Introducing the Brinno Time Lapse Camera!

Right before I returned to Reno, I mail ordered a Brinno time lapse camera from Photojojo. I was pretty excited that it arrived before I left on last week's backpacking trip. I need to play with it more, but I'm thrilled to have a new toy camera to futz around with. This particular sequence was shot near the (locked and empty) Marble Valley Cabin early Friday evening (August 12, 2011) as camp was set up, dinner was cooked, and the tired hikers called it a night.

Some to see a bear would pay a fee

Personally, I've seen enough bears to last me the rest of my life.

Lazy Afternoon

Skeena was too tuckered to stare at the pine duff with me. She picked a spot in the sun, sprawled out, and spent the afternoon snoozing.

Neither Horse nor Bear

While I originally thought this pile might be from a bear, we later came across some that was definitely from a bear, so, in hindsight, I don't think this came from a bear. I don't think it came from a horse, either, but I'm stumped as to what animal this came from. Maybe it is horse, but it's pretty black and horses usually leave multiple piles and this was the only one for quite a while.

XO from Bug Gulch

This vidpo was shot the second night of my trip into the Marble Mountain Wilderness. As it turned out, Bug Gulch wasn't very buggy although what I'm doing in this vidpo is fishing a mosquito out of the rice.

Sun Through the Trees

Flowers of the Marble Mountain Wilderness

Freshly back from a 6-day backpacking trip in the Marble Mountains of northern California, here's a sampling of the flowers along the trail. I took two cameras with me: my Digital Harinezumi 2 Triple Plus (of course) and a new time lapse camera I bought only days ago. I haven't checked the time lapse pics yet, but I'll upload if they are of any interest.

Standing in Front of the Lotions & Deodorants at Winco

I'm so happy with my new dehydrator. For backpacking, it's so much nicer to have home-cooked meals rather than a super-sodiumed Lipton Noodle pack.

The Dog & I

This photo was taken during the backpacking trip into the Pasayten Wilderness in north central Washington after ascending Rock Pass. Nice shot of the Cascades in the background.

Here I am with Skeena at Crater Lake, which is one of the deepest lakes in the world. Unfortunately, because Crater Lake is a National Park, I couldn't do any hiking (National Parks severely limit the movement of pets, and I have yet to find one that allows dogs on any trails). She's a spoiled pup, that's for sure. :)

Random Road Food

My backcountry kitchen serves me well, but it's hard to compete with the yam & carmelized onion tacos served up by Paco's Tacos in Twisp, Washington. It's also hard to compete with ice cream.

Dehydrating Wonder

Prior to this trip, I acquired an Excalibur dehydrator and went to town with it a few days before heading up to Seattle. Hits: dehydrated canned chicken, dehydrated nectarines, and the bean dip. Misses: none.

Lost, and Lost Again

Skeena isn't always the most adept dog with a map, but we made it.

Backpacking in the Pasayten Wilderness

After leaving Seattle, we did a 50-mile, 3-night backpacking trip into the Pasayten Wilderness in the North Cascades area of Washington. The trail was slow, but the scenery was beautiful.

Feathered Friends vs. REI Flagship

Every time I've been in to see the fine & friendly folk at Feathered Friends in Seattle (which is just behind the REI Flagship store), I've left happy. I'm so glad I was still in the driveway of my aunt's house when I noticed my water bladder was leaking all over the inside of my backpack. Luckily, everything was dried by the time I started hiking.

A Trip in Skeena Photos

This past weekend, I headed down US 395, took a right at Tom's Place (between Mammoth Lakes and Bishop), drove to the end of the road, parked, and started a 4-day, 3-night hike (an in-and-out trip over Mono Pass). Here's the trip in Skeena:

Dog is impatiently waiting to go.

Dog is drinking from a frozen stream at the top of Mono Pass (it was coo-oold).

Dog turns in early along with me. Her sleeping spot is usually at the foot of the tent, but it was cold and she's a warm body.

Tired dog is waiting for the tent to be set up so she can go inside and sleep.



Dog sleeps on the sleeping bags.

The very last night, Skeena rolled in something really smelly. After a quick bath, I wouldn't let her inside the tent until she was mostly dry. All night long that tent stunk like a smelly wet dog.

PS-Tom's Place has fantastic turkey burgers and fantastic blueberry pie. If you ever find yourself between Mammoth and Bishop looking for a place to eat, I 100% recommend this place. They even have a hitching post for dogs.

Cyclebetes Cross Training

I've been so diligent. Three or four times per week I've been getting on my bicycle and riding. What a difference a month has made in my comfort and confidence in riding! Granted, I won't be approaching anything close to a century ride any time soon (a 100 mile ride), but knocking out 20 miles is doable. I've started using clip-in shoes, too (these are shoes that attach to special pedals and offer increased efficiency over the running shoe/regular pedal combo). In 2.5 weeks I'll be off to Halifax and I'm very, very excited. When I first signed on to participate in the Cyclebetes ride, I had serious second thoughts about it. However, now that I've spent some time on the bike and am feeling much better about my abilities, I am really looking forward to it.

So looking forward to it, in fact, that I'll be spending the next four days cross training (by cross training, I mean backpacking). The weather is supposed to be unseasonably funky over the next few days. I'm preparing for cold nights, thunderstorms, and possibly snow (snow!). Luckily, Skeena (wild dog of the Sierra) carries her own fur coat, so I won't have to pack anything extra for her. Lucky dog.

Additionally, I'd like to give many thanks to those of you who have supported my endeavors by giving a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund via my sponsorship page. I genuinely appreciate it.

Desolation Wilderness in 5 Days

Just to the west of South Lake Tahoe lies Desolation Wilderness, sixty-three thousand acres of trees and mountains and lakes and rocks. The name is a bit misleading, however, at least in terms of people. Desolation is pretty popular with the Bay Area and Sac crowds because of its easy accessibility. But once one gets off the beaten path, it is possible to minimize contact with other humans.

Day 1: Glen Alpine Trailhead to Lake Aloha

I do love Lake Aloha. I had to get up in the middle of the night. As soon as I stumbled out of the tent, I saw two meteorites (part of the Perseid shower).

The four hour hike in called for only a light dinner. There wasn't much to it: dehydrated corn and couscous. The meal filled its purpose, though.

Day 2: Lake Aloha to Lake Zitella

Kirsten's camp kitchen along the shores of Lake Zitella (which, incidentally, was warm enough to swim in).

A not-bad dinner of brown rice, cashews, chicken, curry powder, coconut, and sriracha.

Day 3: Lake Zitella to Camper Flats (plus side trip to Highland Lake)

Trees. Mountains. Rocks.

Anyone who has asked me about backcountry meal ideas has gotten an earful about how much I love dumplings. I don't know why I only pack one dumpling meal per trip. That will change. Next time, I may even branch out and try cornmeal dumplings over some kind of chili/Mexican dish instead of the standard Bisquick and chicken fare.

Day 4: Camper Flats to Gilmore Lake

Even with cellphones and email, hikers still need to rely on good old fashioned note-leaving.

A dessert worth noting: instant vanilla pudding with chopped figs and slivered almonds. Mmm-mmm.

I like to say that it's been a good trip when I've used everything in my backpack except the rain gear. Skeena appreciated the rain jacket.

Day 5: Gilmore Lake to Glen Alpine Trailhead (plus side trip to Mt Tallac)

Skeena, Wild Dog of the Sierra, on top of Mt. Tallac

Skeena, Wild Dog of the Sierra, snoozes under a tree.

A well-deserved post-trip turkey burger at the Bridge Tender in Tahoe City. However, $21 for one burger, one beer, and one mediocre salad is waaay too much to spend, so I'll be finding another post-backpacking burger stop.

Mmm-mmm...Pie

Since I've been back in Reno, I haven't been too inspired on the cooking front. Surrounded by gadgetry, pans, pots, & utensils of all kinds, I haven't been able to create a thing. Last night that changed: BBQ'd pork chops with couscous & steamed veggies. Simple. Tasty. Today's creation: blueberry pie.

A friend of mine is having a wedding shower tomorrow, and what better way to celebrate than with a sublime piece of blueberry pie? Sigh. I hope it makes it to the party intact.

I'm starting to get ideas for meals for a 5-night backpacking trip I'm taking in Desolation Wilderness next week (which, really, is not very desolate). Currently in the dehydrator, I have a fantastic bean dip drying out (I blended the heck out of a can of black beans, a can of kidney beans, a can of adobe chiles, and the juice of a half a lemon). I like to eat this for lunch (just add water and a squooze of olive oil and spread on crackers). I just need to nail down the rest of the menu.

Why I Love Nevada

I love Nevada. Last weekend I did a quick overnight trip along the Toiyabe Crest Trail (parked at Ophir summit and hiked south). These two pics are proof as to why Nevada is a fine place to be:

Our Trip in Signs