Memorial Day 2008

This Memorial Day a few friends and I had an unforgettable trip through the High Sierra playground. Normally by the end of May, the weather is warm and balmy with lingering snowpack. But this year, winter conditions were in full effect.

I cut the year's first tracks up and over Glen Pass (11,978') and through the Rae Lakes basin.



Using an ice axe we safely navigated through some treacherous conditions. I particularly enjoyed the way that these situations demanded my complete attention, putting me in a focused and fully present state of mind.



In lower elevations the trip began with a chilly rain.







But as we climbed higher, the temperature dropped and the precipitation changed to thick piles of accumulating snow.







Friends, adventure, challenge, scenery… easily one of best adventures ever.

Pemmican Bars Revisited

When we hiked the trail, we ate a lot of Bear Valley Pemmican Bars. Lauren's parents helped us find a bunch of them by buying cases at REI and Whole Foods in the greater Philadelphia/NJ area.

Somehow when we finished, we had scores of these things still laying around. After eating one or two per each day of the summer, I figured I would want to give them away.

But nearly seven months later, I guess I still eat about four or five a week. In fact, I'm getting down to the bottom of my Pemmican Bar stash, and am actually surprised that I still enjoy them. I can't believe they've lasted this long.

May/June ATJ

The latest Appalachian Trail Journeys magazine just came out which had the list of 2007 hikers who completed the trail. Seeing the 'regular' names of hikers we knew only by trail names was entertaining.

Strange but not unexpected was seeing number who claimed to have hiked the entire trail yet certainly didn't. I respect people hiking on their own terms, but to skip around and then posture as a thru-hiker is still remarkably lame.

Tucked away is also a spread with a few of my wildflower photos, followed by a page with a few taken by our friend He-Man.