Happy Holidays

Well, another year is almost over. This is a time to really appreciate all that we have in life... especially the people.

See you in 2017.

Black Friday

While the world shops, we hike.

Dad and I went on an Excellent Adventure to Feather Falls near Lake Oroville. The weather was cloudy but pleasant and I got a good workout. This is the 6th tallest waterfall in the Lower 48 states. I think that if Yosemite Valley didn't exist, this area might have been made into a national park.

For the record, I'm glad Yosemite does exist.

New Harmony

That's the name of my home, the apartment complex where I live. It's a nice place and I have a good staff to support me.

Things have been a little rough for me lately, but I know I'm going to be O.K. with so many great people who have my back.

Birthday Bash

Well, I had a great birthday weekend with my family. I'm 23 years old now. I got another awesome cake (courtesy of Pam Cohen). It commemorates my past two years of summer travels. Lots of fun.

I Remember California

What could be a more fitting symbol of returning to my home state of California from the north than the sight of Mt. Shasta dominating the landscape? According to my arithmetic, there is a 11,502 ft. elevation difference between where I'm standing and the top of the mountain.

I look forward to many more happy trails in the future.

To Be Or Not To Be...

That is certainly The Question. I noticed that the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is producing Hamlet this summer here in Ashland. That would have been cool to see in performance.

On the last day of our trip we had brunch at the Greenleaf Restaurant. Allow me to recommend the marionberry pancakes. They are to die for... or should I say "not to be" for.

Although we have occasionally suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous bloodthirsty insects, Dad and I both agree that this has been a really fun trip. Lots of new places and sights to see. Now, I'm on my way back to my own bed for the first time in two weeks to sleep, perchance to dream...

Mount Mazama

When you hear about how Crater Lake was formed, it's almost hard to believe that the Earth has that much power. But it does! The explosion that made the mountain collapse (eventually forming the lake) deposited ash as far away as Saskatchewan.

The lake itself is a beautiful deep blue color. It's the deepest lake in the Unied States at 1,949 ft. This is actually my second visit to the National Park. Dad and I came here in 2009. I remembered it.

We're almost done with our summer road trip and will be back home tomorrow.

Go With The (Big Obsidian) Flow

The Newberry Volcano in central Oregon last erupted only 1,300 years ago, but believe it or not, you can camp inside the caldera. In fact, there are two lakes and a resort there as well. I'm standing in front of a feature called the Big Obsidian Flow. It's kind of a landslide of shiny black volcanic rocks.

Now, I'm O.K. with camping here. But if I hear a loud rumbling or gurgling sound at 2:00 AM, I'm going to leave my sleeping bag and tent behind and run for my life in my long johns and bare feet.

Up Around The Bend

Did you know that you can go surfing on the Deschutes River in downtown Bend, Oregon? The engineers designed a dam with rapids that create a static wave. These guys who were out there on the river looked like they'd just beamed in from Santa Cruz.

The district where the lumber mills used to be is now a parkway with a bunch of shops. Luckily, there was a Ben & Jerry's. Thank you Ice Cream Goddess!

The Frenchglen Hotel

My grandmother likes to frequent the French Hotel coffee shop in Berkeley, California. I wonder if she's heard of the Frenchglen Hotel in the tiny town by the same name. It's located at the base of Steens Mountain in southeast Oregon. We camped close by, but in the epic struggle between man and mosquito we were on the losing side. So, we broke camp early and had breakfast at the hotel.

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Yep, that one! This is the place where Ammon Bundy and his crew occupied the headquarters building last winter as a protest against what they saw as federal government overreach in the control of Western lands. Another view is that they were lawbreaking publicity hounds out to create a media circus. My dad calls it "Occupy Wall Street for Libertarians." I'm just glad that I wasn't one of the reporters who drew the short straw and had to cover a story from eastern Oregon in January.

In any case, the refuge is open but the headquarters building is closed until further notice.

Wagons Ho!

More Oregon Trail stuff: when the pioneers reached the Snake River Plain, they had to find a safe place to cross the river. The most favored spot was at the Three Islands crossing near Glenns Ferry, Idaho. The smart ones had built wagons that could be converted into rafts for the crossing. This was a dangerous spot at the time because many travelers drowned in the swift current. Today we have highways and bridges.

Trails West

Today we followed a good portion of the historic Oregon Trail heading west. There were roadside markers every time you blinked and if I hadn't restrained Dad (history nerd) from stopping at every single one, we never would have made it to our destination. One place we did stop to check out was the National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier, Idaho which was pretty cool. I enjoyed meeting the rather ferocious security guard you see in the picture.

Know When To Hold 'Em And When To Fold 'Em

Camping trips are fun, but there's also work involved. One of the skills I've picked up is helping with setting up and taking down the tent. I'm an expert at folding tent poles (the kind with the springy strings inside).

If you ever need help with tent pole folding, just call on me.

Naomi Peak

On Friday we hiked to the summit of Naomi Peak (9,979 ft.) in northeastern Utah. It was a little bit tricky because there was still quite a bit of snow covering the trail in the high country, but Dad says I handled it like a trooper.

A lot of places in this region are named after biblical figures important in LDS (Mormon) theology, including the mountain we climbed. The photo was taken at the trailhead after the hike.

REI To The Rescue

Well, our aging camping tent door finally gave out (I mentioned this problem last summer). After a good 45 minutes spent fooling around with the zipper we gave up. Two choices: share bedtime with mosquitos or stop by the REI in Sandy, Utah for a new tent.

Guess what we did...

Hoodoo You Do?

Bryce Canyon National Park. It's a place full of spectacular geological wonders... and buses full of tourists. Dad and I went on a four hour hike into the canyon and along the rim. Luckily, it wasn't overwhelmingly hot, mostly due to the higher elevation of the park.

Up until now on this trip the Ice Cream Goddess has been pretty stingy with me (although it's important to remember that she is not to be trifled with nor taken for granted). But on this day she really delivered. Yum!

The Extraterrestrial Highway

We drove this road (aka Nevada SR 375) in the middle of the afternoon. I've heard that some people see strange lights here at night. They're also spooked by the road's proximity to Area 51 (just over the next ridge, I'm told). In any case, I counted many more cows than cars along this lonely stretch of highway.

The tiny town of Rachel has made the most of its location. It has one business, the Little A'Le' Inn (get it?). We had fun shopping for alien-themed swag during our stop here.

Boundary Peak

Right behind me in the picture you'll see Boundary Peak (13,147 ft.), the highest point in Nevada. It's next door neighbor, Montgomery Peak, is taller, but it's just over the state line in California. Some people would like to give both to California so that Wheeler Peak (13,065 ft.) in Great Basin National Park could be #1. Sounds good to me because Wheeler Peak has easier access for climbing.

It's funny how many state lines in the West look like they were drawn with a ruler by some random geographer. What about natural boundaries like rivers and mountain ranges? Regardless of which state it belongs to, I'm pretty sure Boundary Peak doesn't have a casino on the summit.

Watching The River Flow

On the first day of our summer road trip Dad and I camped at one of our old standbys, on the West Walker River near Bridgeport, California. The runoff from the Sierra Nevada is faster and deeper than it's been in recent years, so there wasn't much beach to sit by. It's basically an angler's camp so it's pretty chill. Nobody seems to be in a hurry to do anything or go anywhere. Very relaxing.

Summer Fun

A Sunday in June is a perfect time for a trip to the beach. I had a really nice time hanging out with my dad, my brother Jackson, and his girlfriend Wendy. I'm lucky to have a close knit family who care for each other very, very much.

Memorial Day

If you like crowds, go to the beach in Santa Cruz on Memorial Day. If you don't, just ditch work or school and go on a Wednesday (kidding).

No matter, we stopped at Manresa State Beach and it was beautiful. Later, we visited my aunt, uncle and cousin who live in the area. It was great to hang out with them.

Out On The Weekend

When it's warm in the Central Valley, it's really nice to drive up to the Sierra Nevadas for the day and take a hike to a scenic lake. I like how California's roads let you know when there's a scenic overlook coming up. Good for picture taking.

Davis

I like to travel a lot, but it's important to remember to give a shout out to my home town of Davis, California.

This is an excellent place to live: great people, bike trails, lots of social and recreational activities to choose from. I love it here.

WEF!

My computer wanted to use a different acronym (darn you, auto correct), but I really am talking about the Whole Earth Festival at UC Davis this weekend. I see lots of tie-die and dreadlocks. Everybody seems to be having a good time. UCD is supposed to be a 100% smoke free campus, so I'm sure nobody here is lighting up any controlled substances. Right?...., right?...

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Civilization

Although it used to be called the "Wild Animal Park," the San Diego Zoo Safari Park near Escondido, California is a pretty tame affair compared with the canyons and badlands of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, our last camping stop on this trip. I liked the condors, lions and gorillas the best. The massive herds of humans were a little bit much for me, though. Most of all, I like camping out in real nature. Much more to come in 2016. Stay tuned...

Oasis

The desert is pretty dry without very much shade. But here and there water comes up to the surface and forms an oasis that all life forms, including humans, flock to. The Cottonwood Springs oasis in Joshua Tree National Park is one such place. I'm standing in front of some giant California fan palms (Washingtonia filifera).

If you travel in this area, you can get the best date-flavored milkshakes in America over at the Chiriaco Summit café on Interstate 10. The Ice Cream Goddess has given them her stamp of approval.

Joshua Tree National Park

Sorry I didn't manage to fit any actual Joshua Trees into the photo, but they were all over the place in this area. The rocks are really cool, too. Climbers enjoy them as much as I do, but all those ropes and equipment look very confusing to me. I'll just climb with my eyes and imagination.

On The Road Again

On the road again
I just can't wait to get on the road again
My fine love is makin' music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again

Willie Nelson said it best. It's now time for the first camping trip of the 2016 season and we're heading out to the Southern California desert. First stop: Cesar E. Chavez National Monument in Keene, CA. Mr. Chavez is buried here and there's a small museum in his honor. We always stop here for a picnic lunch on the first day. The staff remembered us from last summer.