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2007.09.05.  Cathy, Maui.

Going to California

Headed out to California in a couple days to visit family, go backpacking, and chill out.

We're backpacking Lassen Volcanic National Park for five nights, four days. I've never been there so I'm pumped to check it out. Word on the street is that it should also be much less crowded than Yosemite. I've backpacked in Yosemite a couple times, and it really can be a zoo in some places.

Anyway, looking forward to some good trails and good times!


Year old point & shoot photo of Ryan relaxing after paddling out to the Mokulua Islands. For some reason, the waves here converged from different angles and flowed directly into each other. It was a nice spot to hang out at.

Two, Random, Semi-Old

Filler post of two random semi-old photos (point and shoot):


Kayaking through Chicago. I've done this a couple times in both directions, and despite the nasty and polluted river you navigate through, it's great fun. This is a shot of right when you start getting into the Loop. It's like being in an urban canyon when you're paddling between the skyscrapers and buildings. I usually take it all the way out to Lake Michigan, and paddle along the coast for a while. You have to be careful though, the waves on the lake are often big enough to easily dump you.


The red sand Kaihalulu Beach in Maui. Big rocks. I'm in the bottom left corner. The fun part about this beach (besides the red sand) was that you could run out into the ocean for about 100 meters and the water was still barely up to your waist.

Porcupine Mountains: Getting Ready and Getting Heavy

I'm getting ready for a short solo hike through the Porcupine Mountains. As it stands, I'll be hiking roughly 40 some miles in 5 days. Usually that's not an issue but it can be tough with elevation changes on uneven ground while carrying the equivalent of a 6 year-old on your back.

Ever since the first time I backpacked, I naturally gravitated towards an ultralight style. My 3-season setup evolved into a 17 pound setup (without food), which is feather-like when compared to the 35 pounder I hiked with the first time I ever went out. Here's a pic of an older, heavier, pack:


A shopped point & shoot photo of a middle weight pack, ready to go, from three years ago. I use a smaller backpack now and the blue hydration pack has since been totally abandoned along with a number of other items. The white bag is holding garbage from the past couple days I am packing out.

I'm adding on a couple pounds.  I used to carry a film SLR with a single zoom lens which weighed no more than 3 pounds. I transitioned (involuntarily) to a digital point & shoot weighing not much more than 5 ounces. Now I've gone back to 7-8 pounds of photography equipment, which is a lot in comparison to my other gear.

Crappy photo of everything I'll be needing to live in the woods next week, minus my footwear and a couple days of food. New toy is a Garmin eTrex HCx GPS, near the bottom right, which Cathy gave to me for my birthday. Six ounces and I can confirm orientation, location, and track unmarked trails.

Despite still having a relatively light load with all the photo junk, I suspect it's still heavier than necessary. Hopefully this hike will enlighten me and I'll see some new angles to lighten up.


Random photo from Maunawili Falls in Oahu. You could jump into the little pool down below, it was fun.