Dog Walks Man - How A Rescue Dog Rescued Me

Let's Talk About Wealth

2014-10-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

In out "Get Yours While You Can" world it seems that many of us are missing one critical piece of information which should change the way we think. That is that there is a finite amount of wealth and as the resources of the world shrink so does the wealth pool.

Why is that important? When the rich get richer the poor must get poorer. The middle class has less as well. The amount in your bank account is not as true a measure of wealth as you would like it to be. It has been diluted by money which is not actually wealth. Money can be and is regularly manipulated. It is not backed by actual wealth. It's only value is in trade to others who believe it has value.

Real wealth is based on control of resources and commerce. Your bank account and retirement plan and home equity give you very little in the way of control over these things. The people that have that control also have control over the direction of world governments. They decide whether we live peacefully with others or are in a constant state of war.

When the richest in the world continue taking more control over real wealth they take away the chance for people to live life on their own terms. Every time they take another chunk of the wealth they are condemning others to poverty. There is no middle ground or room to debate this. If they take it there is no more for others to get.

The natural reaction people have is that those on the bottom don't try hard enough or they refuse to assimilate into life as we know it, but the reality is that they have almost no opportunity to do so.

So, how do the richest keep consolidating more wealth? This is the part that should piss you off. They are invested in all of the things that are wrong in the world. Who do we see as the troublemakers in the world? Banks? Yep, they own them. Insurance companies? Yep, them too. Big Pharm? Yep. And lets add every military and weapons contractor, chemical companies, oil, coal, and the list goes on.

So what if chemicals sprayed liberally on the food supply are making people sick? There are pills to fix that. So what if the oil needs of a greedy country require constant war in the Middle East? We have planes and tanks and guns and Humvees and Drones, etc to deal with that. So what if the cost of medical care is beyond what anyone can actually pay? We have insurance companies for that. So what if nobody can afford a home? There are mortgages available at the bank for that.

Every problem we have living with too little in an economy driven by the richest and unregulated by a government owned by the same people has a fix where those people can continue to consolidate a shrinking amount of wealth.

The only answer I see is to take back the government from the richest few and return it to a government for the people, by the people and of the people. I only hope it is already not too late to do so.

Be very well and more soon....

Back To The Dog

2014-04-13T15:15:00.001-07:00

I have been leaving Athena out of my posts for a while, but She's Baack!

We have been giving her some necessary off leash time on Sundays out by Dupont. Recently we added a route through Amazon's Fulfillment center parking lot which has very few cars in it on Sunday. Today as we walked through Athena was drawn to the cars even though we weren't really walking right by them.

It occurred to us after she went car to car looking in each of them that she was looking for people in the cars. Her life's meaning is getting people in cars to smile at her, after all. She was a little disturbed that there were no people in any of the cars. I think a parking lot is like the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse to her - all those abandoned cars with nobody to smile at her.

In 2 trips through their lot we have the empty zombie cars and the bull frog in the storm drain leaving me to wonder what's next. She fully inspected every door on the sides of the building we walked by so it is safe for others to walk by as well.

She had a great 10 miles of hiking at Packwood Lake with us Saturday as well. She got to jump over or go under 47 blown down trees each way to and from the lake. It was clearly easier for her than us although she had one that it took 3 attempts to jump over.

I might have taken pictures of 3 or 4 downed trees, but 47? Not so much.

That's all for now. Carry on.

Be very well and more soon....

You Are The First Line Of Defense

2014-04-02T09:51:00.001-07:00

Someone told me I needed to point out the good people and companies in my blog. I guess it IS easier to read all happy happy joy joy stuff, but that isn't an accurate reflection of the world we live in.

Our capitalism experiment in this country has led to some pretty outrageous nonsense and we either have chosen to participate or look the other way for the most part. Now we are basically screwed. The US Supreme Court just dealt the final blow to anything resembling a fair and un-corrupt government by saying that there can be no limits on what a person donates to a campaign.

That means that the oligarchy is on and the representative government is now a government representative of the distribution of wealth. By my count, that means that 1% of the population now controls the government. If their goals were to make this a better country I wouldn't care, but the goal is to continue consolidating wealth until the 1% is 1/2% or 1/4%.

If there were unlimited potential wealth that wouldn't be so bad but that is not the case either. There is a finite amount of wealth and the more the Koch brothers and their ilk consolidate the less there is for anyone else. That is just the facts folks and they are not happy happy joy joy facts.

I can no longer picture a United States that has a chance of avoiding this outcome. When you can't count on Congress or the Supreme Court to have your back you might as well read up on the duties of a serf because that is what we have, through apathy and inaction, guaranteed for future generations.

We suck. We got greedy and let this happen. We ignored every person that warned us and instead called them granolas, or enviros, or paranoid conspiracy theorists and now it has bit us right in our flabby asses.

That's about as upbeat as I can be right now. My plan is to live as close to the earth as I can for as long as I am still on this planet. I will be as compassionate a tenant as I can be to world. That's the best I can do.

Be very well. Peace, and more soon....

Just When You Thought It Was Safe

2014-04-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

I decided to quit writing this blog because I was out of stuff to say, but I have some new itches that need scratching so It's Baaaack!

The timing for this post in particular is due to the fact that Pam and I have decided to eat vegan for April and that since we returned from South America in November of 2010 I have managed to - bit by bit - find about 30 of the pounds I lost.

I know why they are back - the ponds that is. I am drinking alcohol more regularly, eating more animal protein and exercising less. That is simple stuff. Along the way sometimes you lose the way or get cocky or whatever. In the end it is much easier to say "I got this now and I am never going back there." than it is to live that thought for real.

This morning, like it or not, I got up and rode my bike on the wind trainer and got in some time on the Concept II rowing machine. I would rather have slept in, but I have goals. If we get our permits for the Wonderland Trail I want to be more than 20 pounds lighter when we start than I am now and that is the end of July.

We have been accumulating ultralight backpacking gear so we can hike the Wonderland Trail in 7 days. The goal is to be under 35 pounds on the worst days. Since the bottom line is the overall weight, the less on my ass and belly is the less my knees need to bear over 93 miles and 22,000 feet of elevation gain. So, to be an ultralight backpacker I need to be as light as I can be without the pack as well.

To eat any diet that is different from what you are used to you need recipes that make you not miss what you were eating. This vegan month will be easier than our infamous raw food month for sure, but plenty of thought is still necessary.

My latest favorite is a Curried greens and chick peas with steamed Sweet Potato. Here is the recipe in a format you can cut and paste.

Curried Chick Peas and Greens With Steamed Sweet Potatoes.

2 cans Organic Garbanzo Beans
2 cans Organic Diced Tomatoes
6-8 Tsp Unsalted Curry Powder
1-1 1/2 lbs of Greens (I use organic Baby Kale but spinach or chard or a mixture of all 3 works too) Wilted and the Liquor (liquid from wilting the greens) reserved.
1 Large Onion Chopped
4-6 Cloves Garlic minced
1-3 cups Vegetable Stock
1-2 inches of Ginger Root minced
2- medium Sweet Potatoes chopped in 1/2 inch chunks and steamed for 10 minutes.
Coconut oil (or Olive oil)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan (I use my Wok) add oil and wilt the greens. You want them to be just softened. This should net you a good amount of dark green cooking liquor. Move the greens to a glass or stainless bowl and cover to allow them to steam a little. Add more oil to the wok and soften the onions until just translucent - maybe 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger for a couple of stirs and then add the tomatoes and drained Garbanzo Beans. Pour the cooking liquor from the greens and enough vegetable stock to have a medium consistency. Let this simmer for about 15 minutes.

The sweet potatoes should be steamed for 10 minutes so they are still pretty firm. I use organics so I just wash and don't peel them. The greens need to be chopped finely - 1/4 inch squares.

Add the greens to the tomato mixture after 10 minutes along with the curry. Start with 6 tsps and taste before adding more. Only YOU know how much curry is enough. Salt and pepper to taste and then add the sweet potatoes for 1-2 minutes, but don't over stir and break them down.

Serve over steamed brown rice, quinoa, or noodles or just eat like a stew. This is about 4-8 servings depending on how you serve it.

If you don't like greens you could substitute broccoli and add more veggie stock.

This recipe is really good and you can even serve it over left over spaghetti Marinara if you have some around.

I plan on yapping some about dietary silliness I see along the way so you will all get that familiar Dog Walks Man feel back. Speaking of the dog, I wish I had Snorovision or something so I could share her current state of snoring away on the love seat.

Be very well and more soon....

D-W-M Swan Song

2013-10-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it I have been almost only posting hike reports. I think that means it's time to bring Dog Walks Man to a full resolution. That means some summing up and some fessing up along with a little catching up.

What have I learned over the last 3 1/2 years? What is worth passing on to others? What can I still do better? That is what I hope to cover here.

What have I learned? First, there is no better thing I learned than there is a mind - body connection that colors everything else. To be right with others you need to get right with yourself. You need to find positivity inside yourself and you need to eliminate negative factors from your life. The good energy makes you well and the negative energy makes you ill. You can't fix the little stuff until you have a grip on the big stuff. We are all going to have bad days, but keeping the focus on positive thinking is key.

There are people who are used to you being who you were prior to deciding to be better that will get in the way of you getting where you want to go. It is hard to fully accept that, but it is true. They will have their own motives, but you will encounter them. If you are trying to get healthy and eat better some of your friends and even family will be there attempting sabotage. Be prepared for that. Maybe it is about disliking change or the inevitable pressure they will feel to do what you are doing if you succeed - I don't know, but it happens.

Second, If it isn't in the house you can't eat it. You may need to take over preparing your own food or doing the shopping if you don't already do it. If you are like me the wrong stuff gets eaten first. I was a sucker for ice cream and I still have trouble wanting pretzels and stuff after dinner. I do badly when I go to Trader Joe's. I call it my carb stop because they have some of my favorites.

When the carbs aren't around I snack on better stuff like nuts and veggies. It is really simple, but it works. Don't buy it and you won't eat it.

Third, It is easier to stay moving than it is to get moving. Keeping activity as routine as possible makes it easier to keep it up. That is why whatever you pick for activity has to be something you want to do. Don't run if you hate it. If you like walking then walk. If you hate the gym don't go. Design a program you can sign on to for the long term. If you like o bicycle and live in a tough winter place then either get a mountain bike or by a wind trainer to ride inside. So, do what you like, but DO IT.

Skinny is not the same as healthy. There are lots of thin people who are not healthy. Healthy requires you to have good nutrition, activity and attitude. That balance is key. None work without all of them.

I can do all three things better than I currently do. I constantly try to better my diet. I don't eat dairy, red meat or pork with the exception of a little cheese on pizza from time to time. I have cut down on bread and all things wheat quite a bit. I think an interesting test would be to go gluten free for a month to see how it affects me.

The stuff I learned that have been invaluable and that I will stick with include vegetable juicing, eating a lot of kale, and doing as much of your own cooking as possible. The juice gives you instant feedback and vitality that lasts through the day. Kale is this wonderful, life giving food that energizes you, and controlling your food supply by cooking it yourself makes it easy to do what you know is right.

The easiest stuff to avoid are the ones that everyone thinks they'll miss the most. Fried foods and other greasy foods are the first you lose your taste for if you cut them out. Super sweet stuff is the second easiest to avoid and the salty stuff - for me at least - is the hardest.

What I want everyone to know is that you can do whatever you need to do. The trick is to make it a need. If you need to drop some pounds to get healthy than do it. You know you can. Make simple decisions and choices. If French fries are your drug of choice cut them out entirely. Don't have "cheat days" included. Those are really slippery slope days where you can begin sliding back into your old ways. Don't put yourself in that place.

Local, organic food from your own garden is best followed by organic food straight from the farmer and then organic food from stores. You CAN eat that way. It WILL make you feel better.

I will create a hiking blog so you're not getting rid of me yet. I am easy to get a hold of if you have any questions and I am always happy to pass on whatever I can to aid others in their journey. This is a life pursuit - being healthy. It doesn't have a beginning and end date other than birth and death. Everything you have done is over and you can't change it. Today is what you need to focus on. Tomorrow will come when it comes and you can't do anything about it today.

Be very well and thanks for reading. Somehow this blog has had almost 17,000 page views.

Maybe The Biggest Lie Of All

2013-09-24T07:50:00.001-07:00

I keep hearing that food grown with chemical fertilizers and herbicides sprayed on it - I can't talk myself into calling it conventionally grown - is just as nutritious as food grown without. That is crap. It is a complete impossibility.

An apple grown corporately has over 30 chemicals sprayed on it. An organic apple has no chemicals sprayed on it. Our digestive systems only have 2 reactions when we ingest something. It can recognize it as nutrition and work to break it down and utilize the nutrition or it recognizes it is a toxin and has a white cell reaction to protect the body from the toxin.

There is no middle ground. It doesn't say "Oh let me quickly separate the toxins and then I'll get to digesting the rest." It's an all or nothing process.

So when they tell you the stuff they sprayed with herbicides and pesticides and fungicides is just as healthy they are NOT telling you the truth.

The favorite chemical for the genetically modified crops is glyphosate (roundup). It works by blocking nutrition to the plants it is sprayed on which kills it by basically starving it. The modification allows a plant to grow even after being sprayed with glyphosate, but there is no peer reviewed science showing that the plant has the same nutrition as an organic or even just non-gmo plant.

There isn't a lot of science one way or another because the patent laws require the patent holder to approve research which they do not approve. They prefer you and I be the lab rats for their experiment.

Just say Yes on 522 and make sure your parents and aunt and uncles and grandparents know what the truth is.

Be very well and more soon....

Crystal Peak Was A Great Second Choice

2013-09-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Saturday we headed off to hike Norse Peak with a loop that took Trail 1161 through Goat Lake. We arrived at the trailhead to find signage that said the Goat Lake trail was "obliterated" by a slide and was impassable. We made a quick decision to head to Crystal Peak Trail which is just over 8 miles away since it was a beautiful day and we had yet to see the view from there in our 3 previous hikes there.

So we headed up the very well maintained Crystal Peak Trail and were very surprised to see a ton of perfectly ripe huckleberries. That slowed our pace quite a bit since we were all eating our way up the trail.

We finally got back to hiking - mostly because as we got higher the berries went away, but the view got outstanding.

We decided the right thing to do was to pick some berries to take home on the way down so we had a snack and a little break at the top. Garry noticed something a little too white over on a steep slope a peak away from us so I zoomed in as far as I could and took a couple of shots and sure enough it was a mountain goat.

We took the pictures you get to take when you haul your butt up a mountain and headed down to get some berries. By the time we were done picking we were the purple finger and tongue gang, but we had some great berries and a good bit of exercise as well.

Be very well and more soon...

Pacific Crest Trail Days and Tunnel Falls

2013-09-08T16:34:00.004-07:00

Pam and I headed down to Cascade Locks to PCT days. It was held on Thunder Island in Cascade Locks Oregon. Thunder Island is only open for camping when PCT has this event so it's pretty cool that way.

While we were there we decided to hike out the Eagle Creek trail to some waterfalls. There are many on this east trail to enjoy. The trail is rocky, but easy with little elevation gain. We had brought along 2 folks we met at PCT days who are both planning a PCT through hike. Willow owns a restaurant near Camano Island and Dan who works in his family's rare rock business in McCall Idaho.

We headed up under Pam's easy hike pace and pretty quickly decided to go beyond the original 4 mile turnaround we had planned to hike through to Tunnel Falls - about 6 1/2 miles out. We ran into some through hikers heading north that told us to go past Tunnel to a more special view and we can't pass on local information so off we went.

Tunnel Falls has a tunnel behind it that you walk through. There is a lot of "chicken wire" along this trail since it drops off dramatically in places. They have cable installed on the inside of the trail for people who may want to use it.

Around the corner from Tunnel Falls is a really pretty cascade that was perfect for us to take in some calories before turning for home.

We slammed back down the hill with Dan in tow. He was wearing some shoes with pliable soles and the rocky trail was taking it's toll on his feet.

We made it back to PCT days in time for a shower and some late lunch before the drawing for gear. They had a raffle for over $7000 worth of gear! We bought $45 worth of tickets and ended up with $450 or more in gear!

The vendors there were varied, but many had lighter weight options in tents and packs. We saw a 2+ person tent that weighed under 3 pounds. There were demonstrations and talks on varied subjects and Friday night they screened "Mile -Mile and a Half" which is a documentary on backpacking the John Muir Trail in California.

We will likely attend again next year if we can. We both enjoyed it immensely.

Be very well and more soon....

Mowich-Spray Park-Seattle Park-Carbon River-Ipsut Falls-Ipsut Pass-Mowich WOW!

2013-09-03T07:33:00.003-07:00

In our Wonderland Trail book the recommend this as a great 2 day option but we were on a roll after hiking Upper Lena Lake Saturday, Grand Park through the back door Sunday we decided to get a 40 mile weekend of hiking in by doing the distance in one day.

Garry, Pam and I hit the trail at 7:10 AM and headed towards Spray Park. There are 2 overlooks on this side that we took and they were well worth taking. After the turnout to Spray Park Falls we started uphill. The climb begins at 4900 feet and ends at the pass at 6400. In between is the beautiful Spray Park.

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Mowich Lake

Eagle's Roost Overlook

Spray Falls

We made the pass in 2 1/2 hours and were feeling great. The descent was more technical and difficult than we had hoped so the going was not as fast as we wanted but we were in the eat as you walk and keep moving mode.

We made it to the junction for the Wonderland Trail at Carbon River to find that the trail was closed and there was a detour that would add about 6/10s of a mile to our trip. We could have known this ahead of time by checking trail conditions on NPS.gov, but here are 3 knuckleheads who think it's a good idea to do a 16.4 mile hike to finish off a three day hiking weekend.

The bonus of the detour was a suspension bridge we got to go over. We made our way through the detour and were at Ipsut Falls in 6 hours where we replenished our water and headed up the hill to Ipsut Pass - a 2700 foot of elevation 3.5 mile slog on a tight - slightly overgrown- rocky trail.

The thing that kept us going there was knowing there was an easy mile of decent trail left to the car once we made the pass. With Pam leading and setting the pace we made to pass in 2 hours and made it back to the car in 8 1/2 hours total.

We finished out 3 day hiking weekend with 41.86 miles and 12,175 feet of elevation gain. Our feet are wrecked and we are moving slowly today, but I would do it again for the fantastic views and the sense of doing something very cool.

Be very well and more soon....

Grand Park/ Lake Eleanor to the Northern Loop Trail and Magic

2013-09-02T19:32:00.001-07:00

We had a big crew on our hike Sunday to Grand Park in Mt Rainier via the back door trail by Lake Eleanor. As soon as we hit the trail it was huckleberry picking time as the berries were ripe along both sides of the trail.

Lake Eleanor

The view from the Northern Loop Trail

Somehow we managed to make it past the lake and up into Grand Park. We had read in the Wonderland Trail book we have that the best view in the area is just down the Northern Loop Trail. It seems hard to believe when you are in Grand Park that there is a better view around the corner, but we went that way for a look.

Magic! Wow what a view. The picture makes me look like a good photographer, but it was all nature on that one. We had something to eat and headed back the way we came and had a late lunch at the Naches Tavern in Greenwater on our way down.

It was widely reported that a good time was had by all.

Be very well and more soon......

Upper Lena Lake = Owie, Owie, Owie

2013-09-01T19:32:00.003-07:00

When you hike every week and snowshoe through the winter a couple of years in a row you start to feel like you can do anything. If you need to be brought back to earth and get a hell of a workout put Upper Lena Lake on your to do list.

That was the case Saturday as Pam and I were joined by Lisa, Garry and Chris for the 14.2 mile 4390 feet of elevation gain day hike. We were at Lower Lena Lake - just under 3 miles - in just over an hour. We took a food break and headed up the Upper trail. You get lulled to sleep on the lower trail and woken right back up on the upper trail.

The trail gets more - shall we say - rustic as you head up. You have done 1200 feet of elevation by Lower Lena, but you have another 3200 waiting. You spend a bit of time dragging your butt up the steeper sections thinking about how much harder they will be to descend.

After you reach the lake you are greeted by unusual serenity found only in a place as remote as Upper Lena Lake. It truly is a pretty place. We had more food at the lake, used my Platypus filter to make some water to refresh our stores and headed back down.

There is no rushing the descent and we made the 4+ miles to the lower trail in 2:15. The rest of the descent is perfect for a speed descent and we took less than an hour for the final 3 miles. All in all we had a 14.2 mile hike that we hit the trail at 8 AM and were driving away at 4 PM so we felt pretty good about it.

Sadly, none of us are smart enough to keep this off of the list so we will be back for another beating in the future. Maybe another winter route? We'll see.

Be very well and more soon.....

We Take The Dance Away

2013-08-29T08:48:00.001-07:00

I watch more documentaries and do more research on food and food production than is probably healthy. Along the way I try to figure out what the crux of the problem with modern agriculture is. It is easy to blame the human insistence on instant gratification, but that only really describes the necessity we created without explaining where it went wrong.

While watching Queen Of The Sun which is a documentary about bees it stuck me that there is a simple but perfect dance that nature - left alone - performs. The pollinators in a diverse ecology have food sources where they are needed to pollinate crops so that they produce.

At the heart of this dance is the bees who are responsible for over 4 of every 10 bites of food we eat - more if you eat like me. They currently need beekeepers to keep them alive thanks to our "conventional" farming which involves huge growths of one crop - monoculture. It has efficiencies for mechanical farming, but it leaves pollinators with no food source. It also provides for specialization of insects that are dangerous to that type of crop.

The answer to dangerous insects in this system is more and more pesticides and anti-fungals that are poisonous to the pollinators that are necessary to the food supply. This is a downward spiral of a system that is in too big of a hurry to harvest. It is the failure of fast food cultivation.

The process is like an arranged marriage where there is no dance and no romance. It is an unnatural transaction that requires unnatural inputs to keep it going. It is unnecessary to feed the world as the proponents argue.

A diverse ecology such as you see in good organic farming provides food for the pollinators and allows for the dance of nature to occur. It lets nature do what it does best - produce life. The biodiversity doesn't lend itself to pest specialization so insect control is a natural process where other insects and birds eliminate most of the pests.

This is a "slow food" system that requires more human input in sowing and harvesting, but it can be done without chemical herbicides and pesticides. The food has to be better for us with less chemicals on it.

That is why I choose to eat food that has had a chance to enjoy the dance that nature provides that not only feeds us, but the pollinators and humans and animals that have yet to be born. It is sustainable over the long run.

Be very well and more soon....

Indian Henry's Two Ways

2013-08-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

We had a wedding reception Saturday - two actually but we couldn't go to both so we picked one and hiked on Sunday instead.

We had never done the hike to Indian Henry's from either direction so we chose the steeper, shorter route from Kautz Creek trail. The trail begins very flat and continues until you cross where the creek used to flow and then it climbs in earnest.

Our first time hiker posing with Mt Rainier.

This route is obviously less travelled. We passed a young couple early on and saw no one else until we reached Indian Henry's. Hiking this route requires you to check behind you regularly on a clear day as first Mt. Adams and then Mt. Hood appear behind you as you climb.

There were ripe huckleberries along the way and we did our best to pick some as we went. As you approach Indian Henry's this time of year a sea of wildflowers with Mt Rainier dominating the skyline welcomes you to your destination.

We spoke to some section and through hikers at Indian Henry's since it is on the Wonderland Trail that circumnavigates Mt Rainier in 93 miles or so. We ate lunch and decided to take our chances getting a ride from Longmire to Kautz Creek and opted to hike the 7 mile Wonderland trail route to Longmire down. The trail is less steep and in better condition so we thought it would take about the same amount of time and be safer descending.

I forgot to mention that we had a first time hiker with us. She was obviously very fit since she either set pace or followed the pace setter both ways. We all likely have sore feet after 13 miles, but she had a rock star hiking debut.

We arrived at Longmire and quickly found a Park Ranger who agreed to transport 2 of us to Kautz Creek to retrieve our cars. We elected to send the 2 youngest women as a treat to him.

All in all we ended up with right around 13 miles and 4000 ft of elevation gain on a spectacular day in Mt Rainier National Park. A useful day in the park for sure.

Be very well and more soon.....

Tolmie More About This Lookout

2013-08-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

My family picnic was Saturday so Pam and I hiked today instead. We chose Tolmie Peak Lookout which is in the Mowich Lake entrance to Mt Rainier. You turn off of the road to Carbon River entrance and drive 16.5 miles - most of it on washboard gravel road - to the trailhead.

This isn't a difficult hike, but you want stiff soled boots and a decent first aid kit since the trail is not a perfect path, but instead has roots and rocks and all of the fun stuff. That being said, it is only 2.9 miles from the trailhead to the lookout and the entire out and back has only a little over 1600 ft of elevation gain in it.

This is a VERY pretty place. You begin the trail walking along Mowich Lake before you come to the trail junction to Eunice Lake and the lookout. We were lucky enough to have some friends on the trail just after the junction as a deer and her offspring were grazing in a switchback corner. we were glad to see them since someone had scratched the word BEAR in the trail just after the junction.

We cruised along and were at Eunice Lake in under an hour and made the lookout in 1:15. We might have stayed there a while to enjoy the views were it not for the mosquitoes, horse flies and a chipmunk who was determined to invade out packs if we walked away from them so we bailed after 10 minutes and made our way down.

Note the bugs on Pam's hat and in the frame.

There was significant traffic on the trail by the time we passed Eunice Lake. We would scream along until the next uphiking group and then take a rest to allow them to pass and then scream along some more. Luckily, there is some uphill to do on the way back so we weren't always the yielders or we might still be there.

Like every popular trail, the average hiker on this trail is totally unprepared and is wearing the perfectly wrong clothes. I get so I just try not to look.

We made the return trip in 1:05 and headed down the washboard for home. For a late start, we were back in Tacoma eating lunch after hitting a car wash at 1:00 PM so not bad at all. I would certainly hike this again though I would likely want to start a lot earlier. By the time we returned to the trailhead cars were spread a solid 1/3 mile up and down the road.

Be very well and more soon....

I Found My Thrill...

2013-08-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

When Pam, Athena and I headed to the Upper South Fork Skokomish River trail Wednesday we had no idea we were actually heading to Blueberry Hill. We were happily surprised by more ripe wild blueberries than we could eat.

We had a hard time keeping moving, but we didn't need to eat anything we brought with us during the 10 mile hike either.

This is a pretty trail with only a little over 1600 ft of elevation gain over the entire out and back so It would be good for beginners on up. There are some log bridges and log crossings to negotiate, but nothing the intrepid Athena couldn't handle.

Even with the constant stopping to pick berries we managed the trip in just over 4 hours and walked away with 2 ziplocks full of berries for a prize.

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking except to point out that there is a tree crossing work around that you need to find at just over 1.5 miles. There is a horseshoe symbol on a pole that is too far so if you see it backtrack to a side trail and follow it down.

Be very well and more soon.....

Sunrise Spectacular

2013-07-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

Not that we're bored with climbing Mt St Helens, but this year for the summer route climb we decided to do a sunrise summit attempt. What did that mean? That meant with the group we had going we would need to start just after midnight to give ourselves plenty of time to reach our goal. So off we went at 12:12 AM Saturday 8 strong.

Pam led us out and - as usual - we made the first 2 miles to the bathroom area in great time. We took a quick break and then headed into the waiting boulder field. From the bathroom it is only 1/4 mile to the treeline where the bouldering begins.

On Mt St Helens, the bouldering also signals the beginning of the steepest part of the climb. We headed into the boulders with Jean Claude, a climber from Switzerland that we met near the bathroom. His climbing buddy bailed at the last moment so he was glad to hike with others in the dark. Good thing he was since he corrected an early bad turn in our trek.

Jean Claude hung with us for a while and then excused himself to head up a little faster. We did run back into him later when we found him huddled among the boulders. By then the wind had picked up and was steady over 20 MPH with gusts over 30. He indicated that he was using "time management" now so as not to be exposed on the summit too long before sunrise. The boulders he was in were the last of them before the final stretch of steep scree fields.

Since we were all past the boulders we decided to break into varying speed groups to the summit. There is only about .7 of a mile left, but there is also over 1200 ft of elevation in that distance. Jean Claude led the way for the first group and I took up the rear in that group - forming my own group of one might be more accurate.

I was struggling with a cold for the second year in a row on the summer route and I didn't have great lungs for it. I had plenty of time so I just kept plugging away.

I crested the rim just in time to see some great pre-sunrise light acting on some clouds near Mt Rainier. In a 30 MPH wind you can sometimes bail on pretty in favor of warmth, but this kind of light makes a bad photographer look like a genius so I was determined to get my glory shot - dust storm notwithstanding.

After Jean Claude, Lisa, Garry and Chris summited then Me and soon followed by Sue. There was a break to the last three, but Pam and Brenda also made it in time for sunrise. Jeanie had become too cold for her taste so she headed back to the boulders for some wind cover. She waited on us there.

We got our glory shots and Brenda added a video and we were headed back down. Descending Mt St Helens is NOT a treat. Until the last 2.25 miles there is no defined trail - just lots of boulder and scree options, none of which really look inviting.

I had planned to make breakfast for the group so we decided on the way that Garry and I would blast off at a rapid pace once we made the treeline so we could get a start on everything. We hit the trailhead 9 hours after we began and shot down to Marble Mt Sno Park where the RV was parked and began breakfast prep. I woke Athena up so after a big, catlike stretch I tethered her outside so I could cook.

The rest of the group was about 25 minutes behind us which worked pretty well. It was only 10 minutes or so before the food was on and we all feasted. Some of us were napping a little along the way which is to be expected.

Part of the group had to leave Saturday and Bob and Sue had their trailer in the site we had reserved for Saturday night so we hung out at the Sno Park for a good hour after they left to give them time to pack up and give us time to get our stuff together.

We said goodbye to Chris and headed to Lone Fir for the night and met Gary and Lisa there. Garry also joined us there. We enjoyed a great afternoon of snacks and wine and eventually some square dancing began on the property. They weren't all gussied up so we didn't take pictures, but it was fun to listen in on anyway.

All in all it was yet another Mt St Helens trip that will never be replicated like every other one. I guess that's why we keep doing it. Something about spending time with other like minded people doing something really cool that makes life seem better.

Be very well and more soon....

And Eagle Peak Saddle....

2013-07-22T16:51:00.001-07:00

Sunday we headed up to Mt Rainier to hike to Eagle Peak Saddle. We park near the Ranger Station instead of the trailhead which makes the hike 7.9 miles with just under 3000 ft of elevation gain.

We started out with the morning overcast which was very welcome. We quickly were plenty hot since Eagle Peak trail is steadily steep. The trail was in great condition and there was very limited snow up in the trees just below the last uphill to the saddle.

We had Nancy and Dakota with us as well as Lance and Gay and we paced accordingly. At nearly 30 lbs himself Dakota gave Nancy a workout. We were treated along the way to a very comfortable deer who walked down the trail towards Nancy, Dakota and I and got within 15 feet of us before leaving the trail. I left my camera with my pack to bring Nancy some baby stuff in the shade so I didn't get the close up of the deer, but I did get some longer shots earlier.

This is NOT Photoshopped.

Everyone survived the trail and arrived at the saddle to fantastic views of Mt Adams, Mt Hood, Mt St Helens and , of course Mt Rainier. A little further up you get some Tatoosh Mt range views as well.

We enjoyed our long break at the saddle before heading back down and heading to Whitaker's Basecamp Grill for a beer and maybe meet up with Sherrie and Spence who had a Mt Rainier summit attempt in the morning. They were there, but conditions kept them from progressing past 13000 ft. We couldn't stay too long since Nancy had a flight out that evening so we headed home after about an hour.

Sherrie posing with food.

Next up is Mt St Helens which we are planning a sunrise summit (midnight hike?) first thing Saturday morning (Friday night?). The current weather forecast says we can expect dry weather in the 50's on the climbing route and a nearly 82% full moon. That should help navigating the boulders in the dark.

Be very well and more soon....

Strawberry Festival 2013

2013-07-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Pam's sister Nancy and her baby Dakota joined us for the Vashon Strawberry Festival Saturday. It was the familiar, fun small town festival that it always is. The highlights are the parade which included everything from a UFO story float to the Thriftway Shopping Cart Drill team and the parade of tractors.

The weather started a little overcast and then the sun came out just after the parade. Dakota took time between eating and naps to swing and play in the grass. He put me through my paces with a rhythm game we played on a table at Rock Island Pizza. He'd beat something and I would replicate it. Then he'd play something different and I'd keep copying him. After a long while he grabbed his bottle and used that for the beat. I translated that as "C'mon man! Let a kid win."

4:05 Ferry off the island and home to prepare packs for our Sunday hike up Eagle Peak in Mt. Rainier. That post is next.

Be very well and more soon....

Recipe Time!

2013-07-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

I just made a Zucchinlasagna ala Putenesca. It is a meatless, dairy less (vegan) lasagna using zucchini sliced on the mandolin for the noodles.

To make it you really need a mandolin slicer to get the "noodles" thin enough. I think it should be called a kitchen guillotine, but that is a story more related to some missing finger tips that I'll save for later. BE CAREFUL and use the attachment when you use your mandolin, unless there's a hot ER Doc that you like and want to visit, that is.

On my mandolin I set the depth down 2 clicks which is about 1/8 in I think. I used 2 zucchini that were between 10 and 12" so the small grocery store ones you'd need maybe 6 of. It is important to note that if you don't buy organic zucchini you are likely buying a GMO one. Use your own judgment here.

I used the same setting for a large red onion and then sautéed the onion in a little olive oil with a little salt and pepper until soft.

I cook on gas so I was able to scorch the skin on 2 bell peppers over open flames. You just place them over the flame and turn until most of the surface is black and then put them in a bag and close it to steam the skin loose a little - 5-10 minutes. Then use your hand to rub the skin off. I run a little cold water and rinse my hands off, but not the pepper. You'll lose flavor if you rinse it. Then ditch the stem and seeds and chop into long skinny strips. If you don't have gas or a gas BBQ you can use the oven on 400 and you need to slightly brush them with olive oil before.

Paully's Antipasto Putanesca Sauce.

I was light on groceries one day and used what I had around and it turned out great so I made it a regular. Here it is.

2 - 15 oz cans of Organic crushed or diced tomatoes (if diced blend them for a little to make more of a sauce out of them, but reserve some chunks.)
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 - 15 oz can of Quartered Artichoke hearts in water. (Try the bargain market for these) Make sure to pull ant of the stiffer outer leaves and drain well.
1-2 Tbsp Capers They are kind of salty so adjust to your own tastes.
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped olives - I use mostly Kalamatas with a few Stuffed Green Jumbos.
4-8 Pepperoncinis chopped. Depending on heat you might want to start with a few and work your way up. I pop the stem off over the pan so I can use the juice in the sauce as well.
Fresh Basil, Oregano, Thyme and Rosemary to taste. I use about 1/2 cup total chopped.
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Add a little olive oil to the large pan you sautéed the onions in and added the chopped garlic for a minute or so and then add the tomatoes. Add everything else except the herbs and cook for 10 minutes on medium - medium high heat. This sauce needs to be thick because the zucchini will sweat a lot. Add the herbs for the last minute or two.

Put a layer of the sauce in a casserole (9 x12). Add a layer of the zucchini. Add a thin layer of onion and then another layer of zucchini. Now another layer of sauce goes on followed by more zucchini. Then add the rest of the onions and the peppers and another layer of zucchini. Now finish with the remaining sauce and bake at 375 covered with foil for 30 - 40 minutes. If you want to add some cheese you can add it after the covered bake and bake uncovered until the cheese melts. I recommend just shaving some Peccorino Romano over the finished product just before serving for whoever wants it.

If that sounds too complicated just set your mandolin to the julienne setting and make zucchini spaghetti instead. For this you want to add the onions and peppers to the sauce and then toss the "noodles with the sauce for 2-3 minutes. They will be nice and al dente and people may not even notice they aren't pasta.

Wandering On The Wonderland

2013-07-15T07:42:00.002-07:00

Saturday we headed to the Sunrise Entrance to Mt Rainier to hike a section of the Wonderland Trail. The chunk we hiked went through Summerland and on to Panhandle Gap. We had a large group with varied goals and experience so we split into 2 groups - one that was intent on making Panhandle Gap and the other going to Summerland.

Pam led Garry, Terry, Lisa and I to Summerland, a little over 4 miles, in 1:35. We took in some food and headed on to Panhandle Gap which is the highest point on the Wonderland Trail that circumnavigates Mt. Rainier in 93 miles. There were a couple of sketchy log bridges along the way including one with a wire where a wood hand rail should be.

It needs to be noted that there are some VERY healthy marmots living by Summerland. They might be getting fed by hikers.

We quickly ran into persistent snow as we hiked up out of Summerland. We still had a good head of steam and were quickly at the saddle at Panhandle Gap looking out towards Ohanapecosh. It was a beautiful day as you can see from the pictures.

We scrambled back down to Summerland and the entire trip up to Panhandle and back was just 1 1/2 hours.

We kept our pace up as we headed down from Summerland and with a couple miles to go we caught back up with the group and took our pace down for a nice walk out. All in all we managed 11.2 miles with 3812 ft of elevation gain.

Since Sue's birthday was the next day and she was retiring on Monday we brought along some bubbly for a double purpose toast before heading to the Naches Tavern in Greenwater for a couple of more toasts.

Sunday Pam, Sue and I completed the Lakewood Triathlon as a team and had Sue's birthday lunch at the Top of Tacoma with her sister Chris who was kind enough to volunteer at the triathlon. This was the second year of the event and both years have been seamless. Our friend Mary coordinates the event like she has been doing these forever.

Be very well and more soon....

Garden Update

2013-07-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's that time when the garden is getting fun to look at. The staples are cruising along and we are actually a little between on salad greens right now.

Tomato land is doing great! This year I moved them to a full sun location on the back of my built in bench on the deck. I set the shelf so that the tops of the containers are just below the top of the bench so the buckets aren't visible from the deck. They are bigger there then they have ever been.

Squash land is also going nuts. We have been eating both zucchini and summer squash along the way. The trick is to fins them in the jungle of leaves and vines. The blocks are 12" across the face so you have some perspective.

In the greenhouse this year we have peppers, a couple of tomato plants, some Genovese and Thai Basil and an eggplant. The peppers are coming along nicely. I have a couple of Ancho/Poblano plants that are small, but already fruiting.

We are rife with herbs with basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary and mint growing crazy. We have been making good use of the herbs along the way.

In the front yard where useless grass used to grow we have been eating a ton of kale and salad greens and recently began harvesting beets. I just replanted more greens and beets. I need to harvest kale today as you can see in the picture.

Less impressive right now are our beans and cucumbers that I planted too early and they didn't take so I planted again, but a little late. They are growing like weeds to catch up now. I have about 200 sq ft that I need to get planted with some later year stuff and I have to clean out a large kale bed in the front and replant it with new.

If I am good I'll have kale and beets most of the year and greens well into Fall. That is how I choose to fix the food supply issues.

Be very well and more soon.....

Uh Oh! Now We Are Curious...

2013-07-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

We decided on Lena Lake on the Olympic Peninsula for our hike Saturday - Lower Lena Lake that is. Upper Lena is a formidable opponent, but wasn't in the cards since we weren't trying to hurt anyone today.

Lisa ventured out of King County to join us on the Peninsula for the first time and we met Brenda, Paul and Joanie in Hoodsport on our way to the trailhead.

Lena Lake trail is a very pretty trail - a big payback for the effort trail. There are some exceptional boulder areas and cascades and bridges and creeks and the lake itself along with lots of flora so you want your camera handy. With only 1300 feet of elevation in about 3 miles to the lake you can take time to take all the pictures you want.

We arrived at the lake and had a snack and Brenda, Paul and Joanie were kind enough to cut Lisa, Pam and I free so we could ramp up the pace and shoot for 5 miles out on the trail that continues into the Brothers Wilderness.

We stormed along and found some trail issues, but lots of work-arounds all marked with cairns (rocks piled to mark a trail). Some were hairier than others, but none kept us from continuing on. We found a large log across the trail right at 5 miles out so our mission was accomplished and we headed back.

Our totals became more like a regular hike for us at 10.06 miles and 3547 ft of elevation gain. It occurred to us that this is a great place for a group with varied goals and experience. It isn't a difficult trail to the lake so a beginning group could easily get there. The more experienced hikers looking for a little more pain can continue on to the Brothers Wilderness Trail and get more miles and elevation. You can go 7 miles out to the base of the Brothers Peak if you want. The group can meet back up and hike the last part together again.

Brenda and John treated us to a great late lunch at their place on Hoods' Canal and a few beers later we made our way back home. All in all a useful Saturday.

Be very well and more soon....

We Could've Slept In

2013-07-04T08:09:00.002-07:00

Shame on us for not going to NPS.gov prior to heading down towards Mt St Helens to see what roads might not be open yet, but we didn't and instead headed out at about 10 after 5 to hike Mt. Margaret in Mt St Helens National Monument.

We made it to the junction of NF25 and NF99 to find that the road to Windy Ridge was closed. Our trailhead for Mt Margaret is off of NF26 which is off of NF99 so we were on to plan B.

The hike we had planned was on The Boundary Trail which circles Mt St Helens and does cross NF25 so we made for the trailhead there.

At about 7:30 we were making our way up the trail with Pam setting a torrid pace since there isn't a lot of elevation gain - in fact we were trending downhill after the first 3/4 mile or so.

There were some peek-a-boo views of St Helens, but nothing substantial. We cruised 4.3 miles in 1.5 hours and encountered a missing bridge in a steep draw. We had a bite to eat and elected to head back and settle for 8.6 miles.

I lead most of the way - likely due to the fact that I speared Pam a couple of times with my trekking poles. I was able to keep her pace from the way out going even though we were mainly going uphill now.

We made it back in the 1.5 hours it took to go out which made for a tidy 8.64 miles in 3 hours. On the way out they had opened NF99 to Windy ridge! If we had slept in we could have hiked Mt. Margaret.

The timing was perfect to try Bertoglio's Pizza in Eatonville. One of Pam's co-workers' husbands owns the place. We ordered the Gourmet Veggie pizza and settled in for a beer while we waited. The $16.99 price was too little for this pie. It was a thin crust with a good inch of toppings - at least a $24 pie. I told him to raise his prices so I could visit there in the future - if they don't make money they can't stay open. We had no chance to eat the whole thing for lunch, but it made a great dinner later.

Now we need to finish our dishes for 2 Fourth of July parties and home early tonight so we can take care of Athena who is against the fireworks thing.

Be very well and more soon....

An Ass-Kicking, Backpacking - Backtracking Blast

2013-07-02T08:52:00.001-07:00

Our weekend got started with a hike up Mt. Rose by Lake Cushman. In Olympic National Park there is a trail called Wagonwheel Lake that has a warning sign that it is the steepest trail in the Olympics. They would have to move that sign if Mt Rose was in the Olympic National Park.

3727 feet in 2.9 miles to the summit of Mt Rose makes it a formidable trail no matter what shape you are in. Chris, Garry, Brenda, Pam and I headed up on a beautiful day. We arrived in good time and spent time at the top gathering our legs and then headed down. Brenda's favorite camp robber bird visited her and eagerly fed from her hand.

Taking the lollipop route down to ease some of the knee stress we completed the 6.4 mile total hike and had some lunch at Puerto Angeles IV in Hoodsport before heading home.

At home we pulled out our big packs and over packed them for some backpacking the next morning. They weighed in at 45 and 50 lbs.

Sunday we headed to The Norse Peak Trail for some backpacking with Garry. We had no set plan other than to start by getting up to Norse Peak. Athena was with us for her first backpacking adventure. She was enjoying the adventure.

We arrived at Norse Peak on a perfect day and quickly realized that we could set up camp in a partly sheltered area less that 100 feet from the peak. We set up camp and decided we should take a nap. Athena was not as interested in napping as us. She busied herself goofing around, licking our faces and sitting on us until we gave up the idea.

Aw, Come on! She's a dog and elk poop is a badge of honor.

We decided we should head out in search of a water source so we could replenish our supply and headed off the backside of the peak. Within 3/4 of a mile we came to the junction for the Pacific Crest Trail. There was a substantial snow melt going on and we were able to fill our nalgenes and bladders with water we filtered with my gravity filter and then nuked with Garry's Steripen to de-ionize it.

Our water source.


Cheers to Ray Rodriguez from a special place.

Since we were planning to come this way in the morning and take the PCT around to Goat Lakes Trail and take that back to the Norse Peak trail and out to the cars we felt like we were one step ahead already knowing where our first turn was.

We woke just before sunrise and were treated to fantastic views. We had the Norse Peak Wilderness to ourselves with the exception of many elk and some other critters. We had camp broke down and were packs on and moving by 5:35 AM. Athena found some elk scat and rolled in it - coming back to camp with a huge smile. We used some wet wipes up cleaning her as best we could. We headed to the now familiar junction with the PCT and headed out.

It was to be about 8 miles, but mostly downhill so the heavy packs shouldn't be a problem. We followed the map and found the Goat Lake Trail and turned. There was quite a bit of snow on the trail and we had difficulty finding the trail taking a couple of wrong turns and eventually back on the PCT. We decided then - some 3 miles in - that the best option was to hike back the way we came and off we went.

It took until after 8:30 before we were back where we started with 5 miles to go. We took a rest and some food and put our packs back on for the final stretch. We made the distance in under 2 hours. I had to goad Athena on the last couple of miles until she sniffed a pee she had left early on our hike in and realized the car was very close. She perked up and then was in a little bit of a hurry.

There may be no better feeling than removing a heavy pack after 11 miles of hiking under the weight of it. The second best feeling is removing the boots that had my feet burning towards the end. Athena could barely wait until I poured her travel bowl with water and then she laid down and panted for the 1.5 hour drive home.

Once home we bathed Athena and then ourselves and headed out for a pasta lunch and a beer. Our backtracking added a little more than 2000 ft of elevation gain to our trip and 6 miles, but also told us that we are capable of handling some of the issues that face you in the wilderness sometimes. We remain committed to hiking the loop we set out to do, but we will do it in the summer when the trail is clear and then we will have better directional abilities the next time we are there in the snow.

Be very well and more soon....

48,000 Steps Of A Weekend

2013-06-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

Pam bought a device that tracks her steps. She was wearing it this weekend and we had 2 days of 24,000 steps each.

Saturday we went to the Freemont Solstice Festival. I had never been before. I knew there were going to be naked bicyclists, but I really knew nothing more than that. We opted for the bus from Tacoma since the Rock and Roll Marathon was going on in Seattle as well and it was a great idea. The traffic was stupid around Seattle.

We arrived around noon and had some lunch and a beer at the Red Door. They have a sandwich that is spicy hummus and thin slices of green apple on wheat bread with tomatoes and lettuce that is really good. I'll be stealing that recipe. We also had their Black Bean Burger that is nice and spicy. A couple of beers and we were ready to walk.

Right away there were some talented and entertaining buskers mixed in with the vendors. The weather was perfect as well. We walked through the vendors and around the parade route, stopping at Woodsky's for an additional beer.

A visit to the troll under the bridge and we were ready to work our way back around for the parade. I'm sure I have never seen as many pervy looking old guys with cameras as I did there. It made me a little self conscious about my camera.

We realized early on that there was to be only rare "clean" shots of the cyclists and moved down the route to Woodsky's for a beer until the cyclists began. Most of the pics I have were taken with the camera overhead and snapping away so I'm sure there's no Pulitzer Prize in my future.

The parade proper is a very Earth centric affair. There were anti- Monsanto and anti- Coal train groups, a sun and planet crew and lots of great bands. With perfect weather it was PACKED.

We had people we were trying to meet up with, but there was no hearing your phone ring so we never connected. We headed for the bus a little before 5 and were home by 6:30.

Sunday we had plans to hike Crystal Peak. We have hiked it before and been turned around by snow before the summit as well so we were hoping for success this time.

It was raining in Lakewood when we woke and the rain was worse as we drove through Puyallup, but - magically - as we got to Enumclaw the rain stopped. We hit the trail at 8:10 and followed an inspired Pam up the hill. This trail starts out with switchbacks like most trails for the first almost 1 1/4 miles. At that point you take the switchback to the right and there isn't another for a little over 2 miles.

That means that you are looking up at the hill ahead of you for a long time, so it is a good trail to hike head down. We did encounter some snow on the trail after the long awaited next switchback. There were 5 patches and the worst of them was the first. It required crossing a 100 -200 foot area on a steep slope. I was wishing I had my ice axe for that chunk, but the snow was easy to manipulate and we made it without incident.

We arrived at the summit in 2:15 minutes, had some food and rested for 20 minutes before heading down. The return trip took 1:30 and a well deserved lunch and beer at the Naches Tavern in Greenwater awaited us. All in all it was 8 miles and about 3100 feet of elevation gain.

Be very well and more soon.....