It’s mid-February, and there’s still no snow in the mountains. It is, however, warm enough to sail. I sometimes lament the lack of seasons, but today I learned to make the most of it. Our friends rented a boat from Spinnaker Sailing, and told us to show up at 10am at Pier 40. We took BART over, got supplies at the ferry building, and set off for adventure. I’ve taken a dunk in the Charles on a few previous sailing trips, so I was glad we had an experienced captain. The weather was perfect, the sun came out, and the wind held steady. Went under the Bay Bridge and around Alcatraz island, getting a great view of the city, the bridges, and a few friendly sea lions. Had a great time drinking mimosas in the sun; not skiing, but still a pretty solid weekend.
Category: Outdoors Page 7 of 11
Outdoor adventures
After a multi-family christmas in North Carolina, Ruth and I ventured to Baja California for a relaxing beach vacation. We found relatively cheap flights to Cabo on Delta and Virgin, and booked a kayaking excursion with Mar Y Adventuras which dealt with all the logistics and equipment.
Arriving at the airport
After flying from Charlotte to Atlanta to Cabo, and snarking at the rest of the tourists, I was ready to get away from the unwashed gringo masses. We took a bus from Cabo to La Paz, which was filled with older folks heading to their sailboat moorings, and one guy who watched several episodes of Friends without headphones, subjecting the rest of us to the horror of the laugh-track. I was getting nervous about the kind of trip I had signed up for.
La Paz Malecon
My new old man hat
Arriving in La Paz, one of our older bus-mates, with a glint of nostalgia in his eye, told us to make the most of our youth and “do silly things”. We walked along the beachfront Malecon to our hotel, stocked up on supplies (liquor, beach blanket, and a floppy old-man hat), and thought about how to infuse our lives with more silliness. Echoes of Steve Jobs’ advice to “stay hungry, stay foolish.”
Map of Isla Espiritu Santo
Arriving at our campsite
In the morning, we met our small group of fellow adventurers and guide, rented gear and set off. A quick bus and boat ride later, and we were on our desert island, Espiritu Santo. It looks like a slice of Utah canyonlands dropped into the azure sea. It’s a national park with zero development, but the tour company has a semi-permanent base setup each season with tents on the beach, a kitchen well stocked with food and beer, and a toilet with the best view I’ve ever had. We had a quick introductory paddle, then settled down to drink beer and watch the sunset.
Ruth paddling
Paddling at sunset
Incredible sunset
Sea Lion Colony
The water is colder than it looks
The next day, we took the boat to the north end of the island, where we entered the water to frolic with sea lions. They are friendly and curious creatures, but we were warned that without prehensile limbs, they tend to investigate with their mouths. I wasn’t bitten, but one played chicken with me and gave me an eye-to-eye experience. They are incredibly playful, and I had fun diving down and mimicking their graceful movements in my clumsy way. Ruth preferred to stay on the surface, but also got close enough to rub fins. It was awesome to get so close to these wild animals, and I may have a hard time restraining myself next time I go to Fisherman’s Wharf.
Tight landing spot
Tarantula hawk
After lunch, we got back in the kayaks and paddled along the coast to a small inlet. We beached ourselves on the rocky shore, and hiked up an arroyo. The landscape is starkly beautiful, but most of the flora and fauna is fairly aggro. As we were hiking, Roman stopped to point out a dried cactus that scorpions like to live in, and a “tarantula hawk” wasp. Also called the Caballo del Diablo, it kills spiders by stinging them with a paralytic, then laying its eggs in it so the young can eat it alive. Apparently its sting is also one of the most painful possible (4 out of 5 on the Schmidt Pain Index). I took a photo with my zoom lens and gave it a wide berth.
For New Years Eve we popped a bottle of Cava, drank rum under the stars, and went to bed at 9pm. The visibility in the night sky was incredible, as clear as anything I’ve ever seen in Vermont or Montana. With no humidity or light pollution, the constellations appeared to be painted on the sky, and I impressed Ruth by knowing a few and making up many more. Stumbling out of the tent to pee after the moon had set, I had as brilliant a view as any reveler in Times Square.
Mangroves
Beach cave lunch
The next day, we kayaked some more to a mangrove swamp, and had lunch in a cave. The wind was starting to pick up, and we were both getting a little tired of paddling. I don’t think it’s my new sport, it felt more useful as a means to an end than as the point itself. We got a ride on the skiff back to the camp for early margaritas and a nap on our beach. When the other paddlers returned, they noted that the wind made the trip “a little sporty”, but that they had still done the estimated two hour paddle in 1:40. I think we made the right choice.
Our final morning on the island, we packed up, took a photograph with the two of us in it (despite not having showered in days), and took a last walk down the beach. We returned to La Paz for showers, seafood and souvenirs. While we realized that we kind of hated the rest of Cabo, and could probably get better Mexican food in Oakland, the unspoiled island and the incredible scenery made it worth the hassle. Time to plan the next adventure.
Beach Portrait
Chocolate Clam Cocktail
Espiritu Santo from the air
Had a super family christmas in the mountains of North Carolina. Got to take Ruth’s dad skiing for the first time on the man-made snow at Appalachian; always fun to ski in jeans.
Miller Family Skiing
Had a Spring Break MITOC reunion, with Chris, Greg, Drew, Eric and others. Stayed at a Tahoe “cabin”, really an incredible home we were able to stay in for free. No Camelot for us! There’s more snow here than I’ve ever seen. The moutains got seven-plus feet over the last week. Got up there on Friday night after a long drive, made longer by needing to put on chains, which were entirely unnecessary. I wish CalTrans would let you pass the chain control if you’re a competent winter driver. But the (apparently injury-free) rollover accident we saw indicates that not everyone is…
Record breaking snowfall
Went to Alpine on Saturday, which had a tremendous amount of snow, but was incredibly windy. Got stuck at the base of Sherwood when the lift shut down, so we had a nice climb out. Should have gone to Squaw, where our friends had a top ten day. At least we got a comped lift ticket for another day. The walls of the parking lot were 20′ of snow, so there should be plenty left later in the season.
Ascending from the Lake
At the back of the pack
On Sunday we went to Jakes Peak just off Emerald Bay. It’s a classic backcountry run, with a pretty steep skin track right off the bat. I’m a little out of shape, but Chris kept me company in the back. When we got to the top, I was glad to have my new beacon and shovel, as there are several clear avalanche paths. Definitely need that gear out here; and yes Mom, I am going to take a safety course.
Descending un-gracefully
Descending was not as epic as you’d think given the amount of snow. The high winds had done their worst, and the surface was pretty slabby for the top third. The middle was quite nice, and then it got a little heavier at the bottom. Took a few tumbles in the soft snow when I couldn’t keep my weight far enough back. Still, I had a better descent than John, whose rented AT gear malfunctioned and so had to walk/shovel ride down 2000 feet. Better luck next time, Gamble.
After one lap, I was too spent to consider another. The boys built a kicker at the side of the road and got some extra vert off the 12 foot drop. Drew called his Mom while sending it, for a thousand extra gnar points .
Got home around 9:30, and launched the new Presente.org site. Not bad for a three day weekend.
Today was one of the top skiing days of my life. Up there with skiing Mt Washington from top to bottom last spring, and the day I skipped school senior year of high school to go to Cannon, and then returned home to find out I had gotten into college.
The last storm dumped 48″, and the resorts and highway 80 were closed on Friday, keeping the good stuff around long enough for us to get up there. The powder was boot-top everywhere, thigh to waist-high in the trees, and the skies were clear and blue. The air was cold by California standards, but the sun was warm. I’m told that in the local vernacular, the conditions were “hella nectar.” I don’t disagree.
Ian and Daniel showed me one of their favorite stashes, just out of bounds on the lake side of Scott mountain. It was less tracked up than the in bounds trails, and held good lines well into the afternoon. My tele technique in the steep and deep is still progressing, but it was hard to look bad in this hero snow. Helped a woman try and find a ski she lost in the trees, but she eventually gave up and said she’d come back and find it in the spring. Returned with John, Boyd and Chris, and did it all over again.
Outer limits panorama
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Warning: serious stoke
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