I just wanted to be at the top of the next page.

I want Pioneer Chicken :(

theyre gone, arent they?

Sorry, BTD.

Yes, Capt Jack is right. Gone for so many years. I used to love to pick up a 'basket' of chicken.

What about those fish places that were made up like pubs? Gone.

Hey, Pioneer Chicken IS still around. I passed one in LA... was it off La Brea, or just before it? Off of... Olympic.

oh wow. I thought these guys gone ages ago. they were one of my faves (but that was from a kids PoV)

I cant find good fish n chips to save my life anymore

There's an H. Salt Fish & Chips a couple of miles down the road from me. :)

Aw. I guess the deal is that there aren't any Pioneer Chickens or H. Salt Fish & Chips in this area. :(

No Sonic Burgers, either. {but I do go when I visit the Character Warehouse up that way....}

And, yes, that is the fish place. There isn't a fast food place like that around here. That other place, whose name escapes me, sucks. Mostly their service which is part of the deal so I don't go there anymore. {Capt Jack? LOL No, Capt Kid?}

Sorry to switch gears to, um, camping stuff ... but ...


How are we on cars - - re: number of cars vs. number of parking spaces?

I'm carpooling with Capt. Jack

Team 1 (Disneyphile, Frodo Potter, GusGus and myself) will have two vehicles.

full size PU. I might suggest putting me in an end spot

I am bringing the MINI for Goonie and I. Or it might be a PT cruiser, depending on if I ever get my car back one of these weeks.

Oooh, this camping trip is getting expensive. The back of my car is full of new crap already.

ditto, but still. I can see doing this more often for myself, so Im looking at it as a good investment in my mental health

We'll just save the stuff for next year's Swank Kamp. Yosemite, perhaps.

Oh, definitely. I'm just happy we already had a tent and some other basics. I've just "enhanced" it now - dishes, organizers, multiple lanterns, better chairs, a new cooler, etc.

The next trip will be quite cheap in comparison. ;)

There's one in Westminster.

Good News - I was able to get Friday off work

Yeah, so getting back to camping. Totally jazzed... I hit Walmart last night, got my stove, cooler, fuel (they're having a deal on 2 packs for propane btw), tarps (two small cheaper than one big, go figure), poncho, etc. Only spent $110.

Somebody had parked in my space, so to be a dick, I parked them in and took my stuff in (had cold food to put away and needed the restroom). I figured they could wait till I was good and done. Then I forgot I'd done it. Remembered around midnight (3 hours later) as I lay down to bed. So I was a bigger dick than I intended to be. But it all worked out.

...And they're lucky... my neighbors would've called a tow truck on them.

So Team Mini Me (Mark, Cindy and Joe) and Team 4 (Jack, Katie, Steve & the homo); what's for breakfast?

Hmmm, I have no idea. This was my first intimation that I was on any team. Since the homo is a maybe at this point, I will await to hear from the Captain and Katie Sue regarding anything they'd like me to contribute to breakfast on Saturday.

Oh, sorry Steve. On the Wiki I saw your name on the "Team 4" list (under "Proposed Teams") and just assumed that was a definite. I added your name in the "Dining Signup" section lower on the same page. If that is incorrect, feel free to change it (or let me know and I will).

sorry katie sue and I didnt cc you. the planning sorta all started like....today via a couple PM's and some quizing the board folk on their tastes as far as huevos rancheros and chorizo. if I remember right, cooking aint your thing?
thats ok, I have a ton of things you can do to help and never set down your coffee :D


sunday breakfast fiesta!
(my thoughts at least. please speak up if you have any suggestions or preferences)
Chorizo con Papas y Huevos is what Im aiming for
flour or corn tortillas (your choice)
refried beans (so long as you guys dont mind them not being from scratch)
with a choice of salsas and hot sauces (again, if you dont mind not being scratch, although I can)
some sort of breakfast bread if you dont care for tortillas


(btw, can anyone mix a good bloody mary?)

thoughts welcome (even if its yuck!)

It sounds divine - except for the Bloody Marys. ;)

What, you didn't want to be surprised? Fine, as per requested, le menu:

Eggs Benedict
Asparagus
French Bread with (orange?) Honey Butter
Fresh Fruit

Since I'm unable to attend :( I doubt you will have to worry about any orange allergies, unless there's someone else allergic.

Your menus sound amazing!

Holy crap, I was going to see what the deal is by catching up on this thread...only to find out its freaking 21 pages. Fuknutter. What the hell do all of you do during the day?
:evil: :evil:

And whats with all this fancy food? I used to just whip out my knife, shave down some wood, spear something and roast it over flame. Mmm, flaming food. Wait...why would we eat Kevy? That's just weird.

wow....now THATS gourmet:snap:

Ah, THAT'S who had the orange allergy. I wasn't sure if it was maybe Steve or not. So there will probably be orange in the honey butter :)

Ah I see, I'm "the homo". Very creative Kevy. U'r such a turbo ball licking slut.

Anyway, if I can make it and I am on breakfast duty, I will share a delicacy I learned back in boy scouts. We call them dough boys. Very simple. Very camping-y and quite tasty.

I bet orange honey butter would be amazing.

*sniffles*

Can't you just conference call with your classmates?

Hmmm...

I believe the Wiki called for $50 gourmet meal, yes?

The knife probably cost at least that.

*tick tock tick tock tick tock*

omg omg omg I cant wait!
last day of work for the Capt!
loading day morrow

omg omg omg, I sooo wanna leave now!

I have so much to do in the next 2 days!

The board will be so quiet with all of you gone:(

Have a wonderful time in the great outdoors! I can't wait to hear the stories.

Camping Swanking - June 28 - July 3
 

have fun everyone. I do not do camping no matter what or who. Too rustic for me. KOA is bad enough torelable enough.

Do you believe everything you read on the "internet"?

everything but snopes....yup
:D

The movers should be at my house Friday morning. I just hope they'll be able to get that truck up the windy road!!!

If anybody is running out of room in their vehicle, we have plenty of room in Susan's van. Holler if you need help.

Thankfully, we packed up everything but clothes and food last night. :p

Ken's loading all of it into the car tonight, so we only have to tote the cooler down on Friday morning. :snap:

I think we're really well prepared for just about any encounter there, since it makes life so much easier when "roughing it". Like a friend once told me, "You don't camp, you homestead." She's right. ;)

Also, we are supplying basic First Aid to everyone for minor ailments, but please don't forget your own necessities, like regularly-taken drugs, etc., as our supply is reserved for unexpected incidents. :)

I hear that vicodin cures minor ailments. :D

I'm bringing some stuff too just in case anyone gets the uncontrollable hershey squirts.

If you require any mind-altering substances, just talk to Not Afraid and she'll do her best to boggle your mind.

Thankfully, I have everything packed except for the food, which I am getting most of tonite. And I'm supposed to get Minibog back tonite whee!

Thanks, but I bring my own medicine.

Anyway, Cherny, don't go packing your cooler just yet... I think we can both use mine.

Aaaah! I'm so excited, I can't wait to get out there!

My big worry is how to get all the camping stuff PLUS two bundles of firewood in that mini. I may end up with logs on my lap or something, LOL.

Is anyone bringing iPod speakers?

Alas, mine run on power-grid juice only.

I'll be around too!

Have fun y'all. Maybe next time you can change my mind about camping!

I'm with you gals.

I was thisclose to joining them, my heart is in all of the fun {and food, I almost bought chorizo today...}, but, well....I almost died when I lost my cabin with a bath in Curry! Now upgraded to Yosemite Lodge. Whew.

You gals might be interested in the next years swanking, I've heard Yosemite being whispered about....

If this is indeed a possibility, I would hope that it is decided early enough to get good lodging...er, for those of us who would rather have four solid walls.

Not 4 star but they have upgraded a lot since I started staying there.

Oh, and as for the campsites, I've never checked for them in Yosemite but I did catch something about it going from 5 to 6 months?? Whatever that means. Just a heads up to whomever might be in the planning seat.

Planning? Feh, we don't do any planning! We just spontaneously get up and go!

;)

If you want us to bring it things up for you, just get them to me today or tomorrow. If it is easier, I work in Costa Mesa (back side of the airport). Call me on my cell.

Which is why this thread is over 1,000 posts long!

According to this site page, there are currently no fire restrictions in the Park. Also according to the information listed, there are no campfire restrictions in Dorst campground even when the fire danger in the Park is rated at SEVERE.

So I think we're cool on the campfire front. We're also good on the parking front, since ... even if NirvanaMan drives up in his own vehicle in the middle of the night ... we will have 9 cars for 10 spaces.

It's a double good thing we kept that "extra" site.


As of today, T-minus 40 hours, all systems are a-go-go!

thats a roger houston.
Dorst shuttles now pre boarding.

Dammit. I can't remember where we put the CamelBak. :(

And, I'm not looking forward to tearing the closet apart...

OK, I am officially done with work until Tuesday. Chris should be on his way home shortly. I have to clean the house, pack, go grocery shopping, clean the car, and let Calliope sit on my for hours.

I wonder how Susan is doing with the packing?

One of the joys of being married (with wife not having a regular job).

Clean as in wash? Before you go on a camping trip? Are sure you want to do that?

I presume she means clean it out from cemetery excurion readiness to prepare for camping excursion readiness.

Well...before we go up where there are bears, I clean out my car, really well. I wipe things down, check under seats, take out anything not necessary.

I vacuum and then clean the windows so we can see the beautiful places we are going.

My son asked me why I clean out the car so well after he saw his aunts car full of crap and she frequently visits areas with bears as well as I think she lives by them. But, I've seen the cars with bear damage...don't leave anything in the car that looks like anything.

I was told that smoking a cigarette in the car would remove the smell of any food....no fabreeze, they said.

Don't worry about bears... I'm not going. :p

Oh, and please remember "Priscilla, queen of the desert"..

.."A camping holiday, let's pack the drag away,
I'll pack the Lunch & Tea, you pack the Ecstacy."

...Have fun, don't think of me, I'll be fine here away from all the gourmet bear-less goodness.

....but have a wine or three by the campfire for me, willya ?

Hugs
Rob.

Campers,

I've created a poll here to help us decide which fun activities we should do when. Obviously, we want to tackle the most popular stuff when the most people will be in camp.

Please saunter over there and vote. No need to if you intend to lounge in Swank Camp on a permanent basis. But if you'd like to participate in any of the optional adventure excursions, your votes will help the Swank Camp Community.

you dont exactly make it easy to choose the likely one or two we'll have time for. makes me wish I was there for a couple of weeks instead of a couple of days :)

I'm getting all phyched. I've fired up the campstove. Started getting all my crap nearer the front door. Done most of the shopping. Even whipped up a little Salsa Verde when an unusual domestic moment hit. Woo hoo!

I'm glad we're not going up with anyone else. I think the car will be full.

Of course, I need an entire cooler just for fuzzy water. ;)

Have fun kids :D

OK.
Does everyone know how to get there?
Does everyone know our campsite numbers?
4 of the reservations are in my name and one is in Chris' name.

I'm not seeing the campsite numbers on the Key Lot Camping Info page. I know they've been posted somewhere but I am not looking thru hundreds of pages.

It is among the first pieces of information on the Wiki.

I've packed the Hiking Guides, the Bird and Wildflower field guides and some Ghost Story collections. ;)

I've packed...

"Honey: what have I packed?"

Oh thanks I didn't see it there for some reason NA :)

Uh, I'd take some time to verify that you have some pants...

Karma!

I think it is in EVERYONE'S best interest to make sure I have pants.

OOOH! Ghost stories are the BEST part of camping!

Feh!

It's never too late.

Well, it'll be too late next Tuesday.

If anybody cares, I have updated the meals page with all meals now posted.

All this talk and effort about meals, but where are the team's assignments for the BAR???


This is, after all (fuzzywater-drinkers notwithstanding) ...Swank Camp.

I'm soooo jealous! Hey, I looked at the camping site and saw a Traci with an I! Is there another Traci with an I on LoT? I must know!

I just added more details about the Friday night dinner. ;)

Did you say bag or bar? :p

I'm bringing those rum-soaked cherries. By the way, they're really nicely "rummed" now. Morrigoon can attest to that - I opened one of the jars this evening for a whiff, and they nearly knocked us over. :evil:

we need a better name. :|

Oh hell. This might be the best batch of cherries yet. Ken "took one for the team" in a taste test just now, and I took a little nibble too. Just one little bite and I'm slightly buzzed. Goooooooood cherries. ;) They are a touch on the tart side though, so I added some sugar, so by Friday, they should be nice and yummy. :)

Oh Em Gee - do you guys believe all the crap you have to take just for 3 days in the woods!!!?!?









That is all.

well, I see it like this. it takes a ton of effort to build a house, but considerably less so to use said house over and over.

we'll just have to be sure and do this more often

Hence why we are taking the van (which gets sucky mileage and rides like a truck) and not the car (which is comfy cozy for long trips and while doesn't get great milage is much better than the van).

I hope to pick up some cognac on my shopping rounds today so we can have Side cars - I already have bourbon an Gin to make Manhattans or Martinis. You're on your own if you want something more fru-fru.

you mean like beer?

beer good

Im going to try and track down some Arrogant Bastard Ale. local micro brew (I believe). while Im not usually big on darker beers, this stuff is just unbelieveable.

Good stuff that Arrogant Bastard!

More to the point, does everyone know yours or Chris' IRL name?

I know NA's IRL name, but I don't know Chris's IRL first name.

Ha!

I don't think my customary camping drink of Whiskey and soda is particularly fru-fru.

Though I'll probably end up drinking wine more often than booze (if we can find a shady bear box that won't alchemy the wine into sludge)

Well, I know where you can find a shady bear, but I can't vouch for the state of his Box.

I'm bringing strawberry daquiri, which for obvious reasons relating to refrigeration will need to be consumed Friday night ;)

Also bringing a bottle of Mr. Shaw's finest Shiraz.

Ew, I'm not pulling a wine bottle out of there

crap. no arrogant bastard ale. Im so bummed.

other than ale, what is a self respecting (self disrespecting?) pirate to drink?

:argghh:

Any suggestions for those of us who emphatically don't smoke? I've got my car sitting in the sun right now with the windows cracked open in an attempt to wear out (and air out!) the scent of vanilla air freshener I got at the car wash last weekend. It's faded pretty well, but all this talk of bear damage has me worried (because, yeah, we're NOT fitting in the mini, we've pretty well established that).

Smirnoff Ice? Oops, sorry, those are for me ;)

I added a section on the meals page to record contributions to the swank bar.

rum

Can you drive up there with the windows down for a while?

oh duh





:blush:

I'm practicing not showering.

:eek:

Um, I'm showering bright and before dawn tomorrow. And then on Saturday Night (unless I can git me a bath!)

Ive decided to use these :D

That's an interesting choice for toilet paper.

Ok, just got back from the market. Cleaned out my car in prep for stuffing it full.

Nothing is really packed, but it's all laid out all over my entire condo.




I am officially overwhelmed.



Bite to eat, start packing, finish, put half in the car, sleep for 3 hours, shower, put the other half in the car, try to hit the road at 6ish.

In about 20 minutes, I intend to start moving ... and I don't expect I'll stop much before I get back home in 4 days.


Camping is glorious fun, but christ! it's a lotta work.




Next Swank Camp should be in a Chalet or Rustic Hunting Lodge.

I'm still at work and I am not sure when I will be able to leave. Susan won't be home until about 10:00 tonight. I believe we will be at least a couple of hours behind you ;)

so whats the deal with this camping trip thing

You can ignore the first 119 posts.




Just read the other nine hundred ninety nine.









by morning

Finished shopping, halfway done packing. Have a horrible feeling I'm forgetting something really really important.

Knowing this group, you'll be fine. Someone will have an extra or will be able to lend it to you.

Erica - pack and drive to Steve's immediately!


We're back from grocery shopping. I need to chop meat and make the marinade.

I'm still at work

KB - :(

Asparagus is bacon-wrapped, skewered, and in the freezer.

All supplies are in the car, except the cooler.

Car is gassed up and cash has been withdrawn.

All that's left is to pack the cooler, put it and ourselves in the car, and pick up the ice.

Now, I don't feel so bad about getting up at the ass-crack of dawn tomorrow. I was hoping for some relaxation, and we won't have a mad morning panic. I so need this.

:D

I'd like to give a hearty fvck-you to blueerica's professor, who - as I understand it - cancelled the class that was keeping her from camping ... but not far enough in advance for her to avoid obligations due Monday regardless.


:(

I'm pretty bitter, too. I just want to hear about how much fun everyone had. Because I should be jealous. I should be totally jealous.

Still at work. I'm really paying right now for taking tomorrow off!

At least if everyone gets eaten by bears, Erica and I can keep things going here.



(I agree that your prof needs an ass-kickin', Erica).

Ok...I'm packing. Ugh I hate packing. I know I'll forget shizz. Not definitely in yet, that will depend on my workday tomorrow. But, I'm at like 67.9%

I've got beer, run, and a spot of whiskey. Oh and a change of clothes.

OMG. Can I smack him? :(

Sleep in the van tomorrow. Remember that we have to serve dinner, preferably early in the evening! ;)

OK, I'm heading home now. 15-1/2 hours today. That is tiring!

I'm up and ready to go!

Have fun everyone!

Later start than I'd hoped. 7:30 am.


Ha! I'm usually waking up just now.



See y'all up there!



Everyone else (what are you doing in this thread?) .... hold down the LoT. :iSm:

Heh - just got up - need coffee - will head out in a bit - must wake Lisa

Awake. Out the door by 9 (we hope).

Everyone have a great time! :cheers:

At work. :(

Have a wonderful swanking weekend all!

But for how long?

Have a great time everyone!

Guess this is the perfect time to run amock (sp?) on the board and type all sorts of rumors about camping swankers! ;)

(it's just jealousy.)

If I left now, abandoning the dc kids and not bothering to pack, I could be there by, oh, early tomorrow morning around 5-6. It's about an 18 hour drive according to Yahoo maps. Sadly I'm more responsible than that...no camping crashing for me.

Another few hours before I head out! Waiting on NirvanaMan - as ususal! ;)

Give much love to everyone already there.
They are already missed!

Heh. Had I known that people were going to be leaving this late I totally could have gone.

Oh well.

Have fun everyone!

I wonder if there's wireless all the way up there.

Hey, someof us have like jobs and stuff. :)

Have fun guys - take lots of pictures. :)

Through the magic of the internet, we see into the future of the camping trip... the air is clearing and yes... here they are enjoying enjoying the evening: ;)

Camping Swanking - June 28 - July 3
 

ya i've got a life work and animals ha...plus i like having a roof over my head and wireless internet and a hot shower in my own bathroom and to sleep on a bed not on the ground...so have fun for me...

Isn't it quiet around here with the Kiddies at Camp ?? :D

Feh, it's usually pretty quiet on weekends... was just a little slower during the day.

Hehehe I can say "NA is a Poo-hed" and she can't retaliate !!!! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe.

Hope everyone is having fun :)

we sure as 773H did

:snap:

Yeah and I will be jealous for a really really l0-o-n0-g time too! ;)

Welcome back Capt. Jack

thanks Snowy. it truly was a trip I couldnt forget if I live to be a thousand years old.
there are some folk still out there for another day or so.
part of me wishes I was still there, although theres also a good part of me glad to be home.
I'll save the adventure stories for a wee bit longer although a good bit of it cant adequately be put into words.

there should however be truckload pics coming down the pipe in the next few days


one note:
very special thanks to iSm for his superhuman efforts on putting this all together. this was a monumental effort that couldnt have resulted in a more swanktacular payoff.


bravo. bravisimo
:snap:

Thanks Capt Jack for the update.

I'm sure that I'm not the only swanker wanting to see fun pics and hear stories.

Just glad you had a great time!

Nope :p

omg. we drove...what...an hour? hour and a half out before even encountering the slightest intermittent cell signal.

it was freakin awesome!

OMG, NA without a cell phone? I cannot fathom it.

Last time I went up there, we actually had some nice Walkie Talkies to keep in contact the way up. I rather enjoyed the convoy jokes and nicknames we gave one another. Good stuff.

Oh hell, I lost my cell signal at Three Rivers, or whatever that podunk town BEFORE you get near entering the park region is called!

Hoo boy, do I ever have pictures. Question is, where the heck am I going to upload 512 mb of photos to? Photobucket takes too long...

I have a bajillion photos to upload as well. If anyone knows a good site let me know.

Photobucket has been quicker/easier in recent days - if you haven't checked it out lately, it's worth a look.

I may never be able to show my face around here again.

Might I take that to mean there are some incriminating photos afoot?

Or other body parts :eek:

I knew it!

Oh lordy, I hope not.

Nope, we were all too surprised at the time. No photos.

You're a creative bunch- let's see some artist's renderings.:D

Teases!

Stop alluding to stuff we can't see! It's not nice.

yeah, that looks about right

Something tells me it's not your face we have to worry about.

Poor Kevy... it's not like he was the only one showing off... just the first ;)

What in the world happened?....

Well, in my case, I don't know if "showing off" is the proper term.

And we should be surprised why?

Here's a picture of what you missed:

I too would like to express my thanks to iSM and NA (and anyone else who worked on the planning) for all that they did. I enjoyed myself tremendously (besides Saturday night ;) ) and I appreciate all that you did to make this a success.

And while all of the meals were most excellent, I put a personal shout-out to Captain Jack and Katiesue for a most yummy huevos rancheros. I ended up eating WAY too much of their breakfast!

And some quick highlights:

1. Lisa has an inner lesbian that came out on Saturday. Not by action, but by dress (c'mon: Lisa in jeans, a flannel shirt, an orange vest and a baseball cap).
2. We have a new word to add to the Lexicon of Swank: Lodgepole.
3. If €uromeinke ever wants a sure thing, just take NA to the circle of Sequoia's.

Lisa's new avatar:

*






*LumberJill

Kevin, I don't believe for a second that the Ale had anything to do with it.

Hee hee

Sorry

Well, to be fair, Susan's Pterodactyl hiccups are atomic - they can often be heard through sound barriers. However, whenever you hear one, it means the party has started.

Sigh. I still can't get ahold of Susan (who stayed through today and is riding back with Disneyphile). I miss my honey :(

Contrary to every instinct, I'm going to hang on to the image of a sloshed Kevy with his pants around his ankles...just so I can pretend to not be jealous of those who went.

Finally heard from her around 9:00. They were just going through Visalia. I put them here around 1:00 a.m.

Sigh... another night trying to fall asleep alone.

one of the best things Ive found lately to help me fall asleep is to try and stay awake.

works almost every time

It's taking me *forever* to load photos because I took hundreds of pictures and about 2/3 of them are freaking amazing. But for the impatient among us, you can check the progress under "camping" in my photobucket:

http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...igoon/camping/

those are great! you have a good eye

things I learned at Swank Camp(continued)
#26 - A cell phone is a poor excuse for a camera

Wow- gorgeous pictures, Morri! What a beautiful place, and it looks like all were having a great time. :)

I love the cave pictures! You did an amazing job!

Thanks! Oh, and I had an idea: since I'm *still* posting photos to the photobucket, if you guys see a pic you like, feel free to img it here in the thread for others, it'll save me time and allow folks who can't necessarily be bothered to pull up the photobucket to see some pics.

cool. I know just the one

I like this one:

That was awesome... we all just lay down in the middle of that stand of sequoias and looked up at them for like, 5 minutes.

They tried to keep me out



...Didn't work ;)

Well, the return to civilization was delayed by an accident on the freeway back.

There are about 1000 moments of this weekend that can't even be put into words. It was a great time and a huge thanks to everyone who went and especially ISM and NA for making all this happen.

More reflections soon!

The 99 was completely shut down! - causing delays of an hour or more in everyone's already overlong and overdue drive back. Ugh, I didn't make it in till 1:30 a.m., and I live closer than most.

I hope everyone is home or very close by now, but a retroactive God Speed to everyone who left Camp Swank near sunset tonight, and had to deal with some pretty bad road conditions on top of a very late departure.

A special God Speed to Not Afraid's special guest campers, Kara and Traci, who were already heading back to southern California with automotive difficulties that will not be helped by tonight's outrageous road conditions.

Yor All Poo-Poo Heds for not getting that pic of Kevy.

Bad accident. A truck carrying what they think was pesticide, overturned and then caught fire. It happened shortly after 8 (according to the news) and at 11 it was still burning. Because they couldn't identify the substance Hazmat was all over the place.

Susan got in around 3:30 :eek:

Nobody brought a microscope

I guess you haven't been using the patch.

Something tells me I missed a thread somewhere.

Dude, it's in your sig line.

But I got a picture of this:

Color me embarrassed.

I'm such an idiot :blush:

good folks. was a pleasure to meet them. their determination was impressive and inspiring....


...uh....how were they getting home?

OMG did anyone take a picture of NA's "This is what happens when you don't swallow" lesson? :evil:

OMG that was funny

I'm so tired! Home at 2-ISH, sleep at 3-ISH. It's hot!

I'll have to do an update in a bit. I have 537 posts to read.:eek:

Random thing I learned:

Cabernet makes an excellent breakfast juice

LOL oh my. And having a breakfast beer is just as delicious going up as it is coming down ;)

I understand that NA had a bear incident on Sunday night (and not the kind you might have in the Boom Boom Room in Laguna). I am looking forward to more details on that.




We snuggled when she got to bed at 3:00 and I was happy. I was able to have a brief lunch with her today as well.

My POV.

"BEAR!"

Me, RAC and NirvanaMan were at the campfire when we see flashlights from NA & Euro's area. We all looked back to the medow behind Tent Bornieo where we see a mid-size black bear lumbering off. It was hard to see but damn cool. Later on in the night, I heard some noise from the same area, but when I flashed my light it was 3-4 Deer. I skreeched "It's back!" :)

The Drive to Sequoia
 

Ken and I left Garden Grove about 6:30am, and got to Sequoia's southern entrance about 11am. Shortly after, we unfortunately got stuck in a 50-minute wait for a construction zone escort:



After that mess, we began our trek through the gorgeous scenery:





And, we even saw some of the local residents:



Here's a close-up of the scenery:

Friday Night Campfire
 

People arrived at camp at all hours throughout Friday. We ended the evening with a mellow fireside chat:

Crystal Cave
 

Saturday morning, we explored the wonders of Crystal Cave:






















Even our tallest swanker braved the tight openings:



The strenuous return hike offered some breathtaking scenery:





Blue buckets were provided at the cave entrance for volunteers to hike back with a load of rubble from an old structural demolition that had been polluting the cave. Here are a few of our bold men who carried that weight:

Grants Grove
 

Ken and I took a moment on Sunday to check out a couple highlights at Grants Grove:



This was taken while standing inside Fallen Monarch, which was once a beautiful giant:

Kings Canyon - Zumwalt Meadows
 

On Sunday, everyone went to Kings Canyon. Morrigoon and Chernabog were right ahead of us:



Here is some of the beautiful scenery we experienced at Zumwalt Meadows:





















The graves of the Agnew pioneers:

Kings Canyon - Muir's Pulpit
 

After the meadow trek, we basked in the splendor of Muir's Pulpit:











GusGus survived the "treacherous" trail:



TheRAC lost her sunglasses, resulting in a fun fishing excursion:







Success!



Overall, it was an awesome trip. Ken and I can't wait to go back. :D

just say when. I havent been able to stop thinking about how glorious this all was and how badly I want to repeat the experience

It needs to be repeated, so that I get a second crack at going!!

Okay, so some photos:

Visiting the General Sherman:


Cherny straddles some truly big wood:


More big wood:


They aren't kidding, btw... the walk back up from the Sherman tree is hard. Harder, even, than the walk up from Crystal Cave, IMHO, because it's at 7000 feet.

Campsite:


Gathering around the firepit:


Crystal Cave:




Photo doesn't do justice... this is white and sparkly - amazing:


Dude, what can you say?

This waterfall was down near the cave. I was the last one to "head up" after taking this picture:


Roz aka "The RAC":


Hiking to the Muir Grove begins:


So do the shenanigans:




Taking a rest break:


Euro was particularly photogenic at that moment:


Felt like we'd stepped into Lord of the Rings:


Frodo Potter has his own LOTR moment:


Chernabog contemplates man's insignificance in the universe:


So does everyone else:




Yup... it's a tree:


Oooooh... ahhh....


Yes, the giant sequoias are *big*


And Kevy knows big


I just like this:


Something magical about big trees, I swear


So magical, it floored us


This is why we did that:


"There are giants in the sky...." - Into the Woods


Tree gynecology


Told you they were big:


I *really* like this pic, for various artistic reasons:


Returning to a very zen Euro and Bornieo


It was about this point when I decided it might not be a good idea to continue lagging 100 feet behind the group, so I started hustling to catch up:


Amazing sunset:

I am so loving all of these pics. thank you all fo sharing them. I told Mr. Disneykat that I want to take him to see botht the Sequoia's and the Redwoods.

I just want to say this: Cherny you are one sexy beast...I love my alterna-husband. Smootches baby. i love you!!!!!

I'm still uploading pix. Hopfully I'll be organized shortly.

Wow! Those are some amazing photos!
:)

Looks like y'all had a fun time!

photo link

Let me know if anyone needs me to e-mail copies of anything. Someday I'll get around to labeling them.

You can find some of my photo's here

But here are my favorites:

Not Afraid to go camping:





Swank Camping:


Swankers on the Rocks:


The Beginning of the Motor Trail:


Enjoying the Sun Roof:


No Bears Allowed:

It's kind of funny seeing you guys at these familiar spots. From about 10 years ago (which explains the awful scan quality - these used to be on my circa 1998 website):

Man, were we cute:



If we ever had a band, this would be the album cover:



I believe GD is third from the left, and I'm fourth:



Only I can defend against Stumpboy:



Perhaps next time we'll accompany Camp Swank to our old haunts.

The pink hair is just so wrong....

Heehee, and here I thought I'd get ripped apart for how I looked ;)

Ummmmmmmmmmmm.

Yes, I recognised him immediately. :evil:

Holy hell, can those jeans BE any tighter? If it ever turns out I'm sterile I think we've just pinpointed the cause.

Take my word for this... YES, they could be. From some of the guys I used to hang out with, those are Relaxed Fit.


To derail the current topic.....
Having looked at most all the pictures....
Where , oh my fellow lovers of squirrel, are the SQUIRREL photos?!?!?!

Duly noted. You are, however, the only one complaining. :evil:

I was gonna say... they don't seem *that* tight.

Remember in the 80's when women had to lay down on the bed and suck in their stomach to get their jeans done up?

Been there, done that and thankful I no longer have to pour myself into my clothes.

I pour myself in, and the "muffin top" hanging out the sides proves it. :p

You're all costing me a fortune. New chairs with little tables, solar tiki torches and the coleman road trip grill so far. Plus I need a bigger tent.

yes. you do. :D

I have your small tent, KS. It's in my living room.

Yeah, mine is, what, 11x14'? And I bought that planning to go on trips with my brother and his family where it'll be just me in there.

Welcome to the wonderful world of glamping! :D

(Glamorous camping.)

Hmmmm, but swank glamp sounds like a disease you get from hanging out in bogs.

Swamping? Yeah, don't think that works as well.

Hmmm...

And SwanKamping sounds like a bad outdoor ballet.

Now I'm all confuzzled.

I do like the term "Camp Swank". :snap: It's a keeper.

it fit this trip beyond my ability to comprehend. Im just afraid that any camping I do from here on will fall short

It will still be camping. That's still fun.

And no, there were no pink flamingoes, but the camping was tres swank in ways that "ordinary" (albeit still fun) camping can never hope to be.


Ah, Tiki Camp and Lounge Camp and everything in between!

I got one at Sears Essentials that lights up at night just recently.

Our flamingo flock is in our storage unit, all the way in the back near the wedding stuff. I missed them this trip. :(

I guess I'm of the minority here that think plastic birds meant for lawn decor are hideous. :p

That's why I love them.

kitsch |ki ch | noun art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way : the lava lamp is an example of sixties kitsch | [as adj. ] kitsch decor.

I guess I don't like things for kitsch sake. I like lava lamps because I think they are cool, not because I think they suck.

agreed. :( I miss my lava lamp.

Ahh but I think pink flamingoes are cool, lava lamps not so much.

I think flamingoes are totally cool. :cool:


I don't know if anyone really meant to bring them to Swank Camp ... but I think they were merely an anticipatory metaphor for the swank that would be less visual and more of a feeling that would emminate from the hillside that was home to everything and everyone between Tiki Camp and Lounge Camp.

None of it could really be seen (Ok, maybe inside my Tent of Posh), but certainly could be felt.


Swank is where the heart is. :cheers:

Awww, Swank is where the heart is. That needs to be cross-stitched and put in someone's foyer.

One more for the minority here.

Perhaps lawn Gnomes would be better for the woods?

I'm less for kitsch than most. But I kind of enjoy lawn gnomes. But I wouldn't keep one on my lawn without my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. I wonder if they make them with corny(ier) looks on their faces.

No wonder no one could ever figure out between GD and CP which was the boy and which the girl. CP used to dress like a boy and GD like a girl.

:)

Ahhh, the 80's :)

Ahh, the 90s. ;)

If it weren't for grunge, I would have never had a trendy moment in all my years of school.

I also have a gnome in my front yard. He is in my garden. The kids asked me why Grandpa was in the yard...Shhh...don't repeat that....

I just had a cool image of a Christmas card, use those lit up flamingos and put the family in summer gear...great California shot, eh? ;)

Ok. I uploaded photo's and I hope this works.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=l35jkw6.5empma9y&x=0&y=-gfvbjk

Thank you to those who have shared your pictures so far...they show a great time was had by all.

I love the spider web gate! Where was that? And the touching rock? What's the story there? Was it cold at times? {I notice some were wearing flannel shirts}

that was the entrance to crystal caves. yeah, the gate was very cool. as far as cold, their take was about 50*F. it was a welcomed relief

the touching rock was for everyone to get it out of their system and to see what constant hand contact did to the rock in the cave, hence their request to avoid contact of any kind

Yes, I think the cooler weather was great. Great to hike in, too.

LOL Well, I think that the touching stone is a great idea!!

The gate, so darn cool. :snap:

nah, the 50* was just in the cave. outside was probably mid-80's or so

Plastic Flamingos of today just don't burn/melt as good as the old ones did...

Sounds like someone has been burning things....

Oh, well, that makes it sound like it was hot outside of the cave...

Were ya'll able to enjoy a river/stream?

Yes, on Sunday we enjoyed wading in the Kings River .... I, for one, was glad it was not the raging torrent our guides were apparently accustomed to.



(We also stuck our feet in Dorst Creek at our campground, but the water was terrifyingly freezing!)

Yes, but freezing was good for the sprained ankle.

Well, I'm glad none of you were Cougar-s d'oeuvres.
:D

Um...sprained ankle? Is there a blog somewhere to read about all of the fun and adventures?

Yes, GC, always in the back of my mind...and I found out it was also on my sons mind as the place we went to in Monterey {Pacific Grove, hey, you lived there before!!!} said there were mountain lions {or cougars?} and he said he wished we'd stayed at the Portola Plaza Inn...no fear of being attacked by animals!!

Heheh, you could read my el jay.









... in about a month.





(though I hope to have the tale of our final day, ahem, my birthday, posted by tonight. There will be wee bit about NA's sprained ankle, but not enough to satisfy all injury curiosity.)

No, but my lower leg was just that for a rather carnivorous large fly on that Saturday morning. I ended up at Urgent Care a couple nights ago, because that little bite became about 1-inch in blackened diameter, with about 2-3 inches of swelling all around that, in addition to the red hot jabbing pain whenever I'd walk on it. (I'll spare you a photo of the details.)

I'm on a really heavy antibiotic right now, and am supposed to be elevating my foot as much as possible. :rolleyes:

DoubleYou Tee Eff???!?







(Um, now I have to wonder .... did anyone determine whether Chery did, in fact, contract Lyme Disease from his tick bite???)

Disneyphile got the worst of the injuries. Her bite was nasty! I'm just a klutz,

I turned my ankle not once, not twice, but THREE times on a 4 mile hike. :rolleyes: I'm wearing a lovely brace now. I walk for a living. Pretty dumb.

If it will make anyone feel any better, the toenail on my left Big Toe is about to come off. *

It's like something out of David Cronenberg's The Fly.











* Full Disclosure: the toenail loss is mostly due to GrandCanyoneering, but Sequioa hikes no doubt hastened its departure from my body.

Maybe I'll upload my photos tonight.

Ew!! The fly bite sounds so, um, awful.

I don't know what your 'el jay' is, iSm. But, my toenail is messed up from running but it never fell all of the way off. Freaked me the heck out when I took a look at it....

Ouch, Lisa. I twisted my ankle a couple of times on our hikes but so far so good. One time I did suffer from a twist almost two weeks later. Never understood that. I hope that you are able to stay off of it enough to then get out and do your walking.

Oh, and thank you Disneyphile for not posting a picture. :eek:

I probably need to get new hiking boots with ankle support. I was wearing train runners that are great, but have no ankle support.

I wore boots with support but probably hadn't tied them properly...

The Hubster actually chose to wear new hiking shoes without the ankle support. I tsk tsked him but he said the traction on them was so good he wasn't worried. He did fine.

{Surprisingly my son didn't twist his ankle, he does every time and then sits out the rest of the hikes. This time, though, he got a big blister. This did keep him off of a lot but we did a lot of bikeriding...}

I would love to see your photos. :)

Yeah, there's a way to tie your boots to prevent your toes from cramming on the downhill ... but in the rush to get out of the cabin at 5 am with a thousand other preparations, I neglected to do that.


One toenail turned black and the other turned purple. The black one eventually separated from the toebed and got all clean and shiny ... before it turned grey and dead and is now on the verge of falling off altogether.

The purple one is still purple ... and I may have to actually drill a small hole through it to drain the blood.




I think some of us should get together for a post-adventuring show-and-tell of grossness!

Quick, before we heal all up.

Probably not the best thread to be reading when one has the flu.

When I was about 15, my horse stepped on my big toe while I was out on Cota de Caza camping (it was rural land back then). She turned while on my toe and ripped the toenail off. It was gross.

Yuck. Nope, that didn't happen to my toe. Oh, sorry to yuck your toe.

Well, WB, just be glad that there aren't pictures....:eek:

Oh my, Lisa, I could feel that!!!

I think I got a mosquito bite :p

LOL Really? That's it? :p

I thought we'd be eaten alive because the house we stayed at was completely opened day and night!!! The bathroom had no door and it was full of mosquitos. Somehow I did not get bit once.

By a bug anyways. :D

How do these black toenails that fall off even happen? Ill fitting shoes? Too much weight to bear? I've been on a few long hikes in my time, but this is the fourth person I've heard of this summer to have nasty big toenails after hiking.

I, on the other hand, didn't get bitten until after I got home... apparently my dog got a flea, and that flea begot more fleas. Thankfully, my shiny new can of unscented Raid seems to have done the trick.

(and in the process my mom confessed to me that the reason our pets stayed flea-free all those years was because she sprayed down the furniture with flea spray every night before bed)

The more you know...

[shudder]I would never be able to pee in a bathroom full of mosquitos!![/shudder]

How about a stand of trees full of mosquitoes?

I got three bug bites, but nothing as bad as Disneyphiles

Did you not catch there wasn't a door???? That freaked me out. I spent a lot of time swatting at the mosquitos but worried more about the blanket I placed over the doorway falling down....

It was private, though. Freaky to me but private.

MW, you are addressing men who pee in trees.

And later sit among the trees they've peed in.









So back to the mosquitos ....

LOL Oh yea.....

I, on the other hand love those 'occupied/vacant' signs on the bathrooms {preferably at the Grand California as opposed to port-a-potties}

OK, the last time I was at a stall with an occupied/vacant sign on it, I opened a door that said 'vacant.' A woman started screaming, then proceeded to yell at me, then while she was washing her hands continued to talk about how rude it is to open the door while someone's using the restroom.

Lock your door, dingbat!

Envy my rotting flesh! ;)

I've already lost one layer of skin. I'm just waiting for the thick black tissue to fall off. It'll be interesting. The doctor said that would be the "normal" healing process.

That was one hell of a fly. :eek:

I remember when you got that bite... it hurt you pretty much immediately. What in the heck bit you????

All I remember is that it was large and black with transparent wings - looked like a giant housefly. It also wouldn't let go - I had to physically knock it off my leg.

Even the memory makes my skin crawl still.

Since getting back, I've re-noticed that ants are supposed to be itsy-bitsy tiny. As I recall, the ants up there were huge. The flies were huge. The trees were huge.

It was like freaking Land of the Giants. Crazy.






Anyway, NA: when your toenail was unceremoniously ripped away ..... did it have to kinda grow back from the base, or did the "stuff" undernearth sorta harden into toenail eventually???


Inquiring minds want to know.







Then inquiring minds want to puke.

Toenails grow from the base, so it will be a while before it's all there again.

But, the burning question is: Why, oh why, do toenails fall off on long hikes this summer? I'm too lazy to look it up elsewhere, though I think I will later.

probably a horse fly

I have a scar on my shin from one.


(after reading further, you might want to skip the "Bite" heading)

click.

DP, sorry you got hurt.. but NA... THIS is why I didnt go.
The most basic reasons.

I did in fact get a fractured toe on the 4th... but hiking and my ankles?
No.
I was told at physical therapy, walking and hiking good. On FLAT EVEN surfaces.
I need boots if I ever even want to TRY to go with y'all.
hell, I wear my ankle brace to sleep sometimes.

And yeah, the toenail thing.... its coming, very soon, but I dont want to know ahead of time ISM. It's icky enough now.

Susan, who is usually quite susceptible to bug bites, did not experience a single one in the Sequoia's. But was eaten alive by mosquitoes on the Fourth at a friend's house in Chino.

In a rare move, I’m going to cross post an entry from my el jay, because it’s a trip report about one day of the LoT Camping Trip.

The Last Day.

My Birthday.


It was one of the bestest birthdays ever.


July 2, 2007

Though I love being one of the few to consistently wake up soon after dawn when camping in the woods, our Swank Camp was especially good in early morn because deer would be grazing in the small meadow behind our tents, and sometimes wandering through camp itself.

There were four of them this fine morning. Only one the "plain" kind without antlers, and two with quite the rack on them. I’d never seen mule deer with antlers before this trip, and it was a pleasure to pass the sunrise hours watching them from very close range. They were not scared of people ... but dogs are a different story. So when Palfry came running out of the tent to chase the deer away, it was a perfect consolation to see the graceful creature bounding away in leg-locked bounce-step.

After lingering around camp to give any other early risers the chance to join me if they so desired, I headed out alone at 8 am on my solo hike to Little Baldy - a granite dome with a commanding view of the territory.


:) It’s so nice to hike alone in the woods, even though it’s not really recommended for safety. Admittedly, the dark and brooding forest at the trailhead was a little foreboding, and I kept my attention sharp lest there be bears (or worse) lurking in the trees. The trail climbed steadily, but blessedly without switchbacks ... and I was soon far enough toward the treetops to enjoy a view of the forested mountainsides, green-blanketed with conifers.

As I continued upward, the trees thinned out a bit, and the views became more open and inviting. At the top of the ridge, I was greeted by an explosion of wildflowers ... and this area with sparse trees, large boulders and pretty pretty posies was a delightful forest of fairytale delights - a pleasure to wander through.

Then the view finally opened to the east, and I gasped at what suddenly lay before me - - the snow-clad, craggy peaks of the High Sierra glistening in the rising sunlight.

It was literally breathtaking.

:snap:

And entirely unexpected. I didn’t anticipate a view towards the mountains till I reached the summit of Little Baldy. I had been a bit disappointed that the human areas of Sequoia Park were clustered on the outer edge of the Sierras, with most views facing downhill to the alarmingly smog-shrouded central valley around Fresno. I was not getting the feeling I was in the Sierra Mountains that I’d hoped for and expected. Apparently, the Giant Sequoias grow only on the outer slopes.

My startling view towards the heart of the fabled mountain range was teh awesome, and I finally felt as if I were in the wild mountains I’d traveled so far to see.

After a little more climbing, the bare summit of Little Baldy afforded an even more marvelous view of the jagged, granite peaks. As the sun steadily rose, different sections of snow patch would glisten in the daylight, and the wide stretch of daunting mountains was an ever-changing panorama of mighty nature as I watched in awe and splendor.
The view also took in the forested slopes on all sides, and I could see parts of our campground, and even the granite shelf where we paused on our hike to the Muir Grove. Alas, the Giant Sequoias of that grove were hidden behind a ridge. And though the hike to that secluded hideaway of the giant trees in their natural setting was the best excursion of the camping trip, this solo journey to Little Baldy was quite amazing in its own right. It was so serene and wonderful to be on top of the Dome all by my lonesome. Forest and Valley and Mountains below and above, surrounding and enveloping. There’s a certain feeling from exploring the wilderness alone ... a style of communing with nature that even a single companion will dispel.

I stayed at the summit for as long as I desired, enjoying the solitude and the splendid view. Not three minutes into my eventual descent, I encountered two other hikers heading for the top. Perhaps my senses or some other force whispered when to leave, because their presence on the summit would have changed the atmosphere and hastened my departure anyway.

I couldn’t possibly have heard them approaching, because I’d started listening to my iPod on the summit to enhance the experience of magnificence. And I listened to it all the way downhill, less wary of the road already traveled - with music erasing any subtle boredom with a road already traveled. And with sights already seen, my mind began to wander. I was enjoying myself immensely, and I couldn’t help but praise whatever forces delayed my trip until I could trip alone.



:mad: The previous day, I had been constantly stymied in my attempts to get to Little Baldy. Wanting to get as much adventuring in as possible, I’d planned a different hike for my birthday - - one which, as it turns out, would hardly have been a time of solitude (in the ultra-touristy Giant Forest). Yesterday morning, I set off on a trail directly across from Swank Camp. As I was leaving camp, Kara asked if she could come along - with her dog, Palfry. I warned there might be some climbing at trail’s end and that dogs were not supposed to be on trails anyway, but was fine with the company. The sign at the campside trail read "Little Baldy 1.5" - which seemed a perfect stroll of there and back by the camp’s usual late breakfast time of 10:30.

I’d never spent any time with Kara before. She was not part of the LoT group that had planned the camping trip. But she and her girlfriend, Traci, were invited by Not Afraid and turned up at Swank Camp under very unusual circumstances that will figure heavily in my eventual report of the entire adventure. This small part is already overlong ... so suffice it to say for now that I’d only spent a few brief moments with Kara and Traci at a New Year’s Eve party, and was to learn much more about them at Swank Camp. For purposes of this tale, it’s worth noting that Kara was the consummate outdoorsman, the very boyish sort of lesbian at ease with manly stuff. I mention this because when the trail petered out and we could not find it again, I want it to be clear that it wasn’t simply because of my cityboy’s poor wilderness skilz. The trail really did disappear.

Later in the morning while still waiting and waiting ... and waiting some more for camp to come alive, Kara and I, now with NirvanaMan in tow, decided to drive to the real trailhead a little ways down the road, and take the abbreviated hike up to Little Baldy before breakfast. But when we arrived at the roadside trailhead, we discovered that the hike from there to the summit and back was nearly four miles long, and would take a minimum of two hours to complete. Turns out the "1.5" from camp was the distance to the Little Baldy trailhead, and not to Little Baldy itself. While we were weighing whether we could attempt the long hike in the short span available to us, my camelback water thingy sprung a leak - and water began to pour all over my back and fill my backpack. Case closed on that. We headed back to camp, foiled in two attempts to make the trek to the granite dome.



:cool: Now looking back on it from the tail end of the hike eventually realized the next day, I had to admit how much more enjoyable the journey was with no company, and how much more significant it was to me to commune so serenely with nature on my birthday. For one reason or another, I’ve rarely spent any of my birthdays away from home. Finding myself in a mountainside forest was a very pleasant change of pace.
I also had to wonder whether the forces that stymied two previous attempts on the previous day were truly forces working for my benefit, or merely coincidences that I interpreted as magic. It’s certainly true that the human mind is adept at picking out patterns, perhaps "recognizing" them where no such patterns really exist. It’s also true that I happen to believe strongly in magic - - the magic of manifestation brought on by human energy (perhaps in concert with a stronger spiritual energy).

What really was the difference, after all? Both the recognition of coincidences into patterns or manifestations of events through magical energy are experiences solely in my own self. There’s no external anything about them. They are felt solely by me, and they might as well be magic as not.

And just as I decided that magic was as good an explanation to me as coincidence ... better, in fact ... a piece came on my iPod that started off with bird calls. This as real birds were busy with their real calls in the trees all around me. And as music slowly mixed with the birdsong in my earbuds, mixing further with the birdsong in the world all around me, the delightful sonic effect also affected me as an affirmation of sorts. A happy nod of the head from the universe.

Then I saw the road a little ways down below, and my beautiful morning revelry in the woods was at an end.

(but if you want a tiny sample of the cool little musical moment, click here, then click on Listen to Samples just under the CD artwork image, scroll down to Track 9 "Kalimando," and double-click to play. Close your eyes, picture forest, and you are there.) ;)


(continued in next post)

:snap: When I arrived back at camp, I was warmly greeted by the remaining Swank Camp company of nine. An angelfood cake blazing with candles was quickly revealed, gloriously crowned with a natural arch of bacon - - a fitting tribute to both the National Park ethos and the festival of bacon we had saved for this last day of camp.

It seems everyone brought three things in common to camp. Firewood, Maker’s Mark ... and bacon. The LoT group has had a thing about bacon ever since a funny incident a few New Yearses ago. Since then, even the word "bacon" has become sort of synonymous with swanky, and there’s never been an overnight gathering without some of its crispy deliciousness to enjoy in the morning. We’d amassed nearly 4 pounds of bacon for this camping trip, and were going to cook it all up this morning for a veritable bacon feast. €uroMeinke was was already at work at the grill, and the early sizzling strips were already available.

:blush: So was cake, after a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday to You" that was greeted with hearty applause from other campsites in the vicinity. Teehee, It was shaping up to be a perfect day.

The sun was intruding on Mid-camp and Upstairs, so we each grabbed an item and ferried everything down to the shady goodness of Lounge Camp. There the baconfest began in earnest, along with the concoction creation of "garbage" eggs that threw everything left in the camp kitchen into the mix. Onions and zucchini and bratwurst and mushrooms and lord knows what else. It was delicious! And when someone sagely pointed out that wine was indeed a form of juice, the remaining bottles of Cabernet served as the perfect breakfast drink.

:cheers: I ended up hanging around the bacon in classic bacon style, and eating my fill ... as did others. Not everyone was aware they had to come and take if they wanted to partake, but enough people eventually figured it out. We noted the law of physics that a pile of bacon has a finite height, after which it will only decrease, no matter how much more bacon is made.

:coffee: There was something unusually perfect about this loungy morning of our last day in camp and my first day of a 48th year. We were in no hurry, but didn’t intend to tarry forever. Unlike other times in camp, I was neither antsy to get going nor exhausted from the day’s adventures. I was simply in the moment, as - it seemed - was everyone else. The wine was flowing, the food was yum, the company was marvelous, and the sweet sweet smell of bacon filled the air.

Beyond the fantastic feeling clearly felt by all, there were also little touches that whispered to me of being in the groove. I enjoyed that certain items which I thought I’d carted up to the woods for nothing were suddenly in demand at the last possible moment. A mixing bowl here, a carton of milk there ... even the Spike System™ Wine Table came into play during our last meal together. (Oh, and the random compliment on my bod when I was day-transforming the hot Posh Tent with my shirt off didn’t hurt my mood any.) :p

Eventually, though, the sun encroached even on Lounge Camp ... and we had to abandon it - and either get going on our scheduled mellow adventure of the day (a trip to the tourist part of the Park, the Giant Forest) ... or ... take drastic measures to follow the shade (colonize a small clearing in the trees behind our tents known, ahem, as Pee Camp).

Feh - all too soon, I was sitting with NirvanaMan and €uroMeinke in the place where we’d been urinating pretty much throughout the trip. We were shameless shade whores.

Not Afraid, on the other hand, wanted to get going to the Giant Forest before Disneyphile and Kara returned from Stonycreek, where they’d driven a few miles north to get gas and make an important phone call. For once, though, I was in no hurry to leave camp .... until I realized, d’oh - a few moments too late ... that we’d best leave camp before Kara returned with whatever bad news she’d undoubtedly have from the outside world.

And here I must resist digressing on one of the most interesting tangents of our trip to Sequoia. But the story of this single day is already very long. And if I tell the weird tale of Kara and Traci, I might as well do the whole trip in flashback ... the Ghost & Mrs. Muir Grove, the Crystal Cave, the Wild Campfire Party, the Krazy Kings Canyon Tour ... with my birthday as merely a framing device.

But I won’t. My double whammy nature adventures to Grand Canyon and Sequoia were big deals to me in 2007, and I’m gonna write about them on el jay (um, with a bit less detail than I’m delving into for this last day story).

Suffice it to say ... the oddball tale of Traci and Kara ... how they got to Sequoia and how they got back out again ... is a mindbending story in its own right, and I wished we’d made our getaway before Kara and Disneyphile returned from Stonycreek. We were actually in the car and about to pull away when the two of them returned. Unexplained story short .... the two of them, plus Traci the girlfriend, plus Palfry the dog, were off on a mad dash down the mountain to Fresno .... with Disneyphile then having to return to camp to pick up passengers and stuff ... and then back down the mountain .... all the way to Los Angeles.

Disneyphile seemed to take it in stride, with good spirits. I was perturbed, but intent on shrugging it off. It was one thing after another after another with Traci and Kara. I’ll go into it all in a later entry ... but it’s omg with a capital Oh and Em and Gee.


(continued again in next post)

When we finally arrived at the Giant Forest, €uroMeinke and Not Afraid were surprised you could no longer park mere footsteps from the famed General Sherman tree, but rather quite a ways up the hill ... and had to hike down a rather lavishly designed staircase-slash-walkway to the forest of Giant Sequoias that are the raison d’etre of the Park. This wide, concrete pathway ... with its interpretive signage and mosaic tree footprints ... must have been constructed within the past few years .... which is a blink of an eye ago in National Park Service Time. The golden age of Park building was decades ago and, it seemed to me, nothing major had been added to a National Park since the 60's.

But though it was a great idea to move the parking lot away from the Giant Sequoias, the beautiful descending walkway merely added to the over-developed and overtly touristy nature of this area that somehow seemed to mock the gargantuan trees and detract from the grandeur of this unique patch of glorious nature.

The General Sherman tree itself, the largest living being on our planet, was displayed like a captive giant ... surrounded by fences and pavement and roadway. If the stately tree were not so far beyond any hint of human concern or endeavor, he would have seemed sadly Kong-like in his temporary captivity.

The entire area, a dense stand of mighty Sequoias, was cris-crossed with paved trails bordered by split-rail fences. Tourists wandered up and down the paths, cars sped by on the road built yards from the world’s largest tree. Yeah, I could understand the need to make the area suitable for masses of humans to safely interact with the famous trees (i.e., without damage to the trees, not the humans) ... but the whole area seemed vaguely sad. Like it was some sort of mankind folly to try and tame these ancient creatures, whose wisdom and grace are far beyond us. But though the Sequoias merely laughed, if they even deigned to notice the human construction that appeared at their feet during the last blink of their eyes ... the way they were constrained by payment paths and fenced off walkways diminished the forest in a vaguely melancholy way.

I was certainly glad my first encounter with the Sequoias was in their natural habitat, in the privacy and majesty of the Muir Grove that we hiked over hill and dale to. Still, I was eager to see the more famous area of Sequoias, the central attraction of the National Park I was visiting. But ... that plan hit a little snag.

It was the snag that snagged Not Afraid’s foot on that beautiful hike to Muir Grove. And the second foot snag. And the third. Oh, and the fourth missed footfall that all resulted in a twisted, nearly sprained ankle which repeated injury had caused to swell up like a flesh balloon. (Not Afraid has what, to the casual observer, might seem like permanently swollen ankles ... but a comparison of the merely thick right to the frighteningly bulging left told the sad tale of woe and ouch).

And so, at the bottom of the stair path, Not Afraid found she could go no further into the Giant Forest. Instead, she planned to take the free shuttle to ... the nearest store! I would not begrudge Not Afraid some shopping therapy under the circumstances. But I knew any excuse to ditch the tiny hike we were planning - the 2-mile PAVED and level Congress Trail through the Giant Forest - would be taken by just about every member of our tired little group (now down to 7 from a high of 15).

And sure enough, everybody opted out of the woods and into the stores. Everybody, that is, except the irrepressible NirvanaMan. And thank goodness for him ... because skipping the forest of Sequoias for the inside of a bookstore would have made for too mundane an ending to our wilderness adventuring ... not to mention my, ahem, birthday.

So after everyone else bussed off to the shops ... NirvanaMan and I wandered through the forest of the Giant Sequoias by ourselves. It was a very fine stroll through a very fine woods. In a short distance, the fences ended ... and after a while even the pavement did not terribly detract from the immensity and variety of the dozens upon dozens of towering Sequoias. So many different "personalities," so many outlandish fire scars, such incredible and overwhelming BIGNESS.

The Giant Forest really is a beautiful place. And the human elements were not entirely awful. In a place where the trees were named for U.S. presidents, it was cute to have a sign proclaim a tight grouping, "The Senate." In an area strangely cris-crossed with myriad paths and trails, little signposts beckoned for future adventures in this Park. Crescent Meadow, Alta Peak, Heather Lake. The feeling that you could head off in any direction to a variety of wonderful places from this single jumping-off point was pretty cool.

But yeah, I’d rather the magnificent forest of wise, old tree creatures have been left in a more natural state. I was glad I’d saved this more touristy environment to the end ... perhaps it was a bridge of sorts ... back to the civilized world.


:( Because that’s what happened next. The next few hours shifted tone tremendously, and were all about getting back to L.A. ... in a mad dash because we were in no hurry to end our last day on the mountain. Pfft, we stopped at the nuveau-rustic Waksachi Lodge, and at the bookstore of Lodgepole Visitor Center ... finally getting back to camp about an hour before sunset!

Striking camp was a blur. A hectic, crazy blur of deconstruction and packing. The complex luxury of the Posh Tent reduced to bundles crammed in the car. The final disappearance of the many camps, with their many names, that made up Swank Camp on the hillside. Sniffle, sniff ... but there was no time for sentiment, farewellagains, or sadness.
Not long before it would have been too dark to see, the last of us left Dorst Campground ... and drove down the mountain in the dying light - - embarking on the late, long drive to Los Angeles only to find the entire freeway shut down in the nowheresland between Fresno and Bakersfeld. Sheesh - - not the kind of thing you want to deal with when you’re way too late getting on the road after an extended period of sleep shortages and physical exertions.

The drive home was not pleasant. And I knew that my camp friends who were traveling home further than I would be having an even worse time of it. Some of whom were traveling hours out of their way for a carpooling quirk (and were otherwise headed, as it turns out, for a rather distressing homecoming), others who were limping home under adverse auto conditions. (Conditions not likely to be helped by the giant traffic snag and re-routing of the freeway closure.)

In those sleepy and exasperated hours of travel, I was surprisingly pleased that nothing could change that I’d had a remarkable birthday. The awesomeness of primordial nature mixed perfectly with the comradery of swanky times shared with friends.

It was odd to find myself in the Sierra Mountains on my birthday - with many friends in a bizarre and beautiful setting. And it was odd to be ending a fortnight of pretty intense adventuring in three national parks with an ever-changing cast of characters. Not even the most screwed up journey home could change what a wonderful time and wonderful birthday I’d had. Even in the lamest moments of that tired, grueling drive to L.A. ... there was an underlying and abiding happiness that could not be shook.


:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

I hope the mega-dose of nature and friendship I’ve been treated to these last few weeks will provide some underlying and abiding peace and love in my life that likewise cannot be shook.

Thanks for the very happy birthday.


:iSm:

Can't mojo you, iSm. Gorgeous. :snap:

Wonderful story :snap:

Wish I wouldn't have had to leave Sunday.

Goddamn, that was beautiful! :snap:

muy fantastico. :snap:

once you have it all posted on the eL Jay, please link us there. Im dying to know how the tale of Traci, Kara and Palfry worked out after my departure.

bravisimo

Wonderful!

I was at Giant Forest last September, so I am familiar with the changes there. I can remember staying in a (now gone) campground that was just yards from Gen Sherman when I was a kid.

iSm, thanks for sharing your POV. You tell a wonderful story!

My leg's scabbing finally. It's just beyond gross.

Ahhhhhh, camping. It was such a great time! I'm sorry my ankle pooped out. I have been loving the fact that I have the stamina to actually do these hikes. I don't like being a wimp, but considering I still hurt, it's probably a good idea I didn't push I any further. Zumwalt was probably a stretch.

Now, ISM, can you please recapture the rest of the trip? ;)

kinda what I was hoping for, yeah. since this was my first real vacation in 4 or 5 years, it definitely set something off inside me that has had me craving more.

now, getting out and away is all I seem to think about.
I blame my bosses. they "forced" me to take time off...now, they have indeed created a monster.

Let's not recap ALL of the weekend

Kara and Traci made it to Selma on Monday night before abandoning their journey home. They got a room at a Best Western (after slipping the clerk $20 to accept a very dirty Palfry) and left the car at a dealer. They rented a car on Tuesday and drove home. The car has started a month long stint in the Selma rehab. It was a very long and not very enjoyable trip for them.

Kevy has a black......er.......what was that?

you mean the part where I wandered into the ladies toilet? yeah, lets not.:blush:

But they'll have one hell of a story to tell for years to come about the time they had their car towed UP a mountain and then towed DOWN the mountain!

Heheh, the Traci and Kara story make the rest of the tale worth telling! I certainly will recap the rest of the trip, in less detail. I guess I felt my POV on my birthday was appropriate for that day. And it was also a day that many campers missed.

But I'll be doing a report on the rest of the adventure ... and no one will be spared their deeds they done. ;)

ruh roh

Thank you so much for sharing your story!

Lisa, I think it is best you didn't push your ankle, too. I told the Hubster that I was on vacation and I wasn't there to push myself too hard.

Capt Jack~no shiet. The Hubster, this morning, his first day back at work, calls me and tells me that we can book a getaway to Big Bear Lake {or someplace else, I forget}. I am thinking I really want to go book the train into the Grand Canyon....we haven't even finished unpacking our stuff from this last trip, haven't printed up pictures from the March trip, I could go on. So, join the club. :D

And, finally, how could I be remiss in being so eager to hear the tales of the trip that I haven't wished iSm a

Very Happy belated Birthday!!!

I really want to hear impressions of Kings Canyon. It is one of my very favorite places in the world and I loved being able to share it with others.

I loved Kings Canyon. So amazingly beautiful. I think I took about 100 or so photos (none of which do it justice). It was just amazing.

that was truly amazing. I'd been there once before decades before, but mostly just fishing and hiking around the lake. 99% of that I'd never seen before. it was literally stunning/awe inspiring.

the only regret was I really wish we could have had time to hit that biga$$ cave we passed on the way in/out, but beyond that, to say it was worth the trip would be a criminal understatement

you did definitely seem to know your way around

Yes, I do. Everything is a mere 3/4 of a mile from everything else. ;)

I just can't belive it's been a week since we exited. I wanna go back.

If you happen to be looking for the auto trail. Otherwise, be prepared to be off by 5.5 miles in any given direction. :p



My biggest impression of Kings Canyon was how much €uro and Not Afraid loved it and were at home there. Their joy was infectious, and the place was gorgeous.


I can't wait to go back.


Of course, the little book they gave me as a birthday present has a slew of desireable hikes in Sequoia, and only a couple in Kings Canyon. I think I need a barely-Spring-yet stay at the Waksachi Lodge with a visit to the Canyon before I get around to that certainly Springtime camping in the Canyon itself.

It must be fairly warm for me to camp out (and I must be fairly crazy), but I want to see me some Sierra in the wilds of just-past-winter.

I published my pictures!!! About time!

Here are a few drooley moments.

We also loved KC, and I'd love to go back. I visited there with my parents 5 years ago, and we stayed at Cedar Grove. The river was gushing that year. I could have stared at the falls forever.

And, NA, I love the picture of the garbage scramble! Damn, that was one good breakfast. :snap:

The garbage scramble looks like some sort of digital graphic in that photo!


I can't believe something that 2-D tasted so damn good!

LMAO love this little gem because after you talk about Miss Hottie Hot Kara and His Royal Meatness Eric, you say how much more enjoyable the hike was without them. ;)

(I assume that's not how you meant it, it just read that way, lol)

Anyway, thanks Steve-O for posting this, I was wondering what y'all were up to when I had my long-ass day in court that Monday ;)

NA I am so glad everyone stared up at the Grove of Giant Sequoias while lying down (hehe I didnt even know you took a pic). It was so amazing. We gotta do that in the Haunted Mansion sometime too ;)

I think the forest floor was cleaner, Cherny ;)

No, I didn't mean it that way. Hahahaha. (His Royal Meatness??? WTF?)



Oh, so I belatedly turn my office wall calendar to July ... and it's a picture of Kings Canyon all this month!



(Also, it's freaky to see all those cats ^ blinking in unision in that post, Joe.)

To amuse :iSm::

;););););););););););););););););););););)

Is that a long one-eyed black shaft? :eek:

I think it winked at me. :eek:

OK, I have to chime in now.

I had a Bowling Ball (mine - a Red Pearlised 13 Pounder) roll out of it's bag on the third shelf up (about 6' off the ground) and fall precisely on my big toe.

They heard me all the way to Alberqueuequeueqeue.

I still have the toenail in my little box of memories as a reminder.

...and my Bowling Ball is now stored on the ground shelf. :blush:

gravity is a merciless biotch :eek:

I did it during a DLR trip. I was wearing tennies, and just my big toes rubbing on the inside, top of the shoe was enough to bruise both toes. It was incredibly painful and I would have been better off if I had drained the blood out from underneath the nails.

I haven't lost a toenail, but I've gotten some bruised ones from soccer and running. The key for hiking is to tighten up the laces before going downhill to prevent your foot from sliding forward in the shoe. You should loosen them some once you start uphill or hit the flat though.

Yeah, but there's a certain way to tie them, not simply tie them tight, that helps the foot refrain from sliding forward.

In any event, foot hitting shoefront on 7 miles of pure downhill will not be stopped by any method of shoetie, I'd wager.

you mean like this?

yeah, thats 'sort of' how my boots are tied. the ones I wore on the trip are a long time friend and well broken in. fairly tight at the ankle but extra toe space in the front. that and I clipped the nails to the nub just for the walking aspects, although I did a lot less walking than the majority of Swankers.

yeah, ankle support all the way on trips like those.

Heheh, that's the exact page I took with me to the Grand Canyon, and then forgot to consult at 4:30 in the morning.


My toe still hates me for it.

Hmm. That could be why my ankles always painfully swell up in my boots too - I usually tie them tightly on the bottom, and looser up top. So, in a sense, my feet can't swell, so my ankles will. I'll have to reverse that next time and see if it works.

I think mine were average but loose up at the top. I did cut my toenails back, for this trip, but, my damage was from home working out.

I did not cut my sons toenails {see, how lame does that sound, he didn't cut his own toenails but then he doesn't....} and who knows how his shoes were tied and he ran down the trail. We've told him not to as it puts a lot of pressure on your toes as well as it can thrash your legs....kids!!!

Black toenails falling off were the coolest thing in the world when I was a kid, so if I'd been told that could cause I'd have done it on purpose.

Of course, blood under my toenails (mostly from soccer; both because the fashion was to wear shoes 1.5 sizes too small and from getting stepped on) is the reason I started painting my toenails in college.

Pink with little yellow butterflies? Awwwwww that makes for some cool toes in those strappy sandals. :rolleyes:

I just jammed my finger onto a piece of metal that slid neatly under the fingernail. Now there's a lovely painful black spot. I blame you all.

Let's put all our discarded digit nails into an envelope and send it to Santa!

On my 13th birthday I was helping my dad take down a set-up at a county fair. I took some of the pieces over to the big truck to put onto the flat-bed. I jumped onto the tailgate which lifted up and before I knew it my foot was caught between the truck bed and the gate squashing my foot.

I took off my bloody shoe to reviel the broken nail. I then was rushed to the emergency room where teh doctors cut off the toe nail.

That really sucked.

I've had an ingrown toe nail where I cut it wrong and it grew into the skin and it got all white and blood and pus were coming out so they had to inject something to numb it and they cut off half of my big toenail and some infected skin and have me topical ointment and antibiotics and to this day I always cut my toenails in a straight line. :D

Maybe I should create a gross toenail story thread. ;)

please do. at least I can refrain from reading that one.


blech!

LMAO sorry kids, I thought that was what this thread had finally devolved into.... Camping Thread in it's amoeba-like state.

This is the new "Sooo..." thread.

I do have a gross toenail story that I know a few people have heard. It hearkens back to my earliest memories of inconsiderate people at Disneyland. I was a tiny little thing when I was 7, and at the park with my aunt and soon-to-be uncle. A guy that makes even the biggest of men I've met from LoT look wiry backed up and stepped on my big toe, splitting it in half vertically.

I let loose with a scream and after that, I couldn't say anything. Hurt. So. Bad. I just cried and blood was oozing everywhere. The guy didn't even turn around to see what had happened. As my now-uncle was foisting me over his shoulder to bring me to First Aid, I remember looking at my aunt who'd gotten the attention the guy that was in front of us. He just shrugged.

If I remember correctly, it was my first "What the hell...?" moment. Needless to say, the toenail was lost.

ok, raise your hand if you haven't lost a finger or toe nail?? Sheesh.



I'm just worried that it will take forever to grow back, and it's frelling summertime when I'm at my most barefoot.


Fine.

Me!!! Which is why these stories really make me squeamish. I need to stop reading this thread. EEeeeeeeEEE, that would fvcking HuuuUUUUrrrt.

It's not the pain ... it's the grossness.





The nail already fell off my pinky toe ... and my foot looks like a freaky alien appendage. Without my big toenail, I'm going to have to go into hiding!

I've never lost one either. I feel kind of left out now.

Why do you think I didn't want to go barefoot in the river? :eek:

I've never lost a nail, but I did get an infection in my thumb once and if you pressed on the nail lots of puss would ooze out.

OMG dirty! :blush:

lost a thumbnail here. it didnt do the 'degrade and come off thing' though.

RRRRRRrip! it was done. but yeah, it looked pretty funky for quite awhile. still never grew back quite right.

I'm trying to give NA a run for her money in the suggestive typo department. Perhaps I should apply for pubic funding?

I lost my pinky toe nail on vacation. I was 7 or 8 and I smashed it on a rock in a lake. My wonderful mother saw nothing wrong with making me wear sneakers the entire trip either because she didn't want to pay for a pair of flip flops. she also didn't see anything wrong with only giving me a hand towel to dry off with because she didn't want to buy a beach towel and my dad talked her out of stealing one from the hotel :rolleyes: Yes. I still remember it. That was a horrible vacation.

Smashed my fingers in doors more times than I can count. Damaged the nail bed on my thumb but never lost a finger nail.

You could always wear socks with Birks. :)

Aw, man, taking it out of context makes it much less witty. And there was precious little wit in there to begin with.

Although, if I *did* have pubic funding, it would make getting a brazillian that much more likely.

You mean, like a Brazillian dollars ? What would you need that much money for ?

Was that what that was?

If your spirit was there Saturday night.... you naughty naughty boy!