be able to bike anymore. we’ll see what happens. it could be an excellent ‘goal outlet’ for me.

From jumping in puddles...

i also went out for drinks with my cousin matt. he just turned 21 and was of course eager to get out to the bars. it was fun to hear his take on the world of college life. i could completely picture the experiences he was having and the emotions he felt. it feels like not long ago that was me. but sadly, it was long ago.

climb on

2009-06-12T00:30:00.001-07:00

next to having off for the entire summer, there’s little better than back-to-back 3+ day weekends. it’s so incredibly easy, i find, to reach the state of not knowing which day of the week it is – my ultimate goal apparently.

south early winter spires
back up highway 20 we goeth, this time for some rock climbing – as opposed to scrambling or hiking. i can’t believe just how readily i find myself back on the bike trip whenever i pass through this area. off the road we went where we quickly found ourselves going up an avy chute. no dangers today of course… the smell of the obliterated trees was THE definition of springtime smells.

From south early winter spires

the climbing was a mix of scrambling and actual rock climbing, with the hardest move apparently a 5.4 – low by gym standards, but much different in the alpine setting.

From south early winter spires

because of a large group size of seven people, things took awhile. this, i think, is probably why i’m not entirely sold on the rock climbing element. maybe with a smaller group, things will be more enjoyable.

From south early winter spires

the views in this area were surprisingly good, especially when considering that you can see the highway from the summit. it’s just amazing that so much outdoor activity is just a mere drive and small hike away.

From south early winter spires

i guess the highlight of the trip, for many, was going across the whaleback. apparently it makes for great photos if shot from the correct angle.

From south early winter spires

we car camped at lone fir campground, always a sentimental place for me now after the bike trip. plus, hotpantz came out that night to climb the next day. that’s always a good thing…

From south early winter spires

kangaroo temple
the next day had a little earlier start as the approach to the rock climb was more involved. the post-holing was not so fun, but at least it was nice and warm out. added bonus: hotpantz was out to climb this day as well :)

From kangaroo temple

the start of the actual climbing was, however, in a sun-shaded area which meant that it would get cold-ish, at least for the last group to go – which i was again part of.

From kangaroo temple

once we got climbing, things were good. views were similar to the previous day since we were in the same neighborhood. the climbing felt more like climbing. i think it, in part, was because there was more exposure. at times, exposure can make one feel uncomfortable, but for the most part, i embrace it.

From kangaroo temple

the problem with these larger group climbs is that everything takes so long. so, yet again, summit time was limited. soon, we were setting up for a rappel – a real rappel.

From kangaroo temple

the rappel used two ropes tied together – 60m per rope. so, it was a 200ft drop from point A to point B. and it was mostly straight down. hollywood wanted us (hotpantz and me) to use an autoblock which is something that’ll grab the rope if you let go with your hand. it proved troublesome. as i sat and spun off the ledge at the top, the autoblock caught in the rappel device. crap. so, sitting there, with hundreds of feet beneath me, i asked the leaders what to do.

From kangaroo temple

suddenly, i have five people simultaneously spitting out stuff to do. it was comical. most of it was conflicting. i just sat there hanging and looked to modern for his thoughts. eventually, i freed up the device and was on my way down – slowly. good lesson for sure.

From kangaroo temple

the next rappel went smoother and soon the climbing portion was done. a couple hours of hiking out, and we found ourselves back at camp, beer in hand, and enjoying the warmth of a campfire and marshmallows.

From kangaroo temple

hidden lake peaks – again
the next day, hotpantz and i headed to HLP where i was just a week earlier. it was such a great trip, it warranted a return.

From hidden lake

it was amazing to see just how much snow could melt away in a week. there were rocks poking out all over the place that were completely covered in snow last week.

From hidden lake

we got to enjoy a fair bit of time on the summit, just soaking in the views and each other’s company. it was wonderfully enjoyable, but difficult to leave.

From hidden lake

we even got a couple good glissades in on the descent.

From hidden lake

what we have here is a failure to communicate

2009-06-11T20:12:00.001-07:00

brain, meet body. body is tired. tired body makes brain tired. tired brain makes eyes tired and head nod while at work. nodding head at work makes work much much longer...

i’m struggling right now to admit to myself that i’m getting old. while i may state it aloud, i really don’t want to believe it to be true. over the course of the past half year, i’ve gone from someone that essentially never needed much sleep or to recover after a big activity day, to someone that feels dead tired more often than not. it blows, it really does.

i often find myself going out and doing a moderately strenuous exercise day on very little sleep. i’m fine while i’m moving, but as soon as i stop, the effects of the efforts are felt immediately and thoroughly until the next time i get a decent amount of sleep, which now is about 7 hours. until i get that rejuvenation, exhaustion is my state of being. it’s almost like being at peak ironman training conditions where there’s just absolutely nothing there. it’s horrible.

i have several theories that allow me to avoid admitting it’s an age thing:
1. my mind is thinking more and on deeper levels, requiring extra energy by itself, and also really not getting a break from things.
2. i stopped taking multivitamins about a year ago. perhaps they really do work.
3. it’s been nearly a year since i pushed myself aerobically, and even longer since i pushed consistently. perhaps the continual years of relatively intense training (02-07), without ever sleeping as much as i ‘should have’ during that time period, have caught up to me. now, with the absence of training, my body is relaxing and trying to recover those lost hours of slugdom.

or, i could just be nearing 30 and feeling the effects of age...

lots of stuff + little sleep + constantly tired = gap in blog updates

2009-06-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

i know, that’s probably the most creative title ever for a blog entry. so concise too...

the friday before memorial day weekend began, bad dog and i headed off to attempt a double peak, monster off-trail elevation day. first up was hidden lake peaks – a place i’ve longed to visit again for at least half the year.

From hidden lake peaks

we left the night before and car camped. bad dog was in her car and i bivied – my first time. it was awesome to lie out on the dirt and stare up towards the unobstructed skies to see nothing but pure darkness littered with bright mountain stars. there really is nothing better than that feeling.

From hidden lake peaks

an early start and we were off. easy route finding on a little ridge with forest floors so open you’d think it was a trail. it was steep, but enjoyably so. the super tall trees only let in pockets of early morning sunlight, and where that light hit the forest floor, you could find baby evergreens struggling to grow big and tall themselves.

From hidden lake peaks

once out of the forest, we were greeted with a purely blissful sight. the open slopes with frozen snow and views emerging on all corners was more than i could handle. this very instant, i knew this trip trumped all others, even the two amazing ones i did earlier in the year.

From hidden lake peaks

up and up we headed. before we knew it, it was summit time. wow. what views! this place is plenty amazing in the summer, as it was when mike and i did it a few years ago, but this time, with the snow... it was to die for.

From hidden lake peaks

i wanted more. so, i headed over to where the lookout tower was located, about a mile away. it looked straightforward enough, but as i was going up, and choosing my route, i quickly found myself in a 4th class gully choked full of crappy snow, some ice, and loose rock. yikes. i’m sure-footed and calm enough to manage this terrain, but again, it was another good lesson.

From hidden lake peaks

i didn’t have time to play in the lookout which, surprisingly, was open. we had to get back to the car to attempt the next peak.

From hidden lake peaks

next up...
ruby

From ruby attempt

it was an hour+ drive to get there, so we were already pushing the clock. previous trip reports talk about cliffy areas. i will confirm these to be true.

From ruby attempt

the going was slow as the terrain here was much more littered with debris, brush, and the aforementioned cliffs. we got about 3.5 hours into it, but only 1/3 of the way up, and i knew we’d have to turn back due to time constraints and the fear of getting back down the cliff-ridden areas. good call there.

From ruby attempt

we were able to negotiate all the steep parts we went up fairly decently – except one. we got to a point where there was literally no easy way out. about 10-15ft below, things were fine. it was just a matter of connecting those dots and getting there. some scooting on our butts, hanging on to trees, roots, and loose rocks, and a bit of a slide, and that was that.

From ruby attempt

i wasn’t happy with the decision making process i employed here, and hope not to do it again in the future. anyway, the trip was a bit of a damper on the otherwise amazing day. at least i was able to see ross lake – the next three days’ destination – from high above.

From ruby attempt

bad dog dropped me off at a nearby campground where mike would meet me the following day.

ross lake
now this was a cool trip! mike and i were looking at something different to do and stumbled across this one at the last minute.

From ross lake

ross lake was formed not too long ago – about 60-70 years - when they dammed the skagit river at hwy 20 – the location of several recent bike tours. there’s a huge valley that has subsequently been filled with millions/billions? of gallons of water that provides a significant portion of seattle’s electricity. it’s 23 miles long and up to 1.5 miles wide. conveniently, there is a very small resort that opens for the summer months. while technically not open yet, mike was able to talk to them to let us rent a canoe.

From ross lake

a mile hike down to the lake, one phone call, and a boat ride later, we were at the resort, grabbing the canoe, and on our way.

From ross lake

the lake water at this time of year is about 40ft below its maximum elevation. but, given that it was rising approximately 1.5ft per day with all the snowmelt, it’ll soon be plenty full.

From ross lake

we totally scored on this trip! very seldom did we encounter wind or even waves. we saw about five other man-powered vessels, a couple of hikers, dogs, a bear, and some deer. that was it. over this 3-day weekend, we probably saw 15 other living things, unless you count the countless fish that were jumping out of the water as we glided past.

From ross lake

the campsite we were shooting for was 12 miles out – lightning creek CG. along the way, we went up several canyons that were essentially streams flowing down off the mountainside. some were mellow, while others were straight up waterfalls so powerful they generated their own wind and were able to push us away.

From ross lake

because the water was low, there was a lot of exposed shoreline that would normally be underwater during a mid-summer trip. it was cool to see the tree stumps and roots that were exposed. it also created a resort-like feel for us – almost like we were on a beach in mexico with sand and everything – something rare in WA.

From ross lake

we got to camp, set up, and went for a leisurely 10 mile walk on some flat trails that roughly parallel the shoreline. some of the suspension bridges were pretty damn cool to look at – the engineer in us came out i guess.

From ross lake

the next morning we awoke to a glassed over lake. man, it doesn’t get much better than this. we went for another 10-12 mile paddle north, just to explore and see what was out there. more mountains, more water, more awesomeness.

From ross lake

desolation

From desolation

after the morning paddle, we set off for desolation peak – the subject of jack kerouac’s book: desolation angels – a story about how he served as a fire lookout for an entire summer up in the lookout on the summit.

From desolation

the trail up was less than stellar, and because we weren’t used to the heat, we both shorted ourselves on water. fortunately, a snowmelt creek served us just at the right time. the trail was absolutely littered with branches and trees and other crap; we might as well been off-trail. i must have cast 200 branches off to the side over the 14 mile hike.

From desolation

eventually the views showed up – both of the mountains and ross lake – so that made it much much better.

From desolation

departure
after the hike, we had a little campfire before heading to bed. the morning again brought glassed over lake water for us. it was tough to leave because it was so very peaceful here. even with the waterfalls 1 mile away on the other side of the lake, we could hear them flowing all night long from the tent. the magnitude and serenity of the area was immense. sometimes, it felt like we were making great time in the boat, while at other times, it felt like the thing that was just ‘right around the corner’ was more like ‘right around the state.’ our sense of scale was tossed way off during the trip. so too was our sense of time. by day 2, i was already asking what day of the week it was. i love it when that happens!

From ross lake

on the way out, we went back to check two of our measuring sticks. one, we manually put in to get a good gauge of how much the lake rose. we had it at about 2.5ft in 1.75 days.

From ross lake

the other was the curved tree in the devils creek canyon that, on the first day, we paddled clear underneath it. today, it was not quite like that.

From ross lake

sadly, we got back to the resort, still early in the morning, and it was over. back to real life i suppose. we checked out the dam and it was quite impressive. to think of how people built this stuff some half century ago always amazes me.

From ross lake

in all, what a 4 day stretch!

starting to feel like summer

2009-05-21T00:34:00.000-07:00

not just in the temperature or the blue skies, but also in how i can sense a lot of activities and preparation coming up in the not too distant future. at times, it feels a touch overwhelming – like especially with dialing in the backpacking system. i’m not sure why this is so, since nothing i ‘have to do’ is all that difficult. it just seems to add up and never get taken care of or pushed off ‘til the last minute. but, this is no different than how i’ve operated for years, so i shouldn’t be too surprised.

From basic yellowjacket tower

this last weekend we had our first rock climb through the mounties. it was a bittersweet kind of day. while the trip was a ‘successful’ climb – meaning we, the students, got to the summit, hollywood was pretty badly injured in the process.

From basic yellowjacket tower

it was a two mile hike into the start of the climb. we had to go up a narrow 4th class gully where we used a handline – basically a climbing rope that you tie into using a prusik knot (something you can slide up and down the rope, but will stop you if you fall). this led all of us to a little perch of an area – maybe 6’x6’. there were a bunch of us there – maybe six or so. some waited below, including hollywood. eventually though, after a few people climbed up, hollywood came up.

From basic yellowjacket tower

minutes later, someone above kicked loose a rock – about 5-inches in diameter. it struck hollywood right on top of the his trapezius (shoulder) after its 75-foot fall. he winced in pain, but said nothing. damn. not good. his day was done. modern came down to belay him down and off the mountain. they eventually made it to a clinic where they thought he might have a broken acromion, which indeed he does. he’s out of climbing commission now for 10 weeks.

From basic yellowjacket tower

this really sucks. i feel so badly for him since he’s such a careful climber. he kept his spirits high, and in typically hollywood fashion, looked at the bright side of things. this’ll cut short a lot of the climbs he wanted to do as well, which always sucks. hopefully he’ll be able to make a full recovery from it and not have any lingering issues.

From basic yellowjacket tower

the rest of the climb wasn’t all that fun. i didn’t feel a rhythm after the accident and just wasn’t really into climbing. i just kind of wanted it to be done and over with. thankfully, soon enough it was.

From basic yellowjacket tower

the original plan was to go cragging afterwards – like the vantage trip a month or so ago. but, it got late quick with the large group. carrie and i were going to car camp that night and hike and bike the next day; instead, she thought we should just hike into a lake and camp there. brilliant!

From basic yellowjacket tower

eightmile lake

From eightmile lake

it was a short 3.5 mile hike into the frozen lake. i had a bunch of new gear (tent, stove, cooking pot, food) that hasn’t been field-tested. it took awhile to set up the tent – apparently i was trying to with my eyes closed… the stove didn’t work so hot, literally, because the windscreen i made was a touch too tight and blocked enough oxygen from getting in. consequently, cooking took longer. but, it all worked and it will all work better in the future.

From eightmile lake

but, who cares about the gear. that’s not what this trip was about. it was about being out there with carrie, and it was quite wonderful. the more time i spend with this amazing girl, the more impressed i become. i’ve never met anyone so healthy, so complete before. she’s got it all. sometimes, her completeness feels overwhelming to me. it almost makes me feel like i’m not trying as hard as i could in life – which is certainly a true statement. but, this feeling is not a bad thing; rather, it is a complement to her in the sincerest form.

From eightmile lake

another aspect of her i find overwhelming is just how good of a person she is. there’s something about her that just screams out GOOD. it’s awesome to be around and even better to be intimately part of.

From eightmile lake

i think my favorite part of the trip might have been eating dinner. we sat down by the lake, propped against a boulder, ate, and watched the sun set. as the light faded from the sky, and the stars began to show, we cuddled up in the cooler temperatures. there we sat, wrapped together, for probably 20 minutes. no words, just togetherness and pure silence. it was a beautiful feeling – something i’ve never felt before.

mad river
the next morning, we reluctantly left the comfort and cuddling found in the tent. she practiced some yoga, i broke down the tent and made breakfast. soon we were on the way to a nice bike ride on the dry side of the state not far from where the climbing and camping was.

From mad river ride

we parked at a grocery store and got on the fast bikes (the one with gears). it was in the mid 90s and just wonderful to be out there. i love riding along the columbia river, just like on my two previous bike trips. it’s so big and blue and peaceful – centered in an otherwise area area. soon, we turned off that road to head up the entiat valley.

From mad river ride

this is such a nice area with little traffic at all. the whole time you’re next to a fast flowing river, gushing with icy water that’s been flowing for at least 50 miles, originating in the snow-capped mountains of the entiat range – an area mike and i backpacked several years ago.

From mad river ride

we turned off the road and headed up the mad river road – a nice steady climb not unlike the climb in glacier national park. we saw four vehicles during the 9 miles each way we biked this stretch. it was hot and challenging and great. carrie pushed hard and did incredibly well. we turned back and just flew down the many switchbacks and tight steep turns. it was the kind of grade that felt like instant acceleration the second you released the brake lever.

From mad river ride

we stopped at the river, filtered some water, and sat beneath a shaded area while we enjoyed the babbling sounds of the stream. of course, we enjoyed our time together as well. then, back in the valley, where you could pedal without having to brake around the turns, we cranked out a 30+ mph pace for about 10 miles. it was a blast!

From mad river ride

afterwards, following a ½ gallon of chocolate soy milk, we headed to the columbia river at a state park and took a dip – a very cold, numbing dip. it was almost painful to have that kind of contrast. mid 90’s and intense sun all day long to icy water. whoohoo. we couldn’t stop laughing as we inched into the water. carrie was braver than i, taking the dive first. i soon followed. we stood there in a state of shock and giddy laughter for a minute and then got the heck out of there. the grass and sun provided a good spot to warm up before hitting the burger and fries joint on the way home.

From mad river ride

as we sat and ate the food, i felt a strong sense of peace with her as we were both a bit tired from the sun, but incredibly happy with the weekend in general (minus the hollywood injury). it was great to spend this time together and i can’t wait until we get a chance to do it all over again.

getting my head back into it

2009-05-12T23:59:00.001-07:00

rehab. i don’t like those five letters in the combination and order they’re in, but alas, that’s what i’m doing again. admittedly, my itb hasn’t been too terribly bothersome over the past several months. but, i felt the tfl, something that kind of goes hand-in-hand with itb problems, during the 32 mile hike day up si. that’s not good because that’s the kind of mileage i expect to do on the pct in less than a year.

so, i’m now seeing carrie for physical therapy. after two sessions, i find myself slightly apathetic. it’s something i tried so hard at for so long, but never saw the results i wanted – namely, being free of this injury. my challenges right now are to:
1. get motivated enough to be diligent and consistent with the exercises
2. use proper form, engaging the muscles that i have very little control over
3. get rid of my misconceptions of how PT doesn’t work for me

i think the thing that will most directly give me the energy and focus i need is to picture the pct and the thought of not completing it because of injury. injury, in this case, represents failure. failure is something i will not let happen. this all feels very similar to back in college with training for canoe in ’02 and ’03. time will tell if i can do it…

smiles on the street
after the PT session today, carrie and i went for a walk along seattle’s waterfront. it was nothing but joy and laughter and enjoyment – like one of those movie-type scenes where a happy couple is frolicking and playing on the beach – only without the beach.

on the way back to grab our bikes, we passed a guy that gave us a remarkable comment about our smiles. i forget the exact words, but it was something along the lines of: “wow, look at you two with your smiles. you look so happy together.” a big smile came across his face when he first saw us.

seeing his smile and hearing his comment tied it all together for me since, when i’m with carrie, i normally feel this incredibly deep smile inside my body. having someone else recognize it was almost like looking in a mirror reflecting my inside emotions.

getting dirty

2009-05-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

after taking nearly a week to recover from my siathlon where i tested out trailrunners to possibly use on the pct, my legs were recovered just in time to get dirty on dirtyface.

From dirtyface

it was the crew today, minus the medical examiner, but with hotpantz: net result = :) new snow this past week jacked up avy concerns, but our route was safe. too bad the new snow made for lots and lots of postholing. nonetheless, it was a great start to the day with warm temps and sun. this was the same trip we did last year, though with a different target summit, just before i took off to work in coldfoot. i remember missing hiking so much while i was in alaska, but also, very much appreciating the friendships and experiences i shared with the guys. everything was new, unexplored. i had no idea what lay ahead.

From dirtyface

today, and this year, i understand things much better – at least the mountains. well, myself too, which is also useful. so, it was fun to come back to a place where i was mostly in the dark last year, with another year’s worth of experience under my belt. wow, has it been a transformation.

From dirtyface

i always feel so fortunate to hike with these guys, and now, certainly, carrie. legitimately all-around good people are not that easy to come by. but yet, here i am, surrounded by them on more weekends than less. constantly amazed am i by the dynamic which exists between us. something feels just absolutely right, almost like it was meant to be (an idea that i don’t believe in – fate/destiny).

From dirtyface

today, like so many before, was no different. actually, the best part of the trip, ironically, was driving back from the trip. i don’t know if we were all just a worn down from a long drive and then a lot of hours in the mountains, but juan and i got to the point of sheer giddiness – the kind where you’re laughing so hard you start to cry and can barely breathe. carrie, meanwhile, was out like a light, her head resting on my shoulder as i was sandwiched between her and juan in the backseat. to picture a better overall moment and feeling would be tough.

From dirtyface

back to the trip… the final push up to the summit was quite fun and almost exhilarating. it was a great mixed scramble with snow, rock, and wet stuff. the rock was loose in spots; the snow was less than ideal for firm steps; and the occasional wet moss on downward slopes was always an attention grabber. it was a total puzzle and it was awesome. juan and the beste man actually turned back, having been there, done that. i guess with age comes prudence.

From dirtyface

i didn’t have any hesitation along the way – possibly good or bad. good in that it represents my skill and route finding ability; bad in that i should probably pause for an additional minute to question if getting to the summit is worth the slightly increased risk. i think that process happens in my mind, but without me realizing it. next time in that situation, i will have to pause and check.

From dirtyface

hotpantz, on the other hand, is relatively new to scrambling, so this was quite a trip – mental and physical. i could picture myself in her shoes a year ago and think of what it must have felt like – nervous. i could tell she was a bit tense, but still focused. plus, her ability to step back and think is quite apparent, so i don’t really need to worry about her in that regard.

From dirtyface

going up trickier spots is almost always easier since you can see both hand and foot holds. not today. going down was pretty simple, so that was a nice change. on the way back, the changing angle of the sun and the grey cumulous clouds everywhere provided quite the light show.

From dirtyface

so yes, it was quite an enjoyable adventure – like most of them are. but, this one may stand out for quite awhile just like mt. daniel did for awhile. it’s kind of neat to constantly build upon the skillset and the level of adventure and, most importantly, be able to recognize it. someday that’ll taper off, but for now…

From dirtyface

blueberries

2009-05-03T12:41:00.001-07:00

i went canoeing for the first time since my visit to wisconsin last october on friday. it felt so weird – so foreign – at least at first. it was like i was doing something i’d never done before. getting into that solo marathon canoe, i knew i’d be tippy. add in a little bit of wind and some small chop and i thought for sure i was going to flip.

alas, this was not the case. instead, it only took about 10 strokes until it all came rushing back to me, almost as if i was still in the heart of training for concrete canoe. soon, my paddle was entering and exiting the water with surgeon-like precision, catching no whitewater, and best of all, completely silent. yes.

it was good to be back on the water again. hopefully i will be able to get some consistency in my diet and wake up early to hit the glass-water conditions on green lake. i think some shoulder and back strengthening will go a long way to helping correct my other muscular imbalances.

when i got back to shore, there was an older man there with some other kayakers. he and i started talking, and one topic led to the next. he told me that he just moved back to seattle after selling a blueberry farm in upstate new york. it took me instantly back to the bike trip while in upstate ny – one of my favorite stretches of the trip. we must have passed about 25 small farmers stands selling their locally produced goods. you just don’t see that anymore, and that’s one of the reasons he left the industry.

From jumping in puddles...

corporations just crush the little guy, which is fine if you’re looking at things from an efficiency standpoint, but not so fine if you look at all the other factors, especially the idea that i’m often perturbed by. i certainly believe 7,000,000,000 people is too many to sustainably live on this planet. we continue to exploit different regions of the world, taxing them of them of their goods, and then moving onto the next. all these goods are shipped to places that might not necessarily be sustainable by itself. anyway, i don’t feel like ranting too much at this time; i’ll save it for a rainy day…

From jumping in puddles...

jumbo

2009-05-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

trees, avalanches, and group size.

From jumbo

my sole trip last weekend was somewhat intimidating – at least before the trip began. the people that were going along were the kind that like challenging mountains requiring more technical skills. i heard reports of 50 degree snow slopes and that we might need to rope up. hmm…

From jumbo

we didn’t have either of those things, and in the end, it felt like a very easy trip. in fact, one of the guys that i’d never met before called me a natural – which seemed to carry some weight for some reason. i guess because i naturally led parts of the route, without any prior knowledge of where we were heading, it was a warranted comment.

From jumbo

i found myself quite comfortable, actually, on parts where others did not seem that comfortable. part of that is being okay with exposure – which is basically being on something with a long dropoff on one or both sides and, if a fall were to happen, something seriously not good would happen. when i observed this, i realized just how important confidence is in the mountains. prudence, mind you, is equally important.

From jumbo

the final scramble to the summit was great (pictured above). it was nearly knife-edged, had exposure, and a narrow path of snow to careful tread over. there was a smidge of some rock scrambling too and leading the way up this helped put into perspective just how far i’ve come in merely the last 1.5 years.

From jumbo

i’ve been uploading all my hiking pictures to this site. in the process, i’ve seen so many trips where i didn’t have a clue about what i was doing. like the trip where we didn’t believe the map. or the trips that actually went through avy-prone areas during winter months. or that time i slipped down a hard-packed snow slope and broke one of my trekking poles while stopping.

From jumbo

and then of course there are trips done while wearing cotton, or going in without sunglasses. heck, even when i had an ice axe, but didn’t really know how to use it, i did some stupid trips where i really felt nervous on the iced-over snow. man, i’m glad nothing serious ever happened.

From jumbo

now, all these hiking albums serve as a very quick glance at a lot of good times had in the mountains over the past few years. it’s interesting to see the shift from hikes where a lake was the destination, to some backpacking trips, and now to summits only. i’ll certainly still be doing a lot of peaks this year, but i’m eager to get back to backpacking trips and some of the most amazing sunsets and silence one can imagine. yum!

From jumbo

is 29 the new 50?

2009-04-30T23:45:00.001-07:00

‘cause man, it sure feels like it is.

whatever’s been going on in my world for the past 6-8 months, i’m not sure i like it. no longer do i have the ability to recover like i used to. i feel in a pretty constant state of tiredness or fatigue. it’s almost like i’m in peak ironman training season where you just get worn down.

i have several potential culprits:
1. getting older just makes you more tired
2. riding a fixed gear bike never gives your body, especially the core, a break, which results in continual working out under a fatigued state
3. the emotional and psychological hardships and growth over the past year are starting to wear me down or simply more powerful than i’d like to give them credit for
4. april consisted of 103 hours of activities. i’ve only been doing the monthly tracking since the start of the year (74, 88, 79, 103) so it’s tough to gauge compared to other points over the past few years. certainly the bike trip saw more hours/week (like 45-60), but it was different.

anyway, my struggle now becomes how to recover. i keep telling myself i will get more sleep the next night, but that never seems to happen. i can’t mentally ride the bus into work because it drives me crazy. i can’t take off on the weekends because that’s my escape from the desk.

why can’t there be 8 days in a week?

the breakup

2009-04-30T23:14:00.000-07:00

don’t worry, it’s not the one you might think of. it’s the one with my climbing partner geoff.

a couple months ago he came down with a bad sinus infection. as a result, we stopped climbing together on a regular 2x/week schedule. it was about a month until we resumed, but it just didn’t feel the same to me. my excitement for climbing diminished. and suddenly, we both had other commitments or things we’d rather be doing, and climbing became sporadic.

when this happens, your ability to improve disappears since you need to climb at least twice, preferably three times per week to keep gaining. seeing that i was not going to be committed to it, i pulled the plug. it was fun. we had our laughs. it was interesting to see the progress. but i don’t think it’s really for me, at least not right now in life. with the summer upon us and many backpacking trips looming, i don’t see much climbing happening this year. 2010 is a wash with the pct, so whatever gains i make now will be for naught anyway. perhaps 2011 will see it come back.

in any case, i felt a bit of sadness after i pulled that plug. i liked hanging out with geoff. he’s a good guy and someone that i would like to do trips with. but, because i have my complex of never being good enough combined with the grandiose mentality (don’t do something unless you’re going to kick as at it), climbing once ever week or so just doesn’t fit into my system. i found it frustrated me to know that a few weeks earlier i could climb at a higher level and now i was back down somewhere between that level and beginner level.

and that, as i’ve realized, is unacceptable to me right now. on the bright side, i’m proud that i realized this pattern – this way in which i work – and was able to deal with it. sure, someday it might be good to be able to do something in the middle ground, but that day has not yet arrived.

return of the ironman

2009-04-26T22:39:00.000-07:00

5:00am. saturday morning. alarm goes off. time for a bike ride.

yes, mike and i rallied today to go for a short ride before other obligations arose (work for me, breakfast with a friend for him). it’s a route we’ve done many times before, but today was particularly interesting. for months since he competed in kona at the ironman world championships, the motivation to train or bike has dwindled – as one would expect without future racing in mind. no training = decrease in fitness.

so, i was expecting the ride today to be a little more casual. but, during our conversation in the early morning hours, we touched on something the made his switch flip. it was pretty cool to see the competitor come flying out once again. as a result, it was a fast paced, ass-kicking kind of ride (damn fixie!). so much fun. it felt good to be done with a hard workout by 9:30a. it also felt good to ride with my friend again.

reminder: when you get a flat tire and are looking for the culprit, actually look; don’t just feel. otherwise, that piece of glass protruding into your tire might just prick your finger and make you bleed all over your wheels. :(

getting into the swing of things a bit early this year

2009-04-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

as the summer of 2008 progressed, and my passion for the mountains rocketed, i began taking off a lot of fridays to get out to the mountains for an extra day. well, it’s april now and i’m already taking days off – this time a tuesday.

From sourdough, stetattle ridge

with a perfect forecast and the knowledge that the next sunny day like this might not come ‘til july 5, we just had to go. again, we headed to the north cascades, this time a little deeper and closer to a rugged range known as the pickets (picture fence pickets and you get the idea behind the name).

From sourdough, stetattle ridge

joining up with baddog, cartman, and dicey (carla), we drove out on the still-desolate hwy 20 as it is still closed over the mountain pass for avalanche control. it’s kind of weird to see a fairly main highway have zero traffic on it. this is the same road my dad and i, and then later mike and i, biked across through WA state. seeing it from this vantage point, especially as the road crossed over diablo lake, stirred up a lot of wonderful memories – almost like we just biked across it.

From sourdough, stetattle ridge

the first part of the trail was snow-free and soft – it felt so weird to be hiking on trail again. weird, but nice mind you. the elevation came quickly and so too did the snow. eventually this broad ridge formed and lead us to some of the most spectacular views i’ve ever seen.

From sourdough, stetattle ridge

i led the way, which i love much mainly because i get to see the untouched snow in front of me, but also because i like kicking steps so much. there was one little knife-edge ridge that was interesting to walk along. it was about 2ft wide and rising at a 45 degree angle. as i stepped on the snow, small pieces would slough off which then led to little snow slides about 20ft wide that traveled down the slope for maybe 500ft. it looked like a lava flow of snow. very cool.

From sourdough, stetattle ridge

after that, it was just one monster ridge. there were so many ups and downs and meandering snowlines to follow… it was pure bliss. again, i was giddy. it was overwhelming. i could only seem to manage to hold two thoughts:

1. wow! this is surreal and i feel so incredibly fortunate to be part of it.
2. i can’t wait ‘til hotpantz and i get to backpack this area together!

From sourdough, stetattle ridge

i would have kept going forever on that ridge, but we sadly had to turn back. but, there was delight in this too as the shadows were starting to set in on all the bumps and meandering terrain. mostly, i was anxious to see the snowshoe prints accented by the sun. it, like the trip, did not disappoint.

From sourdough, stetattle ridge

after the trip, when the trip report was posted, matt, a guy i hiked with a couple weeks ago, invited me to join him on his pickets traverse this summer. damn! what an opportunity and what an honor to be invited. this is a serious trip requiring technical skills, dependable people, and a lot of work. normally i would go in a heartbeat, but this summer is already booked up. i guess i’ll have to wait ‘til 2012…

From sourdough, stetattle ridge

knife edge and slide zone:

From sourdough, stetattle ridge

hwy 20:

From sourdough, stetattle ridge

going north

2009-04-23T21:38:00.001-07:00

the next day, baddog and i headed north. the avy conditions weren’t all that favorable, so we picked a trip that is generally considered avy safe.

From oakes

i apparently have lost my compass, so we had to navigate using the sun, the shadows created by it, and the imaginary 12 hour mark on a watch to cut some big, long switchbacks of road walking. surprisingly enough, it worked out pretty well. i was a bit surprised how close we came to the actual target.

From oakes

i was pretty excited about this trip, mainly because of its proximity in the north cascades. for some reason though, i was a bit disappointed (damn those expectations). i think the summit felt far away from all the surrounding mountains, so it didn’t feel as intimate. but, the sun, when it came out, felt quite enjoyable.

From oakes

on the way up, we had to go through an area that showed signs of sloughing snow, always a warning for avalanche concerns. i think it was the first time i felt like i was in terrain i wasn’t necessarily comfortable with. but, it was apparent the sloughs happened a few days prior during a big warmup period, and the snowpack below felt pretty good. after some hesitation, i proceeded up.

From oakes

namesake day

2009-04-22T22:45:00.001-07:00

okay, maybe it’s not truly my namesake peak, but we can pretend.

From iron

the boys, hotpantz, superwoman, and i joined forces to take on iron mountain. the snolanator, medical examiner, and i did this peak last year and i really loved it. i think it was the first time i felt distinctly remote in the mountains while there was still a ton of snow on the ground.

From iron

conditions this year were somewhat similar, though with wet, sloppy snow. the views, and the people, did not disappoint. it was like a reunion trip – all the boys finally came together again for the first time since late january.

From iron

as a bonus – like a really awesome bonus – hotpantz joined us. she and i click; there’s just no other way to put it. i so very much enjoy our time together, which there’s been a bit of recently. her smile and positive energy enliven my spirit and my own positive energy.

From iron

the thing i love most about her, at least in the mountains, is to see her act so playfully like a kid in a candy store. when i see it in her, it’s like i’m looking into a mirror, except this mirror is reflecting what my heart is feeling while i’m that kid in the candy store. it’s very powerful.

From iron

it’s weird to think of that candy store, actually. it’s like i found it – that thing that i am really, truly passionate about – that thing i can and will spend the rest of my life enjoying. i feel so connected out there, so overwhelmed by the beauty of the natural world.

From iron

a few years after i moved to seattle, my dad commented on how it was the right move, the right decision. he saw, even back then before i knew it, the happiness i took from the mountains, from the exploration. he knew i could never go back to any place without them. this is now more true than ever.

From iron

you know your bike ride was challenging when your:

2009-04-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

a) calves cramp
b) arms and core get fatigued
c) hands go numb
d) tummy growls

while all these answers could be correct, the one most accurate for me, since going fixed, is b.

juan and i went for a ride around half of lake washington yesterday. decent weather, an excuse to get out of work a bit early, and some fun little competition. sounds just about perfect. we found plenty of long hills on this route, and they felt quite challenging.

i find that when biking these longer, hillier routes with the fixie, my core and arms just get annihilated. because the gear ratio on the fixie is mid-range on a normal geared bike (each pedal stroke = 3 revolutions of the rear wheel). going up steep hills, i have to pull down on the handle bars quite hard to generate enough force to push through the heavy gearing. otherwise, bodyweight alone will not give me enough power.

so, by the end of a long ride, my arms just are completely shot, and so too is my core. it’s really quite the workout and a lot of fun, but it also seems to lead to tweaked hammy’s, like i have now. i don’t know if i just need to keep building up to it, or if it’s an indicator that long rides like that, especially with hills, should be reserved for geared bikes only.

in any case, it was a fun time with juan, and like always, he serves me beer and homecooked meals afterwards :)

a different kind of smile

2009-04-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

speaking of smiles… i felt a different kind of one last night. i imagine i’ve had it before at some point in life, but never where i actually noticed it.

it’s the dimple smile. it feels so strong, so genuine, and so deep; it’s hard to put into words. the only way i can really describe it is that it’s a sensation of smiling on the inside – even if my mouth might not be displaying a smile, my face still feels one, and more importantly, my entire body still feels one.

needless to say, it felt really good. for several hours straight on saturday night, i just couldn’t rid myself of the dimple smile.

i don’t want that to change.

frog slog

2009-04-12T12:49:00.001-07:00

nothing special this saturday morning. we had a trip planned, then bailed on the mountain because of heavier rains at lower elevation. eventually, we decided to climb a frog – frog mountain.

From frog

no views. wet, sticky snow. one dog that likes to pounce on your snowshoes as you’re running down the mountain; this does not always work so well when you step into concrete-like snow and it’s hard enough just to move under your own power.

From frog

these types of trips are typically referred to as a slog. almost like you just do it to do it, but there’s not a lot of enjoyment. i try my best to avoid these, but sometimes, you have no choice if you’re already committed to a trip. the weather was supposed to hold, but it didn’t.

ps: i see this is post no. 200. that's a lot of posts!

happy times at happy hour

2009-04-10T20:40:00.001-07:00

i bolted out of work a bit early today. the reason: happy hour drinks with leslie. this is always a treat for me as we no longer get to talk as much now that she’s back in grad school and no longer working in the same office.

the last time we met up was in january, at which time i was somewhat down on things. tonight, it was a much different story. i found that during our entire 2+ hour long conversation, the smile never left my face. and my attitude - - - it’s so positive and almost scarily optimistic (this is relative to what has been the norm for a long time, so it may not be that extreme). i think she was shocked to hear certain things come out of my mouth; it was almost funny.

more than anything, lots of things feel good. maybe it’s coincidence, but i seem to have this smile thing on my face more often of late. conversations i have with juan or hw generally make this happen. random conversations at work too. and certainly, my talks with hotpantz over the last two weeks or so have really brought out the smile.

hooray for :)

$450 later

2009-04-09T21:29:00.001-07:00

my car is ‘fixed.’ well, not entirely, but good enough to drive i suppose. i took it to the cleaners where they shampooed the dickens out of it. now, two weeks later, there is a lingering wet campfire kind of smell that likes to seep into your clothes when you sit in the car. the back window is still stained with a black smoke streak. the trunk release hatch, which was damaged, is no more. i removed that so the trunk could at least lock closed – something that’s severely underrated when driving on the interstate.

so, the headache is seemingly over. i’m optimistic that a summer of windows cracked open will allow the smell to dissipate a bit and that my personal awareness of it decreases.

shit happens sometimes. there are much worse things that could happen, so in the end, it’s just a blip – something to get a chuckle out of. ha.

you’re under arrest!

2009-04-08T19:53:00.001-07:00

ice axe arrest that is. it was a mountie field trip where we could practice ice axe arrest, crevasse rescue, using crampons, and building snow anchors – which was interesting when the one failed and came rocketing towards the four of us pulling the rope. we ducked…

From basic diamondhead

it was fun to practice arresting again – a review of some of the things juan and hw showed me last year around this time. it’s like sledding, except with your life in your own hands. of course, when practicing, you do so in an area that has a long, safe runout where you’ll come to a rest even if you screw up with the ice axe.

From basic diamondhead

it felt like a big family today: hw, modern, hotpantz (carrie), on-b-lair (blair), and karen (trail name pending). we all piled in the minivan and drove out. the sun was warm and inviting today much like yesterday. we shared fun and witty of banter for most of the day – something i really love while hiking.

From basic diamondhead

each time i hang out with this group, it seems to get better. it’s going to be a good summer with them – i can tell already. the best part is how we all interact with hw and his humor. it’s definitely an old school mountaineer humor – one i love. ever since our first group meeting back in january, hotpantz and i have been laughing at his wacky ways. now, everyone else is starting to pick up on it as well.

From basic diamondhead

near the top of our summit, diamondhead, the snow was quite deep (like mid stomach deep) and difficult to kick steps into (where when you step, you sink another foot or two). i was super impressed with hotpantz. she was tearing through this stuff! eventually, we made it and the views were nice. man, yet another great early april day.

From basic diamondhead

happy birthday me

2009-04-07T00:20:00.000-07:00

after a week or so of winter-like weather - well, really more like a month where the mountains here got about 12 ft of snow – spring decided to arrive for my birthday. thanks spring!

From florence, howard

i joined up with some old and new faces for this trip up two peaks (florence and howard) near mount rainier. the forecast called for sun. there was sun. it called for warm temperatures. it was warm. it predicted nothing but bliss. bliss was served. seconds and thirds too.

From florence, howard

the snow was a bit wet and sticky, so it takes away from that pure powder feeling, but it was still nice. after a couple miles through a forest, we emerged onto a ridge. there’s nothing better than a ridge walk where there’s untouched powder. it’s perhaps the cleanest, simplest image i can conjure.

From florence, howard

the ridges this day were particularly interesting as they had huge cornices. one of them i guestimated at a 50 ft overhang! the first summit, florence, was nice. the group then had to decide whether to tackle another one – with me being the limiting part of the equation because i needed to get back to seattle in time to make holmes’ play.

From florence, howard

eventually we made the decision and some of us headed over (the problem with large, unfamiliar groups). the next ridge was even better. at this point, the sun was high above and the skies oh so blue. each step i placed brought me closer to a state of euphoria.

From florence, howard

this state, i feel, is more than just a pretty mountain. i feel it’s indicative of the progress i’ve made in my head and my heart. life seems to be going very well at the moment. nothing in particular really stands out, but i just feel good. perhaps it’s as baddog (joanna) said: my life is going to be opening up to a world of possibilities. i find this to be true as the number of mountains, and the people i can share them with, seem to be increasing each week.

From florence, howard

anyway, it was a awesome trip and perhaps my favorite snow-covered ridge to date.

From florence, howard

later that evening, mike, jon, and i went to holmes’ show: not now darling. the show is performed by microsoft employees. who knew some of them are really that creative?!? it was a captivating and comical show for sure. ironically, one of the actresses, of which there were five, i dated a few years ago. small world.

From florence, howard

mission accomplished.

2009-04-02T22:14:00.001-07:00

mike and i were avoiding working today by sending each other emails about trips to do this summer – like we couldn’t talk when we got home, right? somehow, mike mentioned how it was apparent that i had arrived (loosely stated) in the hiking world. for years living here in seattle, it just seemed so difficult to meet people that would actually hang out with you or do something with you. now, i find with hiking, there seems to be little shortage of people to go with.

but, i replied to mike, the people interested in going with me barely know me (exceptions: my normal hiking buds) and are more excited by the idea of going with someone that’s fast or that will kick all the steps for them. it’s like they’re using me for my athletic prowess. that’s a horrible thing…

oh wait, what’s that? it’s what i’ve been working at for all these years? hmm…

i’m positive my obsession with being in good shape now was highly influenced by my childhood and hanging out and being best friends with the fittest of the fit kids in school. i haven’t fully arrived at the level i consider ‘acceptable’ fitness, but apparently it’s good enough for others to like me as a result. is it good or bad? i don’t know. it doesn’t feel necessarily satisfying, but it is nice to know there are others out there i can hang with now. the real question is what happens when i break my leg, lose all my fitness and motivation, and become a slug? will they still be there?

juan

2009-03-30T23:09:00.000-07:00

it was the return of the snolanator this week!

From west granite

juan has been sidelined with plantar fasciitis for most of the winter – a problem he’s long been battling. so, it was a great treat to have him out there with us this sunday. to reward him, hw and i put him to work by kicking the steps in our late season powder. it was some of the lightest snow of the year.

From west granite

my enjoyment level is normally pretty damn high when i’m in the mountains. when juan comes out, it probably doubles. i don’t know what it is – just the right mix i guess. some people have it.

From west granite

hopefully we’ll be able to get him out on a few more snowshoeing trips during what’s shaping out to be a late winter…

From west granite

training

2009-03-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

the other day i realized how, throughout the past ten years, my types of training have shifted, and now, i’m essentially performing zero training whatsoever, unless you count detraining.

entering college, i had a bit of a weightlifting background which i developed during high school. i competed in annual weightlifting competitions within my school and won both years i competed (bench, deadlift, and squat). whatever biking i did during my paperroute years was long gone. there wasn’t much there in terms of a cardio base, and even the strength base was pretty weak.

that’s when canoe started and that’s when i started ‘getting in shape.’

from 2000-2003, all my training was body-focused. it was intense; it was explosive; it was driven. my body made significant muscular gains. i started at 162lbs in 2001 and moved to 167lbs in ‘02 and 173lbs in ’03.

From training

then i moved to seattle in 2004.

the singular annual event/competition disappeared from my life, at least for the next two years, and so there was no strong push. there was a lull. i tried training for marathons, but i met injury each time – go figure. but, biking picked up, along with the running, and the general endurance side of training was underway. at this point, it was still body-training.

From training

it wasn’t until 2006 when ironman training began that the focus in training became that of the mind. it’s why i stand by the belief that anyone can do an ironman since it’s a big mental game in the end. when training for something like this, the intensity level comes down a bit – at least relative to those canoe training years. instead, it’s a long, slow grind that wears you down physically, but which morphs into a mental drain. eventually you develop mind stamina. you can push and push and push and not think anything of it. when i look back to the training days of yonder, i can’t even fathom doing that stuff now.

From training

2007 was the biggest mind-training year of them all with the bike trip across the country. it was a non-stop, day-in, day-out mental battle to keep pushing. no, the intensity was never really too high; it was more a collective sum of the parts. when i came back from that, my mental capacity to push was off my own chart. it was great.

From training

2008 and 2009 up ‘til now has been that detraining phase. i don’t know if i like it. with the mind-training, endurance stuff, you always reach a plateau and then push to break through it. i haven’t done that in a really long time and kind of miss it. but, i don’t know if i even still have it in me to push through my current plateau, let alone stay at the gym for more than an hour anymore. the other day at the gym, i was really weak. yes, we all have weak days, but this was different than all others; this was odd because when i went to the well to get a little more strength --- it was gone. not just temporarily, but permanently. all that strength and endurance capital i’ve been building up for the previous years is gone.

From training

that sucks.

i’m pretty sure i want it back. i’m pretty sure i want to push for something again. i know next year holds another mind-training year, but i’m feeling like this year needs to involve one of those body-training years. time to get on it i guess…

dreamin’

2009-03-24T23:10:00.001-07:00

now that my sleep pattern seems to be more regular (i.e. i can mostly sleep through a full night again) after the years of considerable endurance training, i’m starting to have dreams again. it’s kind of shocking, actually, to wake up from one and have to once again realize that it’s not real since so often they do feel real.

a few weeks ago, i had all kinds of dreams. the details and stories aren’t all that important; the thing that is important, however, is the fact that in these dreams, i had a lot of emotions come out – specifically, empathy.

empathy is something i don’t do very well, especially not in person. i don’t know why this is so. perhaps i’ve always had the “well, suck it up” mentality, which likely developed in early childhood when my parents might not have been readily available for me because they had to deal with other family issues outside of their control. so, to feel and instantly recognize an emotion, let alone empathy, is pretty remarkable, albeit while dreaming.

it’s as if my guard is down. my censor.

in a book i recently read – the drama of the gifted child – it talked about the grandiose person. here are a couple lines from the book you might see in me…

-the person who is grandiose is admired everywhere and needs the admiration; indeed, he cannot live without it. he must excel brilliantly in everything he undertakes, which he is surely capable of doing (otherwise he just does not attempt it). he, too, admires himself, for his qualities – his beauty, cleverness, talents – and for his success and achievements. beware if one of these fails him, for then the catastrophe of a severe depression is imminent.

-without therapy, it is impossible for the grandiose person to cut the tragic link between admiration and love. he seeks insatiably for admiration, of which he never gets enough because admiration is not the same thing as love. it is only a substitute gratification of the primary needs for respect, understanding, and being taken seriously – needs that have remained unconscious since early childhood. often a whole life is devoted to this substitute.

- an adult can only be fully aware of his feelings if he has internalized an affectionate and empathic self-object. people with narcissistic disturbances are missing out on this. therefore they are never overtaken by unexpected emotions, and will only admit those feelings that are accepted and approved by their inner censor.
the first two paragraphs should definitely ring a bell. the third paragraph i find very interesting because it’s true that i seldom feel caught off guard by anything emotionally. if and when i do, my defense mechanism to protect me goes up so quickly, it’s like it was always on. my goal, my difficulty, is to learn to be able to hear and feel my emotions in real time – rather than having some shield up that allows me to access those emotions at a later time when it’s “safe.”

right now, it’s safe inside my dreams. it’s safe when i write an email or a blog entry. it’s safe to take a picture of somewhere beautiful, but not fully appreciate it when i’m there because something might be coming at me real time. it’s this very powerful distancing defense mechanism i’ve developed through the years. for the most part, it has protected me from hurt and pain. but, it, in its own way, has significantly hindered the way in which i operate and interact with others (more to come at a later date…)

4:00am

2009-03-22T17:45:00.001-07:00

nothing like a voicemail at 4:00am. at first, i thought it might be someone drunk dialing me, or maybe someone from the midwest forgetting about the time zone difference. instead, it was the seattle police: “uh, this is the seattle police. we’re at your car right now and need to speak.”

From fire!

okay, sounded like a prank, but i thought i’d check out the car anyway. greeted with the flashing lights of four cop cars, i soon knew it was not actually a prank. turns out, a fire truck had visited the car only a few minutes earlier. a fire? yep.

From fire!

somehow a fire started in my trunk and burned through the spare tire cover plate and some random emergency clothes i had in there. oh yeah, a full wood-handled shovel too. after a gazillion questions with the fire detectives, they found a cigarette butt. of course it wasn’t mine. apparently the fire dept found my door and trunk open when they put out the fire, so someone must’ve come by and tossed it in. so much for leaving my doors unlocked at night (the theory being that i’d rather have someone rummage through my car, not find anything, and leave without breaking anything). whoops.

From fire!

so now, i will have to figure out insurance stuff and get the interior cleaned from all the smoke damage. fun times for sure.

vantage

2009-03-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

well, it was time for the first outdoor rock climb this year. it was organized as part of my basic climbing course and we had a surprising amount of lead climbers per student – like a 1:1 ratio. i guess that’s just one of the many perks of having hollywood and modern (art) as group leaders.

From vantage

the lead climbers (rod, jenn, jeff, and susan) are all super cool, and i can definitely see climbing with them all in the future. at vantage, most of the routes are bolted – meaning there are bolts already anchored into the rock with an attachment clip for a carabineer quick draw – a device that provides something for the climbing rope to clip into. as the lead climber goes up, he/she keeps adding pieces of protection (the quick draw or other things like nuts, cams, and the like). the concept is basic – anchor to the rock in some fashion while being belayed.

From vantage

the actual climbing itself was okay. i was a bit nervous on the first climb – either that or cold. soon enough it became comfortable again and i climbed up to 5.10a routes. the 5.10b perplexed me enough to where i slipped and fell, but only a couple inches before my belayer caught me. on the whole, it was okay climbing. i think i like the gym more because you can do more of it in a shorter period of time, but i see the need for actual rock climbing because it’s completely different from a mental standpoint. but, until we do actual alpine climbs – the kind where you hike for a day or two to reach the rock climb and a cool summit – i don’t think i necessarily enjoy the crag climbing aspect, like what we did at vantage (very short hike, climb with lots of others all on routes that are well known and in a book).

From vantage

got that giddy goodness

2009-03-19T20:40:00.001-07:00

as summer is nearing, i have all kinds of hiking trips planned. every time i think of them, i get a queasy kind of excitement in my stomach. it feels like a whole new world of WA is opening up to me the more i continue to grow my hiking knowledge.

as a bonus, brandan and cj will be coming out for a few days later this summer and want to go out on a 3 day trip. i can’t wait!

wednesdays are NOT for working

2009-03-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

at least not this one.

From snowboarding

mike had the itch. i had something. we both decided it would be best to head to the mountains for some snowboarding/skiing. we were greeted with bluebird skies and a decent amount of good powder still remaining from the storms this past weekend.

From snowboarding

i was a bit worried i would get my ass handed to me since i hadn’t boarded in over a year. but, during my first run, it all came back to me. one more warmup run and we headed to one of the countless unnamed bowls. it was really cool to have that floating feeling again – so cool i might actually snowboard more regularly – but only in the backcountry. i think ski resorts on the weekends definitely aren’t for me; hence a wednesday visit.

From snowboarding

more than anything, it was really good to hang with mike again. it seems like we had a long hiatus from hanging out with each other – damn relationships getting in the way. so, this was a nice reconnect with the past and hopefully an indicator of the future.

From snowboarding

delete delete delete

2009-03-15T22:44:00.001-07:00

it wasn’t something hanging over me or lingering with every thought, but sometime last week, i decided to delete every email and letter associated with mary. i’m not sure what it means or why the thought even entered my mind, but i think it’s a good thing. it’s one additional form of closure i suppose. part of me felt torn just before i clicked to permanently delete it, but i also felt a sense of freedom – like some kind of burden was removed. hopefully, one was.

ramen

2009-03-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

noodles. you don’t think much of ‘em, and prior to 2007, i didn’t either. but now, when occasionally eating them for lunch, mixed in with some black beans, i find myself taken back to ione, wa, where my dad and i camped on the bike trip. that was the night of the ghostly radio as well as the time we broke into the backup food reserves because we weren’t able to make it to the grocery store that night. we made ramen noodles with instant rice and it completely hit the spot as we watched the night sky light up with stars over the lake to our south. man that radio thing was spooky…

big numbers

2009-03-15T21:53:00.001-07:00

hollywood and i did another easy summit this week at thomas mountain. the awesome snow from last week was no more. fortunately, a ton is dumping right now as i type, but for this trip, it was a bit crusty for my liking. and understandably, when you go from virgin to crusty, some of the fun is lost… although HW said he takes what he can get at his age :)

From thomas

we ran into a fellow mountaineer named stefan. i’ve heard a bit about him before the trip, so i had a feel. in talking with him, he said he’s climbed 1300+ peaks now and shoots for about 120 new ones each year. that’s just a huge number to fathom, especially considering that each of his summits is new. someday i might be around that number, but i’m not sure i have that much desire to make it a task list like that.

From thomas

but, it got me to thinking about other big numbers. the one that popped in my head was weightlifting. i’ve been lifting now for ~15 years and, over that time, have put up a good amount of weight – about 24,000,000 lbs (15 years x 50 weeks x 2 times per week x 16 sets per time x 10 reps per set x 100 lbs per rep). that’s a lot of weight.

From thomas

there are a lot of big numbers out there. i’m not sure they really mean anything, however. of late, i am finding myself thinking about how everything is arbitrary, some contrived definition of what’s important, what’s big, what’s whatever. i think it parallels the question of the meaning of life – something i certainly have no answer for nor even the first word of said answer.

From thomas