Life

All Aboard the Subway!

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This hike was quite a doozy and at first I said I would never do it again. Now that some time has passed and my body and mind have had some recovery time, I would say I may do it again at some point. Just not anytime soon. That was one of the reasons I took so many pictures. I was of the mindset that I might not want to pass that way again. But we’ll see.

Starting our adventure.
It was a steep rocky path down to the creek.
It’s a tough hike, but the scenery is worth it.

I hiked with my friends Jodi and Neenah. Jodi charged ahead and left me and Neenah in the dust. Neenah could have charged ahead with her but I was glad that she stayed and hiked with me. I was grateful for the company. It was hot so we took our time and soaked in the creek a couple of times along the way to cool off. The water was great! We also observed quite a bit of healthy looking trout in the creek. Too bad I didn’t have a net. I felt like I could have scooped them right out!

Neenah cooling off in the water.
Trout swimming in the water.
Me cooling off in the waterfall.

When Jodi went to collect the permits for the hike, the ranger told her that it was bouldering the whole way and the hike was rated as “hard” on All Trails. I thought that was interesting because I didn’t remember the hike being super difficult with that much bouldering. However, my last time out there was nine years ago and I’m sure the area has endured its share of landslides and flash floods that have redesigned the terrain over time.

The closer we got to the Subway, the more the water flowed creating cascades like this.
Another cascade.
Neenah walking in the creek past some boulders.

The hike was nine miles and it took us about nine hours to complete it. We didn’t start until almost 10:30am but we should have started much earlier. Several people we met on their way out of the canyon said they had started around 5:00am, which was smart to beat the heat. We just didn’t want to get up that early.

The path goes right up the cascades, a welcome treat on a sweltering day.
Almost to our destination.
Another beautiful waterfall.

One thing I learned is that I should have either packed 4 liters of water instead of 3, or brought a filter to get water from the creek. Although, I’m not sure that even filtering water would have been a good idea with the high levels of Cyanobacteria in the water. Maybe North Creek is okay and it’s just the Virgin River that the warning is for, but we weren’t sure.

The entrance to the Subway.
The sound of running water was so relaxing.
There were lots of natural pools to soak in.

We were keeping an eye on the sky during the hike as some clouds started to build downstream later in the afternoon. I was also keeping an eye on possible escape routes in the event of a flash flood. There was no rain in the forecast, but storms can develop anytime in the summer, particularly in the afternoon. Thankfully, no storm materialized out of those clouds, but the cloud cover did provide some much needed relief from the brutal sun and heat for a while. By the time we left the Subway, the clouds had dispersed and the sun emerged with a vengeance.

Inside the Subway.
Looking back toward the entrance to the Subway.
Leaving the Subway, Neenah leading the charge.
The Subway.

All in all, it was a great day and we felt so accomplished afterwards. The Subway is a spectacular adventure.

Teva

Hiking Kanarra Falls

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In June, my friends and I hiked Kanarra Falls near Zion National Park in Utah and it couldn’t have been a more perfect day. It was hot but the water was cold. This is now a permitted hike, which I am grateful for because it limits crowds on the trail. When I first did this hike nine years ago, no permit was needed, but that apparently led to the area becoming overcrowded and trashed since the hike became more popular.

Ready for a great hike!
Walking into the canyon.

One thing I remembered from doing this hike years ago is that the water was feet-numbing cold. This time, I came prepared with a pair of neoprene socks that I purchased from REI the night before I left for my trip. They really came in handy. When we checked in at the ranger’s station at the start of the hike, I asked him how cold was the water and he said 49°. When we got further into the canyon and my feet felt that water, I stopped to put on those socks and they made a huge difference.

Walls of fire.
The infamous rickety ladder.

This canyon was even more beautiful than I remembered it. It was also a treat to introduce friends to it that had never experienced it. Everyone enjoyed it. Afterwards, we went to the Snackery just up the road and enjoyed snow cones and root beer floats. Then it was on to our second hike of the day in Kolob Canyon.

My friends walking through the canyon.
The last waterfall where we stopped. No ladder here.
Me in front of the last waterfall.

A permit is required to hike Kanarra Falls and can be obtained at this link where you’ll find all the information that you need to do this amazing hike.

While I was on this trip and right before my friends and I did water hikes, I discovered that I left my water shoes at home. I had to go to an outfitter in Springdale and buy a pair of shoes. They didn’t have the brand that I normally wore and the ones that I liked best out of what was available were the Teva Women’s Omnium Sandals. Those sandals were so comfortable and performed so well on my adventures in and out of the water that they are now my go-to water shoes. I even took them on my recent trip to Brazil and wore them in the Amazon jungle. Check them out at the link below.

Teva

Forest Lessons, “Tarzan,” and…a Caiman?!

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Our second day at the jungle lodge was pretty busy. We started the day with a hike into the jungle led by our guides Lima and Rivelino, who we later nicknamed “Tarzan” due to his extraordinary strength and agility. During the hike, our guides taught us some survival skills and showed us how to make some crafts.

After the hike, we returned to the lodge for lunch and some relaxation before taking to the waters again to explore more of the igapó and watch the sunset at the end of the day. As if that wasn’t enough excitement, we took the boats out again after dinner and went out searching for alligators. We ended up with quite a surprise.

This is one of the longer videos in this series at nine minutes, but I hope you stick around until the end. With Halloween upon us, there are some elements that I find quite fitting. I had so much fun filming and editing this piece of a most extraordinary adventure. I hope you’re enjoying this series. The best is still yet to come.

Arts, Crafts and Luru

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On the last day of our Amazon jungle river cruise, we visited an indigenous community where they made arts and crafts for us to see how they were made. Many of these arts and crafts were available for purchase afterwards and we also saw them in the stores that we visited in the Amazon. It was so nice to see how those beautiful items were skillfully crafted and put on display. We also had the pleasure of meeting the parrot, Luru, who provided us with lots of great entertainment.

I want to give a special shout out to my friends Eduardo and Leigh of 1000 Treks for putting this trip together. I met Eduardo about 10 years ago in his hiking group and then began training with him in his fitness Boot Camp so that I could prepare to climb Kilimanjaro with his group. I ended up having to cancel on Kilimanjaro due to an injury, but I stayed in touch with Eduardo and went on some other adventures with his group over the years. I had always wanted to go on one of his trips abroad and was so happy I got this experience.

Jungle Cruise – The Indian Village

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On the second day of the Amazon jungle cruise, we went to visit an Indian village. Because their small dock couldn’t accommodate our large boat, we were shuttled to the community in a smaller boat in groups of 10 at a time. Once we arrived at the village, we were welcomed and treated to a ritual of music and dance.

Afterwards, we got to play with some of their pets, like a sweet little furry sloth. I had always wanted to meet a sloth. Those creatures are so huggable and lovable. They just latch onto you and make you feel all warm and fuzzy. We also had the opportunity to try some roasted termites, which I passed on, but the Brazilian nuts were great!

South America – Off to the Amazon

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Well, hello. I’m back. It’s been a while, but I’m here again and will be posting more consistently because I have so much to share. I’ve been quite busy over the last year and have done quite a bit of traveling. I spent most of July in Brazil, my first ever trip to South America, and it was the adventure of a lifetime.

I realized I haven’t done anything with the more than 200 videos I recorded on that trip. I’ve posted a few short ones on other channels, but that was it. My intention of recording these videos was to put together a full documentary of the adventure, making it into a series. So here it is, the first episode, and the beginning of my adventures in the Amazon jungle, starting with a three-day jungle river cruise.

Kearsarge Pass and a Tale of Overcoming

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Last weekend, I accomplished a great achievement and hiked to Kearsarge Pass via the Onion Valley Trailhead. This wasn’t my first time up to the pass, but it’s a big victory to me because it was my first hike above 11,000 feet in almost three years. I had hiked to this pass several times, but this was the most special for me because it was a comeback of sorts.

The group’s goal was to hike to Bullfrog Lake and back, but my goal was to just do the pass, which was quite a feat by itself. I backpacked the Rae Lakes Loop a few years ago, so I didn’t feel I was missing much of the backcountry scenery. My thing was, I didn’t want to tire myself out by having to go over Kearsarge Pass twice. Since the group went beyond the pass, I took my time on the way back and stopped at Heart Lake, then revisited Flower Lake and one of the waterfalls.

The group at the trailhead.

Wild onion.

A gorgeous waterfall just off the trail before Gilbert Lake.

Gilbert Lake.

While listening to my boots grinding rock and dirt underfoot, I couldn’t help but remember lying in that hospital bed, having been diagnosed with a DVT (deep vein thrombosis), frightened, thinking the worst and wondering if I’d ever hike again. The whole situation came out of nowhere.

Just a couple of weeks prior to my hospitalization, I was a healthy (albeit overweight) 38-year-old going about my adventures, traipsing across the Sierra, leading and inspiring others along the way. Then, I got blindsided and taken out of commission. I couldn’t even finish the last hike of the Sierra series I was leading, and that devastated me because I was really looking forward to closing out the series on a new peak that I had never reached before, Cirque Peak.

Flower Lake.

Heart Lake.

After a brief hiatus, I did start hiking again, but it wasn’t the same as before. I stayed away from high altitude hikes and did hikes that were closer to home and at a lower elevation. It took me a while to work up to doing long distance hikes again. I eventually began dabbling into the high altitude hikes, but only on occasion. The highest elevation I attained post-DVT was Mt. San Jacinto at 10,834 feet.

The final stretch to Kearsarge Pass.

Looking toward Bullfrog Lake and the Kearsarge Lakes from Kearsarge Pass.

The popular rock column at Kearsarge Pass.

A marmot taking in the scenery at Kearsarge Pass.

Looking down at Big Pothole Lake from Kearsarge Pass.

Last year, I mustered the courage to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc in Europe, which was another big milestone. That gave me the confidence I needed to start pushing again. Gradually, I’ve made my way back to high altitude hiking and I’m feeling pretty good. I’d like to climb Mt. Whitney again, although I’m not sure I have another Whitney in me. Only time, coupled with a season of training, will tell. For the time being, I’ll continue enjoying the great outdoors while reconditioning my body to do what it was made to do. In the near future, I’d like to go and hike to Cirque Peak since the DVT stopped me in 2015.

Kearsarge Pass “summit” selfie.

Sometimes, we get blindsided and are tempted to give up on ourselves. In those dark and uncertain times, we have to look back and remind ourselves of why we started our journey to begin with. It’s always harder to restart something than it is to begin in the first place. The resistance feels even greater. But we have to show that resistance that we are more determined than it is. We have to stand strong and not let fear or trepidation intimidate us. We are more than conquerors.

Hike on!

~J

Mount Baldy and Wildlife Sighting

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It was the perfect day for a Baldy hike. Not too warm or too cold, but just right. Since we got such a late start at 11am, we took the ski lift up to the Notch and hiked from there to the summit and took the lift back down. Even though this is considered the “gentler” route, it’s still pretty brutal when you’re out of shape and haven’t been hiking at altitude very much. It’s hard to admit that I’ve grown a bit lazy in terms of hiking, but I have. Part of it has to do with the DVT I had back in 2015. Some have noticed that I’ve dialed it down quite a bit since then and haven’t been going on the big adventures I used to do.

As many of my hiking friends can attest, once you stop hiking, even for a little while, your body reverts back to its pre-conditioned state. Beginning again is almost like completely starting over, which is discouraging because you put in so much work to get to where you were. Now you have to push through all the pain and resistance in your body once again to help it reacclimatize. That’s how I felt on this hike, as well as on my last two high altitude outings.

The hardest part of this hike is always the first mile or so, and this time it seemed ten times harder. Taking the ski lift up probably didn’t do me any favors besides shortening the distance because my body didn’t have a chance to acclimate before beginning the hike at 7,800’ elevation. It’s almost like taking the tram up from Palm Springs to hike Mt. San Jacinto.

My heart started racing the minute I stepped off the ski lift, and with each step after that, so I stopped frequently to let it slow down. My pack was pretty heavy since it held three liters of water, plus an additional 20 oz bottle of Oxigen water which I received at the recent Climb for Heroes event. I also carried food. To lighten some of the load, my partner offered to take the water bottle and carry it in his pack, which helped, but I still struggled and took a break in every piece of shade I could find along the way.

After huffing and puffing uphill for a while, I finally gave in and decided to drink the Oxigen water, along with the tube of saline solution meant to go with it, and have a little snack (some almond butter.) According to the information on the bottle, this Oxigen water contains the O4 molecule rather than the O2 molecule, which means the oxygen stays in the bottle after you open it. I had never heard of that, but with my free bottles, I tested it out on two recent high altitude hikes.

On the Anderson Peak hike, I didn’t feel a difference at all. On this hike, I was able to hike a lot stronger after drinking the saline and chasing it down with the water. I don’t know if I can attribute my second wind to the Oxigen water and I’ve now used up my freebies. At $3/bottle, I don’t think it’s worth further testing when I already know Trader Joe’s Electrolyte Enhanced Water does the trick at a much cheaper cost. I just didn’t have any this time.

When I reached the saddle between Mt. Harwood and Mt. Baldy, I noticed about five bighorn sheep grazing on the western slope of Mt. Harwood. I had seen bighorn sheep near the ski hut before, but never on this side of the mountain. Of course this happened the one time I decided to leave my big camera behind and use my phone for pics. Needless to say, I was kicking myself, yet still happy to be able to see those beautiful creatures enjoying their habitat.

When we reached the summit of Baldy, we were shocked to see that, in the middle of the day, there were so few people up there. It was in stark contrast to the last time I hiked Baldy last month. Granted, that was a special event that draws in thousands of hikers annually, but on a typical day on the mountain, you can see scores of people milling about on its barren summit. A wave of people showed up about ten minutes before we left, so our timing was perfect.

After spending about an hour on the summit snacking and comparing our O2 levels with my oximeter, we descended Baldy’s rocky, scree-laden eastern slope, said our goodbyes to a lone bighorn sheep on the side of Mt. Harwood and made our way to the Devil’s Backbone Trail. I didn’t get an altitude headache this time and traipsed down the trail feeling pretty good.

Hike on!

~J

The Texas City Disaster

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IMG_0002Since I’ve been visiting with my family in Texas for the holidays, I decided to take a trip down to my hometown of Texas City, TX to tour some of the historical sites related to the Texas City Disaster. Most people don’t know anything about this event, but it’s actually a big part of Texas, and even national, history.

On April 16, 1947, a ship carrying ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded and destroyed much of the town of Texas City, killing about 600 people. About 65 of those people were never found or identified.

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This anchor was blown from the S.S. Grandcamp when this ship blew up on April 16, 1947, while moored at Texas City Terminal docks. The anchor, which weighed approximately 3200 lbs. originally, was projected from the ship to a point on Pan American property at 2000-S and 2160-E, sinking about 10 feet into the soil in landing. The distance traveled from ship to point of landing was 1.62 miles. It is now at Memorial Park, the site where the unidentified dead lay at rest.

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This statue, created by Lee Stark, sits in the section dedicated to those grieving the victims of the Texas City Disaster and the 1900 Storm that hit Galveston.

I had heard stories about this event growing up, but it wasn’t until I was in high school and had to write a paper on it that I became more interested in what happened. I interviewed my grandpa since he lived near the site of the explosion and was there at the time. He told me that when he heard the explosion, he thought Judgement Day had come.

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This fountain and statue were built in memory of the Texas City volunteer firemen who lost their lives in the Texas City Disaster.

The explosion was the force of an atomic bomb and the effects were so strong that windows in Houston, some 40 miles away, shattered. The blast also registered on a seismograph all the way in Denver, Colorado.

I took these pictures because I’m working on a story that takes place during the disaster and wanted to get reacquainted with the events that transpired. I grew up seeing these sites and artifacts, but had no idea of their significance back then. It was good to see them now with a new appreciation of this historic event that helped shape Texas City into the town that it is today.

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The S.S. Highflyer exploded in the main slip on 4-17-1947, after being set on fire by the S.S. Grandcamp, which exploded in the north slip on 4-16-1947. This is one of the Highflyer’s propellers that blew off during the explosion. It sits at the entrance to the Texas City Dike at Anchor Park.

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There are several of these anchors on display throughout the city. This is the one at Anchor Park near the Texas City Dike.

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A view of the docks today. The north slip where the Grandcamp and Highflyer exploded is somewhere in the center of this picture, probably near the tall silo.

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Looking toward the docks from outside the fence. The area is closed off today, but when the disaster occurred, residents could walk right up to the docks.

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There used to be rows of houses on this grassy land, which sits right across the street from the refinery. The homes that were destroyed during the disaster were eventually rebuilt, but have since been torn down as the refineries have bought the land. I think some people still refuse to move, but this is not a good location to live in.

One thing that was new to me on this tour was the newly redesigned Texas City Museum that has an entire section dedicated to the Texas City Disaster. They had lots of artifacts from the explosions and even a video that a woman took on an 8mm camera of the explosion as seen from the Texas City Dike. I had no idea that someone caught this on video and it was pretty fascinating to see.

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This anchor sits right outside the Texas City Museum. This museum has been there since 1948, but I missed it since I rarely spent any time on 6th Street. I also wasn’t into history or museums when I lived there. This museum has recently been remodeled and looks very nice on the inside. The curators take great care in keeping it up.

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The shipper’s Export Declaration Form from the S.S. Highflyer — a true copy of the original dated April 15, 1947. If you can zoom in, you can see the amount of ammonium nitrate that was ordered.

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A shoe belonging to one of the victims of the explosion.

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A piece of shrapnel from one of the ships that exploded.

While I couldn’t take any pictures or do any recordings of the videos, I could take pictures of everything else, so I took as many as possible. I even touched things that were okay to touch, like a large piece of shrapnel from one of the ships that exploded. Seeing the artifacts in the museum and reading the stories almost made me feel like I was there.

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The caption on this reads, “Frozen in time. This clock is from the City Hall Service Station in Texas City. The clock stopped at exactly the time of the first explosion on April 16, 1947.”

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From the museum’s description: “There were 59,000 rolls of sisal binder twine stored in the hold of the Grandcamp. When the explosion occurred, the twine was scattered over the entire area of about a mile radius. It is believed that the bales torched hundreds of thousands of gallons of gasoline and oil spilling out from ruptured reservoirs and pipelines. This is one of the rolls of twine from the Grandcamp.”

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The caption reads, “There are various pieces of shrapnel from the ships that exploded during the Texas City disaster. The pieces of shrapnel were called “raindrops” because they fell from the sky on April 16, 1947.”

This was a great visit and I was able to scout locations and gather a lot more important details that I can use in my story, although mine is more of a fictitious narrative based on actual events. However, I still want to make it as real as possible.