Posts filed under "Talking Story"

A Happy dilemma

How am I supposed to decide between one paddleboard – responsive, dependable, quick and beautiful – and another that is simply perfect? I want this one, but I want that one too. I had a similar discussion with the boy this week regarding the choice between cheesecake and a popsicle. He had picked the popsicle […]

More graffiti

I have heard that, if you know where to look, you can still spot some of the blazes cut by the Press Party as they made their way through the Olympics a century ago. Apparently they are quite high off the ground, due to the deep snow cover when they were cut, thus difficult to […]

A Good day at Westport

My friend Chris and I went driving yesterday. A recon trip, scouting possible surf spots down in the Tokeland area. Conditions on the water weren’t great – strong currents, gusty onshore winds flattening the waves and crashing the sets. We walked into a couple different spots but nothing moved us enough to take the boards […]

Testimonial time

I do not do many gear reviews. I am not nearly savvy enough about most high-end stuff to understand all of the things any one piece of equipment can do. I’m better with paddle gear but, quite honestly, there is a certain implied superiority in any review that makes me uncomfortable. I don’t think, in […]

Bowron Lakes report

The latest Azimuth Expeditions Flag Expedition is back and I’ve seen the pictures. Jackie Brown led a group of Tacoma area paddlers on a great trip to one of the planet’s finest paddling destinations and she’s brought back some wonderful shots and a passel of stories. There’s word that she’ll be doing a slide presentation […]

Summer is not over, but I can see the end from here. Maybe it’s just the past few days of drizzle and cooler temperatures after weeks of sun and afternoons in the 80’s. The weather is supposed to turn warmer again this weekend but it doesn’t matter… with the evenings coming earlier and the implied […]

Fire update

Of the 12 fires that began last month inside the wilderness areas of Olympic National Park, only one remains a concern. The Constance fire has consumed about 350 acres at last report and is apparently still growing, despite cooler weather and some precipitation. Trail closures include the main Dosewallips trail from the park boundary to […]

The MRSA Chronicles

Back home once again after an excellent family vacation… Glacier National Park was just one of the highlights, paddleboarding on Lake MacDonald with the boy hanging on at the nose of the board. It’s a good life. I enjoyed Montana, other than the apocolyptic rants of Christo-fascist talk radio and the fact that I got […]

A Fecal matter

Item for discussion: Backcountry pack and saddle trips. Horses have a history in the backcountry. From the earliest days of the American era, tales of rugged men, horses and the great outdoors have been blended together to become the stuff of legend. Going into the mountains on horse back has been a tradition since forever, […]

Over and out

Up before dawn once again, that blessed twilight time before the bugs have found their wings. I figured I had until dawn, at the latest, before the huns could get their squadrons in the air and I intended to cover some miles before then. The heat would rise with the dawn as well, making this […]