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Blue Cut Loop Hike, Day 2
Pushawalla Canyon to Pinyon Well Parking Area 10 mi :: 5 hr :: 1870 ft The night doesn’t provide any rain to test our new tent, but it is comfortable and the double doors are great. Today Ann’s navigation instincts are correct, and we pass a wash I think might the right one. We do…
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Blue Cut Loop Hike, Day 1
Pinyon Well Parking Area to Pushawalla Canyon 4.5 mi :: 2.5 hr :: 960 ft After a last-minute stop at Sport Chalet for a fleece jacket we couldn’t find at REI, and an omelet at Coco’s, we pull in to the trailhead on Geology Tour road around 2 pm. Ann navigates using the trail guidebook…
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Movie: Return of the King (Lord of the Rings 3)
To me these movies are just a means of reliving the glory of the books, and this is best of them for that. The essential events are shown, but they are far more exciting to me when I fill in all the blanks in the background story, the history of the characters, and the shape…
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Gear Acquisition
It is REI day, time to make a dent in our gear list for the Continental Divide Trail and our bank account. Some of our acquisitions: North Face Slick Rock tent. It weighs 4 lb 9 oz, maybe half a pound more than the lightest options but with some important features. It has two poles,…
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Splitting Up
“Let’s split up” was a phrase oft-repeated by my new cousin Jonathan over the holidays, playing Rescue Hero. Today as we all started splitting up for our respective plans we realized the time for a family photo had slipped past. We decided to at least get some sibling pics before Ryan hit the road.
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Visiting Rulisons
Another gorgeous day. We drive south to Temecula where some of my relatives on my dad’s side live. My cousin Dan and his wife Joan are traveling, but cousin Anabel and my Uncle Don greet us with a fabulous lunch of fresh salmon and salad. We visit Dan’s scenic property outside of town, and get…
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Big Rock
We wake up to clear skies, and I feel excited about getting a couple of routes in today. The whole family packs up and heads for Big Rock at Perris Lake. The gate is closed, which adds half a mile to the approach but also thins the crowds. Today there’s only one other pair of…
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A Fish Christmas
Here’s a glimpse from Christmas day with Ann’s family. To them it’s obvious what’s going on. For me it’s a symbol of the many things a family shares, bits of common identity that make them unique. As a new member of the family I don’t have the memories that fill this picture with meaning, but…
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Larry comes through
There is water again by the time I return home from work, and a sizable pit dug in the back yard.
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Waterless
It’s good to be reminded of what life is like when the tap goes off now and then. We had a pile of dirty dishes hogging the counter of course. Ann is in general much more prepared for contingencies than me. She had nine gallons of filtered drinking water on hand, so I could rinse…