Back From Costa Rica...

After quite the adventure, I am now home--safe and sound--in Concow. Exhausted from traveling by foot, bus, taxi, airplane and car within the last 24 hours. I was harassed by a drunk in a small town in southern Costa Rica; a prostitute invited herself into my cab in San Jose ("I want to go to your hotel--we will have a good time.", she said). It took a bit of insistence to get her out of the taxi. Last night I slept on the floor of the San Jose, Costa Rica airport. That was an interesting experience--since the airport closes in the evening, except for the front entry.

Photos and stories about the trip to follow shortly...

It was quite a good time. Thanks for the invite Ian! In fact, Ian has lots of photos of the trip here.

Day #8: Home for a Couple of Hours...

Drove home from the Napa Valley to say good bye to Joni and the girls. Took a short walk with the dog. I shoe goo'd my aged hiking boots (could use a little duct tape on them too). Time to nap a little and then head off to Sacramento to catch a very early flight.

I hope I'm not on the "No Fly" list...

Day #7: Packed!

A short walk with Angel before I head to the dark side of the Moon.

Addendum: I'm at the Library in St. Helena. When I stepped on the scale in the Monastic Dorm, I was happy to learn that I've lost 21 pounds since I was invited on this hike. Since the hike starts on Tuesday, I don't think I'm gonna make my 30 pound weight loss goal.

My fully loaded backpack weighs 24 pounds. It would be nice to lose the same amount as I'm carrying on my back. Call it even.

Day #6: Training Is Over...

Just a short walk with the dog today. My training is over for this trip. Let the cards fall where they will, I've done my best. Time to taper off and rest.

I packed my backpack (seems lighter than when filled with books). Earlier I journeyed to Paradise to buy a few needed items: new nylon pants; a money belt (best to have those while traveling, as I learned from being pick pocketed in Jerusalem); got traveler's checks. I figured out how to make my new headlamp work that Joni gave me for Christmas. Slick thing, it is.

Off to the Napa Valley tomorrow to earn some money. Then we fly...

Day #5: Making My List...

Just a couple of dog walks today. I'm taking it easy after exerting myself yesterday. And I made my list for the Costa Rica adventure. Packing light. This promises to be quite the adventure.

Tomorrow I pack. Thursday I travel to work. Work Friday. Catch the plane to San Juan, Costa Rica early Saturday morning. Returning the 18th. So if this blog is quiet for awhile, it is because I am looking at jaguar tracks, panting up a mountain and trying to negotiate chicken buses in a Spanish speaking country with my pigeon Spanish and backpack.

I feel like I'm 21 again, when I traveled with my backpack across Mexico and Nicaragua. Oh, how quickly the years pass.

Day #4: The Feather River Falls Hike

Today I invited along a young buck to make a trek with me. Time to see what kind of shape I am in for this Costa Rica adventure. JP and I hiked up to Feather River Falls. This falls is the fifth tallest in the United States. Rarely visited. The hike's description is that it is strenuous. I didn't find it too horrible.

Below is a 2,000 foot granite monolith, such as you would find in Yosemite.

Here I am with JP. JP runs "the Abbey". An experimental, Lutheran intentional community. He is into two things: The Emergent Church and a New Monasticism. JP is married, but lives simply with his family within this Abbey. They focus on health clinics for the poor and providing housing (and community) for those searching for a more authentic Christianity. For you Lutherans out there, JP is to have a cover story in an upcoming issue of "The Lutheran".

We get to the falls. This is the view downstream.

And the falls itself.

This is a fun hike. The trail is well maintained. There are idiot bars at the end to help prevent you from falling to your death.

This was a fine hike with this extraordinary young man. Nice to have a perspective from him regarding baby boomers, the emergent church, technology and living in simplicity.

Day #3: A Saunter with Thoreau

An easy day today. Just a quiet saunter with the dog. A nice day here in the Foothills. Sunny and warm; around 60 degrees. A half hour leisurely jaunt.

Thoughts on Thoreau as I walk. The past few weeks I've been working my way through Walden. Impressions? You can tell that it is written from the perspective of a person under the age of thirty. I don't know how Emerson felt about this young lad, who hit on his wife, squatted on his land and then would read how Thoreau hadn't met anybody over the age of Thirty that had something decent to say. Seems kind of impolite to me.

Thoreau was writing in the 1840's--at the dawn of the age of industrialism. As we close out this dark industrial age (over the next forty years or so) perhaps it is time for a new Thoreau to step up to the plate. We need a new Thoreau to lead us out of the age of gadgets and empire. Perhaps Ed Abbey and Wendell Berry will be looked upon as the new prophets as we move into a post industrial age.

Tomorrow I take a strenuous hike with a couple of young bucks. Lads who call themselves "post modernists" and part of what they call the "emergent" church. A couple of young lads (under the age of thirty) who probably will think, just like Thoreau, that I have nothing worthwhile to say.

Should be interesting.

Day Two: Holidays on the Ridge

Joni and Kylie on the Long Loop..

Up the hill...

The girls...

Brought the girls along on the Long Loop today. I put on the book-laden backpack and was happy to have company. A beautiful day here! Unexpectedly sunny. Sixty degrees Fahrenheit.

Being a holiday weekend, many of the cabins that are usually vacant are filled with people. Happens every holiday. People come up from the Bay Area to have their weekend of country living. I see them every year...Angel usually runs over and makes a nuisance of herself. She sees everyone as a friend and has a tendency to be too enthusiastic in her greetings. Makes the City Folk nervous.

Bad dog.

The Folks from the City bring their paranoia with them. One lady, who I see every holiday, wasn't too friendly. She is always working, working, working on her little ramshackle trailer. And then she plasters the property with ugly "No Trespassing" signs--with severe warnings about what will happen should you step foot on her property (prosecution!). PTSD from living in Oakland, I think.

Of course, her best protection for her property is my daily walks with my overly enthusiastic dog. We keep an eye on things. No need for loud obnoxious signs. I'm not sure she sees things that way, given her grumpiness towards Angel and my family on our walk today.

And those signs? What will happen to them? A beautification project is in order.

Day #1: Down the Canyon Twice...

Looking tired. Worried. Exhausted at the turnaround place...

Nine days until I board that plane to climb the mountain in Costa Rica. To celebrate the New Year, I took a two hour and forty-nine minute hike down the Canyon. And then up. Then back down again. Then up---followed by taking the long way home up two additional climbs. Angel the dog didn't understand why we were climbing the Canyon twice. It took her more than a little bit of coaxing to talk her into heading down the abyss a second time.

And I only stopped to rest for two minutes. An achievement to make the onerous Canyon hike without stopping. Although I left the backpack at home. Raining today...

We are off to a good start.

Preamble to the Second Year...

Well, that worked out well. I started this thing in order to get me outside more. It worked.

I awoke early this morning with my family still sleeping. Good bye 2009! Hello 2010! Time to announce some intentions for this new year.

Old business: I didn't climb Halfdome last year. Put that on the list for this year. Will this be the year I finally trudge up Mt. Whitney? And how about the John Muir trail?---wouldn't that be fun to do all, or at least a portion there of, with a backpack and a book by the ecstatic, whiskered John Muir? Let's put Bright Angel in the Grand Canyon on the list. And a few other mountains: Mt. Lassen (if they open the trail), Mt. Tallack, Mt. Rose. Redwoods--let's spend more time there. And don't forget the ocean--no year is complete without spending a night or two by the thunderous Pacific.

What else? Keep moving. When you stop moving, you die. Seeing as I would like to cheat the Grim Reaper out of collecting Yours Truly for, at least, another year--I plan on stepping up the activity level. Add more activities. Add more adventures...more trips. Spend even more time outside.

So what to look forward to? More backpacking trips. More time spent in our National Parks, Forests, Deserts, Reserves, State Parks. More nights spent sleeping under the stars. More time spent on the seat of a bike. A float trip or two on a scenic river. More family backpacking trips. More camping trips period. More discoveries of wineries and the folks met along the way.

Time to get back on that bike. Let's put the Wildflower 100 miler on the list. That will be in April.

Let's add some books. Gotta bring along some present and past Masters on these outings.

And it is time to introduce these girls to the wonders of carrying your own pack under the power of your own two feet. Time to include the girls more in these adventures.

So we begin the Second Year. I wonder what will happen? Join me. Let me know of your travels outside.

See you on the trail!