The Traveling Backpackers II

The Islands of the Gulf

2012-02-22T19:48:00.006-08:00

Our last couple of weeks in Southeast Asia were spent on three different islands in the Gulf of Thailand. The first was Ko Chang, which is close to the Cambodian border. The second was Ko Pha-Ngan and the third was Ko Tao. Each island was special and featured phenomenal sunsets, swaying palm trees and crystal-clear water. We spent our days snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, kayaking and lounging around in the hot sun and warm water. It was a wonderful way to close out an amazing adventure!
Above is the bungalow we stayed in on Ko Pha-Ngan. I took the sunset photo at the top from the porch.

Ko Chang was a beautiful island with mountains and flowering trees.

An open deck restaurant with a view of the harbor at dusk (Ko Chang)

Good snorkeling spot on the island of Ko Pha-Ngan

Another perfect sunset on Ko Pha-Ngan

Coconut Palms on Ko Pha-Ngan

An interesting way to sell gasoline! 50 B (Baht) is about $1.75 U.S.

A cool "trail" on Ko Tao

Crystal clear water and incredible diving off the island of Ko Tao. This dive site (both above and below) was called the "Japanese Garden." Underwater, it looked like a Japanese garden with a variety of interestingly shaped coral...including some that looked like giant mushrooms!

The Temples of Angkor Wat - Cambodia

2012-02-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

Our next big adventure in SE Asia was at the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. We saw many temples during our travels, but none were as big or impressive as these. Some of the temples were massive and out in the open while others were slowly being overrun by the surrounding jungle.

Baphuon Temple (above)

Ta Prohm temple was the most impressive of all of them.

The temple of Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious building

Young monks at Angkor Wat

We nearly walked right by this temple...very hidden in the jungle

These are "working"elephants who take tourists up a steep trail to a hidden temple at the top of a hill...a perfect sunset spot. We walked, but still found it fascinating to watch the elephants.

It was incredible to see so many amazing temples, but the intense heat and humidity made mid-day very difficult...so, it was time to escape to the islands!

Trekking in Northern Thailand

2012-02-13T16:25:00.000-08:00

Our month in SE Asia got off to a fantastic start with a 3-day backpacking trip in the hill country of Northern Thailand in Doi Inthanon National Park. We had a guide who led us on dusty trails through beautiful, tropical mountains near the highest point in Thailand. For the first day and a half, we had 6 other tourists with us. The remainder of the time, it was just us and the guide! We swam in waterfalls, saw water buffaloes grazing in dry rice fields and even saw an Asian Elephant browsing in thick vegetation. There were two local hill tribe people near the elephant and we found out that they "owned" it as a "working"elephant.

The most amazing part was walking by tiny hill tribe villages in the middle of a very remote section of Thailand. Most of these villages were way off the beaten path...they had no electricity, no running water, spoke no English and seemed happy and content in their simple life. We stayed in two villages. The first was like the one I described above and the second was similar, but a bit bigger and connected to a dirt road which led to the city of Chiang Mai about an hour away.

Our guide bought a pumpkin from the farmer above. Those are water buffalo behind him!

We walked along many lonely fenses like this in a very remote area.

Above is a scene from the first hill tribe village we stayed in.

This was the house that we stayed in. We slept on a thin mat on the wooden floor and woke up early to the sound of roosters, pigs and dogs. We shared the house with at least 3 others who lived there. The village had about 40 people living there.

Dinner was cooked over an open fire. It was a delicious pumpkin, chicken stew with rice and a bit of spicy chili sauce!

We were able to interact with quite a few of the locals like the one above and below.

Our guide (Sunni) walking up to one of the many waterfalls that we swam under. When we would come up to a swimming spot like this, Sunni would say, "Ok, you can take a shower now."

Above is a view of active rice fields and small houses nearby. A couple of hours from here, we ended our hike at a spot where we could ride an elephant (a bit touristy but pretty cool!) and take a bamboo raft trip down a rushing river (not touristy and REALLY fun!).

The sunset of 2011 and the sunrise of 2012

2012-01-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

On New Years Eve, we drove up a narrow, twisting road into the mountains of Northern California to an elevation of about 3,800 feet. The road continued, but the increasing amount of ice and rocks and drop-offs, helped us decide to not try and get any higher. With full backpacks and a sense of excitement, we began the 1,500 foot climb (over 4.5 miles) to our home for the night: a small cabin on the top of Bear Basin Butte.

It was mid afternoon by the time we climbed above the trees to a windswept summit with a cozy little cabin and old fire tower on top. The 360 degree view was absolutely tremendous! To the east was a line of rugged mountains: The Siskiyou's and distant Marble Mountains. To the west was an undulating set of coastal mountains and the far off glistening ocean.

We quickly got a fire going in the wood stove and sat back for the glorious conclusion to 2011 and dramatic start to 2012. The sunset set the western sky on fire and the sunrise painted the whole sky pink and orange.

A frosty morning

2011-12-09T15:04:00.001-08:00

We enjoyed a frosty December morning in Redwood National Park the other day with more elk than people! This big bull was the king of his harem. We watched him for awhile as he walked back and forth between us and the cows. He kept eyeing us suspiciously until finally trotting our way with his antlers lowered. This made us get out of there fast...but not before we got a few good photos!

Thanksgiving in Vegas Part I

2011-11-29T16:18:00.000-08:00

We spent a wonderful 9 days in Las Vegas over the Thanksgiving holiday. Our adventures can be nicely broken up into two parts, although both parts have a lot of overlap. The first part includes the explorations with Mom and Dad Ausema while the second part includes explorations with Mom and Dad Weber. Susanna's parents live in the NW side of Las Vegas near lots of spectacular desert scenery. This is where Susanna and I stayed for the 9 days. My parents flew in to Las Vegas on Monday and stayed until Friday. They stayed on the 9th floor of a beautiful hotel called the Sun Coast. The Sun Coast also happens to be a casino...I found it very funny to drop off my parents at the casino each night! Here are some of the adventures that we packed into this short timeframe.

Sunset walk at Red Rock Canyon NCA (second picture above)

Explorations of the famous Las Vegas Strip, including walking around the Venetian Casino and Hotel...which is like taking a step into Italy!

Drive, picnic and hike along the north shore of Lake Mead NRA (top photo)...this included seeing a couple of desert bighorn sheep

Explorations of Valley of Fire State Park...a park as spectacular as the name suggests!

A huge adventurous day at Death Valley National Park

Thanksgiving morning back at Red Rock Canyon NCA (I'll include this in Park II)

The Venetian...like being in Italy

Glitz and glamor along the Las Vegas Strip

Desert Bighorn in Lake Mead NRA

Susanna exploring the red rocks of Valley of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire State Park

Sunset at Valley of Fire State Park

Desolate landscape in Death Valley NP

Appropriately named Golden Canyon in Death Valley NP

Wild and rugged interior of Death Valley

Mom and Dad at the lowest place in the U.S.

Thanksgiving in Vegas - Part II

2011-11-29T15:24:00.000-08:00

The second part of our Las Vegas vacation involved explorations with the Weber parents. Once again, some of this has overlapped with explorations with the Ausema parents. Here are some of the highlights:

Thanksgiving morning exploration of Red Rock Canyon NCA (picture above) which included seeing a ringtail cat and a wild burro.

Afternoon Thanksgiving feast with 13 people at Susanna's parents' cozy home.

Climb of Lone Mountain, a rocky, rugged peak right next to Vegas.

An awesome hike into the steep, cool walls of Pine Creek Canyon.

Swimming in the community pool and playing mini golf

Red Rock Canyon

The start of the Lone Mountain Climb

Standing on top of Lone Mountain

The start of the Pine Creek Canyon hike

Pine Creek Canyon

Hiking out of Pine Creek Canyon

Peace Corps Reunion

2011-10-14T14:15:00.001-07:00

This past week, we hosted the 2nd official Peace Corps reunion (the first was in the Virgin Islands in January, 2007). It's been nearly 10 years since Susanna and the rest of the gang ended their two years as Peace Corps volunteers in Guatemala.

People came from all over...including Maryland, Idaho, Colorado, southern California and even Thailand! We ended up with eleven people staying at our house, including 5 in a 6-person tent in the back yard (first picture below)! It was a wonderful time to reunite with great conversations, great food and the incredible scenery of the north coast. With the exception of an all-day rain on monday, the weather was flawless. We spent time in Trinidad, Redwood NP, Patricks Point State Park as well as Arcata and Eureka. Here are a few of my favorite photos...

Rainey's tiny friend!

Hunting season on the beach!

Mike and Susanna on top of Trinidad Head

In awe in the Redwood Forest

The group at Trillium Falls in Redwood NP

An Oregon Sunset...

2011-09-21T15:41:00.001-07:00

We spent a wonderful night camping at Harris Beach State Park in southern Oregon this past weekend. The sunset was absolutely perfect...

The Range of Light

2011-08-26T14:45:00.001-07:00

It's hard to write a single blog entry about such an epic adventure as 2 weeks on the John Muir Trail, but i'll try. Susanna and I began our hike at South Lake trailhead, which is close to Bishop in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was well past sunset when we began backpacking up into the John Muir Wilderness. We hiked under the stars for a little over a mile, just because we couldn't wait for the adventure to begin! The next morning, we woke up in the heart of the "Range of Light" as the Sierra Nevada is called. Ten miles later, we joined the John Muir Trail and began backpacking north with a destination of Yosemite Valley.

We ended up spending 13 nights on the trail and backpacked a full 13 days plus the evening under the stars. By the time we arrived in Yosemite Valley, we had backpacked nearly 150 miles and had more adventures than we could count. Simply put, it was one of the best two weeks of my life.

Below, I put a single photo taken from each of our 13 campsites.

Night 1: Milky Way Knob (10,180')

Night 2: Glacial Cirque View (9,800")
Night 3: Snow Level Lake (10700')

Night 4: Evolution Lake (10,880')

Night 5: Piute Creek (8,050')

Night 6: Rosemarie Meadow (9,960')

Night 7: Quail Meadows (7,920')

Night 8: Lake Virginia (10,370')

Night 9: Red Cone (8,645')

Night 10: Lower Trinity Lake (9,250')

Night 11: Garnet Lake (9,700')

Night 12: Lyell Canyon Rapids (8,940')

Night 13: Sunrise (9,340')

1st Annual Church Backpacking Trip

2011-07-29T16:15:00.001-07:00

This past January, Susanna and I led the first dayhike for the newly created church hiking club. That got me thinking about leading a backpacking trip up into the nearby Trinity Alps. It had been nearly 14 years since I had last led an organized backpacking trip. It was time to change that! On July 21st, seven hardy explorers from our church began a 3000' climb up into the Trinity Alps on Canyon Creek Trail. After 7 miles, we found a campsite on an "island" surrounded by flowing creeks and a thundering waterfall. We then day-hiked a short distance up to the stunning lakes in the upper drainage of Canyon Creek.

The following day, we re-traced our steps back out of the mountains. It was a big success and we are looking forward to leading another excursion next year!

North into Oregon

2011-07-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

In mid-July, brother John and I escaped to the PCT for a 5-day, 82 mile backpacking trip which brought us well into Oregon. We began the journey in Seiad Valley, a tiny town in Northern California (this is also where we started our trip last year when we went south to Castle Crags), and ended at Green Springs Mountain along Highway 66 in Oregon. With the crazy amounts of snow that fell over the winter and spring, we still had many snow obstacles to get through. Most of these were on N and NE facing slopes. In some of the forests, we found snow to still be drifted to 5 feet high. This made for very interesting problems, as we lost the trail several times and had to rely on map, compass and good navigation skills.

On days 1, 4 and 5, we had beautiful sunny skies with occasional white, puffy clouds and temps in the 70's. Day 2 was mostly cloudy with temps in the low 60's and day 3 was mostly foggy with temps in the 50's! This was mostly a pleasant surprise as it was much more comfortable to hike.

Here are a few of the highlights:

Avoiding snowfields on Day 1

Echo Lake (Campsite #1)

Bearground Spring (Campsite #2)

On day 3, we happily entered Oregon!

Heading cross-country to avoid a HUGE snowfield covering the trail...the wildflowers were INCREDIBLE as we summited Observation Peak (7,340')

Lots of snow on the PCT!

On day 4, we left the Siskiyou Mountains and entered the Southern Cascades. This is Pilot Rock

Day 5 breakfast stop with a view. Hobart Bluff (above) and 82 miles later, this (below) is our destination!

Above the Lost Coast

2011-07-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

In late June, we escaped for a weekend above the Lost Coast. We drove south to the Mattole River in King Range NCA. After a night of car-camping, we headed out on the trail on a foggy, windy morning. The trail brought us down to the coast, where we caught the Cooskie Creek Trail, which immediately begins an 800 foot climb in barely over half a mile. The fog soon turned to beautiful sunny weather. The trail then meanders through meadows and trees on it's way to Gorda 2, a 2,378 foot mountain. The views of the ocean way below were incredible!

After a long loop, we turned back toward the ocean and dropped to sea level, where we set up camp. The following day, we hiked out along the pounding surf under blue skies and a light breeze.

Our campsite near the Cooskie Spur Trail:

Sea Lions cover these rocks:
Classic "Lost Coast!"

Solitude in the Alps

2011-06-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we escaped into the western reaches of the Trinity Alps. This part of the Alps is known for its rushing rivers, abundant wildlife, rugged mountains (which are smaller than the Alps peaks to the east and therefore snow-free in June), and amazing solitude. Oh, and one more thing: Poison Oak! The area lived up to its reputation in every way. We saw exactly zero people on the trail, saw lots of wildlife, camped along a beautiful rushing river, swam in frigid water, looked up at rugged, forested mountains and were nearly overcome by more poison oak than you could imagine. In fact, the poison oak was head-high in places and got so thick, that we eventually turned around. Still, this side of the Alps has an incredible sense of wildness and we had a wonderful weekend!

Still smiling before the onslaught of Poison Oak!
Susanna is surrounded by Poison Oak! Our beautiful campsite sat along this rushing river:

Rafting down the Eel River

2011-06-08T08:06:00.001-07:00

In late May, I had a chance to do a 4-day rafting trip with the BLM down the Eel River, a long stretch of remote river in northern California. The purpose of the trip was to look for archaeological sites and to patrol areas of the BLM which are inaccessible except by river. The BLM land that we got to is extremely difficult to reach. In fact, one long-time BLM employee told us that we were likely the first BLM employees to get to some of these lands!

The trip was a blast, despite cool and damp conditions. We saw eagles, osprey, peregrine falcon, two gray foxes and a bobcat. Not a bad work week!

100 Mile Views on the Hat Creek Rim

2011-06-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

The PCT has been calling my name all winter long! Finally, I had a chance to backpack on a section which is a little bit lower in elevation. I did this 31 mile stretch solo, so in order to avoid doing a out and back trip, I ended up biking 29 road miles at the start of my adventure! I began the trip by dropping off my backpack at the PCT along highway 299. I then drove to the PCT trailhead on highway 44. From there, I biked the 29 road miles back to my backpack, stashed my bike and then hiked to my car! It was awesome!!

The trail ended up being everything I had hoped for. The temp was cool but the sun warm. After getting through a few storms on the afternoon of day 1, the blue skies returned. On day 2, I hiked up onto Hat Creek Rim and had about 20 miles of near-continuous views of mountains and valleys. To the north was the massive bulk of Mount Shasta. To the south was another massive giant in Lassen Peak. To the west was Burney Peak and Thousand Lakes Wilderness, both still white with winter.

I tried out my new tarp (photos below) and was mostly happy with it, although a cool wind came up on the second night which made me quite chilly. All in all, it was a big success and gets me dreaming about the next PCT adventure a little over a month away!!

Burney PeakOld firetower on Hat Creek Rim

Second campsite with Lassen Peak behindNear the end of the route with Lassen Peak glistening to the south

Spring along Highway 1

2011-05-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived along the coast! We recently took a trip south along part of U.S. Highway 1. The wildflowers were blooming, the sun shining and the breezes blowing. Here are some of the highlights...

Wild Iris blooming (below)

A windy, but beautiful hike with gray whales in the distance!

The dramatic highway along the Pacific Coast
Relaxing at our lodge in Gualala
Point Cabrillo Light Station

Tide Pooling in Trinidad

2011-05-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

The Pacific Ocean is absolutely amazing. Not only does it have massive waves, crazy storms, endless horizons and incredible sunsets, but it also has an intriguing animal world which is revealed for only a couple of hours twice a day. The other day, we took advantage of a very low tide to go look for some of the more elusive creatures. Trinidad is a great place to go tide pooling. There is a wide beach which is easy to navigate as well as a large concentrations of wildlife along the rocky pinnacles and boulders which are strewn throughout the beach.

We ended up finding countless sea stars, mussels, sea anemones, clams and barnacles as well as sea cucumbers and even a hungry river otter! Circling overhead, were gulls of all sorts, pelicans, cormorants and a majestic bald eagle. After a couple of hours of exploration, we followed the rising tide up to solid ground, then hiked around Trinidad Head. Here, we topped off our day by seeing six gray whales!

Wide open Texas

2011-04-23T21:29:00.001-07:00

I just finished a week-long law enforcement refresher training in Artesia, New Mexico. The most interesting part of the week was my drive across wide open Texas on my way to and from the academy. After flying in to El Paso, I rented a car to drive to Artesia. Enroute, I visited Guadalupe Mountain National Park, which has a stunning collection of high mountains. On my way back to El Paso on Friday, I was able to hike the Devils Hall Trail out to a dramatic slot canyon. Once back in El Paso, I stopped by Chamizal National Memorial, which commemorates the international boundary with Mexico.

Visit from Michigan

2011-04-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

In early April we had a wonderful visit from Gabe and Noelle who traveled all the way from western Michigan to our place. We spent the time showing them the coastal regions, as storms dropped rain and snow in the mountains. On the coast, we had a day of rain, but otherwise lots of sun. Here are some of the highlights...

Sunset from the Hammond Trail in McKinleyville
Redwood National Park
A rainy hike to Lyon Ranch in Redwood NP
Tide pooling at Patricks Point State Park
Patricks Point State Park Sweeping views of the Northern California coast
Powerful waves at Elk Head near Trinidad

Powerful Coastal Storms

2011-03-25T15:23:00.001-07:00

We have been in the midst of some crazy storms throughout most of the month. In fact, the month of March has had measurable precipitation on all but two of its days so far! We are on schedule to double the average amount of precipitation for March.

Yesterday, I went for a couple of hikes in and around the town of Trinidad (just north of our house). The wind was blowing the rain horizontally at times and moments later it would be calm and sunny. Then, moments after this, the rain would be back. I was out for a couple of hours and had three powerful storm cells hit me, one of which had winds that could have flattened me if I wasn't prepared for it! Here are a few photos of the hike...

Many of the storms also contain hail. One of those storms recently turned the ground white with hail while we were in the midst of a walk through town. We hunkered down in the library and let it pass. When we returned home, we still found hail covering our back porch.

Snowshoeing at Donner Pass

2011-03-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

In late February, while on my way home from work travels in the southern Californian desert, I drove through an incredibly snowy Donner Pass. I stopped at a trailhead sign for the Pacific Crest Trail. I remember walking through that area back in 1998 on a long backpacking trip. The place looked quite different though under heaps and heaps of snow. In fact, I was unable to actually find the trail! I snowshoed off through the forest and ridges and had a fantastic time in this winter wonderland.

The Olympic Penninsula

2011-02-25T15:30:00.000-08:00

After leaving Mt. Rainier NP, we drove west and then north into the Olympic Peninsula. On our first afternoon in the peninsula, it was sunny and cool. We explored the snow town of Port Townsend and then settled in at a hotel in Port Angeles.

The following morning, we journeyed up to Hurricane Ridge (5,242 feet) in Olympic National Park. The large peaks stood out on the horizon with the dark clouds of a massive storm just to the west. We spent the day skiing and snowshoeing. Hurricane Ridge lived up to it's reputation...the winds were brutally cold and threatened to blow us north into Canada!

On day 3, the storm caught up to us. In the lower elevations, it rained heavily with extremely wild and gusty winds. We still managed to do a couple of short hikes to waterfalls and even in those short times outside, proceeded to get soaked! That evening, we stayed with our friend Chiggers who lives in a cozy house in a remote area of the peninsula along the Bogachiel River just south of Forks.

On our fourth day in the peninsula, the rain continued. We drove along the dramatic coast on our way to the Oregon border and in a couple of days, home.

Mount Rainier

2011-02-25T14:35:00.000-08:00

In early February, we found ourselves in one of the snowiest places on earth, Mount Rainier National Park. Last winter, a location called Paradise (which sits at 5,400 feet and has a summer-only lodge and visitor center as well as access to alpine hiking and climbing), saw 650 inches of snow. In the winter of 71/72, 1,122 inches of snow fell!

We spent two nights at the National Park Inn, which is located in Longmire (elevation 2700 feet). On the first afternoon of our stay, we snowshoed on Rampart Ridge Trail and the Wonderland Trail. The lower slopes of Rainier alternated between sunny and snowy. The summit was covered in a thick blizzard of snow. We got back to the lodge right as darkness fell and quickly huddled up by a roaring fireplace.

On day 2, we left Longmire under foggy conditions but drove up to Paradise under piercing blue sky. The snow was so deep, that cars were dwarfed by the drifts. We spent the morning xc skiing out to Reflection Lakes. Once out to the lakes, we sat down in the snow for a winter picnic. As soon as we opened our backpacks, several Gray Jays came swooping in, hoping to steal some food. They landed on our ski tips and watched us closely.

In the afternoon of day 2, we snowshoed through some fantastic powder on the slopes of the mountain. We left Paradise near sunset, as fog began to once again envelope the mountain.

On the morning of day 3, we watched the glorious pink alpenglow from our lodge room window. We then spent the morning snowshoeing up Christine Falls Trail, before leaving the park en route to the Olympic Peninsula.

The Sunny Coast

2011-02-04T13:45:00.001-08:00

The winter months along the northern coast of California are typically full of rain. The sun may shine here or there, but rain is the norm. This year has been the exception! Since the beginning of January, we have had day after day of sunny weather. In fact, we have had just two storms in 2011. One lasted a few days and the other lasted less than 24 hours. Every other day has been sunny! We've taken advantage of the weather by hiking and biking a lot. Our main focus of hiking has been Redwood NP and our main focus of biking has been the nearby Hammond Trail (which we can access right near our house). We also had a wonderful hike to Elk Head near Trinidad, which we did with 15 people from church.

Well, with that said, it's sunny out, so I'm heading to the beach!

Snowy Michigan

2011-01-06T14:58:00.001-08:00

We spent the middle part of our Christmas vacation in Michigan (we spent the beginning and end in Las Vegas). There wasn't a ton of snow, but it was just enough to ski, ski, ski!!! We ended up skiing 9 times in 5 different locations in 7 days. Not bad! We spent time with my parents, brother John and family, numerous relatives and lots of friends. It was a wonderful week, which went by too fast!

Below, is a photo of Lake Michigan from Duck Lake State Park. I do love the lake in the winter!

Vegas Flooding

2011-01-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

We spent the beginning and end of our Christmas vacation in Las Vegas with Susanna's parents (the middle was spent in Michigan with my parents). Susanna arrived a few days before I did and ended up experiencing 5 straight days of rain! I enjoyed the last couple of days of rain, with the grand finale being a raging flash flood out the back door of Susanna's parents house. The first picture above is of the final day of rain. That is a golf course (which normally doesn't have any water running through it) and a glimpse of the rugged mountains to the west of Vegas. We later measured the river to be about 18 feet wide and 3 feet deep. The photo below is of the same view a day later. The sun finally came out!

Thanksgiving in "The Bay Area"

2010-12-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

We spent our Thanksgiving exploring all over San Fransisco and the surrounding area. The first half of our adventure was based out of our friends' place just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. While there, we explored Golden Gate NRA, walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, visited Fort Point NHS, explored downtown SF, and visited both John Muir NHS and SF Maritime NHP. The most exciting moments, however, came while exploring Point Reyes NS. We were there on a cold and sunny day with very few other people. The wildlife was tremendous. Countless black-tailed deer roamed the grass-filled hills. We watched a coyote slowly stalking its prey, ending the hunt by leaping high into the air and pouncing. Once along the stunning shoreline, we found deserted beaches full of elephant seals. Out in the ocean, we saw sea lions, harbor seals and even a mighty gray whale. It was an incredible day which ended with a glorious sunset over the vast Pacific Ocean.

The second half of our "Bay Area" adventure took us to San Jose, where we visited with our cousins, Jeff, Heidi and kids. We had a wonderful time catching up and relaxing a bit. We also found time to visit the Japanese Tea Gardens and Pinnacles National Monument.

Now, we are back along the north coast in McKinleyville. It's raining heavily outside and seems as if it's been dark for hours (even though it's not even 7 p.m.). We will work for the next couple of weeks, then set out once again, this time for our Christmas adventures!

Burney Falls

2010-10-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we did a short backpacking trip on the PCT in the Burney Falls area in NE California. Daytime temps peaked at around 70 and overnight lows dropped into the mid 30's. Nice fall weather! We ended our backpacking trip at Burney Falls, where we explored a stunning waterfall which fell into a hidden gorge. We hiked into the falls area in the early morning, and therefore had the place pretty much to ourselves. The waterfall, according to Theodore Roosevelt, is the 8th natural wonder of the world. I wouldn't put it quite on the same plane as the Grand Canyon or the Great Barrier Reef...but it was really awesome!

The Rut

2010-10-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

Fall is definitely in the air now. One of the biggest reminders of that has been the activity of nearby elk herds. We've spent several days recently watching and listening to the elk in Redwood NP. The sound of bugling has been ringing throughout the ancient redwood forests. There are several very large bulls that each have a harem to themselves. The slightly smaller bulls have been hanging around the harems and occasionally coming close enough to nearly start a fight. Usually, they seem to run quickly away when the huge bull comes at them. Then, the younger bulls clash with each other...perhaps out of frustration?

This huge bull had one thing on his mind. He was in charge of a rather large harem. One day, I rounded a corner of a trail in some thick forest and came face to face with the entire herd. The king of the herd looked at me briefly, but fortunately decided that I wasn't a threat.

It's good to remember that the elk are indeed wild!

Point Reyes and Highway 1

2010-09-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we ventured down south for a backpacking trip in Point Reyes National Seashore. We spent the night at Glen Camp, a backcountry campsite nestled along a meadow in the hills above the ocean. The weather held in the 60's and 70's with a bright blue sky.

Despite our proximity to San Francisco, we had fantastic stars at night. The meadows were golden with the approach of fall.

On our return north, we drove Highway 1, which twists and turns along the ocean for miles. Now, we are back home and it appears as if the storms of fall are coming in a bit early this year. It makes life exciting though!

The end of summer is drawing near...

2010-08-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

It's now nearly the end of August. The month started and ended with fantastic backpacking trips and in the middle, we had a wonderful visit from Susanna's mom and dad. The weather has continued to be hot and sunny inland and cool with morning fog and afternoon sun along the coast. The meadows, that were so brilliant green in the late spring and early summer, are now golden. Leaves are starting to change in a few places and the breezes of the last day or two have had a touch of Fall in them.

The first two photos are from our most recent backpacking trip in the King Range NCA along the southern segment of the Lost Coast Trail. The sunset is from near the top of Manzania Mountain looking out over the Pacific Ocean. The following morning, the ocean was covered in a layer of fog, but we were in the blue sky and sun!

The following photos were taken from Patricks Point State Park and Redwood National Park along the Bald Hills.

Granite Lake

2010-08-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

In the first weekend of August we backpacked deep into the Trinity Alps Wilderness to Granite Lake. We set up camp along a small hill of smooth rock overlooking this gem of a lake nestled along a ring of stunning, jagged mountains. The weather was hot and sunny, so we quickly jumped into the cool water for a very refreshing swim. We are in the heart of summer in the mountains now. The wildflowers are abundant, the snow fields have diminished considerably and the sun feels hot. We are certainly living up the summer!

A walk on the PCT

2010-08-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

This walk on the Pacific Crest Trail was a 157 mile walk! My brother John and I began a 10-day backpacking trip in Seiad Valley in Northern California almost at the Oregon border. We headed south on the PCT up into Marble Mountain Wilderness (which involved a nearly 5,000 foot climb). The Russian Wilderness was next, followed by Trinity Alps Wilderness and finally Castle Crags Wilderness and our ending point along I-5.

On day 3, we first saw a gigantic, snow drapped mountain to the east and south. This was our first view of Mount Shasta (14,162 feet). Over the next 7 days, we continued to get closer and closer to this giant. For much of the hike, the trail followed ridgelines to high mountain passes and beautiful, refreshing lakes with near continuous views of more mountains than we could count. We had many incredible campsites and so many awesome moments along the trail that it would be hard to account for all of it in a simple blog. These photos give a sampling of life on the PCT in Northern California!

Family Reunion

2010-08-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

In mid-July, my family began arriving from all over the globe. Mom, Dad and Mark arrived on July 15th, after driving from Michigan. John, Tatiana and Calista arrived on July 17th after an even longer drive from Washington D.C. Then, on July 19th, Dan, Margaret, Caleb and Anneke arrived from Fort Collins, Colorado. The reason for the gathering was to celebrate our parents 40th wedding anniversary.

Our house turned in to a mini-hotel/campground for a few days before we all went to a beautiful lodge in the coastal town of Trinidad.

We spent our days exploring the local town, hiking trails in Trinidad and Redwood National Park, walking along the nearby quiet beaches and relaxing at the lodge. In the evenings we lounged in the hot tub on the deck of the lodge or sat around a roaring campfire in the midst of the coastal redwoods. It was a wonderful time! My brother John and I extended the reunion by backpacking on the Pacific Crest Trail for 10 days...

High in the Alps

2010-08-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

In early July, we climbed high into the Trinity Alps for a night along Stoddard Lake. The reflections were perfect when we arrived. After dinner, a thunderstorm developed with booming thunder and bolts of lightning, but only a few sprinkles. It was enough to have a beautiful rainbow though. On our hike out the following day, we spotted a large black bear.

Home Decor

2010-07-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

We're nearly finished decorating our home, and it feels good. It's filled with memories from our travels around the world, combined with furniture that we've picked up in California.

Hope you can come and visit at some point. We've enjoyed all of our visitors so far!

As the Garden Grows...

2010-07-05T16:53:00.001-07:00

We're really loving home-ownership. We love the fact that the walls of our home are no longer just plain white. We love that everything we own fits inside our home, so we no longer need a storage unit. And we LOVE the fact that we can do a little bit of gardening in our own backyard. We're just beginners, but it's pretty exciting to watch our little lettuce plants sprout, and the sugar snap peas climb up the chicken wire and form little white flowers. What's even more exciting is walking over to our blueberry bushes and popping a few berries in our mouths each day! We're experimenting with flowers, too...the forest service was handing out packets of native poppy seeds, but they haven't been in the ground long enough to sprout yet. More updates to come.

We have four different varieties of blueberries, each one producing fruit at a slightly different time of year, and with varied flavors.

Some people wonder why our blueberry garden looks like Fort Knox...well, we have issues with groundhogs getting the roots, slugs getting the leaves and berries, and neighborhood cats using it as their litter box. So now our blueberries are very well-protected. And delicious. :)

I can't wait to taste the snap peas once they've had a few more weeks to grow. :)

Return to the Alps...

2010-06-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

...the Trinity Alps, that is! We spent a fantastic 3 days in the Trinity Alps on a backpacking trip from Hobo Gulch. We decided to stay lower in the mountains, as the high peaks are still covered in heaps of snow. Highlights included coming across a rattlesnake at Rattlesnake Creek (campsite number 1), gazing at alpenglow on the snowy peaks near campsite number two (Backbone Creek), watching lots of black tailed deer and finding a pacific giant salamander in a creek. The biggest highlight though, was simply spending time in a wild place, letting the magic of the wilderness surround us.

Summer arrives in Northern California!

2010-06-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

Summer has arrived in Northern California. The rains have finally ended and the interior is heating up drastically. We did a dayhike recently along the South Fork of the Trinity River and temps skyrocketed up to 85! We took a wonderful swim in the icy cold river half way through. The spring rains have meant a fantastic spring and early summer wildflower season.

This past weekend, we backpacked through old growth redwood trees in Redwood National Park and up into the Little Bald Hills. This area was full of Jeffrey Pine and meadows with views east to the bigger mountains inland and west to the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

This weekend, our goal is to get into the higher mountains of the Trinity Alps. Snow levels are still amazingly low and rivers are running very fast up there, so it will be an adventure!

Late Spring Wildflowers

2010-06-02T16:27:00.001-07:00

Spring has been an amazing wildflower season around here. It began months ago, but over the last month, it seems to have intensified. These first couple of photos are from a dayhike in the Bald Hills of Redwood National Park. The lupine made for a great foreground to the lush green meadows behind it. In the far back of the meadow (not visible in the photo), was a herd of elk.

We also have spent time recently along the Lost Coast in King Range NCA (BLM administered land). We camped overnight at the Mattole River a few weeks back. Over Memorial Day weekend, I backpacked the Lost Coast for work...a tough couple of days on the job! On both trips, the wildflowers were fantastic. The late spring rains are still falling, but the dry summer is sure to follow.

Hanging below a helicopter

2010-05-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

I spent the last couple of days getting trained to be transported on the outside of a helicopter! As odd as it sounds, this is a good way to transport someone a short distance over uneven terrain. The helicopter doesn't have to find a landing spot and (assuming you hook yourself up properly) is quite safe.

The training took place in Redding, which is about a three hour drive from here. While hanging below the helicopter, I kept gazing out at the distant mountains of Lassen, Shasta and the Trinity Alps. They are still thick with snow, but the summer season is coming!

Visit #2 from Michigan

2010-04-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Just after Al left, our good friend Gabe arrived for a visit. Gabe also came all the way from Michigan! Once again, we had a wonderful time exploring the local area with our visitor. Our exploring ended up taking us out of the area as well. Gabe and I drove up into Oregon to visit friends Smitty and Shawn, who live just south of Crater Lake National Park. Suddenly, we were back in winter.

We had a fantastic time snowshoeing and skiing along the rim of Crater Lake. With the brilliant blue sky and even more brilliant blue lake, along with the sparkling snow from a blizzard that had just ended, no words could describe how beautiful it was. We just soaked in one of the most breathtaking scenes in the world with little more than occasional exclamations of "Wow!"

After returning back to coastal California, we found continued blue sky with very strong winds. Once again, we marvelled at the rugged, windswept coast. Thanks for a wonderful visit, Gabe!

Visit #1 from Michigan

2010-04-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

On the final day of March, our good friend Al arrived for a visit all the way from Michigan. We had a wonderful time exploring the coast and redwood forests near our house. We drove the "Wildcat," which is a twisty, turny road that goes south to the Mattole River and the Lost Coast. Along the way, we saw the "Triple Junction", (two photos below) an earthquake-prone spot where three continental plates merge. The spot is a massive, jagged, rock island that juts out from the ocean floor just offshore.

We also explored several local redwood forests. Most notably was Humboldt Redwood State Park, Redwood National Park and Prairie Creek State Park. At Prairie Creek was saw the "Corkscrew Tree," (below) an amazing twisted giant of a redwood.

To top off the visit, we spent as much time as we could admiring the rugged, windswept coast just north of our home. The weather was wild with storms and wind, but also brilliant sun. Thanks for an awesome visit, Al!

Sleeping on Air...no longer!

2010-03-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

Our lifestyle is changing. Furniture is coming in by the truckload. We now have a bed (with a real mattress!), 2 nightstands, couch, loveseat, coffee table, end table, sofa table (Susanna assembled each of these from 65 pieces!), buffet...and that's just INSIDE. Outside, we've constructed a 4'x8' wooden raised planter box, complete with gopher proof wiring, which will soon contain blueberry bushes and strawberry plants. We've assembled shelving units in the garage, and found a fun portable campfire ring on craigslist, so we can have a campfire whenever we want! All these changes are happening just in time for a string of visitors from Michigan and Colorado. Welcome to Flamingo Court!

The Big Island

2010-03-04T16:56:00.001-08:00

The second half of our Hawaii adventure took place on the Big Island, which is simply called "Hawaii." This island is much bigger than Maui and everything is more extreme. The mountains are higher (Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa both stand more than 13,000 feet above sea level), the deserts are drier (some areas are so dry and bleak it looks as if they are in the middle of the Mojave Desert), and the rain forests wetter (some areas get well over 300 inches per year).

Once again, we camped for much of our time on the Big Island (six of the nine nights). We spent a good deal of time in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which included an overnight backpacking trip to the coast. We were awed by flowing lava and steam vents. The earth seems brand new here. We also visited three other National Park sites: Kaloko-Honokohau, Puuhonua o Honaunau and Puukohola Heiau (all National Historic Parks). I still don't have a clue how to pronounce any of them!

The 50th state has certainly lived up to my expectations as being an exotic location filled with incredible adventures!

The 50th State!

2010-03-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

Hawaii is called the 50th state for two reasons in my book. Number one, it is the 50th state to be added to the United States and number two, it was my 50th state to enter! With a huge amount of excitment, we began our 2 and a half week trip to Hawaii in late January. For the first 9 days, we explored the island of Maui.

Maui is an exceptionally beautiful island that, despite it's relatively small size, contains a little of everything. It has rain forest, desert, high moutains and beaches. It also has brilliant blue water filled with countless tropical fish and massive humpback whales.

Of our 8 nights on the island, we camped for 5 of them. Interestingly enough, 4 of those 5 nights camping were free! Much of our time camping was spent in Haleakala National Park. We spent two nights along the coast near the Pools of Oheo and two nights high in the mountains. We went on an overnight backpacking trip deep into the Haleakala Crater, a beautiful and desolate old volcanic area. We encountered heavy rain in the evening and overnight temps which dipped to below freezing. The nightime stars were out of this world though and the mornings sunrise was equally as incredible.

Other highlights of Maui were focused around the water. We spent a good deal of time snorkling and diving. One of the most magical moments came underwater while diving. I was well underneath the water when I began hearing what sounded like kids playing. There were screams and whistles, grunts and groans. This went on for quite some time until I began to wonder if I was going crazy. Suddenly, I realized that I was listening to a humpback whale conversation! It was like listening in on an alien conversation. We were both utterly mesmerized by it.

We ended our time in Maui by going to a Luau along the beach. This involved a huge dinner at sunset along with hula dancers and fire twirlers as darkness became complete.

And now we are on to the Big Island for a whole new set of adventures!

Flood!

2010-01-23T21:47:00.000-08:00

The entire state of California has been dealing with large amounts of rain and snow over the last week. In Northern California, wave after wave of rain storms have battered the coast. Some towns just to the south, which are nestled in the mountains of the King Range, have received nearly 15 inches over the last week. There are probably many places in remote corners of the lower mountains that have received much more! The snow level is at 2,500 feet.

The photos above were taken on Wednesday the 20th on BLM land and some of the adjacent farmlands just outside of Eureka. More rain and strong winds are in the forecast...

Earthquake!

2010-01-10T20:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (January 9), we experienced an earthquake which registered 6.5 on the Richter Scale. I was in the parking area behind the BLM office and heard what sounded like the approach of a huge, oversize semi-truck. Suddenly, everything began to shake like I was walking on jello. The vehicles moved back and forth and the office building was shaking like a leaf.

As quickly as it started, it stopped. I jumped in my vehicle and raced home to make sure Susanna was ok. A tsunami watch was issued, which was especially nerve-racking because Susanna was currently on her way home from Redwood NP, a drive which takes her right along the ocean. Based on the time, I calculated that she was probably just north of McKinleyville along an area called Clam Beach (which happens to be just barely above sea level). Cell phones wouldn't work because of damage to the towers. Electricity was out all over the area. Susanna wasn't there when I arrived home, so I immediately turned around to drive north and find her. Fortunately, moments later Susanna pulled into the driveway, not having felt the earthquake at all! After a short search, we determined that we had no damage to our house. Thank you God!

All in all, the north coast fared quite well with this earthquake. There were a lot of minor injuries that people reported from falling glass and debris, but nothing major. Many buildings had minor damage and some stores had a lot of damage from items falling off of shelves. I heard that the wine aisle at one of the grocery stores was an absolute mess! But, fortunately, material items can always be replaced. To my knowledge, there has been no fatalities.

We enjoyed the evening with a simple meal cooked on our backcountry stove. We ate by candlelight, then went for a walk to the ocean. The electricity was restored by 9 pm and life is returning back to normal.

Christmas in Vegas

2010-01-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

We escaped the rainy, cool weather of the northern California coast for two weeks of sun and slightly warmer temps in Las Vegas and southern California for the Christmas season. I spent the beginning of the two weeks working with the BLM Las Vegas wild horse and burrow crew.

Over Christmas itself, we spent a lot of time with Susanna's parents. We explored many interesting areas of the surrounding desert. One day was spent hiking in a wild and forgotten canyon in Lake Mead NRA searching for and finding countless petroglyphs. Another day was spent exploring a remote corner of Death Valley NP and Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. At Ash Meadows, we hiked along a crystal clear, spring-fed stream and marvelled at the endangered pupfish that were living in the stream. One final day was spent hiking to the top of Lone Mountain, a steep and rugged mountain at the edge of the city.

While Susanna stayed with her parents over the New Year, I drove down to El Centro, CA to work at Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, a set of beautiful dunes administered by the BLM. Over New Years weekend, over 100,000 people visited the dunes.

Now, we are once again back in the cozy northern coast!

A Place to Call Home...

2009-12-18T17:39:00.000-08:00

That's right, folks, we've finally purhcased our 1st home! We moved in two days ago and we're loving it so far. It has high ceilings in the living/dining rooms, a big bay window, a nice backyard, 3 bedroom/2 bathrooms, and it's located on a cul-de-sac near the elementary school. Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what it looks like. Feel free to come and visit! Aside from Mike's "map room", we have a spare room. :)

Thanksgiving with Family!

2009-11-27T21:43:00.000-08:00

Our home along the Pacific Ocean in Northern California is a long way from most of our family. However, we do have family that lives in San Jose, CA. Cousins Heidi and Jeff and their wonderful three children, Joshua, Nathan and Sarah, came up from San Jose to McKinleyville to visit over Thanksgiving. We enjoyed a very memorable couple of days with them, exploring the beaches and redwood forests and also basking in the warmth of a stunning November sunset.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Backcountry Patrol on the Lost Coast

2009-11-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

I've always said that if I can get paid to hike, I've made it. If I can get paid to backpack, then I must really be making it! Well, I was sent to patrol the Lost Coast this past week, part of King Range NCA, managed by the BLM. This involved a 3-day backpacking trip from a place called Windy Point in the north, down to Shelter Cove in the south. This trip included about 23 miles of wild, forgotten coastline. Most people say that it's the wildest ocean coast in the lower 48 states. The entire trail follows the coast closely. Parts of the trail can only be done at low tide. I saw sea lions, harbor seals, black bear tracks and a skunk. I also ran into 18 other hardy souls backpacking in the potentially chilly, damp November weather. Actually, only Friday afternoon was wet and cold. The rest of the trip was sunny and comfortable. Not a bad way to spend three days of work!

The Great Desert Escape!

2009-10-24T12:22:00.001-07:00

I've finally done it! I am completely done with training. This training began in mid March of this year and as of Monday, October 19th at approximately 11 a.m. is now over! From mid March until mid July, I was at the Federal Law Enforcment Training Center in Georgia. From early August until this past Monday, I was in Field Training in Yucca Valley, CA, Bishop, CA and Gerlach, NV.

My final phase of Field Training was back in Yucca Valley. Now, there's really nothing wrong with the desert. It's wild, rugged and beautiful in its own way. But, I am a cool and wet climate person at heart. While leaving the desert this past Monday, I couldn't help but cheer. I was going home!!! Later, when I saw the towering peaks of Mt. Lassen (10,462 feet) and then the completely snowy bulk of Mt. Shasta (14,179 feet), I knew I had left the desert behind.

I'm now happily back in McKinleyville, along the Pacific Ocean, with my wife. All this crazy training is behind me!

Working along the Pacific

2009-10-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Susanna really has a fantastic job. She spends her days walking and teaching under the largest trees in the world. This time of year, it is often a busy job dealing with school groups who come out to Redwood National Park for a 3-day adventure at the Education Center. The kids live in cabins and slowly grow to appreciate and even love the redwoods, the creeks, the prairies and all the creatures that call that home.

On the days that school groups don't come, it is part of Susanna's job to get to know the park as much as she can. This, of course, involves hiking all over the place! The photos above are from a recent outing along the edge of the continent...

Two weekends in the Trinity Alps

2009-10-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

We spent each of the last two weekends backpacking in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, California's largest wilderness, located just to the Northeast of us. The first weekend, we backpacked up Canyon Creek to a couple of stunning, alpine lakes nestled beneath massive, jagged peaks. The land looks very similar to the Sierra Nevada with lots of smooth granite, rocky boulders and steep mountains.

The weather was so hot that we went swimming in one of the lakes and actually lounged in the water for awhile! The evening alpenglow was absolutely stunning. A half moon illuminated the rocky, alpine world in silver. After the moon set in the west, more stars than we could count filled the sky. We returned to civilization the following day, rejuvenated and content.

The next weekend, we backpacked up the Stuart Fork trail to a beautiful sub-alpine area called Morris Meadow. Two things were distinctly different about this trip. The first is that we had the place completely to ourselves (last weekend we shared the other with a handful of people). And second, the temperature was about 50 degrees cooler. We fell asleep to the sound of ice crystals hitting the rainfly, but we stayed cozy inside our sleeping bags. The next morning, we awoke to a dusting of snow on our tent, as well as on the high, jagged peaks surrounding our campsite. We backpacked out of the mountains, realizing that winter was just one step behind us.

Completion of Phase III

2009-09-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

I have now wrapped up the 3rd of 4 Field Training Phases for my new permanent career. I finished up phase III back in Bishop, CA. The mountains are slowly turning from summer to fall. I was able to get up into the higher mountains a couple of times. Highlights included hiking on the PCT past alpine lakes en route to Devils Postpile National Monument.

My work activity was quite varied. The most intense part of it was an inter-agency marijuana eradication operation to 5 different gardens on public land near Bishop. I assisted with the removal of over 14,000 plants! It was a crazy event, but it feels good to be protecting our public lands from the devastating environmental and social impacts of these large marijuana gardens.

I am now back home along the Pacific. It is cool and cloudy today (a nice break from the mid 90's near Bishop). I will stay home for about 2 weeks, then finish up my training back in Yucca Valley, CA.

Burning Man

2009-09-13T15:58:00.001-07:00

I spent the rest of Phase II and the first half of Phase III of Field Training working in the hot, dusty Black Rock Desert in NW Nevada. Here, nearly 50,000 people came to the desert to camp and be free to do whatever they wanted to do in the Burning Man Event. I got some great experience and all in all had a really good time. There were about 45 BLM Rangers working the event, so the comraderie was excellent.

For now, I am back in McKinleyville with my wonderful wife. I will finish Phase III back in Bishop in mid September. I'll then be back home in late September and early October. Then, finally, I will finish up Field Training in Yucca Valley in the middle of October for about 2 weeks.

Summer in the high Sierra

2009-09-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

Ahhh!!! The Eastern front of the mighty Sierra Nevada met my eyes as I drove into Bishop, CA in late August. I ended up spending a week working out of Bishop as part of Phase II of Field Training. I had several opportunities to patrol in and have some time off in the mountains surrounding this beautiful town. The biggest highlight was a hike up to Bishop Pass (over 11,200 feet), which is also a back entrance into Kings Canyon National Park. The high mountain lakes glistened like sapphires in the crisp mountain air. It's hard to beat summer in the mountains!

Summer in the California Desert

2009-09-13T15:37:00.001-07:00

When the temperature gauge on my patrol vehicle topped 120, I knew I was in a different world. I have spent quite a bit of time in deserts before, but never in the summer. When I stepped outside of my vehicle, I felt an overwhelming heat that was almost suffocating. I can't believe people live in a place like this! Despite my initial impressions, I ended up spending a very fun couple of weeks getting to know the desert in Yucca Valley (near Joshua Tree NP) in Phase I of Field Training. I figured out early on that there were some great hiking hours in the mornings and evenings. The rest of the day, I would try to spend as much time as possible in air conditioning. Now, it's on to the eastern Sierra Nevada!

From the Atlantic to the Pacific

2009-08-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

I am finally back along the mighty Pacific! I left the coast of Georgia late afternoon on July 16th, right after graduation from FLETC. After camping in Oconee National Forest in Georgia and Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee, I arrived in Michigan on July 18th. Five days was not enough time to live up summer near the shores of Lake Michigan, but I did manage to have lots of family and friend time. Much of my time was spent along the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan and hiking on the North Country Trail in Newago County.

On July 23rd, I left Michigan with my brother Mark enroute to Fort Collins, Colorado to visit my brother Dan and his family. After an interesting stay in a small campground in rural western Iowa, Mark and I arrived in Fort Collins on the 24th. We also had time to travel off the beaten path to Pawnee Buttes, a couple of tall buttes on the eastern plains of Colorado. After a nice visit with brother Dan and family, I continued west into the mountains. I soaked up the cool mountain air as I hiked on the Continental Divide near Rabbit Ears Pass. The wildflowers were absolutely incredible. From there, I drove down into the wide open spaces of far western Colorado. I camped that night along the Green River in Utah (Dinosaur National Monument).

On July 26th, I drove nearly 15 hours from eastern Utah, over the mountains near Salt Lake City, past the Great Salt Lake, across the barrens of Nevada and finally to the forests and mountains of Northern California. I camped that night along a rushing river in the Plumas National Forest.

On the 27th, I awoke early in the crisp mountain air, and drove into Lassen Volcanic National Park. Twice in the past, Susanna and I have been to the park (once in the north and once in the south) and both times we have found the scenic drive closed due to snow. Fortunately, in the heart of the summer, this was not the case! I spent the morning driving the scenic drive and hiking several shorter trails along the way.

Finally, on the evening of the 27th, I crested the final summit on highway 299 and drove to the cool, foggy coast. I am home at last with my wonderful wife! I'll be home for about a week and a half before driving south into the deserts of southern California. Over the next 2 and a half months, work will take me across much of southern California and parts of Nevada. I'll hopefully make it home a couple of times in between. But for now, I'm living up being home with Susanna along the beautiful coast of Northern California.

2 Days Until Graduation!!!

2009-07-14T21:18:00.001-07:00

Yes, that's right--Mike has just 2 days until he will officially graduate from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. This week was a busy and stressful one for him. On Monday he had his final defensive tactics physical exam, as well as his final written exam. Today he finished up with arrest warrants and the final physical efficiency battery (PEB), which includes benchpress, agility run, flexibility, and a 1.5 mile run. He improved on most of his scores from the mid-term PEB, and I'm so proud of him! So...at long last, on Thursday the 16th, he will graduate alongside his classmates, and be released from the hallowed halls of FLETC.

So Mike will soon drive north toward Michigan, and then west, west, west. We'll be able to spend a few days together before he'll drive 13 hours to the south, to begin a (the 1st of 4) 3 week "field training" session. During these next 3 months, he'll be a commissioned officer in various areas of California, Nevada, and Washington, working very closely with experienced BLM rangers. Then he'll return to his job (and wife) in Humboldt County. Yay. :)

Fern Canyon, its steep walls covered in lush green ferns of many varieties (where part of the Jurassic Park movie was filmed)

Redwood NP has such a diversity of habitats! I was surprised to see the "Bald Hills" area, high above the redwood forests.

Pretty in pink!

Pink rhodedendrons in the Lady Bird Johnson Grove of Redwood trees...

Tiger or Columbia Lilies

Wood rose

Douglas iris

The rhodedendrons are ever brighter than this...you must come and see them blooming sometime!

(As for me...) I've seen some beautiful scenery lately, while becoming oriented with the trails in Redwood National and State Parks. The rhodedendrons were still blooming as of last week in the Lady Bird Johnson Grove...my photos didn't capture their full color, but they're still pretty.

Snorkeling in the Keys

2009-07-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

Bahia Honda State Park (middle of the Florida Keys)

Mile 0 of US 1 which goes from Key West, FL all the way to the Canadian border above Maine!

This Key Deer (above) is about the size of a medium-sized dog. They are only found on Big Pine Key and one neighboring key.

Mike spent yesterday snorkeling in the Florida keys with a buddy from FLETC. Imagine the clear water and the variety of colorful fish they must have seen! At one point, they were surrounded by a school of at least 1,000 fish, making Mike feel as if he had become a member of the underwater world. One of his friends lives and works in that area, so today they plan to go out on a boat and leave their FLETC worries behind.

By the way, he has just 9 working days left at FLETC!!!

My job as the lead education ranger at Redwood National and State Parks is based out of the Wolf Creek Education Center. I've been through two days of training, and I'm enjoying it so far. The commute is a bit long, but there's not much traffic and the road follows the gorgeous coastline, so it's as pleasant as it could be. I plan to buy a prius later in the month, while trading in our gas-guzzling Explorer through the new government car rebate program (cars.gov).

So all is well in our lives. I'm readapting to life in northern California, and Mike is getting ready to finish up with his Georgian lifestyle. I wish we could fast-forward through the next few months, so that we could be living together under the same roof again!

Have a happy Independence Day!

Isle Royale

2009-07-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Washington Creek sunrise
View toward Canada from Minong Ridge

I didn't see another person for 47 hours, so I entertained myself with insects...

Foggy afternoon at Little Todd Harbor

Wolf track near West Chickenbone

Lady Slipper Orchids

Sunset over Tobin Harbor

Ranger III passenger ferry in Rock Harbor

The house I grew up in, in Hancock, MI

Every time people visited us on Isle Royale (while I was growing up there), we all got our picture taken together in front of this sign.

I had a WONDERFUL visit to Isle Royale National Park, in Lake Superior. I grew up in the park, and spent 3 summers working there, and met Mike there for the first time in 1998, and absolutely LOVE the island. Soooo, I was very excited to return for a 2-week volunteer gig. I flew from Georgia to Wisconsin, and had a chance to reunite with a couple of friends before heading to the island. The water was calm and the weather was beautiful on the 6 hour trip aboard the Ranger III ferry from Houghton, MI, to Isle Royale. I wasn't exactly certain what my volunteer duties would encompass, but it turned out that I had plenty of opportunities to "experience" Isle Royale. After training the new interpretive staff on the "how-tos" of a guided hike to Passage Island, I was free to begin my trail roving duties. Over the course of 10 full and 2 partial days, I backpacked over 71 miles with a full pack and day hiked an additional 17 miles or so.

If anyone is curious about my specific route, here goes: I started off with an overnight to Lane Cove, with a brief stop at Mount Franklin. I spent a pleasant (although stormy) night listening to the loons in the cove, and saw my only moose of the trip on the return hike to Rock Harbor. The next day, I set off toward Daisy Farm. Surprisingly, I ended up with four blisters on my toes, probably because the pack is much heavier than I'm accustomed to carrying (since Mike, my trusty backpacking buddy, is still at FLETC in Georgia). I took a couple of quick dips in the 34 degree waters of Lake Superior and felt refreshed!

The next day I hiked about 10 miles to West Chickenbone. From this point on, I saw very few people, no moose, and little sign of wolves. I felt like I had the island to myself! The weather was great, overall, so I was really fortunate. Every afternoon after arriving in camp, I took pictures of my growing blisters, to document their progress. Next, I spent a night at Hatchett Lake, then a very mosquito-filled hike to Little Todd Harbor. I camped all alone there, and spent the afternoon swimming and photographing pretty rocks on the beach. The next day was gorgeous weather, and I backpacked my FAVORITE section of trail along the Minong Ridge, from Little Todd to North Desor. The views of Canada were phenomenal, and the wildflowers were in full splendor. That day alone made my whole trip, and all of the difficult logistics on either end of the trip, completely worthwhile. I lounged around in Lake Desor, rinsed out my only hiking clothes, which by this point were quite salty, and relaxed. Instead of hiking directly to Windigo the next day, I extended the trip by heading to Huginnin Cove for a night. Once again I swam (actually I waded out to water that was about 2 feet deep, then immersed myself for about 15 seconds, until my body felt like it was on fire from the freezing temperature of Lake Superior!...but I still count that as swimming). And the next day, I hiked into Windigo and visited with lots of old island friends.

The Ranger III departed from Windigo (because of a special dedication ceremony for a new building there) and a smooth trip brought me to Houghton, where I was fortunate to spend a couple of evenings and a day with wonderful family friends at their beautiful home on the shores of Lake Superior. I love the Northwoods! Thanks to everyone who made this trip so wonderful!

Northward Bound

2009-06-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

As my friend Kate would say, I'm heading to Michigan, where the lakes are great!!! Tomorrow morning I'll hop a few flights and arrive in Wisconsin, where I'll have a chance to visit with two great friends. Then I'll be on my way toward the Upper Peninsula, where I grew up. On Tuesday afternoon, guess where I'll be?! That's right, on Isle Royale!

While I'm sad to leave Mike in GA to finish up at the academy, I'm really excited to visit the island and then head "home" to northern California. Which brings me to some other good news...I've been selected to work at Redwood National Park! I'll be based out of an education center/residential camp in a redwood forest within the park, where we'll lead groups of 4th, 5th and 6th graders on outdoor adventures. Sounds like fun!

So the next time I write, it'll be from a much cooler climate.

Hasta luego, Georgia! Hasta pronto, Michigan!

Congaree Swamp

2009-06-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

When we first arrived in Georgia, we came up with a list of goals to accomplish during our time here. The list included visiting all the local GA NPS sites, canoeing in Okefenokee NWR, snorkeling in the freshwater springs of FL, and visiting Congaree NP in South Carolina. So we're pleased to report that we've accomplished all of our goals!

We spent an amazing weekend canoeing, hiking, and camping at Congaree. We were especially surprised by the diversity and abundance of life in the swamp. You really realize it at night, when all the amphibians, owls and other nocturnal birds, and insects begin their nightly chorus. We were lucky to go on a ranger-led evening canoe outing...even luckier that we didn't even need to bring our own canoe to take part. The weather was hot, humid, and sunny, typical of summer in the southeast. It was the first weekend in over a month that we didn't get poured on in the evening/night.

Snorkeling in the Springs

2009-05-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

Over Memorial Day weekend, Mike and I drove to Central Florida to visit the freshwater springs in Ocala National Forest. He had fond memories of a trip through the forest during his college years, and we even ended up camping at the same campground where he and his friends had camped so many years ago!

It's been really, really rainy around here lately, but we lucked out on Saturday afternoon. The first spring that we visited was called Silver Glen. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than a tranquil bay, with several boats docked beyond the buoys. But below the surface--WOW! It was full of life and varied microcosms, everything from huge bass and a softshell turtle to tiny fish flitting through the underwater vegetation. The best part was the surprise we encountered while snorkeling above the shallow, sandy bottom: all of a sudden the bottom dropped from underneath us, and we found ourselves hovering over a 25 foot underwater canyon, the springs burbling from within. We dove down again and again, never tiring of the underwater topography.

That evening we drove on some questionable sandy roads in an attempt to find the campgrounds depicted on our map. We eventually decided to see if the developed "Lake Dorr campground" had any spaces available, and luckily, there were plenty. Apparently the threat of rain caused the locals to stay home that night, so we had our pick of a dozen sites. As I said, it had been raining all week, so some parts of the campground had standing water.

We set up our tent and managed to eat dinner just before the rain started pelting down from the dark clouds. One would think we were on the ball to set up our tent during the dry spell, right? Wrong. For the next hour, it continued to rain, hard. The campground filled with water, and a lake formed around our tent. We ventured out with the umbrella and managed to transfer our sleeping bags back into the car and lift the tent to dry (well, less wet) ground. Surprisingly, the tent had managed to keep out most of the water, and when we awoke at 5:00 a.m., the sky was filled with stars. (Of course, we went back to sleep for a couple more hours!)

Sunday morning welcomed us with blue skies and sunshine. We drove straight to Alexander Springs and had the whole area virtually to ourselves for the first hour or so. Once again, the above water view was totally different than below the surface. It was so much fun to dive down and follow the fish and turtles through their habitat. I kept imagining an alligator swimming toward us from an area filled with a wall of dark vegetation, but luckily we didn't encounter any!

We hiked through the forest trails and snorkeled again to cool off. At 72 degrees F, the water was definitely refreshing! I can't believe that the Lake Superior waters that I regularly jumped into when I was a kid are only about 40-50 degrees!

Mike is in week 11 of 18...at the end of the week, we'll head north to Congaree Swamp National Park, in South Carolina!

2009-05-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Video...

Stephen Foster Cultural Center State Park (diorama in the museum)

My little dragonfly friend...

Florida Trail scenery along the Suwanee River

Do you see the tiny alligator? So cute!

Although we've visited Okefenokee NWR in the past, we decided to return for a chance to bike the 8 mile loop. Eight miles of paved, flat terrain is a breeze, but we made sure to stop and see the sights along the way. My favorite thing was seeing a tiny alligator crossing the road! It was so cute, just about 1 1/2 feet long, marching along until he found a shady spot on the other side.

We spent the night camping at Stephen Foster Cultural Center State Park, in nothern Florida.

...

The Florida Trail passed through the campground, so of course we hiked on it, along the Suwanee River. The scenery was the prettiest we've experienced on the Florida Trail so far. A highlight was the museum, of all things! They've created super intricate dioramas to depict the meaning behind some of Stephen Foster's songs, including "Oh, Susanna." They were beautiful, complete with moving parts...definitely worth a visit if you're ever in northern Florida!

...

On Sunday, we drove to the western entrance of Okefenokee and spent about three hours canoeing among the cypress trees. We were astounded by the number of alligators that we saw (about 21, all in all). A man in a motor boat tried to run over an alligator that was crossing the channel, and the alligator got upset. How does an alligator express its anger, you may ask? By coming after US in our canoe, and creating a huge splash about two feet in front of our canoe. I was so freaked out that I could have flipped the canoe myself!

...

Just as we pulled the canoe out of the water, the storm let loose. Deep gray clouds shot out bright streams of lightning, and the rain didn't let up for the 2.5 hour drive home. In fact, Mike estimates that the water was about a foot and a half deep at some points, ON the road! We were SO relieved to finally drive back into Brunswick, safe and sound.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

Sizzling in Northern Florida

2009-05-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend exploring the National Park Sites and area beaches near Jacksonville and Saint Augustine, Florida. The temperature was 95 degrees and the humidity level was high, so we enjoyed the opportunity to jump into the ocean and play in the waves.

Among the sites we explored were: Castillo de San Marcos NM (an old coastal fort); Fort Matanzas NM (means "The Slaughters" in Spanish); Fort Caroline NM (another old coastal fort); Timucuan Preserve (a beautiful coastal marsh and forest).

We camped in Gold Head Branch State Park, FL. The temperature cooled off soon after we set up our tent, so we spent a pleasant evening hiking, watching raccoons, and listening to the nocturnal creatures explore under the light of the rising full moon. This morning we hiked several miles on the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Next weekend we'll visit one more national park site...any ideas which one it will be? Stay tuned...

Canoeing on the Altamaha River

2009-05-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Mike's almost 8 weeks through the academy! Yippee!

Last weekend my roommates offered to drop us off upriver on the Altamaha, so that Mike and I could explore the river in our canoe. We didn't see any alligators in the swift-flowing water, but lots of pretty scenery. The blue skies, green trees, and brown, fast-flowing water reminded us of our rafting adventure on the Colorado River last spring.

Afterwards, as I was baking a cake in the kitchen of the house where I'm living, Mike looked outside on the porch to check on the dogs. He came in and in an eerily calm voice said, "Susanna, I think that house is on fire." He was so calm that I thought his words were an exaggeration, but when I looked up, I too, could see the tall orange flames engulfing the neighbor's house. In the next instant, we heard the sirens approaching the heavily wooded neighborhood. Mike said that the flames were licking the tree canopy. It was scary, and ultimately so sad, to see the flames destroy a home. Nobody was hurt, but it was so close, and happened so quickly. Now the home is just a blackened pile of ashes.

Family Visit

2009-04-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Fort Frederika National Historic Site, GA

Living history volunteers at Fort Frederika (along with Mom and Dad Ausema)

Mike's parents visited us over the last several days. We had a great time touring around Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Cumberland Island. One of the highlights was a night-time visit to Fort Frederika National Historic Site (managed by the National Park Service) on Saint Simons Island. Normally the park closes at 5:00 p.m., but there was a special event on Saturday night. We experienced the community of Frederika (which existed a few hundred years ago and now exists only as ruins), by visiting the sites of old taverns. After a walk through the community, we settled in at a replica of a tavern and spent the evening with the (living history volunteers) Spanish and British troops, drinking ale (ginger) and beer (root) and singing rowdy songs. It was quite a fun and unusual evening!

Overnight in Okefenokee

2009-04-13T10:38:00.001-07:00

Can anyone identify this snake for me? It was small, only a foot long or so.

Look over to the right of Mike's shoulder at the big gator!

It looks so calm, but the wind seemed to blow against us about 90% of the time.

Mike has wanted to canoe through the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge for years, so he was really excited when I managed to get a camping reservation at the last minute. Apparently March and April are the most popular months to canoe camp, due to the pleasant temperatures and fewer mosquitos. I called just two weeks ago, and luckily there were a couple of sites still available for this prime weekend. So we borrowed a canoe from FLETC, tied it to the roof of our car, and drove about an hour to Okefenokee. When we arrived to pick up our permit, it was nowhere to be found. Apparently there's a lack of communication between the refuge staff and the concessionaire (as there tends to be at all federal sites), but FORTUNATELY the concessionaire lady went the extra mile and managed to snag us a permit for the site we had reserved.

Now, I grew up in natural places, where wild animals like moose, wolves, and foxes roam free. However, I've never, ever lived in a place where alligators are the top of the food chain. The thought of being in the water with these huge reptilian beasts was terrifying and very intimidating for me. Luckily Mike has lots of experience canoeing with alligators from his time in the Everglades, and his confidence was enough to get me into the canoe. The refuge is nicely managed, balancing multiple uses. There are aquatic trails for motor boats and some separate trails for canoes and kayaks. So we paddled through the murky water, and my heart was in my throat for the first hour or so. Every once in a while, we'd either see an alligator sunning itself on the side of the canal or we'd hear a huge "splash!" where one had submerged itself. The canals aren't very wide, so we ended up pretty CLOSE to the gators. Mike was in the stern, steering us, and sometimes I ended up way too close for my comfort. Check out the photos and videos to see alligators in their natural habitat.

After paddling about 7-8 miles, we arrived at Monkey Lake and pulled the canoe up to a little boardwalk, which led to our home, sweet home. The wooden platform, called a "chickee", was the perfect place to spend a night! We were a little bit elevated, so I felt confident that the gators wouldn't climb up to join us in the darkness. Our tent was sheltered from the sun, and we lounged around in the shade for a few hours. At sunset, we set off in the canoe to explore a lake a little further away. As we returned to our campsite, a huge gator laid claim to the lake. It submerged itself completely to allow our passage overhead, but we later heard it splashing around in the darkness. We laid in the tent for about an hour, being lulled to sleep by the sounds: crickets and frogs chirping, alligators splashing, small rodents running through the underbrush, a barred owl hooting overhead, and the distant calls of sandhill cranes.

After a wonderful night's sleep, we returned through the maze of canoe trails to the main marina. Now I have more of an appreciation for alligators, although you couldn't pay me enough to get into that murky water and go for a swim with them! (You might wonder why I would even think such a thought, but Mike said for just $50 he'd swim 10 yards...CRAZY!)

Okefenokee--Definitely worth a visit or two!

Savannah

2009-04-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Mike and I drove about an hour north last weekend to explore Savannah and nearby Fort Pulaski National Historic Site (managed by the National Park Service). Savannah at first was overwhelming, due to lots of traffic and misleading signage. So we drove straight through to the fort, where we spent about four hours attending the guided tour, watching living history volunteers fire the muskets (see photo), hiking out to an old lighthouse (in the photo, Mike is trying to block out the development on the island behind the lighthouse), and just wandering around. We enjoyed the fort way more than we expected. From there, we drove back into Savannah, where we parked in a parking garage and set off on foot to explore the town. First, we made our way to the waterfront, where they happened to be celebrating "First Saturday", so all the local venders and artisans had little booths and food samples set up to be enjoyed by the many passers-by. Then we wandered among the old houses and through the many parks, where weddings were taking place, families were playing, and spring was in the air. It was a very pleasant visit.

Brunswick

2009-04-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Mike and I visited downtown Brunswick at sunset for a "First Friday" event, where all the local businesses stay open into the evening hours and offer refreshments as a way to entice folks to get out and mingle and explore their town. We had a great time wandering around. The downtown area of Brunswick is quaint and quiet and full of tall trees and beautiful azalea bushes. There are lots of historic homes with little parks interspersed throughout the neighborhoods. We watched the sun set over the little marina.

Biking on Jekyll Island

2009-03-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

We spent all day Sunday biking on Jekyll Island, a barrier island near Brunswick, which has (fortunately) remained fairly undeveloped. They've created a network of 22 miles of very well-maintained bike trails, so we were able to bike from one end to the other, through forests and along the ocean. At times, we felt like we had the whole island to ourselves!

On a different note, today Mike will get OC'd (maced) in his class. He's not sure how long it will take him to recover, but probably at least a few hours. That's something that I'm glad I'll never have to experience!

Family Fun

2009-03-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

I spent the last three days traveling around southern Georgia and northern Florida with Mike's brother, his wife, and their adorable 14 month old daughter. Mike joined us for a trip to Cumberland Island National Seashore, where we hiked along the beaches and trails before waving our goodbyes to him as he returned on the ferry to the mainland. The rest of us spent the night in a very pleasant campground, surrounded by tall saw palmettos, live oaks, and the sound of the ocean's waves. The next day we returned to the mainland and drove to Ocean Pond, a pleasant campground in northern Florida. We got to the campground after dark, so we weren't sure what to expect when we awoke the next day...but it was a beautiful place. The "pond" was actually quite large, much more like a lake, and it beckoned to us to swim in it. That is, of course, until the camp host told us that there were alligators in it. He added, "oh, don't worry about it, because parents let their kids swim unsupervised in that lake all the time." Apparently they haven't had any attacks, but that's not enough to convince me to swim with the alligators!

We hiked about six miles along the Florida National Scenic Trail. It's quite flat compared to other national scenic trails, and the forest that we hiked through consisted of pines and palmettos...quite different than the Continental Divide Trail!

The next day, we drove to the east entrance of Okefenokee Swamp, which is managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. We toured an old homestead and learned how the occupant had made a living as a "swamper." The boardwalk led us to a viewing tower, overlooking a lake which might have been teeming with alligators. We saw several gators lurking in the murky water, and a few long, black snakes in the understory of the forest. I, for one, was appreciative of the boardwalk, as it enabled us to walk above all of these creatures and avoid potential "interactions." Mike and I plan to go on an overnight canoe adventure one of these weekends, and I'll return with his parents at some point in April.

This morning I cuddled with my adorable niece one last time before they headed on to continue their travels. Now I'm getting settled once again into my Georgia lifestyle.

Surprisingly, Surviving

2009-03-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

Mike's room, and the view of the pool out his window.

Mike has nearly finished his first week at FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, in Brunswick, GA), and surprisingly, he says it's not as bad as he expected it to be. All federal law enforcement officers (National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, etc...) are required to attend this academy once they've been hired into their first permanent job. The training can last anywhere from 3.5 months to 5 or more, depending on the agency you work for. Mike's class is going to last 4 months.

Mike is really impressed with his instructors and classmates so far. Most of his classmates are married, mature, and work well as a team. I'm so glad to see that he's feeling upbeat and positive about this experience so far! Yesterday he had his first set of physical testing (running, bench press, agility, flexibility, body fat) and surprised himself with the good results. He went immediately to the campus clinic afterwards and was diagnosed with bronchitis. Let's hope he gets better soon...

I live with a great couple about 15 minutes from Mike's "home". I've come to really enjoy the dogs I live with! The tiny chihuahuas are so cuddly and cute. Mike and I have been able to see each other for a couple of hours every night. Sometimes he'll have night classes, but so far, it's working out great.

Thanks for all of your prayers!

At Home in Georgia

2009-03-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the drive across the country: Golden Gate Bridge, packing the car with too much stuff, views through the windshield, Buffalo River National Scenic Riverway, Little River Canyon (another NPS site), azaleas (which are blooming everywhere in Brunswick!)

Well, after an 11 day road trip through 10 states (including the length of California), Mike and I have arrived in Georgia and made ourselves at home. I’m living with a married couple in their beautiful home just outside of Brunswick, about 15 minutes from Mike. I have a large bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in closet to myself, and full use of the kitchen and other living areas. In the mornings, I wake up to the sound of a cardinal chirping right outside my window, and then I eat my breakfast on a large, screened-in porch. The horses and dogs greet me with tail wags and winnying, and the birds continue to sing.

We didn’t know what to expect for Mike’s lodging. When we arrived at the academy, the lady that registered him said that there are two types of housing- the older dorms, which they call the “crack houses”, and the newer ones, called the “Taj”. Any guesses where Mike ended up? That’s right, the Taj! We drove about a mile further onto the campus, and discovered three large, five-story yellow buildings, with a pool in the courtyard. He has a room on the fourth floor, complete with a double bed, couch, chairs, a kitchenette, and a private bathroom. And, of course, an ironing board, which was quickly put to use when it came time for Mike’s uniform to be ironed. He even has maid service every day, so he comes home to clean linens and towels (or “terry service” as they call it). Also, dining hall offers a lot of variety, and he eats for free. All in all, it’s a pretty nice setup!

We’ll probably be able to see each other most evenings, and we’re looking forward to our weekend adventures together. From what I’ve seen, this area of Georgia is quite beautiful, especially the old homes in Brunswick, with bright pink azaleas blooming in the yards. Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers!

Galapagos of North America

2009-03-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

So we're officially on the road again, after having checked out of our apartment on Thursday morning. The southbound travel through California was smooth, but lengthy. We traveled via the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco to San Jose, where we spent a night with Mike's wonderful cousin and second cousins.

The next day, we drove to Santa Barbara, where we met up with our Peace Corps friends (who we last reunited with in the Virgin Islands, a few winters ago). We had a terrific time catching up over a delicious Italian meal. Thank you to our amazing hosts so far!

We took a ferry to Santa Cruz, the largest of the Channel Islands (a new national park for both of us), and saw several humpback whales enroute. We had little idea what to expect upon arriving in the park...but it blew us away. The island is vibrant green, filled with vegetation at this time of year. Hillsides of yellow flowers with a backdrop of the aqua colored ocean made us feel like we had arrived in paradise. We hiked up 1,800 feet to a viewpoint along the Montanon Ridge and saw whales spouting in the distance. Later, we watched the sun set over the ocean from a perch high on a cliff, in complete solitude. We camped for a night under the eucalyptus trees in a very peaceful campground. On the ferry trip home, our captain spotted two humpbacks and brought us within 200 feet or so. We were all amazed as one whale demonstrated pectoral fin slapping on the surface, to scare the krill into a ball so the other whale could dive deep and swallow them. So beautiful! I love marine mammals.

(By the way, they say that the Channel Islands is like the Galapagos Islands of North America, since there are nearly 150 endemic species found there--and nowhere else on earth.)

Now we're in Las Vegas, briefly visiting my parents and sister. We spent the day hiking around the Springs Preserve, a fascinating outdoor museum which demonstrates gardening techniques for super dry climates. After an evening of swimming and relaxing in a jacuzi, we're ready for bed! On the road again tomorrow morning, heading toward Albuquerque.

To the Rim of the Crater

2009-02-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

We returned yesterday from a wonderful three day getaway to the Crater Lake region of Oregon. Our goals were to visit our friends, Smitty and Shawn, who recently moved to that area, as well as explore Crater Lake National Park. On Tuesday night, after I returned from a late shift at work, we set off toward the OR border. We camped in the back of our Explorer and set off again bright and early on Wednesday morning. The drive north was beautiful, especially along the Smith River. There were waterfalls everywhere!

We had a great time visiting with Smitty and Shawn (and of course Latte and Panda, too). Our wish for enough snow to ski on was granted, and we had a great afternoon of cross country skiing up, up, up, and then back doooowwwwn. We picnicked in the sunshine, on the snow, and later skiied around the headwaters of the Wood River.

On Friday, we said our goodbyes to our wonderful hosts and headed toward the national park. Lots of snow had fallen at the park the previous day, and it turned out that the road to the crater's rim was closed. We were so disappointed to not see the "crater lake" of Crater Lake National Park! As we walked through the exhibits in the visitor center, a voice called out to Mike. Sounds unlikely, but it turned out that a coworker from our time in Colorado was working there, and he gave us some great advice about a trail that would lead us to the rim. We strapped on our snowshoes and plowed through sparkly snow, about 900 vertical feet (over about a mile) up to the rim of the crater. It was steep terrain, and I started to get a bit scared of tumbling down the mountainside, but we eventually summited the rim and were greeted by a panoramic vista of the deep blue waters of Crater Lake. Mountains in the distance, ice covered rock formations nearby, and there we were, completely alone to soak in the view. It turned out to be a blessing that the road was closed, because otherwise we would have had to share the view and the solitude with bunches of other visitors! We both agreed that it was our best snowshoeing adventure EVER.

The drive felt longer on the way home than on the way there, but luckily we made it before darkness fell. Now we're counting down the days and watching as the boxes pile up in our living room...on Thursday we'll begin the drive toward Georgia!

A Rainy Day on the Coastal Trail

2009-02-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

A cold wind was blowing and a light rain was falling as we began hiking from Klamath River Overlook on the Coastal Trail in Redwood National Park. The trail set out along waving grasses some 500 feet above the crashing surf. We walked along a high bluff with nearly-continuous views of the largest of all oceans. Soon, the trail dropped to the rugged coast at Hidden Beach. Huge, storm-driven waves crashed against the rocky coast sending ocean spray high into the air.

The final section of the trail wound around a point of land, with ocean on three sides. Ahead of us was a bridge and a sign which we had hiked by on a previous adventure. This completes the Coastal Trail through Redwood NP! It's another goal accomplished! After a little over 8 miles, we quickly climbed into our little red car to escape the now howling wind. As we drove back south to our home in Mckinleyville, the light rain turned to a hard rain. It is now pounding off our roof and reminding us of how fortunate we are to have a warm shelter from the storm!

Rain Has Arrived

2009-02-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Well, the surprisingly sunny weather that we've experienced so far in Humboldt County has finally changed to the more typical--that means RAIN and gray skies. But we were still able to walk to church and back this morning, and I was able to take a walk with my client this afternoon, before the rain really set in. I know the area needs rain, but oh-how-I-love the sunny days.

In the few days since I last wrote, our moving van deposited all of our boxes into their new temporary home, a nearby storage facility. It was interesting to see what we deemed "important" enough to make the trip out here, back when we packed these boxes (about 4 months ago). We were amazed that, once we consolidated the goods into fewer boxes, we could fit all of it into a 9 x 5 storage unit. What a relief that is!

I'm still looking for an apartment in Georgia. I had a pretty good lead on a studio near Mike's academy, but it's already been rented to someone else. That was a disappointment, but I'm sure something will turn up.

I've firmed up my summer plans a bit. I'll be volunteering as a roving ranger at Isle Royale NP for 1 month, and I'm so excited about it. What better way to spend a month than on Isle Royale, a place that I love so dearly?

Now the cold that Mike suffered from last week has ravaged its way into my system, leaving me with a very sore throat. It feels like my vocal cords (or something back there) are swelling and making it difficult to swallow. I didn't think I'd make it through my work session today; between the pain of my sore throat and the really bad behavior of my client, I just wanted to put my head underneath a pillow and call it a day! His mom is SO patient and well-informed about autism, and I've learned a lot by observing the techniques that she employs with him. I have so much to learn!

Once again, our church is a huge blessing. We attended an event last night called "Tables of Eight." One lady coordinates potluck dinners at a bunch of different houses, and assigns each person who is interested in attending to one specific house, with seven other people. We had a wonderful meal and really enlightening conversations with other folks from our church. During the service this morning, Mike commented that he feels like a real member of the church community now that we've gotten to know so many people there. We're very lucky.

Tomorrow is another day at the zoo. I'm looking forward to feeding raisins to the spider monkeys. :)

Backpacking on the Coastal Trail

2009-01-30T21:03:00.000-08:00

We've just returned from a great overnight backpacking trip on the California Coastal Trail through Redwood National Park. We stationed a car on either end of the 13 mile segment, meaning we didn't need to backtrack. The weather was terrific, blue skies and sunshine both days. Last night, the stars were piercingly clear. We laid in our cozy sleeping bags with our heads sticking out of the tent, staring up into the constellations for a long time before zipping in for the night. Today, we followed elk tracks and bobcat scat through towering redwoods. Parts of the trail traversed a bluff, a thousand feet above the crashing surf. The trail ended at one of the most beautiful overlooks we've seen so far in California. If you come to visit us, we'll bring you there! Check out some photos from the trip...

Fuzzies and Mealworms

2009-01-28T22:28:00.000-08:00

Another day at the zoo brings more interesting stories about animals in captivity. Today I dealt with everything from a sick rhea (flightless bird that has claws sharp enough to "eviscerate" a person...that was the warning I got before being sent into the pen) to a shipment of 7,000 crickets and 2,000 mealworms. It's amazing how many animals in the zoo eat crickets (turtles, a tarantula, a Pacific salamander, lots of birds, a tamarin (adorable!). I am not a lover of insects, so having crickets jumping all over me, and mealworms crawling out of the bowl that I've been instructed to carry, kind of grossed me out (to say the least). But that was nothing compared to the chopping of "fuzzies", which are baby mice, just old enough to have grown a layer of white fuzz all over their bodies. Apparently some of the birds in the aviary don't have beaks that are big enough to accomodate an entire fuzzy, so we have to cut them in half. Yuck. I nearly gagged, but I tried to hide my disgust because all of the zookeepers think nothing of it!

I was also sent into the paddock with two vicious looking peccaries. Actually, they're kind of funny looking and I wouldn't have been at all concerned about being in close contact with them had the zookeeper not given me precise instructions to "avoid being cornered by a peccary at all costs." She handed me a bucket of food and sent me in to toss it around their habitat. Of course they're going to lunge toward me, when I have the food in my hand! One of them made a loud snorting sound and ran toward me and it was all I could do to not throw the bucket of food at it and run away.

I helped care for two blind wallabies, Patagonian guanacos, a barn owl, the old spider monkey (mentioned previously), a golden topped tamarin, and the cavies (like giant guinea pigs, according to the zookeeper).

Tomorrow we're heading out on an overnight backpacking trip on the coastal trail. It's supposed to be 60 degrees and sunny, so our biggest concern will be the level of the tide. So many things to learn about our new environment!

I need...

2009-01-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

I need a place to live in Georgia for 3 months!!! Mike will live at the academy, but as of yet I have no place to call "home." Don't fret; I'm sure some kind soul will decide to rent out their fully furnished studio apartment for precisely the time period that I need it. :)

Mike wants some photos to appear on this blog, so here goes:

We went hiking along a section of the Coastal Trail (through Redwood National Park) a couple of weeks ago, and at one point, a herd of Roosevelt Elk nearly surrounded us. This bull was definitely the boss of his harem.

Today was a LOOONG day and tomorrow I'll be at the zoo all day, so it's time to call it a night.

Drying Laundry

2009-01-26T21:35:00.030-08:00

Today was warm and sunny enough to hang our laundry out to dry on the back porch! I'm not accustomed to having to pay to wash and dry our clothes, so it seems I never have enough quarters on hand...plus, it's better for the environment to let clothes air dry. Only twice since we've moved here have I had to use the dryer...that demonstrates how unusually sunny it's been here this winter! Our neighbor washes two loads of laundry every single day. He says he doesn't get enough sun in his apartment to air dry them, so he ends up spending $6.50 every day on laundry. I wonder if he realizes that he's using up $2, 375 of his hard earned money every year on LAUNDRY!? I could buy a whole new wardrobe!

My client wasn't able to focus at all today, so it was a looong two hour session. But when I got home at 7 p.m., Mike had dinner ready to eat. What a guy!

It was one of those days when pretty much everything falls into place. Beautiful weather, tasks checked off of our "to-do" list...what more can we ask for?

A Day at the Beach

2009-01-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

Well, to be truthful, I didn't spent the WHOLE day at the beach, but I did get to visit for an hour or so this afternoon. We went to our wonderful church this morning and visited with many of our new friends briefly after the service. Mike then headed to his job, and I, to mine. I spent three hours with one of my autistic clients, working on various preschool age-appropriate activities. Some of the games deal with identification of colors and animals and shapes; others focus on sorting or manual dexterity skills. He's a cute little kid, full of energy. I love it when he says my name; although he has difficulty communicating in general and pronunciating even the simplest of words, he tries his best with my name. Cute. We took a nice walk around town to work on walking and social situation skills. He was fascinated with the "babies" at the playground. He kept saying "hi, babies" and "bye, babies." Sometimes the hours that I spend working as a behavior therapist fly by and are filled with cuteness; other times the hours pass painfully slowly. Today was a good day.

After work, I drove to the beach and took a nice walk. The river flows for a ways along the inner edge of the sandy beach, and its course has changed dramatically even since we first arrived. I didn't see any whales spouting (although the waves might have been too big to notice) or seals laying on the beach, but it was still a nice walk. It was quite breezy, and spattered rain for a few minutes, but eventually the sun broke out and the sky cleared up.

Now I'm preparing a chicken and veggie stir fry for dinner. Smells good. Hasta luego!

Life on the Pacific Coast

2009-01-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

We've decided to start another "blog" rather than continue to update our website, which was a little too time intensive. I have so much fun reading family and friends' blogs that I've decided to be more vigilant about providing updates to ours, as well.

So, yes, we've moved to California. We are currently living in a small apartment in the unincorporated town of McKinleyville, about 1 mile from the Pacific coast. Mike is working as a BLM ranger and receives excellent training on a daily basis. So far he's assisted with: trail patrols, oversight of criminals who have been given community service (usually garbage clean up on the beaches), a controlled burn, marine mammal strandings (sperm whale), wildlife biology (determining concentration of deer and elk populations), removal of non-native plant species, and going undercover to catch illegal mushroom poachers. He really enjoys his job.

I, on the other hand, have left my permanent government job (well, I'm on intermittent status). Instead, I fill my days with different activities than ever before. I've always dreamed of a lifestyle which would involve volunteering in the community on a regular basis. So, I've become a member of the "zoo crew" at the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka. The zoo itself is small, and managed by the city. It's adjacent to the Sequoia Park (strangely named), which provides a magnificent backdrop to the zoo. Tall redwoods tower over the animals in their zoo home, providing a nice ambience for visitors and animals alike. As a zoo crew volunteer, I'm required to undergo an intensive, 24 hour training to learn how to assist with diet preparation, animal handling, and, of course, cleaning.

So far, I've spent 8 hours with two different zoo keepers. My first day was spent on side 1, with zookeeper Jan. We started off in the black bear enclosure, cleaning the area, moving a pile of tree limbs to provide variation in the habitat, and hiding food under rocks and logs so that the bear would need to "work" to find her food. This provides stimulation for the animal. It was strange to look upwards from inside the enclosure, basically from the bear's vantage point. I should mention that the bear was locked inside a small room while we were roaming around its habitat, so I was not in danger (don't worry, mom).

We then transferred the white-handed gibbons from their enclosure to a different cage. We cleaned their cage and switched out the enrichment activities. Enrichment refers to all the toys, tools, food hiding places, boxes, etc. that are used to provide a stimulus to the animals' thought process. We hid some fruit inside shredded newspaper which was stuffed into a hanging wire ball, piled some old magazines on a shelf (yes, visitors later commented than the monkeys were reading), spread banana paste onto coconut shells and hung them from a chain, etc. Every day, each animal receives a different form of enrichment in its habitat.

Next came the spider monkeys...they had to be bribed with grapes to move from their cage into the transition area, so that we could safely clean their living area. Yikes...it was a mess. Who knew that I would someday VOLUNTEER to clean up animal poo? The rewards far outweigh the sacrifice, though. It's quite entertaining to spend time with the animals and with the zookeepers. One of the spider monkeys climbed up the fence to allow Jan to scratch its back. Then it stuck its little lips through the chain link fence and kissed her!

We fed crickets to the tiny tamarinds (crunch, crunch) and a dead mouse to the snake. The ravens and spotted owl received enrichment and food, as did all the other animals on side one. We paid a visit to a couple of animals being quarantined, including a very old spider monkey named Toothless. She's so old that she's having trouble moving around, so it's not safe for her to live with the other monkeys anymore. The zookeepers monitor her to determine whether or not she still has a certain quality of life. When they determine that she does not, they'll put her down. This behind-the-scenes zoo stuff is really interesting.

My second training day was spent on side three with zookeeper Lucinda. She must be about 65 years old, but she's still as strong as an ox. Singlehandedly, she maneuvers heavy farm equipment, shovels hay and manure, and deals with the large petting zoo, barnyard animals. All day long I learned about domestic farm animals, everything from the social hierarchy (and unbelievable psychology) of goats, to the challenges of caring for an angora rabbit. I was thoroughly scent-marked by a large, aggressive goat named Jerry while I attempted to clean his communal area. We collected the greenish eggs from the hen's nest, which would later be consumed by the bear. The llama and alpacas kept their distance, and Jerry the goat is put in their corral if he causes too many problems.

So that's my zoo-life so far. I also work 16-20 hours per week as a behavior therapist, with children who have been diagnosed with autism. I feel like I'm making progress with a little Spanish-speaking client and his family, but I definitely need more training to thoroughly understand the necessary techniques.

Mike and I spend our days off hiking, (here, there, and everywhere). We've explored the coastal trails in Redwood National Park, the trails in Arcata Community Forest (huge redwood trees), Arcata Marsh (nationally reknown wastewater treatment plant), Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Humboldt Redwood State Park and the Avenue of the Giants, and more. It's a beautiful region of the United States, and we're excited to be here.