Curt and I had just started down the PCT when we came across this sign near Mt. Ashland
In the beginning: lots of questions!
When Curt first shared that he wanted to celebrate his 75thbirthday hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail, I was not surprised. He has 50 years of backpacking experience and loves wandering in the woods. Then he added the 1000-mile goal. That surprised me! There were so many questions. Reading about the challenges faced by Bill Bryson in A Walk in the Woodsand Cheryl Strayed in Wildadded more. Their combined ages when they started their adventures was less than Curt’s. The conversations and planning began.
The first question was, can we (yes, we) physically do this? I had every intention of joining Curt on the trail whenever possible. He had introduced me to backpacking in 1980 and I, too, had fallen in love with the sport. But there was this age thing— for both of us. I’m 68, a child bride perhaps from Curt’s perspective, but not in the reality of miles traveled in life. Off we went for a week’s backpacking trial run on the 40-mile Rogue River Trail. Other than Curt falling down a cliff (well, only 20 feet head first) after his trekking pole collapsed, suffering minimal damage to his arm, and bouncing back on the trail, it was a beautiful adventure and a confirmation that we could still backpack longer distances with a bit of practice and preparation.
Here I am in the late 90s above Lake Tahoe. When Curt introduced me to backpacking by hiking through the Desolation Wilderness, he brought his 87 year old friend Orvis Agee along for inspiration. Plus, how could I complain?We trained for our trip by backpacking along the Rogue River Trail in southern Oregon. Not 30 minutes after this Curt’s trekking pole collapsed and he went off the cliff. I thought he had a heart attack and charged over the edge myself. Ten minutes later we had washed the blood off his arm, slapped on antibiotic cream and were back on the trail.Usually, our backpacking adventures have us wading across fast flowing streams or balancing precariously on logs. The Rogue River Trail provided beautiful bridges. My kind of river crossing!Hiking down a steep, narrow trail covered with loose rock to reach camp at the end of a long day was not my idea of a picnic, however! (“You, want me to hike down there!?”)A ranger cabin along the way provided a photo op for us.
The next question was how much could I backpack with Curt and still provide support along the way? I was to be his ‘trail angel’ in PCT lingo. I’d be driving our 22’ Pleasure Way RV/van as the support vehicle. We had been traveling in it for years sharing driving responsibilities, so I was confident I could manage. It was to be my first solo trip, however! My job included carrying three months of food and other backpacking necessities and resupplying Curt between trail segments. There was the fine print of course— and other duties as required (grin).One was that I’d greet Curt with a big smile, a hug, and a cold beer when he came off each segment. Given that my young/old husband had survived another 70 to 100 miles of backpacking through the wilderness over challenging terrain, the smiles and hugs were really easy! My presence would also offer a comfortable break from the trail and provide the flexibility of changing mileage, timelines, and length of breaks if needed. It was an advantage that few PCT hikers have. Curt is spoiled rotten, what can I say.
We used our 22-foot RV Quivera for back up. (Quivera was a mysterious Native American city that was supposedly full of treasure but was always moving around so no one could find it.) I’ve had plenty of experience driving it. We always take turns, but there is more. When Curt and I retraced his 1989, 10,000 mile solo bike trip around North America a couple of years ago, I drove the whole way so he could take notes and photos.A #10 can of Mountain House freeze dried food. The back of our van was packed to the brim with food when we began the trip. Each time Curt finished a segment of the trail, I would help him put his next resupply together. This will give you an idea of what Curt looked liked when he came off the trail: Skinny, disheveled and sweaty! (Here, he had just covered 16 miles in a little over four hours.) And I was supposed to hug this guy and give him a cold beer? Yep.Ah, the things that love will do to you.In my role as ‘Trail Angel’ I provided many a through hiker with a cold beer, which Curt fully supported… as long as I saved one for him!
Realistically, I would not be able to backpack much of the way without someone moving the van from Point A to Point B. However, we could backpack the first segment together from Mt. Ashland to Seiad Valley which would be a great confidence builder for both of us. The rest we would figure out on the run! Once we hiked into Seiad Valley, 6 days and 60 miles later, I was assured Curt could do anything he put his mind to! (So could I.) Still, waving goodbye to him as he left Seiad Valley on his first solo segment up through the Marble Mountains was hard. “If you don’t come out, Curt, I am coming in after you,” I told him and meant it. He had looked nervous and said, “Call Tony first.” I am geographically challenged when it comes to finding my way around in the woods. Tony is our Coast Guard pilot son who has participated in numerous rescue operations.
Our journey along the PCT from Mt. Ashland to the Seiad Valley brought us to the Oregon-California border. It is a major objective for the majority of through hikers who travel north. For Curt, it was just the beginning of his journey.While we were only hiking 60 miles, there were plenty of challenges. Here, I am hiking up the back of the Red Buttes. We can see the other side of these mountains from our home.A picture of the now snow-covered Red Buttes taken from our patio this morning.Of course there were occasional breaks. I couldn’t resist this convenient chair.Here we are celebrating at the small campground where we had left our RV in Seiad Valley. It appears that I was to get one beer and Curt five. Not.My emotions were mixed as Curt turned to wave goodbye before heading up into the Marble Mountains. For one, I was proud of him, proud of both of us, for undertaking this fantastic adventure. On the other hand, this was the first section of the trail he was hiking by himself. So many things could go wrong out there. He was no longer the 20, 30, 40, 50, or even 60-year old of his earlier backpacking days. Would he come out of the mountains at the place and time he had planned? I smiled bravely and waved goodbye.
NEXT POST: When the unexpected happens along the PCT. Peggy’s perspective: Part 2.
Having trouble persuading your kids to climb on the bus and go to school? I bet they would climb on this Burning Man mutant vehicle in a flash. When they arrived at school they could exit via the slide! Woohoo!
Once again I am returning to Burning Man on my blog and posting photos from the 11 years I have attended the event: 2004-5-6-7-9-10-12-13-14-15 and 17. As I have over the past couple of weeks, I am focusing on mutant vehicles today.
I’ve featured some pretty wild land and sea creatures in my past several posts. Today and Wednesday I’ll be introducing mutant vehicles that are closer to their cousins in real life. For example, a number of retired school and city busses make it to Burning Man. While their look has changed, they more or less maintain their original form like the school bus featured above and below.
Here’s another view of the school bus with its intricately carved exterior. This bus has always been a favorite of mine.This school bus has been decorated with orange somethings. What, I’m not sure. Writhing beetle grubs are about as close as I can come.A psychedelic paint job and horns served as disguise here.The silver bullet hides the bus, sort of. Think of it as a see-through outfit.This fellow added a neon top knot and cutouts. And finally, a bus with tail feathers. It had a beak on the other end.
Do you remember the cult film Mad Max where Mel Gibson and a cast of seedy characters went at each other with souped up, modified vehicles? Well, there is a whole genre of mutant vehicles at Burning Man that look like they belong in the movie, or a demolition derby. These vehicles are not among my favorites but I find them interesting and they belong in any compilation of Burning Man mutants. Besides, some of you might say, “Wow, that’s my dream car!”
This one was prepared for battle. It came with a missile and a coffin! What kind of bad dude carries a garbage bag for his trash, however? And the empty bottle and mattress suggest the 60’s mantra “Make love, not war.” Feelers swept back from the hood of this vehicle. And maybe it had legs.Equipped with flame throwers.I think these these seven toothy heads also shot out fire.Was she glad to see him or was it a hold up. It appears that the guy is high on something.Tom Lovering took this photo at night. Playa dust was reflected by the flash from his camera creating a desert ‘snow storm.’ Is that an alien piggybacking on the vehicle?One of Burning Man’s tribes, The Death Guild, likes to decorate its mutant vehicles with skulls. Not surprising.Definitely a Mad Max vehicle.I’d give this guy the right-of-way.
Art cars are different than mutant vehicles. They are simply highly decorated cars. Therefore they aren’t allowed to roam the playa and have to be parked. None-the-less, some of them make their way to Burning Man and are on display. Here are a few examples.
Kilroy was here.The aliens have landed and they are running around in a VW bug.O My Gawd!Here’s looking at you.Highly detailed hood of an art car at Burning Man.
I think of the following vehicles as modern day ‘hot rods,’ so I googled ‘hot rods at Burning Man’ and what did I find? My photos of ‘Burning Man hot rods’ from earlier posts. Oh well. Here they are again for those of you who haven’t been following me for several years.
Speeds are limited on the Playa, and maybe that’s a good thing.All of the gears, shown here in black and white, suggest a touch of steam punk.Exhaust pipes?A side view. Not sure about the camel’s role.The few hot rod magazines I thumbed through in my youth featured attractive women. Given my interest in cars, I suspect that may have been my reason for perusing the pages.It turns out I had walked in on a photo session, which always presents an opportunity I am more than willing to take advantage of. That’s it for today.
NEXT POST: More mutant vehicles including trains and planes!
I started my trek down the PCT at Mt. Ashland this past summer. A few days ago, I revisited the area. It looks a bit different.
Our son Tony, his wife Cammie and our grandkids are visiting from Florida and wanted to go skiing, so we took them up to Mt. Ashland, which is where I started my journey south on the Pacific Crest Trail this past summer. It was a gorgeous day with lots of fresh snow so I thought I would share some of the photos.
Tony, Cammie and the boys prepared to hit the slopes.Oops. (The kids actually did a great job of skiing regardless of the occasional face plant.)Wind driven snow had coated the trees the night before.Creating some interesting snow sculptures. Is that Cupid snuggling up to Big Foot in the center? Guess not.Deep blue skies and crystal white snow made for some dramatic photos. It was quite clear which way the wind had been blowing.Peggy and I had started our first segment of the PCT about a quarter mile down this road. Looking up toward Mt. Ashland with its weather dome for spotting incoming storms from the Pacific. It has had a busy winter.It was cold cold outside. These icicles were growing on the eves of the ski lodge.A view from inside the lodge where it was much warmer! I thought that the icicles looked a bit sinister. As we packed up to leave, I took a final photo of the family. Wait, what’s that poking out behind?Mt. Shasta, of course. If you followed my journey down the PCT you will have seen numerous photos of this beauty as I backpacked around it heading south. It’s a good place to end this post.
NEXT POST: A wrap up on Burning Man’s mutant vehicles.
I doubt that there has ever been a mutant vehicle at Burning Man more known and loved than El Pulpo Mechanico, the steam punk octopus. El pulpo was born in a junk yard in Eureka, California.
As noted in my last post, I’ve been sorting through and categorizing my Burning Man photos from the 11 years I have attended the event: 2004-5-6-7-9-10-12-13-14-15 and 17. I’ve created 15 categories and will do posts on several of my favorites from each category over the next several weeks.
Burning Man’s home, the Black Rock Desert, wasn’t always a desert. 15,000 years ago it was part of the huge, 500 foot deep Lake Lahontan. Given this, it isn’t surprising that many mutant vehicles take on an appearance of having once swum in its murky waters, or boated across them. Creatures range from an octopus to a hermit crab; Boats from a sailing ship to a yacht. Today’s post features some of the more fishy things about Burning Man.
Big teeth seem to be a requirement of the fish that swim across the Playa on wheels. This one resembles an angler fish that dangles what appears to be a tasty morsel right in front of its mouth.This one has great chompers. Is that blood on its teeth? (Photo by Tom Lovering.)Another perspective of the fish showing its scales. (Photo by Tom Lovering.)Another angler fish. This one seems to know what Burners want, a disco ball, and appears to have been successful at attracting dinner. Is a little pole dancing in order?No people on the menu? How about another fish? The tongue seems to promise an interesting ride.Not surprisingly, a shark was roaming the Playa at night. Should we break out in a Jimmy Buffet song?More like a crocodile. But it has the large teeth.Big city people will be familiar with articulated busses. This is a Burning Man equivalent: an articulated fish.Small teeth, perhaps, but a fancy pink eye.A guppy, perhaps?I decided that this might be a streamlined squid, but I could be wrong. Land speed records, BTW, have been set on the Black Rock Desert.Do you know what this is? It’s a narwhal.A closer look. A narwhal’s tusk is made of ivory. I like the eye.Here’s the long view.No question about this fellow. It’s a hermit crab.I never expected to find a full scale sailing ship at Burning Man.Or a yacht. This is the Christina. How about a river boat plus mermaid? (Photo by Tom Lovering.)Another sailing ship of yore. Nevada Burners created this ship.Ready to float down the Nile, perhaps.I’ll finish this post off with a couple more photos of El Pulpo. At night.
NEXT POST: Peggy provides her perspective on our hike down the Pacific Crest Trail last summer.
Steampunk, the fantasy world where life and machines meld together, is fairly common at Burning Man for costumes, art, and mutant vehicles. This horse is one of the best examples.
As noted in my last post, I’ve been sorting through and categorizing my Burning Man photos from the 11 years I have attended the event: 2004-5-6-7-9-10-12-13-14-15 and 17. I’ve created 15 categories and will do posts on several of my favorites from each category over the next several weeks.
In my last Burning Man post, I introduced some of the larger animal mutant vehicles that roam the Playa at Burning Man. Today is the turn of the smaller mutant animals, like the horse above. Check out the head and the expression in its face. If my innards looked like the horse’s, I’d be a little wild-eyed too. Usually if you see gears used like this, you can assume that you’ve entered the world of steampunk.
It would be really hard to find a horse more opposite from the steampunk horse!
There aren’t a lot of insects normally found on the floor of the Black Rock Desert. In addition to being hot and dry, there aren’t any plants. When Burning Man comes to town, so to speak, things change.
One of the most impressive bugs to ever visit the Playa was this praying mantis.Being buggy means being buggy eyed…And it doesn’t get much more buggy eyed than this.Any decent beetle needs a shell…Right?Now here’s a sweetie, a dung beetle. It rolls up a large dollop of poop and drags it along behind. I think it is supposed to be the home for its new children.
Burning Man has its share of fur bearing mammals that slip into the mutant vehicle category.
The cat car is a favorite standby that makes it back to Burning Man year after year.The kitty from the rear. I confess to finding the tail pipe rather amusing!A cool cat of a different color!Rabbits range from this friendly, furry fellow you’d probably allow up on your bed if he weren’t so big.To this guy you wouldn’t let in your house…To this one. You would probably get a rabies shot if you encountered it.Dogs are few and far between. And this one may be a cat. Anyway, one way or the other, I have probably insulted the dog or cat kingdom.This robot looking dog is wearing a pink tutu, which is what I expect to see at Burning Man.Normally, one avoids polar bears. But a polar bear carrying a rose? (Photo by my friend Tom Lovering.)A small, Chinese dragon? Or is it a duck?Now this is a duck! I think. It shoots fire out of its head at night.Everyone recognizes chicken pox. Especially if it is labeled. I’m guessing that this mutant vehicle moves across the Playa slowly. (Photo by Don Green.)I’ll wrap up today’s post with the king of beasts hitching a ride on a what… a whiskered slug? Do you have a clue?
NEXT POST: These mutant vehicles came out of the deep. There is something fishy about Burning man…
I stopped for a discussion with a cow about trail conditions in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness.
I was late, like the white rabbit, for a very important date. Peggy was waiting for me at Sonora Pass and I had miscalculated the distance and difficulty of the trail. The night before I had found this lovely little campsite on the edge of a creek that I couldn’t resist. Later, as large ashes began falling on my tent, I began to question the wisdom of my decision. The 97,000 acre Ferguson fire near Yosemite and the 229,000 acre Carr fire near Redding that had been filling the skies with lung-choking smoke for the past month were now contained. Another fire was lurking out there— close by somewhere — and it was suggesting that I get on down the trail.
My goal, I decided, would to be get up at four and on the trail by five. But sleep had been as elusive as my knowledge about the fire. My eyes had popped open around 6:30. There would be no early start. The good news was that the smoke had partially cleared. All that remained of my previous night’s threat was a thin layer of ash. By 8:00 I was fed, watered, packed and raring to go. I figured the 1000-foot, three-mile drop into the East Fork of the Carson River would fly by. I figured wrong. The last part of the trail was steep and narrow over loose rock. It was not the type of trail that one flies over, at least not at 75 . I was ever so glad that I hadn’t tackled it the evening before when I was tired.
It was with relief that I began hoofing up the Carson River. While I had a 2500 foot climb ahead of me up to 10,000 feet, the first part of the trail was relatively gentle. I was making good time when a small root hiding out in the shade caught the toe of my boot and I went crashing down. This wasn’t one of those stumbles where you catch yourself, or at least slow your fall. It was a nose crunching, glass breaking fall. Thankfully, I bounce well. Lying there face down in the dirt, I reached up and touched my nose. It was solid and not spurting blood, although my finger came away bloody. Even my glasses had survived without a scratch. I picked myself up, shook the shock out of my head, and babied the scratch on my nose.
Right about then a through-hiker came hurrying by, going in my direction, moving out. We said hi as he disappeared down the trail. A thought passed my mind. “Can I ask a favor,” I called out to his disappearing back. He stopped immediately and walked back.
“My wife Peggy is waiting for me at Sonora Pass, I explained, “and I am running a couple of hours behind time. I know she will be worried. Could you carry a message for me?” I figured he would be there by mid-afternoon.
“Sure,” had been his response. I provided the details and we introduced ourselves using our trail names. “I’m Bone from Portland,” he told me. I imagined a small squeak in my pack and yanked Sierra Bone out. I made the introductions. “Bone meet Bone,” I said. Naturally there had to be a photo of Bone with Bone.
Bone and Bone.
Relieved that Peggy would get the word that I was alive and well, I continued my journey and started the slow, steep climb out of the river canyon. I spotted a couple near the top who were off the trail eating a snack. One called out, “You must be Wanderer,” she said. “Your wife is worried about you.” Of course. Turns out Camilla and Bastien were from Leon, France and Peggy had met them while they were waiting for resupply at Sonora Pass. She had fed them scones loaded down with peanut butter. Peggy, Camilla explained, was concerned because the parking lot closed at five and she would have to move. Bastien chipped in that he didn’t think I would get there in time.
Photo of a happy Camilla and Bastien after eating peanut butter with a scone attached. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)
I wasn’t concerned. I had two hours and it was only four miles. Still, I moved out and made it in a little over an hour. Bone was waiting with Peggy when I arrived. She had offered our van to charge his phone. He was enjoying a beer. While Peggy got me one, Bone and I discussed the wind we had encountered up on the mountainside. He had put his pack down and barely caught it as the wind had pushed it down the narrow trail toward the edge. My pack was fine but the wind had almost sent me tumbling off the cliff. We estimated that there were gusts between 50 and 60 miles per hour. I’d had to lean in toward the mountain to keep my balance.
The wind was having another impact as well, pushing a fire up the mountain. As we watched, a small plume of smoke had grown to cover half of the sky. It was the Donnell fire that had dropped ashes on my camp the night before. It was frightening to think of being out on the trail facing a fire pushed by 60-mile an hour winds. An hour after we left, the Sonora Pass road was closed. The next day, the PCT was closed between Ebbetts Pass and Sonora Pass, the trail I had just hiked.
The following photos are taken along the Pacific Crest Trail between Ebbetts Pass and Sonora Pass traveling south.
A smokey day along the PCT in the Carson Iceberg wilderness.A trail crew of volunteers from the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Much of the PCT trail work is carried out by volunteers.This was an interesting tree trunk. The ridges were caused when the tree grew over attached barbed wire. We have a few like it on out property.Cattle are not uncommon along the PCT. I always stop to chat with them.I was surprised to find rhyolite boulders along the trail. The boulder had an interesting little cave. I wondered what lived there.Guess who volunteered?A patch of asters was growing nearby.Here’s the reason why Boulder Mountain is called Boulder Mountain. It was one heck of a scree slope.A tree perched on a granite rock caught my attention…And I took several photos.Hiking down into the East Fork of the Carson River provided this view.I filled my water bottles here at a small creek crossing the trail.This is a photo of the Eastern Fork of the Carson River. The water falls were indicative of the fact that the trail had started to climb.When I stopped to photograph the river, I also caught these roots.And this knot with a personality.Climbing higher I came across some extensive trail work. I have nothing but admiration for the crews that placed these heavy rocks.A view of the trail after I left Camilla and Bastien.Looking down toward the Sonora Pass where Peggy was waiting.. This is where Portland Bone and I had encountered the high winds.Another view.I’ll conclude today with this shot of smoke boiling up from the Donnell Fire. Had it been like this an hour earlier, I might have made that last 4 miles in 30 minutes instead of an hour! (grin)
NEXT POST: You met the large mutant vehicle animals of Burning Man in my last post, now it is time to meet the small mutant vehicle animals.
The massive beast wandered across the Playa at Burning Man, coming straight for me. I quickly got out of its way, but not before I snapped a photo. Wildlife photographers have to take chances! And there is lots of wild life at Burning Man.
As noted in my last post, I’ve been sorting through and categorizing my Burning Man photos from the 11 years I have attended the event: 2004-5-6-7-9-10-12-13-14-15 and 17. I’ve created 15 categories and will do posts on several of my favorites from each category over the next several weeks.
The bigger tribes (groups) at Burning Man often create large mutant vehicles to transport their members around. Many of these come in the form of large animals— like really big animals.
The gargantuan fellow I dodged looked even scarier from the side.I caught up with it at night a few days later at a burn and discovered it had laser eyes, which was even more disturbing. When I was processing photos for this post, however, I noted that the license plate on the front said Wool. The mutant was a sheep. It changed my whole perspective. Who worries about sheep! Going back to the top photo, I saw a friendly animal looking at me.
And why worry about a sheep when there are rhinos and lions and hippos and angry unicorns about! Oh my! Following are my photos of the large mutant animals I have found wandering the Playa during the day and at night. Enjoy.
This rhino is one of my all time favorite mutant vehicles in the Black Rock Desert.Here it is out wandering across the Playa.Here we have the king of lions. Note the Burning Man symbol cut outs on its cheek. Burning Man is ok! I guess.A look at the full lion. My friend, Tom Lovering provides perspective by relaxing on the lion’s tongue! Is he about to become fast food?Another favorite of mine: a mammoth. This fellow was on a potty break. Its passengers had all climbed off to use the port-a-potties.You could crow home about this fellow.Even more so at night.Your friendly, local neighborhood warthog.And a side view. Judging from this unicorn’s face, it had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.It was still scowling at night.A more elegant unicorn.The Cheshire Cat. Alice would be pleased. She would probably be enamored with Burning Man as well. I always feel like I am in Wonderland. And I am pretty sure that I have seen the Mad Hatter there.And another cat. A very large white one. At least I think it’s a cat. Here’s another animal I am not 100% sure about, but I think it is a hippo.Looking a bit more hippo-ish.There’s no question here. The hippo even came labeled: Hippo Love.One very large canary. I’ll bet it would be good at tweeting. Watch out Donald. You may have competition. (Peggy thinks it’s a rubber ducky.)No cart before the horse here. The horse is part of the cart.The horsecart’s head.A large elephant apparently having fun with a truck.Burning Man is where the Wild Things are. Yum!Folks from the South will recognize this Armadillo mutant vehicle.And I will conclude today’s post with another favorite of mine, a cockeyed frog. I think the tongue is made to shoot out flames. Apparently the frog likes to cook its bugs before it eats them!
NEXT POST: A PCT post if I have the time to put it together. A post on smaller animal mutant vehicles if not. It’s ready to go.
A green dragon waits patiently while its passengers climb off to admire a 30 foot high sculpture on the Playa at Burning Man.
I’ve been sorting through and categorizing my Burning Man photos, all 11 years’ worth including 2004-5-6-7-9-10-12-13-14-15 and 17. As you might imagine, there are several thousand pictures. I’ve created 15 categories and will do posts on several of my favorites from each category over the next few weeks. My plan is to use Mondays and Wednesdays for my Burning Man posts and Fridays for my Pacific Crest Trail posts. Expect a few other subjects on Fridays as Peggy and I wander.
I debated with myself over how to kick the series off. Frankly, starting anywhere works when focusing in on the creativity of this annual event in the remote Nevada desert. Art is everywhere. Appreciating and enjoying it is the primary reason I have returned to Black Rock City again and again. Of course, people go to the event for many other reasons as well, such as dancing and drinking to the rolling thunder of heavy metal into the wee hours of the morning. They also go to see and be seen, to dress up in elaborate costumes, to attend lectures, to escape from their everyday worlds, and to participate in and contribute to Burning Man’s unique culture. The latter is central to the event. I consider photographing the art and sharing it with you as part of my contribution.
One of the most creative endeavors at Burning Man is the building of mutant vehicles, which is undertaken by both individuals and groups, or tribes as they are sometimes called out on the Playa. They are three ways to get around at Burning Man: to walk, to bike (which most do) or to travel in radically altered vehicles— i.e. mutants. Normal cars, vans, trucks, etc. must be parked. Mutant vehicles come in a variety of forms from bugs, to animals, to ships, to you name it. Today I am going to focus on dragons, most of whom breathe fire! Now, back to the green dragon featured at the top of the post.
The green dragon’s head and neck are operated by a series of pullies and springs.A close up. I’d say that this fellow is about to spring into action. Note the dirty snout. That’s where the dragon breaths out its fire.The Burner here is preparing to take the dragon across the Playa at Burning Man. The chains are used for operating the head and neck. Imagine yourself in the driver’s seat!The dragon prepares to depart as a Burner climbs on board. The bikes provide passengers with an alternative form of transportation. Note how the tail has been lifted to provide a door.This dragon appears eager. On your mark, get set…Go! Wait, could that intrepid driver be the fearless Peggy?It took me a while to decided that this sharp-toothed golden creature was a dragon. But the tube in its mouth persuaded me that when the sun went down, she would be breathing fire!And check out those claws!One year the dragon ran around on the Playa by itself. The next year it had a baby. Given all the dragons found at Burning Man, it hardly seems surprising.I caught an earlier version of the dragon with its eyes glowing at dusk. I’ve noted over the years that the same mutant vehicles may come back again and again, but they often morph.Is this dragon smiling? I’d still be reluctant to get too near its mouth.Lest you get taken in by its teeth as well as its smile. I would suggest that the weapon up on its back speaks to ill-intentions.My friend and fellow Burner Tom Lovering caught this shot of a car dragon.Another low to the ground dragon. If you look carefully at its mouth, you can see that it is eating a frog. But maybe the frog is escaping.This dragon was personality plus, although it was more sculpture than mutant vehicle.And what about this beauty with its bright colors and proud wings… (Photo by Tom Lovering.)A close up. That almost looks like a sword hanging down from its mouth. Maybe a dragon slaying knight met his untimely end. This impressive dragon was labeled Heavy Metal, which was probably the name of its tribe. I was sorry that I only got one photo of it.I’m convinced that this dragon is one of the scariest at Burning Man.Here’s another head shot.A full shot of the dragon. I would not like to meet it at night! Check out the size of those hind legs.Speaking of night, mutant vehicles take on different personalities as the sun goes down behind the desert mountains.Whoa! Eyes that glow in the night. Mr. Blue Eyes in the photo above this guy appears positively friendly in comparison.Striking green dragon head with interesting teeth.Dragon with red snout!Not sure that this creature was a dragon, but it was impressive. Maybe it is a mutant cat or? This night dragon wins the prize for size among the dragons of Burning Man. The driver is up on top. A full view. People actually walk near the front and sides of these large mutant vehicles to guide them and make sure that they don’t run over anyone!A four eyed dragon, rather Asian in its look.And I will conclude with one of my favorites, which just might be a alligator. I found it hanging out near the New Orleans tribe’s camp. It either had green wings or was lurking under a palm tree, waiting for an unsuspecting victim.
NEXT POST: From dragons to bugs, to cats, and hippos! More mutant vehicles.
I have journeyed into the Grand Canyon several times over the years: on foot, by raft, and by helicopter. The first was by mule in the late 60s. That’s me, second from the top on Charlie. I was sore for a week afterwards. I was a pound over the weight limit, so Charlie kept trying to bite me, plus walk as close to the edge as he could!
The Grand Canyon is truly one of the world’s great natural wonders. It’s celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year and I am quite pleased— and a little proud— that I have been returning there on a regular basis for 50 of those years. I’ve posted on my trips into the Canyon by foot and boat many times. Today, since I am still working on Burning Man photos and don’t have another Pacific Crest Trail post ready yet, I decided to reach back into my WordPress archives and put up some Grand Canyon photos. Happy 100th Grand Canyon!
Sunsets in the Canyon are always spectacular, whether you are on the outside looking in or the inside looking out. This was from an 18 day rafting trip Peggy and I took down the Colorado River with a group of friends.Peggy and I are sitting above the Colorado River near an ancient Native American site.Sunset at Zoroaster Campsite on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. (Photo by Don Green.)You don’t have to hike or backpack, or raft, or fly, or ride grouchy mules to enjoy the beauty of the Canyon. You can drive up, and enjoy numerous pull-offs that give you incredible views.The mouth of Havasu Creek is a common stop for rafters in the Grand Canyon. Our rafts look small beside the large tour boat. Our trip was based on a lottery that I won for an 18-day private trip on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Fortunately, I have friends with the expertise necessary to raft the Canyon.While a veteran crew of boatmen handled the more dangerous parts of our 18 day journey through the Grand Canyon, I was allowed near oars on some of the tamer sections.A morning view from out tent.. One of the fascinating things about the Grand Canyon is how it changes in the light. Numerous side trips away from the river provided opportunities to explore other parts of the Canyon.We were treated to views like this.Waterfalls along Deer Creek.This was a delightful waterfall, but I didn’t realize we were expected to jump off!Jamie Wilson demonstrates.This huge cavern is found along the river and is known as Redwall Cavern.Another river view.Looking up the Little Colorado River just above where it flows into the Colorado River. Note the water color and the mineral deposits. With Steve at the oars, Peggy and I enter the infamous Lava Falls on the Colorado River, a perfect ten… that’s 10 as in rapids don’t get any more serious. There was a point where we disappeared under the water. (Photo by Don Green)Bone, of course, went along on the raft trip and had his own life vest. Here, he decided that it was time for a photo op on the edge of a Sotar Raft.Here he enjoys a perch on top of a barrel cactus. Don’t try this at home, kids. Or anywhere else.Peggy stands next to Deer Creek Falls, a short walk from the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.I’ll conclude with a final sunset view from one of our campsites.
NEXT POST: Either on Burning Man or the Pacific Crest Trail. Depends on what I get done. (grin)
We haven’t had much snow this winter, but there has been enough to ‘top-off’ the rooster.
The climate here in Southern Oregon along the Upper Applegate River is worth crowing about, however. Mild winters are hemmed in by colorful falls and warm springs. The summer can get a tad warm at times, but they are mainly tolerable. Only the seemingly endless fires of August and September are a royal pain in the derrière. Pardon my French.
What snow we do get is always an invitation to go for a walk. I like to see what animals have left their tracks for me to peruse and to admire the beauty of the freshly fallen snow. And, of course, my camera goes along. It insists. As a result, you are pretty much guaranteed to get my annual snow post. I feel obligated. (grin) So here it is!
If the rooster seemed cold, imagine what the frog my brother bought for our bird bath turned deer watering hole was feeling. And believe me, the deer were not happy that their spring was frozen solid.I always start my snow walk by looking out from our patio at the distant mountains, if they aren’t socked in. Peggy and I hiked around the now white Red Buttes last summer as part of my journey down the PCT.Then I check out other views from the patio. This is looking down across the hidden Applegate River through our white oaks at Douglas firs across the way. Another view across the river canyon with the sun peaking through. Having satisfied myself that things are beautiful out front, I walk up our road to the Rogue River National Forest that forms the back boundary of our property. White oaks provided dramatic silhouettes from the road. And a snowy wonderland up close.We call this old fellow that lives in the National Forest the Lord of the Rings tree. We’re convinced that elves and hobbits find it a pleasant place to hang out.Different trees hold the snow in different ways. This is the Douglas fir ‘look.’And this is a ponderosa pine.A closer look at the ponderosa with its snow.Twisting and turning white oak branches covered in snow always provide a photo op.Group shot! The short guys are up front.And I will close today with this one featuring white oaks and a ponderosa pine.
NEXT POST: I’ve been working hard at going through and categorizing and culling out my umpteen thousand Burning Man photos. Assuming I finish, it will be fun to go through and highlight some of the better ones. I’ve created 12 different categories!
Wandering through Time and Place 