Six months ago I had more questions than answers about Agile.

Five months ago I had serious reservations about Agile.

Today, I can say that I am a believer. With only one reservation.

It wasn’t the overwhelming positive press about Agile.  In my experience, you can hear 100 things opposed to your point of view and cling to your beliefs even tighter. So the positive news didn’t hurt, but it didn’t change my mind.

The change was a result of a Scrummaster workshop and seeing it in action. The workshop dismantled three of my biggest misconceptions about Agile.

The First was that…

1. Agile is lax on Technical Rigor
   And the assumption is that where a process is lax in technical rigor, there’s poor quality. In nearly everything I’d read about Agile to that point, I’d seen the phrase “good enough.”

   Unfortunately, in my mind, “good enough” doesn’t have a positive connotation.The workshop turned that concept on its head by explaining that Scrum is a process.  What we bring to the process is up to us. Responsibility for technical rigor is put back squarely on the shoulders of the team who have to deliver working code and demo it to the customer at the end of the sprint.

   The emphasis here should be on the phrase “working code”. In Waterfall, we have milestones where we deliver documents, but there is never a chance for the customer to see working functionality until the end; when we may have completely misunderstood what they wanted.  Or the business environment has changed.

2. I would hate the process
   The role of Scrummaster did not sound appealing. I became a Project Manager in a Waterfall environment and that was what I was used to: working with teams to define detailed plans, then tracking those plans to completion. Would all that change?

   What I discovered was that the scope had changed from 12 months to 2 weeks. The Scrummaster still works with the team to plan the sprint and holds Daily Scrums to track status, but the focus is reduced to the window of a sprint – not 9 -12 months.

   What I viewed as a side benefit to being a Release Manager in a Waterfall environment (working with smart people, facilitating and watching as they solved problems) became the focus of my role as Scrummaster.  The key question: How can I help you remove any obstacles?

3. Agile can be used on any project
   
   My final misconception was the idea, fixed in my head because of my familiarity with Waterfall, that Agile should probably only be used on projects with bleeding-edge technology or products with critical time to-market constraints. Those type of projects could benefit from the quick turnaround time and “good enough” quality would be delivered.

   The workshop leader was adamant.  Scrum could be used on any project. I had heebie jeebies in reaction because it seemed like an extreme answer (and I tend to distrust anyone who seems to have drunk the koolaid without considering the other side). I questioned whether Scrum would work on a project that required high reliability.

   He reminded us that questions about reliability could be a part of the customer discussions about the functionality to be delivered in that sprint. The working code demoed to the customer must answer the question that the team asked when they made the sprint commitment: How do we know that it works?  The answer should include input from the customer.
   
   This would be a good place to draw this post to a close. It would be nice if I could say (as a former Scrum skeptic) that I have no more doubts.

   Unfortunately, I still have my doubts about whether Scrum can be used on projects that require high reliability. The good news is that as a result of this workshop and my experiences, I am far more likely to consider its use when time to market is critical.

I know there must be some of you who have seen Scrum used on projects that require high reliability? Leave me a comment or send me a tweet, my id is jgodfrey.

Trying not to repeat things that can be read by Googling “Why not use waterfall?”, I pose myself the question: “Why not use waterfall?”…

Waterfall is a development process, where requirements are gathered at the start, and software is delivered at the end.  However, there are modified waterfall processes, where software is delivered in iterations.  So why not use a modified waterfall process? And why, you may ask, do (some) people say you should use agile?

You can do everything in waterfall that you can do in agile. Except you cannot change requirements. That’s the only thing you cannot do. Requirements are fixed. Everything, frequent releases, simple design, dtsttcpw, prioritizing work. Using a (modified) waterfall model, you can do all of those things. So why not do it? The reason, as already stated, is that you cannot change the requirements. The investment in the requirements gathering process has already been made. An initial design has already been made. Changing requirements at the implementation stage costs too much money. And so agile isn’t about pair programming. And it’s not about stand up meetings. It’s about feedback. And it’s about responding to feedback. Being agile means being able to change direction quickly, it means accepting that requirements are things that matter right now, not what mattered 6 months ago.

In an agile process, a number of practices need to be maintained so that agility is maintained.

1. Agility is needed in the design, so that a change doesn’t require lots of rework (simple design)
2. Agility is needed in the testing, so that a change doesn’t require a lot of manual re-testing (automated testing)
3. Agility is needed in the code, so that a change doesn’t require developers to down tools (Continuous integration)

If you don’t have a simple, easy to follow design, and if you don’t have automated tests, and you don’t have code continuously integrated, and you have accumulated technical debt to a level where you can no longer change requirements without weeks of rework – how agile are you really?

And that is the question that should be asked when you review the process on your project:  “How agile are we?”.  The answer will change as the project progresses…

I’ll admit this post doesn’t really go anywhere, but it’s always worth re-emphasizing that agility is about the ability to change requirements, and nothing else.

A Florida attractive target is Orlando city. Packed and juggle visitors to visit in many times. This is in Orange County in United State of Florida. Orlando International Airport and Orlando-Sanford International Airport are aviations to contract this city. And city transport services are so nice in downtown. There are many hotel deals with best conveniences. In city attractions points are Harry P. Leu Gardens with pretty landscape garden, lake are there, Historic Bok Sanctuary with beautiful garden, exotic tree, flowers and duck colony and attractive birds

The pride and joy of downtown is Lake Eola Park with 43 acres of charitable sidewalks for strolling and jogging on the .9-mile loop around the water. It’s an accepted objective in the city center area, with various delightful improvements of the gorgeous background to walk at lunch.

Swan-shaped paddle boats can be borrowed or you capacity longing to just give to eat the live swans. Unfortunately, the gondola tour has been discontinued, even though gondola boats are available for rent by the half hour.

Lake Eola Park also provides a playground, a small outdoor cafe and the Walt Disney Amphitheatre for individual actions.

The park is located at 195 N Rosalind Avenue and is open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (midnight). And one most hotels orlando florida with great services are there. Beside Sea World venture Park Orlando is full of thrill and exploration rides and extra interesting. Discovery Cove, Holy Land name of fun places. Golf sports are generally similar to and several clubs are offered. Spaces shopping and drinking expanse are too much standard. At the end we can say that due to all services and activity this city become very famous in between the visitors for celebrate their vacation plans.

A Florida beautiful target is Orlando city. Packed and juggle visitors to visit in many times. This is in Orange County in United State of Florida. Orlando International Airport and Orlando-Sanford International Airport are aviations to contract this city. And city transport services are so nice in downtown. There are many hotel deals with best conveniences. In city attractions points are Harry P. Leu Gardens with pretty landscape garden, lake are there, Historic Bok Sanctuary with beautiful garden, exotic tree, flowers and duck colony and attractive birds. Tropical rain forest with thousand of blooms, jungle, stream, waterfall, squawking parrots in the World of Orchids are offered. Museums are also spot attractions for visitors. Some well-known museums are Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Orange County Regional History Center, International Trolley and Train Museum and The Holy Land Experience. Walt Disney World everyone knows about this and many resort and shops are there. And one most orlando fl hotels with great services are there. Beside Sea World venture Park Orlando is full of thrill and exploration rides and extra interesting. Discovery Cove, Holy Land name of fun places. Golf sports are generally similar to and several clubs are offered. Spaces shopping and drinking expanse are too much standard. At the end we can say that due to all services and activity this city become very famous in between the visitors for celebrate their vacation plans.

Here are some pictures of my sister’s recently completed paintings.  Not bad for a beginner, eh?

Click these babies to enlarge.

There’s a pretty little waterfall in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park in Costa Rica that they call ‘la catarata cangreja’ or the crab waterfall.  Here’s what it looks like.

It doesn’t particularly look like a crab, and the pool is quite pretty.

There IS a very legitimate reason for the strange name though.

He looks kind of mad at me, don’t you think?

A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving,
living part of the very earth itself.
- Laura Gilpin

Rent-it specialists bring that extra boost to your your event, wedding or party. It is not about tables and chairs but a consiouce effort on our part to provide you something within your budget yet brings out the moment. Call for a complimentary review and talk about some extraordinary possibilities.

This is another shot taken near Ellenborough Falls to the west of Taree in New South Wales, Australia.

This is a view looking down from up near the top of the waterfall.

I got Jess to sit still for approximately five frames, one of which was this.

Okay, so I have been having a terrible time. Just awful.

Today was just one trial after another really. There was a fun trip to a wildlife refuge, where they help endangered animals which have been injured or displaced. Beautiful jaguars lounged just a few feet away in their enclosures.

Then there was a delicious margarita with lunch by the river.

The worst of it all was the trip to the waterfall. Wow, we had to pay like almost $2, towards some darned school, just to go to some stinking waterfall. I mean, sure it was beautiful, sure we could walk under the falls, and sure, there was even a path to the top of the falls, but really, $2 for one of the best waterfalls I have ever been to? I mean really.

Next time some cute little Costa Rican woman asks for money for underprivileged children, I am so going to just give her a Chilcotin chest punch.

Okay, I’m full of it.

Today was fabulous.

Hetch Hetchy Moonrise

Discover Yosemite’s best-kept secret, Hetch Hetchy Valley.

John Muir once described Hetch Hetchy as “a wonderfully exact counterpart” of Yosemite Valley. It is a funny twist of nature to create a valley this close to Yosemite Valley that looks so much alike. Today the infamous O’Shaughnessy Dam blocks the flow of the Tuolumne River, flooding the entire valley with 300 feet of water. The San Francisco Bay Area needs the dam to satisfy its insatiable hunger for power and water. A lot of controversy surrounds the dam and the accompanied destruction of a pristine valley within the borders of Yosemite National Park.

Despite the controversy, Hetch Hetchy is a fantastic destination for day hikes, backpacking and of course, photography. One of the easiest and by far the most popular day hike is the 5 mile round trip to Wapama Falls. The falls plummet 1400 ft from the northern cliffs of the valley, an impressive sight, although not easy to capture in photographs. The easy and pleasant round trip hike offers good views of the dam, the reservoir and the falls.

The reservoir leads to fantastic opportunities for photography. Imagine an entire Yosemite Valley standing on a mirror surface.

I cannot help admiring the remarkable engineering accomplishments of such an immense undertaking and the determination people showed at the turn of the century to accomplish such mammoth projects like O-Shaughnessy Dam. Comparing it to the quibbles of modern day projects and the projected costs of necessary repairs on the Bay Bridge, I must bow to the people constructing the dam.

Only a tiny fraction of visitors to Yosemite come here, although I believe that number will increase rapidly in the near future as crowds simply spill over into this fantastic place. There is also a slight chance that one day the reservoir may be drained to restore the valley.

Visit this little known corner of Yosemite today and claim your photographs.

How to get there

The Hetch Hetchy turnoff (Evergreen Road) from Highway 120 is at  37°48′54.02″N 119°52′31.16″W just outside Yosemite, west of the Big Oak Flat Entrance Station (Hwy 120). The exit is clearly marked, but you need to pay attention since there is only a single sign.

Hetch Hetchy Parking Area(click to enlarge)

On this first map, I have marked some good spots for photography near the main parking lot.

Hetch Hetchy Wapama Falls Hike (click to enlarge)

On this second map, you can see the trail destination of Wapama Falls in relation to the parking lot. The distance from the dam to the falls is approx. 2.5 miles.

GPS position

37°56′47.18″N 119°47′15.13″W

How to photograph Hetch Hetchy and Wapama Falls

Hetch Hetchy O'Shaughnessy Dam

The drive into the valley is just as exciting as the drive into Yosemite Valley from Highway 120. The narrow winding road suddenly reveals a view of immense beauty.  I immediately was awestruck by the beauty of this sight and had mixed feelings about the dam. Although this man-made lake destroys the valley floor beneath it, the water provides a unique opportunity to photograph this magnificent valley presented on a mirror. The reservoir is beautiful in its own right. In the photograph at the start of this page, I was even able to capture the reflection of the moon as it rose above Kolana Rock. I took this photograph from the dam, which doubles as the main viewpoint into the valley and the spot where you can watch the sun set (obey the closing hours listed below).

Wapama Falls

You can photograph the dam either from the parking lot west of the dam or from the trail to Wapama Falls and Rancheria Falls. Both views give you a unique perspective. The side light, illuminating the trees, drew my attention during the late afternoon, as I returned from my hike. I stopped briefly, set up my tripod and took the photograph above. The lighting in the canyon at this time of the day is dim, requiring a tripod or a lens with image stabilization (IS,VR,VC,OS).

A tripod is a good idea for other reasons. In fact, I took all images on this page with the help of a tripod. This allowed me to shoot in relative darkness (first two images), slow the flow of the water in the third image and compose the high dynamic range photograph shown below. I struggled to get a decent composition of Wapama Falls. I ended up climbing underneath the footbridge and almost fell down a crevasse, but I was not too happy with the results. The waterfall is too large for any useful composition from this close distance. I found the compositions from the opposite shore more interesting.

Wapama Falls Footbridges HDR

Fortunately, Dani pointed out a pleasing composition looking back towards the footbridge. With the low winter sun forcing me to shoot against the light, I decided on a wide-angle composition to take advantage of the star streaks they create. Deliberately including the sun, I took three photographs and combined them in Photomatix.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Currently the entrance gate hours are:

• 7am to 8pm for April
• 7am to 9pm May to Labor Day
• 8am to 7pm Day after Labor day to October 31
• 8am to 5pm November to March 31

You need to obtain a wilderness permit for overnight backpacking trips. Plan sufficient time to return to the entrance gate, the punishment for tardiness is severe. Upon your entry, the ranger will hand you a numbered parking permit and will note your license plate and the number of people in your party to ensure everyone returns safely from their trip and leaves in time.

Time required

We hiked to Wapama Falls in under one hour, passing other hikers. You are on the safe side if you schedule 3 hours hiking time (90 minutes each way) and about 1 hour for photography at the falls and on the trail.

Equipment

• Tripod
• Cable Release
• Split ND filter
• Bear Spray (find it at the Bass Pro Shop in Manteca or other outdoor stores)
• Bear Bells
• Mosquito Spray
• Sun Lotion
• Water (it gets hot on the trail as the water reflects most of the sunlight back at you)
• Picnic  (don’t store smelly food in your car, which attract bears, use the bear safe containers at the backpackers parking)

Fees

The entrance fee is the same as at other Yosemite NP entrances, $20.

Difficulty Getting There

Bears, rattle snakes and Poison Oak are among the most obvious hazards.

Close Locations

• Yosemite Firefall   Horsetail Fall
• Views of Yosemite Valley
• Yosemite Valley in Fall
• Merced Grove
• Wildlife of Yosemite
• Mirror Lake
• Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Bridge and Swinging Bridge
• Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall Trail
• Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, Taft Point
• Tioga Pass road
• Tuolumne Meadows
• Mariposa Grove
• Columbia SHP
• Locke Historic Town

Useful Resources

Day Hikes in HH (NPS.GOV)

Hetch Hetchy Brochure (this is how it could look after moving the dam)

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Ellenborough Falls are located to the west of Taree in New South Wales, Australia. To get there from Taree simply follow Tourist Drive 8.

The falls drop some 200m over the escarpment. There are a number of viewing areas giving good falls of the waterfall.

For more information visit:

http://www.kevinswilderness.com/NSW/ellenborough_falls.html

Waterfall

]]> http://ryanspics.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/kings-gap/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:00:24 +0000 rnsmn32 http://ryanspics.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/kings-gap/

I went to Kings Gap to photograph the autumn leaves, but the day I went it was raining. It gave me a great chance to get some very interesting shots.

I’ve never heard of Waterfall Audio before. I think they qualify for one of my rules in the audio world though: if you’ve never heard of an audio company and they cost more than products from a familiar brand, it’s probably good stuff. Apparently the company made a name for itself a few years ago with a glass-enclosed speaker line. Who knew.

The latest speaker line, Serio, keeps the glass theme alive, but manages to shrink the package down to a satellite-style size. Too bad all that glass and square lines scream the ’90s.

I’m sure they are fantastic speakers. They better be for the price: $5,549 for a 5.1 system which includes a HighForce sub, $1,799 for a 2.1 system, or $249 each. The specs are good too: 150 watts max, 87 dB efficiency, and 180HZ – 20kHz frequency response. Each speaker is about the size of a CD jewel case and weighs 2 lbs.It’s just that they look like something that would have been found in Microsoft’s suits office around the time Windows 95 launched.

found @ www.crunchgear.com

Ok, so finally back to Stavanger and the hot chocolate with amazing homemade marshmallows, the colorful wooden buildings, and the fjord tour. Norway is known for its fjords, so of course, we had to see some!

It was just a bit cold and a little windy on the boat! = )

The boat pulled up to a waterfall and they filled a bucket full of "fresh Norwegian waterfall water" that  was then dispensed into plastic cups. Because it was cold and the cups were slightly wet, I didn’t want to pick up the cup and get my gloves wet—but I overcame—I mean when else do you get to drink waterfall water? So, we happily drank!

On the first part of our boat ride, we stopped for an "important member of the community" to board. Turns out he was a farmer and had left his goats on the hillside (the fjordside?) over the summer and wanted to bring them back. This was not his first attempt, and certainly would not be his last because after trying for about 30 minutes, they gave up and the goats won!

This little white goat was the trouble maker! The bigger grey goat came on board, lured by a loaf of bread and then lassoed on with a rope. Most of the passengers pressed up against the windows with their cameras, watching as the farmer and two of the boat men tried to get the goats—scrambling up the hillside, attempting to jump on them, cooing at them—all to no avail! It was quite amusing.

We got back to Stavanger and wandered around for a bit until our ferry back to Haugesund. We came across this interesting hair place:

(182:  Behind the waterfall.  Ash Cave.  Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio.)

Sneaking up on it

I think I was destined to become an Agile technical writer.  In the summer of 2008 I was working for a small software company that produced two different products.  After finishing up a stretch of concentrating on the documentation for product A, I checked in with the product B developers in New Zealand.  I discovered that they’d decided to adopt Agile development without telling me. 

I responded the way I always do when faced with a new idea.  I did some research.

I started out by checked the Techwr-l archives for threads that mentioned Agile.  I’ve been a member of Techwr-l since 2005, and since I use G-mail to manage my list subscriptions, it was fairly easy to find the few discussions of Agile from the past couple of years.  Unfortunately, what little I found didn’t sound too encouraging from a tech writer’s point of view.

I also looked through my collection of back issues of the Intercom, the journal of the Society for Technical Communications.  I found two articles about Agile documentation:

• Adapting to SCRUM: Challenges and Strategies (July/August 2007)
• Extreme Documentation (February 2003)

Wikipedia and Google turned up plenty of articles, and also led me to the Agile Manifesto and Scott Ambler’s Web Site.   I had to do quite a bit of reading before I finally realized that when Agile proponents were writing things like “Documentation should be just barely good enough.” and “The benefit of having documentation must be greater than the cost of creating and maintaining it.” They were talking about project documentation (design documents, functional specs, etc), not product documentation like User Guides and Help. And with the exception of the STC articles, none of the resources I was reading were talking about what a technical writer would produce, or how they fit into Agile (other than being part of the Scrum team).

I had just started reading Agile Software Development with Scrum when a friend forwarded a job opening to me.  The job description sounded like a very good fit with my skills and interests.  The company was looking for someone with experience working in an Agile software development environment.

By this point I’d learned enough about Agile to know that the way we were implementing it at my company (developers in two different cities, the tech writer and project manager on a completely different continent) was not going to be conducive to my success as an Agile Technical Writer.   And I was intrigued by Agile. I now knew enough to be able to “talk the talk” during my interviews.  During my interview I quizzed the VP of Engineering.  They were still using the Waterfall Model, but were planning to switch to Agile development at the beginning of 2009.  

I liked the idea of getting in at the beginning and being able to shape the way the technical writer fit into the Agile team.   They made me an offer, I accepted, and I started work there in October 2008.

Fast forward to May 2009 and the end of Sprint 4.  The last day of the sprint our company had a layoff, and I was one of the casualties.  Six weeks later they called me back to work part time (two days a week).  So while I’m still working in an Agile environment, I’m no longer embedded with the team working to document the current sprint.  Hopefully that will change as the economy starts to recover.

The Ingleton Waterfall Walk is around 4.5 miles and takes up to about 3 hours to complete.  The walk is fairly easy despite much of it being uphill.

It is a popular walking route and one that I would recommend even though both times I have been it has poured with rain.

Waking up a much later than I had wanted in Bern put me en route to Zermatt much later than I originally had anticipated. The train ride to Zermatt was stunning. I had to transfer trains several times, the routes took me high in the Alps and through the beautiful mountain passes, over ravines and gullies, over streams and alongside waterfalls. The expression on my face was that of a little kid in a candy store. I was overly excited to be in such a beautiful place, and knowing I was going to hike in the area made me even more elated. The closer I got to Zermatt I noticed that the concentration of outdoor enthusiasts on the train increased. Seeing people with backpacks, hiking poles and boots I knew I was in the right place.

Small electric taxi's take people from place to place in Zermatt, Autos are prohibited

The Gondola I refused to take

At 11:30 when I arrived in Zermatt I hit the ground running. I had plans to hike up to the Matterhorn and by golly I was going to stick to them. I briskly walked over to the visitors center to grab a map and some information about accessing the trails. Armed with my map and determination to stick to my plans I walked through Zermatt very fast heading toward the Matterhorn. The town of Zermatt is very quaint and cute with little skiing and sporting goods shops everywhere. If I was a rich tourist I would certainly come back to Zermatt for a few weeks and indulge in all their town has to offer.

Hiking at a fast pace up the hill I passed several other hikers with smiles on their faces just like me. I reached a small town up on the hill, Old Zermatt, even cuter and smaller than actual Zermatt. Continuing on I noticed that the number of hikers dwindled substantially. I like very few others decided to actually walk up the mountain rather than take the 45 Euro cable car up. Past the small town is where I really noticed my climb to begin. The air was cool and crisp as I headed up the mountain. The further I got the more I noticed the weight of my pack. Being as how I had everything with me for my “round the world journey” plus extra food and water it was certainly noticeable on my back. Drenched in sweat I continued on the path through the beautiful lush forest up into the sky.

Prior to my trek up the mountain I had noticed a cloud covering the tops of the mountains and the hillsides obstructing my view of the Matterhorn and anything up passed a few hundred feet from Zermatt. Now that I was several hundred feet above the town I too was engulfed by the looming cloud. A fine mist permeated the already cool and damp air. Completely drenched with sweat my core temperature began to cool as I ascended. Pushing myself to keep warm I hiked faster and faster, making amazing time up the increasingly steep mountain.

Exhausted I climbed out of the timberline and into the high elevation meadows. I grabbed my plastic poncho just before it started to rain. I ran into two other hikers roughly my age from San Francisco who had prepared even less than I had for their excursion and headed down the mountain when their cotton sweatshirts were nearly soaked. Discouraged that my new hiking buddies had quickly abandoned me I wearily kept storming up the mountain, not letting it or the weather persuade me to turn around. Arriving at one of the gondola’s stops, Schwarzsee Paradise, I found a small restaurant and hotel to get shelter and warmth at for a little while.

Once inside I headed for the bathroom where I used more than my share of the hot air hand dryer then I took off my wet poncho and studied the map carefully. Knowing that I had quite a ways to go I engineered myself a new clothing “system” for the remainder of my hike. I changed into my warmest and driest clothes that I had, layering of course. Next I grabbed one of my huge black plastic trash bags and cut two leg holes in it, I secured the trash bag on me like pants and tucked everything in to ensure maximum waterproofing. Next I put on my jacket and made sure it was nice and tight, next my backpack, and finally my plastic 97 cent poncho. Making sure everything was tucked in and secured I grabbed a quick bite of my Swiss chocolate bar for some energy. Looking at myself in the mirror I realized I looked pretty silly, for one I was covered in plastic, and secondly I was dumb enough to go outside and hike up the mountain in a storm. Luckily I found a back door out of the place and took it so that no one would see me.

Me in plastic in a Swiss bathroom

Thankful that my clothing efforts had not been in vain I kept hiking up the mountain. I was a little weary of going through a section of mountain sheep. Some found me quite curious, and a black one even chased after me a bit. Continuing to climb, the mountain became much more rocky and steep. A few minutes after seeing the sheep I realized that all of the people I had seen were heading down the mountain, and away from the storm. And all of those people were wearing expensive Gore-Tex hiking gear. They all had poles and everything one would need for hiking this terrain in this weather. I figured, oh well, I’m already this far, why turn back now.

The fog and haze of the cloud really began to engulf everything around me. The trail had progressively diminished from a dug out dirt path in a grassy area, to a well defined rocky trail, to eventually a barren wasteland of slippery rocks on a mountain ridge with orange and white markers. Hikers (in good conditions) are supposed to be able to see these markings painted on rocks, white orange white, and look to the next set of markings from the one they are currently at and continue hiking that way. However, in a storm it is nearly impossible to see from one set of markings to another. It wasn’t until I got into an area where I could see no more than 5 feet in front of me, did I actually worry. I got through my first set of markers okay and just had to stop. Getting turned around quickly I just decided to walk in the direction I felt was the right way, having gotten lucky I tried again on the next one. Several times over the course of this I had to backtrack and try another route to try to find the marked stones. The distance I covered would have normally taken me roughly 10 minutes, but instead it took almost 45.

Reaching a metal bridge I met one lone hiker who was just as lost as I was. He had come up from the gondola near where I wanted to get to and I was coming from where he wanted to go, so our exchange of information was quite beneficial. After exchanging pleasantries we went out on our ways. His leading him back to town and likely to a warm bed, and mine, leading me further up into the mountains in a wet, windy, rocky, snowy, barren environment where I was planning to spend the night.

The cloud cover began to clear a bit, and I was able to see the trail markers a bit more clearly. I heard a giant rock slide toward the direction I was heading, which made me all the more comfortable with the journey and my plans to stay up on the mountain at over 8,000 feet.

The area I had to choose a place to sleep

Finally reaching the general area I would call home for a night, I had to pick a spot that would keep me as dry and as warm as possible, while at the same time keeping me sheltered from any falling rocks and debris. The area I had to choose from was several hundred acres of open space filled with rocks, snow, lakes, ice, and snow, not to mention the cliffs on the side of the expanse. So, I began wandering around the open area in search of the perfect spot to rest my head, jumping over creeks and trying not to fall down the loose gravely surface I picked up a few stray pieces of wood, that had somehow gotten there and carried them with me while I searched. Finally I came to a large boulder that would protect me from the wind from at least one direction. I began to dig up larger rocks around the area and make a small perimeter around where I would be sleeping, giving myself some shelter from the wind. I found several small alpine plants that I used to pad the area where my head and shoulders would be resting. I did not want to be lying on either the cold mud, nor the sharp rocks during the course of the night. As for the few sticks I found, I took a bit of rope I had been carrying around with me the entire trip for the “just in case” factor and fashioned a “roof” over my head. Once my terrible rocky and cold structure was completed I headed out to brush my teeth and fill up my bladder bag.  Returning I unrolled my bivy sack and inserted an emergency blanket to try to keep some of my warmth through the night.

My dentist would be proud, Im trying to not die, and what do I do? I brush my teeth.

I used my rope, "What are we gonna need the rope for?"

This is what the inside of a bad idea looks like

Crawling into the non insulated bag I realized that this was a terrible idea. The ground was uneven, uncomfortable and frozen. The wind was relentless during the night. I didn’t really sleep. I just froze. It was by far the coldest night I had ever experienced. Once the sun went down the already cold temperatures began to drop even faster. I tried to get sleep but unfortunately I was so cold that my shivering kept me awake. I put on as many of my clothes that I could that were dry, to try to increase my temperature. This helped only slightly. I was afraid of my phone freezing and breaking, so I kept it close to my body. Aside from shivering all night I decided to get up out of my bag and do jumping jacks to try to get my blood flowing and warm up a bit. This helped for about two minutes and I was back to shivering again. Finally I grabbed another one of my emergency blankets and threw it in my bivy sack with me. I was able to fall asleep for roughly twenty minutes before I woke up freezing and soaked. The two emergency blankets had insulated me so well that I began to sweat so much that I had condensation forming on the inside of my bag and on the emergency blankets. When the freezing air reached it from the outside it froze and I was basically in a small personal freezer on a cold mountain. Waking up to the ice and water I jumped up and did my jumping jacks and shook out my iced over bag before trying to sleep again. The whole process probably took 35 minutes, for me to get to sleep, be asleep for 20 minutes, get up and do jumping jacks and try to get myself back in my bag. I did this the entire course of the night. It was an incredibly long night. For some hours I would basically just sit up and stare at the clouds wishing for the warming rays of the sun. Throughout the night I did get to see the cloud cover drift away from the top of the Matterhorn. Slowly but surely it began to reveal its strikingly beautiful presence.

First picture I took when it was light enough. Its not in focus because my hand was shaking too much from all the shivering I was doing.

Trying really hard to smile here

Before the sun rose, I had determined that it was basically morning for me. I wasn’t going to kid myself any longer, I would not be able to sleep any longer because of the cold. So I got up and started walking around trying to get some feeling back in my toes. I was sure I had gotten frostbite on my big toes, I couldn’t feel them at all when I walked for the next few months. I examined my bladder bag I had filled the night before to find that the hose on it had froze and cracked, rendering it leaky thus ending its useful life.

Town of Zermatt covered in Clouds

I walked up to a rock where I perched myself with my camera taking pictures of the surrounding mountain peaks and the cloud cover that was blanketing the entire town of Zermatt. I was high above the entire town while they were trapped in a soup bowl of fluff. Slowly but surely the sun started to light just the tips of the peaks. Taking advantage of the amazing photographic opportunity I snapped as many pictures as my frozen hands could manage. Waiting patiently for the sun to illuminate the Matterhorn I was poised and ready to capture shots that those even in Zermatt wouldn’t be able to see. Seeing the glorious Alps in all of their majesty made enduring the bitter cold worth it just to see some of the sights I was fortunate enough to have.

I was relieved when I was finally drenched in sunlight atop my perch on the rock. I took full advantage of it while I had it. Once I was able to move my digits again I began to clear my camp. Working slowly I dismantled everything and readied myself for another intense day. Today’s challenge called for hiking another few thousand feet or so along a steep ridge to the actual Matterhorn.

After having my Swiss chocolate for breakfast I headed up the steep trail which took me along a metal grate-way bolted into the side of the cliff. The grates were coming apart in some places, so it was wise to be mindful of the loose panels, for the drop was not to be taken lightly. Once off the grate I and many other hikers who seemed to appear out of the woodwork (who I am sure came up the gondola like a sane human being), headed up the ever steepening grade toward the Matterhorn. Some were armed with climbing gear, some with small backpacks and some with just a bottle of water. I had all my stuff I needed for three months.

As the trail went higher the presence of ropes along the trail increased. With ropes also came steep drop offs to both the right and the left. At the top there was a rather large hotel, and restaurant that many climbers use as a base before attempting to summit the jagged peak. My goal was not to climb the monstrous mountain, but merely to get as far as I could without climbing gear, and touch the mountain. Which I am proud to say that I was able to do.

It the abyss...

(My beard is all messed up)

3260 meters = 10,695 feet

After touching the mountain I found myself a nice rock and had lunch, once again basking in the glorious view of the Matterhorn. After relaxing for a while I determined that I should head back down the mountain, all the way back down to Zermatt to catch a train out of Switzerland. Hustling down the steep slopes I decided to take an alternate way down, that afforded me another view of the Matterhorn, just as spectacular.

(YAY! I touched it!)

The sun was out and at its full intensity and I spotted a gigantic flat rock just off the trail that was calling my name. I climbed up and laid down on the flat stone staring at the snow blowing off the Matterhorn. I caught some necessary sleep on the rock. About an hour or so later I put my socks and shoes back on and headed down once more. Walking through beautiful green pastures I noticed a gigantic waterfall along the hillside in the distance. I started to see and hear sheep along the grassy hills. Then I heard cows, I noticed the sound kept getting closer and closer. Then I saw an entire heard of cattle right in the middle of my path, holy cow! (No pun intended). They were all wearing bells, I couldn’t believe it! I had never actually seen a cow wearing a bell, other than in cartoons. But these cows had nice pointy horns and they were all eyeing me with curiosity as I walked right in the middle of their grazing territory. I was a bit nervous about walking through a field full of cows with horns. I figured they wouldn’t hurt me, but some of them were right on the trail, and I certainly didn’t want to get in a fight with any of them over whose trail it was and whose it wasn’t. Taking a video of the cows the entire way through, I was relieved to be out of their territory. I kept heading down the hills toward Zermatt and once into town I had to stand to the side as several small children were leading a rather large number of goats through town. Again these goats were all wearing bells and the sound was intense but the sight was just too unique, for someone like me. I spotted a McDonald’s and convinced them to fill up my water bottle for free, feeling a little bad I bought a small sandwich and enjoyed the small hot meal I had bestowed upon myself. I kept walking and smiling toward the train station and I grabbed my ticket for the last train out of Zermatt just moments before it left.

Doesnt that rock just say "Take a nap on me"

I bought Swiss Cheese and Chocolate

And oh were they good!

Feeling accomplished I felt I could finally rest for a little while I rode the train into Italy.

Another image from my late summer visit to Watkins Glen – looking down in to a narrow part of the gorge:

I went to Ithaca a couple of weeks back, and there were icicles in the gorge already, even though the day temperatures were around 60, night temperatures around 40. Although I’d love to see these falls in the winter, the parks close the trails because of the dangers of slipping. There are big fines for entering the gorges in NY State Parks when they are posted as closed.