June 27th – LA Airport, 9pm
One hour and twenty minutes before Sydney departure; United #815
Exchange rate in Philadelphia $.82 US / Aust $1. $1,000 Australian, Travelers Checks $300 and $400 US cash.
Paid $35 for film and video cassettes, $8 for movie ear phones. “Once Around” with Richard Dreyfus, Philadelphia to LA. Not bad. Stephanie said “blech” and played with her puzzle. Having a beer and Shirley temple waiting for Gail at Gate 77. “Oh, I think I am also collecting free miles for this trip.” Complete Screw up?
Gail arrived thirty minutes before take off – no confirmed seat – last ones on plane. Separated but worked ok. Babies (2) behind us – cried the first seven hours. Steph slept hard for 6 – 7 hour. One fitfully. Omelets for breakfast, bug spray for dessert. Should be on time. Fourteen hours is a long time, but we feel pretty good. High expectations for a good day.
Met Scott, local Aussie on his way him. Recommend Doyles Seafood in Watsons bay and Frazier Island.
What Happened to Friday? – Lost at International Dateline.
----------
Saturday June 29th - 70° Sunny. 25 – 30mph winds
Got through immigration with ease. Agent saw Steph and I had same Birthday. Lost Gail somewhere between immigration and baggage claim. Customs ok. Got gallons of booze past, no questions asked. Greg Johnson waiting for us, we waited for Gail, she went to the wrong carousel.
Driving on right side strange.
Bentley apartments very nice, two bedrooms, 16th floor Darling Harbour view. Had bloody marys and raison toast at “The Extra” circular Quay to start the new day. Greg gave us a tour of the south beaches including ice cream at Bondi Beach. No white points, too cold. We then did a tour of the Barbour via Captain Cooks Coffee Cruise. It was excellent. Especially middle harbour. Very picturesque with beautiful homes, windsurfing in every cove. After the cruise we changed up and caught the ferry to Manly for dinner at K’s Snapper Inn. Excellent seafood – local wine $45 for three. Steph fell asleep on my shoulder. Bad Dad! Girl on ferry over said we must see Byron Bay.
Back to Sydney by dark and much needed rest. I wanted to go cruising Kings Cross on Saturday night by my body fell asleep.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Silent Traveler - by Jim Gregoire
"You realize Jim, once I remove these I am not putting them back on!!!
Oh please daddy, please. Just take them off, they get in the way!"
I was so insistent my father had no choice but to oblige.
And so my Father reluctantly removed the training wheels from my first bike. The look of astonishment, fear and concern on his face as I hopped on my newly unshackled steed (well, pony) and rode away is forever strong in my memory. Only now, at age thirty-one have I learned that I was only three years old on that day, and that the training wheels were only on my bike for a mere hour or two.
That set the stage for the next two and a half decades.
I devoted most of my twenties to bicycling events and competitions. I also found inner peace by exploring the alpine regions of the Pacific Northwest on my mountain bike. But lately I have committed myself to the goal of higher education and I haven't been able to travel to the mountains to ride.
Wanting to explore the other aspects of riding, I cannibalized an old broken Specialized Allez road bike, mounted the components on a hot red/orange Pro Series Trek 560 road frame (circa 1985) that I won on Ebay for $40.00.
I have built many bikes over the years, but this one was special. It was going to redefine my passion for the pedals. It was so sleek and light compared to my fat tire Klein. The skinny steel tubes, the tiny 20mm tires, and the petite "c" brakes were all so foreign to me. I feared the bike would either crumple under my weight, or I would lack the braking power that kept me alive for so many years.
As soon as I pushed the pedals though, my concerns were left behind. The acceleration was like nothing I had ever experienced. I immediately realized that I had found another pathway to the endorphins and adrenalin that soothed my soul so many times in the past.
But after a few rides around the city, I grew bored of the restrictions from traffic lights, and frustrated by the dangerous cell phone toting SUV drivers. I longed for the solitude and serenity of the mountain trails. Like so many other bikes it began to collect more dust than road grime.
During winter break though, I managed to find a safe, fun and hilly bike route to work. It was a twenty-three mile trip around the North end of Lake Washington, with some of the longest, steepest hills to be ridden in the Seattle area.
On a particularly dry and crisp Friday afternoon in December, I gathered up my biking gear and work clothes and started down the road. It was my third time pedaling the new route and I was now comfortable enough with my ride to let loose on the downhill sections. I had been riding for an hour and was well into an intense "runners high" when I started up Big Finn Hill, a two and half-mile knee grinder. My blood was thick with endorphins, my legs were burning but there was no pain. Not even the cars passing at fifty miles/hour three feet to my left could draw my attention away from the climb.
I shaved ten minutes off my best time and my seven-hour shift was fueled by limber legs and unbridled energy. It was an intense, busy night and it sapped much of my remaining energy.
With tired resolve, I dug out my five-dollar headlight, found a good jazz CD and clicked in for the long cold push home. It was midnight and I had a long way to go.
I started the trip with a high cadence; just a little bit faster than the music thumping my inner ear. After a short climb and downhill section, I found myself on the backside of Big Finn. Within minutes of starting the climb, the lactic acid in my thighs reared its thorny head and the music quickly began to outpace me. Thankfully, the next couple songs provided a slower rhythmic beat, and my cold, noodled legs held out for the rest of the climb.
I then decided to take the Burke Gilman trail for the remainder of the ride. The Burke is a fantastic, yet flaccid interurban trail that snakes its way around the lake avoiding all of the major climbs.
The first two miles were torture. The trail was riddled with pressure cracks that bulged up from the ground like mid ocean rifts. With little warning, they hammered my rear end and sent shockwaves from my tailbone to my cranium.
After a couple of miles when the rifts subsided, I took a moment to appreciate the clear night and fresh air. To my astonishment, I noticed an abundance of ambient light from above. When I looked up to the sky, there was a beautiful radiant full moon framed by a few thin wispy clouds. Within a minute of turning off my light, I began to see the details of the night emerge before me.
The dispersion of light through the clouds and trees brought out every detail of the mid winter environment. The barren trees, long devoid of their leaves, cast stark shadows across the path. The Rhododendrons reached out to show off their sticky glistening seed pods nestled in their fleshy oblong leaves. All of this was happening at eighteen miles an hour as the cold, dry, fragrant air soothed my lungs. It was like I was in a high alpine region of the Cascades just prior to sunrise.
These heightened sensations continued to lift my senses for the next ten miles. Every section of trail had something new. My rhythmic breathing and the steady hum of slicks on the pavement were the only noises to be heard. I was a silent traveler experiencing the world for the first time.
In a way, somewhere deep inside, it was like I had just rounded the corner from the garage to the sidewalk for the first time on two wheels. The freedom, the exhilaration, and the experience of riding had returned.
The Trek won't last much longer, but that memory will fuel me for a lifetime.
Oh please daddy, please. Just take them off, they get in the way!"
I was so insistent my father had no choice but to oblige.
And so my Father reluctantly removed the training wheels from my first bike. The look of astonishment, fear and concern on his face as I hopped on my newly unshackled steed (well, pony) and rode away is forever strong in my memory. Only now, at age thirty-one have I learned that I was only three years old on that day, and that the training wheels were only on my bike for a mere hour or two.
That set the stage for the next two and a half decades.
I devoted most of my twenties to bicycling events and competitions. I also found inner peace by exploring the alpine regions of the Pacific Northwest on my mountain bike. But lately I have committed myself to the goal of higher education and I haven't been able to travel to the mountains to ride.
Wanting to explore the other aspects of riding, I cannibalized an old broken Specialized Allez road bike, mounted the components on a hot red/orange Pro Series Trek 560 road frame (circa 1985) that I won on Ebay for $40.00.
I have built many bikes over the years, but this one was special. It was going to redefine my passion for the pedals. It was so sleek and light compared to my fat tire Klein. The skinny steel tubes, the tiny 20mm tires, and the petite "c" brakes were all so foreign to me. I feared the bike would either crumple under my weight, or I would lack the braking power that kept me alive for so many years.
As soon as I pushed the pedals though, my concerns were left behind. The acceleration was like nothing I had ever experienced. I immediately realized that I had found another pathway to the endorphins and adrenalin that soothed my soul so many times in the past.
But after a few rides around the city, I grew bored of the restrictions from traffic lights, and frustrated by the dangerous cell phone toting SUV drivers. I longed for the solitude and serenity of the mountain trails. Like so many other bikes it began to collect more dust than road grime.
During winter break though, I managed to find a safe, fun and hilly bike route to work. It was a twenty-three mile trip around the North end of Lake Washington, with some of the longest, steepest hills to be ridden in the Seattle area.
On a particularly dry and crisp Friday afternoon in December, I gathered up my biking gear and work clothes and started down the road. It was my third time pedaling the new route and I was now comfortable enough with my ride to let loose on the downhill sections. I had been riding for an hour and was well into an intense "runners high" when I started up Big Finn Hill, a two and half-mile knee grinder. My blood was thick with endorphins, my legs were burning but there was no pain. Not even the cars passing at fifty miles/hour three feet to my left could draw my attention away from the climb.
I shaved ten minutes off my best time and my seven-hour shift was fueled by limber legs and unbridled energy. It was an intense, busy night and it sapped much of my remaining energy.
With tired resolve, I dug out my five-dollar headlight, found a good jazz CD and clicked in for the long cold push home. It was midnight and I had a long way to go.
I started the trip with a high cadence; just a little bit faster than the music thumping my inner ear. After a short climb and downhill section, I found myself on the backside of Big Finn. Within minutes of starting the climb, the lactic acid in my thighs reared its thorny head and the music quickly began to outpace me. Thankfully, the next couple songs provided a slower rhythmic beat, and my cold, noodled legs held out for the rest of the climb.
I then decided to take the Burke Gilman trail for the remainder of the ride. The Burke is a fantastic, yet flaccid interurban trail that snakes its way around the lake avoiding all of the major climbs.
The first two miles were torture. The trail was riddled with pressure cracks that bulged up from the ground like mid ocean rifts. With little warning, they hammered my rear end and sent shockwaves from my tailbone to my cranium.
After a couple of miles when the rifts subsided, I took a moment to appreciate the clear night and fresh air. To my astonishment, I noticed an abundance of ambient light from above. When I looked up to the sky, there was a beautiful radiant full moon framed by a few thin wispy clouds. Within a minute of turning off my light, I began to see the details of the night emerge before me.
The dispersion of light through the clouds and trees brought out every detail of the mid winter environment. The barren trees, long devoid of their leaves, cast stark shadows across the path. The Rhododendrons reached out to show off their sticky glistening seed pods nestled in their fleshy oblong leaves. All of this was happening at eighteen miles an hour as the cold, dry, fragrant air soothed my lungs. It was like I was in a high alpine region of the Cascades just prior to sunrise.
These heightened sensations continued to lift my senses for the next ten miles. Every section of trail had something new. My rhythmic breathing and the steady hum of slicks on the pavement were the only noises to be heard. I was a silent traveler experiencing the world for the first time.
In a way, somewhere deep inside, it was like I had just rounded the corner from the garage to the sidewalk for the first time on two wheels. The freedom, the exhilaration, and the experience of riding had returned.
The Trek won't last much longer, but that memory will fuel me for a lifetime.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Day 1
I'm off in the north cascades hiking until the 18th. You can keep track of me via my spot here.
We'll be going up the east bank of ross lake then will climb desolation. After day 5, we'll be shuttled across the lake to the west side where we'll go up little beaver creek, then down big beaver creek.
while im gone you'll have the opportunity to experience one entry from Jim Gregoire and then a series from my dads journals from Australia. We visited the big island when i was around 10 (give or take a few years).
I'll be back posting on the 18th.
Steph
We'll be going up the east bank of ross lake then will climb desolation. After day 5, we'll be shuttled across the lake to the west side where we'll go up little beaver creek, then down big beaver creek.
while im gone you'll have the opportunity to experience one entry from Jim Gregoire and then a series from my dads journals from Australia. We visited the big island when i was around 10 (give or take a few years).
I'll be back posting on the 18th.
Steph
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Utah - recap
So, i learned a lot while i was in Utah. The first thing i learned was the location of the Republican party office in relation to the LDS head quarters. The second thing i learned was that the LDS office building looked like something out of 1984.
I also visited temple square for the first time out of 6 trips to Salt Lake City. I felt like I should at least walk by and check it out. So i did, and i saw this happy married couple getting their picture taken in 95+ degree heat. The mormons show they have the quality to persevere:
But more importantly, i was in Utah to hang out at the Eco-working group (EWG) meetings and attend the America's Great Outdoor (AGO) Listening sessions. If you have no idea what im talking about, then check out postings from earlier this week and last week... then feel ashamed that you don't check my blog on a daily basis. I mean really, i do this for you.
Anyway, the EWG meeting went great. The indexing tool is out in the public domain to get tested, and companies in the industry are going to start scoring their products to see how it is assessed from a sustainable perspective. Here's an article in the Huffington Post & the Wall Street Journal on the meeting and the tool. So, if you've heard of me talking about these meetings for the past two years, this is what i've worked toward... and i'm happy to finally see it launched!
In other news, i also attended the AGO sessions run by this guy:
Meet Ken Salazar, our current Secretary of the Interior. Here are some facts on cool things Ken has done:
- used funds from dollars spent on Colorado lotto tickets to fund outdoor recreation and conservation in the state. To date, over $690 million has been invested through GOCO.
- Created Youth in Nature programs which provided environmental education in public schools
- voted in 1995 to end protections for offshore drilling
So, here were some of the questions/comments from the audience during the listening session:
- I want to put roads into wilderness so i can take my grand kids into the woods and show them wilderness.
- We want better access to mining rights in South Eastern Utah.
- Why isn't there any presence from the Department of Education on the AGO listening panel?
- OHV users need more access, not less.
- Mountain Biking is a way to get kids active and outside. mtb use needs to be allowed in the park system and supported by the forest service.
- Wolves are killing elk herds in southern utah. We need to be able to extinguish them.
- More areas need to be put into wilderness
it was very interesting sitting in a room with 300 other people listening to comments that were in stark contrast to my own view points. However, the highlight of the event for me was when the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, Bob Abbey, made the following pointed response:
OHV users will be able to continue to use the land if used responsibly. If not, the land will be taken away.
That's all he said, then sat back down. I enjoyed his honesty.
Some of the points that Ken Salazar & Nancy Sutly (House Council on Environmental Quality) made:
- Critical to protect & restore the land
- solutions are in the communities and the government needs to support those initiatives.
- the AGO is working to establish a legacy such as both Rosevelts set in their tenure as president.
- Implement the National Ocean Policy which establishes the need to improve and promote sustainable access to our oceans.
- Need to restore our waterways by additional additional rivers to the Scenic & Wild River system
- Connect the landscape between parks, wilderness and forests so they are beneficial to wildlife and migratory corridors.
ok, i know i'm boring you... so if you want to hear about what i thought, give me a call or shoot me an email. You know i can go on for hours with this kind of stuff.
Enjoy the sun!!
Steph
I also visited temple square for the first time out of 6 trips to Salt Lake City. I felt like I should at least walk by and check it out. So i did, and i saw this happy married couple getting their picture taken in 95+ degree heat. The mormons show they have the quality to persevere:
But more importantly, i was in Utah to hang out at the Eco-working group (EWG) meetings and attend the America's Great Outdoor (AGO) Listening sessions. If you have no idea what im talking about, then check out postings from earlier this week and last week... then feel ashamed that you don't check my blog on a daily basis. I mean really, i do this for you.Anyway, the EWG meeting went great. The indexing tool is out in the public domain to get tested, and companies in the industry are going to start scoring their products to see how it is assessed from a sustainable perspective. Here's an article in the Huffington Post & the Wall Street Journal on the meeting and the tool. So, if you've heard of me talking about these meetings for the past two years, this is what i've worked toward... and i'm happy to finally see it launched!
In other news, i also attended the AGO sessions run by this guy:
Meet Ken Salazar, our current Secretary of the Interior. Here are some facts on cool things Ken has done:
- used funds from dollars spent on Colorado lotto tickets to fund outdoor recreation and conservation in the state. To date, over $690 million has been invested through GOCO.
- Created Youth in Nature programs which provided environmental education in public schools
- voted in 1995 to end protections for offshore drilling
So, here were some of the questions/comments from the audience during the listening session:
- I want to put roads into wilderness so i can take my grand kids into the woods and show them wilderness.
- We want better access to mining rights in South Eastern Utah.
- Why isn't there any presence from the Department of Education on the AGO listening panel?
- OHV users need more access, not less.
- Mountain Biking is a way to get kids active and outside. mtb use needs to be allowed in the park system and supported by the forest service.
- Wolves are killing elk herds in southern utah. We need to be able to extinguish them.
- More areas need to be put into wilderness
it was very interesting sitting in a room with 300 other people listening to comments that were in stark contrast to my own view points. However, the highlight of the event for me was when the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, Bob Abbey, made the following pointed response:
OHV users will be able to continue to use the land if used responsibly. If not, the land will be taken away.
That's all he said, then sat back down. I enjoyed his honesty.
Some of the points that Ken Salazar & Nancy Sutly (House Council on Environmental Quality) made:
- Critical to protect & restore the land
- solutions are in the communities and the government needs to support those initiatives.
- the AGO is working to establish a legacy such as both Rosevelts set in their tenure as president.
- Implement the National Ocean Policy which establishes the need to improve and promote sustainable access to our oceans.
- Need to restore our waterways by additional additional rivers to the Scenic & Wild River system
- Connect the landscape between parks, wilderness and forests so they are beneficial to wildlife and migratory corridors.
ok, i know i'm boring you... so if you want to hear about what i thought, give me a call or shoot me an email. You know i can go on for hours with this kind of stuff.
Enjoy the sun!!
Steph
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
i need your help
no really, i do. i need 7 days worth of content. I'll be off back-packing for school (hard life, i know) and it'd be great to have someone else write something about something not related to parks, ethics or any other subject i've been rambling on about.
So, if you have something (ANYTHING!!!) just email it to me, and i'll put it up. mummphry@gmail.com
if not, i'm posting my dads diary from Australia... which actually could be kinda fun.
i'll write about Utah tomorrow. I just presented my wolverine brief to my class for about 30 minutes and am b.u.r.n.t. out on writing. But, tomorrow will be good.
promise
So, if you have something (ANYTHING!!!) just email it to me, and i'll put it up. mummphry@gmail.com
if not, i'm posting my dads diary from Australia... which actually could be kinda fun.
i'll write about Utah tomorrow. I just presented my wolverine brief to my class for about 30 minutes and am b.u.r.n.t. out on writing. But, tomorrow will be good.
promise
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
America's Great Outdoors initiative
So, tomorrow the Outdoor Industry Association and the North Face are hosting an industry breakfast with Ken Salazar and the director of the Outdoor Foundation to discuss the America's Great Outdoors Initiative... then from 10am - 2pm Ken Salazar and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management will be hosting a listening session to have the publics ideas on how to get people outside.... and here are a few of mine:
1. Put money back into the state & national forest and park system.
2. provide funding for community outreach programs. This will allow rangers to go to local schools and talk to the kids about what it's like to go outside. It's like when the local firefighters showed up with the fire truck in 5th grade... but the rangers will show up with a cool hat.
3. Protect lands that have been held up in congress for over 20 years and finally designate them as wilderness.
4. Provide funding to the parks & forest services to create partnerships with local community groups or outdoor education centers.
5. promote programs to help families access the parks. In Shenandoah National Park, the rangers are leading weekend family camping programs where they provide the gear and help first time camping families learn the ropes.
Part of the AGO Initiative is to get ideas from normal human beings instead of politicians. So, if you have an idea, or want to vote on someone else's, you can go to their website here
If you want a fun history lesson, and really like Obama, check out this video
if you're really struggling at work, here's a really cool video
so... key take away from all of this? Job creation. This means, i'll have a job when i get out of college. And why is that important? Outside of the obvious answer of economic security... It means that there will be a movement to get kids off their couch and outside. It also means that there will be funds to conserve the amazing lands we have.
just something to think about...
1. Put money back into the state & national forest and park system.
2. provide funding for community outreach programs. This will allow rangers to go to local schools and talk to the kids about what it's like to go outside. It's like when the local firefighters showed up with the fire truck in 5th grade... but the rangers will show up with a cool hat.
3. Protect lands that have been held up in congress for over 20 years and finally designate them as wilderness.
4. Provide funding to the parks & forest services to create partnerships with local community groups or outdoor education centers.
5. promote programs to help families access the parks. In Shenandoah National Park, the rangers are leading weekend family camping programs where they provide the gear and help first time camping families learn the ropes.
Part of the AGO Initiative is to get ideas from normal human beings instead of politicians. So, if you have an idea, or want to vote on someone else's, you can go to their website here
If you want a fun history lesson, and really like Obama, check out this video
if you're really struggling at work, here's a really cool video
so... key take away from all of this? Job creation. This means, i'll have a job when i get out of college. And why is that important? Outside of the obvious answer of economic security... It means that there will be a movement to get kids off their couch and outside. It also means that there will be funds to conserve the amazing lands we have.
just something to think about...
Monday, August 2, 2010
utah. it's hot. and dry. and hot. and brown.
Excerpt from my journal:
I stepped off the plane and it was hot. The flight was less then spectacular, highlighted by a single serving of pretzels. The landscape I viewed from my exit row seat was freckled with green circles amidst desolate colors of brown, tan and red. My mind desperately tried to understand how humanity could live in such an area when plants could not sustain a life without irrigation ditches. I guess man can be ingenious when necessary. Upon our descent into Salt Lake City, we flew over the Great Salt Lake. It didn’t look so great today. The shoreline had significantly diminished and the water had turned a copper red. I have visited here in the wintertime and can remember flocks of birds spotting the landscape. Today, there was sand and nothing else. I now sit in a room with a single fan whirring at light speed to dissipate the 90°F air and the shades are closed to keep the light out. This is very different then home.
---------
tomorrow is eco-working group for 4 hours... then tuesday is industry breakfast with Ken Salazar... 1 hour break to get as many free pairs of socks as humanly possible and then 2 hours on the "America Great Outdoors" Initiative, more eco-working group, then back to Seattle. Oh, and i need to finish this paper on Wolverines. Fun fact (actually not so fun fact). Did you know that there are only 7 Wolverines known to exist in the state of Washington? less fun fact: Department of Fish & Wildlife has denied two separate acts to list the furry little guy on the Endangered Species List. How much smaller does an animal population need to get before it's considered endangered?
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