May 19th
This morning we woke up after a great night’s sleep with our eyes towards Highway 1 and San Francisco. The four of us (Stu, Chris, Carol, Laura) piled into the suburban and left Rita behind us. As we got underway on the 1, I began to understand why that road is so famous. The drive was simply stunning. We were beside the Pacific for about an hour and a half, winding over coastal cliffs and passing many strawberry farms situated right on the coast. The sun was shining and our music was blasting – it was lovely.
Entering San Francisco city limits at around 1:00, we headed straight for the Fisherman’s Wharf near pier 39. We found convenient all-day parking and walked to the center of activity there. We watched the seals for a good while and also observed Alcatraz for a fair bit. We made up good stories about escaped convicts and reminisced about “The Rock” and Sean Connery. The wharf itself was extremely touristy and packed with people, but obviously still entertaining. A lunch of fresh sourdough bread sandwiches from Boudin Bread Works hit the spot and prepared us for a bus ride to Haight-Ashbury – the district known for the summer of love, countless drum circles, and, of course, as the epicenter of the counterculture movement. The streets were vibrant and bustling with interesting characters. We walked into numerous Nepalese gift stores, trendy westernized Buddhist-themed stores, and even a pretty upscale tattoo parlor so that carol could get her nose stud replaced with a ring. Our San Francisco experience left little to be desired: The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the wharf, downtown, good food, and a little hippie culture all added to a great day. At this point it was about 7:00, so we decided to drive home and get some picnic supplies for the way home. Our plan was to sit on the beach along the 1 and watch the sunset. After was got said supplies we drove until about 8, at which point we found the perfect beach to stop at. We walked down a trail to the water and made both a great fire and some great sandwiches to accompany our view of surfers, sizeable waves, pristine California beaches, and an orange sun slowly falling into the horizon. We stayed at the beach until the stars were bright in the sky, and finally decided to head on home after a magical day. We made one stop along the way to sit on top of the car and look at the stars, which were numerous and sparkling.
When we got to the house, I realized that my wallet was nowhere to be found. I looked everywhere including Rita, but had no luck. Carol offered to drive back up the 1 to look for it. Both of us knew that the chances of finding it were slim, but we decided to try anyway. Sure enough, 20 minutes later we found the thing on the side of the road right by where we had stopped to look at the stars. I consider myself extremely lucky to have found it, especially since my driver’s license is in it… and I am on a driving trip…
The day was splendid by all accounts, and we look forward to getting to Yosemite tomorrow.
May 20th
Today was once again a lesson in the diversity of California geography. We headed north from Santa Cruz and immediately ran into three hitchhiking kids going to San Jose. Since we would be passing through there on the way to Yosemite we decided it would be interesting to pick them up. They were all either 19 or 20, and had been on the road for about 5 months. There was one girl accompanied by two equally tanned and worn looking boys. They carried two guitars and their backpacks that seemed to hold only basic bedding supplies and limited clothes. They told us that they were from Wisconsin, and that they had either gotten kicked out of their house or had dropped out of school. It is funny to me that we all shared a ride up to San Jose after living such different pasts – the world works in funny ways sometimes.
We let them off in the middle of San Jose and were on our way. Before entering the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, we drove for a while through some heavy agriculture land. There were fields and fields of fruit trees and bushes extending for miles all around, and the scent in the air was that of citrus fruit. We stopped and picked up some pomelos and a large watermelon for dinner that night. The drive up into the areas surrounding the park itself was filled with stunning views and terrifying cliffs on the side of the winding mountain roads. Carol got us to the campsite safely (though after hours), and we chose a campsite in between two massive RVs that made Rita look miniscule. The day was a success, and we went to bed with hiking on our minds.
May 21st
We woke up much later than we thought, and got to the Yosemite Valley visitor center at around 1:00. Much of this tardiness can be attributed to the campsite management who required us to change campsites, and who also gave us some serious attitude when we tried to ask directions to Sequoia for tomorrow. We finally got in the car to head to the valley, and when we got there we asked the information guy what a good hike would be. He enthusiastically recommended one up to a viewpoint overlooking the valley and Upper Yosemite Falls. The hike started with a 1000-foot ascent in one mile. The switchbacks were outrageous, and we could only gasp at the view when we turned around to face the inside of the valley. After about 1:30 of hiking we arrived at our destination, which was a beautiful view of the famous waterfall. At this time of year it reaches peak flow and so it sprays a generous amount of water onto the trails in the surrounding area. That mist was an excellent source of rejuvenation for the steep hike back down to the visitor center. We got back to the center and decided against another hike that would have taken another two and a half hours at least. We decided instead to make our way up to Glacier Point, a famous view of the main valley and most of the surrounding landscape from one of the highest points in the area. The drive was great, and the view was even better. From Glacier point we could see several gushing waterfalls, all of the peaks in the valley, and the entire NFS complex. It really put the size of the park into perspective. We headed back home for some birthday celebration and general festivities until early in the morning.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
May 16th
Today began the grand journey down the west coast. We hit the road from Bainbridge at around 11:00 and e
xpected to be on the road for about 10 hours. We drove through some beautiful scenery, and I think we were all surprised at the variety of terrain that we ended up crossing. The drive around Portland took a long time because of a massive accident involving at least 6 cars and a motorcycle, and we further delayed our arrival by spending an inordinate time looking through the grocery store to stock up on supplies for the next few days. We had a blast though, and reached the northern border of California at around 10:00. It was very dark by this point, but tha
t did not hinder our redwood spotting abilities too much, and the whole car let out quite a gasp at the first sighting. Redwood trees are some of the most majestic and powerful organisms on the planet. Coastal Redwoods (in northern California) are the tallest tree, while their cousins, Sequoias, are the largest around and generally accepted as the “biggest.” We wound through the meandering road of the state and national parks and finally arrived at Mill Creek State Park to end the night. We arrived there at 12:00, cooked some quesadillas, and soon after went to sleep. The day was a success, and we were all looking forward to a great day hiking through some massive old growth forests full of Coastal Redwoods.
May 17th
This day was one of most memorable of my life (speaking for everyone). W
e left the campground and arrived at a new one further south around 1:00. Prairie Creek campground sits just inside a forest that borders of a beautiful pasture full of grazing wild elk. We set up a great camp near a creek and relaxed for a little to eat lunch in the sunshine. We then went on a beautiful hike through the adjacent redwood forest and were blown away by the sheer size of the trees. There are no words to describe how beautiful they are, sitting there after 2000 years of growth and no doubt countless traumatic events. Fires, tsunamis, earthquakes, and mans raping of the environment have
all proved to be futile against the mighty wood of these trees. Some trees were there to look at, but perhaps the most interesting were the ones that could be explored more closely. Some were hollowed out or partially burned and could actually be entered. These trees gave you a sense of the immense strength of the trees, and one could only be humbled when looking up and observing 150 plus feet of gorgeous wood grain and a red color as rich as blood. Some trees have a soil bed that has accumulated on branches as much as 100 feet in the air. These soil beds can actually harbor the growth of smaller trees and other plant life to create a unique niche high above ground. We observed many birds including a Yello
w Warbler, a Stellar’s Jay, and a Golden Crowned Kinglet. Once we exited the forest and arrived back at the visitor center it was around 6:00. This was the perfect time of day for the elk to graze in the cool evening air, so we sat and watched about twenty elk gorge themselves on the lush grass of the prairie. When we got back to Rita we decided it was dinnertime, so we made some great garlic spaghetti and later tided ourselves over with some of Chris’s famous “Cyan Quesadillas”. The evening was full of song, dance, good food, and even better company. We ended to day by falling asleep to some good music, and all night dreams of immense forest life danced through our heads.
May 18th
Today we did some scenic driving through more of the redwood forests of California’s northern coast but always kept our minds set on our ultimate destination of Santa Cruz to see Laura and hopefully venture to San Francisco for a day-trip tomorrow. The drive has been uneventful but beautiful, coming out
of the coastal climate and into the beautiful 70-degree weather of the bay area. We saw many wineries, organic food shops, medical marijuana signs, trendy small towns, and psychedelic VW vans. It is 100% confirmed that we are smack in the middle of the incredible state of California.
Arriving in Santa Cruz at around 7:00 we were famished, so we decided to go get some Mexican food. It was scrumptious, and after dinner we watched a movie and went straight to bed. Laura, Chris's girlfriend is really great, and it was excellent of her cousin to let us stay at her place.
Today began the grand journey down the west coast. We hit the road from Bainbridge at around 11:00 and e
xpected to be on the road for about 10 hours. We drove through some beautiful scenery, and I think we were all surprised at the variety of terrain that we ended up crossing. The drive around Portland took a long time because of a massive accident involving at least 6 cars and a motorcycle, and we further delayed our arrival by spending an inordinate time looking through the grocery store to stock up on supplies for the next few days. We had a blast though, and reached the northern border of California at around 10:00. It was very dark by this point, but tha
t did not hinder our redwood spotting abilities too much, and the whole car let out quite a gasp at the first sighting. Redwood trees are some of the most majestic and powerful organisms on the planet. Coastal Redwoods (in northern California) are the tallest tree, while their cousins, Sequoias, are the largest around and generally accepted as the “biggest.” We wound through the meandering road of the state and national parks and finally arrived at Mill Creek State Park to end the night. We arrived there at 12:00, cooked some quesadillas, and soon after went to sleep. The day was a success, and we were all looking forward to a great day hiking through some massive old growth forests full of Coastal Redwoods.May 17th
This day was one of most memorable of my life (speaking for everyone). W
e left the campground and arrived at a new one further south around 1:00. Prairie Creek campground sits just inside a forest that borders of a beautiful pasture full of grazing wild elk. We set up a great camp near a creek and relaxed for a little to eat lunch in the sunshine. We then went on a beautiful hike through the adjacent redwood forest and were blown away by the sheer size of the trees. There are no words to describe how beautiful they are, sitting there after 2000 years of growth and no doubt countless traumatic events. Fires, tsunamis, earthquakes, and mans raping of the environment have
all proved to be futile against the mighty wood of these trees. Some trees were there to look at, but perhaps the most interesting were the ones that could be explored more closely. Some were hollowed out or partially burned and could actually be entered. These trees gave you a sense of the immense strength of the trees, and one could only be humbled when looking up and observing 150 plus feet of gorgeous wood grain and a red color as rich as blood. Some trees have a soil bed that has accumulated on branches as much as 100 feet in the air. These soil beds can actually harbor the growth of smaller trees and other plant life to create a unique niche high above ground. We observed many birds including a Yello
w Warbler, a Stellar’s Jay, and a Golden Crowned Kinglet. Once we exited the forest and arrived back at the visitor center it was around 6:00. This was the perfect time of day for the elk to graze in the cool evening air, so we sat and watched about twenty elk gorge themselves on the lush grass of the prairie. When we got back to Rita we decided it was dinnertime, so we made some great garlic spaghetti and later tided ourselves over with some of Chris’s famous “Cyan Quesadillas”. The evening was full of song, dance, good food, and even better company. We ended to day by falling asleep to some good music, and all night dreams of immense forest life danced through our heads.May 18th
Today we did some scenic driving through more of the redwood forests of California’s northern coast but always kept our minds set on our ultimate destination of Santa Cruz to see Laura and hopefully venture to San Francisco for a day-trip tomorrow. The drive has been uneventful but beautiful, coming out
of the coastal climate and into the beautiful 70-degree weather of the bay area. We saw many wineries, organic food shops, medical marijuana signs, trendy small towns, and psychedelic VW vans. It is 100% confirmed that we are smack in the middle of the incredible state of California.Arriving in Santa Cruz at around 7:00 we were famished, so we decided to go get some Mexican food. It was scrumptious, and after dinner we watched a movie and went straight to bed. Laura, Chris's girlfriend is really great, and it was excellent of her cousin to let us stay at her place.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Seattle and Bainbridge
May 14th
I woke up this morning and ate breakfast with Nancy before going on a delightful walk through their neighborhood. We saw some great wildflowers, and also got to see two bald eagles perched on a pine tree right on the water. Their dog, Dandy, was getting tired after a while so we decided to turn back to just in time to catch the ferry over to Seattle to pick up Chris and Carol. Both arrived in good shape, and we were all very excited to see each other. Once home, we decided to go on a walk through some small Bainbridge forests in order to reach a small city center with a movie store. We rented and watched Tropic Thunder, which was pretty crazy, and then went to bed. From here on out we will be writing as a group. Hopefully there will be many antics to share…
May 15th
Today gave us the realization that we could spend a week in Seattle and still not have seen all that would entertain us to no end. Unfortunately, we have to leave tomorrow, but today was jam-packed with fun and a taste of a really cool and funky city. We spent the morning on Bainbridge Island, exploring the Grand Forest and later heading to Fay Bainbridge, a beach. The forest was beautiful, enchanting and distinctly magical. The intensity of the color green in that forest was something to behold. Getting our fill of Bainbridge, we ferried across the sound to Seattle and began our city excursion in Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe, a store as unique as one we have ever been in. We witnessed a whale’s penis, shrunken heads, and oddities of all forms.
From Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe we walked to Pike Place Fish Market, which we ended up exploring for the rest our time in Seattle, despite prior plans to move on. Indeed, the market was too interesting, and had too many attractions, to leave. We ate delicious cheese sandwiches from a cheese factory, where you could see cheese being made through a giant window whilst you ate your food. Eating our sandwiches in a park nearby, we were accosted by a schizo who demanded to know whether we wanted a color. Not knowing how in the hell to respond, we walked away. We found a poster shop, in which we spent an inordinate amount of time. Chris bought a funny poster for the wall in his new house, and we all had fun looking through old issues of TIME magazine. The gum wall, throwing of the fish, flowers, taste testing jam, and delicious donuts all were seen or had as well during our Pike Place exploration.
We got picked up by Lisa at her office building and were taken to her house. The house was beautiful, with natural light streaming in from all angles. We all felt perfectly at home. Their blind dog Coda accompanied us as we sat outside in the sun, catching up and having a good time. When Joe and Nancy arrived we sat down to an entirely delicious dinner cooked by Laura (tortilla soup). Scattergories is an Earnest tradition, and we were happy to take part in this occasionally heated, but always hilarious, game while eating chocolate chip cookies and strawberry sorbet. Finally we were overcome with exhaustion, the result of a day that was hopefully a harbinger of things to come, as it was amazing!
May 16th
We all woke up at Laura and Lisa’s house at about 7:15 and stumbled into the car to catch the 7:55 ferry back to Bainbridge. We arrived back to the house and ate some delicious waffles prepared by Joe himself. The troops are getting in line, and we are preparing to depart for Redwood National Forest shortly.
I woke up this morning and ate breakfast with Nancy before going on a delightful walk through their neighborhood. We saw some great wildflowers, and also got to see two bald eagles perched on a pine tree right on the water. Their dog, Dandy, was getting tired after a while so we decided to turn back to just in time to catch the ferry over to Seattle to pick up Chris and Carol. Both arrived in good shape, and we were all very excited to see each other. Once home, we decided to go on a walk through some small Bainbridge forests in order to reach a small city center with a movie store. We rented and watched Tropic Thunder, which was pretty crazy, and then went to bed. From here on out we will be writing as a group. Hopefully there will be many antics to share…
May 15th
Today gave us the realization that we could spend a week in Seattle and still not have seen all that would entertain us to no end. Unfortunately, we have to leave tomorrow, but today was jam-packed with fun and a taste of a really cool and funky city. We spent the morning on Bainbridge Island, exploring the Grand Forest and later heading to Fay Bainbridge, a beach. The forest was beautiful, enchanting and distinctly magical. The intensity of the color green in that forest was something to behold. Getting our fill of Bainbridge, we ferried across the sound to Seattle and began our city excursion in Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe, a store as unique as one we have ever been in. We witnessed a whale’s penis, shrunken heads, and oddities of all forms.
From Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe we walked to Pike Place Fish Market, which we ended up exploring for the rest our time in Seattle, despite prior plans to move on. Indeed, the market was too interesting, and had too many attractions, to leave. We ate delicious cheese sandwiches from a cheese factory, where you could see cheese being made through a giant window whilst you ate your food. Eating our sandwiches in a park nearby, we were accosted by a schizo who demanded to know whether we wanted a color. Not knowing how in the hell to respond, we walked away. We found a poster shop, in which we spent an inordinate amount of time. Chris bought a funny poster for the wall in his new house, and we all had fun looking through old issues of TIME magazine. The gum wall, throwing of the fish, flowers, taste testing jam, and delicious donuts all were seen or had as well during our Pike Place exploration.
We got picked up by Lisa at her office building and were taken to her house. The house was beautiful, with natural light streaming in from all angles. We all felt perfectly at home. Their blind dog Coda accompanied us as we sat outside in the sun, catching up and having a good time. When Joe and Nancy arrived we sat down to an entirely delicious dinner cooked by Laura (tortilla soup). Scattergories is an Earnest tradition, and we were happy to take part in this occasionally heated, but always hilarious, game while eating chocolate chip cookies and strawberry sorbet. Finally we were overcome with exhaustion, the result of a day that was hopefully a harbinger of things to come, as it was amazing!
May 16th
We all woke up at Laura and Lisa’s house at about 7:15 and stumbled into the car to catch the 7:55 ferry back to Bainbridge. We arrived back to the house and ate some delicious waffles prepared by Joe himself. The troops are getting in line, and we are preparing to depart for Redwood National Forest shortly.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
May 13th
Today was pretty uneventful. I got up at 8:00 and left Glacier at 9:15 after putting Rita in towing mode from camping mode. There’s not much to it: back the car up in just the right position, make sure all necessary connections are working, put the back stabilizer legs up, stow everything in a secure location.
The drive was great. I passed through many different terrains, beginning with the mountains and high lakes of Montana, going through the Idaho mountains passes, crossing through the volcanic plains of eastern Washington, ascending the mountains east of Seattle, and finally finishing in an urban setting that I can already tell is a good one. I got estimates for times to Seattle that ranged from 10:15 at the earliest to 13 hours at the latest. It took me 9 hours on the dot to get here, and I didn’t go over the speed limit at all. I guess the locals were wrong for once!
As I sit here and wait for the Bainbridge ferry I am listening to a combination of Miles Davis and heavy rain on my windshield. The ferry is approaching, and I am really looking forward to getting to the Earnest’s house. Tomorrow should be much more fun than today since Chris and Carol arrive in the afternoon - we shall be united once again.
Today was pretty uneventful. I got up at 8:00 and left Glacier at 9:15 after putting Rita in towing mode from camping mode. There’s not much to it: back the car up in just the right position, make sure all necessary connections are working, put the back stabilizer legs up, stow everything in a secure location.
The drive was great. I passed through many different terrains, beginning with the mountains and high lakes of Montana, going through the Idaho mountains passes, crossing through the volcanic plains of eastern Washington, ascending the mountains east of Seattle, and finally finishing in an urban setting that I can already tell is a good one. I got estimates for times to Seattle that ranged from 10:15 at the earliest to 13 hours at the latest. It took me 9 hours on the dot to get here, and I didn’t go over the speed limit at all. I guess the locals were wrong for once!
As I sit here and wait for the Bainbridge ferry I am listening to a combination of Miles Davis and heavy rain on my windshield. The ferry is approaching, and I am really looking forward to getting to the Earnest’s house. Tomorrow should be much more fun than today since Chris and Carol arrive in the afternoon - we shall be united once again.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
May 12th
Today was less than expected, but still pretty spectacular. I got up at 9:00, made myself some breakfast, played guitar, and hit the road around 11:30. My game plan for the day was to make the 1:30 drive to East Glacier, hike up somewhere, eat lunch, hike back down, and make it to West Glacier’s Avalanche Lake Trailhead by 5:30 to make the 2 hour hike and return home.
I hit the road while it was raining quite heavily, but that didn’t matter because I was headed over to East Glacier. The skies to the east looked beautiful, so I seemed to be in luck. Once I got about 15 miles into my drive, it began hailing quite heavily and did not stop until I reached the continental divide. There the skies were blue and gorgeous. I drive beside a turquoise river for about an hour, and
I noticed that there was a distinct change in the shape and texture of the rock at that altitude. Things were much rounder up there – even the mountain peaks were not as jagged and harsh as the ones surrounding Lake McDonald. I finally reached the town of East Glacier, population 362, and followed the road leading to the entrance of the park. I went through a small street of vendors, and drove about 20 miles further until it started snowing extremely hard. The skies were quite overcast, but snow was not something I expected until it was right there. The scenery was beautiful under the light tinge, but visibility wasn’t good. I turned back before getting to the park gates, but when I drove 10 minutes up the road, it was merely sprinkling sleet. I went into a restaurant to get some lunch – by this point it was already about 2:00. The place was great. I got a burger and a huge helping of fries and wanted to top it off with apple pie, but decided against it from being so full. The man that was at the bar next to me was saying that it would be snowing four inches in East Glacier that night. Since he looked like he knew what he was talking about I decided to drive home. Once again, a quarter way up the ascent, I found myself in the bright and shining rays of the sun. To make the most of it, I stopped at several sights along the way. One stop was a short hike to the edge of a cliff looking down 200 feet into the valley below. I walked out to the point, where I met a great family who were really into sightseeing. They walked with me for the last 200 yards to the point, and about 1 second after arriving there, the boy yelled “there ya go!!! Some sheep.” I lo
oked up and low-and-behold there were 6 mountain goats perched on the side of an extremely steep rockslide. They were moving around, and I noticed one start to make his way down a 60% incline to forage for food and nutrients on the middle section of the slide. I learned that the goats lick the rocks in that area to gain vital minerals that are integral to their diet that is built to maintain in such harsh conditions. By walking a while through the woods I got within about 100 meters of them. Their coats were bright white, and the males had pointed horns extending upwards. The leader of the group was apparent, and there were two that were extreme enough to chance a descent down the precipice. I journeyed back to the car, and continued my drive west. I arrived to hail in west glacier, followed by heavy snow. As I went into the park, to see if it was any better up near the trailhead, it subsided and I was amazed at the early evening glow to the air. As I came around one bend on the east side of Lake McDonald, I saw that the place that I was going had some bad weather. I took it slow until I hit the rain, and then I turned around and sat awhile at a rocky beach. There the sun was shining and the wind was less, so it gave me a chance to reflect on the day. When I got back in the car I decided to head to the other side of the lake just for fun. It was snowing heavily of course, and so I went up just about 15 minutes before heading back home for the day. As you have noted, today my big lesson was mountain weather. I’ve heard the saying, “if you don’t like the weather, then wait ten minutes,” to describe Houston during the winter. Here, I would cut that time down to 30 seconds. I absolutely deem this day a complete success, and am currently sitting inside Rita looking out at hail beads melting in the sun. Oh… I think it’s starting to rain.
These pictures summarize the day perfectly:
Today was less than expected, but still pretty spectacular. I got up at 9:00, made myself some breakfast, played guitar, and hit the road around 11:30. My game plan for the day was to make the 1:30 drive to East Glacier, hike up somewhere, eat lunch, hike back down, and make it to West Glacier’s Avalanche Lake Trailhead by 5:30 to make the 2 hour hike and return home.
I hit the road while it was raining quite heavily, but that didn’t matter because I was headed over to East Glacier. The skies to the east looked beautiful, so I seemed to be in luck. Once I got about 15 miles into my drive, it began hailing quite heavily and did not stop until I reached the continental divide. There the skies were blue and gorgeous. I drive beside a turquoise river for about an hour, and
I noticed that there was a distinct change in the shape and texture of the rock at that altitude. Things were much rounder up there – even the mountain peaks were not as jagged and harsh as the ones surrounding Lake McDonald. I finally reached the town of East Glacier, population 362, and followed the road leading to the entrance of the park. I went through a small street of vendors, and drove about 20 miles further until it started snowing extremely hard. The skies were quite overcast, but snow was not something I expected until it was right there. The scenery was beautiful under the light tinge, but visibility wasn’t good. I turned back before getting to the park gates, but when I drove 10 minutes up the road, it was merely sprinkling sleet. I went into a restaurant to get some lunch – by this point it was already about 2:00. The place was great. I got a burger and a huge helping of fries and wanted to top it off with apple pie, but decided against it from being so full. The man that was at the bar next to me was saying that it would be snowing four inches in East Glacier that night. Since he looked like he knew what he was talking about I decided to drive home. Once again, a quarter way up the ascent, I found myself in the bright and shining rays of the sun. To make the most of it, I stopped at several sights along the way. One stop was a short hike to the edge of a cliff looking down 200 feet into the valley below. I walked out to the point, where I met a great family who were really into sightseeing. They walked with me for the last 200 yards to the point, and about 1 second after arriving there, the boy yelled “there ya go!!! Some sheep.” I lo
oked up and low-and-behold there were 6 mountain goats perched on the side of an extremely steep rockslide. They were moving around, and I noticed one start to make his way down a 60% incline to forage for food and nutrients on the middle section of the slide. I learned that the goats lick the rocks in that area to gain vital minerals that are integral to their diet that is built to maintain in such harsh conditions. By walking a while through the woods I got within about 100 meters of them. Their coats were bright white, and the males had pointed horns extending upwards. The leader of the group was apparent, and there were two that were extreme enough to chance a descent down the precipice. I journeyed back to the car, and continued my drive west. I arrived to hail in west glacier, followed by heavy snow. As I went into the park, to see if it was any better up near the trailhead, it subsided and I was amazed at the early evening glow to the air. As I came around one bend on the east side of Lake McDonald, I saw that the place that I was going had some bad weather. I took it slow until I hit the rain, and then I turned around and sat awhile at a rocky beach. There the sun was shining and the wind was less, so it gave me a chance to reflect on the day. When I got back in the car I decided to head to the other side of the lake just for fun. It was snowing heavily of course, and so I went up just about 15 minutes before heading back home for the day. As you have noted, today my big lesson was mountain weather. I’ve heard the saying, “if you don’t like the weather, then wait ten minutes,” to describe Houston during the winter. Here, I would cut that time down to 30 seconds. I absolutely deem this day a complete success, and am currently sitting inside Rita looking out at hail beads melting in the sun. Oh… I think it’s starting to rain.These pictures summarize the day perfectly:
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The following post chronicles my last three days. I am about to venture over to East Glacier after a leisurely morning playing guitar and making a great breakfast in the
beautiful woods of Glacier National Park.
May 9th (written 05/10)
Yesterday was a great day. I woke up at around 10:00 and decided to go Back to the Venus Rising to get some coffee and internet access. While there, I met another great waitress, Dina. I sat there for about two hours, during which time I spoke extensively with Holt, his father, and another
Butte native about the happenings of Butte and its what lies in its future. We also talked about some memorable YouTube videos, TED and the new gallery that Dickie and Holt’s father are thinking about putting in the old YMCA building. The project seemed really cool, and later Holt gave me tour of the building and showed me the pool, racquetball courts, full sized basketball court, and track. I had no idea that all of that was in there! I think that a new gallery too occupy some of that would be perfect, and I can imagine some great potential for large pieces to be housed therein. Holt and I decided that some food would be good, so he let us into the Venus Rising and scored us some coffee and an exceptionally tasty cookie that I downed rapidly.
Around 4:00 I went back I went back to Dickie’s to take a nap and eat some lunch. I had pizza and some supermie, did some reading, looked for paint (to no avail), and then slept until about 6:00. After waking up and showering, I went to hang out with Holt and Dina for a while before dinner. We ended up going to Dina’s house and I found out that she speaks Arabic fluently and is half Lebanese. Throughout the night, we talked about the Middle East, and had fun discussing how great the food over there is. At around 8:30 or 9 we went to great Chines
e restaurant and had some great noodles and fried rice. I learned that the place used to be a whorehouse, and that is why there are curtains around all of the booths – they used to be rooms. It was great ambiance, and we were right on time to go to the concert at The Dollar’s that evening. We walked into the bar and the band, Srill (sp), had just started. The music was excellent, and every member of the band looked like they were having a blast up on stage. When they took a break, Holt and I spoke with the bassist who was really nice, and I eventually found out that he has known Dickie for a long time since he’s from just north of Butte. We all danced for a long time before going back to Dina’s house to chill for awhile. At around 3, I went home and fell asleep – preparing for a great day at Glacier.
May 10th
Today was mostly spent driving, but the parts that weren’t spent in the car completely made up for it. I woke up later than I expected, and hit the road immediately. I called Dickie and told him
that the house was fine, and that I had rally enjoyed my stay. I hit I-90 W and hit Missoula at around 1:30. I called Willa (a friend of Dickie’s who just got done with her Junior year at U. Montana), and she told me that she would meet me at a Giro place downtown. I got there, but it was closed so I called her and we met on the corner near a burrito place. We got our food and then walked to the riverside to chat and eat lunch. Willa was a delightful person to meet. She told me all about the trails around Missoula, and also what her college experience was like. There were many differences, but the overlap was funny too. She has a test tomorrow to finish off finals. After a bit, we said goodbye and I ended up getting back on the road at around 4:30.
The drive from Missoula to Glacier was on non-freeway roads, and it was absolutely stunning. The terrain was mo
untainous, but with frequent lakes and streams, and the forests were lush and thick with evergreen growth. It actually got warmer as I went north, and settled at a stunning 59 degrees in Hungry Horse, the town nearest the West Glacier entrance. I found out that there are no trailer campgrounds open inside the park at this time of year, so I picked a private campground and chose a spot. I am one of four people in a huge campground with about 200 sites. The forest is really great around me, and I have already seen multiple deer outside the trailer. It is about 9:30 now, and I am going to make some dinner and go to bed. The day has been fantastic with beautiful weather, beautiful scenery, and a great lunch with great company. I look forward to exploring deep into Glacier National Park tomorrow.
May 11th
I have found the most gorgeous place in America.
I rose around 9:00 to grey skies, light sprinkling rain, and about a 40-degree temperature. I ate some breakfast before heading for the park, and drove ab
out 3 minutes before entering the park itself. There was no ranger, though my handy-dandy annual pass would have granted me free access anyway, and when I hit the fork at the bottom of Lake McDonald, I decided to drive east onto Going-To-The-Sun Road. As the lake became apparent, I had to tear my eyes off of the scenery to pay attention to the winding road. Lake McDonald is beautiful, and I was enthralled by its striking cold, still, turquoise mountain water. Coupled with the dreary sky, the atmosphere had a distinct calmness to it that pervaded everything – even the thick cedar and hemlock forests coating the sides of the mountains that surround the 50 million year old glacial valley. The beaches of the lake were composed of perfectly colored stones ranging from pale red to emerald green. Ripples from gusts of wind occasionally lap up onto the shore, but by and far the waters of McDonalds are quiet and still. As I reached the far north side of the lake, I saw the view from my window change from lake to raging river. I drove for about 17 miles before hitting the end of the road, cut short the rest of the way by seasonal road closure due to snow. The drive had taken me to Avalanche Lake Trailhead, and had been about 30 minutes. I spent four hours on the way back down the side of the lake. First, about 500 yard from the turnaround, I pulled over and hiked along a trail by the riverside. I spent about an hour walking along in an incredible old-growth forest. Moss engulfed everything non-living, and the trees stood tall and numerous. The distinct blue waters of the mountain river complimented the green forest, and the sound of water gushing down its cut stone path made the forest echo. Large boulders sat everywhere, covered in life, and the thought of a Grizzly Bear encounter sat stubbornly in the vary back of my mind. I got back to the riverside at around 1:00, and stopped to take photos on the water. 
Even 10 miles upstream, colored stones covered the bed and sides of the river creating a gorgeous scene at waterfalls, where boulders impede to water’s path. I eventually drove down a couple of minutes, and pulled over to the side of the road. I ventured over to the edge above a steep incline headed straight into the river and ate a great peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Something just seemed right about the moment. Jam is always better in a national park I guess…
My next stop was about 5 minutes down the road, and was a forest hike through another section of forest. This jaunt into the trees was basically unguided, so I just headed directly east for a while. I had an immensely good time exploring the life of the undergrowth and lower sections of the trees. I found many fungus species and also discovered some excellent hollowed out logs housing tons of cool moss and plant life. I eventually arrived at a place right on the lakeside, and as I came close to the waters edge I looked up to catch a Bald Eagle just to my right, flying low overhead, and followed him for a good minute all the way down the side of the lake, out of my field of view. I thought about how perfect it was that our paths crossed right when I got within sight of the sky line above the lake. I sat there awhile, hoping that he would return triumphant with a fresh catch, but he did not appear again. I went about 1000 yards further, and pulled off the road after noticing something in the water. I walked back a couple hundered feet and sat down on the mossy rocks near the lakeside to watch 12 Black Coots a few yards from the shore diving for food. They would sit there, idle in the water, and suddenly yank their heads up in preparation for a dive of up to 25 feet. They would be gone 10 seconds or longer and then return, always triumphant, with their meal of lakebed foliage. It was funny to watch
moocher coots on the surface follow their submerged counterparts, waiting for their return with food – they rarely got a morsel. That view was one of the best of the day, especially with the reflection of the mountains on the other side of the lake shining brightly on the waters surface. After that, I made my way further down the east side of the lake and many more times found myself by the waters edge, skipping stones across the calm waters, and counting the number of bird sounds I heard. The record for the day could have easily been nine or ten. As I neared the south side of the lake, I spent more and more time driving, until I reached the fork again. This time, I went right again to avoid the route home. I went to the end of the paved road, and eventually came to a junction with a road leading directly to Canada – just 30 miles. I turned around then, and decided to take another short hike. I drive to the top of a hill, which houses the Huckleberry Trailhead. I was in the midst of the recently scorched area of the forest, but was still faced with tens of thousands of trees. These, however, were only 3 feet high at their tallest. The reason for this overabundance of lodge-pole pines is the fact that these trees drop two types of pinecone. The first type releases its seeds when it matures, but the second type matures into a tight cone covered in a hard waxy lamina. If there is a fire, this wax melts off, releasing seeds into a fertile ashen soil. The tallest features of the landscape were the snags – charred trees broken a quarter way up, creating a small nesting site for birds, insects, and all sorts of other life. Through the hike I heard many, many birdcalls, but unfortunately did not glimpse any of their owners. Perhaps the scorched landscape provided just enough gray to camouflage any birds that are brave enough to take flight in the coverless ecosystem. The end of the hike came much too soon, the loop only taking about an hour. I headed back to the campsite, only stopping twice more. The first stop was an overlook where I met a very strange family from southern Florida. The husband had parked his car in the middle spot of a 10-space parking line, and told his family to wait in the car while he got out, took five steps forward, and looked out of his binoculars at th
e scenery. When I inquired about whether he saw anything he replied that he didn’t but that he insists on his family remaining inside the vehicle in case of a bear attack. He indicated that he had also left his door open in an attempt to facilitate a speedy getaway. The man was a complete nut-job, and I tried to tell him that he was being irrational, but he continued to ask me if I had seen wolves, and to watch out. Luckily I had just read that there have only been two wild wolf births in the western United States in the last 75 years. The guy left, and proceeded to hinder my way down by going 15 mph under the speed limit for the rest of the easy drive. My second stop was a local store to pick up some fresh Huckleberry Jam. Huckleberry jam is interesting because the huckleberries from which the jam is made can not be hybridized or cultivated. This means that pickers need to search for all their berries in wild environments on mountainsides, and furthermore means that in peak seasons the jam can run up to 55 dollars a gallon. I bought a small jar’s worth, and arrived back at Rita at around 6:30. I have been relaxing and as it is about 9:30 I am about to cook dinner. I look forward to a great day tomorrow, perhaps taking a long hike up to a fire lookout, or if it is raining I will go to East Glacier, where there are sure to be many interesting places and things to explore.
beautiful woods of Glacier National Park.May 9th (written 05/10)
Yesterday was a great day. I woke up at around 10:00 and decided to go Back to the Venus Rising to get some coffee and internet access. While there, I met another great waitress, Dina. I sat there for about two hours, during which time I spoke extensively with Holt, his father, and another
Butte native about the happenings of Butte and its what lies in its future. We also talked about some memorable YouTube videos, TED and the new gallery that Dickie and Holt’s father are thinking about putting in the old YMCA building. The project seemed really cool, and later Holt gave me tour of the building and showed me the pool, racquetball courts, full sized basketball court, and track. I had no idea that all of that was in there! I think that a new gallery too occupy some of that would be perfect, and I can imagine some great potential for large pieces to be housed therein. Holt and I decided that some food would be good, so he let us into the Venus Rising and scored us some coffee and an exceptionally tasty cookie that I downed rapidly.Around 4:00 I went back I went back to Dickie’s to take a nap and eat some lunch. I had pizza and some supermie, did some reading, looked for paint (to no avail), and then slept until about 6:00. After waking up and showering, I went to hang out with Holt and Dina for a while before dinner. We ended up going to Dina’s house and I found out that she speaks Arabic fluently and is half Lebanese. Throughout the night, we talked about the Middle East, and had fun discussing how great the food over there is. At around 8:30 or 9 we went to great Chines
e restaurant and had some great noodles and fried rice. I learned that the place used to be a whorehouse, and that is why there are curtains around all of the booths – they used to be rooms. It was great ambiance, and we were right on time to go to the concert at The Dollar’s that evening. We walked into the bar and the band, Srill (sp), had just started. The music was excellent, and every member of the band looked like they were having a blast up on stage. When they took a break, Holt and I spoke with the bassist who was really nice, and I eventually found out that he has known Dickie for a long time since he’s from just north of Butte. We all danced for a long time before going back to Dina’s house to chill for awhile. At around 3, I went home and fell asleep – preparing for a great day at Glacier.May 10th
Today was mostly spent driving, but the parts that weren’t spent in the car completely made up for it. I woke up later than I expected, and hit the road immediately. I called Dickie and told him
that the house was fine, and that I had rally enjoyed my stay. I hit I-90 W and hit Missoula at around 1:30. I called Willa (a friend of Dickie’s who just got done with her Junior year at U. Montana), and she told me that she would meet me at a Giro place downtown. I got there, but it was closed so I called her and we met on the corner near a burrito place. We got our food and then walked to the riverside to chat and eat lunch. Willa was a delightful person to meet. She told me all about the trails around Missoula, and also what her college experience was like. There were many differences, but the overlap was funny too. She has a test tomorrow to finish off finals. After a bit, we said goodbye and I ended up getting back on the road at around 4:30.The drive from Missoula to Glacier was on non-freeway roads, and it was absolutely stunning. The terrain was mo
untainous, but with frequent lakes and streams, and the forests were lush and thick with evergreen growth. It actually got warmer as I went north, and settled at a stunning 59 degrees in Hungry Horse, the town nearest the West Glacier entrance. I found out that there are no trailer campgrounds open inside the park at this time of year, so I picked a private campground and chose a spot. I am one of four people in a huge campground with about 200 sites. The forest is really great around me, and I have already seen multiple deer outside the trailer. It is about 9:30 now, and I am going to make some dinner and go to bed. The day has been fantastic with beautiful weather, beautiful scenery, and a great lunch with great company. I look forward to exploring deep into Glacier National Park tomorrow.May 11th
I have found the most gorgeous place in America.
I rose around 9:00 to grey skies, light sprinkling rain, and about a 40-degree temperature. I ate some breakfast before heading for the park, and drove ab
out 3 minutes before entering the park itself. There was no ranger, though my handy-dandy annual pass would have granted me free access anyway, and when I hit the fork at the bottom of Lake McDonald, I decided to drive east onto Going-To-The-Sun Road. As the lake became apparent, I had to tear my eyes off of the scenery to pay attention to the winding road. Lake McDonald is beautiful, and I was enthralled by its striking cold, still, turquoise mountain water. Coupled with the dreary sky, the atmosphere had a distinct calmness to it that pervaded everything – even the thick cedar and hemlock forests coating the sides of the mountains that surround the 50 million year old glacial valley. The beaches of the lake were composed of perfectly colored stones ranging from pale red to emerald green. Ripples from gusts of wind occasionally lap up onto the shore, but by and far the waters of McDonalds are quiet and still. As I reached the far north side of the lake, I saw the view from my window change from lake to raging river. I drove for about 17 miles before hitting the end of the road, cut short the rest of the way by seasonal road closure due to snow. The drive had taken me to Avalanche Lake Trailhead, and had been about 30 minutes. I spent four hours on the way back down the side of the lake. First, about 500 yard from the turnaround, I pulled over and hiked along a trail by the riverside. I spent about an hour walking along in an incredible old-growth forest. Moss engulfed everything non-living, and the trees stood tall and numerous. The distinct blue waters of the mountain river complimented the green forest, and the sound of water gushing down its cut stone path made the forest echo. Large boulders sat everywhere, covered in life, and the thought of a Grizzly Bear encounter sat stubbornly in the vary back of my mind. I got back to the riverside at around 1:00, and stopped to take photos on the water. 
Even 10 miles upstream, colored stones covered the bed and sides of the river creating a gorgeous scene at waterfalls, where boulders impede to water’s path. I eventually drove down a couple of minutes, and pulled over to the side of the road. I ventured over to the edge above a steep incline headed straight into the river and ate a great peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Something just seemed right about the moment. Jam is always better in a national park I guess…My next stop was about 5 minutes down the road, and was a forest hike through another section of forest. This jaunt into the trees was basically unguided, so I just headed directly east for a while. I had an immensely good time exploring the life of the undergrowth and lower sections of the trees. I found many fungus species and also discovered some excellent hollowed out logs housing tons of cool moss and plant life. I eventually arrived at a place right on the lakeside, and as I came close to the waters edge I looked up to catch a Bald Eagle just to my right, flying low overhead, and followed him for a good minute all the way down the side of the lake, out of my field of view. I thought about how perfect it was that our paths crossed right when I got within sight of the sky line above the lake. I sat there awhile, hoping that he would return triumphant with a fresh catch, but he did not appear again. I went about 1000 yards further, and pulled off the road after noticing something in the water. I walked back a couple hundered feet and sat down on the mossy rocks near the lakeside to watch 12 Black Coots a few yards from the shore diving for food. They would sit there, idle in the water, and suddenly yank their heads up in preparation for a dive of up to 25 feet. They would be gone 10 seconds or longer and then return, always triumphant, with their meal of lakebed foliage. It was funny to watch
moocher coots on the surface follow their submerged counterparts, waiting for their return with food – they rarely got a morsel. That view was one of the best of the day, especially with the reflection of the mountains on the other side of the lake shining brightly on the waters surface. After that, I made my way further down the east side of the lake and many more times found myself by the waters edge, skipping stones across the calm waters, and counting the number of bird sounds I heard. The record for the day could have easily been nine or ten. As I neared the south side of the lake, I spent more and more time driving, until I reached the fork again. This time, I went right again to avoid the route home. I went to the end of the paved road, and eventually came to a junction with a road leading directly to Canada – just 30 miles. I turned around then, and decided to take another short hike. I drive to the top of a hill, which houses the Huckleberry Trailhead. I was in the midst of the recently scorched area of the forest, but was still faced with tens of thousands of trees. These, however, were only 3 feet high at their tallest. The reason for this overabundance of lodge-pole pines is the fact that these trees drop two types of pinecone. The first type releases its seeds when it matures, but the second type matures into a tight cone covered in a hard waxy lamina. If there is a fire, this wax melts off, releasing seeds into a fertile ashen soil. The tallest features of the landscape were the snags – charred trees broken a quarter way up, creating a small nesting site for birds, insects, and all sorts of other life. Through the hike I heard many, many birdcalls, but unfortunately did not glimpse any of their owners. Perhaps the scorched landscape provided just enough gray to camouflage any birds that are brave enough to take flight in the coverless ecosystem. The end of the hike came much too soon, the loop only taking about an hour. I headed back to the campsite, only stopping twice more. The first stop was an overlook where I met a very strange family from southern Florida. The husband had parked his car in the middle spot of a 10-space parking line, and told his family to wait in the car while he got out, took five steps forward, and looked out of his binoculars at th
e scenery. When I inquired about whether he saw anything he replied that he didn’t but that he insists on his family remaining inside the vehicle in case of a bear attack. He indicated that he had also left his door open in an attempt to facilitate a speedy getaway. The man was a complete nut-job, and I tried to tell him that he was being irrational, but he continued to ask me if I had seen wolves, and to watch out. Luckily I had just read that there have only been two wild wolf births in the western United States in the last 75 years. The guy left, and proceeded to hinder my way down by going 15 mph under the speed limit for the rest of the easy drive. My second stop was a local store to pick up some fresh Huckleberry Jam. Huckleberry jam is interesting because the huckleberries from which the jam is made can not be hybridized or cultivated. This means that pickers need to search for all their berries in wild environments on mountainsides, and furthermore means that in peak seasons the jam can run up to 55 dollars a gallon. I bought a small jar’s worth, and arrived back at Rita at around 6:30. I have been relaxing and as it is about 9:30 I am about to cook dinner. I look forward to a great day tomorrow, perhaps taking a long hike up to a fire lookout, or if it is raining I will go to East Glacier, where there are sure to be many interesting places and things to explore.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
May 8th
Yesterday started on the bleakish side, but turned out to be one of the best yet. I woke up at Matt’s house at around 10 after sleeping through my alarm, but I made excellent time to Butte. I went outside, and it was freezing. The familiar drive passed quickly as I listened to the Neville Brothers the entire way. Their version of Fire on the Bayou is outstanding. :D
It got even colder as I arrived at Butte, and by this time it was about 30 degrees. I got to Dickie’s place and met two guys building a new greenhouse onto the side of his house by assembling a multitude of old windows and glass doors. We talked for a bit, but I was in desperate need of a shower after not having one for almost four days, so I went inside after awhile. It was pretty cold inside too, so I turned on the house heater and the hot water in preparation for my shower. While waitin
g for the hot water to be ready, I played sitar for about an hour, and decided that I am going to pursue that instrument once home. I love the instruments mesmerizing sound, and its slinky tone is just right for contemplation. I took my shower, and decided to go into town to update the blog and get some coffee and dinner. I parked behind a coffee shop named the Blue Luna, and went inside to meet Dean, a friend of Dickie’s. He told me that he was about to close, but that I should return later in the evening for some good live music. With that I headed a block up the road to the Venus Rising – another coffee shop with wi-fi. The waiter was a really nice kid with spiky blond hair that reminded me of Andy Warhol. I got a large mocha, and sat down to update the blog and to look for summer jobs.
As I was sitting there a short girl with dark hair and a very blue outfit came up to me and introduced herself. She said that she was from Butte and hadn’t seen me before, so she figured she would say hi. I talked with her for awhile, and ended up meeting her friends Meaghan and Katie as well. We were all sitting there when Sarah (the first one) told me that she would be playing drums at the Blue Luna at 8:30, and that I should come check it out. I said that I would, and that I was planning on hearing the live music there anyway. With that, I left and went to The Broadway to get a tasty pizza and listen to a folk rock guitarist who was playing there. The pizza was incredible (I think it was the artichoke hearts that were on it), and the guitarist was also pleasant. After sitting there for about n hour, I played and headed over to the Blue Luna again.
This time it was packed with people, and a crowd had gathered around a piano player who was playing a great assortment of tunes ranging from Bach to modern ragtime music. From what I could gather, she was a music professor at the University here in Butte. She was great, but nothing could prepare me for Sarah’s music. Shortly after the piano finished, an electric drum kit was set up and a blue guitar was plugged in to an amp. Sarah sat down at the drums, and Holt (the Warhol waiter at the Venus Rising) picked up the guitar. They played som
e pretty crazy garage punk music for about 45 minutes, and the whole while I talked with Meaghan. It turns out that she is from Ireland, and moved here when she was in 6th grade. She is moving to Seattle in August, but had just finished her Junior year here in Butte. Her goal is to become a wildlife photographer and move back to Ireland to pursue that. I thought that was pretty cool, and I think she enjoyed hearing about my trip. When the music was over, all of the locals came over to where I was and talked about hanging out for the night. Meaghan and Holt both invited me to go with them, so I did.
We departed from the Luna, and ended up in an old building that seemed semi-abandoned. On the second floor, through some hallways, we came to Holt’s studio which was full of guitars and paintings and other interesting odds and ends. I took one look at his artwork, and it directly reminded me of Dickie’s stuff. I told him that he would really like Dickie, and he responded whit, “You know Richard?! He has been one of my biggest influences, and I have known him since I was a child.” Talk about synchronicity. We talked for a quite awhile, and there ended up to be seven of us in total. One of the locals mentioned building climbing, and that seemed to be a popular idea, so we went to climb the Phoenix Galleries. We walked back downstairs, down the street, and across to the back of the hotel and looked up. The deserted and bark building was six or seven stories tall, and we had to shimmy up a pipe before reaching the escape ladder. The climb was pretty fu
n, though a bit nerve-wracking at the end when the ladder got a bit wobbly. I threw my arms over the top and finally reached the roof where the view was magical. All of Butte was before us, and the orange glow of lights dotted the streets. The moon was 100% full, and the temperature was basically perfect. We talked about music for a while and then switched to the end of the world, and finally ended up talking about economics. Eventually it started to get chilly, so we decided to descend and return to the studio. We got there and soon after we decided to go our separate ways. I drove back to Dickie’s house and went to bed shortly.
The day turned out to be a lot more interesting than I had ever imagined.
Here are the Greenhouse Pictures that Kiki has requested:
It got even colder as I arrived at Butte, and by this time it was about 30 degrees. I got to Dickie’s place and met two guys building a new greenhouse onto the side of his house by assembling a multitude of old windows and glass doors. We talked for a bit, but I was in desperate need of a shower after not having one for almost four days, so I went inside after awhile. It was pretty cold inside too, so I turned on the house heater and the hot water in preparation for my shower. While waitin
g for the hot water to be ready, I played sitar for about an hour, and decided that I am going to pursue that instrument once home. I love the instruments mesmerizing sound, and its slinky tone is just right for contemplation. I took my shower, and decided to go into town to update the blog and get some coffee and dinner. I parked behind a coffee shop named the Blue Luna, and went inside to meet Dean, a friend of Dickie’s. He told me that he was about to close, but that I should return later in the evening for some good live music. With that I headed a block up the road to the Venus Rising – another coffee shop with wi-fi. The waiter was a really nice kid with spiky blond hair that reminded me of Andy Warhol. I got a large mocha, and sat down to update the blog and to look for summer jobs.As I was sitting there a short girl with dark hair and a very blue outfit came up to me and introduced herself. She said that she was from Butte and hadn’t seen me before, so she figured she would say hi. I talked with her for awhile, and ended up meeting her friends Meaghan and Katie as well. We were all sitting there when Sarah (the first one) told me that she would be playing drums at the Blue Luna at 8:30, and that I should come check it out. I said that I would, and that I was planning on hearing the live music there anyway. With that, I left and went to The Broadway to get a tasty pizza and listen to a folk rock guitarist who was playing there. The pizza was incredible (I think it was the artichoke hearts that were on it), and the guitarist was also pleasant. After sitting there for about n hour, I played and headed over to the Blue Luna again.
This time it was packed with people, and a crowd had gathered around a piano player who was playing a great assortment of tunes ranging from Bach to modern ragtime music. From what I could gather, she was a music professor at the University here in Butte. She was great, but nothing could prepare me for Sarah’s music. Shortly after the piano finished, an electric drum kit was set up and a blue guitar was plugged in to an amp. Sarah sat down at the drums, and Holt (the Warhol waiter at the Venus Rising) picked up the guitar. They played som
e pretty crazy garage punk music for about 45 minutes, and the whole while I talked with Meaghan. It turns out that she is from Ireland, and moved here when she was in 6th grade. She is moving to Seattle in August, but had just finished her Junior year here in Butte. Her goal is to become a wildlife photographer and move back to Ireland to pursue that. I thought that was pretty cool, and I think she enjoyed hearing about my trip. When the music was over, all of the locals came over to where I was and talked about hanging out for the night. Meaghan and Holt both invited me to go with them, so I did.We departed from the Luna, and ended up in an old building that seemed semi-abandoned. On the second floor, through some hallways, we came to Holt’s studio which was full of guitars and paintings and other interesting odds and ends. I took one look at his artwork, and it directly reminded me of Dickie’s stuff. I told him that he would really like Dickie, and he responded whit, “You know Richard?! He has been one of my biggest influences, and I have known him since I was a child.” Talk about synchronicity. We talked for a quite awhile, and there ended up to be seven of us in total. One of the locals mentioned building climbing, and that seemed to be a popular idea, so we went to climb the Phoenix Galleries. We walked back downstairs, down the street, and across to the back of the hotel and looked up. The deserted and bark building was six or seven stories tall, and we had to shimmy up a pipe before reaching the escape ladder. The climb was pretty fu
n, though a bit nerve-wracking at the end when the ladder got a bit wobbly. I threw my arms over the top and finally reached the roof where the view was magical. All of Butte was before us, and the orange glow of lights dotted the streets. The moon was 100% full, and the temperature was basically perfect. We talked about music for a while and then switched to the end of the world, and finally ended up talking about economics. Eventually it started to get chilly, so we decided to descend and return to the studio. We got there and soon after we decided to go our separate ways. I drove back to Dickie’s house and went to bed shortly.The day turned out to be a lot more interesting than I had ever imagined.
Here are the Greenhouse Pictures that Kiki has requested:
Friday, May 8, 2009
May 7th
Today was a driving day. I left the campsite at 10:00, and headed straight for Loving, CO. The drive there took me along Big Thomson River and through some mountainous terrain. I hit I-25, and headed straight north for about ten hours. The drive was generally uneventf
ul, and I only stopped for gas. I did have the worst meal of my life though, which was a salad and potato wedges from A&W. The salad was chopped lettuce, a few tomato dices and American cheese topped with revolting dressing that they called “red cream.” The potato wedges tasted like fish, and I could only bring myself to eat two. I finally reached Bozeman at 8:00, and Matt was waiting for me at his house. The area around Bozeman had just relieved a fresh snow, so everything was white, and that made it beautiful. We immediately went to get a sandwich from a famous Bozeman place called Pickle Barrel, and he also took me to see the site of the explosion a couple months ago. An entire block was reduced to rubble due to a gas leak at a fancy restaurant. It destroyed three neighboring establishments, and killed one person. The blast site looked pretty out of place in the quaint town. Matt then drove me to the workshop where he spends his days making signs for establishments around Montana. His dad’s company, Sign-A-Rama, even made the neon fish for Three Rivers in Twin Bridges. It was pretty cool to see the shop because there was so much interesting equipment lying around. They had a massive HP printer, several bending blocks, and a 3D rendering cutter t
hat he said was worth over 300 grand. After the tour of the shop, we went back to his place and watched TV for a bit before heading over to a friends house to watch the Stanly Cup hockey playoff game that was on that night. I had never really watched hockey before, so it was really interesting to learn all of the rules and stuff. Unfortunately, there was only one fight, but Anaheim ended up beating the Ducks 6-3. Matt had to get up early to install a sign for a local spirits shop, so we went back around 12 and went to bed. I am looking forward to getting to Butte tomorrow.
ul, and I only stopped for gas. I did have the worst meal of my life though, which was a salad and potato wedges from A&W. The salad was chopped lettuce, a few tomato dices and American cheese topped with revolting dressing that they called “red cream.” The potato wedges tasted like fish, and I could only bring myself to eat two. I finally reached Bozeman at 8:00, and Matt was waiting for me at his house. The area around Bozeman had just relieved a fresh snow, so everything was white, and that made it beautiful. We immediately went to get a sandwich from a famous Bozeman place called Pickle Barrel, and he also took me to see the site of the explosion a couple months ago. An entire block was reduced to rubble due to a gas leak at a fancy restaurant. It destroyed three neighboring establishments, and killed one person. The blast site looked pretty out of place in the quaint town. Matt then drove me to the workshop where he spends his days making signs for establishments around Montana. His dad’s company, Sign-A-Rama, even made the neon fish for Three Rivers in Twin Bridges. It was pretty cool to see the shop because there was so much interesting equipment lying around. They had a massive HP printer, several bending blocks, and a 3D rendering cutter t
hat he said was worth over 300 grand. After the tour of the shop, we went back to his place and watched TV for a bit before heading over to a friends house to watch the Stanly Cup hockey playoff game that was on that night. I had never really watched hockey before, so it was really interesting to learn all of the rules and stuff. Unfortunately, there was only one fight, but Anaheim ended up beating the Ducks 6-3. Matt had to get up early to install a sign for a local spirits shop, so we went back around 12 and went to bed. I am looking forward to getting to Butte tomorrow.
May 6th
I woke up for the second time at 9:00, and sunlight was already shining brightly through the windows. I got up and ate breakfast before getting dressed for the day’s hiking. I proceeded to the visitor center to buy a compass, and then I headed straight for Bear Lake Road. I ended up driving a considerable distance before getting up to 9,800 feet and arriving at the trailhead. There was 
way too much snow for me to even begin to hike it without snowshoes. I tried, and I was instantly in knee high snow! I thought a minute, disappointed that the recommended hike wasn’t going to happen, and finally decided to expand the second planned route. I arrived at Lake Sprauge at around 10:00, and there were very few people there. That was excellent, especially since the trail was mostly clear of snow. I guess that since this trailhead was 1000 feet lower than the first, the snow had already melted. I began the hike at 10:15 and had a great time. The path was well marked, and I was gone for about three and a half hours. I ended the farthest point of the hike at a 
place called The East Portal, and found myself at a water reservoir being fed by a small mountain stream. I didn’t see any wildlife except a squirrel and a woodpecker. There is a slideshow of the hike here----:
After the hike I went straight back to the trailer to have some lunch, and did so with some spaghetti a la Rita. It was pretty excellent, so I scarfed it down and ended up playing guitar for a while. While playing, I looked out my window and saw a huge hawk in a tree nearby, and I started to watch it through my binoculars. After watching the hawk until it flew away I was inspired to go for a drive and see if I could see any more wildlife. I went up to the West Alluvial Fan first, and then came back down to get up to Rainbow Curve. The drive up to Rainbow Curve was one of the
most beautiful drives I have ever been on. I meandered up the mountainside until finally reaching the maximum altitude of 11,500 feet. At that height trees can no longer survive so the sub-alpine climate turns into to an alpine one. I took lots of picture of all of this, so be sure to check out the slideshow.
The drive back down was just as gorgeous as the way up, and I arrived back at the campsite at around 5:30. I felt that it was too late to start another hike, so I got back to Rita and read my book for a while. Upon my mom’s recommendation, I started The Alchemist - so far it is excellent. Around 7:00, I thought that some dinner would be nice, so I ate a sandwich and some fruit. My belly is full, and I am currently listening to music while writing. I think that I’ll play guitar for awhile, and maybe read, and then drift off to sleep for the long drive tomorrow.
way too much snow for me to even begin to hike it without snowshoes. I tried, and I was instantly in knee high snow! I thought a minute, disappointed that the recommended hike wasn’t going to happen, and finally decided to expand the second planned route. I arrived at Lake Sprauge at around 10:00, and there were very few people there. That was excellent, especially since the trail was mostly clear of snow. I guess that since this trailhead was 1000 feet lower than the first, the snow had already melted. I began the hike at 10:15 and had a great time. The path was well marked, and I was gone for about three and a half hours. I ended the farthest point of the hike at a 
place called The East Portal, and found myself at a water reservoir being fed by a small mountain stream. I didn’t see any wildlife except a squirrel and a woodpecker. There is a slideshow of the hike here----:After the hike I went straight back to the trailer to have some lunch, and did so with some spaghetti a la Rita. It was pretty excellent, so I scarfed it down and ended up playing guitar for a while. While playing, I looked out my window and saw a huge hawk in a tree nearby, and I started to watch it through my binoculars. After watching the hawk until it flew away I was inspired to go for a drive and see if I could see any more wildlife. I went up to the West Alluvial Fan first, and then came back down to get up to Rainbow Curve. The drive up to Rainbow Curve was one of the
most beautiful drives I have ever been on. I meandered up the mountainside until finally reaching the maximum altitude of 11,500 feet. At that height trees can no longer survive so the sub-alpine climate turns into to an alpine one. I took lots of picture of all of this, so be sure to check out the slideshow.
The drive back down was just as gorgeous as the way up, and I arrived back at the campsite at around 5:30. I felt that it was too late to start another hike, so I got back to Rita and read my book for a while. Upon my mom’s recommendation, I started The Alchemist - so far it is excellent. Around 7:00, I thought that some dinner would be nice, so I ate a sandwich and some fruit. My belly is full, and I am currently listening to music while writing. I think that I’ll play guitar for awhile, and maybe read, and then drift off to sleep for the long drive tomorrow.
May 5th
Yesterday was eventful. I left John’s house at around 9:30 after eating a great breakfast, and headed to Rocky Mountain National Park. I went up I-25, but soon branched off to head towards Boulder and eventually Lyons. Once I got through Lyons, the terrain really changed from that Denver mountain-fieldsy stuff to true mountain scenery. The drive was monumentally beautiful, and I couldn’t help but think that the people who live there must be some of the luckiest around. There were quite a number of houses and cabin on the way up, but what I did not realize is that the town of Estes Park is actually embedded within the mountains. I came over a hill, and bam – there it was, a beautiful mountain town surrounded by a lake on one side and some high snowy peaks on the other. I got into town and went into a very nice wooden visitor center, and the man there told me that there is only one campsite open at this time of year, and that is Morain Park. I thanked him, and on my way out I noticed that there was a Safeway across the street where I could get some more food and a pot to boil water and cook in. Just before Safeway, in the same complex there was a homey looking deli that I decided to give a try. I had a great sandwich with artichoke hearts on 
it also what they called a “Bango” smoothie. After lunch and shopping, I headed in the direction of the park’s main entrance. Just before entering the park I stopped in an exquisite glass blower’s shop and saw some beautiful glass that Mom probably would have loved. It was just like Chahuly glass(sp?).
I was greeted at the park gate by a somewhat disgruntled old park ranger, who sold me an annual parks pass for $80. That seemed pretty steep, until I saw that this park alone cost twenty to get into. The drive to the campground was the most stunning yet, as I snaked up the road higher into the range. I finally got to the campsites, and decided to choose site 179 – a great place on the side of a large hill with few people around. I got situated by around 3:00, and since it was raining pretty hard in short bursts every 5-10 minutes, I decided to chill inside Rita for the time being. I planned two hikes for today (one of which is Dad’s recommendation), and read up on the history of the park. It ends up that the Ute tribe lived here year round, and was actually pushed out by another Indian tribe who didn’t even stay permanently. When white settlers got here looking for gold, it was completely deserted with only the remains of fire circles and teepee sites still remain.
I played guitar for a good hour and a half before I got pretty hungry. It was around 6:30, so I decided that it was time to eat. I had called Julia earlier in the day, and she gave me the lowdown on LP gas, so I was able to cook a hot meal using Rita’s stove. I had pasta and a really good bruschetta-esque thing made of a large cracker with olive spread, dried tomatoes, and ground black pepper. After dinner, I relaxed and listened to some music and wrote a thing or two before zoning out and watching the mountains outside for a while. Near 8:00, it was ge
tting to be dusk, and I looked out of the window and saw a massive bull elk about 30 feet away. It was overwhelmingly beautiful, and after awhile it began to walk up the side of the hill. When it got to the top its silhouette was apparent, and it started to munch on the branch of a pine tree. The creature stuck around for around 10 minutes, and then slowly wandered away. It was quite something.
At this point it was getting pretty cold, so I figured I would lie down and let sleep do its work. I fell asleep pretty fast, but I woke up at 4:30 because the wind had really picked up in the night. Rita’s awning was making tons of noise, and I thought it might blow away. I regretfully got out of bed and put my shoes on before going outside to try to fix the problem. I ended up just retracting the awning, and that worked perfectly. I jumped back inside the casita and grabbed my laptop before writing this. Dawn is already approaching, but now I’m going to try to go back to sleep and wake up for the hike to Black Lake tomorrow morning.
it also what they called a “Bango” smoothie. After lunch and shopping, I headed in the direction of the park’s main entrance. Just before entering the park I stopped in an exquisite glass blower’s shop and saw some beautiful glass that Mom probably would have loved. It was just like Chahuly glass(sp?).I was greeted at the park gate by a somewhat disgruntled old park ranger, who sold me an annual parks pass for $80. That seemed pretty steep, until I saw that this park alone cost twenty to get into. The drive to the campground was the most stunning yet, as I snaked up the road higher into the range. I finally got to the campsites, and decided to choose site 179 – a great place on the side of a large hill with few people around. I got situated by around 3:00, and since it was raining pretty hard in short bursts every 5-10 minutes, I decided to chill inside Rita for the time being. I planned two hikes for today (one of which is Dad’s recommendation), and read up on the history of the park. It ends up that the Ute tribe lived here year round, and was actually pushed out by another Indian tribe who didn’t even stay permanently. When white settlers got here looking for gold, it was completely deserted with only the remains of fire circles and teepee sites still remain.
I played guitar for a good hour and a half before I got pretty hungry. It was around 6:30, so I decided that it was time to eat. I had called Julia earlier in the day, and she gave me the lowdown on LP gas, so I was able to cook a hot meal using Rita’s stove. I had pasta and a really good bruschetta-esque thing made of a large cracker with olive spread, dried tomatoes, and ground black pepper. After dinner, I relaxed and listened to some music and wrote a thing or two before zoning out and watching the mountains outside for a while. Near 8:00, it was ge
tting to be dusk, and I looked out of the window and saw a massive bull elk about 30 feet away. It was overwhelmingly beautiful, and after awhile it began to walk up the side of the hill. When it got to the top its silhouette was apparent, and it started to munch on the branch of a pine tree. The creature stuck around for around 10 minutes, and then slowly wandered away. It was quite something.At this point it was getting pretty cold, so I figured I would lie down and let sleep do its work. I fell asleep pretty fast, but I woke up at 4:30 because the wind had really picked up in the night. Rita’s awning was making tons of noise, and I thought it might blow away. I regretfully got out of bed and put my shoes on before going outside to try to fix the problem. I ended up just retracting the awning, and that worked perfectly. I jumped back inside the casita and grabbed my laptop before writing this. Dawn is already approaching, but now I’m going to try to go back to sleep and wake up for the hike to Black Lake tomorrow morning.
Monday, May 4, 2009
After leaving CC, I went straight to Garden of the Gods, which is about 15 minutes from the campus. Garden of the Gods is an area of land originally donated to state by a private holder in the early part of the last century. Its main attractions are the massive red rock formations that jut up out of the earth some 300 feet. There are paths through the formations, and they all have cute names like
"kissing camels" and "balancing rock." I drove up to the visitor center first just to see what was there, but soon realized that anything there paled in comparison to just getting out and seeing the formations. So I drove down to the parking facility near the main trailhead, and began what ended up to be about a two hour hike. I made my way down the center of the great red formations that form the bulk of the park's attraction. The place was surprisingly crowded, so I decided to take some trails that seemed a little bit less traveled. I ended up making a great loop back to the parking place, so I guess I got lucky. What really struck me about the park was the bird life. There were birds all over the place, and they were of all different varieties. I saw two vivdly colored blue birds perched on the inside branches of a small pine tree, and I watched them flutter around the limbs, playing with each other, for about 10 minutes. The hike itself was pretty standard, and not difficult or treacherour by any stretch of the imaginiation. The air was clear, and it was just great to be out in nature for the first time in awhile.
After the garden, I headed to a restaurant that Carol had recommended by the name of Wooglins. On the way, though, I saw a music shop that begged me to come inside, so I did. I ended up buying a three dollar album of a band named Midnite (spelling int
ended), and a cool poster from a local concert. Apparantly the store owner records concerts and sells them for cheap, but this time it was also to help raise money for his newly adopted son. After Earth Pig Music, I went to the restaurant and bought a delightful vegetarian sandwich from a very enthusiastic sandwich salesman. It was the perfect remedy for an empty stomach, and prepared me for the drive to Rocky Mountain National Park.
With the intention of reaching the park by about 7, I stopped by Golden, CO, to see if Liz and Noel (family friends from my mom's high-school days) were home. I pulled up to their house and knocked, but there was no answer. I called, and had no luck, so I left a note on the door telling them that I had dropped by. I decided to call another family friend, John Tolls, and he picked up and told me to come over for a visit. As I got into my car to go to John's place, I saw Liz coming up the road. I got out, and we visited inside for awhile before I got the grand tour of their new deck that has suffered some damage recently due to heavy snow the past few weekends. Liz seemed to be doing really well, and she even gave me some sweet stickers to put on the back of Rita the Casita. Too bad I missed Noel, but that leaves something for next time I suppose...
From Liz's place, I went to John's house in Englewood, on the southwestern side of Denver. His place is really something, and there are already a multitude of colorful flowers blessing his backyard. John is doing well, and I also got to meet two of his close friends from town, who were also splendid to spend time talking to. I hit it off with Tom, who had many, many things to say about the merits of vegetarianism, and who was just a great guy to talk to in general. We decided to order dinner from a local Chinese place, and over we talked about a wide array of topics ranging from the amount of water that is used when flushing a toilet to Obama's recent closure of loopholes for companies that hold foreign accounts. I'll give you one guess what the predominant sympathy towards Obama was. :)
After dinner, I was stuffed and pretty tired, so I ended up just planning to stay the night over here with the intention of getting up early tomorrow to go to the park. John and I talked for awhile remeniscing about life in Indonesia and discussing college life. By the end we both agreed that we need to go back over to Asia sometime soon. Hopefully that happens!
I am now in bed, ready to sleep and get up for a quick drive to Estes and Rocky Mountain National Park. More lata!
"kissing camels" and "balancing rock." I drove up to the visitor center first just to see what was there, but soon realized that anything there paled in comparison to just getting out and seeing the formations. So I drove down to the parking facility near the main trailhead, and began what ended up to be about a two hour hike. I made my way down the center of the great red formations that form the bulk of the park's attraction. The place was surprisingly crowded, so I decided to take some trails that seemed a little bit less traveled. I ended up making a great loop back to the parking place, so I guess I got lucky. What really struck me about the park was the bird life. There were birds all over the place, and they were of all different varieties. I saw two vivdly colored blue birds perched on the inside branches of a small pine tree, and I watched them flutter around the limbs, playing with each other, for about 10 minutes. The hike itself was pretty standard, and not difficult or treacherour by any stretch of the imaginiation. The air was clear, and it was just great to be out in nature for the first time in awhile.After the garden, I headed to a restaurant that Carol had recommended by the name of Wooglins. On the way, though, I saw a music shop that begged me to come inside, so I did. I ended up buying a three dollar album of a band named Midnite (spelling int
ended), and a cool poster from a local concert. Apparantly the store owner records concerts and sells them for cheap, but this time it was also to help raise money for his newly adopted son. After Earth Pig Music, I went to the restaurant and bought a delightful vegetarian sandwich from a very enthusiastic sandwich salesman. It was the perfect remedy for an empty stomach, and prepared me for the drive to Rocky Mountain National Park.With the intention of reaching the park by about 7, I stopped by Golden, CO, to see if Liz and Noel (family friends from my mom's high-school days) were home. I pulled up to their house and knocked, but there was no answer. I called, and had no luck, so I left a note on the door telling them that I had dropped by. I decided to call another family friend, John Tolls, and he picked up and told me to come over for a visit. As I got into my car to go to John's place, I saw Liz coming up the road. I got out, and we visited inside for awhile before I got the grand tour of their new deck that has suffered some damage recently due to heavy snow the past few weekends. Liz seemed to be doing really well, and she even gave me some sweet stickers to put on the back of Rita the Casita. Too bad I missed Noel, but that leaves something for next time I suppose...
From Liz's place, I went to John's house in Englewood, on the southwestern side of Denver. His place is really something, and there are already a multitude of colorful flowers blessing his backyard. John is doing well, and I also got to meet two of his close friends from town, who were also splendid to spend time talking to. I hit it off with Tom, who had many, many things to say about the merits of vegetarianism, and who was just a great guy to talk to in general. We decided to order dinner from a local Chinese place, and over we talked about a wide array of topics ranging from the amount of water that is used when flushing a toilet to Obama's recent closure of loopholes for companies that hold foreign accounts. I'll give you one guess what the predominant sympathy towards Obama was. :)
After dinner, I was stuffed and pretty tired, so I ended up just planning to stay the night over here with the intention of getting up early tomorrow to go to the park. John and I talked for awhile remeniscing about life in Indonesia and discussing college life. By the end we both agreed that we need to go back over to Asia sometime soon. Hopefully that happens!
I am now in bed, ready to sleep and get up for a quick drive to Estes and Rocky Mountain National Park. More lata!
Yesterday was fantastic.
About 20 miles outside of my destination, the engine stopped, and I helplessly put the pedal to the metal - no result. I quietly pulled over and hid all my valuables, and then I got out and put my thumb in the air. First car - nope, second car - nope, third car - BINGO. They passed but pulled over about 50 yards ahead, and I knew that was my cue. I got into the all-black towncar to find myself riding with a 50 something couple and an old lady headed to Albequerque. They offered me water, which I politely declined, and told me that I was lucky to find them. It was a quiet ride for about 20 minutes, and they let me off at the first gas station we saw (and probably the only one for miles). I ran in, picked up two 2-gallon cans, and proceeded to check out. An older lady with a long blonde braid down her back asked me if I had run out of gas, and I replied appropriately. She said that she would drive me back. I accepted, and hopped in a massive ranching pickup truck. The lady rode in the back seat with me while her husband, who was an old ranch hand with a handlebar mustache, drove. In the passenger seat was a woman who must have been at least 95, and it appeared that she had become one with the vehicle - her frail and flabby body just kind of oozed into the folds of the seat, and for awhile I thought she was made of silly putty. She did not move, and only realized that I was in the car about 15 minutes into the drive.
They let me off and gave me some crazy directions before wishing me luck and heading down the road. I put the gas in slowly, and voila! the car started. I drove to Vaughn and, not before the low fuel light came on again, filled up and was on my way. The rest of the drive was uneventful but absolutely gorgeous. I love the transition between the New Mexico fields to the hills near the border to the Col.jpg)
orado mountains. There were sunshowers, but until I got into Colorado Springs, it was mostly sunny.
I called Carol's friend, Kate, and she was as nice as could be giving me directions to their dorm which is named Mathias. I met Kate at the door, and once introduced, headed up to meet the guys - Danny and Paul. All of them are lovely people. We sat and talked music for a little, and then decided to go meet another guy named Charles. There we talked about mega-churches and Texas (seperately). I met one guy from Houston, so that was nice, but before long we were on our way. From there we attempted to go into a music room to jam, but it was locked and the vital keyholder was not around. Instead we went to meet a really great guy named Kyle. He had some great posters up, and we listened to moe. for a bit. Those guys are great. Kyle had to study, so we left and came back to Mathias. We watched Children of Men and then a live Phish concert before slowly drifting off to sleep.
I think that the people here at CC basically share my viewpoint on everything. I did not meet one person who I doubt I would be good friends with - it was quite something. Danny is great to talk with about music, and Paul is generally a fantastic person. Kate is really something too - very generous and warm hearted. Everyone seemed very relaxed and not too concerned with things that people shouldn't be concerned with anyway. Room decor was comparable, and the general atmosphere was lively. I really love this place, and hope to visit sometime when Carol is around.
Today I am headed to Garden of the Gods, and then Rocky Mountain National Park - both of which should be sublime. It will be interesting to see how Rita fairs her first night of inhabitance. More updates when I get internet next (maybe not for two or thee days).
I began at around 9:00, waking up at Uncle Phelps's to the sound of Nola Jane and some others in the round room talking about the festivities the night before. I took a shower and after saying bye to everyone I asked Phelps for a ride to GJs place to pick up Rita. We got there, and did a final check of stuff before I was headed north towards Vaughn. I looked down at my gas gauge before leaving, and I had a little less than a quarter tank, but the "how many miles left" reading was at around 120 - more than enough to get me the 98 or so mile to Vaughn. About 25 miles out of town, I realize that the number had quickly jumped down to 59 miles to empty. I then saw a sign for Vau.jpg)
ghn - 58 miles. Hmm.... I think I heard a joke one time about a swimmer getting halfway from an island to a rescue boat, then being too tired and turning back. I consulted Uncle Phelps, who said that it should be OK because the gague gives you about 10 extra miles.
.jpg)
ghn - 58 miles. Hmm.... I think I heard a joke one time about a swimmer getting halfway from an island to a rescue boat, then being too tired and turning back. I consulted Uncle Phelps, who said that it should be OK because the gague gives you about 10 extra miles.About 20 miles outside of my destination, the engine stopped, and I helplessly put the pedal to the metal - no result. I quietly pulled over and hid all my valuables, and then I got out and put my thumb in the air. First car - nope, second car - nope, third car - BINGO. They passed but pulled over about 50 yards ahead, and I knew that was my cue. I got into the all-black towncar to find myself riding with a 50 something couple and an old lady headed to Albequerque. They offered me water, which I politely declined, and told me that I was lucky to find them. It was a quiet ride for about 20 minutes, and they let me off at the first gas station we saw (and probably the only one for miles). I ran in, picked up two 2-gallon cans, and proceeded to check out. An older lady with a long blonde braid down her back asked me if I had run out of gas, and I replied appropriately. She said that she would drive me back. I accepted, and hopped in a massive ranching pickup truck. The lady rode in the back seat with me while her husband, who was an old ranch hand with a handlebar mustache, drove. In the passenger seat was a woman who must have been at least 95, and it appeared that she had become one with the vehicle - her frail and flabby body just kind of oozed into the folds of the seat, and for awhile I thought she was made of silly putty. She did not move, and only realized that I was in the car about 15 minutes into the drive.
They let me off and gave me some crazy directions before wishing me luck and heading down the road. I put the gas in slowly, and voila! the car started. I drove to Vaughn and, not before the low fuel light came on again, filled up and was on my way. The rest of the drive was uneventful but absolutely gorgeous. I love the transition between the New Mexico fields to the hills near the border to the Col
.jpg)
orado mountains. There were sunshowers, but until I got into Colorado Springs, it was mostly sunny.I called Carol's friend, Kate, and she was as nice as could be giving me directions to their dorm which is named Mathias. I met Kate at the door, and once introduced, headed up to meet the guys - Danny and Paul. All of them are lovely people. We sat and talked music for a little, and then decided to go meet another guy named Charles. There we talked about mega-churches and Texas (seperately). I met one guy from Houston, so that was nice, but before long we were on our way. From there we attempted to go into a music room to jam, but it was locked and the vital keyholder was not around. Instead we went to meet a really great guy named Kyle. He had some great posters up, and we listened to moe. for a bit. Those guys are great. Kyle had to study, so we left and came back to Mathias. We watched Children of Men and then a live Phish concert before slowly drifting off to sleep.
I think that the people here at CC basically share my viewpoint on everything. I did not meet one person who I doubt I would be good friends with - it was quite something. Danny is great to talk with about music, and Paul is generally a fantastic person. Kate is really something too - very generous and warm hearted. Everyone seemed very relaxed and not too concerned with things that people shouldn't be concerned with anyway. Room decor was comparable, and the general atmosphere was lively. I really love this place, and hope to visit sometime when Carol is around.
Today I am headed to Garden of the Gods, and then Rocky Mountain National Park - both of which should be sublime. It will be interesting to see how Rita fairs her first night of inhabitance. More updates when I get internet next (maybe not for two or thee days).
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Oh, also, I found out that Chris might be joining me a little bit before schedule due to unforcasted circumstances. If all goes according to *the new* plan, he'll be getting to Butte on the 8th just in time for Glacier. I'm stoked.
Furthermore, I had a request to mention Carolyn Doherty. So here: I am mentioning Carolyn Doherty. I think we all wish she was present, but I guess she'll just have to come next year.
Furthermore, I had a request to mention Carolyn Doherty. So here: I am mentioning Carolyn Doherty. I think we all wish she was present, but I guess she'll just have to come next year.
Today started at around 9:30 when I got up to shower and head to Grand Judith's place to pick up the trailer and get that all figured out. A picture will come tomorrow. Uncle Phelps gave me the run-through, and though we got stuck in a ditch while trying to empty the septic tank, that was the only hiccup. I stayed behind to move and situate all of my food and clothing in the "casita" (which I found out is named Rita), and found myself jamming out to AC/DC while doing so - that's the fist time in awhile. After a little, Issac called me up and told me that Id
a was getting a pedicure, so he came over and help out. He got a kick out of Rita, and before long we took off to play some disk golf on the local course. It was my first time playing, and I think I did pretty well. Issac apparently plays a lot, and I can really understand why he likes it so much - it's pretty theraputic.
After 9 holes we headed over to Uncle Phelps's place for the fiesta. When we arrived the keg was tapped, and Quint was domintating the half-pipe out back. The morning started off gray and cold, but eventually got absolutely beautiful, so everyone was in a good mood. After some drinks we went over to the park to watch some live music - Pat Green was headlining. We watched professional karaoke, some dancers, and finally the man himself. His band was in full swing, and the show wasn't too different from when JD and I saw him in the Woodlands a couple years ago.
It only took me a couple groovy country tunes to realize that the party back at the house was probably hopping, so I headed back to grab some more food. As I got back, I heard Issac pickin' some banjo, so I decided to join him on the guitar with some simple strumming. It sounded pretty good,
so before long we moved outside to play for some of the guests. A guy joined us on the spoons, and so I guess we had a regular old orchestra going for awhile. Whether by chance or becuase someone was trying to tell us something, music came on over the speakers, so we got cut short, but that's OK - my fingers were getting a little tired.
The night ended with some volleyball and flip-cup, and since that was at around 11, you can get an idea of what kind of day it has been. People have started to trickle out of the party, but the hardcore guys are still all here. Phelps has passed out, probably due to oxycodon for his teeth and a few brewskis - I don't blame him, I'm off soon too. Currently we are sitting in the round room trying our best to remember the words to Old Dan Tucker while Issac plays it on the guitar. I think it has gotten to that point when everyone is basically amused with anything.
Tomorrow I am headed off on the first leg of the journey involving the camper, and I am very excited. I think I'm going to truck it all the way to Rocky Mountain National Park, but I may stop for the night at CC with Carol's friends. We'll see how I feel when that time comes...
Wait - Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man
He washed his face in the frying pan
He combed his hair with a wagon wheel
And died of the toothache in his heel
Get out the way for old Dan Tucker
He's too late to git...
a was getting a pedicure, so he came over and help out. He got a kick out of Rita, and before long we took off to play some disk golf on the local course. It was my first time playing, and I think I did pretty well. Issac apparently plays a lot, and I can really understand why he likes it so much - it's pretty theraputic.After 9 holes we headed over to Uncle Phelps's place for the fiesta. When we arrived the keg was tapped, and Quint was domintating the half-pipe out back. The morning started off gray and cold, but eventually got absolutely beautiful, so everyone was in a good mood. After some drinks we went over to the park to watch some live music - Pat Green was headlining. We watched professional karaoke, some dancers, and finally the man himself. His band was in full swing, and the show wasn't too different from when JD and I saw him in the Woodlands a couple years ago.
It only took me a couple groovy country tunes to realize that the party back at the house was probably hopping, so I headed back to grab some more food. As I got back, I heard Issac pickin' some banjo, so I decided to join him on the guitar with some simple strumming. It sounded pretty good,
so before long we moved outside to play for some of the guests. A guy joined us on the spoons, and so I guess we had a regular old orchestra going for awhile. Whether by chance or becuase someone was trying to tell us something, music came on over the speakers, so we got cut short, but that's OK - my fingers were getting a little tired.The night ended with some volleyball and flip-cup, and since that was at around 11, you can get an idea of what kind of day it has been. People have started to trickle out of the party, but the hardcore guys are still all here. Phelps has passed out, probably due to oxycodon for his teeth and a few brewskis - I don't blame him, I'm off soon too. Currently we are sitting in the round room trying our best to remember the words to Old Dan Tucker while Issac plays it on the guitar. I think it has gotten to that point when everyone is basically amused with anything.
Tomorrow I am headed off on the first leg of the journey involving the camper, and I am very excited. I think I'm going to truck it all the way to Rocky Mountain National Park, but I may stop for the night at CC with Carol's friends. We'll see how I feel when that time comes...
Wait - Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man
He washed his face in the frying pan
He combed his hair with a wagon wheel
And died of the toothache in his heel
Get out the way for old Dan Tucker
He's too late to git...
Friday, May 1, 2009
Well, I just got to Uncle Phelps's house after a long trip from Austin. The day began well as I drove from Matt's house to Birkdale Lane in Kerrville. The weather was pretty overcast, but windows were down and music was blaring the whole way anyway. I got to the house at around noon, and there was naturally a beautiful meal practically wating for me right when I arrived. After lunch was done and I had finished loading everything from the mustang i
nto the suburban, we watched an hour and a half of home videos from the mid 60's. I watched my dad and his siblings on the blank wall from an old projector with no sound. I've got to get one for the room.
I said goodbye at around 3:00 and it was non-stop from there. I did manage to get gas at an Exxon/BurgerKing joint location, and when I walked in to use the bathroom, I soon realize from a strong burning smell that a large portion of the Burger King kitchen was on fire. I got out of there pretty quick, and headed up through Carlsbad to get to Roswell. Once I got to town I met Uncle Phelps at Peppers to see a musician from Carlsbad sing and play guitar. He whipped out everything from Led Zeppelin to the Black Crowes to Eric Clapton - with a twist. He was pretty good, and by the end of it there were a few couples on the dance floor.
After the bar, I headed over to Ida and Issac's house to hang out for awhile. They seemed to be doing really well and pretty relaxed. We played Mario on Super Nintendo for awhile, and I had a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich, but when I started to fall asleep I decided it was time to come home to Phelps's place. Here I sit, waiting for the big keg party tomorrow - it should be a great time.
nto the suburban, we watched an hour and a half of home videos from the mid 60's. I watched my dad and his siblings on the blank wall from an old projector with no sound. I've got to get one for the room.I said goodbye at around 3:00 and it was non-stop from there. I did manage to get gas at an Exxon/BurgerKing joint location, and when I walked in to use the bathroom, I soon realize from a strong burning smell that a large portion of the Burger King kitchen was on fire. I got out of there pretty quick, and headed up through Carlsbad to get to Roswell. Once I got to town I met Uncle Phelps at Peppers to see a musician from Carlsbad sing and play guitar. He whipped out everything from Led Zeppelin to the Black Crowes to Eric Clapton - with a twist. He was pretty good, and by the end of it there were a few couples on the dance floor.
After the bar, I headed over to Ida and Issac's house to hang out for awhile. They seemed to be doing really well and pretty relaxed. We played Mario on Super Nintendo for awhile, and I had a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich, but when I started to fall asleep I decided it was time to come home to Phelps's place. Here I sit, waiting for the big keg party tomorrow - it should be a great time.
A Familiar Start
I pulled out of the driveway at around 4:00 yesterday and headed to Austin to pick Matt up on campus. The drive was great, and I love rolling the windows down right after La Grange. The air up there is so much nicer than the stuff in Houston - I really don't know why we put up with it. Once in the city, we headed over to Matt's place and hung out for awhile to discuss his plans for the night. Apparently we were going to Pluckers to get free wings and watch the rockets game. They had won trivia the night before and been awarded a free wings pass.
We got to the
restaurant and delved in to massive quantities of free food. We started off the night right, and were even happier to find out that the Rockets are advancing to round 2... We met up with Brian, Chris, and several other people from my Memorial High School days. It was really great seeing all of them, and it was even better to know that they have stayed close through college. They're a great group. After dinner, we headed to Shu Shu's house and partied it up in preparation for a good night out in Austin. I met tons of girls that were, errr, different than Rice girls in more ways than one. It was a great time.
We took the West Campus E Train into town, which was an experience in itself. I guess the idea is to pack as many people as possible into a bus headed for the city. They sure know what they're doing...
It was fun to see sixth street again, and I couldn't have asked for a better time in the capitol of Texas. This morning I am headed to Kerrville to see the grandparents as a stopover between here and Roswell - that'll be the long haul. Wish me luck on the road, I've seen many tickets given out on this stretch of I-10. Then again, I don't drive like my mom.
We got to the
restaurant and delved in to massive quantities of free food. We started off the night right, and were even happier to find out that the Rockets are advancing to round 2... We met up with Brian, Chris, and several other people from my Memorial High School days. It was really great seeing all of them, and it was even better to know that they have stayed close through college. They're a great group. After dinner, we headed to Shu Shu's house and partied it up in preparation for a good night out in Austin. I met tons of girls that were, errr, different than Rice girls in more ways than one. It was a great time.We took the West Campus E Train into town, which was an experience in itself. I guess the idea is to pack as many people as possible into a bus headed for the city. They sure know what they're doing...
It was fun to see sixth street again, and I couldn't have asked for a better time in the capitol of Texas. This morning I am headed to Kerrville to see the grandparents as a stopover between here and Roswell - that'll be the long haul. Wish me luck on the road, I've seen many tickets given out on this stretch of I-10. Then again, I don't drive like my mom.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
