Hiker. Blogger. Photographer. CrossFitter. Dog Owner. Austinite.
Archive for year 2009
The 2000s: A Decade in Big Bend
Dec 29th
January 2000: The millennium dawned in Big Bend, from a hillside at the Woodson's campsite.
I took 23 trips to Big Bend National Park during the decade of the 2000s. In fact, I was in Big Bend when the decade (culturally understood) began. My buddy Brett, some of his pals, and I decided we’d rather be in the middle of nowhere in case the Y2K thing got out of hand. We spent New Year’s Eve day in the Mexican town of Boquillas, celebrating the millennium’s dawn with other park visitors and locals. Sadly, it would be the last time we would be able to cross the Rio Grande to visit those good people.
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Hellroaring to Imogene Lake
Dec 28th
Clouds and Mt. Cramer are reflected in Imogene Lake.
August 17 was my sixth day on the trail, the first following a successful resupply. I was eager to return to the Sawtooth Wilderness and the high country. The previous day’s long slog along forest roads and badly designed trails would be redeemed by the trail ahead, I believed, and the miserable evening at the Hellroaring trailhead would be quickly forgotten, I kept telling myself. This day totally redeemed the decision and death march to get here.
When I woke up, the thermometer fob I’d attached to my hammock said it was 24 degrees, the coldest morning on the trail. As the sun was already up, I assume it was even colder in the dead of night. Fortunately, my hammock set-up and insulation kept me warm enough. Warm enough in fact that I got back into my hammock and slept another couple of hours. I knew it would be a relatively short day hiking-wise. Turns out the extra sleep was very restorative, and a great decision.
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Merry Christmas 2009
Dec 25th
Merry Christmas from me and Chisos. May the Holiday season give you joy, warmth, hope and health.
Two Years With Chisos
Dec 24th
Chisos' first day at her new home, two years ago today.
On Christmas Eve two years ago, I brought Chisos home. She spent most of that first day asleep, sometimes festively. She explored her new surroundings on a day far nicer than today weather-wise.
Chisos' first exploration of her new domain.
That day began two years of being together, and she remains a healthy, happy puppy at heart. She continues to play well with the neighbors’ dogs and kids. She still doesn’t bark much, only when other dogs ignore her. She greets me at the door when I get home, tail wagging.
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Pettit Lake to Hellroaring Trailhead
Dec 22nd
Early morning reflection in Alice Lake.
My fifth day on the trail was the longest, beginning with a hike to a waiting resupply and ending with a long slog along a lonely forest road, 15.2 miles total. “Everything hurts,” I wrote that evening.
I awoke beside Alice Lake to a clear, crisp morning. It was 26 degrees, and a thin layer of frost covered the ground. The air was still, and so was the water. It reflected the surrounding mountains as the sunrise provided quite a show.
The campers nearby were just beginning to stir as I packed up my campsite and started down the trail. It was 8 o’clock in the morning.
The first order of business was to hike down from Alice Lake (8,596 feet) to Pettit Lake (6.996 feet), where a bear canister holding food, fuel, and other supplies (hopefully) waited. The trail is mostly open for the first two miles, providing excellent views of the jagged peaks, particularly the prominent El Capitan.
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Fall Color on the Winter Solstice
Dec 21st
Today is the Winter Solstice. The official start of winter (in the northern hemisphere), the shortest day of the year. Of course, it is also the time that some of Austin’s trees break out their fall color. This is the red oak in my front yard.
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