Its Memorial Day Weekend already! My how time flies. There's been a lot happening lately, and between illnesses and deaths in the family, I haven't been out exploring and backpacking as much as I would have liked. I'm finally going to get out on my three-day weekend. I will be hiking the Three Ridges Wilderness loop with two nights out on the trail.
Next week, Erin and I leave for Las Vegas for a friend's wedding. I'm more excited about our week at Zion National Park after all the festivities. I've got film ordered, but I fear it may not be enough. But have no fear, new photography will come as I pick up my camera once more.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
A much needed update
Wow. I realized I haven't updated this place in quite some time. A lot has happened in the past year. I went back to Ferry Beach (www.fbes.org) in the fall and had some fun on the coast of Maine with weekends in the White Mountains again. I spent the winter in Hagerstown unsuccessfully looking for a job. And now I've finally found one in Luray, Va with the Sheridan School's Mountain Campus (www.mountaincampus.org). I work at a facility nestled up against Shenandoah National Park, and literally somewhere in the photo above.
We're still in training week, but work has been great so far. Everyone there is friendly and its great to be out of the dirty city. The job is less science-based and more adventure and teambuilding, though the science content is certainly growing and expanding. I'm excited to be taking students on hikes, backpacking trips, overnight canoe trips, rock climbing and into caves.
Over the fall and winter, I also applied to the zoology graduate program at the University of New Hampshire. If all goes well, I shall be moving North again by the end of summer.
Happy Spring, and more updates to come.
We're still in training week, but work has been great so far. Everyone there is friendly and its great to be out of the dirty city. The job is less science-based and more adventure and teambuilding, though the science content is certainly growing and expanding. I'm excited to be taking students on hikes, backpacking trips, overnight canoe trips, rock climbing and into caves.
Over the fall and winter, I also applied to the zoology graduate program at the University of New Hampshire. If all goes well, I shall be moving North again by the end of summer.
Happy Spring, and more updates to come.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Chicago
On Monday, I went into Chicago to meet up with the elusive Gloria Mui who I haven't seen since Medfest 2005. She was in Chicago for some pharmaceutical conference. So yesterday I took the train into the city, and actually missed the train I wanted because I couldn't find a parking space in the first lot. Well, I got into the city and met up with her and we took the L out to the Garfield Park Conservatory. The greenhouse and gardens are a bit larger than those of Lincoln Park, and much nicer too. I really liked their fern room set-up. There's also a special sculpture display going on called Niki in the Garden. I brought my camera but didn't see much of interest until we came across this skull. After shooting the sculpture, I shot some photos of the Lotus pond containing lotus flowers of all different colors. The light wasn't bright enough to get any good shots inside. It rained on and off and we managed to miss the bulk of the downpours while we were outside.
After exploring the garden, we headed back downtown in search of a Thai restaurant on State Street. When we found the place was no longer there, we had pizza at Pizano's. This raised my hopes for Chicago-style pizza. The crust wasn't flaky and the sauce and ingredients were delicious. I still maintain that a brick-oven thin-crust is the best.
We walked off dinner down the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave.) hopping in and out of stores and ending back at the hotel where I dropped her off and headed back to the train station. I had many thoughts as I was people-watching on the way to the train. Its mostly fun to people-watch while playing music. Its sort of like your own ballet as people's lives are choreographed to the music at hand... in this case, Swan Lake while waiting for the train.
Happy June everyone.
After exploring the garden, we headed back downtown in search of a Thai restaurant on State Street. When we found the place was no longer there, we had pizza at Pizano's. This raised my hopes for Chicago-style pizza. The crust wasn't flaky and the sauce and ingredients were delicious. I still maintain that a brick-oven thin-crust is the best.
We walked off dinner down the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave.) hopping in and out of stores and ending back at the hotel where I dropped her off and headed back to the train station. I had many thoughts as I was people-watching on the way to the train. Its mostly fun to people-watch while playing music. Its sort of like your own ballet as people's lives are choreographed to the music at hand... in this case, Swan Lake while waiting for the train.
Happy June everyone.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Porcupine Mountains, Memorial Day Weekend
This Memorial Day weekend was exactly what I needed. It was a weekend away from civilization getting some good physical exercise and getting in touch with the real world.
The Porcupine Mountains are simply amazing. Its Michigan's largest state park and on a scale of 1-10, I give this park an 11. Parts of the park are covered in old-growth timber including some impressive hemlock stands. Other parts were once mined for iron and are covered in a very healthy secondary growth. Several spots are muddy and wet with marsh marigold while others are high up on the escarpment and dry with some low shrubs and some boreal plant species. Simply put, the North Woods is an incredible place.
My first night I hiked in from the east side of the park along the Union Spring trail and up the Government Peak trail to one of the ponds atop Government Peak. I got there rather early but set up anyway in anticipation of an afternoon thunderstorm. Turns out the rain didn't come until after dark, and no thunder either, but it was a decent place to camp with a stream nearby to get water from. After 7 miles of hiking, I needed to stop anyway.
I woke up Sunday morning to some light rain and overcast skies. The air was cold, damp, and very windy. So I slept in a bit, till noon or so, before getting up and taking down camp. It had stopped raining by then, but the wind made the tent clean-up quite interesting. The cold and windy day turned out to be a blessing. The forest was brilliant green and carpeted with white-turning-pink Large-flowered Trillium and Dwarf Ginseng. The cool temperatures also kept the mosquitoes at bay. They had been somewhat of a problem the day before.
So Sunday I hiked about 7 more miles. My route took me down Government mountain on the Mirror Lake Trail. This followed a creek which had cut a deep gorge and nearly fell like a waterfall. It was so gorgeous that I stopped to get a photo. This is when I discovered my battery, which was working fine before I left, was indeed dead. So I was unable to photograph the rest of the trip. I think the worst part about it was that the camera was 3 lbs of dead weight.
The trail took me down to Lake of the Clouds where I stopped to fill up my water bottles in preparation to camp on the escarpment. After a short rest, I made the trek straight up to the escarpment ridge, only about 3-400 feet high at that point. I took my pack off and hopped back to the parking lot where the main overlook is, just so I could check out the view. I had a snack for lunch, grabbed my pack and continued down the escarpment which kept emerging onto greater and greater views on bare rock turning into cliffs 500 feet above Lake of the Clouds.
A bit farther down I reached my campsite an set up the tent. This time I staked everything down in case the wind was as bad as the night before. It was a much calmer night. In fact, the clouds were clearing as the sun was setting. The view from the campsite was amazing. It was situated over the Big Carp River within view of Lake of the Clouds and even Lake Superior beyond that.
Monday Morning was absolute bliss. The sun rose on the east and Lake of the Clouds was to the west. When I emerged from my tent, there was a cloud of mist above the lake as the warm water gave off steam into the cold air. Within an hour, the mist was gone. I got up and checked out the birds on the escarpment. I ran into a beautiful Indigo Bunting, a flock of Yellow-rump Warblers, and a few Raven. I did not catch any eagles.
After breakfast, I successfully took down my dry tent, packed up everything and took one last look at the view from the escarpment. This was honestly what I had come for: Great views, a great workout, and pure serenity. But it was time for a 7 mile hike back to the car as the loop met back up with the Union Spring trail. I made it back in 3 hours and could have hiked farther with a short rest. But alas I had to make the 8-9 hour drive back to Illinois for work the next day.
The Michigan Upper Peninsula is a wonderful and magnificent place. The forest, old growth or secondary, mountain or flat, is gorgeous and the land is riddled with some spectacular waterfalls. I ended up stopping at Bond falls on the way home and I haven't seen anything like it. The remote landscape with few people and minimal impact is one to be visited, cherished, and preserved for all. I highly recommend the adventure.
I've also decided that every person should go backpacking at least once in their life. It really is the greatest experience one can have to reconnect with the world.
The Porcupine Mountains are simply amazing. Its Michigan's largest state park and on a scale of 1-10, I give this park an 11. Parts of the park are covered in old-growth timber including some impressive hemlock stands. Other parts were once mined for iron and are covered in a very healthy secondary growth. Several spots are muddy and wet with marsh marigold while others are high up on the escarpment and dry with some low shrubs and some boreal plant species. Simply put, the North Woods is an incredible place.
My first night I hiked in from the east side of the park along the Union Spring trail and up the Government Peak trail to one of the ponds atop Government Peak. I got there rather early but set up anyway in anticipation of an afternoon thunderstorm. Turns out the rain didn't come until after dark, and no thunder either, but it was a decent place to camp with a stream nearby to get water from. After 7 miles of hiking, I needed to stop anyway.
I woke up Sunday morning to some light rain and overcast skies. The air was cold, damp, and very windy. So I slept in a bit, till noon or so, before getting up and taking down camp. It had stopped raining by then, but the wind made the tent clean-up quite interesting. The cold and windy day turned out to be a blessing. The forest was brilliant green and carpeted with white-turning-pink Large-flowered Trillium and Dwarf Ginseng. The cool temperatures also kept the mosquitoes at bay. They had been somewhat of a problem the day before.
So Sunday I hiked about 7 more miles. My route took me down Government mountain on the Mirror Lake Trail. This followed a creek which had cut a deep gorge and nearly fell like a waterfall. It was so gorgeous that I stopped to get a photo. This is when I discovered my battery, which was working fine before I left, was indeed dead. So I was unable to photograph the rest of the trip. I think the worst part about it was that the camera was 3 lbs of dead weight.
The trail took me down to Lake of the Clouds where I stopped to fill up my water bottles in preparation to camp on the escarpment. After a short rest, I made the trek straight up to the escarpment ridge, only about 3-400 feet high at that point. I took my pack off and hopped back to the parking lot where the main overlook is, just so I could check out the view. I had a snack for lunch, grabbed my pack and continued down the escarpment which kept emerging onto greater and greater views on bare rock turning into cliffs 500 feet above Lake of the Clouds.
A bit farther down I reached my campsite an set up the tent. This time I staked everything down in case the wind was as bad as the night before. It was a much calmer night. In fact, the clouds were clearing as the sun was setting. The view from the campsite was amazing. It was situated over the Big Carp River within view of Lake of the Clouds and even Lake Superior beyond that.
Monday Morning was absolute bliss. The sun rose on the east and Lake of the Clouds was to the west. When I emerged from my tent, there was a cloud of mist above the lake as the warm water gave off steam into the cold air. Within an hour, the mist was gone. I got up and checked out the birds on the escarpment. I ran into a beautiful Indigo Bunting, a flock of Yellow-rump Warblers, and a few Raven. I did not catch any eagles.
After breakfast, I successfully took down my dry tent, packed up everything and took one last look at the view from the escarpment. This was honestly what I had come for: Great views, a great workout, and pure serenity. But it was time for a 7 mile hike back to the car as the loop met back up with the Union Spring trail. I made it back in 3 hours and could have hiked farther with a short rest. But alas I had to make the 8-9 hour drive back to Illinois for work the next day.
The Michigan Upper Peninsula is a wonderful and magnificent place. The forest, old growth or secondary, mountain or flat, is gorgeous and the land is riddled with some spectacular waterfalls. I ended up stopping at Bond falls on the way home and I haven't seen anything like it. The remote landscape with few people and minimal impact is one to be visited, cherished, and preserved for all. I highly recommend the adventure.
I've also decided that every person should go backpacking at least once in their life. It really is the greatest experience one can have to reconnect with the world.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Observations from my Weekend
Everywhere I go I make observations on the world that would be great commentary for this journal. Unfortunately, I never write them down and most of these notes get lost in the millions of thoughts going through my head. But I will try to recall what I can.
Observation no. 1: Zoos
Last weekend I went into Chicago to visit Lincoln park and wandered around the Lincoln Park zoo. As a kid, I liked zoos and then I kinda lost interest with all of the fakeness. Lately I've been into checking out various city's zoos to see how they compare. Habitats nowadays are getting more realistic and natural, especially for indoor exhibits. The Lincoln Park Zoo had some pretty nice displays for being a small and free zoo. I especially liked their small primate house, small mammal house, reptiles, and birds exhibits. I also enjoyed their Africa Expedition.
This weekend, Erin and I went to the National Zoo in Washington, another free zoo but that was made up with parking fees. The national zoo is bigger and funded by the Smithsonian, but is in need of a renovation. The relatively new panda habitat is quite nice, but the big cats and African mammals had the old-fashioned concrete step enclosures and the primates had cage-enclosed trees to climb on, though most were inside for the winter. The small mammals building was set up with better habitats, but there were too many repeat species among the displays. The reptiles were set up nicely as were the invertebrates. I really liked the bird habitats. Like the Lincoln Park Zoo, the exotic bird house in Washington included a large free-flight room which you could virtually bird-watch with binoculars. My favorite part of the National Zoo is the Amazonia building which was newly built the last time I was there senior year of high school. You walk into Amazonia greeted by a shallow flooded forest aquarium with sting rays and other fish. Then you move on to some river displays including some rather large fish of the Amazon and some turtles and so forth. That's followed by a discovery area with some small animals in 10-gallon tanks. But the best part of all is the rain forest upstairs with plants, free-flying birds and free-climbing monkeys.
At any rate, I'm a sucker for forest exhibits whether at zoos or aquariums. The best zoo with continental enclosures is Toronto's. But many aquariums have rain forests too. Most of us, if you live in the mid-Atlantic region, are familiar with the Baltimore Aquarium's forest. Well, as we were wandering around Inner Harbor, I noticed the entrance to the aquarium was newly remodeled and sure enough there was a second forest exhibit to walk through. The original one appears to be there as well, so now I really want to check out the aquarium.
Observation no. 2: Airports
When you look at a map, the sheer size of Chicago's O'hare airport dwarfs the city much like JFK, which could easily fill the lower half of Manhattan. Midway's airport looks tiny in comparison, taking up one of those square blocks made up by the grid of major roads in the suburbs. I mean, just compare the two on the map. But maps are deceiving. Midway was quite larger and busier than I expected, though it didn't service any planes larger than a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 (about the same size). At any rate, I was amazed at the terminal size and the amount of food options. Then you realize that O'Hare is about 6 Midway terminals spread out, so yeah... its huge.
I've flown out of Baltimore many a time as a kid, and its a bit bigger than Midway, but no giant that I remember it. Its also not nearly as busy as it used to be. In fact, walking around the ticketing loby, Southwest was the only airline to take up all of its counters. Many of the ticketing counters were just empty, perhaps just under half of the total check-in booths. Security, which used to be at the front of each terminal had been moved up so that only ticketed passengers could go to the shops and restaurants. I guess the FAA and security agencies don't want visitors just hanging around anymore. Then again, most of the security measures implemented since 9/11 are just an unnecessary joke and probably cause more feelings of paranoia than safety. Perhaps that's the downfall of the airlines. Sometimes I get the feeling the government just wants U.S. citizens to sit around at home like shmucks rather than travel and explore the world.
Observation no. 3: The Weather
Here in Chicagoland, its anywhere from 10-20 degrees colder than its been out East. As a result, we still have snow on the ground and got another inch last night. Its supposed to warm up by the weekend so maybe I'll find something fun to do by then.
Observation no. 1: Zoos
Last weekend I went into Chicago to visit Lincoln park and wandered around the Lincoln Park zoo. As a kid, I liked zoos and then I kinda lost interest with all of the fakeness. Lately I've been into checking out various city's zoos to see how they compare. Habitats nowadays are getting more realistic and natural, especially for indoor exhibits. The Lincoln Park Zoo had some pretty nice displays for being a small and free zoo. I especially liked their small primate house, small mammal house, reptiles, and birds exhibits. I also enjoyed their Africa Expedition.
This weekend, Erin and I went to the National Zoo in Washington, another free zoo but that was made up with parking fees. The national zoo is bigger and funded by the Smithsonian, but is in need of a renovation. The relatively new panda habitat is quite nice, but the big cats and African mammals had the old-fashioned concrete step enclosures and the primates had cage-enclosed trees to climb on, though most were inside for the winter. The small mammals building was set up with better habitats, but there were too many repeat species among the displays. The reptiles were set up nicely as were the invertebrates. I really liked the bird habitats. Like the Lincoln Park Zoo, the exotic bird house in Washington included a large free-flight room which you could virtually bird-watch with binoculars. My favorite part of the National Zoo is the Amazonia building which was newly built the last time I was there senior year of high school. You walk into Amazonia greeted by a shallow flooded forest aquarium with sting rays and other fish. Then you move on to some river displays including some rather large fish of the Amazon and some turtles and so forth. That's followed by a discovery area with some small animals in 10-gallon tanks. But the best part of all is the rain forest upstairs with plants, free-flying birds and free-climbing monkeys.
At any rate, I'm a sucker for forest exhibits whether at zoos or aquariums. The best zoo with continental enclosures is Toronto's. But many aquariums have rain forests too. Most of us, if you live in the mid-Atlantic region, are familiar with the Baltimore Aquarium's forest. Well, as we were wandering around Inner Harbor, I noticed the entrance to the aquarium was newly remodeled and sure enough there was a second forest exhibit to walk through. The original one appears to be there as well, so now I really want to check out the aquarium.
Observation no. 2: Airports
When you look at a map, the sheer size of Chicago's O'hare airport dwarfs the city much like JFK, which could easily fill the lower half of Manhattan. Midway's airport looks tiny in comparison, taking up one of those square blocks made up by the grid of major roads in the suburbs. I mean, just compare the two on the map. But maps are deceiving. Midway was quite larger and busier than I expected, though it didn't service any planes larger than a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 (about the same size). At any rate, I was amazed at the terminal size and the amount of food options. Then you realize that O'Hare is about 6 Midway terminals spread out, so yeah... its huge.
I've flown out of Baltimore many a time as a kid, and its a bit bigger than Midway, but no giant that I remember it. Its also not nearly as busy as it used to be. In fact, walking around the ticketing loby, Southwest was the only airline to take up all of its counters. Many of the ticketing counters were just empty, perhaps just under half of the total check-in booths. Security, which used to be at the front of each terminal had been moved up so that only ticketed passengers could go to the shops and restaurants. I guess the FAA and security agencies don't want visitors just hanging around anymore. Then again, most of the security measures implemented since 9/11 are just an unnecessary joke and probably cause more feelings of paranoia than safety. Perhaps that's the downfall of the airlines. Sometimes I get the feeling the government just wants U.S. citizens to sit around at home like shmucks rather than travel and explore the world.
Observation no. 3: The Weather
Here in Chicagoland, its anywhere from 10-20 degrees colder than its been out East. As a result, we still have snow on the ground and got another inch last night. Its supposed to warm up by the weekend so maybe I'll find something fun to do by then.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Illinois
I'm in Illinois now and will be here for a good majority of the year. While I'm living 40 miles in the Chicago suburbs, I've already taken a trip to the Mississippi River to see the Bald Eagles and am planning a weekend to Nebraska to watch the mass of Sandhill Cranes as they stopover on their migration north. As the spring approaches, I hope to go south to some terrain that is reminiscent of Alabma. I also plan to go northward to view the waterfowl and the flowers of the North Woods. Of course, I will also get back into city photography with some extensive shoots of Chicago and the suburbs. It looks like I'm on my way to amassing a collection of photos that I can only call "America."
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Photos
Well, I'm finished scanning 5 of 6 rolls from the fall. It sounds pitiful, but there are lots of great shots.
Last Fall I shot off 9 rolls between Alabama and North Carolina. In the spring, I topped that with 13 rolls including the hike in Virginia. Add 2 more over the summer and the 6 from the fall and I'm up to 21 for 2006. Actually, I finished off number 22 yesterday, but I probably won't have a chance to scan that in for a while.
Look for a White Mountains gallery in the next week or so.
Last Fall I shot off 9 rolls between Alabama and North Carolina. In the spring, I topped that with 13 rolls including the hike in Virginia. Add 2 more over the summer and the 6 from the fall and I'm up to 21 for 2006. Actually, I finished off number 22 yesterday, but I probably won't have a chance to scan that in for a while.
Look for a White Mountains gallery in the next week or so.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Virginia
I've been in Marion, VA now for over a week. Its been pretty nice. So far I've been up on White Top twice with the lovely presence of snow up there. I've been hiking up Dickey Knob for a decent view and up Molly's Knob for a better view. I'm still exploring and getting to know the area. There's tons of hiking, but the back roads can take a while to get there, so its not all as close as it looks. The nice part is the closeness of the Appalachian Trail. While the Mid-state Trail was close to home in Pennsylvania, it wasn't maintained very well, or at least that section wasn't. I'd like to come back and do a hike from Marion to Damascus, or the other way around. There's nice habitats and lots of mountain views. Since my parents are down here, at least I'll know I'll be back.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Maine
I've been in Maine for the past 9 weeks teaching outdoor education at the Ferry Beach Ecology School. Its been wonderful up here, though its gotten quite cold rather quickly. On weekends I have been hiking up in the White Mountains getting some great photography shots. Unfortunately, none of the computers I work with have a firewire card I can use my scanner with. But new photos will hopefully be up before the month's end.
My White Mountain adventures have been strenuous, but fun. It started Labor Day weekend with Mount Lafayette, the 5200 foot giant at Franconia Notch. The elevation gain in 4 miles was a little under 4000 feet and the whole hike took 7.5 hours. But the views up there were worth every ache and pain. Two weeks later I did Mount Chcorua, a smaller mountain to the south, but its bald, rocky summit gives way to great views of the mountains. Next was Kearsarge North, 200 feet smaller than Chocorua, but with an observation tower on top. Kearsarge is located just beyond North Conway, NH and looks up the Mount Washington Valley right at the 6300 foot giant itself. On Columbus Day weekend, I did an overnight on Mount Adams, the second highest peak at 5800 and part of the Presidentials chain. I spent the second night lower down at Mountain Lake and woke up to the sounds of loons crying and splashing in the water. I also finally saw my Moose. A couple weeks later, I went back up Mount Chocorua with some of my fellow naturalists from Ferry Beach for a 10-mile circuit.
Since then, it has gotten cold and snow has fallen in the higher elevations of the mountains. Time worked itself out so that I haven't been back up there, but I may be back in December and so I shall hike some more peaks then. But in a week, I get to go to my new house in Virginia and do some more hiking around Mount Rogers.
My White Mountain adventures have been strenuous, but fun. It started Labor Day weekend with Mount Lafayette, the 5200 foot giant at Franconia Notch. The elevation gain in 4 miles was a little under 4000 feet and the whole hike took 7.5 hours. But the views up there were worth every ache and pain. Two weeks later I did Mount Chcorua, a smaller mountain to the south, but its bald, rocky summit gives way to great views of the mountains. Next was Kearsarge North, 200 feet smaller than Chocorua, but with an observation tower on top. Kearsarge is located just beyond North Conway, NH and looks up the Mount Washington Valley right at the 6300 foot giant itself. On Columbus Day weekend, I did an overnight on Mount Adams, the second highest peak at 5800 and part of the Presidentials chain. I spent the second night lower down at Mountain Lake and woke up to the sounds of loons crying and splashing in the water. I also finally saw my Moose. A couple weeks later, I went back up Mount Chocorua with some of my fellow naturalists from Ferry Beach for a 10-mile circuit.
Since then, it has gotten cold and snow has fallen in the higher elevations of the mountains. Time worked itself out so that I haven't been back up there, but I may be back in December and so I shall hike some more peaks then. But in a week, I get to go to my new house in Virginia and do some more hiking around Mount Rogers.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Photography
I'm scanning old photos again. Its the first time in probably a month since I've been archiving photos. I skipped over a few and am doing a more "recent" set from the summer of 2001.
Ireland.
Its 6 rolls of color and one of black and white. I'll probably post a few up here as I scan them, but expect the full set on the website when they are all completed. To scan after this: London 1999, 2000; Scotland 1999; Drew University 2000, 2001 and some random bits in between.
Ireland.
Its 6 rolls of color and one of black and white. I'll probably post a few up here as I scan them, but expect the full set on the website when they are all completed. To scan after this: London 1999, 2000; Scotland 1999; Drew University 2000, 2001 and some random bits in between.
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