Monthly Archives: May 2015

General Posts

Father’s Day: 2015

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On Tuesday, after Memorial day weekend I had gotten a job on a car carrier going between Japan, Korea and the States. Since I was going to miss Father’s day (again) I hoped to surprise my parents with a little bit of (extra early) breakfast in bed.

The last few months since I had gotten off my last ship hasn’t been easy and there have been quite a few big life changes for me. Through it all my parents had been there for me, especially my Dad at some of the hardest points and wanted to make sure he knows I appreciate him. They would both have to run off to work, but what better way to start the day than breakfast in bed!

General Posts

Running: Point Pinole Regional Park

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Driving around the bay area I am always trying to look for new places to go for runs. I try not to be too picky about where I go because this can be detrimental to you working out. However, here are the basics:

  1. Safe area. Generally, there tends to be some risk when you park your car at a trail head and caution should always be used. I always try to put all my valuables in the trunk or out of sight.
  2. Course must be at least a few miles. I don’t mind laps, but not too many laps.
  3. Decent scenery to look at. I find I have my best runs on trails through nature.
  4. Bonus: Something new!

I was pleasantly surprised to see the park signs off the freeway and decided to give it a shot. After driving around for a while I finally found the parking area. Since it was Memorial Day it was full of cars and it seemed to be a safe enough area.

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I took the paved path to the pier and then ended up taking the skyline trail along the shoreline. It was a beautiful run and I really enjoyed the views of the bay from Pinole. I am always amazed by the parks I find in the bay area. I am sure to come back here!

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Bonus! As I was leaving I saw a sign for a 5k/10k/Half Marathon! Now I am signed up and will be back on Saturday!

 

 

General Posts

Madhouse: Tahoe on Memorial Day

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Since a few ships are arriving this week that need extra help I can only spend one day in Tahoe. Granted I get to spend it with two of my best friends. Traffic was insane on the way up and the casinos were teeming with people. The Tahoe economy desperately needs it though after the tough winter where we had record low snow levels.

Regardless, I’m happy to be up in one of my happy places. Tahoe is truly a special place and I am really grateful to be able to call it my home!

General Posts

Backpacking Big Sur

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Day One: Backpacking to Barlow Campsite.

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After driving to the Big Sur Station we parked the car at $5/ day with a visit to the ranger station for a campfire permit that was free. Since the severe drought in California there were no campfires allowed in any of the campsites except for camp stoves. The parking lot was reasonable full. It was the weekend before Memorial Day which they were expecting to be pretty full.

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The hike was beautiful and was amazing to see the difference in flora as the elevation was gained.

The trail head veered off to the first Camp Ventana which was a little past mile 4. Even though it was around 5pm for us we decided to keep going. Terrace creek camp was a mile later, but we still had plenty of light and made for Barlow flat Camp. We had hoped that we would make it to the Sykes hot springs, but since we had late start decided to end in daylight. The park ranger at the Big Sur Station mentioned that on weekends it was best to get to the hot springs early because it can get quite busy. However, we were happy for the seclusion of Barlow Camp.

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The camp was creek side and we arrived around 7pm. We were able to find a secluded spot even though there was several tents set up throughout the camp. Overall good day filled with lots of laughing. We hiked a total of 6 miles and gained about 1200′ of elevation before dropping back down to 1000′ creek side. 

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Day Two: Finished to Sykes Hot Springs

The next day we got up bright and early to hike the final four miles to the Sykes Hot Springs. After a scrumptious breakfast of eggs and oatmeal we packed up camp and headed out.  Since it’s easiest to keep our gear clean we generally use one pan for hot water and then each have our own cup for food/drinks. All the food we brought with us was backpacker ready.

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The beginning was mostly up hill and the rest was down hill as we descended back down into the canyon. We were there within two hours and easily found a great place for camp.

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Once camp was set up we decided to go find the hotsprings which were downstream of where the Pine Ridge Trail intersected with the stream.  There were several hot springs. The warmest and biggest being at the top.

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The water was perfect at 100 degrees fahrenheit.

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After about 30 minutes another group came and wanted to check out the hot springs so we got out and decided to take a dip in the cool stream.

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Pretty cold… but so refreshing! The rest of the day was spent relaxing in camp and a bit more exploring. Overall, another awesome day!

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Day Three: The Trip Back Home

The next morning was spent having a quick bite, packing up camp and refreshing out water stores.  The MSR MiniWorks EX Water Filtration System worked really well. I really like how it screwed right onto my Nalgene bottle for easy filling.

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The 10 miles back felt awesome and I was a little sad to be leaving. It had been a good weekend and had fulfilled it’s purpose of letting me get away for a little while and clear my head. The combination of being outside and physical exertion is enough to get you out of your head!

General Posts

Backpack Big Sur: Preparation

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As I am getting ready to backpack Big Sur, I like to lay everything out so I can review my inventory. The menial task calms me and lets me organize my thoughts. Sometimes you just need to go to ground. It’s important to be inaccessible and remove yourself. You just have to go to a place where there isn’t a smart phone in your ear and you can’t check your statuses. Where you are unreachable and you have a chance to be yourself unrestricted from other’s expectations. Life is put into perspective when your biggest priorities that day are thoughts like: Where is the water source? Are we going the right way?

Not only does this remove a layer of stress, but it helps you think more clearly and creatively. Let go of the tunnel vision and let go of what was bothering you. Life won’t seem so bad. Your problems won’t seem so important when you’re walking underneath redwood trees that will keep on living long after you.

This last week saw me make a difficult decision. It was the right decision, but was still difficult even though I believe it will aid my long term happiness. The past three months have seen a lot of changes in my life. My biggest mistake has been not realizing my own weakness and to let myself heal.

I have limited Backpacking experience so here are some of my sources for preparing my gear and finding a great location:

http://www.backpacker.com/destinations-stories/adventure-weekend-hike-big-sur-california/

http://www.rei.com/content/dam/documents/pdf/Gear%20Checklists/Printer%20Friendly/Backpacking_Checklist_PDF.pdf

General Posts

Mother’s Day 2015

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This time of year is always stressful for me. I’ve been off ship for three months and I am itching to get back to work. For the last three years I have been able to be a part of Mother’s Day for one reason or another. I think somehow my Mom works some kind of Mom magic to keep me around.IMG_0507

Every holiday that celebrates my parents is met with me bringing them breakfast in bed… plus some snacks for later. I usually sit on the end of the bed and we will talk for awhile. I cherish these moments together and even though I am ready to be back on ship it still memories I’ll always have.

Mother's day 3 Afterwards, we set off to Saluti Cellars in Somerset, California to see the rest of the family. I’m grateful that I was able to spend this time with my family.

General Posts

First Hash

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After a slow week at the union hall looking for jobs the weekend came early in the form of a…Hash! I was first introduced to hashing (no, not drug related… just lots of beer) by one of my sailing buddies. Though I’m no longer a ‘virgin’ hasher I’m still new, but I will try to explain as best as I can.

Basically, a hash is a running event put on a group called the: “Hash House Harriers” or H3. It’s a running event with a large social aspect and a large amount of camaraderie. I was lucky enough to join the Gypsies in the Palace of San Rafael, California.

After meeting at the appointed time and place (and being vetted… you can’t be squeamish or too politically correct with this group) the “Hares” started out and the “hounds” chased after. It’s the Hare’s job to set the trail with chalk and flour. Sometimes when the trail splits the hounds will have to split up to find the right trail to follow the Hares. The Hares will do this to slow down the hounds and to make it more fun.

The trail views were beautiful. After climbing some significant hills we were looking over the bay. The weather was clear enough that we could see San Francisco in the distance. The trail took us through the bush, over drainage ditches and even tame sidewalks. The terrain was varying.  After almost 5 miles we arrived back where we started for beer, songs and a BBQ.

Though I’m still a “just” I hope to continue hashing. The sense of adventure and fun seems to fit my type of people.  While my two friends and I were new to that Hash House there was also a transplant from Switzerland who happened to be in the area  on vacation. I enjoyed finding out how international the group is. I look forward to see what the gypsies and other H3s have in store.