The date was september 21st and I left Sam land half sad and half elated. Not to sound like a pedantic asshole, but the road really was calling my name. I find that even though sam land was amazing I knew there were more adventures and good times to be had somewhere else. Like I said before, I felt that Tahoe was calling my name.  I hitched out and got a ride to Manteca CA and from there I met a guy who gave me a ride to Galt california. I was quite excited to see Galt but as it turns out is was quite a let down.

If you do know the significance of Galt let me tell you.  In  1957, Ayn Rand published an amazing novel called Atlas shrugged.  It was years ahead of its time. It weighs in at an impressive, 1,368 pages.  It is a story of a man who dared to stop the motor of the world.  His name was John Galt.  And he succeeded in his epic task.

As I walked into Galt I stopped at a coffee-house thinking I could talk about Ayn Rand. But to my surprise and dismay no one seemed to know who I was talking about. Everyone thought there was a book written about Galt the city.  I was quite annoyed so I left town and made my way towards Tahoe.  After days of trying and failing the furthest I got was Folsom CA.  I decided to take the hint and abandon my Tahoe adventure and go to Sacramento CA.

Once in Sacramento I stopped to get a beer and a sandwich. I met a few girls at the pub and we chatted and it was looking promising. I figured I would not be sleeping outside that night.  But then out of the corner of my eye I saw some street kids with backpacks walking past the bar. I ran outside and told them to hold on.  I ran in paid my tab and took off.

We started walking and talking and it turns out that two of them were just home bums and the other was a thumber that went by the road name of shaggy.  I liked shaggy almost instantly. He had told me that he was worried that he would become a home bum in Sacramento because he had been there for the better part of 4 days now. But he also added that he was meeting a friend at Starbucks that might be able to get us out of town at 3pm.

So we walked to Starbucks and hung out and waited.  While we waited I thumbed through my crew change manual and realized that we were a few blocks from the jungle.  Our ride never showed up so I asked him if he had ever hopped a freight train. He said no but he had always wanted to try. We walked to the jungle and as we stood there deciding what we were going to do a train pulled up and stopped. Directly in front of us was a Canadian grainer.

Now the nice thing about Canadian grainers is that they have not one compartment but 3!  It is the hobo Cadillac.  I told shaggy to hop in and get in the right side room.  He jumped up and I threw him my pack.  I told him to hold on.  I ran to the front engine and looked at the manifest and it was heading to Oakland CA.  Sure, why not?  I came back and told him where it was going and he said that was fine. We could take the 101 north from san francisco.

The train took off, and we were headed southwest.  Shaggy’s face was that of a child at christmas.  He was scared, excited, nervous, elated, and everything in between.  The train eventually rolled into Oakland and as I looked out I saw a bull sitting in a truck watching the train. I told shaggy to get ready to run.  He asked where to and I said I had no idea. Just follow me and I will get you out of here.  As the train came to a stop we had not one but two trucks on either side of us. I took a deep breath and took off running.

As I vaulted off the grainer my first step was on the hood of the bulls truck.  I turned my head as I ran just far enough to see the wide eyes of the bull.  He was completely thunderstruck.  I ran hard and could hear shaggy behind me right on my heels. That a boy.  I noticed a small hole in the fence to my left and threw my pack through and dove in after it.  Shaggy tried to dive through the hole with his backpack on and I had to grab him and rip him through.  I threw my pack on and as I looked up the bull was inches away on the other side of the fence.  I was doubled over and gasping for breath at this point and through my deep breathes with an arrogant smile I said “How you doing?”.  The bull stared at me and I was thankful that looks couldn’t kill.  He didn’t say anything so I tuned in and said, “next time maybe?”  We turned around and jogged to the road and walked to a bart station.

We rode the Bart to downtown and walked for a long while till we got to fort mason.  We hid our packs and grabbed some beer and food and talked for a long time and eventually fell asleep.  In the morning we walked across the golden gate bridge in the fog. I now know what twain meant when he said “the coldest winter I have ever spent was a summer in san francisco.”  Eventually we got to vista point and tried to hitch out. While we waited we met a thumber named Screech and he asked us if we were going Earthdance.

Earthdance is a hippy festival in Laytonville CA and it happens once a year and has thousands of people who go to it.  I told him we might.  So after much talking shaggy and I decided that we would hit up Earthdance.  Northbound to Earthdance. I had a good feeling about this.

Some women go on vacation and enjoy a mud bath at a quiet little spa with candles and soft music – me, well, I prefer a mud shower…..

And if you are not careful, you might get stuck. Of course, that is half the fun…

As you have seen from recent posts, I have not written about running. I’ve been taking a little break since the marathon in October. It’s been good, but I don’t have anything more in particular to say about it. Just been running a little. Like I’m sure many of you, I am thinking ahead to 2010 and what races I want to do battle with…so many to choose from. Isn’t THAT great. I’m also thinking of raising money for charity again. Last time I did it was in 2005 for the SF Marathon. I raised over $5000 so I was really pleased and enormously grateful to all who donated. The donations went to Children’s Hospital in Oakland, CA. I have a special interest in that place. Nevertheless, having said that, I am wondering what charity, what cause, do I want to put my energy and legs into? Do I chose the same one? As opposed to how great it is that there are sooo many races to choose from, it’s quite daunting to try and decide what CAUSE  to get behind. There are so many in need; so many causes that are all more worthy than I can even begin to comprehend. I’m not even sure I WILL raise money again, but all of this is certainly on my radar.  I will definitely post about it so stay tuned.

So, back to the battlefield. Kennesaw Battlefield, that is. I texted Jeff on Friday asking if he wanted to meet. We’ve been trying to meet up and just haven’t connected lately. We actually hadn’t seen each other since about September. Hmmm.. I wonder if he was avoiding me cause he KNEW that HILL pain would be involved… hee hee. He texted me back asking when and where. “10am. Kennesaw. rain or shine.”

It had been pretty ugly and cold out so who knew what we were in for on the trails. Actually, it rained all day on Friday but the trails were not as wet/muddy as I thought they would be. I purposely DID NOT wear my new Adidas Trail shoes. I JUST couldn’t bear to get them all muddy just yet. So. I had my old ones on.

Found Jeff at 10am right on the nose. Isn’t it wonderful when you can count on people??!! Love that about Jeff! Since we both have not been running much, we decided to just go 5 miles. And let me tell you, 5 miles at Kennesaw is pretty damn good. All hilly! And, oh…the hills make you remember quickly. I hadn’t been out there for about a year…not since I had done my training for the Chattanooga 50k Trail race. I commented to Jeff that it looked so different out there at this time of year….the trails in their winter dress..barren, still and almost an eerie quiet. We didn’t talk much as we plotted one foot in front of the other, up and down and up and down. How comforting it was to be there with my friend, running side by side in the cold of the Battlefield…each of us with our own quiet thoughts and experience, but still, together.

Soon enough, we were back at the start. I don’t know the mileage cause I was not wearing my Garmin, but time was 58:36…so I’m thinking 5.5-6 miles

I said to Jeff; “you know you’re a runner when you come and run tough miles and you’re not training for anything.”

Jeff: “oh, we’re training for something. we just don’t know what yet.”

Ahhh…so true!

Here we are post run. Thanks, buddy!

I left samland in the morning. I was headed east to a land of giant rocks and bears. Yes, thats right, Yosemite national park.  I stood outside of the cafe on the 120 and put my thumb out. A few moments later I heard a voice call out, “Hey sam, Hold on man! I will be right back.”  I shrugged it off thinking yeah right.  About a half an hour later the same truck pulled up and asked where I was going. I told him Yosemite and he said, “Well screw it man. I havent driven there in a while. I will take you there. I have a annual pass so what the hell right?”

We exchanged the normal conversation. What are you doing, what have you done, where have you been, where are you going, when will you stop. It was quite pleasant this time around though.  A few miles down the road he pulled off the side of the road and we smoked a bowl.  It was some really good stuff too.  We headed into Yosemite with a good buzz going.  As we came over a crest of a hill I pleaded with tom, “dude please pull over!”  He pulled into a scenic area called tunnel view. This is what I saw that held me there for the better part of 45 minutes.

He drove me down into Yosemite valley and I walked into the rangers station to get a better idea of what I should be seeing in Yosemite. The ranger was quite pleasant but he informed me that I needed a back country camping permit as well as a bear bucket.  If you don’t know what a bear bucket is then I will tell you.  A bear bucket is about 1 and a half gallons in size and is made of Kevlar or some other type of super hard plastic.  It has smooth sides and is used to store your food so the bears can’t get to it.  I am usually opposed to bear buckets because they are heavy and cumbersome. The ranger assured me that I would need one and waived the fee because I was a hitchhiker.

I decided to camp on top of Yosemite falls. The tallest waterfall in the united states and the third tallest in the world.  I made my way to camp 4 where the trail starts. It is 3.2 miles of hiking with an elevation gain of around 4000 feet.  There are over 150 switchbacks to get to the top.  This was a fact I was not privy to as I started.  It took me the better part of 3 hours to climb to the top. I was soaked in sweat and I was exhausted by the time I had made it to the top.

I jumped off the trail once I had made it to the top and found a nice place to camp. There was a fire pit already there and some nice trees to hang a hammock in.  About 500 yards down a hill was the almost dry river that fed the falls. There were a few pools of water that hadn’t dried up yet and that is where I would replenish my water.  As I set up my camp I heard a rustling in the bushes. As I turned my head I saw what I had been hoping to see. A black bear not more than 20 feet from me. He wasnt frightened at all it seems.

I cooked up some food and hit the hay. I was exhausted from the daunting climb earlier that day. The weather was pleasant and the stars shone down on me assuring me that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.  I awoke later that night to a rustling sound close by. I heard the bear bucket being messed with and then I felt something roll into my bivy sack.  I reached over to feel what it was and I knew immediately that my bear bucket was beside me instead of ten feet away where i had put it earlier.  Uh oh.  I heard a loud snort only inches from my face and a paw took the bear bucket away.  I yelled and screamed and jumped up. I heard a surprised (not scared) yelp and as i jumped out of my bivy sack I saw something big running away.  I turned on my light and watched it walk casually away. Seems the food wasnt worth the effort to Mr.bear.  I fell asleep a while later.

The next few days were filled with hiking and relaxing. I would walk down to the river and swim naked and lay on the rocks like a lizard.  I saw el capitan, mathers point, Yosemite falls, camp 4, and half dome. I met a few people and made camp with one girl in particular.  I was walking towards half dome and she offered me water. We sat and talked and later that night we made camp on top of half dome. Not allowed, but there are many things I do that I am not allowed to do.

Yosemite wanted me to stay longer but Samland was calling me. There was a chilli cookout going on in a day or so.  The next morning I hitched back to samland and hung out with brian for another day. The next morning I checked out the chillifest and had a few drinks that night and in the morning with batteries freshly charged I made my way towards Tahoe. I figured that Tahoe would be a good place to meet a road dog. The road was getting lonely and i wanted to travel with someone for a change.

Today was cold. very cold. We’re expecting 8-10 inches of snow tonight. Thankfully I was able to get my run done during the daylight and before the snow starts. It was a 3.5m run and I finished it with a walk around Weir Hill with the Marcus and his siblings. (I haven’t mentioned this yet, but My parents dogs had a litter of puppies last spring and we bought a house so we could get a puppy. am i spoiled or what? haha) So yea he gets to hang out w/some of his siblings on a regular basis.

Back to the run, it was cold and i was exploring an unfamiliar route down unexplored streets in this new town. I was happy i didn’t get lost since some street signs were missing, but happily i did the route i had planned and managed to meet my sister, husband and friend, and dogs at Weir Hill iin approx. 37mins.

This was the longest run i’ve done yet. I was tired. My legs hurt. At times i wanted to walk. but i didn’t, i kept focusing on keeping my legs moving. just paying attention to putting one foot  infront of the other kept me going. I felt like a snail could move faster than me but i’m glad i finished the run. Looking forward to tomorrows 35min walk on an unexplored trail in the fresh snow.

 Let it snow let it snow let it snow.

Little piece of happiness

One of my very good friends and I decided to get away for a couple of days. The goal was to get out of town, but within driving distance and to keep it as low key as possible.

We found an affordable cabin that met our requirements. We were able to remove ourselves from our “daily routines” and spend some time in a bare essentials cabin and just relax. Not only did we get in some great trail running we had the opportunity to test out new cooking techniques with the outside grill (instead of an oven/stove) and a microwave.

The weather was wet and chilly but the cabin was warm and toasty with a great view of the lake. Consensus? Mission accomplished!

In Tucson people are always riding bicycles or outside with their dog…weird.  This morning I took the kids on one of the many bike trails around here.

The girls.

Don’t let the snow hat deceive you, we went out early in the morning, later that day it was in the 70’s.

Played at a playground afterward.

I am SO proud of myself.  I looked on youtube today for a “how to” and learned how to french braid hair!!!  Not too bad for my first time (and considering Hazel was attacking us with the hair brush for most of the time.)

Last weekend I bought a twin bed for Luke that I found on Craig’s List for $20.  I told him he could paint it however he wanted.  Yesterday we went to Home Depot and Luke learned how to pick out a color and order it from the paint counter.  Today we all helped him sand the bed and wipe it clean.  He keeps asking if he can please paint it all by himself (really what he is saying is NO ISABEL AND SYLVIA PLEASE!)

Luke has started a new blog:  Luke’s Entomology Discoveries
Also, don’t forget Isabel’s:  The Red Ruby (I am trying to get her to put her art on there)

Hamilton Peak is about an 8 mile round-trip hike, starting from Beacon Rock State Park along the Columbia River. It’s a nice hike, with two big waterfalls (Rodney Falls and Hardy Falls), and two trail options.

Don’t let the sign mislead you, though..neither trail is particularly difficult. The “more difficult” trail is slightly shorter and a bit steeper at the top, but definitely worth the views. There’s a lot of sharp, loose rocks in one section that the brown dog wasn’t a fan of.

On our hike, the wind was howling at the top, so we hid behind some bushes for a snack of cheese and crackers. Cheese is a favorite food of the brown dog, and she apparently wasn’t satisfied with her selection of dog treats. She probably would have stolen cheese from a small child at that point…

The Pool of Winds is just up the hill at the second falls, and is definitely worth the extra bit. Just be sure all hyperactive, water-loving dogs are leashed at this point. Dusky contemplated, and nearly accomplished, a header into the waterfall here. The overlook at the first falls is also a spot where hyperactive dogs should be leashed…

The semester’s coming to a close, and with it this blog (at least for the moment).

Thanks to my students for a wonderful first class.

I’ll resume posting with the start of the new semester Jan. 11. In the meantime, past and future students and other members of the Cerritos College journalism family can look me up on Facebook.

(Little-known fact: Roy Rogers was festival organizers’ No. 1 choice to close Woodstock. He declined.)

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Tonight I had a great ride on the trail. There were a few noises and a few owls, but my bike light chased the shadows away. Of course there was that big tree limb that fell on its own. At least I hope it was a tree limb. Whatever the noise was it kept me pedaling toward home.

One summer day I took my bike and rode to the park. There is a trail that has tall trees lined down both sides which canopy over. It is a straight trail about a quarter of a mile long and when the afternoon light hits the trail it is filled with these beams and shadows.

On 22nd February 2010 London five-piece Trail will release their debut album ‘To the Rest of the World’ through indie label Twistid.

Formed in 2007 by singer songwriter Charlie Afif and guitarist Alex Mattey the pair brought together their varied influences from Dylan and the Water Boys to 90’s grunge and started to craft a sound of their own.

Recruiting mates Simon Glynn on bass, Eireann Kelly on guitar (and later joined by Minco De Bruin on Drums), they started to play some local shows and with a surprising amount of early support quickly became regulars on the London circuit that year playing the O2 Wireless festival in Hyde Park as a result of making the final 11 in the O2 Undiscovered contest (from over 3000 entrants).

With a rapidly growing fanbase Trail started to raise money on inspirational financial platform slicethepie.com. In just 9 months they had successfully amassed enough investors to raise £20k to help record their debut album.

It was around this time they began attracting attention from across the Atlantic and soon multi-platinum producer Matt Wallace (Faith No More/Maroon 5) took an interest in the band and their songs. Recognising their songwriting abilities and potential he invited them over to LA to record their album and together they created, ‘To the Rest of the World’.

The album will be followed by the release of second single ‘City’ a driving Editors-esque delivery with a haunting grooved bass line and melancholic rock riff. Previous single ‘Prism’, released in September, reached Number 3 in the Amazon Rock Download Chart.

Tour Dates:
December
5 The Star, Gillingham
16 Dublin Castle, London
January
14 Liquid Nation, London
28 Bull & Gate, London
February
2 Bunglow 8, London
22 Album Release Party – London
UK Tour to be announced.

http://www.myspace.com/trailmusic

Golden Gate Bridge at Night

Golden Gate Bridge at Night

Mount Diablo, California

Mount Diablo, California

by Donald B. MacGowan

The characteristic wishbone shape of Rainbow Falls on a characteristically gray day in Hilo Hawaii---No Rainbows Today!: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

There area many wonders and enigmas, out of the way and generally off the beaten track, on the Big Island of Hawaii that have garnered a lot of word-of-mouth popularity over the years; the Golden Ponds of Ke-awa-iki, hike to see the flowing lava and the weird, fabulous and storied colored sand beaches of the Big Island come immediately to mind. The almost folk-tale way in which traveler’s impart information to each other about these incredible places guarantee that serious errors in the nature and history of these places, or even errors in directions on how to get there, creep in to the accounts. It would be a shame to set your heart on seeing a place a friend told you that you just had to visit and not be able to find it, or not understand what it was you were seeing once you got there.

A true connoisseur of water falls finds a unique way to enjoy Rainbow Falls, Hilo Hawaii: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

We here at Tour Guide have endeavored to seek, collate and present an encyclopedic collection of the most up-to-date information on visiting over 500 locations on the Big Island, coloring the material with our decades of personal experience living on the Big Island. Today, you may access that information here on this blog or by renting our hand-held computer/GPS unit which shows location aware video presentations about all these sites. Recently, we have released a version of our tours downloadable to iPhone and iPod Touch that covers more than 50 areas of island, highlighting the popular and the uncrowded, the famous and the secluded, the adventurous and and the relaxing.

During dry conditions, there is barely a trickle of water coming over Rainbow Falls in Hilo Hawaii: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

Our goal is to insure you have the most fun, most interesting and enjoyable vacation here in Hawaii–that you are provided with all the information you need to decide where to go and what to see, and that you are not burdened with out-dated or incorrect information…

For independent reviews of our product, written by some of our legions of satisfied customers, please check this out.

So, now let’s talk about fabulous Rainbow Falls, in Hilo Hawaii.

Wailuku River Park and Rainbow Falls

During wet weather, Rainbow Falls becomes a thunderous cascade, Hilo Hawaii Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

The subject of recent and ancient legend, Rainbow Falls is the lovely emblem of Hilo town. The cave beneath Rainbow Falls is said to have been the home of Hina, mother of the demi-god Maui, who brought fire to mankind. It is also said to be the place where Kamehameha buried his father’s bones.

The surging Wailuku River above Rainbow Falls during the spring monsoon, Hilo Hawaii: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

The characteristic wishbone shape of Rainbow falls is best seen at moderate river flows…too little water and only a single drizzle remains, too much runoff and the falls merge into a single, roaring flume. At any time, however, it’s a beautiful place and worthwhile to visit.

The Wailuku River below Rainbow Falls, Hilo Hawaii: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

Waianuenue in Hawai’ian means “rainbow in waterfall”, and just about every village in Hawai’i large enough to have paved roads, has a “Waianuenue Street”. This particular waterfall was called “Waianuenue” by the ancient Hawai’ians, and remains the reigning queen of its namesake. A remarkable and lovely waterfall, the rainbows within it, which are the emblem of the state of Hawai’i, are best seen in the mid to late morning.

A view over the Top of Rainbow Falls, Hilo Hawaii Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

Follow the trail uphill and to the left along the river bank, through a banyan tree jungle and a dizzying perch at the top of the falls. Hiking a bit further leads to delightful swimming and wandering; please note, however, that swimming in rivers and near falling water is dangerous. Don’t go in if the current is swift or if recent rains have swollen the river.

Rainbow Falls During Monsoon, Hilo Hawaii: Photo by Donnie MacGowan

One can follow the Wailuku River all the way to the Boiling Pots (be wary; footing can be muddy and treacherous, especially at times of high flow) and thence on up to Pe’epee Falls State Park, although conditions may dictate you leave the river canyon and follow the roads at some point.

The banyan jungle above Rainbow Falls, Hilo Hawaii Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

It’s best to go early in the morning when the rainbows are visible (if it’s sunny) and before the big tour buses begin pulling in. Late afternoons the park can sometimes be over-run with unruly teenagers who may make the visitor feel uncomfortable. As with many parks in Hawaii, the facilities are run down and the restrooms are a disgrace but the scenery, the falls, the hike and the tropical malama aina are more than worth the effort to see this magical place.

Jungle lagoon on the Wailuku River above Rainbow Falls, Hilo Hawaii: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

To see the new iPhone/iPod Touch App, please visit http://www.tourguidehawaii.com/iphone.html. The best of Tour Guide Hawaii’s free content about traveling to, and exploring, the Big island, can be found here. For more information on traveling to Hawaii in general and on touring the Big Island in particular, please also visit www.tourguidehawaii.com and www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com.

Inside the Banyan Jungle above Rainbow Falls, Hilo Hawaii: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

All media copyright 2009 by Donald B. MacGowan. All rights reserved.