Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Then We Will Not Relate

In honor of their album release I bring to you,

a year from now we'll all be gone
all our friends will move away
and they're going to better places
but our friends will be gone away

nothing is as it has been
and i miss your face like hell
and i guess it's just as well
but i miss your face like hell

been talking bout the way things change
and my family lives in a different state
and if you don't know what to make of this
then we will not relate

so if you don't know what to make of this
then we will not relate

rivers and roads
rivers and roads
rivers 'til i reach you

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Video for Thought


Outdoor Research: The Love Letter
Still clinging to young man’s dreams, a 30-something professional revives his youthful vision of summits and faint trails and abandons work and the city. The Love Letter follows a pair of climbers in search of new and classic climbing routes across the spine of the Sierra, into difficult to reach stretches of the range. In the clutter of the modern world, can wilderness restore the human spirit?




23 Feet is film about a community of people who make the conscious choice to live simply to do what they love in the great outdoors. Three women set out across the west in their 23 foot, 1970 Airstream to search for the stories of people who have turned their backs on the creature comforts of society to live in school buses, vans, and other small spaces. From an inspiring campfire chat with legendary Yosemite climber Ron Kauk, to hearing the powerful story of a woman who changed her whole life for surfing, 23 Feet gives an intimate look at the ups and downs of dedicating your life to your outdoor passion.




What happens to an impoverished developing nation town when you flood it with 20,000 bicycles? You lift three times that number of people out of poverty. Pedals for Progress and founder David Schweidenback have been shipping used American bicycles to Rivas, Nicaragua for the last two decades and the transformation has been incredible.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Hikes!

Sorry guys, but this post is mine. If you have seen my apartment (or wallet) it is filled with hiking trail maps, and lists of places trails that I have hit, and trails that I have yet to tackle. I decided it was time to get organized and list out all of the trails here in an organized fashion and just add to it and edit as I discover and complete.

Yet to Blaze:
(backpacking in yellow, hikes in blue)

--Mt. Defiance--
Where: The Gorge
Hike up Mt. Defiance Ridge to the summit and hike down Mt. Defiance Trail.
Total Mileage: 11 Miles
Elevation Gain: 4,900+ Feet
Difficulty Rating: Difficult

--Pacific Crest Trail: Columbia Ricer to California: First Leg--
Where: Columbia River to Timberline Lodge
Total Mileage: 52 Miles
Difficulty: Moderate

--Nasty Rock #3356--
Where: Gates, Clackamas Co.
Total Mileage: 5
Elevation: 4,500+
Difficulty: Difficult

--Netarts Spit--
Where: Netarts
Total Mileage: 10 Miles
Difficulty: Moderate

--Larch Mountain Trail--
Where: Bridal Veil
Total Mileage: 14 Miles
Elevation: 4,300+
Difficulty: Strenuous

--Ruckel Ridge Loop--
Where: Gorge
Total Mileage: 9 miles
Elevation: 3,700
Difficulty: Difficult

--Cooper Spur Trail--
Where: Hood River
Start Point: Cloud Cap Trailhead. Ending Point: Cooper Spur
Total Mileage: 7 Miles
Elevation: 2,800+
Difficulty: Moderate
Backpackable: Connects to Timberline Trail
Seasons: July - November

--South Sister--
Where: Sisters/Bend
Total Mileage: 10 Miles
Elevation: 10,300+
Difficulty: Moderate. A hike most can do, but it's a work out for sure.
Season: August to Mid-Oct

--Hells Canyon Bench "High" Trail--
Where: Imnaha
Total Mileage: 63 Miles
Elevation Gain: 14,900+ Feet
Difficult
Season:Usually open April to November; best early to mid-May
 
--Saddle Mountain--
Where: Cannon Beach
Total Mileage: 5.5 Miles
Elevation: 1,600+
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: April-November

--Bear Creek Loop--
Where: Wallowa
Total Mileage: 39 Miles
Elevation: 6,300+
Difficulty: Difficult
Season: Usually open July to October; best Mid-July

--Blacklock Point--
Where: Bandon
Total Miles: 8 Miles
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Zig Zag Mountain Loop
Silver Star Loop

--Eagle Creek--
Where: Gorge
Total Miles: 26 Miles
A classic 2- to 3-day backpacking trip continues to Wahtum Lake. Snow closes this 26.8-mile loop from mid-November until June. Start by hiking up the Eagle Creek Trail 13.3 miles to Wahtum Lake. Then veer left on the Pacific Crest Trail for 6.3 miles to the Benson Plateau and turn left to descend the Ruckel Creek Trail back to your car.


Been There, Loved That:
--Tillamook Head to Indian Beach Trailhead: 16 Miles
--Drift Creek Falls: 6 Miles
-Smith Rock: 4 Miles
-Horsetail and Triple Falls: 5 Miles
- Silver Falls Loop: 7 Miles
- Black Butte: 8 Miles
-Bandon Loop: 21 Miles



Side notes to self:
-Backpacking Oregon: Lorain
-Mountain Hardwear women's 20 Switch
-Jetboil

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Can I get an amen?

"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones." - Marcus Aurelius