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

Hiking

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Potato Chip Rock

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Potato Chip Rock

San Diego is a spot with many great hiking trails. In fact, saying that San Diego has “many” great hiking trails sells the city short; the reality is that San Diego has a plethora of great hiking spots. I can think of no other location in the United States where the beach, canyons, hills, mountains, and deserts are all within a two hour drive; and in some cases are within a one-hour drive. San Diego is also a spot where many household names – Iron Mountain, Cowles Mountain, Torrey Pines, the Devils Punchbowl, and the Three Sisters are hiking trails. In this blog, I’ve discussed my opinions about these places and I’ve also discussed other great hiking spots; but what I will say positively about these trails and their popularity is this: they get people outside. In my experience, when people get outside, they’re more likely to learn things; they’re more likely to boost their endorphins; and they’re more likely to want to protect not only where they went, but other wilderness areas as well. So yes, these trails are popular, as I’ve discussed, but sometimes, popularity is not all bad.

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Hospital Rock

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Hospital Rock

 Sometimes, adventures are easy to find – they’re marked in large white letters on big brown signs right next to highways, telling you where to turn to find something unique. Other times, adventure takes a little initiative to find. Take Hospital Rock, for example. It’s located at the southern end of Sequoia National Park. It is well marked, but other than that, not much is publicized about it other than that it’s a picnic area. On the surface, it doesn’t appear to be that interesting of a spot, nor a spot containing adventure – but it is. For starters, let’s address what it is – it’s not just a National Park Service picnic area, but a large quartzite rock that is partially is a “cave” due to its resting location next to other rocks.

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Penny Pines & Garnet Peak Conditions September 2013

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Penny Pines & Garnet Peak Conditions September 2013

On July 5, 2013, I left work early, and headed up to Garnet Peak in the Cleveland National Forest to start my weekend with a short hike. It was a picture-perfect day with blue skies and since it was Friday afternoon, there was absolutely no one on the trail. The only downside on that day was the weather: it was hot , and the wind that rushed out of the Anza-Borrego Desert felt like an open oven. I remember feeling some of the plants and they were dry . Everything was tinder dry - not good for July in San Diego, where fire season lasts until October, or even November in drought years. Since I couldn't make it rain for the plants, I did the only thing I could: appreciated the natural beauty around me. Although I didn't know it, I was probably the last hiker to hike that area before it burned (photos here). On July 6, 2013, what became known as the Chariot Fire started, and spread through that portion of the Cleveland National Forest due to those dry conditions and high winds. 

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IIAWT Preview/Recap - Mt. Kilimanjaro, August 2013

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Good news everybody! Tonight, there will be another great IIAWT podcast - except this time, the podcast will have a new twist. That's right: on tonight's episode, IIAWT is packing their ice axes and heading off the continent to discuss one of the behemoths of worldwide mountaineering: Mt. Kilimanjaro. On tonight's episode, we will be talking with a long-time friend of the show, JestheCCC about her recent successful climb of the highest peak in Africa. This show will cover everything an intermediate mountaineer will need to know about planning an expedition to one of the seven summits; and it will also cover what one would need to know about how to successfully train for and how to successfully summit the highest mountain in Africa. If you're interested in learning more about JestheCCC and her climb, either before the show; or after the show, read her blog here, about: 1) Preparing to Climb Kilimanjaro; 2) Part One of Climbing the Mountain; 3) Part Two of Climbing the Mountain; and 4) Wrap Up of Climbing the Mountain. Also, if you're interested in learning more about Jes' partners and sponsors in climbing the mountain, you'll want to check out them here: 1) K2Adventures (at Twitter here); 2) TETON Sports (at Twitter here); and 3) Sly Fox Foods (at Twitter here). Tune in here for what will be a great show, or on iTunes!

 

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Perseid Meteor Shower, August 11-12, 2013

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Good news everyone! It's time to train our eyes upward and see if we can see the sons of Perseus streaking across the nighttime sky. That's right - I am talking about watching the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, which is occurring this weekend - August 11-12, 2013. According to the experts, the Perseid Meteor Shower is going to be one of the best - if not the best - meteor showers of 2013 as there will be no Moon in the nighttime sky this weekend. The Perseids are always a great meteor shower to watch, as they are one of the larger showers that have been observed from 36 A.D. onward, and the origin of the meteors is the Swift-Tuttle comet. Since there will be no Moon during the Perseids this year, many astronomers have estimated that during the peak time - from 10:00 p.m. on August 11, 2013 to 4:30 a.m. on August 12, 2013, skywatchers can expect to see 80-100 meteors scorch the sky per hour. If that isn't enough to get you outside to take a look, I don't know what is! (More information on observing the Perseids here, here, and here; and if you're interested in photographing the Perseids, click here). 

As always, you can rest assured that I will be outside watching the Perseids, because I love meteor showers. If you're interested in seeing a meteor shower for the first time, let me provide you with three handy tips: 1) Get outside. Cities provide a lot of light pollution, which makes it harder to see everything in the night sky, including the Perseids. 2) Be patient. While this might not be as important for a busy shower like the Perseids, it is applicable. Allow your eyes time to adjust to the dark; sit back; relax, and enjoy watching the universe move in inscrutable and beautiful ways. 3) Have fun! Bring food, drinks, and plenty of blankets and pillows to stay comfortable and warm. 

Interested in science? You might like this NASA app HERE; and about the dust passing through our atmosphere during the shower here.

 

 

 

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Garnet Peak

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Garnet Peak

One of my favorite spots in San Diego County is one that most people haven’t heard about. No, it’s not Cowles Mountain. It’s not Iron Mountain. It’s Garnet Peak, a medium sized mountain that’s located on the Eastern edge of San Diego County in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area. Even though the peak is somewhat unknown to the hiking community in San Diego, the Laguna Mountains are well known to everyone in the county as “the place with the snow”. Yes, you read that right – San Diego gets snow! While it is not a lot of snow, San Diego – and the Laguna Mountains definitely get snow during the winter months as the range is above four thousand feet. Don’t believe me? Well, you can check these pictures here. This is one of the amazing things about San Diego County; it has a variety of biomes that range from coast, alpine, and desert; and from the summit of Garnet Peak, you can see all of these on a sunny day.