Illustrated hiker with backpack looking out over a mountain valley

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North African Awakening
Personal Blog
October 12, 2016•5 min read

North African Awakening

"Do you remember your first kiss?"

This has been Tangier for me. In the short two-and-a-half days of being here, I feel like a lost child at the start of a grand adventure, full of bewilderment and awe, distracted by the sounds, the smells, the living. To some it's a dirty, downtrodden port, a necessary evil on your way to the true Morocco, or while you await escape across the strait to the safety, familiarity and comfort of Europe.

I've quickly come to recognize it as the crossing point of cultures and worlds, which never truly fit the ethnocentrism of the West or Middle East but which instead just seek to survive as some conceptual hybrid with a subtle hint of obliquity. The blackened streets are colored with the oil of life and every single layer contains a narrative and some you feel, a parable. Dark alleyways exhaling seductively deep whispers of 'hey my friend, I have good hashish' and the oh-so-sweet aroma of mint tea, seek to serve as icing on an already decadent, yet slightly deviant cake.

I commented to someone that the difference between crowds here and in Madrid is that instead of the insanity and aimlessness of tourism, every person here appears to walk with purpose or doing something. Selling, buying, drinking, eating, fixing things which look completely beyond repair, dodging the petite taxis careering down cobbled streets or just simply engaged in conversation. Maybe it's been the overly emotional Camino I just finished but this reminds me of why travel is so important. Not for the Sun or beaches but to experience all walks of life; to appreciate what you have back home but not equate it to happiness and to continually show how absolutely bloody wonderful it is, to be alive.

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Hike: North Fork to Hurricane Ridge
Personal Blog
July 30, 2016•15 min read

Hike: North Fork to Hurricane Ridge

On paper, something can look appealing, simple, even highly enjoyable.  One thing I know about travel and hiking (and still apparently have yet to learn) is that these attributes are usually logical fallacies, born out of ignorance or, commonly with me, denial. Yet again, I find myself on the wrong side of easy and amusingly, most of the time I wouldn't have it any other way.

North Fork to Whiskey Bend, bisects the Olympic National Park; a straightforward hike following the Quinault and then Elwha rivers North, before terminating a few miles up the road from the recently removed Glines Canyon Dam.  There are a multitude of options for bagging a few peaks or extending ridge trails but for this particular hike, we were (incorrectly) informed when calling the local rangers, that the intended higher routes were still somewhat inaccessible due to snow and so decided on hiking the valley for the most part.

During this first day, I've never seen so much available foraging.  Red Huckleberries, Blackberries, Salmonberries, Thimbleberries and Blueberries were available in such abundance that I hardly snacked on my packed food at all.  The wilderness food became more scarce as the hike went on but what a treat to start a four day adventure.

The first eight or so miles, gently incline through a trail which despite the alleged heavy usage and being noted as well maintained, is looking a little overgrown in places. Save for a few open areas by creeks, it's mostly all under the shade of old rain forest growth, giving a cool reprieve on hot days.  After passing eight miles, the trail steepens slightly, to accommodate the remaining 2500' to Low Divide.

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Hike: Mount Sawyer and Fisher Lake
Personal Blog
June 29, 2016•10 min read

Hike: Mount Sawyer and Fisher Lake

This was one hike which looked a fairly easy 9 mile out and back to Fisher Lake, yet ended up with a couple of interesting circumstances extending it to a 12 mile, 6+ hour jaunt. The trailhead of Tonga Ridge puts you high enough that any incline is moderate after the first 1/4 mile and is a pleasing stroll in partial shade, with some consistently beautiful views up to the Mount Sawyer turnoff.

We opted to head up to the peak of Sawyer first because the forecast was for cloud and potential rain later in the day, which would have likely masked the viewing distance at the top. The steep winding trail affords little shade and I would imagine that on a very hot day, one would have the concern of exposure to the burning Sun. I had commented at the time that this stretch is very similar to the hike up Bandera Mountain; equally unforgiving on a hot day.  Even in mid-June there was still some large areas of snow to traverse but despite carrying them, I didn't have to use my micro spikes.

The peak gives tremendous views including Rainier, Glacier Peak, and Baker to name the most famous.  A few bugs are prevalent but nothing to stop me from having lunch with a divine view and apart from the light drone of said insects, it's an utterly peaceful summit.

We made it halfway back to the trail junction when I realized I was missing my GoPro.  I had hung it on a tree branch while having lunch and had stupidly spaced on picking it back up.  I ran back up most of the trail before the previous nights alcohol took its toll and  reduced to a gasping crawl, I got back to the top, just as a couple of day hikers were walking off with my gear.  As it turns out, this was not as nefarious as it sounds; they saw the camera and knew we were on the trail so had assumed I'd either come back for it or just hang around the trailhead carpark at the end to ask about it. Anyway, I'm externally grateful to have caught up with them!

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Turtlehead Peak Hike
Personal Blog
May 6, 2016•5 min read

Turtlehead Peak Hike

I've been traveling to Las Vegas for a number of years now either for business, or on the way to the Grand Canyon, but I had never explored the absolutely delightful Red Rock Canyon before. Just 13 miles from the strip, this conservation area includes a scenic driving loop, expansive views, beautiful rock formations of reds, whites and browns and a multitude of hikes. As a solitary traveler here for just a few days, I took the bus to the airport from the strip, booked a ridiculously cheap rental ($25 for the day) and headed on out West.

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The car park at the head of multiple trails including Turtlehead is easy enough to find, but the actual trail up Turtlehead Peak took a lot more patience. There are so many crossing paths and tracks which look like they should be a trail, it can often be a little difficult to figure out which is the right way - judging by some of the notes in the summit diary, others had these same issues.

The first mile and a half are a pleasant 500+ft elevation gain, at which point the more challenging portion of the hike kicks in. For the next mile, the elevation progressively steepens along winding dirt and loose rock upward of another 1000ft to the summit. it's not overly difficult but concentration will avert some potential tragedy here. I mentioned the loose rock which I lost my footing on the descent a couple of times but exposure, especially in summer, could be a significant issue; there's no shade and no water. I passed a handful of people on the way up but not on the way down, only to assume they gave up and turned back. If you push through, you'll be rewarded with stunning views of Calico Basin and the surrounding peaks, as well as an unhindered view of Las Vegas itself. In total I was 6 hours from strip to canyon, back to strip, including picking up and dropping off the rental car. Highly recommended, if you need to escape the noise of Sin City for half a day.

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45 hours with Amtrak.
Personal Blog
May 25, 2010•20 min read

45 hours with Amtrak.

"It's so much better than flying," or so I'd overheard on a few occasions. Just how valid could that statement be, against a trip that was the same cost of flying but took almost forty hours longer? This, I needed to find out.

Amtrak has been around for 29 years, the name chiseled out of American interstate transport culture, along with Greyhound. Like its roadworthy kin, it has long since become an afterthought of travel planning, with crippling blows being hammered home by quick and cheap air alternatives. To set the record straight, pricing for an adult is not favorable if comparing with budget flights and online deals. Booking in advance and opting for a la-z-boy recliner as a bed, does reduce the Seattle to Chicago fare to the exact same $150 deal found for the flying alternative. <!--more--> King street station in Seattle is the terminal for any of the Amtrak Cascades, Empire Builder, or Coast Starlight destinations, so anticipation was high, of entering a modern experience full of excited passengers and bustling porters, eager to get a journey started. Due to current renovations, it takes a little investigation to locate the actual entrance to the building and once inside, enthusiasm tends to get lost in the dark and tired waiting area that suffocates anything modern with a courtroom and banking claustophobia. The building is over one hundred years old yet the once enchanting upper decor, is now hidden above a lowered false ceiling. It took several minutes of exploration and lifting of left-over construction material, before an electrical outlet next to seating could be found. There are a few outlets under the public pay-phones, if willing to suffer the kicks and glares of anyone needing to dial out and I find this unforgivable, considering many people would need at the very least to keep cell phones charged, prior to heading off on a multi-day trip.

Still thinking on 'airport schedule,' turning up almost two hours early was completely unecessary; train boarding is last minute, at just ten minutes before departure. Expect a free-for-all, as the first people to get to the appropriate coach get the best seating. Thinking of a window seat on the left-hand side? make a run for it and eyeball the exact location while you're approaching the door. Half of the coach is for single travelers, the front half being marked for groups of two or three, so plan on something near the rear that is not next to the stairway - the light and noise of people heading to the bathroom will not help the cause for sleep. The person you'll end up next to however, is certainly a game of chance. This isn't to say fellow travelers are unsavory but the next two days will be spent breathing, sleeping, and snoring, two feet from them. A good bet is to get chatting to people while still in the waiting room - striking up a conversation will not only pass time quicker, it could endear you to a better companion for the rest of the trip.

Without having time for warm bodies to mould into the seats, a broken announcement suddenly snapped everyone's neck's to attention. There was now a 'mechanical problem' and we would all have to step back off the train and wait for repairs. It would be another hour pacing the waiting room before getting back on board, during which time the train had departed to the depot for, apparently, a blocked toilet (you guys don't have a portable suction?). Finally the journey was able to get underway and only one and a half hours late.

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