livevigorously

Dry Creek Falls hike, Cascade Locks, OR

January 24, 2017July 31, 2017livevigorously

Another trail misnomer as Dry Creek Falls are quite wet indeed and a quick, convenient and refreshing excursion.

The trailhead is near the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks, a city in Hood River County, Oregon. Cross the road and head for the signed Pacific Crest Winter Trailhead. When you reach Moody Street (~.1 mi), go under the freeway and veer right then straight onto the gravel road and left at the trail junction. (A bit anticlimatic to start, but you’ll be disappearing into the trees before long.) The PCT Dry Creek on a wooden bridge. Instead of crossing that bridge take a right and head up toward the falls, which is only .2 miles away. Head back on the trail the same way you came.

Take a leisurely stroll on the friendly trail or get your blood pumping with a quick, out and back trail run. Enjoy the woods, ferns and streams along the way. (Fall colors and wildflowers depending on the season.) If you work up a sweat, look forward to dousing yourself in the 75-foot waterfall that cascades over the colossal wall of columnar basalt. You may want to bring water shoes, the bottom is rocky and difficult to navigate in bare feet.

Below the falls you’ll notice remnants of an old water control structure that once provided water for the city. Dry Creek remains a municipal water source here. If you’re up for something longer, you can also explore the PCT where it crosses Dry Creek on that wooden bridge and then just head back the same way you came.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Distance round trip : 4.4 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Rating: Nice!

Why? Because it makes me feel alive.

January 23, 2017January 23, 2017livevigorously

I’ve often been asked, “Why climb that mountain, or slog through a grueling hike?” Is it the accomplishment, the vistas, the solitude, the workout, the total immersion in nature? Yes, but more. Doesn’t it get old? No, never.

After a vigorous day hiking the Pioneer Cabin Trail in Big Sky, my partner summed it up when he said, “That was something, I really felt alive.” Later, apparently suffering from fatigue induced amnesia, he asked me if I ever get tired or bored of hiking. I replied, “No, and you know why? It makes me feel alive.” If you’re reading this post, chances are you’re a kindred spirit and you get it. It’s primal, natural and great way to nurture our minds, bodies and spirits. Of course, hiking is not for everyone, luckily the options we have to get physical in the great outdoors are virtually limitless. What’s your favorite pursuit?

What makes you feel alive?

Mysterious poem at the Hemingway Memorial, Ketchum ID

January 12, 2017January 13, 2017livevigorously

You have to look for the Hemingway monument, it’s not visible from the road, but the sign is. The monument is a bronze bust of “Papa” propped upon a stone column. It’s situated along a meandering stream, suitably facing the mountains. (Not so suitably, directly adjacent to a golf course.)

hemingway-memorial

Anyhoo, the words inscribed on the monument are part of a eulogy Hemingway wrote for Gene Van Guilder, a publicist for the Sun Valley Resort, who died in a hunting accident. Nice, but a bit flowery compared to his customary, terse writing style…

While the monument itself was a bit anti-climatic. (Not quite sure what I was expecting.) The mysterious poem that was tucked into the rocks at the foot of the monument was quite intriguing and made the stop worthwhile for me…

hemingway-memorial-poem-found

Touching and well written. (Also interesting that it appears typewritten old school.) I did think twice about posting it since it’s quite personal and in memoriam. But it so’s beautiful and worth sharing. Also, I rationalized that anyone who deliberately leaves something at what constitutes a tourist stop may want that thing to be discovered. After capturing it with my camera, I did fold it back up and slip it back between the rocks. No doubt the elements of this snowy winter will take the final toll.

Many people aren’t aware that Hemingway was also a poet. Perhaps that’s because he only published 25 poems during his lifetime. Minus 4 personal poems that his widow did not make available for publication, the remaining 88 poems can be found in his “Complete Poems“.

ernest-hemingway-collected-poems

For those into Hemingway memorabilia, there’s a cool vault room in the Sun Valley Starbucks / Visitor Center featuring larger than life size pics of him and his cronies.

Another little known fact, Papa Hemingway was one of the first to use a stand-up desk. He tucked his typewriter into his bookshelf and stood typing whenever he wrote his fiction. The pictures you see of him sitting at a desk are when he is paying bills and doing other administrative tasks. At least that’s according to his old pal, A. E. Hotcher, author of “Papa Hemingway.”

papa-hemingway

So what do you think? Should I leave the poem up or take it down?

Lightening the load: Streamlining for a simpler life and a healthier planet

January 12, 2017January 12, 2017livevigorously

I’m ashamed of the excess I’ve accumulated. It weighs me down literally and figuratively and leaves me anchored to stuff. Mostly it manifests itself in overstuffed closets and drawers – clothing. (Ok, overflowing bookshelves too. I like the smell of books, the tactile pleasure of turning paper pages.) I know, get over it.

If I am to fulfill my quest of living an adventurous, freestyle life, I must pare my belongings down to the bare essentials. Not necessarily Spartan, but definitely more simplified and streamlined than present.

Feline distractions post #1

January 7, 2017January 10, 2017livevigorously

Sometimes when I need to get something done, there’s just no getting it done. My two felines (Alfie and Lucky) are experts in the art of distraction. And I’m fairly practiced in the art of procrastination as well. (Case and point.)

Alfie (AKA: Alfinator see video of his dark side, Hoover, Linebacker, Alfonso, Alfredo, Grumpus, The Biter, The Ogre) in the top photo – contributes as a paper weight.

Below is Lucky (AKA: The Little Prince, Houdini, Spooner, The Instigator, Trouble) doing his best to distract me with his impression of a meerkat. Every time I leave my desk for a sec he changes the page to the post with the picture of Chef Sean’s salmon dish

Lucky is very jealous that Alfie has gotten all the airtime on my blog so far so I hope this post helps. (Alfie’s rollover video is this sites most popular video.) I’m afraid Alfie will be taking over the site soon and there’ll be no living with him then…

Ok, back to work, as you can see my inbox is full. Lucky again…