Musings
Last Adventurer
#preservethegood

As you’ve seen above, #preservethegood could mean anything – it could mean helping someone in a time of need; it could be picking up trash on a trail, or a wilderness area; it could be educating people on leave no trace principles; it could be making a difference in any way you want; and it could be just about anything you want as long as you are focused in keeping the magic and the unique positive things in this world and this life. In terms of tangible things, I encourage you, my readers and followers to use the hashtag when you post a photo of something amazing; or when you’re talking about something exceptional you – or someone else has done to improve the world. I look forward to seeing how all of you end up preserving the good in 2015, and you can rest assured that as always, I will keep preserving the good where I find it as well, because as Plato says, “Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.” 

#preservethegood
Hiking, State Parks
Last Adventurer
Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

As I mentioned previously, Waimea Canyon is a site that is most definitely one of the “must-view” locations on Kauai, and in the world; and as I also mentioned, the best way to experience it is to hike it. While there are many great hikes through the canyon, the best hike in my book is the Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls. It is the best hike to me because at four miles roundtrip, it is accessible, it has stunning views of the canyon from inside the canyon, and it ends at the top Waipoo Falls. It also allows the hiker the chance to swim in a waterfall, which is a once in a lifetime experience.

Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

Cascade Mountains

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Devils Homestead

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Devils Homestead

In the far Northeast corner of the State of California is the best National Monument you've never heard of: Lava Beds National Monument. While the monument has many interesting historical, cultural, and geologic features to visit, it is primarily the home of the Medicine Lake volcano, which is the largest volcano by volume in the Cascade Range. For over 500,000 (1/2 million years), the Medicine Lake volcano has been erupting; and is a large shield volcano. While there is evidence of over thirty separate lava flows from the Medicine Lake volcano that can be viewed in Lava Beds, one of the most prominent lava flaws is the Devils Homestead. This lava flow originated from the Fleener Chimneys portion of the park around 2,000 to 8,000 years ago, and is considered an aa flow, as it is basaltic in composition and now has a blocky, uneven surface. Today, while the area has some growth in between the hardened lava, to me, it looks like the surface of the moon, and is one of the more surreal places to visit within the park.

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Climbing Mt. Shasta: Avalanche Gulch Route & Directions

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Climbing Mt. Shasta: Avalanche Gulch Route & Directions

So, you want to climb Mount Shasta? Be warned, like anything else in life, it is a task fraught with perils, challenges, and heartbreak. But, like anything else in life, should you have the mental fortitude to address each of these tribulations, you will be rewarded with an enormous sense of accomplishment and the glory of a fine view. Whether Mount Shasta is the first major mountain you are attempting to summit, or the thousandth peak you have bagged, in my opinion, your best chance of reaching the summit is the tried-and-true Avalanche Gulch route. Full disclosure: the Avalanche Gulch route is the most popular route on the mountain, bar none. But let’s pause for a second here: there’s popular routes like the Mt. Whitney Trail, which have a packed lottery system and actual hordes of people on the trail; and there’s popular routes, which just mean that it’s the best and quickest route to the summit.