Mt Fuji - Sunrise

I arrived on a Tuesday and woke up early Wednesday with a wide awake alertness that ironically comes from jet lag despite little sleep. Feeling energetic I checked the weather for the top of Japan, Mt Fuji. My original plan was to spend a few days in Tokyo then hike/climb Fuji before proceeding on to the Japanese Alps but long range forecasts were not looking good. Wednesday and Thursday looked fine with Friday being questionable. A tropical storm was predicted to arrive sometime during the weekend. I figured my best bet for nice weather would be to ascend Fuji right away.

I threw together a very light day pack with warm weather gear and basic essentials. The plan was to take a bus to the 5th station Yoshida trail and rely on huts for food and accommodation. Mt Fuji is a huge draw for not only Japanese but for people from all over the world. There are several ways to do it but all require an honest hike with a minimum elevation gain of 4,500 feet to reach the summit. It’s not technical but you definitely have to earn the summit. The Yoshida trail reaches the summit crater rim in 4 miles which pretty much has you hiking straight up with some short switchbacks.

Ok, Fuji is a beautiful mountain and the pride of Japan as it should be but to say it’s a huge draw for hiker/climbers is a bit of an understatement. Thousands upon thousands of Japanese ascend it each year along with a large portion of foreign climbers. Logistically it’s a breeze. You can catch a direct bus from Tokyo to the trailhead that takes between 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic. The 5th station base/trailhead has several shops surrounding a village square reminiscent of something you might see in Europe. When I got there around noon the square was full of hundreds of people preparing to go up. I had heard about the crowds ascending Fuji so it was kind of novel to be experiencing it firsthand.

A healthy hiker can definitely leave early in the morning, hike to the top and return in a day no problem, however, if you’re going to climb Fuji the main objective, other than reaching the summit, is to watch the sunrise. Most people hike partway up, check into a hut for dinner and a little sleep, then get up early to the make the top in time for sunrise. There are fifteen huts along the route so you really don’t need much more than warm weather gear for the summit.

After a bowl of noodles I hit the trail. At first it was lots of people but the way was wide. As it narrowed hikers become bunched up. At some places it was single file and things moved along at a snail’s pace but everyone was nice and patient. At each hut things became a little congested as people stopped for green tea and things like that. A lot of Japanese were hiking in groups. Most of the groups seemed pretty young. All were very organized and had an air of camaraderie. Sometimes the leaders would be giving what sounded like an information/pep talk at breaks along the way. As I ascended I could see a snake line of hikers above and below. I began to wonder if I should have made a reservation at one of the huts.

As I got a good ways up the mountain I decided it was time to start inquiring about a space in a hut. The one I stopped at had one person who spoke minimal broken English. Space was available and I handed over $75 for dinner, breakfast, and a futon with sleeping bag sandwiched between, of all people, a group of U.S. Navy guys stationed in Japan on leave.

Everyone working at the hut was very nice. The accommodation although very basic was good and adequate if not a bit expensive. Management was organized and efficient. Things were well maintained. There was very little garbage anywhere as people appeared to be very good about packing it out. Most impressive is the management of human waste. All of the huts have proper toilets that work with composting technology or some king of magic. The ones I used were very clean and really didn’t smell much at all.

By time I settled into the hut I was feeling tired but wired. I went in and out to observe the chain of people ascending and took pictures of passing clouds. I had an early dinner at 4:30 and lay down for sleep shortly thereafter.

People started getting up at about 1 am. By 1:30 everyone was getting up. I went out to use the toilet and couldn’t believe the crowds of people. Everyone was wearing a headlamp so the chain now looked like a serpentine cluster of bobbing lights. I went back in and opened my boxed breakfast which had been given to me the night before. It contained vegetarian sushi, fresh thin sliced ginger, some kind of sweet rice something or other that looked like an egg roll (3) and a small can of green tea. I ate the sushi and a rice thing which was surprisingly good then got my things together for the hike up.

I left the hut feeling pretty good and was enjoying the experience. I’ve hiked a lot of mountains but the Fuji experience is very different with all of the people. I made it to the top of the rim rather quickly with plenty of time to spare before sunrise. The wind was blowing and it was cold.

Mt Fuji is an inactive Volcano. The Yoshida trail tops out on a of section of the Fuji crater rim that isn’t really the summit but it is the best place to watch the sunrise. There are a few buildings selling this and that and a shrine. People were lining up to get into one structure which I sensed was some kind of warming hut. It was still very dark, cold, and kind of windy. A half-moon partially lit up the sky and I didn’t feel like sitting around so I decided to circumnavigate the rim over the actual summit which is about a mile around. I adjusted my headlamp and searched out the trail.

After being amidst so many people it felt kind of strange starting out around the rim in the dark by myself. I was careful to stay on the correct path but wasn’t seeing anyone. I caught up to an older British gentleman turning back. He said he was too cold and appeared a little disoriented. I continued on. To me the trail was pretty obvious and an occasional signpost confirmed my status from time to time. It became a dreamy stroll with the lights of cities and towns in the distance ten to twelve thousand feet below. Lightly scattered clouds slept at about seven to eight thousand feet and a glowing half-moon above allowed me to turn off my headlamp. At about the mid-point I reached the actual summit at 12,355 ft. with a junky set of small towers, a little weather station, and a nice stone monument. From there I pressed on thus completing my way around to the top of the Yoshida trail to meet up with hundreds if not a thousand others to watch the sunrise.

A light glow started to appear above the horizon. Slowly the sun rose as I moved about taking photos. Just at the point where the sun made its full appearance a Japanese man raised his arm as he shouted something and followed it with a Banzai! By American standards I’d say it was pretty Awesome….

I spent a fair amount of time on the summit as the sun fully rose and took a few photos. The wind was picking up and I had been kind of cold for a while so decided it was time to head down.

Aside of the view the hike down is far less dramatic. It’s a different trail which is a steep set of switchbacks upon loose pumice gravel and dirt with dubious footing. The actual descent path is relatively wide and appears like it was carved out by some kind machinery or something. It’s good that they made a different way to go descend because if everyone went up and down the same trail it would be an absolute mess.

When I reached the bottom I purchased a bus ticket back to Tokyo and returned to the place I had previously booked into. I had prepaid for 6 nights so I didn’t move my stuff or anything. Needless to say I was tired. I showered, napped, went out for dinner, and went to sleep.

So far I am off to a busy start in Japan. Mt Fuji was at the top of my list so I am very happy I got to climb it. I would like to do some more hiking but It doesn’t really matter so much if I do or don’t. It’s more or less weather dependent at this point. For now it’s Tokyo until Monday then I will move on to somewhere else in Japan.

Tokyo, Japan - Back In Action

My trip had already been delayed by a month due to personal issues but I was actually on my way to the airport. In the days preceding my departure I had been sidetracked by a myriad of distractions laced with indecision which had me feeling very unsettled. Normally when I leave to go overseas there’s an element of anticipation and excitement but this time it seemed to be lacking. I questioned my intentions. However, I know myself pretty well. Experience has taught me that once the ball gets rolling perspective changes. More than anything I just needed to get away.

Although I packed the standard usual pack it seemed heavier and more cumbersome. When I put it on the scale at baggage check the total weight came out to 35 pounds. Not bad actually when you consider camping gear, laptop, and the stupidly heavy Lonely Planet guide book. Even though my pack provides me with all of the above for options I know I can travel the world on half the weight. I boarded the plane like a distracted driver on cruise control.

The flight was long but 13 hours direct from Houston to Tokyo is as good as it gets if you’re traveling to Asia from Texas. The only thing that could make it any better would be flying First Class. I watched “The Life of Pi” on the flight over and thought it was an excellent movie. It gave me a hint of inspiration.

I think it was when the flight attendant starting passing out entry and customs cards that I started to feel a little more normal. Once I de-boarded and cleared customs I felt even better. I then hit the ATM, got some Yen, and asked a guy at tourist information where bus stop 31 was. The bus driver barely spoke English and everything was in Japanese. I had just arrived in a country I hadn’t been to but with a familiarity that comes with having been to many foreign places. It was then that I started feeling like my old self.

The bus dropped me at Tokyo station. From there I could take the subway but I figured a walk would be best from my jet lag. Thankfully I brought a map that I didn’t think I’d need and found my way to my accommodation with little difficulty.

The manager was expecting me and spoke decent English. He explained the building, showed me the laundry facilities (which are free) and my accommodation which is actually a small studio apartment with bathroom, refrigerator and basic cooking supplies. It’s located in a narrow nine story building in a residential like, quieter part of Tokyo. I found it on Hotels.com of all places and the reviews were pretty good. Especially at a rate that comes out to $50 USD a night. The bed is clean and firm but comfy. An easy 10 minute walk gets me to a Subway that can shuttle me anywhere within a city of 13 million people.

This will be a relatively short journey this time around. 3 weeks in Japan. For some it may seem like a long trip. For me, 3 weeks is just about the amount of time I start to feel like I’m really getting into it. That’s when travel starts to become a lifestyle and the word "Home" takes on a different meaning. Well, at any rate it's good to be back in action. I can't believe it's already been a year and a half since I've traveled outside of the states.

Is The Heat Getting To Me?

Galveston, Texas












Houston is damn hot right now. I am being harshly reminded why I normally flee the Bayou City during the summer. Daytime highs in upper 90’s, overnight lows in the 70’s and heat indexes upwards of a 110. The best option for dealing with the heat besides hanging out with a good air conditioner is to drive to Galveston and enjoy the breeze off the Gulf of Mexico. From where I live it's an easy one hour drive.

When I trotted through this morning’s six mile run I felt slower than usual but know better than to push too hard in the heat. As my Asics Gel Cumulus 14 running shoes tap the pavement in rhythm to a ringing in my ears, that’s been giving me fits for the past month, a song goes round and round through my head. It’s an instrumental tune that I have never heard before. I am certain the heat is the culprit. It’s a catchy rhythm. Words start to form a repetitions chorus, “I’ve been all over the place but I haven’t gotten anywhere”.

Life through my Maui Jim rose colored sunglasses is starting to look a little different. Perhaps it’s snapping open a grouping of synapses that have been lying dormant in the storage shed of “Someday I’ll get to it”. Or, has the continuing holding pattern of circumstance forced me to take pause and consider a different cookie in the jar.

I look at people the same age as me and think there’s no way we are the same age. I’m not that old! I remember an idea I was going to act upon yesterday and realize yesterday was 5, 10, or 20 years ago. I see a friend’s family photo on Facebook and stop as I realize that the cute young girl is not a buddy’s middle age fling but his daughter who’s just finished University.

I’ve been accused of not realizing how old I am. I guess not having taken the corporate professional route, never being married and avoiding the whole kid and family thing has me living like a 29 year old. However, when I look at what’s going on in the 20 something reality I definitely feel my age. I’ll never understand tattoos and piercings or texting someone in the same room. When I have a problem with someone I always prefer to take up the issue in person and regret it when I don’t. Now the young folks don’t know how to talk in person. Young employees quit jobs via text message and go around misunderstanding each other all over the place while splattering it all over social media. Most of all I absolutely and totally don’t get the fascination with Zombies.

All in all things are ok. At least I think so. However, I find my new found fascination with Jackson Pollock’s work to a bit odd. I should be in Japan right now on an excursion for 3 to 4 weeks struggling with language difficulties, eating odd foods, and living up to my “World Traveler and Thinker” persona which has been steadily fading over the last year. Instead of leaving as planned I postponed my departure with an option of canceling.

An issue with my right ear continues my holding pattern status. Although annoying it appears to be nothing serious and simply something that has to be managed. The ear Doc says I’m fine to fly and I passed my recent annual exam with a capitol H for healthy. A spiritual but not religious gluten free vegan friend rattled off a number of suggestions pertaining to the ear issue and finished her advice with, “What is it you’re not wanting to hear”. I responded with, “That’s interesting”.

Thursday & Friday

THURSDAY

With my mother finally done with 6 months of Chemo and things looking up I felt it was ok to return to Houston from Denver and get on with my own thing for a while. It’s hot out. 100F/38C. The heat does little to motivate my current case of work burnout and I’m tired of driving all over the place. My effectiveness at chasing the golden carrot at the end of the stick is hampered by a desire to chase something else. I cut today’s search and buy session short. Two estate sales, one with loads of records, yielded nothing much. Of course I missed the best sale that opened at noon as my competition wondered where the heck I was. Never mind me. I was trotting around the neighborhood boiling my brain in the glaring heat searching for common sense and a little inspiration while running 4 miles. Somehow I thought it was the more constructive thing to do.

Old patterns, habits, and routines can be hard to break when they seem to work Ok with a nice upside. However, one never really knows what a nice new suit and fresh persona is like until one gets up and trades in their old bag of tricks for a new improved set of tools. Suspending that in which one thinks they are can open up a plethora of exciting possibilities. Is the best one can do found in roaming amidst Desert Mountains with a mule named Mud in search of the elusive big nugget of joy? Or, is it in the awakening of a new direction with an enhanced perspective of, “This is what I do”, “That is what I did”, and “Experience has made me who I am”. The question is whether or not to hold on to what I know or to let go for what can be known. Regardless, I’ve got it pretty darned good in life.

The Grand Canyon is a vast and beautiful place. But it’s also rut. I’ve been to the bottom a couple of times and camped a few days on both occasions. The river runs by as you stare at the canyon walls but it’s hard to see much. After a few days at the bottom you either hike up, take a mule out, or you ride the river with its strong currents and big ass rapids. I’ve always hiked. Always.

FRIDAY

It’s still Hot Hot Hot. 100F/38C. In Houston this could continue until September sometime.

Today I was very successfully inefficient. I circumnavigated the city on the inner loop known as the 610. Very few rewards were met but I’ll make enough money to pay for gas and a sandwich. What we put our time into has an enormous effect on who we are. Our thoughts, actions, attitudes, and beliefs sculpt our human experience and direct our path along the avenue of life.

Setting unreasonably low expectations and dabbling in the realm of victim mentality is extremely limiting. A helping hand is a good thing but an expected handout is disempowering.

Big Fish

A week ago I once again made the 16 ½ hour straight thru drive between Denver and Houston. I know the drive so well that I literally think I could do it in my sleep if I haven’t already. A couple of days after arriving back in the Bayou City my nephew Max flew down for a couple of nights before hopping a bus for a 3 week stint at a Texas hill country lakeside summer camp.

With a whole day to kick around I took Max on nice tour along the Gulf of Mexico. The route follows highway 288 to Surfside then the Blue Water Highway up along the coast across San Luis Pass to Galveston Island with a return via Interstate 45. It makes a nice loop and a very pleasant day. There’s nothing exotic about the drive but it’s a nice diversion from Houston.

Just before you cross over a bridge to the long flat barrier island and stilted beach community of Surfside there’s a pull off to the right. A short dusty road leads to an open parking lot with a boat dock and weathered looking bait shop building. Harley riders call it the bait camp as it’s a popular place with the biker crowd. The front side of the building doesn’t look particularly hospitable which does a good job of keeping out a respectable crowd.

The building houses a nice little store with Ice cold drinks and a good sized live bait business which flows out to a nice deck/dock with a friendly bar and very relaxed atmosphere. Boats come and go while good music plays. Often in the afternoon during weekends people fry up fresh fish and shrimp donated by various fishermen that’s served up for free to anyone and everyone but it’s good style to leave a tip in the jar. One day I stopped there and had some of the best fried shrimp I’ve ever had.

As I was introducing Max to the bait camp a guy asked if Max would like to fish of the dock. He had an extra pole and we had time so Max took him up on the offer. The guy told us it was a good place to catch small fish for fun. Max caught a small fish and I took a photo. He continued to fish and I talked with the easy going regular Joe kind of guy who I found out owned a company with 1,000 employees that looks after oil refinery safety etc. You would never know by looking at him but he was obviously very well off. He was enjoying the day with his two sons who appeared to be around 10 and 12.

I figured Max hooked something pretty big with the pole bent all the way over as he leaned the opposite direction to maintain his balance with a perplexed look on his face. Max wasn’t sure what to do and looked to our host for help, however, we both wanted Max to earn his catch. The fish was putting up a fight as a boat moved to get out of the way while the fish danced around an outbaord motor. By this time a small crowd was gathering and Max was getting a workout. Slowly he reeled it in and I was hoping the light weight reel, pole, and line would hold. The fish surfaced and we could see it was a big one. A fisherman donated his net and someone scooped it up. The man running the live bait area told us to take a couple of pictures and get it back in the water. It was above the legal limit.

The fish known as a Drum weighed approximately 30 pounds and was obviously longer than the acceptable size range. There was a lot of excitement and congratulations for Max. He seemed a little surprised and bewildered by his stroke of good luck as he has practically no fishing experience.

A Post

Photo by Dawn Boudreaux Photography - Menil - Houston, Tx

I must confess that I am exceptionally uninspired to write these days. More than I have been in a long long time. I returned to Denver, Colorado at the end of April but plan to be back in Houston by mid-June. At that point I’ll asses my finances, choose a direction, and proceed to somewhere. Two more weeks and my mother will be done with chemo. She’s doing much better since the Doctors discontinued one of the chemo drugs that was particularly nasty. Mom’s spirits are up and things appear to be much better than they were over the winter. As soon as chemo is done the Doctors recommend simply getting on with life as they periodically monitor the situation. Cancer is one battle I hope I never have to fight.

My work situation has been kind of tough lately. I’ve been putting as much time into it as I can but the fruits of my labor have not been too fortuitous. The harvest has been thin as I find myself in a bit of a dry spell. Gas, time, and fees coupled with weak buys add up to food and necessity money but not much more. I’ve been unable to locate a crystal ball that really works and the competition usually seems to have the upper hand. I’m patiently waiting my turn in receiving the lucky break that always mysteriously appears when dumb luck chimes in. I’m not a gambling man but I roll the dice when I’m dealt a weak hand. Sometimes I get lucky. However, the reality is that it generally works like this: one dime + time = two dimes minus taxes and fees = 15 cents with expenses eating profits. However, my situation does come with benefits. No debt + No boss + Low cost living = Ultimate Freedom. That’s what it’s all about for me but as the cliché goes, “Freedoms not Free”. It’s a matter of how one chooses to live. As always I feel extremely lucky to have the choice. Most of the world doesn’t because of the economic and political situation they are born into.

Today is kind of an easy going day. I made the 45 minute drive to Boulder and went for a nice 9 mile trail run amidst the foothills decorated with large rock formations known as the Flatirons. The rocky mountain backdrop to Boulder has got to be one of the most attractive of all American cities.

Boulder seems a little quieter with the students of the University of Colorado off for the summer. I use to live in Boulder and worked at a running store in the early 1990’s. Boulder is an odd place. It’s a college town which makes the overall median age quite young. By time one exits their 20’s they may feel as though they have outgrown the majority of the social demographic. It’s also as town of extremes. It’s a world renowned training destination for runners, cyclist, and climbers testing and exploring their limits while being all pumped up on a double sot of ego. Boulder has always been an attraction for those of alternative lifestyle, odd spiritual persuasions, and hippie attitudes. Obesity is rare and fat people are uncommon. I think there is little arguing that Boulder is more than likely the fittest city in the nation. However, with the recent state legalization of Marijuana the pizza makers are more stoned than ever. Be sure to double check your order when it arrives.

Boulder prides itself as a conscious, progressive, and open community but I kind of see it trapped in an alley of one way thinking. Liberal thought is the norm and those who disagree with an issue and offer an opposing opinion are not likely to be accepted favorably. The homogenous community is highly educated, prideful, and most are pretty well off. The parks are beautiful, the neighborhoods nice, and Gluten free living comes easy. Those who fall into the fold and lifestyle brand of “Boulder” might feel as though they have arrived in a Utopia of sorts. However, for me I see it as a place of extremes, oddly out of balance, and blissfully self-absorbed. When I was in my 20’s I Loved living in Boulder. Now? It’s a nice a place to visit and the natural beauty cannot be denied. I also must add it’s a great place for a young person to go to college.

Well, I guess it’s time to get back to Denver. In the meantime I’ll be working on a new angle as I navigate my way out of a rut of sorts.

Holding Pattern Of Circumstance

The backpack is getting dusty and it’s been far too long since my last post so I figured I just better put something up. I am now down in Texas and have been for about 3 weeks or so, however, I will be heading back up to Colorado soon.

Under more normal circumstances you would have found me traveling this winter and posting regularly but until my mother finishes chemo I would not feel good about wandering off too far. It has not been easy for her. As long as she survives chemo I think she will be all right for a while. If all goes well I hope to do something interesting this summer and feel like late summer/fall is a real possibility for travel.

I continue to feel caught in-between chapters of the great book of life as I steadily maintain an even attitude in a holding pattern of circumstance. In general life feels a bit flat right now but I spice it up by running around digging up old stuff to buy and sell. As usual I pick up vintage vinyl records, old advertising, an interesting violin etc.,. It’s a game of hit and miss with good 'ol dumb luck coming through in the end. Somehow I make a deposit, pay a bill, and save a little. At the beginning of the day it’s really kind of a mystery how it all works out in the end. Somehow I manage to pull it off.

It’s been nice catching up with familiar faces in Houston. I haven’t been too motivated to run buy I make it out for a 12 mile run with the club every Sunday. I usually run with an Irishman by the name of Joe and we move along pretty good. Afterwards it’s generally coffee with a good sized group which is kind of nice.

It’s important to find some kind of social balance in life. For me it’s the running club and a community of pickers like myself looking for old stuff, antiques, etc. The running club is mostly comprised of professionals with steady jobs and a regular routine. The picking crowd is a colorful mixed bag caught up in the hunt for the next big hit. Usually it’s kind of like wholesale retail but every once and awhile you make an exciting find. That’s what keeps everyone going. In Houston the regular pickers comprise a relatively small group. I really don’t mind standing in line for an hour waiting for a sale to open because the whole time I’m talking and joking with people I know. When the door opens its all business as everyone first searches out their specialty or expertise before running through a property multiple times and darting off to the next sale. Wednesday through Saturday tend to be the best days. Some pickers are strictly collectors while most are like me and buy, sell, collect, and trade.

As usual one my favorite areas in the realm of old stuff are private label records of bands no one has ever heard of. Recently I picked up the 45 shown below. It now sits in the hands of a collector in Connecticut. It’s a rare Texas Garage Psych 45. Box Car by The Glass Kans. Enjoy!

Back To 2008

February finds me still in Denver. My mother is a having a very difficult time with chemo and I don’t feel it’s currently appropriate to make any plans for anything. Since I don’t really have to be anywhere I’m sticking around. When it comes to helping my mother, my sister and I make a good team. She tends to takes care of a lot of the Dr. Appointments, tracking meds, etc. I’m more of a nuts a bolts guy with shopping, taking care of things around the house, etc.

Denver is not a bad city but it certainly doesn’t appeal to me. It just doesn’t feel like my place. I miss warm humid coastal air. When I was younger I was always drawn to the mountains. Now as I get older I’m more drawn to the ocean. I could very well wind up spending my later years living in Hawaii or some tropical locale. Something about being near the ocean makes me feel better. Perhaps I’ll turn out to be one of those guys who buys a cheap old sail boat more for living in a funky old marina than sailing.

Aside of being available to help my mother I’ve been trying to make a little money buying and selling old stuff with limited success. I also try to make it to the mountains at least once a week but missed a couple of weeks due to the flu. I can’t remember the last time I had the flu but it kicked my butt for a few days. I usually get an annoying cold once a year but that’s about it. The flu kept me in bed all day which is something I don’t think has happened to me since I was a teen.

A real highlight of being in Colorado over the winter is when I get a chance to zip around Nordic trails up in the mountains. My favorite place to ski is Devils Thumb Ranch near Winter Park. With over 100km of finely groomed trails it’s a bit of a paradise for the cross country skier. Yesterday I spent 3 hours skiing the perimeter and then some. It was the first day I felt like I was done with the flu and my strength felt just about back to normal. As I climbed the hills, opened it up on the flats and let it go on the downhill’s I felt really blessed to be able to enjoy skiing so much. Technically I’m skiing quite well and I always maintain a decent level of fitness which greatly adds to the fun factor. In some ways Nordic skiing is kind of like swimming. If you don’t swim much and/or have poor technique it can be a chore swimming one lap. If you have good technique and are in reasonably fit condition you can swim mile after mile and actually enjoy it. Despite my distaste for cold weather I still like to ski.

As of late I have not been feeling particularly social nor have I been feeling creative at all. I feel like I’m living in the in between and it will be interesting to see how it all segues into the next chapter of life as I have no idea where things are headed at the current moment. In the process I have been simplifying my already simple life. Recently I exited the world of social media and am limiting my time on the internet to writing, email, and work related activity. I tired of Facebook and found it to be a little bit of a compulsion checking it several times a day. Facebook has it positives and negatives but I think social media is doing more to dilute the quality of relationships. People are spread thin as communication is limited to quick text messages and life is interpreted through out of context sound bites. Big opinions are based on very little as social media fosters abundant misunderstandings and quick inaccurate judgments of others.

The internet is a poor medium for discussing anything controversial and people in general have a difficult time understanding all sides of an issue. Facial expressions, tone of voice and overall demeanor can add a lot to a discussion. My general rule anymore is if I have anything important to address with anyone it's best to do it in person. I don’t even like talking on the phone when it comes to addressing a serious issue. Social media is teaching people how not to communicate properly in my opinion.

At the end of the day I've noticed that the only people who actually look me up in real life are those who either are not on Facebook or have little to do with it. I often joked that I had over 370 friends on Facebook and actually knew a couple. Something about it all seems kind of fake and superficial, so, I’ve decided to go back to life without social media for a while and see how it goes. Back to 2008.

My Nordic Side...

I really don’t care much for cold weather anymore. Heat is uncomfortable but cold is painful. I grew up in a sub-tropical climate near the Gulf of Mexico where some winters never see temps below freezing. It only makes sense that the older I get the more tropical I feel. However, I love to Nordic Ski. I guess I have problem.

When I was younger I ran away to Colorado and the American west to embrace all four seasons. I especially liked skiing. First it was Alpine style downhill, then traditional Telemark, and finally my favorite, Nordic. The Nordic technique that appeals to me most is freestyle/skate which is done upon nicely packed wide groomed paths with lightweight gear and skinny skis.

In most states that offer a fair amount of downhill skiing you will often find cross country ski Nordic Centers with miles of groomed trails. Some places turn the local golf courses into a variety of serpentine trails. Other areas may be a little more rural in nature like a ranch with a cowboy who knows how to drive a Snowcat. The US Forest Service also grooms trails upon public lands for snowmobiles and cross country skiers. Many areas are free but usually the specific designated Nordic Centers that put a lot into maintaining trails charge a fee. It’s generally $10 to $20 for the day. Season passes are normally very reasonable.

In the mid 1990’s up to the mid 2000’s I was nuts about Nordic skiing and participated in a fair number a races. My running background transferred well to an aerobic base but it took a lot of kilometers over two year period to become proficient at the freestyle technique. Ironically, the more familiar traditional classic technique is much harder to master. When I lived in Aspen I was only a ten minute walk to miles of groomed trails and skied 4 or 5 days a week. After awhile I got pretty decent at it.

I returned to Houston in the Fall of 2004 and dusted off my roller skies to sweat along Bayou bike paths. Skiing became limited to short winter visits to Colorado. In 2006 I ran off to the Adirondacks in upstate New York and skied by butt off while working at the Mt Van Hovenburg Nordic Center, site of the 1980 Winter Olympics. That was pretty awesome. Since that time I’ve focused more on International travel, long distance hiking, and have resorted to running as the usual method to maintain a desired level of fitness.

The last competitive Nordic events I participated in were in 2006. They were the Keskinada Loppett in Ottawa, Canada and the Lake Placid Loppett while working at Mt Van Hovenburg. Both are 50k’s and I was happy to place 3rd in my age group at Lake Placid. Competitive cross country skiing is by far the toughest sport I have ever participated in. It’s one thing to go for a walk with skis on your feet. It’s another to race. Every ski race is like a long lung busting interval workout with the only recoveries being the down hills which usually seem way to short. In other words it feels like most of a race consists of skiing as fast as you can uphill.

It takes a lot to be competitive but years of working on technique go a long way when it comes to simply enjoying the activity. I probably only have half the engine I use have for racing. Technique wise I’m about the same which allows me the ability to joyfully skate along for 2 to 3 hours while taking in some beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain scenery.

From Denver I’m 1 ½ to 2 hours away from some splendid Nordic Centers but last week when the city got just enough snow on my mother’s un-plowed neighborhood streets I went out for a ski just like I go out for a run. It got a lot of smiles from the neighbors as I whizzed around with a quick V2 skate tecnique.

Anyway, not much has changed since my last December post. I’m balancing my time helping my mother while she undergoes chemo and weathers the ups and downs. I don’t mind. I just look forward to making it a point to get up to the mountains 1 or 2 days a week. I know I'll eventually get back to traveling internationally when the time is right.

Taking A Stand

What do you stand for? What do you believe in? In the world of relativity and political correctness modern society has become splintered and polarized. Most people choose to fall into a safety net of non-controversial grey when it comes to expressing what they really think or feel. See it however you want. Whatever is right for you is right. Absolute truth doesn’t exist except for those that society characterizes as intolerant and closed minded. Those who do express what they believe in don’t always back it up very well. Both sides of an argument cite biased and unreliable sources while engaged in heated political debates set upon a weak foundation of emotion. Blame is placed on the other and no one takes responsibility. If everyone just did the right thing there would be very few problems in the world, however, doing the right thing has become more relative than ever.

I consider myself an independent free thinker and a reasonable person who could care less what someone does with their own life on their own time as long as they are not hurting anyone else. That’s how I see myself. Live and let live. I can get along well with most anyone but I do have my opinions.

I’ve experimented with expressing various opinions on Facebook. Political and non political. When doing so only a few respond to anything controversial. Sometimes a little banter back and forth ensues with a few heated comments for a day or two then it’s back to silly posts of last night’s dinner or a picture of someone’s cat. After a while I might delete the thread altogether. After all, it was just an experiment. Facebook is a wonderful medium for misunderstanding and expressing misdirected frustrations. A lot of people have a hard time seeing all sides of an issue whether or not they agree or disagree.

So what do I believe in? What do I stand for? This is the question I ask myself. What’s my true character? What’s my moral and ethical code? As imperfect as I am I do feel I have a strong sense of right and wrong. At times I feel a bit isolated and disconnected from contemporary society but I enjoy being social and interacting with people all over the world. In some ways I could be considered conservative and old fashioned as Christian principles provide an element of structure to my life.

In a world of relativity where I believe morals and ethics are severely eroding one must stand firm or get swept along into whatever seems arguably justified at the time. Some things you compromise, some things you don't. Change is constant but not all change good. Today, in my opinion, people justify just about anything without taking many things into consideration. A person can choose to stay true to who they are or subscribe to the non-committal realm of whatever like a fashionable chameleon. We all have a choice.

Some of the most well respected yet controversial individuals are those who stood/stand up for something. Jesus comes to mind. A person may be seen as good, bad or indifferent before the judge and court of society but only absolute truth provides a genuine assessment of one’s actual character. What then is absolute truth and where does it originate? What’s the platform? It takes a lot of guts to stand up for the truth. When taking a stand you will be judged.