SF to Vancouver Adventure Part 4

This adventure is grander than I remember.  But the pictures don't lie I guess.


Tuesday 7/1/14 - Portland/Seattle
Today I woke up on Ryan's small couch and like the good friend that I am, I drove him to work.  He then gave me a tour of the Nike campus: kind of a symbiotic relationship.  It is gorgeous and has tons of great fields and facilities.  Then he went off to work or train or workout or whatever he does there, and I started on my way to Seattle.
I drove directly to Von Trapps, a German beerhall that Cronin took us to last year.  It was showing the USA World Cup game, so I met Cronin there with some of his resident friends.  The food was so good.  The game was not.  Oh well, let's go Germany.
We then went to a park/beach right on Lake Washington.  The water felt great and it had INCREDIBLE views of Rainier.  There was even a little dock with a high dive board.  Imagine jumping off a high dive with Mt. Rainier as your backdrop.  Now die because your life just peaked.

Just the view while swimming.  HOW DO YOU ADJUST TO THAT???

The adventure continued as we went to a delicious burrito place in Belmont neighborhod.  I stuffed myself with what might have been a five pound burrito (living in the Mission District in San Francisco now, this is a pretty common occurrence.  But at the time that was so magical.)  Then Cronin, his resident friends, and I went over to Gasworks Park and met up with James.  We chilled in the park for a bit with some beer; it was great hanging out with these two.  And I love that park.  Someone had the fantastic idea to turn an old gasworks facility into a beautiful park.  And it has a great view of downtown Seattle from across Lake Union.

Dat Skyline

Just a couple of champs champing it up

Gasworks!  YOU ARE ART NOW.

James, Cronin, and I then went to a dive bar with "zoo" in the name (so you know it's good) and had a few beers whist reminiscing until it was time to head home.  Such a great laid back day.  I love Seattle.


Wednesday 7/2/14 - Northern Cascades National Park
Today I got up early with Cronin and his roommate Becky.  While they went off to work, I drove the two-ish hours to North Cascades National Park.  A beautiful park in the North of Washington, near Canada.  I spent most of my day driving to various viewpoints to see sweeping vistas of these magnificent mountains.  Especially Diablo and Washington Gap overlooks.  I could stay at these two all day.  And the weather is great, so driving through the park is just a really pretty, fun time.
The river running along the main highway (where I stuck to most of the day) is home to three hydroelectric dams that help power Seattle.  These dams offer some pretty great views as well, especially since you can drive or walk over two of them.  So freaking pretty.  It's just really cool to see a work of engineering art in the midst of a gorgeous mountain range.  Hard to beat.  I basically just found myself snacking or eating lunch by the river most of the day just taking in the sights.  What a lazy bum.  Tomorrow is my day to venture forth and do some intense hikes up into the mountains.  There's still a fair amount of snow, but I should be all set with my microspikes.

I had to photoshop this to look uglier so it wouldn't completely blow your mind

SO FREAKING FUNCTIONAL

Nature makes electricity for us sometimes

It's July and that's snow over there

"Oh I didn't see you there, you caught me hanging out by this hydroelectric dam and mountain"

I started getting annoyed by all the "normal" timer pictures

Also there were random mountain goats

And some birds.  Whatever.

For now I'm just hanging out at Diablo overlook, trying to see i the sunset will be decent.
It was ok... the mountains were so close that the Sun just went behind them and didn't really go through enough atmosphere to make the really crazy colors that I'm used to at this point.  But it was still a nice night, cooking up some dinner back at camp.  I'm heading back up to Diablo overlook later at night to see how the stars look up there.
Yeah I didn't do that.  I was tired and the sky looked overcast.


Thursday 7/3/14 - Northern Cascades National Park
Today was nuts.  I hiked 18 miles today amidst some of the grandest mountains I've ever seen.  I ended my day super exhausted, but happy about that accomplishment.
I started early, driving about an hour over to Cascade Pass trail.  This requires you to leave the park and come in on a gravely, dirt road.  Thanks, that's always a fun and not-nauseating ride.  I started the hike up to Cascade Pass at about 8am, originally intending to hike up to Boston Glacier.  But the entire morning I was fogged in.  I couldn't see anything, even after the path turned to snow and I had to pop on my microspikes.  Oh well.  At least I made it to Cascade Pass... I think?  The trail kind of disappeared in the snow, and then got dangerously steep, which is where I think the trail continued to the glaciers.  Risking my life for fog wasn't worth it, so I turned around.  The views cleared a bit on my way down though, so you know, that's fun for whoever got to see that later in the day.

Wow, such a great view from up here!

That's pretty cool... it'd be nice if I could see this stuff when I was higher up maybe.  No?  Ok don't worry about it.

I then immediately drove to the town of Diablo to hike Sourdough trail, which I was advised against by a park ranger.  She didn't realize I have my microspikes though, and that I'm a complete baller.  Snow can't hold me back.  The trail description was "steep and strenuous."  No.  Fucking.  Joke.  Definitely one of the steepest trails I've hiked before.  I made fast time at first though, running up these steep switchbacks; I was motivated by the fact that I started hiking at 2pm and wanted to finish the 10.5 mile round trip hike before sunset.  It was definitely strenuous too - a lot of parts weren't maintained (I think it's too early in the season possibly), so I was climbing over a lot of downed trees.
And then I got to where the snow started.  Kind of scary, because the trail just disappeared beneath the snow.  But I saw a pair of boot tracks, so I followed wherever that guy went.  There was supposed to be some sort of fire lookout at the end of the trail, but nope, I never found that.  Instead, I followed my mystery guide's tracks around through a snowy meadow and up a steep, STEEP incline to the top of a mountain.  I was worried on multiple occasions that I would slip, which would have resulted in me sliding down the entire fucking slope to the bottom of the mountain.  But I had faith in these random footprints.
I passed treeline to see some breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain ranges and the lake waaaaay down below (I think this mountain was an elevation gain of 5000 ft).  At the snowy top of the mountain is was 360 degree view surrounded by amazeballs mountains.  Surrounded.  It was beautiful and incredible.  So glad the fog had cleared.  Words can't describe the feeling of romping on top of a mountain completely surrounded by the Cascades.  Absolutely astounding.

Get out of here

So yeah just mountains in every direction

I "like" this stuff apparently

So now I have to go down there again

Meh, it's ok I guess

The trip down was certainly quicker, but not without its dangers (namely, getting lost and/or falling and breaking a leg).  With the Sun setting, I admit that a few scenarious that would end in me dying popped up in my head.  Since I was on the trail alone (I literally didn't see another person the entire hike), it wouldn't take much.  A broken leg, a random slip, or just getting lost in the snowy, trail-less area would certainly be it for me.  I shook those fears off.  Sliding down the snow was quick, nothing would stop me until I hit a tree at mach speed.  I pondered this when I noticed the Sun creating a perfect rainbow circle in the sky, thanks to the thin mist of cloud above me.  I couldn't take a picture of it, so I will have to remember it as a truly unique and awesome sight.
The remainder of the hike down, past the snow sections, were very tiring (it was a long way up).  My dogs were barking beyond any level dogs had previously barked in all history.  So glad to take my soaking wet boots off.
I combined my dinner with my new campsite neighbors, which is great, because i'm down to half a bag of raisins and a can of beans.  Plus it's good to have someone to talk to.  Back to Seattle tomorrow.
One last note about the North Cascades in general - there is no reception for radio stations in most places.  Literally no stations.  I can press the "seek" button and it will scan through the entire frequency range and keep looping until I stop it.  I hadn't seen that before.


Friday 7/4/14 - Seattle
I got up early and started my way toward what I assumed was Seattle.  I didn't have reception for most of the drive, so i was driving blind (in terms of directions, not vision.  That would be a horrible way to drive).  But hey I made it, so everyone wins.  I met up with James in Capitol Hill at a bar to watch a couple World Cup games.
I met some of his friends, and at this point had enough beers in me to decide to join them as they took a ferry over to Bainbridge to watch fireworks.

Sweet views from the ferry

More of those same exact sweet views but actually different views

Just a couple of champions riding a boat

EVERY FREAKING TIME with this thing!

Now we're on the other side of the Sound because TECHNOLOGY

Drinks were had, fireworks happened, the view of Seattle was insane - it was just a blast.  We had to make the last ferry over, but had enough time to hop into the Sound for a swim.  I also got slightly lost on my way back to Cronin's.  But nothing crazy, just hitchhiking for an hour and hopping into an Uber car that was not at all meant for me.  It was a grand day overall.


Caturday 7/5/14 - Vancouver
And today was the day that I took a hungover drive up to Vancouver, British Columbia with Cronin.  It is only a 2.5 hour drive... depending on how long the wait at the Canadian border is... so it's actually way way longer.
But hey we made it... to Canada!  Our hotel, however, was in the absolute worst part of Vancouver.  Shoddy buildings and completely insane people.  A LOT of homelessness.  So yeah we were experiencing some trepidation as we started exploring the city.  But by the time we reached the Gaslight district the city looked pretty nice.
Our first task was to immediately find some food because we were starving.  So we ate a ton of Japanese food and then had a drink at the brewpub down by the harbor (Canada spells it "harbour" though).  Whistler beer.  The port area was beautiful.  We walked around for a good long while and went to the Vancouver Lookout, grabbing a beverage while checking out some cool views of the city as the restaurant revolved 360 degrees.

Cronin's gonna Crone

And then some Olympic torch thingy thing

That's something too!

Pretty good setting for a Bloody Mary

And then there's this spheroid that is possibly vaguely museum related

We walked around a ton more - we seriously walked so much today holy crap.  And then went back over to the Gaslight district for a drink and some doner kebab.  We didn't stay out too late, but had a good time with a drink here and there.  So we called it early after a long day of walking around the city.  This city reminds me of a cross between Chicago and Seattle - lots of skyscrapers made of glass in a pretty setting.


Sunday 7/6/14 - Vancouver/Seattle
Today was raining when we got up.  It's weird; the only  times I've been in the rain on this trip were one night in Yosemite and in Canada.  But it was a short day in Vancouver.  We woke up, had the shitty continental breakfast, and drove North to Stanley Park.

Vancouver in the rain - it's like regular Vancouver but with rain.

Totem Poles!

We really didn't have much impetus to walk around in the rain.  But we did end up seeing crazy totem poles and a lighthouse.  So that's good.  Anyway, after that we drove back to freedom aka the US.  And back in Seattle it was sunny and we had some delicious salmon!
Unfortunately now is the time that I have to pack.  And it is going to take some doing.  And that rental car reeks.  This redeye back to Boston is going to be tough.


Fantastic west coast road trip!  I guess it's time to start planning the next one.

30% of this hike was spent sledding on our asses

It was ridiculously gorgeous out this past weekend, so eight of us went up to NH to hike Carrigain. It's not too bad of a hike, but in the winter and spring the access road is closed, so that adds about 2 miles each way. Still though, not crazy.

Best part of the hike? Evan with gloves and no shirt.

The temperature (somewhere between "holy balls it's nice out" and "you guys. it's too perfect out right now. I need to go to a hospital") was both a benefit and a detriment. The benefit, as you can see above, was that it was so nice we got to see Evan's nips for the entire hike. The downside was that the snow was a bit melty and we would sink into the knee-deep snow every 10 or 11 steps.

The mittens aren't as helpful as she was hoping

There were a few... "precarious" river crossings before any real elevation gain. But we made it across with less than thirty incidents, so I'm counting it as a win.
We then stomped our way to the top of the mountain quite literally. We were sinking into the snow all over the place. But it was worth it, because the view from the top was ridiculous. It was a big wooden platform at the top with a 360 degree view. Apparently you can see the most amount of 4000 footers from this summit.

Mt. Washington, you think you're so cool, but you're not. You look way small from over here.

After lazing at the top for a bit, we started our descent down the mountain. I had to carefully choose my word there, because most of this descent was spent sledding down the mountain on our asses. THIS IS MY LIFE.

The best part was when Alex and I doubled up our toboggan and nearly smashed into a bunch of trees going 70 mph. SNOW IS FRICTIONLESS LADIES AND GENTLEMEN (no it isn't).

Anyway, we finished the hike soaking wet. The combination of rolling around in the snow for 7 miles and stomping/falling across rivers left our feet more than a little damp. No worries though, because we all went out for Shamrock Shakes afterward. Yaaaaaay! EVERYBODY WINS EXCEPT OUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS!!!

Epic Roadtrip Journal: 6/16/11 Yellowstone National Park

I got up alone to see sunrise this morning. Apparently normal human beings need a decent amount of this thing called "sleep." Weird. I'll sleep when I get back to Boston. Instead, I walked down to the lake (carefully avoiding the mounds of buffalo shit seemingly placed methodically enough to force me into a maze-esque adventure), and although it was overcast, there was an opening in the clouds just above the mountains to see the Sun and amazing colors. It was really pretty seeing the lake, mountains, and orange just above the mountains. I made the right choice - sleep can wait.
When I got back to the tent, everyone was content to continue sleeping, so I drove to the spot where the Grizzly lives. I saw the mother again, a bit closer this time, but still a ways off. I also saw a white and gray wolf. BOOM! Cross another animal off the list. He was pretty damn swift: just trotting, but he was going really fast. Also: definitely a lot bigger than a dog. I'd say the morning has started out pretty great.
Some of the hikes we intended to do today were closed due to too much snow or bear activity in the area. So we sent some postcards and then dropped Nads off at the lodge while the rest of us went on a hike in which the trail was actually open: Elephant Back. This proved to be highly ridiculous, because it was 100% snow and mud; at some points the snow was as deep as our knees. (THAT IS TOO MUCH SNOW FYI). Still fun, but definitely more arduous. We kept having to take layers and winter hots off and on as we worked up a sweat and then got blasted by a frigid wind. It took us a while, but we finally made it to the top (a fair amount of trailblazing was involved).

It was at least 5 miles of THIS

The view of the lake was great; we could even see the backed up cars at another area where another Grizzly was spotted. Counting the previous bear's two cubs, this brings the Grizzly count up to 6. How fucking awesome is that? THE ANSWER IS "EXTREMELY." (ps. there is speculation among the group as to whether this bear was the same as the other one at it's "usual" location. I contend that it was NOT the same bear, because we saw bears at both locations within 10 minutes of each other, and as far as I know, Grizzlies don't have the power of apparition, so I'm going with different bears.).

This bear is not in a mauling mood right now, so I got up fairly close

We then finished the hike: sliding down mounds of snow, trailblazing and sledding past switchbacks. We finally made it back to the car with about 5 lbs of snow/water in our boots. Seriously, I wrung out my socks after: it was probably 5+ gallons of water. That is a believable amount, right?
Then we picked Nads up, went back to the campsite, and built a fire to cook our lunch of hot dogs, grilled cheese, and smores. I'm not a huge fan of smores. I don't know why; on paper they seem pretty awesome. I think it might be because I'm partially OCD and hate dirt or grime on my hands, so it might be that I hate how they are the stickiest snack in the world. Weird. Anyway, we're probably going to go seek out showers and a place to wash our clothes (Colleen might literally run away if we don't wash the stink out of our clothes by the time we meet her).
And now I'm bored waiting for laundry to get done. The showers are closed for cleaning, but I am LEAPING in once we throw our stuff into the drier. We stopped at a little lake lookout briefly, beforehand. It was a great view, but we all went a little nuts when we learned that we had about 10 seconds of phone reception finally. I called my Dad, but lost reception midway through. I swear, once we get into better phone areas, I'm going to go NUTS. I've liked not having access to phones or internet, but it gets frustrating having to deal with 60-some emails when I finally DO have reception.
When we got back to camp, we organized the back of the car (it looked like 40 tornados had gone through - it was time to rearrange) and started another fire (apparently the smoldering ashes weren't good enough for a passing park ranger while we were gone, so they dumped a bucket of water into our fire pit. Some propane helped start the new fire though).

FACT: cooking over a fire is always a group effort

We used Scott's pie irons to make sandwich-pizzas and pies (they sound weird but are really good: little irons where you toast bread and filling). After a few Montana beers, I was feeling not as freezing as I should have: it is about 40 degrees. We've been playing an intense game of Spades in the meantime, where Nadkarni and I just won an incredible hand, so I'm going to get back to the tent to finish it.
Spades game update: it is now snowing outside. Nadkarni and I barely lost the game, but I successfully pulled off a blind nil. I'm calling it a win.
To finish this post, Scott and I made some scientific sketches of a Grizzly bear. This is so that when future generations find my journal, the Grizzly bear species will be documented: