May the four winds blow you home again

I am safely back from the Memorial Weekend trip to the north Georgia area. After about 6 days, 1300 miles, 1200 pictures (yes, that is not a typo), and a couple thousand feet in elevation of climbing, I am exhausted, but very, very satisfied. That was about the best vacation I've had in a long time. I have a lot to catch up on (300+ emails, an upcoming court case, new roommate moving in, unpacking, and a weeks worth of work to do at the office this weekend), so it may be a couple of days before I can reply to messages, update the blog, or do anything recreational. Thanks for all the greetings from friends when I was away. You're all the best.

Curb drunk driving..outlaw cars

After several days of hiking, camping, drinking, and relaxing, I was ready to head back home. I did do a couple of tourist thing in downtown Atlanta and visited the 'World of Coca-Cola' museum as well as take the studio tour of the CNN facilities. The Coke tour was ok and really just had a bit of the history of the product from the start as a counter drink to being bottled with a later change of the trademarked shape. After seeing all the marketing the company has done over the years, there were free samples given at the very end. Sure it was nothing but marketing, but interesting enough to me to be worth a couple of hours.

About 1/4 of the way back home I finished listening to Dan Brown's 'Angels and Demons' as a audiobook that I started soon after leaving Tampa on Wednesday. As my buddy Jason mentioned in his blog, the stories seem to read about the same with very similar theme, female love interest, history, and even twist at the end. Pretty much the entire way I was able to figure what was happening next, but I think it was still well written and was interested in the story. I only made stops for gas and my traditional Dairy Queen dipped ice cream cone (something I get on the tail end of every road trip) and was able to arrive home safely. Overall, it was an incredible weekend. Somehow the timing of everything was able to work out so well and though I was winging most of it, there really wasn't any lull or backtracking. I'm definitely going to try to make the campout next year and hope to be able to plan to similar hiking around that weekend as well.

Men stumble on stones, not mountains.

I was up a bit late Sunday (thanks to Yucca, apple pie shots, Tequila Rose, and a lot of other colored liquids with funny names) and slept in quite a bit Monday morning and was surprised to see much of the camp already packed up and gone by the time I was able to stir. After scrounging what I could of any remaining breakfast I too broke camp before taking a shower. There were a few hard core folks still hanging around doing laps in the golf carts, but most had left to travel home or spend with family. Since I had a couple of days before I had to be back home, I headed over to Stone Mountain on the east side of Atlanta. While I was expecting a bit of a toursity park, I wasn't ready for the size of the place and beauty of the area. Even with hundreds of families setting up grills and picnics around the place, it did not seem too crowded. I walked through the shops for a bit before heading off on the trail that skirted the base of the mountain. I finally found the walker's trail to the top and started climbing. I thought the Tallulah Gorge climb was a bit of an effort, but this was just a long climb. It kept going, and going, and going, but was well marked with plenty of other folks making the same trek up and down.

I took plenty of water and shade breaks and when 3/4 of the way up ran across a young lady that was having a very difficult time. Apparently she was already at the point of some pretty dangerous heat exhaustion since her skin was dry and clammy with the body already having to start shutting down some things. Though her husband was a bit behind her, it seemed pretty clear that neither of them had any real outdoor experience. Apparently not wanting to 'have an upset stomach due to the heat' she didn't eat anything that day and only carried up a 12oz bottle of Sprite for fluids. This was a pretty steep area and I had no doubt than much further would find her passing out and sliding down the mountainside. I and another random hiker got her to the shade and started cooling her off with my water soaked bandanna (which I never got back) as well as water and a couple of granola bars that I was carrying in my water pouch. I filled her soft drink bottle with my remaining water (since I knew there were faucets on the top) and waited until her body was back in control.

The rest of the hike was uneventful as I made my way to the top where many tourists (most having ridden up in the gondolas) were enjoying the view. There were bathrooms, air conditioning, and cold water fountains that made the rest enjoyable as I sat by the observation areas. After cooling off I spent quite a bit of time walking around the top taking in the various views. Since it was getting late and I wanted to explore the rest of the park I jumped on the gondola for a quick descent. After visiting the 732-bell Carillon located my one of the lakes, I jumped into the truck for a ride around the mountain. There were a lot of people out biking and walking the trails next to the roadway as I passed numerous playgrounds, parking areas, and forested picnic areas. I headed over to the covered bridge (right) and was able to enjoy my first experience with such a building. I can understand now the allure that these historic structures have with many photographers and travelers.

After a quick stop at replica of an old water powered mills (left) I headed to Atlanta to visit with a friend and get a chance to get my first real shower in several days. I wish I had more time to explore the park, but was able to really enjoy checking out some old, abandoned rail cars and engines that I came across. It was really neat to be able to walk around the old cars that were nearly swallowed up by the surrounding landscape. I was treated to a nice sushi dinner that, even after two hungry people scouring and ordering more, only cost about $11 per person. If sushi is that cheap everywhere there, I am definitely moving!

Camping is nature's way of promoting the motel business.

After finishing up at the falls on Friday, I had to head south of Atlanta to meet up will the folks at the Memorial weekend campout. The Atlanta Hash House Harriers put forth their 20th annual 'Hedon' campout on the property of one of their members. There were over 140 people (left) there throughout the weekend. I'm not going to be able to blog too much about the events because so much was going on. The trail on Saturday was a 3.5 mile shiggy trail (which means all offroad and through some very, very difficult terrain). There were some major portions where we were up to our thighs in mud and were pushing out way through briars and brush. I was able to get through relatively unscathed, however some people were not so lucky (right).

There were many groups that performed skits Saturday night as well as participating in the 'Hash Olympics' on Saturday that consisted of various displays of athletic (snicker) prowess. Since the property was quite large, there were groups spread everywhere, which made visiting and chatting fun as one simply walked around the place enjoying themselves. The food was plentiful and the beer was ever flowing. I had a great time meeting with everyone and joining in the random bits of fun. This is definitely an event I am going to be trying to hit every year.

Sure I can swim 100 yards in two seconds - over a waterfall!

Today I was reenergized and ready to check out Dukes Creek Falls. After taking about 3 minutes to break my tent down (I love this hammock) I got my pack ready for the hike. The hike to the Dukes Creek Falls was very easy, but it was still a little over a mile using three switchbacks for the relatively smooth and even trail. The observation decks got one relatively close to the falls, however there was still a good bit of vegetation in that block any good camera shots. Sheesh, don't they know that I need them to clear-cut some of the trees so I can get some good pictures of nature!?! While playing a bit with the camera settings, I was able to get a few decent shots.

Old White water rafters never die, they just get disgorged.

Since I wasn't able to get an early start on the trip, I decided not to travel as far as the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. On the advice of a friend, I decided to make my first trip to Tallulah Gorge State Park. This was a site at which Karl Wallenda, on July 18, 1970, made a famous high wire crossing of the gorge, while doing two head stand, with little but several hundred feet of air below him. There is a suspension bridge (right) that crosses the gorge and takes one down to the floor for a great view of one of the falls (left).

In order to hike the rest of the gorge, one has to get a limited (free) permit from the park office on the day of the visit. There were not any real trails on the bottom, so most of the hiking was bolder jumping and climbing. There were several other nice falls along the way. On certain days the dam releases more water for not only aesthetics but also so that kayakers can enjoy the run. Swimming was only allowed at on the last set of falls and pooling area. Bridal falls made for a nice sliding ride into the cool (only 67 degrees according to my watch) water. I met a bunch of seniors from LSU and took some shots of them and later had one of them get some pictures of me going down as well (right).

Unfortunately, every step one takes down into the gorge is one step up that one has to exert. The climb out was a pretty straight shot up and was a bit tiring, especially when I noticed a small storm coming in with a bit of a scramble to find shelter. I was able to make it to the top just as the rain started and took a break under one of the information booths as I waited for the storm to pass. After a light 20 minute shower the skies cleared and I headed along the south ridge trail. I made sure to check out all the different overlooks as well as the spot there the old tower that held the cable for the high-wire walk was still located. I looped by the Tallulah Dam and headed back to the park center. Throughout the whole trail system there were some really nice views.

After leaving the park, I headed toward Anna Ruby Falls near Unicoi State Park, just outside of the Helen. Since it would get dark soon, I went to the Anna Ruby Falls recreational area so I could get in some pictures before it got too late. Since the light was dying, the pictures didn't come out great, but I was able to get in a couple of decent shots (left) before I had to sprint to the gate before it closed for the evening.

I was able to get cleaned up in the Unicoi State Park camping area and then headed back into Helen to find some grub. The town of Helen is a re-creation of an alpine village complete with cobblestone alleys and old-world towers. I enjoyed chatting with some of the locals while I awaited my food at one of the local taverns but could definitely feel the days strenuous parts catching up to me. After driving around for a bit I was able to find a place to crash near the site of the next day hike, Dukes Creek Falls.

Statistics show that people with more birthdays live longer.

Well it seems that I have survived 30 years of the world trying to do me in. I had been hoping to have already been in the mountains today, but being sick for a week really put me behind. I had to start packing everything last night and this morning and did not get to leave town until about 3 o'clock in the afternoon with a plan to sleep near where I am going to hike Thursday. After a stop in Gainesville for a little birthday dinner (which took quite a while) at Outback, I was on the road again for a straight shot to Tullulah Gorge in northeast Georgia. Before leaving I downloaded all the maps and coordinates I needed in into the GPS and set up the routes between all the different point that I planned to hit. I loved this little tool as it made things so much easier and it was accurate within about 20 minutes of the estimated time it would take me to arrive and finally got to the park around 2:30AM. After driving around for a short bit I was able to find a place to throw my hammock tent that was out of the way and where I wouldn't be bothered and bedded down for the night.

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin

One of my pet peeves these days is the pointless nature of most 'security' procedures or efforts that are seen pretty much everywhere one goes. The biggest thing that gets me are the 'security' folks that look through a bag when going to some place like Busch Gardens or Disney. When asked why, they state that they are checking for weapons, but they have no supporting reason when asked why they do not check people as they go in. Unless a gun barrel is sticking out of someone's baggy pants, they would have no clue as to what anyone is carrying. So much focus is placed on absurd 'risks' when there are clearly so many way to produce chaos. Unless you're Tyler Durden or some media-whore terrorist, then why focus on blowing up a building when targets are so much easier? Some security guy had a contest, as a means of promoting his book, in the month of April to come up with the best movie plot terrorist threat. He pointed out five different tendencies people have to exaggerate risks: to believe that something is more risky than it actually is.

1. People exaggerate spectacular but rare risks and downplay common risks.
2. People have trouble estimating risks for anything not exactly like their normal situation.
3. Personified risks are perceived to be greater than anonymous risks.
4. People underestimate risks they willingly take and overestimate risks in situations they can't control.
5. People overestimate risks that are being talked about and remain an object of public scrutiny.
   

Something as simple as having 20 guys coordinate the throwing of firebombs out a car window when the mid-west forests are at their most dry point and would cause more damage than anything from 9-11. It wouldn't even be a new idea since the Japanese even sent fire balloons in WWII to as a mainland attack.

I am sick and depraved - please feed me drugs and cookies

Uggg, sometimes it just sucks to be me. I was so looking forward to the campout this weekend at Ginnie Springs. During the week I got the camper cleaned up, gear together, and even shopping at Costco for hamburgers and stuff to cook out. On Wednesday I was feeling kind of tired, but figured it was just from working outside much of the week. By Thursday afternoon I knew it wasn't good since I had a slight fever that I hoped would go away. Well, it only went up and I was at a 101+ for most of the day Friday. I was hoping to even get a bit better by Saturday enough to at least go up and hang out, but with still a slight fever and couch this morning, it just wasn't going to be a good idea to spend 6 hours on the road round trip, and hang around 40 people and potentially get them sick. I figure I better not push myself if I'm going to keep up with my plan to do some hiking in North Carolina next weekend for the 10 day trip. Thanks to Adrienne for running to the store for me since I couldn't easily drive, especially with the camper currently attached to the truck. It is nice to have some friends willing to look out for you.

California Raisin arrested - suspect in cereal killings!

Well I have finally booked the flights and made the reservations for the California trip. I'm going to be flying to Los Angeles on July 6 and will be picking up a car from the airport. I'll hang around LA for the afternoon and evening and probably attend the free concert that the Indigo Girls will be putting on at the Santa Monica pier as part of the 'Twilight Concert series'. After that I'll head down to San Diego for the annual RDR (already over 450 people are pre-registered). There may be a couple of extra runs the day or so after and I'm hoping to do a quick trip to Tijuana if I can find anyone interested in going.

Over the next week I'll be heading up the coast and want to check out a few spots such as Joshua Tree National Park, the Napa Valley area with the wineries, and then hit the northern part of the area to visit the redwood forests. I'll be flying out of San Francisco around 9PM on July 18th and will get back home the next day around 9AM. If anyone has advice on any particular things to see, then definitely let me know. I'll be taking the laptop and wireless card (I love open, unsecured networks) so that I can stay connected with folks, research stuff as I need, and download pictures from the camera. I just got a 2GB flash card in today, but suspect that I'm going to need a lot more space than that.

Oh yeah, it is going to be a great summer!

Culture is roughly anything we do and the monkeys don't.

I had a pretty busy weekend. On Sunday I visited the Tampa Museum of Art for the first time since I have been in Florida while hanging out with a friend for the afternoon, Cherie. She's always involved in her Master's program and pretty much the only time that the stars align to giver her a few moments is between semesters. The best part about going to events like that with friends, at least those on your level, is the ability to chat about each of the pieces and make jokes. There is definitely a lot of humor in art if you try. After spending quite a bit of time there, we walked over to the University of Tampa campus to explore a bit as well as check out what kind of festival was happening. On the way there we stopped at the amphitheater so I could show here the location of my virtual geocache so she could experience the effect that occurs when standing in a certain spot (think perfect acoustical parabola). Before getting to the campus, we stopped by Snow Park which was once listed a the world's smallest park. It was really fun to walk around UT's Plant Hall since it was a major high end hotel back in the late 1800's. The architecture was really exquisite and we were able to check out a lot of nooks and crannies, even a fire escape or two. It was pretty easy to get lost in the depths of the building and I'm sure it'd have a really spooky feeling if there alone late at night!

After the exploration, we walked around Plant Park where there was an Israeli Independence day celebration. There was a live group doing some reggae (very much like Matisyahu) as we walked around a bit, though seemed to miss the most active time since many booths were packing up. With an hour and a half left, we hit the Florida Aquarium for a little while and got to see the cruise ship 'Miracle' leave dock. That will be the ship upon which I will be staying on the hash cruise in September. After a quick Bennigan's dinner, we headed back to Brandon where Cherie left her car. It took a lot of begging on, ummm, her part, yeah that's it; but finally the skee ball challenge was accepted. I cannot reveal the outcome, however it seems the year of working at Chuck E Cheese in high school actually might have given a bit of an edge.

Overall, it was a fun afternoon. I have a lot of cleaning to do this week and organizing in the garage since I need to find all my hiking gear before taking off at the end of the month for a trip to North Carolina.

Shout out to my fan!

It seems someone finally noticed my public blog after being up for 4 months! Thanks for pointing out the printout of the yahoo and the blog profiles. Powers of deduction (or that of Google) can be astounding and all should be in awe.

Welcome! Feel free to look around.

Do ex-musicians ever get disconcerted or even decomposed?

My friend Corey and I went to see 'They Might Be Giants' at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg last night. I remember listening to their album 'Flood' way back in high school and one of my first memories of my new fond freedom of operating a car in high school was going to visit my friend Caroline one evening. She was at a friend's birthday party and called me to see if I was interested in joining. I drove over to James Island and hung out with them for the evening and was even taught (though I cannot remember any of it for the life of me) how to dance to 'Istabul, not Constantinople'. I even took her friend out for a date one evening soon after and went to see 'A Few Good Men' when it was in the theater. Anyway, after that I remember listening to the album a the homes of different friends and thought it was neat to listen to something other than simply mainstream music. I suppose that was my first real taste to alternative music. Who knew that they would be around 15 years later and still churning out stuff? I wasn't able to stay out very late since I had someone (that contacted me through couchsurfing.com) that was visiting from out of town on a Florida vacation that was going to stay at my place for a couple of evenings.

An old timer is someone who remembers when a baseball game was called because of darkness.

It has been over 20 years since I went to a baseball game. My friends Tara, Tom, and Liz came up foam Naples to watch the Devil Rays play the Red Sox at the Thunderdome (what it was called way back when the Lightning used to play hockey there and before it call named after the orange juice). Tara was nice enough to purchase tickets and leave them at Will Call for Corey and myself since we were running a bit behind. The seats were in the outfield area pretty much directly under large monitor, but we still had a good view. While there is no half time or periods between the innings, there still seemed to be a lot of down time among the action.

The best part is just hanging out with friends during the game and conversing. Afterwards we hung out at one of the local bars for a while as the traffic died down. Overall I might attend a few more games after the good experience. Recently some of the rules of the stadium changed in that there is now free parking plus a specific allowance for people to bring in their own water bottle, some limited food, and even personal cameras (I took the above picture with my stock 18-55mm lens since my 70-300mm lens did not arrive until later in the week). This would entice me much more to attend future games since the stringent rules at other stadiums are such a turn-off.