inglorious wanderer

Three years after and having learned to translate a favourite John Muir saying from Elizabeth, a co-worker, I return to Mount Laguna with John Muir in mind: "Los montanas están llamando y nairo debe ir." Of course I also learned to say chingado and culera with gusto as well but there was no opportunity to be using such words in the mountains, besides, it's Easter Sunday. It was John, whose last name is not Muir, who made everyone within hearing distance guess who said so.  "I'd rather be in the mountains thinking of God than in the church thinking of the mountains." Bill Bunker still asks everyone to introduce themselves with a name, place of residence and what everyone does for a living. He set the same parameters three years ago.  My friend Kay introduced herself as an Escondido resident and adds that she hikes every day.  The photo was taken three years three years ago when Kay had just taken to hiking after her sons assured her it was not a   mate-up   ...

I didn't see the   lunar craters that have always depicted the moon in movies or science books. The scenic overlook  hiking trail called Valley of the Moon does not resemble anything I have seen about the moon.  This trail in the southwest area of the Jacumba Wilderness does look a little like an unadulterated version of the Joshua Tree National Park. There are no exhibits of elaborate boulder formations like a skull, an elephant or an arch. Boulders of all sizes are piled like cairns. The trail leads south towards a fence-less international borderline.   I envisioned a lake or some kind of a oasis in the middle of the valley. I didn't see any water source in the area. The vegetation is sparse. Dwarfed trees cling on little soil in between boulders like they are part of a bonsai garden. The boulders seem to norture them : "A tree whose hungry mouth is prest,  Against the earth's sweet flowing breast." This time though, the earth's fl...

Catalina Island is one of the California's Channel Islands according to Wikipedia. I never really  rely on leaky Wiki so I checked on the National Parks Services website and Channel Island National Parks does not really include Catalina Island among its  Channel Islands. The National Parks Services only  include Santa Barbara, Ancapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel, according to my Your National Parks Guide magazine.  Catalina Island actually reminds me of Mindoro, one of Philippine Archipelago's hundreds islands. The sea vessel ride took me back to that long ago trip I made with Bobit, Beng, Jing, Meann and Minda as we set off to Puerto Galera.  It was an Employment Research Division getaway from our cubicles at the Institute. The ERD getaway to Puerto Galera has always been my point of reference for  island getaways.  I didn't think I would be needing Dramamine for the ride. RN thought my motion sickness could probably be all in the mind. But ...

It's my second attempt of finding those fucking pussy willows at the San Jacinto Wilderness State Park, within a month. It is also my second time to be riding the Palm Spring Aerial Tram.  There seemed to be more park rangers than visitors in the park at the moment. They seem to be expecting a lot of rescues, this being a rainy day.  I thought it would be nice to volunteer as a ranger at the park, I could see find all the pussy willows at the Willow Creek Trail and bag San Jacinto Peak over and over again without having to shell out $24 tram fare every time.  I could only dream of doing the Cactus to Clouds hike. For now I could only associate the idea of hiking the C2C trails with the experience of spelunking the day before and braving gusty winds and snowfall at more 8000 feet elevation the following day.   

I have heard about the mud caves of Anza Borrego before. And when  Che came up with the idea of exploring the mud caves as a group,  I  looked forward to the outdoor event as another "been there, done that" experience for me. I was lucky to have Debra switch shifts with me so I could join the group. The adventure reminds me of two  caves I have been into in the past: the Lawrence Welk Talus Caves north of Escondido which my friend Kay would remember exploring with me from time to time and the Lava Beds National Monument caves at Tule Lake which RN and I visited last summer. The Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves in Anza Borrego State Park is a hidden destination for spelunking enthusiasts.  I didn't want to miss the caves for any mudder fucking excuse. I decided to go even if I have to drive myself crazy. Everyone is coming from everywhere anyway. Che was coming from Palm Springs, Maria was driving from LA, Dan and Amy also coming from east of LA and Lisa and Tim live abo...