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?
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.)
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…
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“.
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.”
So what do you think? Should I leave the poem up or take it down?
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.
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…
If I can’t be on the loose in the wild somewhere, I usually commemorate New Year’s Day by giving myself at least a half day of vigorous nature time. (It could be trail running, surfing, hiking, biking, rollerblading, swimming, or any combination.) With “base camp” in Southern California, it usually means I get a crisp, bright, sun-shiny day in which to play. This year, I had some physical downtime that interfered so my celebration was delayed until yesterday. It was one of those splendid, crystal clear, high- resolution, after the rain kind of days that puts a smile on your face. The air smells so fresh and sweet, you can’t get enough. Precisely what I needed after 17 days of relative inactivity and indoor imprisonment.
It’s amazing how good it is to move freely outdoors after any amount of downtime – no matter the length or reason. This is what I am most grateful for and what I live for – the simple, primal pleasure of my body in motion out in nature.
While my body is still telling me to “take it easy”, I wanted to get my heart rate up just a bit so I pulled my mountain bike out for a short spin on the trails in the Calavera Nature Preserve. (And yes, I am spoiled to have this little gem in my backyard.) Not by accident mind you – it was one of the top 3 reasons I chose to live in this area.) Granted, the trails here can be a bit gritty, and there’s some rocky, rutted single-track and even nasty wide-track stuff that I can’t make on a mt. bike. Nevertheless, it’s a slice of nature in N.County , San Diego, a small habitat for many critters (49 bird, 10 mammal and 7 amphibian/reptile species) and a haven to two-legged critters like me who need a quick nature fix close to home.
A little about Calavera Hills.
The word calavera, skull in Spanish, speaks to the preserve’s centerpiece, the ~500 ft mount, the remnant of a 22 million-year-old volcano.
According to some sources, this is one of only three volcanic plugs in Southern California. From the early 1900’s until ~1930, the area was mined for gravel, leaving a pocked and scarred West face.
Don’t expect well-marked trails, but you can easily navigate by the 3 landmarks – the lake, the top of the Mount, and the Water Tank with the new high school below it.
Water tank top right. (The “Mount” is to the left.)
If you’re hiking, biking, or running and want a good workout with some great views, go for both “heights”. If you’re a masochist for hills, there’s a brutal fire road that runs around the back rim. It’s punctuated by a half dozen or so steep rocky downs that flip in a matter of feet to fierce climbs. Guaranteed to get your heart rate up, up and over your comfort zone. Otherwise, there’s plenty of trails you can link together for some mileage that are flat or just a little rolly with a mix of easy to slightly technical. There’s fun discoveries for kids, including a cave, the lake itself, cairns, a stone labyrinth, a funky memorial, (so much for leave no trace), a hidden wooden bridge, and more.
On the Loose Live 