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1 Mile Lava Tube:

Hike 2.5miles down a path leaving from mile 23 on the saddle hwy.  On your right is a hole in the earth.  Climb down the rocks, take 3 flashlights, and a friend: Super hostess Michelle.  You just keep heading down this long ‘culvert’ through the earth.  Stalactites, and stalagmites have a shiny silvery-black look.  Really cool, but being out here by yourselves, and seeing the frequent spots the roof has collapsed (this young rock here ain’t strong) is a little un-nerving. (more…)

Plan A: was to hit the road and make the 6h out of the desert in the cool of Sunday evening.
Plan B: was formulated until I woke up Monday morning having not made plan A. But I was showered, had slept 9h, and my belly was full of some Ames Famliy BBQ. Not to mention that I spent 2h in the pool, ‘cooling my core’ temperature, and otherwise cavorting with my homies Emily and Colin.

Before I even got to Vegas my butt was cramping, probably a combination of the worn out seat, and the racing. Subie, is possibly due for a timing belt change, and as a precaution I purchased the required belts, and ratchet set.. sitting as preventative measure in the shotgun seat. (more…)

The whole ‘life unscripted/ unplanned/ non-uneventful’ thing sounds swell on paper, but truth be told, sometimes my ‘carelessness’ (as some close to me may call it)

As I was packing to leave California it was brought to my attention that my passport was expired. It is not a requirement that you have a valid passport for entering Canada, even by plane, so, as it was a Sunday evening, I wasn’t terribly worried. Carley suggested I call Air Canada and see if this would be a problem. They told me it would, but, without other options I was hoping that… maybe they won’t notice it.

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Soo. I have been dog walking for the past 3 weeks, and I have one more week of it before jetting back into full Nat-ness. Well focused - hoping to be pro-triathlete Nat-ness. Ha. But for now, I am fund raising by walking the dogs.

It seems simple. I spend around 45 minutes driving around to various houses in the Doggy Taxi rounding the hounds up, once I have found a nice quiet trail-head, I open the bursting, parked car, and tear off through the woods for 45 - 60 minutes of acting like a dog myself. After which time, I round them up, clean them off (kinda), return them, tuckered-out to their homes. Then it’s off to the next group.

Easy-Peasy. Especially since they all know that I am ‘top dog’ and it’s old hat as it’s now my 3rd time walking… (more…)

Everything was steaming along fine in our deck renovations. Once Kev and I had finished 3 weeks of procrastination and started work. We also fabricated and painted cupboard doors to complement last winters back-splash.

Long story short, I was 2 days late, and starting to scheem up very complicated methods for ‘biking’ (car ride, train, bus, fed-ex) the 500km to Justin’s (yet to be organized) Stag in KW. Tracy who was (thank muchas) flying my suit up to Thunderbay for the wedding, called to see why I hadn’t dropped my shoes off, and then suggested ‘wouldn’t it be easier to car pool with me to Toronto tomorrow?’

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Hello there,

After the first 6 years when they grow an inch annually, Joshua trees will only grow a 1/2 inch per year, making this bad boy over 200. The lady in the national park asked my twice when I told her I did not need a bag for my post card. Happy Earth day buddy.
True to form my ‘16km hike’, on a trail that you ‘can’t miss’ ended up being a tad longer. Niki and I hiked from the Mojave side, where all the joshua trees are spread out like an orchard in the tilted desert, through/ over the dividing mountain range, to the side with the saguaro cactus.
People wonder what I am planning.

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Hey,

I realize that my last post said nothing, and I expect no better from this one. I’ve just been on the e-bizzl fritz some more. For those keeping track, I have already caught and ironed out my only shipping bug thus far.

One advantage E-Bay has over real-life-stores is that you don’t have to look at someone in the face and answer questions, like this one:

Q: just a precaution…but can i ask why your member location and item location dont match?….lots of scams floating around ebay, no disrespect or anything…thanks (more…)

Assault on Wolverine

woke-up, packed my gear, kitted-up in the Lifa, and then read, and cooked lunch. At lunch I was informed the hiking wolverine takes 3h in the summer, and will take me 5h today. So with 4h to hike, I was told to wait for tomorrow, so I left. But of course forgot ‘my’ trekking poles, since I didn’t put spikes in my shoes, I figured poles would be smart. (more…)