JMT Permit

Today, I submitted the permit application for my July JMT trip and received confirmation.  More to come!

San Jacinto Snow Day

Troop 774 spent the day up at San Jacinto to get some training on snow skills.  We drove up Sat. morning and hit the tram up to the top.

The weather was pretty good.  The temperatures were in the 40’s with a bit of sun; no snow but there was some light mist and rain.

At the trailhead, we got the scouts into the snowshoes.  For most, including myself, it was the first time in snowshoes.  For the most part, it was pretty straight forward, but it was a challenge towing the sleds around logs and rocks.  As we started down the trail, many found they had not tightened their shoes enough and we stopped for adjustments quite often.  The snow was spotty in places so we were walking over mud or dirt for short lengths.  We hiked the Desert View Trail for about .75 miles to the second notch.  Unfortunately, the clouds and fog obscured the views down to the valley.

We then took off the shoes and the kids started playing in the snow.  We also started work on an igloo using the Ice Box kit.  The kit was contraption that build snow bricks in a precise circle.  As the walls grew in height, the box tilted and the diameter shortened to make the structure.  The kids were a bit annoyed at having to shovel so much snow but the end result was terrific!  We then got some hot drinks and ramen going to keep everyone warm.

After a while, some of the scouts started to get cold and wet.   So we had some clothing changes and then headed back to the tram station. 

Sunday Activities

• Checked out San Dieguito Heritage Museum – spoke to the friendly docents; it will be nice when they get the next set of structures in place
• Watched “WarGames” with the kids – don’t think they were too impressed with the computer equipment

NC Times RIP

The UT acquired the North County times last year and they recently removed the nctimes.com website and the URL redirects to the North County section of the new UT site.  I enjoyed the NC Times as a different, more down to earth option to the UT.  While I read them both, it is sad to have only one major new outlet now.

The Wayback Machine has the old site captured for posterity.

Books

My holiday reading:

• AMC Guide to Outdoor Leadership: Trip Planning * Group Dynamics * Decision Making * Leading Youth * Risk Management by Alex Kosseff - a fabulous book on leadership, not just of the outdoors
• The Way We Were in San Diego by Richard Crawford - book of reprints from old UT columns; pretty interesting anecdotes and very light reading
• The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War by Thomas DiLorenzo - a very interesting look at Abraham Lincoln;  I enjoyed the analysis of Lincoln's speeches and writings but didn't buy all of DiLorenzo's conclusions
• Day and Section Hikes Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California (Day & Section Hikes) by David Money Harris - can't wait to get on the trail with these intriguing short-term and day hikes

Weekend Activities

• Bengt had sculpture class and we hung out at Vinaka's
• Gun Appreciation Day at Iron Sights
• 6.5 mile hike up the eastern approach to Woodson Mountain and back via the Fry trail

Weekend Activities

• Bengt and Paki's hot air balloon ride 

• Hike and run with Sophie at Cardiff; the recent storms are take out a small piece of the parking lot
• 7 mile urban hike; blisters flared up even with the friction stick
• Tried out Stone Flats - pizza was good (I had the gluten-free dough); wings were awesome

Huell Howser RIP

Huell Howser passed away over the weekend.  I loved watching his shows from my college days in early 90's.  My kids have also enjoyed watching it as well.  I believe his shows will become a valuable historical reference for many years to come.

Some of my favorite episodes include:

Mono Lake

Kelp

China Clipper

Sub-net

Yosemite Railroad

Sinatra's House

Road Trip - Coast Highway

Road Trip - Mariposa

A lot has been written about his passing:

LA Times

KCET Socal Connected

KCET

The full archives can be found at Chapman College.

Weekend Activities

• Work day at St. A's
• Twelfth Night party

Carpinteria Camping

After spending Christmas with the family in Orange County, we headed up the coast for a few nights of camping at Carpinteria State Beach near Santa Barbara.

• Hike along the beach
• Explored the first section of the Mt. Montecito trail - priceless views from the overlook
• Explored the amazing asphalt still bubbling up from the bluffs
• Hit some great restaurants
• Did the tourist thing on the SB pier - it was boring
• Visited the Maritime Museum which was great