Anniversary Trip to Pismo Beach

In October, Pat and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. On one hand, it seems impossible that we have been married that long! One the other hand, when we started taking stock of all of the experiences we have shared, we wondered how we fit it all into a mere 10 years. I don't want to sound too mushy here (you all know that isn't my style) but I can't imagine being with anyone else. As Pat's mom always says we are "two peas in a pod" or as we say "two people: one brain." So far, it has been an amazing adventure, and I don't expect anything less in the upcoming years...

One thing I really appreciate about Pat is that despite my relentlessly practical side, he remains a romantic. Thus, I wasn't surprised when 10 red roses were delivered to my office on our anniversary. Rascal (shown here) and Stormy, of course, believed the roses in be in their honor and immediately started munching on them.

After a leisurely start Saturday morning we headed north on PCH. Our original destination had been Santa Barbara but ,apparently, SB is a very popular fall destination in SoCal. That is something I hate about California: there are so many people that it is almost impossible to plan spur-of-the-moment trips. This bodes very poorly for people like Pat and I who do not seem to have the "planning gene." In any case, Pismo Beach had been recommended as a laid-back beach destination so we wanted to check it out.

Our hotel, the Sandcastle Inn, was right on the beach in downtown Pismo. Quite nice.

I took this picture of Pat right outside the hotel when we arrived. That night, we had a wonderful seafood dinner at a restaurant overlooking the town. Too bad I forgot the camera!

The hotel had a really neat little patio on the beach where we ate breakfast early the next morning.

Then we went for a walk on the beach. Our hotel was right beside the pier pictured in this shot.

I even put my toes in the water which is unusual for me.

Pat, meanwhile, contemplated life before the drive back to the big city.

Hike to Mount San Jacinto

As our last hurrah of the summer, we decided to hike up Mount San Jacinto. Mount San Jacinto is one of what are called "the three saints"--the highest points of the three tallest mountain ranges in Southern California. We've already climbed the other two (Mount San Gorgonio & Mount San Antonio aka Mount Baldy) so we thought it would be a good opportunity to complete the trifecta.

However, we decided to take the cheater's route. Instead of hiking from the Idyllwild side (a climb of almost 5,000 feet), we drove out to Palm Springs and took the aerial tramway to an elevation of 8,516.

The tram ride was somewhat freaky and not for the faint of heart. The floor of the tram rotates 360 degrees (three times) while climbing the incline.

Looking back down to Palm Springs made me a little ill.

But, the view did make me very happy that I didn't have to hike up this portion.

At the top, we entered Mount San Jacinto State Park and began the 5.5 mile hike to the summit.

Despite it being almost 100 degrees in Palm Springs, the temperature was moderate and the scenery green and beautiful.

The grade was so easy that we were able to really enjoy ourselves.


After four mile of hiking, we hit the ridge.

Then, about a mile later, we were on the summit: 10,834 feet.


There was a US flag and a USGS survey marker. And about 20 other people. But, I still managed to get a picture of Pat without anyone else in it.

Lately, I've been forgetting my sunglasses everywhere we got so I look a lot like this!

After a brief stay, we headed back down the mountain, onto the tram, into the car and back home again. It is probably the last time we will get out this summer:(

NEXT UP: Conquer the Bridge Run

Adventures in Yellowstone

After a thankfully uneventful 12 hour drive from Long Beach, we arrived at what we think of as the southern gateway to Yellowstone: the Grand Tetons. Seeing those great mountains rising straight up from the valley made us feel like we had arrived.

After a night camping outside of Jackson, we headed straight for a Teton tradition: All-You-Can Eat Pancakes at Dornan's in Moose Junction.

You don't go to Dornan's for the food, you go for the view.

On our way to Bozeman, we made a few quick stops in The Park. Of course, we had to catch Old Faithful even though we have seen it countless times. When we drove up, it was erupting so we jumped out and took this not-so-great shot. But, it counts, and you get the idea.

And, here it is: The Old Faithful Inn, where Pat and I met 17 years ago (yes, I know, you can't believe we are that old, but it is true).

We both worked as waiters in the dining room for several summers in the mid-1990s. The dining room looks just about the same. I really do not miss waiting tables but I do miss the adventure of living in Yellowstone. It is something not many get to experience. I estimate that I probably hiked over 1,000 miles of trail when I lived there.

After a too-brief stop in Bozeman to see friends (see post below), we headed out into the Yellowstone backcountry in hopes of visiting a very remote area called Hoodoo Basin on a three-day, two-night trip. Here is a picture of us at the Lamar River trailhead.

The first three miles through the Lamar Valley were a bit hot but uneventful. Then, we ran into this fellow. If you look carefully, you can see the orange trail marker right behind this bison. Yep, he was right in our way. At first, we weren't too concerned, and we walked slowly toward him, veering just a bit off-trail. Just then, he lowered his head, butted it into the ground and started running towards us. We made an immediate retreat and ended up skirting him by about 100 yards. At least we didn't end up on the TV news!

Shortly after our bison encounter, it was time to ford the Lamar River. Luckily, it was only about knee deep. Still, the power of water always surprises me. It took a great deal of concentration (and a handy stick) to keep my footing.

We continued on until the Miller Creek Junction where there is a backcountry station in which rangers occasionally stay while in the field. Just to the left of the cabin you can see a big, ole bison keeping an eye on things. It was at about this time that Pat and I realized our assigned campsite was actually almost 15 miles from the trailhead, rather than the 12 we had originally estimated. This was not good news for two people who had not carried a full-size backpack for two years.

After what seemed like an unnecessarily long period of hiking we came to our campsite. I was a little uneasy to see a variety of bear prints by the creek near the campsite.

I became even a little more bear-a-noid when I saw the two bear poles.They seemed unusually high which made me think that the bears in this area must be extremely large. Let's just say I didn't sleep too easily that first night. But, it passed uneventfully, and the next morning, we decided to do a day hike to Hodoo Basin.

Despite evidence of the 1988 fires, the scenery was spectacular. However, it quickly became apparent that we weren't going to complete the 20-mile round trip journey to Hodoo Basin. Both Pat and I were having foot issues (blisters, etc), and we were feeling the effects of carrying 35-pound packs for 15 miles the day before.

So, we just did about 5 miles down the remote Miller Creek Trail and up towards Bootjack Pass. We didn't see a soul but we did come across the cool elk skull.

After a second night at our campsite, it was time to head for civilization. The hike out was hot and dusty, and we didn't have much mojo. Here I am whining at the hike's conclusion.


Even with battered feet and sore shoulders, we were back on the trail a few days later after two days of R&R in Gardiner, MT. We lucked into a great campsite at the Slough Creek Campground and decided to do one of our favorite trails, Pebble Creek, as a day hike.

After climbing 800 feet in just over a mile, hikers are rewarded with this splendid view of the Pebble Creek area. We hiked down the valley for just a few miles and then headed back.

On the hike back, the weather started to look a little sketchy. This is the face of The Thunderer, a mountain with a massive face. It looked quite ominous.

We were very lucky to see a lot of wildlife during our stay. Here is the first bear we saw, just outside of the Mammoth Hot Springs area. We weren't sure if it was a black bear or grizzly but, in hindsight, I think it was a black bear, despite its misleading brown coat.

We saw this black bear just outside of the Tower Junction area.

And another black bear, just a few miles down the road.

And, yes, a fourth black bear near Mount Washburn.

Finally: a Grizzly Bear! This great specimen was digging just beside the road, and we even got an amazing video (Posted on Facebook).

We also saw this mama pronghorn with her babies just outside the Slough Creek campground.

And, of course, there were buffalo herds everywhere. We also hung out with the wolf watchers one morning and evening, and saw wolves through our spotting scope. No pictures--too far away.


The Lamar Valley and a buffalo herd under a rainbow.

Finally, when we got tired of being dirt-bag hikers, we headed to the ultimate in luxury: Chico Hot Springs, where we just happened to get married nearly ten years ago. We spent the night, soaked and had an awesome meal in their renowned dining room.

The pool soothed our aching muscles and brought back some many memories. We only hope it doesn't take us another four years to get back to our most-favorite places.

Next Up: Hiking Mount San Jacinto.

Visiting Friends in Montana

On our recent, epic 3,300 mile road trip to Yellowstone and Montana, we were very fortunate to get to catch up with many long-time friends so I wanted our first blog post to be dedicated to them!

After a quick drive up through Yellowstone, we arrived at Aaron and Julie's house in Bozeman. However, we barely recognized it! About seven years ago, they purchased a one-bedroom, one-bath house and quickly set to work expanding it. The last time we saw it, the entire house had been raised up in order to basically double the size of the house, and, frankly, it looked like it might never be completed. Today, it looks like a totally different house. They have done a great job.

And they live in a funky little neighborhood that really suits them. Check out the bicycles on the roof of the house next door.

On our first day in Bozeman, we hiked a new trail located just about a mile outside of town: Drinking Horse Mountain. Here are Aaron & Julie with their two energetic sons Wylie and Hayes (with Pat and dog Jasmine as well).


The next day, we hiked to Lava Lake, a perfect hike in the Gallatin Canyon. The trail is just six miles round trip but feels remote.

We also did some fun in-town kids' stuff on July 4th. This little train is operated by a guy who just has a love for everything railroad related, and he gives out rides for free a few times a year. Pat and Aaron rode with the boys while I took some pictures. All in all, it was a great visit!

Before leaving Bozeman, we also had breakfast with our friend Bill and his lovely wife, who we were meeting for the first time. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture but I wanted to give them a shout-out all the same.

After a few days backpacking in Yellowstone, we had the opportunity to meet up with my college roommate Jen and her husband Matt in Gardiner, MT where we went whitewater rafting. The water was actually warm (unusual in MT), and we had a great time.


After the rafting trip, we introduced Jen and Matt to the world-famous K Bar where we stuffed ourselves with food and beer. Amazingly, we also ran into an old friend from Yellowstone, Deb Cowley (Hudziak). We hadn't seen her in well over a decade, and it was such a pleasure to catch up with her a bit.

After two nights in Gardiner, we headed to Cookie City, a little town just outside the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone where we lived for two years in the mid-1990s. The Beartooth Cafe where we worked hasn't changed much at all except that our friends Scott and Vickie now own and manage the place. They treated us to a most excellent dinner. We also ran into George McCormick who, despite having a master's degree and an academic job during the winter months, remains the Beartooth Cafe's summer dishwasher. Both Pat and I have always had an affinity for George so seeing him was an unexpected bonus.

Here are Pat and I with Scott and Vickie outside the cafe. They now have four kids but most of them were visiting their Grandmother in Florida so we didn't have a chance to see them.



After several adventures in Yellowstone, it was off to Missoula, MT to visit with our good friends Casey and Jody. Together, we decided that canoeing down the Blackfoot River would be a great way to spend a day. So, off we went. Here is a great picture of Pat and I looking like total yahoos. Would you trust these two people in a boat?

I hope you enjoy this picture because it is the last one our camera would ever take. You see, Pat and I managed to capsize our canoe not just once but twice. The first time the camera happened to be in my pocket. Whoops. I put it in a dry bag after that but it was too late. Our first dunking came when Pat tried to jump out of the canoe for a swim and was a quick dunk. The second is somewhat inexplicable but we managed to capsize in a swift-moving, deep section of the river. It was quite an ordeal to wrangle the canoe (upright but full of water) to shore. Let's just say we got our money's worth from the (rented) life vests.

Despite the misadventures, our visit with Casey, Jody, and their kids, Saul and Ellie, was great.

A special thanks to all our friends who hosted us. We miss you!

Next up: Adventures in Yellowstone