The 50th State!

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!

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!

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

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...

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!

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

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!