Tag Archives: nature

Catch-up Part 1 (of 5): Strawberry Peak

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I’ve been relatively silent for the last couple of months.
Thus, it’s time to play catch-up.
Here is what has been going on between April and the present.

Strawberry Peak broke me like a little bitch. Back in mid-April, I went with Extreme Things on a hike to Strawberry Peak. Karl’s description began, “Flowing canyon stream, waterfalls, panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, serious rock scrambling, and a stunning peak climb…” These are all things I like. Rock scrambling ranks up top among my favorite pass-times. His description continued, “Although the distance to the Peak is only 3 miles, it is hard-fought with 2,860 feet of elevation gain including the infamous last mile which, in several places requires rock scrambling (using hands and feet to move up the mountain) and non-technical rock climbing. At long last, our efforts will be rewarded with stunning views all the way to the horizon from this Strawberry Peak…” Sounds good. Sign me up. I did.

I have never been good with intense heat. I dehydrate easily (I think it got worse after taking Accutane as a teen). I grew up in Louisiana where a max “elevation gain” would have measured in the dozens instead of the thousands. I hike up mountains fairly frequently, but I’m still not completely accustomed to the air pressure difference. April 13th arrived. 98 degrees Fahrenheit. I made the mistake of taking ONE liter of water. I also made the mistake of not wearing an ankle brace despite repeatedly twisting my ankle over the prior weekends. I was under the false assumption it had healed completely. Most of the hike was uphill in the Sun. The river receded quickly behind us. I was out of water a third of the way in (2 miles). Four more miles to go. I started out strong, but fell to pieces long before the halfway point. Luckily, some others in the group shared water with me. By the time we reached the rock scrambling near the top (my favorite part), I was too exhausted to enjoy it. On the way back, I took a tumble and twisted my ankle hard. I was suffering from heat exhaustion and limping, but I made it to the end.

It took a few days for my body to recuperate. Shortly thereafter, I bought a Camelbak with a three liter hydration pack. Now I always bring twice the water I expect to need.

The nice thing about Extreme Things is the events often teach me and others that we are capable of more than we may anticipate. It also humbles us when we get arrogant and under estimate the power of nature.

Watch me deteriorate before your eyes in more photos!

Bridge to Nowhere

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Saturday, a hike I have been anticipating for months finally came to fruition — The Bridge to Nowhere. In the 1930s a bridge was built in the wilderness north of Azusa intending to connect two under-construction roads. A flood washed them out and now decades later we have a bridge in the middle of nowhere (or the Sheep Mountain Wilderness if you prefer) people like to leap off attached by a bungee. A dozen of us set out under the leadership of Karl, head of Extreme Things. Before us was a 9-10 mile round-trip hike with multiple river crossings and some rock-scrambling. There was also a wild-card, a poodle named Max would be coming along. He would become a small furry ballast for some river crossers.

The hike was great. We crossed the river roughly ten times and I never grew tired of it despite its frigid and often turgid waters. Its depth ranged from shin to waist deep. I would love to return, hike to the bridge, then kayak back. At one point we were greeted with the option to cross via an overturned tree acting as a small bridge. Miles away was the actual bridge where we stopped for lunch and some exploring. It rises dozens of feet above the river. For a fee a Bungee group will let you leap off, bounce a few times, then reel you back in. In the future, I may give it a try.

The hike took us about three hours longer than anticipated, but it was time well spent. I’ll gladly return multiple times in the future. Patrick even made it back in time to meet his date.

See More Here, Sucka!

Cancun Part 5: Snorkeling

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On our last full day in Cancun, we went snorkeling. It was part of the Aquaworld Jungle Tour. At the marina, we mounted small two-man motorboats resembling rectangular jet-skis. Our caravan sped across a large lagoon through a watery jungle and into the Carribbean where be braked at a reef. Here we dove into the waters and swam about for a while.

More Snorkely Goodness

Cancun Part 4: Coba

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The weather reports were promising us rainy overcast days with occasional thunderstorms the entire week we would be in Cancun. We arrived to beautiful blue skies spotted with fluffy cumulus clouds. There would be only one muggy day with occasional rain—my birthday. A thunderstorm rolled in the night before and I was fearful that our Coba tour would be canceled. This was the tour I was most looking forward to. It promised the most fun (jungle hiking, kayaking, rappeling, zip-lines, and more) and it would be how my 30th birthday would primarily be spent. In the end, it all worked out for the best. This would be the only day it rained on our trip and it interfered with nothing. Had it rained a different day, our plans would have likely been altered. Thus, the fates chose well.

We rode through the back-roads of the Yucatan at top speeds heading for the jungle. There we paddled through a small lagoon and rendezvoused at a dock entering the jungle. We trekked to a subterranean cenote and swam after participating in a Mayan purification ritual. I had great hopes of seeing spider monkeys in the jungle, but luck was not with me. I didn’t give up hope, although. A quick drive to a nearby village brought us to our action portion of the trip. There we all rappeled into a canyon, then rode a zip-line across the jungle. Afterwards the villagers fed us a variety of local dishes. The last stop would be Coba.

Coba is another site featuring various Mayan ruins. The main attraction is a 60-foot high structure a few kilometers into the jungle. Climbing 120 or so steps brings you to the top with a spectacular view of the surrounding jungle—trees for miles in all directions. The day had been muggy, but there had been no rain after the storm of the previous night. That would change once Erika and I reached the halfway point approaching Coba’s apex. Droplets began to fall, within seconds a drenching rain was upon us. The options were turn back and be soaked or climb to the top and be soaked. We chose the latter. Minutes later she and I stood at the top staring into a misty jungle, water pouring down upon us. A few other climbers cowered in a tiny cubby at the top of the ruin awaiting a break in the rain. This is the best way to see Coba.

As we walked back through the jungle to the van, we were happy and saturated. Living in L.A. means constant dryness with tiny glimmers of rare sprinkles. Erika was ecstatic. She was soaking wet, walking through the jungle, dodging puddles, and surprisingly warm. Then I saw him. Scurrying across the path a few feet ahead was a dark spider monkey, his tail raised behind him. He bolted into the brush avoiding what remained of the falling rain and any potential danger from trail-walkers. By the time Erika turned to see him, he was gone. We were nearing the end of the jungle, the end of the tour. My chances to see a monkey were almost gone, but I hadn’t given up hope. No one else was around. I alone saw him. He was there for me—my birthday monkey.

See More Coba Photos Here

Cancun Part 1: Cenotes

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Erika and I spent five days in Cancun. We stayed at a fairly nice resort, the Gran Caribe Real. It’s one of those places where a flat price gets you a bed, all-you-can-eat buffets, and non-stop drinks while you are a guest. It’s a bit like a cruise ship on land. Of the five days we were there, we only spent one day exclusively at the resort. We weren’t going to fly all the way to Cancun and not seek out adventure. Over the next few days I’ll post pictures and such from the trip. First up, Cenotes.

I’d never heard of a cenote prior to my trip and I am going to assume most of you haven’t either. A cenote is essentially a sinkhole filled with fresh water. They vary in size, appearance, depth, and awesomeness. They can be found all over the Yucatan. We visited two: one near Chichen Itza and another on our way to Coba. They were both fantastic for different reasons. The first was roughly 150 feet deep, surrounded by lush vegetation, and visible from the surface. The water felt great and there was a diving platform 15-20 feet above the water. It was the well-known and commercial of the two. The second was accessible via a thin cave entrance and only after participating in a Maya purification ceremony. It was somewhat secluded, located within the jungle.

More Cenotes Pictures Here

More Caving

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Erika and I went on another Extreme Things hike to a Mine Cave. Anne Marie and Patrick came along as well. There were plenty of rocks and such to scramble over along the way, something that keeps me happy during any hike. After a couple of hours we arrived at the Dawn Mine. It is by far the most interesting of the mines we have visited thus far. It is rather large and full of broken beams and much of the cave is flooded shin-deep. At some points, the ceiling snakes up tens of feet occasionally leading into a second cave further up the hillside. There is also a forty-foot deep pool of stagnant water you may wish to avoid. The climb to and from the higher cave was quite exciting, steep and full of interesting climbing opportunities. The uppermost cave was full of bat dung, but, alas, no bats were inside.

More Pics Here

Busy Weekend

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I kept busy this weekend: three puppet shows with two workshops, a hike through Angeles Crest, and swimming this afternoon. Below are pictures of our hike through Angeles Crest to Switzer Falls. This is the third Extreme Things event Erika and I have attended and it was a good time. If you are in the L.A. area looking to do things outdoors, I recommend joining.

More Pics Here

Fire Flight Photos

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Directly across from us, roughly 200 yards, after we reached the top of our climb.
It took about 3 minutes to turn from a spark into this.
It, of course, doesn’t look nearly as foreboding in a photo.

If you haven’t read my prior post, now is a good time to check it out because I have pictures and you may want to know what I am talking about if you look at them.

More Pics Here

Adventures in Mining

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I returned to the Altadena Mines for the third time today. With me were Erika, Patrick and Anne Marie. We visited two mines, I explored the smaller claustrophobia-inducing one further this time, and we were making good time traversing the steep climb to the third cave. We stood at the summit taking a small break before entering the last mine shaft. Erika smelled smoke. Then, I heard crackling. Patrick pointed out a patch of smoke. Ahead, across the thin ravine, dancing up a hillside was a growing flame. It was moving quickly and growing steadily. Adjacent was the path we had taken into the gorge.

There was no time to waste. The route to the third mine is roughly thirty minutes of climbing rock faces ranging between five and fifteen feet, a few mildly precarious. The climb is dry, dusty, and littered with pebbles intent on tripping anyone not paying special attention to their footing. We launched down the mountainside. Sliding, jumping, slipping, occasionally climbing. We moved as quickly as possible without risking plummeting over an edge. As quickly as we moved down the mountain, the fire doubled moving up the opposing hillside. Erika and I slid into the gorge. Across from us, Patrick was waving us toward a somewhat slippery and dusty steep slope that would bring us to the exit path much sooner. Anne Marie was nearly at the top and smoke was beginning to roll in.

We jogged down the path towards the park entrance. Firefighters with hoses and fire trucks passing us along the way. The top of the nearby hill was already black and burned through. At one point, flames flickered along the edge of the trail. A helicopter passed overhead. We approached the street, a news van parked along the curb, spectators gathered outside their homes and near their vehicles staring into the distance. We were filthy, bruised, scraped, but we were not on fire.

I wonder what would have been the turn of events had we made it to the cave five minutes sooner. How strong would the blaze have been when we exited? Some hikers were air-lifted to safety. We were lucky enough to see the fire start and escape before it got too large. We were also lucky the weather wasn’t against us.

Al-Insan asked us not to do anything new and exciting without him. I hope he’s not too upset.
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