Evapotranspiration in the North Cascades

I'm very angry right now. I have already written this blog once and somehow deleted it. I really hope that all of you appreciate the pics at the end, because they are the bane of my existence...

So here's the camping recap...

Friday:
Matt picked me up from work about 2pm. Everything was okay till Everett. Traffic. Traffic. And more traffic. Matt declared Everett to be a God forsaken land...We bought liquor and burritos on tribal land. Tribal liquor stores are strange places. No where else in Washington can you purchase trail mix, whiskey, cigarettes and Doritos in the same place...We rolled into camp about 630pm to find a camper trailer from Michigan in our spot. Ranger no where to be found. We nearly had an altercation with the female owner of the vehicle. I can't speak ill of everyone from Michigan, but this woman seemed clearly illiterate. "RESERVED: MUNSON" somehow said to her "Available one night only". Go figure...Setting up camp was pretty easy. Then we cooked salmon, delicious salmon, and drank Rainier and tequila around the campfire. Great conversation. Great setting. One of the best times I've had with Matt in recent years...

Saturday:
Woke up and made breakfast. The sun was already poised to become a demon. Left camp around 1030am for the trail head...Thunder Creek Trail. 12 miles round trip. It was beautiful. Whenever the forest cover broke we were greeted by blue skies and glacier covered peaks. It was a very humbling experience. We ate lunch where McAllister Creek feeds into Thunder Creek. It was great. The glacier water dropped the temperature by nearly 20 degrees it seemed like. I soaked my feet in the water for nearly a minute before they went numb and turned purple. The hike out was much more strenous. I no longer fear the Lake of Fire. About 4 miles left in the hike my body was starting to fail. My muscles struggled to remain attached to my bones, while the sweltering heat robbed them of every ounce of water. The final mile was the worst and at times the best. I'm not sure how we missed it on the way in but there were Columbine's and native orchids in full bloom that were amazing. And about 500 feet from the trailhead a herd of small deer were congregating. We're not sure if they were pygmy deer or juvenilles, either way their presence got Matt to turn back about a hundred feet, giving me just he edge I needed to finish first! Ha! But no, seriously, I was nearly dead at this point...We got back to camp to find Joe shirtless and drinking IPA, Nick severely afflicted with cabin fever and covering himself in bug repellant (he glistened in the sun) and Nathan, well, being Nathan (cool as a cucumber). We had a jolly time just kickin' back. I went undefeated through 3 games of cribbage before meeting my untimely demise (I lost by 1 point). For dinner it was burgers and hotdogs all around. Followed by more drinking around the campfire. I was spent and called it a fairly early night...

Midsummer Nights Nightmare:
I woke at some point in the early morning to readjust my position. So I rustled around for a moment and laid back down to sleep. Just as I was getting ready to drift back into the dreamworld I realized two eyes staring blankly in my direction, and who else but Swirly Joe. It was one of the creepiest things I've ever seen in my life. He later explained his actions in a way that makes sense followed by an apology. But still, that's fucking creepy dude...

Sunday:
Breakfast was a scene. We made enough food for 14 people...Once everyone was up we decided that Nick, Nathan and I would go for cigarettes, which turned out to be a much further distance than we expected...By the time we got back the cooking was all set to begin. So many eggs... After eating we tore down camp and headed east for Ross Dam. The views were amazing along the way. I began to wonder what someone from Texas would think of such a sight and then said a silent prayer that I was born in Washington...We reached the trailhead to the dam but didn't go down. The heat was unbearable and no one was willing to make the hike back up. At which point we decided to disband and I hopped in the honda with Matt and headed back for Seattle...

I'm sorry it isn't as detailed as I wanted to be, but I just can't bring myself to do it all twice right now. I might update more in the future. Thanks to all the guys for coming. I had a great time...

I wish I got more kickbacks...

I'm going camping this weekend. It should be a good time. I'm going on a 15 mile hike Saturday. We'll see if I survive...

Nathan was just telling me an interesting story. It begins with him at the bus stop on pike between 3rd and 4th. "....i was there late one night and there was police tape blocking the shelter off. i then noticed there was a giant pile of human feces on the ground underneath one of those grated benches....and the worst part was, i think whoever did that was SITTING on the bench and it went through the grating". We've talked about this for twenty minutes so far. I thought poop jokes weren't supposed to be as funny when you got older. That isn't true...

Well I guess that's it today. Just camping and poop...

The clouds are hanging around a little later today...

Work is very busy today. End of the fiscal year is just around the corner. Might not blog too much today...

I love coffee. I don't think that there is anything in my daily routine that brings me as much joy. Well cigarettes, but that goes best with coffee. And I'm still trying to get away from that whole vice. Maybe I should just find a find to combine the tobacco plant with a coffee plant. Cross breeding the best elements of each to create a beverage that will impact the world like nothing else, since Coca-Cola...

Ralph Nader is a douche bag borderline racists. Will he please just go away...

Right now it's about 1pm and the clouds are still here. I guess it's only fair. We've had beautiful weather for a couple days now. Why is that whenever we need something for filler the weather is a perfect target? Do we all really care that much about the weather or is it just something that everyone has common ground...

For lunch today I'm having a bagel sandwich with turkey and provolone. Salad. Cottage Cheese. Potato chips. hmmmm food...

I'm not really feeling this today. End transmission...

I'll let you all in on a little secret. At heart, I'm afraid of Karaoke...

Another beautiful day in Seattle...

Rode the ever elusive 9 this morning. The 9 is one of the most interesting buses in the city. It travels from Rainier Beach to Capitol Hill making only express stops on Rainier. The people are what make the experience, coming from all walks of life. There was a boy with large diamonds in his ears wearing a back turned ball cap with the sticker still proudly displayed sitting next to a woman who appeared to be a nurse for one of the local hospitals. Students were everywhere with their text books drawn, trying to get those last few minutes of studying in before getting to class. A group of women at the front of the bus were all carrying garden tools and speaking in a foreign language. The 9 is made for everyone. And there I was in the rear lounge, headphone defenses, watching it all around me...

For all of you who don't know about the Olivia Tremor Control, I highly recommend them. There is just something about their sound that just screams out an affirmation of everything right and good in the world. It's very powerful, but not the kind of power that crushes you. It more wraps itself around you and does everything within its strength to lift you up...

Many people now have mentioned that my blog is either "dark" or "depressing". I guess I just don't see it that way. Too all of you who do, I encourage you to search for the drull in it all. Keep in mind that through all the desolation there is still a sense of forgiveness. It's that forgiveness that gives us sanguine composure to keep going...

We barbecued last night. It was good. Spent hours in the yard soaking up the sun. David and Christina came over, along with Evan and Mickey. Matt made a cameo appearance. I got the trellis in place for the rose bush. It's afternoons like that that make Seattle the best place to live...

The farmers market is tonight. I've been a few times so far this year. It has yet to impress me, but it's early. I might buy some tomato plants and some bread. Could always use some more cheese. Armando is supposed to be back soon. Maybe he'll be there today and we can make the Kung Fu Crying Game. I'm not going to get my hopes up...

Here's another quote that I have up at my desk. "This wasn't the sea of inexorable horizon and smashing waves, not the sea of distance and violence, but the sea of of the eternally leveling patience and wetness of water. Whether it comes to you in a storm or in a cup, it owns you - we are more water than dust. It is our origin and destination" -Denis Johnson...

There are planning a new skyscraper in Dubai. The entire structure is designed to move continuously, never looking the same twice in a life time. It's an interesting idea but begs the question: Just because we can does it mean that we should?...

The brewing season is upon us. We have very ambitious goals for the next few weeks. We'll see if it all gets done...

Locksmiths can be a wretched group of people. In the five years that I've been dealing with them I've found them to be an impatient, demanding, foul, ignorant, controlling, rude, racist, insane, dillusional, trite, odorous, cynical, offensive, nefarious, sorry lot. But in the end they're not all bad. I guess its not just locksmiths...

The city took the Sonic to court. After all that's happened in recent years, who still cares?...

I've developed a hatred of plastic. It's everywhere. I planned to spend a day a while back trying to figure how many times I encounter plastic in my daily life. I gave up before I even left my house. Ever since I've been trying to eliminate as much plastic from my life as possible. For every one thing I cut out, I realize 10 more that I should. In my immediate view I can identify 100 different things made of plastic in less than a mintue. 100 years ago there was no plastic. They seemed to get along ok...

One day I hope to go to Monaco. I don't know much about the people there or the sights to see or exactly where is it. I guess it just seems like the kind of place that I'm supposed to want to go...

The darker the setting, the brighter the light...

The bus was uneventful this morning. I got on the 7X at Orcas and sat near the back door. A young woman was in the seat in front of me with two children, a boy and girl. The boy was sleeping. The girl was watching me. I was looking out the window...

Our climate is changing. No one is listening to the facts. Is it because they don't care? Don't really understand? Probably not. I get the feeling that many of the people out there, religious types mostly, are really hoping for the worst. If everything is all fine and dandy why would Jesus come back?...

I'm wearing a nicotine patch today. I've been trying to quit smoking. It's as hard as everyone says. The patch is a strange thing. At times I don't even notice it. Other times it burns and itches. It's also very hard to keep attached because I didn't shave my arm so I use band aids to keep it attached. To the untrained eye it looks like a giant wound. I guess that's what it really is...

If ever given the oppurtunity and training I would walk on burning coals. But just not right now...

Above the cabinet at my desk there is a gorilla. My boss brought it back from Randall for me on a trip to Mt Rainier. By the way, the mountain is out today, what a strange saying. He is wearing a red and white striped shirt and a small hat. His face and hands are made of plastic. The ends of his legs are covered in a glue residue that used to be his feet. There is a switch on the back and if you turn him on he does the macarena...

Right now what we need is more Sonic Youth...

I had a dream last night. I lived with Nathan. I think we were on Capitol Hill. The moon was everywhere. At one point I put on a pair of pants that were so tall they covered my face. Then I began to make faces through the zipper. Nathan couldn't stop laughing. He laughed more when I told him about it today...

The "Big Bright Yellow Sun" set long ago but the question is still very valid. How are you?...

They demolished the Ballard Denny's this morning. I can remember a certain New Years Day. It was the early morning of a late night. We sat in the bar and ate grand slam breakfasts while drinking bloody mary's and white russians. Mickey spilled his drink all over the table and then proceeded to slurp it up with a straw. The waitress was surprised to see people in the bar that early. I think it was even more surprising to her that we weren't hung over when we arrived, but still drunk. RIP Ballard, I'll always remember who you were...

The sun is out in Seattle. I'm going to BBQ tonight. Mickey will be coming over. He has a way of leaving his possessions in all kinds of strange places. Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll leave me his laptop so I can tap into the great knowledge of the internet while riding the bus. More likely he'll just leave a bowel movement...

Here's another quote I have up at desk: "And when we break we'll wait for our miracles, God is a place you will wait for the rest of your life" - Neutral Milk Hotel. Love that...

The Faults of Postmodernism

So I was trying to think about something to blog about today. At first I was going to write a fine essay about how people should write more essays, not to convey a point or argument, but just for the shear act of writing. However I ran into the problem of all post-modernism, that in an attempt to express itself all meaning becomes so cliche its renders itself void. End result, a lot of babble and circular logic. Nothing worth spending much more time talking about...so i'm just going to ramble for a while about other meaningless stuff.

On my desk you can find the following things: An empty coffee mug, two "kinyo" speakers, a man named Reynold smiling from a business card that reads "THE MAGIC TUXEDO", a can of air, a stapler, an old bottle cap and piece of paper with the quote "I have always imaginged that paradise will be some kind of library" - Jorge Luis Borges...

I was at a BBQ over the weekend and I have one piece of advice to everyone out there. If you're about to drop your hotdog, just let it go. By fumbling to try to catch it you will send condiments everywhere. I know this because I was unfortunately covered in grilled onions, mustard, relish, ketchup, avocado, sauerkraut, and god only knows whatelse was on this dog from hell. Thanks again Mickey....

They keep finding shoes off the coast of British Columbia. They all have human feet inside. Weirdest story I've read in a while. They think it might be related to the tsunami or a plane crash where the victims were never found. In the end I doubt that it's either, the DNA agrees with me so far. Maybe in the end God has decided that the people of British Columbia were becoming too complacent and needed something more to spark their interests. If that's the case I think it worked...

Did some gardening this weekend. It was actually very chill. Got myself some peppers planted. Also pumpkins, radishes, and carrots. I don't know how well they're all going to do, but I am holding out hope that the pumpkins make it into the beer at some point. hmmmm pumpkin beer...

The new Wolf Parade album, At Mount Zoomer, is awesome. All I've listened to for a week now...

Some strange people just showed up at my office. I'm not sure why they're here. But there is an older man with hair that flows half way down his back and a young man who seems to have spent more time in a tattoo parlor than he has in a school...

The sun is out. It's been a crap shoot lately. The yard needs to be mowed, but the gas can is empty. If the sun stays out I doubt that I'll make it to the gas station tonight. But if it rains I won't mow the lawn...

I'm rereading "White Noise", again. Anyone who hasn't read it, you should. Great book...

My dad is moving. I have to help him on wednesday. I don't have to help him move because he hired people to do it. But we have to move everything into the garage so the movers can move it...

My phone keeps ringing...

I love Optimus Prime. I think he's one of the best fictional character of all time. I have a co-worker who doesn't share this love. One day when things were slow he found a way to post a small piece of paper in my window, about 25 feet above the warehouse. Now everyday at work a metal face stares at me all day long. "Megatron is Watching"...

Turns out the strange people are related to my boss, go figure...

Memorial Day Mayhem

I'm trying to get the pics in this blog...we'll see how it goes...

So here's the story...

My Dad and I left the warm Seattle weather for the chilly temps of Oakland. Not much to say about Oakland, we landed, rented a car...















...and got the hell out. Went to San Francisco, had the best hamburger of my life, walked up to Coit Tower...


























...cruised Haight Ashbury...














...Golden Gate Park and the beach...














....saw the Golden Gate bridge covered in fog...














...standard San Francisco stuff.

Then we shot up the coast, tried to go to Lagunita's Brewing but that was a bust (it was just a warehouse). Luckily Russian River Brewing was not too far away and amazingly good. The have a belgian selection to rival the best. If you're near Santa Rosa at any point I highly recommend it. The coast was beautiful...













...We drove up Highway 1 for a good distance, Point Arena to Ft Bragg. Stopped in Mendocino which was gorgeous. The sun had finally come out...













...Ft Bragg was pretty chill. We stopped at North Coast Brewing for dinner where I had the 10 piece beer sampler, got a little tipsy. Then trekked back to Ukiah to sleep.

Now at this point we were going to continue up to the Red Woods, but being as both my dad and I had been there we omitted it and just bombed east for Reno. Not much in the middle of Cali, lots of farms.

Got into the Reno and it was just like Oakland, rainy and cold...














...Roamed around some casinos and gambled for a while. The casinos made me edgy because I was quitting smoking and being surrounded by it started to grate on me. So I headed back to the Circus Circus...















...only to find that I got back to the room before my dad, go figure. We got up the next day and headed for Tahoe....














...Beautiful place. Clouds hung over the lake and once again it was raining, but still amazing...














...Casino's were much nicer there too, a lot more like Vegas...


























The next day was when we both blown away. We headed south from Reno into California. Entered Yosemite at Tioga Pass, about 10,000 feet, to a breath taking sight...












...We both agreed that if we had known we'd probably have just planned the whole week in Yosemite. Once in the park we tried to see as much as we could so here's a quick run down: Lembert Dome...















...Tuolumne Meadows, Tenaya Lake, and Olmsted Point (which had great views of Half Dome)...





























...before we dropped down into the valley. The valley was awesome. El Capitan...














...Bridalvale Falls...





























...Yosemite Falls...





























...Half Dome...





























...and a ton more to see. The entire valley was lined with rock formations littered with water falls, like Cascade Falls...





























...At this point we were both pretty spent so headed south and found our hotel for the night.

Now we had planned to go to Fresno but that also got cut out of the trip, for good reason. We needed more time at Yosemite. So on the second day we started by going the the Mariposa Grove, which had a ton of HUGE trees...





























...The most memorable was the Giant Grizzly...














...which was over 200 feet tall with branches 7 feet in diameter! We hiked a couple miles here before heading up for higher ground. Next was Glacier Point which had some of the best views in the whole park...














...We took a ton of pics from up there...














...Once the camera needed a rest...





























...we headed back down to the valley for lunch and then it was out to Hetch Hetchy.

Hetch Hetchy is on the far west side of the park and we actually had to leave and reenter to get there. The road down to the dam was small and built on a sheer cliff. Dad didn't like that so much, so I ended up driving. We got down to O'Shaughnessy Dam...





























...which is a bummer that it exists because the pre-dam pics we saw were amazing, and decided to do a "little" walk around the reservoir to see if we couldn't get a better picture of Wapama Falls...




























...Ended up hiking all the way to the falls...





























...The spray around the falls created a rainbow that hung just above the rocks...














...Once again, awesome.

We headed out of Hetch Hetchy and started towards Stockton. Not much to say about Stockton. It was a place to sleep and unwind before heading back to Oakland and Seattle.

When we landed in Seattle there was a slight drizzle and with as much fun as I had, I was glad to be home.

So that's my trip in a nutshell. I'm sure I forgot some stuff, but that's the meat of it. If you want to see the pictures that go along you can check them out at http://www.flickr.com/photos/desomniac/

I've leave you with a couple of more pics from the trip...