Twilight Zone Living (for fun and profit)

Jack Smith is finally allowed to go public, sort of.

2026-01-04T04:22:00.003+04:30

Jack Smith finally testified before a congressional comittee. As I was reading the full transcript I highlighted a portion I feel every voting age American should read. BTW, this section was under questioning by GOP Congressmen and their names are redacted from the transcript. The Democrat names are not redacted. Curious fact. Excerpt from Jack Smith's interview by congress. From page 32 through 34…. Question: Okay. Now, people with different views than you can say the Special Counsel's Office is only interested in prosecuting President Trump because an election is up and he is -- he's going to be the Republican nominee. And the special counsel works for a Democratic President, the special counsel works for a Democratic Attorney General. And so the special counsel's laser focus on President Trump is simply to prevent him from, you know, either being the party's nominee or being a successful party's nominee -- or, at the very least, keeping him off the campaign trail. How do you respond to that? Answer: All of that is false, and I'll say a few things. The first is the evidence here made clear that President Trump was by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy. These crimes were committed for his benefit. The attack that happened at the Capitol, part of this case, does not happen without him. The other co-conspirators were doing this for his benefit. So in terms of why we would pursue a case against him, I entirely disagree with any characterization that our work was in any way meant to hamper him in the Presidential election. I would never take orders from a political leader to hamper another person in an election. That's not who I am. And I think people who know me and my experience over 30 years would find that laughable. Question: So did you develop evidence that President Trump, you know, was responsible for the violence at the Capitol on January 6th? Answer: So our view of the evidence was that he caused it and that he exploited it and that it was foreseeable to him. Question: But you don't have any evidence that he instructed people to crash the Capitol, do you? Answer: As I said, our evidence is that he in the weeks leading up to January 6th created a level of distrust. He used that level of distrust to get people to believe fraud claims that weren't true. He made false statements to State legislatures, to his supporters in all sorts of contexts and was aware in the days leading up to January 6th that his supporters were angry when he invited them and then he directed them to the Capitol. Now, once they were at the Capitol and once the attack on the Capitol happened, he refused to stop it. He instead issued a tweet that without question in my mind endangered the life of his own Vice President. And when the violence was going on, he had to be pushed repeatedly by his staff members to do anything to quell it. And then even afterwards he directed co-conspirators to make calls to Members of Congress, people who had were his political allies, to further delay the proceedings. Question: Did you- -- you sought gag orders in both the Florida case and the D.C. case. Is that correct? Answer: We sought an order in the D.C. case under a rule -- I think it's 57.2 -- and we did that because Donald Trump was making statements that were endangering witnesses, intimidating witnesses, endangering members of my staff, endangering court staff. As you might remember, in the -- right around when the indictment was released, he issued a tweet saying: "If you come after me, I'll come after you." He called -- in a tweet he called General Mark Milley a traitor and mentioned that what he'd done in olden times people would be put to death. As a result of the things he was saying, the judge in this case was put -- received vile death threats. And with respect to D.C., both the district court and the court of appeals, a panel of judges, found that his actions were, in fact, causing what we said they caused. They were causing witnesses to be intimidated and endangering people. And I believe it was the court of appeals also found that in addition to intimidating or chilling witnesses who existed, it would chill witnesses who had not yet come forward because they were afraid that they would be next. So, yes, we did file that and I make no apologies for that. Question: Which witnesses do you think he would have intimidated? I mean, are there any specific witnesses that you could identify for the court? Answer: We did a filing. I don't recall the specifics in that filing right now. But as I said, one of the issues from my perspective was not only the witnesses who he had specifically called out and caused threats to be issued, this phenomena that was found by both courts, it was the result of that is that a rational witness who maybe had not come forward would be completely afraid to because they would see that they would be next. And I think the courts -- both courts agreed with that.

No More Pretending

2024-11-06T23:45:00.001+04:30

This morning, Nov 6th, 2024 is strangely quiet. It could just be my imagination, but I suspect not. Last night things looked to be sliding away so I went to bed about 10:30. I was oddly nonattached to the results of the election I cared so deeply about. It just felt as if the world shifted and I was simply going to have to navigate this new, odd, greedy universe. At 05:00 I woke and decided to check my computer. I had AAP's election results page open. I had to refresh the page and it first went to a map without any results at all. That was disconcerting. Then it popped up with the actual results. I went back to bed and lay awake trying to decide what I felt. I was numb and reflective. It's a tough truth to accept that we are such a frightened, misogynistic, racist country. I was genuinely hopeful that people with genuine empathy and compassion were the majority of my country. Now I was hit with the realization that we have two accused rapists on the Supreme Court and just elected a multiple felon, who is also an accused multiple rapist, and proven fraudster, as the leader of our country. And why? Because people were upset with the increased cost of living. And undocumented immigrants. Why are things more expensive now? Because a global pandemic shut down most economies and trashed supply chains. And when that happened, the criminal we just re-elected made the pandemic much worse through a gross failure of leadership. And why are undocumented immigrants a perceived problem? Because humans like simple answers. Even though such things do not exist in the real world. It's so much more comforting to blame the issues of your country on others. It takes so much less effort than trying to hold leaders in politics and business to a high standard. Those are the thoughts I was pondering. And then I had to face the facts. We are not a bright shining beacon on the hill. We don't trust women or anyone who isn't pasty white to be in charge in any meaningful way. Why? We're so fond of pretending otherwise. We also pretend to be overwhelmingly Christian, yet we don't follow the words or deeds of Jesus Christ. It's really getting exhausting living amongst dishonest, cowardly people. If you don't trust women, or you believe melanin has a direct tie to superiority, please for the love of Christ just say so! If people just stopped pretending, it would be easier to begin challenging those beliefs. Buy hey, we don't like to challenge, or be challenged. As long as we are comfortable in our immediate homes, we really don't care what happens to anyone else.

Another Face of Grief

2022-07-29T23:33:00.001+04:30

Having a lovely meat pie in Placerville

I am writing this blog post to explain why I posted my alarming note on Facebook a few days ago. I’ve since removed it. But I realize many of my friends and family were alarmed, and I would like to publicly apologize for any distress it caused. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation and love for all those who reached out in support and concern.

It’s been a very challenging year for me, and for many close to me. A year of transitions both planned, and unforeseen. I have mostly recovered form the trauma of my daughter’s suicide 5 months ago. Well, at least I have reconciled myself with it. But, a few days ago, I really lost it, once more.

Our mother has been suffering increasingly from dementia for a few years. It was brought on by several small strokes. In the past month it became glaringly apparent she could no longer live in her place. My sister lives next door, but the level of supervision became such that she and I had to split our time to make sure Mom was not left alone. After much searching my sister and I agreed on a memory care facility for Mom to move to. Our mother was likely the first woman in LA Harbor to earn a USCG 100 ton Ocean Operators license. She owned and operated the vessel: Neptune II. Over the course of 30+ years she scattered thousands of human cremains at sea off San Pedro. She was also an avid hiker, going out nearly every Wednesday with a local hiking club. She’s covered more miles and trails in the local mountains that I ever will. She managed the family finances ever since marrying my father in ‘50’s. I tell you this because it illustrates how independent and in control she has always been. So, to watch her slowly transition, from a well known and loved local entrepreneur, to a state approaching childhood has been difficult, well, heartbreaking.

Last week I drove Mom up to Auburn, CA to visit her sister and to look at a property. She has had it in her mind lately that she was going to purchase the old Wolf Post Office owned by a childhood friend. She recalls visiting her friend and his mother at some point, long after leaving Wolf the day after high school graduation. In her mind that visit was 2 or 3 years ago. I am pretty sure it was more than 30 years, possibly even 50. Such is one of the manifestations of dementia, time becomes largely meaningless. I had done some research and realized the old Post Office building had been moved many years ago. My sister phoned our uncle, and learned Mon’s old friend had passed away about 8 months ago. I knew though, the only way to break Mom of this fantasy, was to take her there and show her the area. If I didn’t, she would continue to look into packing up the house for a move that was never going to happen. We decided that while I was up North, my sister and my girlfriend would move some of Mom’s furniture into a room at the memory care facility we had chosen. It would then fall to me to come up with a story about why she was moving into a new place instead to returning to her house.

I decided to tell her the house needed major repairs (more true than I realized) and that we had booked her a room at a resort while the work was being accomplished. I waited, and only told her this on the last day of our journey. When I brought it up, she was initially fine with the idea. Mind you I don’t know how much of it she really processed. Also, that same day, I heard from the mortuary, telling me the final death certificates were available for my daughter. Mom and I arrived at the “resort” and began checking in. She was a bit confused why the room furnishings looked so familiar. I explained that we had brought some of her furniture, needlework and photos to make her feel more at home. She was nervous and somewhat confused, but going along with the story. Another aspect of dementia is that the degradation of mental capacity is not even, or uniform. People can have sudden moments of apparent lucidity. I took her to look over the facility. Looking at the courtyard she commented “this is a very nice hospital”. I assured her it was not a hospital as people were not hooked up to IV’s and monitors and she acknowledged “oh, that’s right”. After an hour and a half, I was preparing to leave. She suddenly looked panicked and frightened. She thought I’d be staying with her. I hugged her, kissed her forehead, and she asked if I’d be back the next day, I assured her I would.

As I walked through the doors my eyes were already filled with tears. When I got to the car, I completely broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. I felt that I had just lied to get my mother to go into this place, that she knew I was lying, but was going along with it. And worst, that she was terrified and I had abandoned her. I couldn’t just sit there in the parking lot sobbing, so drove a few miles to a trailhead where I was off the road. I spent the next two hours unconsolably sobbing and crying in anguish. It was just too much for me, the one last straw. Though I rarely post publicly about my emotional state, I did then. Though I didn’t want anyone to see me. And I didn’t want anyone to try and console me. I felt like I had to scream out in pain to everyone. It was horrible. After posting I shut off my phone. An hour or so later I realized I should add to the post, as it was no doubt causing alarm. Eventually I reached out to my sister, who had been trying repeatedly to reach me. She and my girlfriend had been worried that I was going to harm myself. They drove out to get me as I’d told them I could not drive.

That was the second day this year I felt grief so intense I thought would destroy me. I am still a bit shaken. I ate an anti-depressant yesterday to help me function.

Placing our mother into memory care was the right thing to do. But just because something is right, and an easy intellectual decision, does not make it an easy emotional decision. This was one of the most difficult things I’ve done.

Again, I thank all of you who reached out. I forget how many people genuinely care about me. It’s been a challenging year so far.

This Sucks More Than Anything Has Ever Sucked Before

2022-03-18T05:33:00.003+04:30

Yesterday was one of the hard days. Days are fuzzy now, dates as well. I am never sure if a day is going to be OK or not when I get up. Yesterday was a bad one. It wasn’t until I went to set my watch today that I realized yesterday was the 16^th. Hannah passed away last month on the 16^th. Ouch.

I greatly appreciate all the people who have, and continue to reach out to offer support. But, I am not trying to answer the phone much, or respond immediately to the texts and e-mails. I find that when I talk to people about my grief, or about Hannah’s life, it is very painful. I end up either deeply sad or emotionally hungover. Everyone handles such things differently. Some folks need to be around others, for both support and distraction. I’m a bit different. I need quite a bit of time alone to process this terrible event. My weekly snow hikes help to keep me centered and grounded. They are a distraction I suppose. Hiking in deep, steep snow requires being in the moment.

The dreams are not as frequent as they were last month. I can’t call them nightmares, but they are not far form that. I dream of situations I can’t resolve. Having to be someplace, and being unable to get there. The irrational thoughts about my other children are still an issue. I’ll wake late at night, close to panic, fearing one of my other children is lying dead someplace. Knowing it isn’t true doesn’t reduce the anxiety much.

Among all this processing, life continues unabated. I still have taxes to file, vehicles to register, a memorial to plan. My sister is taking our mom to the ER as I write this. She fell in the kitchen and has a nasty knot on her forehead. She fell in the past due to mini-strokes. I worry that this may be another episode. Our mom’s health has been declining for several years now: the mini-strokes, dementia, COPD. I’ve had time to consider that I need to write a eulogy for her, while things are still OK, while I am still clear headed. It never occurred to me I’d have to write a eulogy for dear Hannah. I honestly don’t know if I can. I can barely muddle through helping to plan her memorial.

2022 is shaping up to be quite a challenging year. But life never stops to allow you to grab a breath. So it goes.

My Heart Has Been Shattered

2022-02-21T07:05:00.006+04:30

I am still processing the death of my daughter. She wouldn’t want me to refer to me as her daughter when she was alive, but now she won’t mind. I have always considered the death pf a child a terrible, terrible event for a parent. But that was an intellectual knowledge. I never even considered what it must feel like to have my heart shattered. That is the image in my mind, my heart broken into thousands of ragged shards. When I think of Hannah the first image that floods my mind is her lifeless body on the floor of her room, face down, arms at her sides, cold to the touch, unmoving, unresponsive, unoccupied.

It’s common practice to refer to the death of a 29 year old as untimely. I can’t look at Hannah’s transition in that light. In the past year she told me more times than I can count that she never thought she would be alive this long. She lamented that she was way behind in figuring out how to live. Hannah had schizoaffective disorder. She heard voices that told her terrible things and made her life unbearable. She was never comfortable in a physical body and often had pains and discomforts. She only lived to help others, and because she knew she was greatly loved. We thought the suicide attempts were at an end. As difficult as life was for Hannah she knew that if she harmed herself, she would be harming many, many others in the process. Sometime on the 15^th, or early on the 16^th, the pain was too much.

I am writing about this because I need to process it in my own mind. I am writing about it because I feel it should be documented from my viewpoint. This is only my view. Everyone who knew Hannah will see things differently. I can’t think of that. All I can do is try to heal myself, my very broken self.

I was told recently that I need to focus on healing myself. This was before Hannah’s departure. There are traumas in my distant past that have shaped me. I was advised strongly to stop trying to save others and address my own traumas. It was that advice that helped fuel an argument with Hannah 5 days before this terrible event. I am now searching to forgive myself because I feels like the proximate cause of her departure. There were other factors. About a month ago she stopped taking her meds for 4 days in a row. So, she was still adjusting to being back on meds. Ultimately life was unbearable for her, just life in general. I know if she had been saved at the last moment and awoke in a hospital bed she would not have been grateful. I know this because she told me as much. Now finally, after far too many years Hannah is at peace. She is resting, healing. But my hears still bleeds uncontrollably.

I was told I needed to focus on myself. But I am now doing my best to be the strong one for several people. In between bots of deep grief. At the same time I have suspected my immediate friends and family are worried for me. It seems I am not to be left alone. That is how it feels at any rate. I am humbled by all the love and concern for me. I also know I need some time alone. Time to write. Time to grieve, to let the pain and loss wash over me. I feel like I’ve been poisoned and there is no antidote. All I can do is allow the poison to run its course. I will live through it, but it’s not going to be pleasant.

Symptoms: Schizoaffective disorder

Symptoms include:

Bizarre delusions
Hallucinations (visual and/or auditory)
Thought insertion
Thought broadcast
Thought withdrawal
Depression
Mania: sudden increase in energy
Problems with communication
Odd behavior
Disorganized thinking
Inability to correctly perform routine daily activities

Causes

The exact root cause is unknown. Several factors contribute to the condition:
Genetic predisposition: an increased tendency to develop the condition may be inherited
Brain chemistry changes
The risk factors include:
Having family history of close relative with schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
Psychoactive drugs are linked to the development of schizoaffective disorder
Stressful events such as death, divorce can trigger the symptoms

Prevention

There is no assured way to prevent schizoaffective disorder

Control stressful events
Boost self-esteem
Get early treatment to prevent relapses and need for hospitalization
avoid consumption of psychotropic substances

Complications

Uncontrolled for prolonged period may lead to complications such as:

Increased risk of suicidal attempts
Social isolation
Anxiety disorders
Family and interpersonal issues
Developing alcohol and other substance abuse issue

Afghanistan 2021

2021-08-19T01:41:00.000+04:30

Kabul fell to the Taliban less than a week ago. I’ve had friends here and in Pakistan as what I thought about it. I’ve been trying to draft this blog post ever since. It’s difficult because there is so much that floods my mind when I think of Afghanistan. I’ve been following developments in Afghanistan since just before the USSR entered in force in 1979. I decided that rather than focus on Bush’s stupid decision to rebuild the Afghan Govt in 2002, or on Trump’s selling out the Afghan Govt to the Taliban during talks in Doha, I’d just concentrate on what I know from first-hand experience.

I spent 2 deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The first was in 2009 at Bagram, Afghanistan. I was stationed at Bagram but traveled to Kabul, Jalalabad, Hairatan, Sharana and the Panjir Valley. Most of this travel was in civilian vehicles with contractors whose petroleum distribution sites I was inspecting. I was there for over 6 months. Then in 2013/14 I spend 15 months working at the embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan providing logistics support for the Pakistani military. Before traveling to Pakistan I was told by Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer that I was nuts to go there. He was of the opinion the Pakistanis and Taliban were inseparable. I understand why he thought so. But, I also see the complexities in much greater detail than he does.

I still have a number of Pakistani friends. In Afghanistan, I was largely prevented from having much contact with Afghans. My experience, with the Afghans I did come into contact with, was mostly positive. It was a strange place to be. It’s a beautiful, country. The people are like people everywhere, they want life to be a bit better. They want their children to have things a bit better than they do. But when I arrived, they had been involved in either civil war or armed occupation for 31 years. Farming families in parts of the country had lost the knowledge of properly farming. It’s a strange thing to visit a place so ravaged repeatedly by conflict. If things calm down I will go back. There is so much I still want to see there.

I was not surprised by how quickly the Taliban rolled up the country. Afghanistan is famous for being tribal. If you want to understand what that actually means please read “The Secret History of the Mongols”. It is a biography of Genghis Kahn written shortly after his death. It illustrates, how in tribal societies, tribes and villages with shift allegiances based on their best interests, rather than some abstract construct like nationalism or ethnicity. The military largely saw that the government didn’t have US support. The government had been cut out of the peace talks between the USA and the Taliban. When the Taliban began taking over border crossings, I am certain the Afghan military saw the writing on the wall, and decided to switch sides. The same thing happened in 2001/2 when the US entered the country.

Am I concerned? Yes. But I am also cautiously optimistic. The Taliban who ran the country from 1996 to 2001 lost scores of leaders in the 20 years the US was there. They are not the same organization. The country has had quite a bit of foreign influence over those same 20 years. So, the population, their expectations and experiences, have also changed. But ultimately it is, and has always been, up to the Afghan people to decide their own method of governance. The USA had a very heavy hand in the formation of the Afghan Govt that replaced the Taliban. It was terribly corrupt and inefficient. Now governance is squarely back in the hands of the Afghan people. If the majority of Afghan’s decide the Taliban do not represent them well, another civil war will erupt. If though, the Taliban moderate their approach, perhaps Afghanistan will finally be on a path toward peace.

I have a great deal of criticism for the way the situation was handled by Western powers. But I don’t think the deaths and casualties we suffered were in vain. Time will tell. If the violence on Afghanistan abates, then those losses will have helped the people of Afghanistan. I’ll be paying attention, as I always have. It’s a beautiful place full of proud people. I with Afghanistan the best of luck in their movement forward.

Visit to a Past Life

2020-05-03T00:06:00.001+04:30

Mt Baldy (San Antonio) and West Baldy from the North

The other day I climbed up a ridge I had only been on once before.

Looking down at North Fork Lytle Creek

Back 17 years ago I decided to climb a mountain for my birthday. This despite the forecast of a storm. I was thinking that if conditions got too bad I would turn around and return without bagging the summit. Most of my friends and family know this story well so I won't recount here... though I may add it in the future. Long story short: I made it to the summit of Mount San Antonio (Mt Baldy). Then after a quick 15 minute stay walked off the north side in the near whiteout conditions. I thought I was walking off the south side. oops. I worked my way down the steep snowy slope expecting to cross the Manker Flat trail, but never found it. Instead I eventually reached a 2 meter drop off I could easily drop down but could not have come back up. Not knowing what was past that drop I opted to begin climbing back up the slope in the direction I thought would get me closer to the trail-head. Of course I still believed I was on the other side of the mountain. I worked my way to the summit of Dawson Peak and spent the night on the steep slope in an emergency bivy sack. The next day I worked my way down a long ridge to the wash below. Once I got to the wide wash I finally recognized that I was in Lytle Creek and not above Baldy Village. It was a rude awakening. 6 miles later I got to a house and asked to borrow the phone. A very long ordeal was over.

Ever since that long ago birthday I struggled to understand the mistakes I made, the route I took. It was a few years before I realized the cairn I kept to my left when walking off the summit was not what it seemed. That cairn had been repurposed into a windbreak. In the poor visibility what I mistook for the cairn was a windbreak next to the North Backbone trail.

My memories of the event and compressed, fragmented and a bit fuzzy. I was quite fatigued by exhaustion and stress when I reached the drop off and decided to climb back up. I found some game trails and saw trees cut by chain saws. Both convinced me I was heading the right way. When I reached the summit of Dawson, not realizing where I was, I saw human footprints before the snow covered them. I was following those thinking I was on the right track. Near the summit it was getting late in the day. The temperature had dropped. I decided I had to layer up. Pulling off my Gore-Tex and donning my heavy fleece I had real trouble zipping my jacked. My fingers were very numb and I was on the verge of panic. I realized I had waited too long to put on more layers and that if I couldn't zip my jacked my chances of survival were not good. I hiked until about 20:30 when it was far too dark to continue and after slipping I had snapped one of my trekking poles. That's when I found a small tree to curl up under the shiver the night away.

Mt Harwood and Mt San Antonio from Dawson ridgeline

Visibility had been severely restricted the day I got lost, as well the day I hiked out. I was never clear where I was at any stage in this adventure.

A few years ago I hike the North Backbone trail. This took me to the summit of Dawson but nothing looked familiar. Not surprising as I probably didn't cross anywhere I went on my long ago birthday.

Back to the present: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a number of trail closures. Since most of the areas I usually hike in are closed my hiking partner and I decided to go up Dawson from the North Fork of Lytle Creek. We didn't take the same route I hiked out 17 years ago. Instead we found a gully off the north slope with large patches on snow. It's so much easier to ascend steep snow in crampons than to bushwhack up a slope. Once we reached the upper ridge-line I continued to the summit. It's an unusually beautiful area. All the while I was thinking of the night I spent there and wondering what route I'd taken.

Some of my observations: The ridge I hiked down was much longer and more daunting than I recall. The edge of that ridge is extremely dangerous with a crumbly cliff of dirt and rock that would result in a fatal fall. I had hiked down that ridge without food or water, beginning in the very dim light of predawn.

On our way back out the 4x4 road from the North Fork it occurred to me that I feel like a cat. More precisely, I feel like I burned through one of many lives that day and night 17 years ago. If this were someone else's story. And if they offered to take me on a trip to recreate the event, I'd scoff at them. Looking over the terrain I'd call them out and refuse to believe the story. So it goes.

The summit of Dawson Peak

White Powder Sand and Pale Blue Waters

2018-01-22T22:57:00.001+04:30

I've been in Zanzibar for 4 days now. The first 2 nights were spent in Stone Town bumming around. Stone Town in OK: Some cool shops, some good eats... the night market has great food. Watching the local boys jump into the ocean form the quay wall was amusing. But it is very built up, in poor condition overall and, a city. It was not why I came to Zanzibar. OK, let's be honest: I didn't really kow why I wanted to see Zanzibar. It's been somewhere I decided long ago I should visit. So I arrived with no real plans. Well after 2 days in town I headed across to paje. It's on the SE coast of the main island. The beaches are made up of an incredibly fine white powder. The tide moves in and out hundreds of yards in an hour. The water is bathtub warm. It is the typical tropical paradise I suppose, a wonderful place to just kick it.

I managed to get a bit sunburned today. I wore sunscreen but was out longer than planned. Wandering around at low tide. The sand is teeming with critters. Far off in the distance waves crash against the reef. Closer to shore boats sit marooned, women collect seaweed from gardens, kid play. And while there is at least foot of water the kite boarders struggle to learn their new hobby. The combination of warm shallow waters and a fair wind make this quite the place to learn kite boarding. I thought about giving it a whirl but decided that can come with my next trip.

The sand here is different than anyplace I have been. There are shells everywhere an occasionally coral mixed in. So it may be generally soft but yu do need to use some caution, especially around the sea urchins. I am used to seeing them on rocks but here they are randomly strewn across the sandy bottom. The other curious hazard was the baby sea snake I saw... just a few feet from my ankles. And twice as I wandered about something large squiggled under my foot and as I stepped away quickly vanished. I've no idea what it was. It did feel pretty funny though.

Tomorrow afternoon I'll need to head back to Stone Town to catch y flight the following day. I'll be coming back hee though. I need to see the national forest, go skin diving and possibly learn to kite board. Zanzibar is a pretty cool place.

My Letter to the Uganda Wildlife Authority

2018-01-19T10:48:00.000+04:30

Hello,

I wanted to provide you some direct feedback on my recent climb in the Rwenzori Mountains. I am copying my outfitter as well, in case this is not the correct e-mail address to submit concerns to.

I climbed Margherita Peak on 10 Jan with Rwenzori Trekking Services. Our two lead guides on summit day were Enoc and Robert. If I recall correctly we were the 3rd of five groups to arrive at the second glacier, the steep one. Our guides were world class professionals. They knew what they were doing and were vary safe. I have experience on both glacier climbs as well as winter mountaineering so I am not a novice to the alpine environment.

The reason I have chosen to contact you has to do with the other trekking services on the peak that day. I don"t know specifically who they were except that they were not from RTS. My first complaint was not a safety issue but speaks to the lack of professionalism I observed from the other services. While waiting on our guides to place fixed ropes the next group arrived. Their lead guide kept looking all about at both us as well as his own clients. Being that we arrived in the dark and all were wearing headlamps this guide was blinding us each time he looked in our direction. Headlamp discipline is a basic hiking skill, and this fellow lacked it completely. By this point several groups were waiting to scale the glacier. One of the earlier groups had a panicked client and were not handling it well. We ended up being delayed nearly an hour while the situation was resolved. Once our guides had a fixed rope in place we began up. At this point several groups were all waiting to scale the glacier. As I am sure you are aware climbing this glacier in the dry season creates something of a bottle neck where groups can access the glacier safley. One of the guides from another service stepped between myself and the other 2 climbers I was to be roped with and began faking out his rope. I mentioned that I was going to have to step around him and he ignored me. This is significant because I was wearing crampons on bare rock which is precarious enough. Additionally they seemed unconcerned who they leapfrogged or how so long as they were on the glacier. A woman in our first climbing party (we were broken into 2 groups for this glacier) was just starting up and nervous, when a guide from a different service, began changing up her belay rope. She panicked and I heard her scream for him to stop touching her rope. She was a novice and was doing her best to follow the directions of our guide Robert who was well up on the glacier at the ice screw securing the fixed rope. The most concerning things I noticed were other groups crossing over our fixed line in their rush to climb. Walking across a fixed safety line with crampons is not only poor form but dangerous business for anyone who will be using that line. Crampons can easily slice a line making it useless. We finally made the summit but on the return I noticed several clients from other services were using our fixed line while we were descending on it as well. Again this is a sloppy and dangerous practice that was ignored by their guides.

As I stated I do not know who the other guiding services were that happened to be on the mountain that day. I am hoping you can contact them and take some form of corrective action. They were dangerous and unprofessional and appeared to not have much understanding of alpine skills. As for myself I will only venture into the Rwenzori"s with Rwenzori Trekking Services as they are he only safe group in the range.

All the best,

Kampala Impressions

2018-01-18T20:04:00.000+04:30

Yesterday and today were slow. The internet is not overly reliable so as I was trying to arrange follow on flights to Zanzibar and Moshi it became an all day affair. So, if you plan to visit Uganda - and I highly recommend that you do - here are a few things to make the trip smother:

* Decide on your itinerary and purchase your flights before arrival. I was dithering on my plans up to the last minute and was rather curious to see how well I could wing it. Not a bad thing but it does waste some time.
* Buy a SIM card for the local system when you arrive. It is possible to use WeChat and WhatsApp as well as e-mail using free WiFi services but when WiFi is out so is your ability to contact others and research next steps.
* Make local friends. Luckily I am pretty good at this step. It will be your best source for info/where to go/what to pay/how to get around, etc.
* If you decide to trek in the Rwenzori Mountains only use Rwenzori Trekking Services. Normally I don"t endorse specific businesses but I have seen their guides as well as the cpompetition in action on a 65 degree slope of glacial ice. Only RTS has a clue how to move folks safely in that environment. I sent a scathing e-mail to the Ugandan Wildlife Authority about the lack of professionalism displayed by the other services.

OK, enough for travel tips. By last night I had my tickets and this morning I booked 2 nights at an Air BnB in Stone Town, Zanzibar so I was wondering what else to do. I ended up visiting a small house where 2 gents bring in homeless kids for a few months to get them ready to travel back home and get back into school. They were surprised to learn we also have homeless in the good old USA. After that I had to walk to an ATM for travel funds and to pay my hostel bill tomorrow. I could have taken a bodeboda but wanted to walk. Not because bodabodas are dangerous (they absolutely are) but because I wanted to look around a bit. I walked all they way to the city center about 2 miles away I think. The air quality is pretty bad during the dry season. There is excessive exhaust smoke, its hot and a bit humid, it's very dusty. This is not a pretty city. Mind you I was not in the nicer areas. I wanted to see how the average resident lives and shops. In that regard it is not much different than other 3rd world countries. it is crowded. Shops are small but numerous. Lots of fruit is for sale along the sidewalks. Not too may folks were smiling but I suppose that is as much a universal city issue. Waling through traffic is a challenge I suppose. It requires a great deal of situational awareness. There are other, cars, trucks and bodsbodas all vying for the same space. Bodabodas are frequently on the sidewalks as well so you really have to pay attention. It is also helpful to learn how to pay attention to what is in your pockets and what it feels like. Reaching for your wallet to make sure it is OK is a fantastic way to alert pick pockets what pocket to target. I specifically left my daypack behind at the hostel to look slightly less like a backpacker. Mind you I still stick out. In my little jaunt I was one of only 5 mzungu (foreigners). I saw three Chinese and 2 Indians... and then me. So yup I kind of stood out a bit!

I watched a bodaboda rider die the other day

2018-01-16T20:50:00.001+04:30

Bodabodas are the main means of transport for much of Uganda. They are mostly small Chinese motorbikes. I`d guess they are 80cc as they're much slower than the 125cc dirt bikes from my youth. I have seen them carry groups of people, lumber, coffins, all manner of stuff. Unfortunately the riders are generally poorly trained. On the way from Kilembe to Kampala there was a small bongo truck and a car in front of us. As we watched a bodaboda cut directly across the highway and in front of the bongo truck. The truck lifted as if it had hit a large speed bump at speed. Because of road work part of the highway was dirt. This resulted in a a huge cloud of red dust. The car before us swerved around the truck. Through the dust cloud, we saw bits of shattered plastic spinning to the ground. Our driver was quick to brake to avoid the accident. We drove past in time to see the bongo come to rest on it's side after rolling. The three occupants climbed out seemingly without serious injury. There was no sign of the bodaboda or it's rider. I doubt the guy ever knew what happened. One moment he was cruising across the highway. The next moment reality ended for him. Our driver was pissed that the bodaoda riders do such dangerous and stupid things. It was all over in a matter of seconds. We continued on our journey. The following day, a friend and I hired bodabodas to take us across town to the taxi yard, for a lift to Jinja. Such is life in Uganda.

Day 7: The Luxury of Dry Clothing

2018-01-16T19:48:00.009+04:30

We did a long trek today, 8 miles. It took about 8 hours. Distance here in the Rwenzoi's s different from distance elsewhere. For reference here are the flavors of trail in these mountains: steep muddy uphill; steep muddy downhill, rocky scrambles either up or down; flat muddy bog. It makes for slow hiking. But this place is magically beautiful.

After leaving camp this morning we climbed a 4500m pass on a new trail. It was new to us but also only recently built. We had lunch at the highlands not long after cresting the pass. It was stark but lovely. White quartz everywhere, deep and lush yellow moss I lay down in after eating. The moss was soft and warm. We transited areas that look so different: rocky highlands, bogs, forested areas that had burned, a bit of everything. At one point it began sprinkling. I placed my camera bag into my day pack and donned my rain shell. Our guide asked if we wanted to put on rain pants. silly us, we declined thinking it would not last. Plus it had turned to small hail. The precipitation alternated between rain and hail for several hours as our pants got quite wet. Luckily it was cool but much warmer than it has been. So it was tolerable.

Now we are at our last camp. We've changed into dry clothes which seems such a luxury. Tomorrow we hike out to the hostle. I don't know how long we'll be hiking but I do know a warm shower and clean hair after 8 days will be most welcome!

Day 6: kicked my ass!

2018-01-16T19:48:00.007+04:30

Well I m back at Hunwick Camp. It's been an exceptionally long day. We had breakfast at 02:15 and were on our way to the peak by 3. Maghareta Peak is not an easy climb, especially in the dry season. The glaciers have receded dramatically. So what would have been a much easier climb 15 years ago now involves a 65 degree clmb up glacial ice. Doing this climb in the wet season is easier I've been told because of all the snow. The route involves three glacier traverses each direction. The middle one is the steep SOB. We were delayed at th base of that section for about an hour as other trekking services with less skill and clients with less fitnesss cloged the path. It reminded me why I m skeptable of Mt Everest climbs. I was honsly worried about making the summit because of the delay. Our guides helped get us up that section in a hurry once it cleared. At the top of the steepest part they placed an ice screw and a pully. I didn't realize it at first but once we were roped up one of the guides was tied into our belay on the opposit end of the pully and he began running down the glacier. This in turn basically pulled us up. Mind you, running up a 65 degree glacier in crampons even with an assist is exhausting at 4500m!

The views were nearly nonexistant due to cloud cover. Weather always a crap shoot in the Rwenzoris. I was feeling like an pld man on this climb but the truth is we were the 3rd of 5 groups on the mountain and the first to summit as well as the first back down, despite the delay. So I am feeling pretty good about that.

After the climb we had lunch at camp then packed our stuff and hiked back to this camp. Two of the four I joined on this adventure have decided not to climb Mt Speke and to return with me instead. So we have two days to trek back to the Hostle at the base of the mountains. Lfie is good.

Day 5: Final Trek before the Summit

2018-01-16T19:48:00.005+04:30

It's 7 AM, very early morning by Ugandan standards. I generally wake at 06:30 so I'm bored already. That is one of the challenges here. We are only hiking for 5 or 6 hours a day because of the demands of the terrain. So tht leaves quite a bit of downtime. Although I am in Africa close to the equator it's probably in the upper 30's F right now. A heavy frost is on everything as I sit outside the hut typing. So we tend to spend a lot of that downtime in the dining huts. I am with 2 Germans a Romanian and a Belgian, all in their 20's. They are friends on a backpacking holiday in Africa. They have been playing lots of card games and I've been reading A Brief History of Time. They are a wonderful group and have been kind enough to speak English for the most part.

This will be a short trekking day. The plan is to begin at 9 and get to Mahgareta camp by 13:00 or so. Then we will go over equipment and ropes. I'm the only one in our party who is experienced with an ice ax and crampons. I suspect there will be well established foot prints to follow even up the steep glacier.

I have been sleeping much better than I had imagined here. This camp is just below 4000m elevation but the last was above that. Even so I have been sleeping soundly. Of course I do get up 2 or 3 times to piss. It's necessary to stay very well hydrated at elevation so everyone gets up several times for the same reason. Last night was completely clear so on one trip outside I took in the stars. The moon was not yet up so I was enjoying seeing all the constellations I don't get to enjoy in LA. I happened to look for the Big Dipper but it was not up yet. On my next trip into the dark the moon was now up. I saw the Big Dipper this time and thought to look for Polaris. It took me a moment to realize you can't see the North Star from the Southern hemisphere. LOL

Day 4 Realization: Trekking the Rwenzori's is an ass kicker!

2018-01-16T19:48:00.003+04:30

Wow, distances here in he Rwenzori's don't tell you much about the day ahead. We left our camp atop the rock this morning and headed up. Up through a pass named after the poacher who roamed these hills for 20 years. He helped the Trekking outfit determine where to build trails. The hike up to the pass was across a hill liberally scattered with quartz. As we ascended the biome as unraveged by fire and otherworldly. Next was quite a strenuous descent down a gully. It was quite steep muddy and rocky. Once your boots have a coat of mud the rocks are more challenging. I slipped twice. The first time I donated a small amount of DNA to the rock. The 2nd time was in the mud. My trousers are badly in need of a laundry!

After we left the gully we were back in bog land. In many sections the porters have placed branches in the mud to ease the way. Yesterday I was in rubber boots and the mud was not as much a concern. Unfortunately those rubber boots were also threatening to give me blisters. So today I've been in my backpacking boots all day. It made negotiating the mud a greater challenge, and rather fun.

The last section we traversed was above some lakes that drain into the Congo. That part was every bit as arduous as the other parts of the trek. We hiked a trail through dense foliage, over boulders, through more mud.

I felt a bit weaker today and am not sure why. It may have been from dehydration. It may have been from not eating all my soggy pasta last night. All in all the food has been excellent so the pasta was an aberation. I think I am losing weight even though we are so well fed. This morning we had porage followed by large thin pancakes. Lunch was lovely potato salad, an apple and mango juice. I don't know what tonight's dinner will be but as long as we are at the huts there is plenty of tea.

All in all I'd have to say trekking the Rwenzori's is much more challenging than the trek to Mt Everest Base Camp. But where the Himalaya are breathtaking for the shear magnificence of the mountains, the Rwenzori's are other worldly for the flora. And then out of nowhere are blackberries aplenty. They are tart but still yummy.

As physically challenging as this trip is I am so happy to be here!

Day 3, whimiscally fantastic landscapes

2018-01-16T19:48:00.001+04:30

Ah, where to begin. I suppose my most embarrassing moment is as good place as any. Last night my body seemed to be working on adjusting to the food. The food has been exceptional but I had a bit of the runs all the same. I was hoping it would be resoled by morning but it was not. so tell me, when using a squatty potty, what is the absolute worst thing to drop into it during use? It seems to me the worst thing to drop is your toilet paper. Which I did. Shit! No pun intended. So getting back to my hut, digging through my duffle and grabbing my full role was a challenge I was not expecting to face on this trip!

The reminder of the day was much better. The weather has been ood. Clear half the day with clouds and fog moving in later. We summited a local peak before tarting the day's trek. The views were beautiful. Most of the day as spent gaining elevation up more muddy tracks interspersed with trekking across large bogs of a sort. It is such different landscape than any I have witnessed before. We were in rubber boots all day, as a precaution. In places it was quite welcome. There are sections of deep mud to negotiate. I also learned that there rubber boots do a fantastic job of gripping the rock. On the downside I worry about blisters so I may switch back to my hiking boots tomorrow.

This was the first day we saw other groups. One group of 6 was heading back and we passed them on thee margin of the bog. The other group arrived at r camp shortly after we did. They did Marghareta Peak and are on their was back. They said it is very strenuous ascending the glacier. It's a sixty degree slope of wet ice. The hike toward the night's hut was also apparently daunting as they were all pretty tired by then.

One thing Rwenzori Trekking has been doing which I greatly applaud is improving the trails. When they secured the concession they had to bushwhack trails out of the jungle. Now they are systematically placing ladders to assist with the more difficult (steep and slippery) sections. But the best part is the way they are building boardwalks across the boggy sections. There are generally a single plank wide and just high enough to keep you out of the water in the wet season. They are of tremendous benefit in preserving the bogs.

We are now camped in a hut complex atop huge rock above a lovely lake. It is 2 more days of trekking to reach the camp for the summit push. I am content.

Our cabins

The most fantastical place I have hiked!

The boardwalks are so much easier than sinking into foot deep mud!

View from Mutinda Lookout

Day 2, Deep in the jungle

2018-01-16T19:47:00.003+04:30

Day two has begun. Which is to say it's morning. I didn't sleep too badly last night. I as a bit chilled until I got into my sleeping bag. After that I was toasty. I woke frequently, but was dreaming quite a lot, so I know I slept. At one point I closed my eyes and saw the familiar patterns of an ayahuasca experience, but in black and white, not color. That was a surprise. The night was quite clear and the day is beginning that way as well. It will be interesting to see how the weather behaves.... will it be normal? Or will I have yet another trek with unusually amazing weather?

Typical trail in the Rwenzori mountains!

We are now on the other end of the hike (afternoon). It began with another grunch of uphill hiking but was somehow a bit easier than yesterday. We hiked past the moss covered trees, through the bamboo forest and into the completely weird zone. If you happen to be atheist come on this trek. The landscape up here will make you believe in God. If you don't believe in enchanted forests, come to the the Rwenzoris. I was looking closely for witches in the darker, spookier sections of forest.

It didn't rain today. Much of today's the hike was in the clouds. We had an optional hike up a close by peak but I think it's been delayed by the clouds. If we do it in the morning then there is a better chance it will be clear.

Enoc Falls

Sine Hut, accomodations for 1st night in the Rwenzori's
(2596m elevation)

Breakfast at Sine Hut

The Foot of the Rwenzori Mountains

2018-01-16T19:47:00.001+04:30

Porters waiting outside the office at RTS

Yesterday I hired a car and left the dusty noisy streets of Kampala for the Rwenzori Mountains. I am staying at the Rwenzori Trekkers Hostel in the village of Kilembe (1450m elevation). The single rooms are quite small but the bed was very comfortable. The food is simple but good. The staff is exceptionally professional and friendly. I finally slept well for the first time since I arrived in Uganda 5 days ago. The HMFIC of the Trekking business, this hostel and the backpacker's hostel in Kampala is an Aussie ex-SOF guy by the name of John Hunwick who's been in country more than 20 years. He lobbied the Uganda government for over 10 years to gain the guiding concession for the Rwenzori's and is primarily responsible for the Rwenzori's becoming a well known trekking spot. He manages the multiple businesses with the able assistance of his wife Catherine, a lovely Ugandan woman who maintains a watchful eye over the operation.

My room: small but a comfortable bed with a mossie net!
The duffel is from Nepal and still has my race number on the side

Tomorrow I begin my eight day trek and climb of Mt Stanley. Up to this point I've felt a bit off balance, here in Uganda. Back in Entebbe, at Susan's Air BnB, I felt a bit isolated. In Kampala I felt isolated for different reasons. Driving the six or so hours we passed countless fields growing: tea, bananas, mangoes, potatoes, pineapple, etc. The villages seemed to be more prosperous the closer we got to Fort Portal. It was interesting watching the landscape shift, from verdant lowlands to drier areas, past vast tea estates, over a road that varied from fresh black top to poorly maintained hard surface to red clay and back again. It was interesting but I was still a bit off balance wondering what I was doing here, in Africa. Then arriving at the hostel I was initially anxious finding there wasn't internet, and therefore I can't contact my driver, post to this blog or contact the outside world. That lasted for a hot second when I realized how much better I felt being here, at the edge of this magical mountain range.

If my posts so move you, and you think you may want to see this place one day, best consider a trip soon. There is a Chinese run copper and gold mine close by and apparently the Chinese would like to install a tram or stairs to the top of Mt Stanley. It would be such a crime to deface this Word Heritage site in such a way. It would be like building a tram to the top of Half Dome from the Yosemite valley floor. Of course, there is speculation that there my be diamonds in the Rwenzori's. And building a tram would require a large amount of core sampling...

Everyone Wants to Come to America

2018-01-02T15:04:00.001+04:30

I have been told this several times since arriving in Uganda. I have heard it before but this time I had an interesting discussion about it. First off, a good number of Americans mistakenly believe that people in other countries wish to come to the USA to change it. That is complete rubbish, they do not. You could argue the point with me but bear in mind I have been to over 27 countries and spoken to countless folks who admire the USA. So, unless you have similar experience, to counter my observation, just accept that I am right on this point and you are wrong.

I was having a conversation the other night with a local. she pointed out that everyone wants to come to the USA. It is heavily driven by media, by film, by news, the net... all things point to the USA as a bastion of personal freedom on a level not seen elsewhere. But now there is a new wrinkle in play. Most Americans don't fully appreciate the role the USA plays as a global leader. I am not talking diplomatically or militarily, but culturally, politically and economically.

Other countries try to rally their populations around new policies that will help them be more like the USA. They see that USA as stable, and despite our issues, as less corrupt. A role model. But this is not set in stone. There is concern from as far away as East Africa that the recklessness and lack of consistency displayed by the current administration does not bode well. When the top leadership of the USA presents itself as accepting of greed and happy with inconsistency that attitude bleeds over to other countries as well. On one hand it lowers the global opinion of the USA but more importantly it lowers expectations across the globe in many, many countries.

We can proceed as we have for most of our history and lead toward the promise of the American Dream. It is a dream held far and wide by folks across the planet. Or we can allow inconsistency and ignorance, a hostility toward science and an acceptance of corruption to lead the world ever closer to the abyss.

Here is a thought for you... should everything end badly as a result of the current administration it will ripple across the planet. As life gets worse for humanity all citizens of the USA will own a piece of the responsibility. Personally, it is not a karmic debt I want to hold!

Notes on Uganda

2018-01-02T13:26:00.001+04:30

Well, after two nights in a suburb of Entebbe I hired a car to come up to Kampala. When I say suburb, read villiage. Susan my host was wonderful. Beautiful room but a bit isolated from Entebbe. It was wonderful waking up to a view of Lake Victoria. That is another thing I knew, as a young child, I would one day see. Susan arranged my ride with Jude. He brought me here to the backpacker's hostle and then on an ATM run. I didn't bring too much cash with me so I'll be using ATM's for expenses I van't place on plastic. Jude informed me that Barclays nd Standard Charteed are the most reliable ATM's here.

Tomorrow Jude will be collecting me at 07:00 to drive me to Kliembe, at the foot of the Rwenzori mountais. I'll have a free day there before my trek. I think I'll fid more to do in a smaller village than this city of nearly 2M folks. I was hoping to go online and look for a flight from Entebbe to Zanzibar. Unfortuntely the wifi is down here. It seems toi be a common issue in Ugnda. The servie itself is unreliable and on top of that the hosts don't always keep their accout recharged. So I don't know if I'll be able to do so. That could impact my decisions. The big take away hee is when raveling to Uganda do your research before hand. Of course I would still keep a felxible schedule though. I was considering taking a bus to Kliembe but was concened aboutt the safety of my duffles. I have gear for cold weather and snow that I can't easily replace here. Jude is taking me there for far less that half the cost I was quoted by the tour operator.

OK, wifi is back up so I am posting this now while I am able.

Cheers!!

New Year in Africa

2018-01-01T20:07:00.001+04:30

The last two days were a chore... traveling for 29 hours. I am not a big fan of spending so much time on my butt! But last night, at 23:00, I finally arrived in Entebbe. It had slipped my mind that folks would be celebrating New Year's Eve. I felt unusually emotional as the taxi drove to my Air BnB with fire works popping all about. It seemed so right to be here, in Africa, far from home, at the start of 2018. Out of work. Waiting to go back to school. A new chapter in my curious life. Up till my arrival I kept second guessing what I was doing; if I packed the right things; where I'd be over the next few weeks. But on that short drive suddenly everything was as it should be.

Not that finding the Air BnB was without incident. My Ai BnB host, Susan, had arranged a taxi for me. But that driver hadn't bothered to make up a sign with my name. So I found my own taxi at the airport. This was the same airport that brought Uganda to my attention as a child. Back then it was a horrible hijacking and daring raid by Israel while Idi Amin was ruling the country that had Uganda dominating the news. Things are much better now. So anyway, apparently the Google map link on Air BnB is not so accurate in Uganda. I ended up at the wrong location. The taxi driver called Susan and found out we were still 3 km away. Off we went down a red clay road with red clay speed-bumps on the outskirts of Entebbe. At one point the drier flagged down a motorcyclist to help show us the way. As we drove, suddenly the road was blocked by 6 or 8 burning tires. In Uganda, if you can't afford fireworks then burning old tires is an acceptable substitute. Unfortunately these tires were all over the road. It was impossible to drive around them. The guy on the bike showed us a back road through a different part of the village that got us past the fires. I eventually got to the Air BNB somewhere around 12:30, I think.

There hasn't been any internet connectivity since I arrived. I realized as I lay in bed this morning how uncomfortable that made me feel. I suppose if I planned this trip better it would have been a non-issue but I was hoping to do bit more research once I arrived. This place is on the far outskirts of Entebbe so I can't just walk into town. And being January 1st it's a holiday and many places are closed. I haven't even been able to post that I arrive safely. Hopefully my family is used to that by now. It forced me to think about how dependent I have become on connectivity. It's not a good thing. I need to go back to using hard copy Travel Guides as a back up. I also need to seriously consider shifting to global phone plan for trips.

Today I am taking it easy. I reorganized my gear. I think I planned it pretty well. The only things that cause me pause are my boots and jackets. I skipped mountaineering boots in favor of backpacking boots. The plastic double-boots are much more correct for glacier travel and I'll be doing a bit of that. But only a wee bit so bringing them didn't seem practical. And to be air I have done most of my winter mountaineering in backpacking boots anyway. The issue with jackets is that I only brought down. I have a good shell so should be able to keep them dry at lower elevations. But is is still a concern.

OK, time to relax and read the novel I brought. Tomorrow I head to Kampala and life gets fast again.

Africa Itinerary.... or at least what I know right now

2017-12-30T06:07:00.000+04:30

Sorting gear for the trip

Well, tis the day before flying and all through the house… it’s total chaos! Oops, guess I blew that rhyme. LOL So, I have my tickets and main treks locked down. I am finalizing packing. Unfortunately I need somewhat different gear for each trek. So I’ll see how much I can pare down here in a moment. It did occur to me that I should provide what I have of an itinerary. It is scant at the moment as I have about 2 weeks to plan once I get to Africa. So here goes:

Fly out early morning 12/30 arriving 29 hours later in Entebbe, Uganda at 23:00. I booked an air BnB for the night. The next day I may remain in Entebbe or move up to Kampala, I am not sure yet. On Tuesday the 2^nd, I need to be in Kampala to pay for the trek to Mt Stanley. I’ll probably spend the night there and head to the starting point on the 3^rd. I am thinking I’ll take a bus rather than hire a car or fly. That will be an all day trip. Here are the details on the 1^st climb:

The trek to Margherita peak departs on 5th January 2018. I am joining a group of 4 other folks I have never met.

Day 1. (Jan 5^th) At Trekkers hostel kilembe the base camp at 1450 meters. briefing from the guides and start the trek to sleep at Sine Camp 2596 meters following a height gain of 1146 meters.

Day 2. Hike to Mutinda camp at 3688 meters, 7km 6 to 7 hrs of walking giving you a height gain of 1092 metres. in the afternoon at Mutinda one may wish to climb up Mutinda look out at 3975 metres of which apart from offering breathtaking views and it gives you good acclimatization since you would be continuing higher to the summit at 5109m

Day 3. Hike to Bugata camp at 4100 meters, 6.93km 4 to 6hours of walking with a height gain of 412 meters through the valley of amazingly unique beautiful plant species, streams and waterfalls while we head to Bugata camp at 4100 meters. the trek gets tougher and exhausting with the steep ridges,mud and boggy sections, high steps but the rewards are enormously beautiful.

Day 4. Hike to Hunwick’s camp at 3974 meters, via Bamwanjara pass at 4450meters having excellent views of the main peaks whilst the trek. 6 to 10hrs of walking

Day 5. Hike to Margherita camp at 4485 meters, passing down and across the valley floor to Lake Kitandara which is very stunning with deep water and beautiful vegetation, climbing through Scoot Elliot pass to Margherita camp. 3 to 5 hrs

Day 6. Wake up at 2:00am and have an early breakfast and setoff to climb Mt Stanley going through its glaciers to the summit of Margherita peak at 5109metres 3.5km, 5 to 7 hours. After the summit we will descend down to Hunwicks camp at 3974 meters for the night. This is the longest day.4 to 6hours

Day 7. Descend down to Kiharo camp at 3640 meters through Oliver’s pass . overnight at Kiharo camp set in a deep valley with high cliffs and dense vegetation 7 to 10hrs of walking

Day 8. Descend down down hill past the moss covered rocks along rivers and beautiful forests back to the basecamp in Kilembe,13km 7 to 9hrs of walking Debrief and refresh.

I will head back to Kampala on the 13^th. From the 14^th to the 24^th I have some planning to do. I am going to visit Zanzibar and possibly go on a safari or two. Uganda is a great place to see Gorillas and Kenya is fantastic for big game and the savanna. After bouncing around East Africa for a bit I have to be in Moshi, Tanzania on the 24^th. My Kilimanjaro trek begins the following day. Here is the itinerary:

Day 1 : 25^th Jan : Northern Circuit route

Lemosho Trailhead (2,000m/6,600ft) to Big Tree Camp (2,800m/9,100ft)

Elevation Gain: 800 metres / 2,500 feet

This morning you will drive from Moshi to the Londorossi gate, taking approximately 3 hours. Here you will complete entry formalities. From Londorossi your drive continues for around 1 hour to the Lemosho trailhead along a 4WD track. Upon arrival at the trailhead you will eat lunch and then commence trekking through lush undisturbed forest where you may be lucky enough to see Colobus monkeys. The path undulates, steeply in places, to arrive at the first camp after 3-4 hours of trekking. Overnight at Big Tree Camp (Mti Mkubwa Camp).

Day 2 : 26^th Jan : Northern Circuit route

Big Tree Camp (2,800m/9,100ft) to Shira 1 Camp (3,500m/11,500ft)

Elevation Gain: 700 metres / 2,400 feet

Today your trek will begin in the forest; however you will soon leave this ecosystem behind taking a steep track into a zone of giant heather and volcanic rock. This is a full day ascending through the lush rolling hills below the Shira Plateau. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones. It is filled with the lava flow from Kibo and its rim has eroded and been blasted away by weather and volcanic action. Finally the trail begins to ease as you reach the edge of the plateau. You will camp at Shira One after 5-6 hours of trekking. The view of Kibo from across the plateau is incredible.

Day 3 : 27^th Jan : Northern Circuit route

Shira 1 Camp (3,500m/11,500ft) to Shira 2 Camp (3,800m/12,500ft)

Elevation Gain: 300 metres / 1,000 feet

Your third day on the mountain consists of a trek across the Shira Plateau with an optional climb to Shira Cathedral (3,880m). Shira is one of the highest plateaus on earth. The day finishes with a gradual climb to Shira 2 Camp. Trekking time without the optional excursion is approximately 3 hours. Including the optional acclimatisation to the peak of Shira Cathedral will add approximately 1 hour.

Day 4 : 28^th Jan : Northern Circuit route

Shira 2 Camp (3,800m/12,500ft) to Moir Hut (4,200m/13,800ft) via Lava Tower (4,550m/14,900ft) (optional)

Elevation Gain: 750 metres / 2,400 feet (maximum)

Elevation Loss: 350 metres / 1,150 feet (maximum)

Your climb today will take you steadily up and over the expansive ridgelines of high desert en route to Moir Hut. If time and fitness allow it would be beneficial to ascend via the Lava Tower as this is a great opportunity to acclimatise. The trek to the base of Lava Tower is about 4 hours. This tower is a 300 foot high volcanic plug. If time and energy allow, you can scramble to the top of Lava Tower for fabulous panoramic views. From Lava Tower head North West beginning your circuit of Kibo, the almighty summit cone of Mount Kilimanjaro. Moir Hut Camp is an isolated and seldom used camp affording views over the Shira Plateau. Trekking time approximately 5-7 hours. An alternative to this route would be to take a gentle ascent across the alpine desert to Moir Hut in the morning and then spend the afternoon on a guided trek of the nearby Lent Group, a series of wind eroded parasite cones and ridges from whose upper slopes you can gaze down to the

plains of Kenya in the north.

Day 5 : 29^th Jan : Northern Circuit route

Moir Hut Camp (4,200m/13,800ft) to Buffalo/Pofu Camp (4,020m/13,200ft)

Elevation Loss: 180 metres / 590 feet

Begin the morning trek heading out of the moorland and into the stark alpine desert, on a steep ridge off the main trail, beginning your venture on the Northern Circuit Route. If you chose not to explore the Lent Group yesterday, take a short detour to the top of Little Lent Hill (3,375m/14,350ft) in the morning before regaining the trail to Buffalo Camp. The total trekking time today is approximately 5 – 7 hours.

Day 6 : 30^th Jan : Northern Circuit route

Buffalo/Pofu Camp (4,020m/13,200ft) to Third Cave Camp (3,870m/12,700ft)

Elevation Loss: 150 metres / 500 feet

Proceed onward through valleys and over ridges through the alpine desert and moorland, continuing your circuit to the east. This rarely travelled route allows you to enjoy the vast mountain wilderness in peace. Trekking time today is 5 - 7 hours.

Day 7 : 31^st Jan : Northern Circuit route

Third Cave Camp (3,870m/12,700ft) to School Huts (4,750m/15,600ft) Elevation Gain: 880 metres / 2,890 feet

Climb steadily to reach the Saddle, a lunar landscape between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. From here, continue upwards to reach School Hut Campsite in the early afternoon. The remainder of the afternoon is spent resting and preparing for summit day, which will begin in the early hours of tomorrow morning. Trekking time approximately 4-5 hours today.

Day 8 : 01^st Jan : Northern Circuit route

School Huts (4,750m/15,600ft) to Uhuru Peak (5,895m/19,340ft) to Mweka Camp (3,110m/10,200ft)

Around midnight, begin the final ascent to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. For the next six to eight hours, hike by the light of your flashlight. It can be very cold at night at these elevations, but it will be quite warm by the end of the hiking day and therefore you will want clothing for both extremes. The ascent to the crater rim is the most challenging part of the entire trek. The trail is very steep until you reach the crater rim at Gilman's Point. The hike from Gilman's to Uhuru Peak is a gradual climb and, as far as hikes go, not very difficult. The altitude however makes the hike long and tiring. After summit celebrations you will descend to Kibo Huts. From the summit the descent will take you straight down to Mweka Hut, with lunch served on the way. This part of the descent takes about 6 hours. Later in the evening enjoy your last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep. Beer and soda may be available for purchase at Mweka Hut, the only place it is available on this route.

Day 9 : 02^nd Jan : Northern Circuit route

Mweka Camp (3,110m/10,200ft) to Mweka Gate (1,830m/6,000ft)

Elevation Loss: 1,280 metres / 4,220 feet

Descend straight to the gate through lush forest (2-3 hours), looking for monkeys along the way. Return to Moshi from Mweka Village.

Once back in Moshi I can poke around and relax till the night of the 4^th. I depart late on the 4^th and arrive back at my least favorite airport just before 1 PM on the 5^th.

All Packed and ready to go!

OK, time to finish packing!

Trip to East Africa

2017-12-25T10:23:00.000+04:30

Well, I have been out of work for three weeks now. It’s strange. Mostly it’s strange because I don’t feel the least anxiety about it. But hey, grand adventure awaits. As I write this one of my good friends is in Jordan, after visiting Morocco and Egypt. Another close friend is in Australia. I am feeling a bit behind the power curve. But that all changes, soon enough. I bought airfare to Entebbe today. I am heading to Uganda to climb Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley. I originally planned to visit Africa because I’d be out of work in the winter and in bad need of a vacation. It seemed to me a logical choice as I haven’t been to Africa yet. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to see there…. But I have always thought I’d end up climbing Kilimanjaro. So I looked into climbs on Kili. I decided I wanted to do the Northern Route as it is about the least traveled path to the summit. No one seemed to be running it in Dec or Jan. Then I stumbled on one outfitter that already has 2 folks doing that trip. So I asked to join them. That got me to looking at other mountains. Mt Kenya looks like fun. Meru looks fun…. But then I learned about the Rwenzori mountains in Uganda. They look amazing. And one of the peaks is quite technical, over 5,100 meters elevation and I can claim to have climbed in both Uganda and the DRC as it straddles the border. What is not to love?!

Now I have a week or so to sort out the rest of the trip, pack, prep and jump into the abyss. In between these climbs I’ll have a dozen days that I still need to plan. I am thinking I should see Zanzibar and probably Kenya. Life is best lived as an adventure! I shall post as I am able. Merry Christmas!!

90 Days and a Wake Up

2017-09-02T09:02:00.000+04:30

I received my official notice today of my pending departure from Toyota. It’s been coming since back in 2014. Back then I was so ready to leave. I was in Pakistan with an incredibly fun and fulfilling job when I got the news. Now I am inside the 90 day window and will be jobless for the first time in 19 years and only the second time in my adult life. Initially I was planning to look into NGO’s with positions in far away challenging places. That may yet come to pass. But first I am looking at returning to school for a certificate in leadership coaching. I think I have much more to offer the world in that arena. And, should I choose to go back to work for a large bureaucratic organization, it will help me there as well.

I bring this up because I had a wonderful evening doing tai chi on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific in my hometown. I have always known when it was time to move on from one place to another. Los Angeles became a bore in the mid-80’s. Sasebo, Japan, the most beautiful place I have lived, began to look average after 5 years. Malibu lost its luster before I departed for Pakistan. But so far, my home town is still magical. Before I began my forms today I watched a falcon hover in the air looking for prey. It resembled a wasp or dragon fly below me. Hovering in one spot. Wings jerking about to maintain its posture. Suddenly diving down toward the base of the cliff only to soar back up and repeat the search. As I practiced tai chi chuan I watched the sun slowly set behind bands of cloud, orange, pink, blue: stunning. I realized I am not yet done with this town. It still holds something for me.

I am not certain what the near future holds. I have only a fuzzy plan for the next year. I just know life will continue to be amazing as I strike out on a new path. A new direction that has been calling since I was leaving for South Asia. Life is such an amazing and wonderful adventure! I feel like the luckiest person alive!

Mountain Biking White Mountain Peak CA

2017-08-02T09:15:00.001+04:30

It’s been more than 6 months since I went for a mountain bike ride. So I decided to break the hiatus with a proper ride. Of the peaks higher than 14,000 (4,200 m) in California only one has a 4x4 track to the summit. I have never thought to hike up White Mountain Peak. Who wants to hike up a sketchy dirt road? Yeah it’s a fourteener, but hiking a 4x4 road just doesn’t seem very much fun. Now, mountain biking that same road does seem like a really good idea. So on Friday I drove up to the Bristlecone Pine forest. I love that place. The vegetation is minimal, the colors subtle, it’s a very special place full of trees that predate the time of Abraham - by more than 1,000 years. Think about that for a moment. The trailhead is above timberline, at 11,600 ft. I spent the night sleeping on the ground without a tent. The moon set early, about 23:30. Being at elevation and waking frequently I was treated to a sky alight with stars. It’s easy to forget just how bright a cloudless night can be when you live in the city.

Saturday morning I woke and heated up some lentil soup and made a mug of espresso. There were a dozen or so hikers that began before I got on the trail. The ride uphill was as much walking my bike as it was riding. Pushing a bike is much slower than hiking. But I didn’t mind. I was looking forward to the descent. The White Mountains are a beautiful place so it is a beautiful hike, despite the 4x4 track. I finally locked up my bike when I had to leave the dirt road close to the summit. There are still a few large snow drifts blocking the path. When I reached the weather station at the top there was only one other person there and he departed before I did. It is always a bit magical to be alone on the summit of a mountain. That is probably one of my happiest places to be, alone on a mountain top.

Making my way back to my bike I was looking at a 7 mile ride dropping 4,400 ft. The path is rocky, some of it loose, some patches of sand, some serious exposure in spots. As I mentioned it has been a while since I was on a bike. What is more I have not ridden hard since I broke my clavicle two years ago on a ride. So this was a chance to relearn a rusty skill set. Riding down steep rocky terrain can be a bit unnerving. If you only ride on roads of rolling terrain then you probably don’t think too much about how you use the brakes on a bike. But when you are riding down a steep, fast section, of rocky, loose 4x4 trail how you use your brakes is suddenly at the forefront of your thoughts. The front brake scrubs speed much faster but apply it in on a soft section and you can end up in the air in front of the bike. Too much rear brake and the back end begins sliding about. Flying through a rock garden or over drops and it’s best to let go of braking and concentrate on picking the best line. This takes faith because it is not what your mind wants. You look ahead and see a challenging section and your mind is telling you: slow down! But when you come up on it quick all you can do is let go of the brakes and aim until you get past the bumps. It’s fun but also nerve racking.

Needless to say the return to the truck much faster than the ascent. What a wonderful way to begin a Saturday. On my way out of the Whites I stopped at the Patriarch Grove. This is the home to the oldest known living Bristlecone Pine. You can’t drive all the way to the normal parking lot due to snow drifts so I struck out on foot to snap a few pictures. The slope was steep and rocky as I moved about snapping pics. At one point I sat down to change lenses. As I was removing the telephoto from my Nikon my wide angle zoom rolled out of my camera bag and I watched it roll slowly down the rocks until it stopped about 10 feet below me. There was nothing I could to but watch. Retrieving it, I found it wouldn’t auto focus any longer, but while it does manually focus it won’t talk to the camera. Oh, then there is the little rattling sound that now comes from it. Oops. So it goes.