Lots of Books

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley - good concepts but a bit tedious due its academic roots; could be compressed into a much smaller book
The Geek's Guide to Dating by Eric Smith - funny book
Walk In Hell (The Great War series) by Harry Turtledove - this series keeps getting better or at least the story lines are getting more interesting
Breakthroughs (The Great War, Book 3) by Harry Turtledove - the last in the "Great War" trilogy; this one was somewhat anti-climatic
The Last Season by Eric Blehm - great book about the tragic demise of a long time backcountry ranger
The Left Coast: California on the Edge by Philip L. Fradkin and Alex L. Fradkin - similar to the Golden Coast with great pictures
Long 19th Century - European History From 1789 to 1917 by Robert Weiner - got the final set of discs and finished this dense but fun series
High Country (An Anna Pigeon Novel) by Nevada Barr- the first Barr novel in a park I have been to, Yosemite; this was more of an action thriller than mystery
Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything by Theodore Gray - great follow up to Elements
50 Physics Ideas You Really Need To Know (50 ideas) by Joanne Baker - nice summary of key ideas in physics
Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution by Professor Richard Wolfson Ph. D. - I often get stuck on some concepts of physics but this explained most of them; I will probably listen to this one again to pick up the stuff I still don't get

Water and the PCT

Just in time for the start of the main PCT hiking season, I published a new project: backcountrywater.info.  It shows the PCT and other water reports on an map for easy planning.
Water is now big news in California.  With only 6% snow pack, many of the natural sources in the Sierras might be dried up by the time the bulk of the huge mass of PCT hikers get there.  The SoCal water caches are already under strain.  It will be interesting to see how many people have to get off trail due to lack of water.  Hopefully they are all prepared and willing to get off before heading into some of the more dangerous sections.

Fiesta Island Camp

The troop headed to Fiesta Island for a great event.  We did the annual emergency preparedness drill and launched rockets at the the nearby range.  The event was capped off by a fabulous dutch oven feast where every patrol contributed a main course.

Camping on the Beach

Fiesta Island Rocket Range

Camping on the Beach

A Couple of Weekends

• Awesome weather for beach jogs and walks
• Spent quality time at Zumbar doing taxes and real estate work
• Relatives came to visit from the east coast to avoid the weather back there

PCT Section A Completed

This past weekend, I finished Section A of my nascent PCT section hike.
Jyoti and I drove cars to Warner Springs and left mine across the street from the fire station.  We then drove down the Mt. Laguna.  It was very windy and quite chilly as I started out.  The first 10 miles to Pioneer Mail picnic area wound down through the mountains had nice views of the desert.  One interesting highlight was the Kwamyii Point with all the impromptu memorials. For the next few miles, the trail got tedious as it was hot and the terrain very monotonous.  Then the steep decent into the Chariot Canyon.  Towards the bottom I got a bought of the runs and had the make a quick dash for the bushed.  My first plan was to camp near the dry creek at the bottom.  There I meet Big Dog and Captain Kirk and we talked a while.  But since it was still early, I pushed on to the water at Rodriguez Spur fire tank.  As I did a bit of laundry and filtered water, Capt. Kirk walked in.  We spoke for a while and quickly fell asleep as soon as darkness fell.
When I woke, Kirk was gone; he said he like to get up before dawn and hike.  I broke camp, made a cup of coffee and headed out.  The first few hours along the side of Granite Mt. were pleasant enough.  But the trail got tedious again before heading down into the valley floor.  At Scissors Crossing, I stopped for a lunch and rest break under the highway.  There was a small water cache there but I was still hauling lots for water from the fire tank.  The next stage had me heading straight up into the San Felipe Hills.  It was sunny and warm but not too bad.  Once near the top, it was an nearly endless series of ridges and canyons going through some burnt chaparral.  I eventually met up with Kirk again and we hiked the last few miles to 3rd Gate cache.  This cache is a true oasis in the desert.  Without any other source nearby, this is crucial to getting over the hills.  I took my 3 liter allotment and took a quick break in some shade.  Kirk decided to stop there for the night but I wanted to get over the next climb and hiked on.  Shortly after starting, I noticed one of my water bags had a hole.  I probably lost half a liter before noticing! It was another 4 miles to a great bivy camp on the side of the hills overlooking the valley.  This part of the trail was not burnt so had more shade.  I treated my now massive blisters and went to bed.  I didn't eat much to keep from getting too thirsty.
Right after waking up, Kirk hiked on past my camp; he was up early!  The next 5 miles were mainly in shade and was a pleasant hike down to the Barrel Springs.  Kirk was there and we chatted.  I had plenty of water to make it to Warner especially since there were some active stream along the way.  But I filtered some from the trough to test it out.  Kirk left before me as I rested a bit.  The next 8 miles to Warner could be one of the best hikes in San Diego.  The first part is mainly meadows with some ridges separating them.  Cows were off in the distance and flowers covered the fields.  A great camp could be made along San Felipe creek which had nicely flowing water.  I stopped for a bit at Eagle Rock for pix and talk to some day hikers.  The rock is pretty cool as it looks like an actual eagle.  The remaining hike is along the appropriately named Canada Verde and its stream.  I met up with Kirk again right at the highway.
We checked out the hiker town that the Warner Springs Community Center is putting on.  They offer showers, internet, store and food (I got coffee and pickles).  Since Kirk was thru-hiking and was only out for the weekend, I offered to drive him to the grocery store in Santa Ysabel.  He stocked up on goods and we parted ways.  Hopefully I will hear how his hike ends up.
Looks like I am back to square one in blister management.  This trip the only change I made was to wear trail runners and not my boots.  I will have to do more research to think up new strategies.  One thing I did think helped was to apply the anti-biotic ointment to prevent them from getting infected.  This kept the pain manageable so I can continue to hike.
Next up is section B from Warner to Hwy 74!

Cuyamaca Peak

Pioneer Mail Trough

Memorial

Desert View

Camp at Rodriguez Spur road

Camp at BV0095

On the trail to Warner Springs

Meadows

Eagle Rock and a horse's rump

Golf and Softball Weekend

• My parents came on down for Jaya's team picnic and a great dinner of Cardiff Crack.
• Walked dog at lagoon and Cardiff.
• Took Bengt to practice putting at Encinitas Ranch.
• Discovered a great new coffee shop: Zumbar on Chesterfield.

Sheep Canyon 2015

T774 took another trip to wonderful Sheep Canyon.  After the long drive out to the trailhead, we set up camp for the night at the flood control station.  The night was windy but not too cold.
The morning was very nice, crisp but with some cloud cover to keep the heat down.  It was like that way pretty much all day as we hiked out to the canyon.  When we got there, there didn't look to be much water in the creek. But the creek was flowing nicely further upstream.  The scouts immediately took to the hills.  They love exploring the caves.  Some also went up the canyon to the "oasis."  Dinner for the senior patrol was awesome but the scouts are struggling a bit with backpacking cooking - something to work on.  The night ended with a nice campfire courtesy of a wax log hauled in by Roger.
There was some rain during the night but it was intermittent and not very hard.  When I woke up it was sprinkling but I figured it would blow out soon.  It didn't.  It got harder.  It took a while to get everyone packed and in rain gear and we started out in a steady downpour.  My rain gear got soaked through :(
We made it to the cars without problems, everyone was fairly dry.  Some folks drove directly back home, while some of us stopped for the traditional Mexican food lunch in Borrego Springs.

Sheep Canyon Trailhead

Intrepid Hikers

Towards the Oasis

Drug Test Falsification

I guess isn't just pure science that goes into these drugs.

Weekend Activities

• Caught an advanced screening of Haiti 10 with a live performance from Victor Wooten.  We went to see the film and didn't realize how prominent a musician Victor Wooten is.  Good movie showing the hope that exists in Haiti today.
• Walks around town with Sophie.  Chased lots of squirrels at San Elijo campground.
• Jaya had softball tryouts
• Bengt had a robotics party

PCT Kickoff!

I have started my section hike of the Pacific Crest Trail!
My goal is to eventually hike the entire 2650 miles in order.  I don't have a ending date in mind but the sooner the better.  My basic plan is to do the southern California sections (A-F) in long weekends (3-4 days).  As I get farther north, the trips will get longer and longer.
My wife was cool enough to drive me out there on Saturday morning.  We dropped my car off at Desert View Picnic Area in the Lagunas and we both drove to the border.  Getting there was easier than I thought as it very close to Campo.  There was another hiker already there being dropped off and he started hiking while we checked out the monument.  After some pix I soon took off.  It was fast going in the nice weather and level terrain.  In about a couple miles, I caught up to the hiker that left before me.  His name was Tim and he is doing two weeks on trail which should get him up past Big Bear.  Hopefully he doesn't get hit by any weather.  I continued trucking along weaving my way among private lands, roads and open country. At about the halfway mark (10 miles) I took my lunch break and talked with hikers Josh and Jason.  Soon after lunch, I got to Hauser Canyon.  The first part is a steep path heading down and then an equally steep trail heading back out. The canyon was hot and pretty ugly so this was my least favorite section of trail so far.  After Hauser Canyon, it was a few miles of rolling terrain until dropping down in Lake Moreno.  I checked into the hiker site then walked to the store for some coffee and chocolate. I had a light dinner then chatted with Tim before going to bed early.  Thankfully generators are not allowed at Lake Moreno, but I tried my earplugs and they worked great.  I did miss the sounds of the wilderness though.
The next morning I woke up around 6 and was on the trail at 6:30.  It was pretty chilly but only my hands were cold as I started out.  The trail to Boulder Oaks was pretty nice and might be a good one for the scouts.  The next 10 miles were hot and not very interesting, especially since I had hiked much of it before.  It got noticeably nicer once I hit the pines of the Lagunas.  I arrived at the parking lot around 3pm.  I did a total of 42.6 trail miles this segment.
One of my goals for these first trips is to get a handle on my blister situation.  I am working on various shoe/sock/tape/break combinations to see what gives the best results.  For this trip, I am using my waterproof hiking shoes (Merrell Moab WP low cut) with nylon liners and my wicking thin socks.  I also was going to try boots-off breaks during the day to air dry my feet.  That system worked pretty well.  I did get blisters on the balls of my feet between my big and second toes on each foot.  But they weren't too bad and didn't slow me down.  I think in the future, I will try more boots-off breaks.  Also, my next set of hiking shoes will not be waterproof so they are more breathable.
Next up is the rest of section A, Lagunas to Warner Springs (~67 miles).

Perfect Encinitas Weekend

The weather was perfect his weekend in Encinitas!  I finally had a regular 9/80 Friday off and took advantage of the cool overcast to hit Bernardo Summit.  This is now one of my favorite trails.  The hike is strenuous but not overly so; some parts are really steep but others are nice easy inclines.  The views are some of the best.  Only drawback is having I15 so close.  Also, the new SDRP website is much improved.

Jyoti and I took a great walk on the beach at Cardiff.  We stopped for lunch at Bull Taco and saw some migrating whales from the bluff-top views.

Bernardo Summit looking South

Bernardo Summit looking Southeast

Bernardo Summit looking East

Bernardo Summit looking North

Encinitas Winter

The View from Bull Taco Cardiff

Job News

After 13+ years with the same manager, my team is breaking up and heading in different directions.  Most of them are heading to another campus in a totally different part of the company.  I am staying at the same campus but in a different division.  It is a bit sad that I won't be working with Curtis after so long.  We had a good run on lots of different programs.  But with the latest rounds of company reorganizations and industry changes, we couldn't keep the band together.
For Jyoti, she started back at Qualcomm for semi-full time project.  One benefit is that we get to carpool twice a week.  It is a good time to be together and talk.  Hopefully they will see the benefit of Lean Six Sigma and expand the program, especially given their recent quality issues.

T774 Winter Camp

This past weekend, T774 took another trip up to the Laguna Mountains.  We go there a lot since it is close and provides great forest terrain.  We also hope for snow, but in San Diego it is a total gamble if you are going get any and this weekend turned out to be summer-like.
After driving up Saturday morning, the scouts got camp setup.  There was some confusion about tenting and patrols.  Hopefully they learned to stick to the plan to avoid that in the future.  We laid out an orienteering course and did some other advancement.  The days are short, so it was a quick day.
The night ended up getting to 30.  This was good since we wanted to get the scouts exposed to some colder temperatures.  Nobody complained!
The next morning, we broke camp and did a quick hike out to Big Laguna.
Another good, low-key camp.

Weekend Activites

• Finally cleared out some junk with a trip to the dump
• Hiked Del Dios Preserve - since it is really a road not a trail, it not a great track, although some of the views are spectacular
• Visited Balboa Park on a sprinkly day - viewed the Tehachapi layout at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum; first time visit to the Japanese Friendship Garden; caught the organ concert for the first time as well; went to the American Visions exhibit at the Museum of Art.

Year End Books

Got a few more books in over the holiday season.

• Blood Lure (Anna Pigeon Mysteries Book 9) by Nevada Barr - great wilderness tension until the end, lame ending
• Hunting Season (Anna Pigeon Mysteries Book 10) by Nevada Barr - I enjoyed the characters in this Barr mystery
• Flashback (Anna Pigeon Mysteries Book 11) by Nevada Barr - my favorite Barr book is this two-for-one mystery
• American Front (The Great War, Book 1) by Harry Turtledove - 2nd in the series, much better than the first
• The Richest Man in Babylon: With Study Guide by George S. Clason - financial wisdom as told by a group of Babylonians, classic

Post New Years Weekend

• Hikes, including Twin Peaks in Poway which is a great alternative to Cowles
• Putting away the Christmas decorations
• FCL Kickoff party and weekend

Christmas in Baltimore

• Tombola with the neighbors - Bengt won the big prize
• House projects with Kevin
• Bowling with Uncle Steve and Aunt Mary at Mustang Alley's
• Walking the crazy dogs
• Many games: Apples to Apples, What the Face, Cards Against Humanity, Say Anything, Spy Alley, Elephants or Ants, Telestrations, Pit, Stoner Fluxx, Hit or Miss, Charades, Loaded Questions and last but least, Yahtzee!
• Murder mystery dinner
• New Year's Eve party

Weekend Hike

The family went on a nice Sunday hike at Hellhole Canyon County Preserve east of Valley Center.  The weather was perfect.  I can see how this hike would be miserable in the heat since there is very little cover.  We did one of the lower loops but I want to come back and do the high loop.

SkyNet is Coming

It is good be a robot.

Big Waves and Double Rainbows

A glorious post-rainstorm weekend.  Bengt also had another robotics day.

Double rainbow in Encinitas

Waves at Swamis

Robot Weekend

• Bengt went to FFL scrimmage at Rock Academy to meet up with his team to start on their robot prototype.  We walked around Liberty Station while the kids did their work and visited the NTC Commander's museum.
• Family hike at Pipe (haven't been there in a long time)
• Checked out the Swami's tidepools (haven't been there in a long time as well)

T774 Colorado River Trek - Hoover Dam to Willow Beach

Two years after our last river trip, the troop headed out to the desert for another trip down the Colorado.  This time, the plan was to put in at Hoover Dam and float to Willow Beach camping at Arizona Hot Springs.  The total float miles was only 12 so a bit shorter than last time.  However, there is lots more to do along the river this time.
We drove up Saturday to Willow Springs to rendezvous and camp for the night.  The campground was very nice with good sites, showers and all the amenities.  The scouts immediately headed to the hills to run around after the long 6 hour drive.
We woke up at 5a in order to meet Jerkwater near the dam at 7a.  Everyone ate quickly, packed up and we all drove to the parking lot at the Hacienda hotel along the 93.  We needed to be there on time since the dam launches are very restricted for security reasons.  The launch site was right below the dam, just down river from some of the output tunnels.  Due to the low water of the river, the launch was very rocky and it was hard to get the canoes and gear all positioned.  But we all got on the water without any issues!  We started paddling and quickly came to the first stop, Sauna Cave.  The "cave" was a small grotto that had some heated spring water coming out of it and it made some steam to look like a sauna.  I wasn't aware of the geothermal activity in the area but we would see more of it as we traveled.  The next big stop was Boy Scout Canyon.  It had a nice sandbar to land at and we explored the heated stream that formed the canyon.  Someone had placed sandbags to form pools that were pretty neat.  We also saw the first of the amoeba warning signs!  We got to our campsite at Arizona Hot Springs pretty easily since it was only 4 miles from the dam.  We pulled up our canoes onto the beach and setup camp.  There was another troop already there but we found plenty of space.  Later in the day, an outdoor group from UCSB came upstream and setup camp as well.  We did some more exploring up the canyon and found a ladder to help us up to one set of pools.  The water got hotter the higher up the canyon you went.  The last pool was so hot I had to run through it!  Everyone ate dinner and hit the sack.
I woke up at dawn after one of my best nights sleeping ever!  I think it was the sandy ground.  As we packed our tents, one of the adults found a scorpion underneath theirs!  We got on the water around 9:30a and started for our 8 mile day.  Paddling started out fine but the wind picked up pretty quick and we made slow time for a few miles.  We stopped for lunch at a big sandbar and wondered if we would make it to the takeout point in time for our 2p deadline.  Bengt switched with another younger scout you was having some difficulty.  Thankfully, the wind died down and we made good time past the gauging station, Emerald cave and the old fish hatchery.  We got to Willow Beach right at two to clean and load the canoes on the trailers.  It was a pretty quick ride back to the hotel parking lot.  From there, we quickly gathering our gear and everyone scattered for the long drive home.

Cold War Quotes

This makes the Cold War seem almost nostalgic.

Sierra Club ABDSP Backpack

After trying to get a PCT hike together, I ended up on a Sierra Club overnight to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.  This event was in the far eastern part of the park that I have been to, Fish Creek.
I woke up early on Saturday and headed out to Ramona for the first checkpoint.  We then headed along 78 past Julian, down the Banner Grade, past Scissors Crossing to Ocotillo Wells where we gathered again.  We then head down Split Mt. Road to the Fish Creek wash turnoff.  After a very short drive into the wash, we parked off the road.  There was a quick briefing while we got our stuff together.  The camp was only about a mile from the cars.  We got to camp and setup.  We then headed on a dayhike around the ridge that we were camped up against.
We headed around the hill and at the north end, we headed up to the peak.  There was a benchmark named "Cerro" at the top.  We then headed along the ridge to the old strontium mine at the southern end.  On the way back to camp, we stopped by the cars to pick up some cleaning supplies.  We then proceeded to dismantle and clean up several fire rings.  We packed out a lot of cans, bottles, charcoal and other trash.  We later found out that particular piece of land isn't owned by the park yet!  Hopefully they will obtain it soon. After the hike, there was a great gathering for dinner and a "campfire" using a homemade candle.  The night was very nice, not too hot or cold nor too breezy.
We woke up, broke camp and made coffee.  The plan was to do another dayhike, but I had to head back home.  When we got to the cars, we ran into a bighorn sheep study.  They were catching the ewes using a helicopter, then bringing them down for tests.  It is not everyday you see a bighorn sheep hanging beneath a helicopter!
The ride back was wonderful.  There was little traffic and the weather was cool until I got past Ramona.

Cerro benchmark.

Cowboy camping next to a sheltering bush.

It is hard to see the sheep handing under the chopper.

Sheep inspection station.