Wanderlust

In Touch with My Wild Side

2011-12-18T18:36:00.002-05:00

Today, I got to do something (again) that the majority of humans don't have an opportunity to do. Interact with big(ger) Cats.

Today was my first day at the zoo. I won't bore you with the hours of details on enclosure cleaning, promise. I won't tell you about interacting with the red pandas, prairie dogs, or langurs. What I will tell you about are the amazing cats that I had an opportunity to interact with today: snow leopards, bobcats, and my beloved cougars.

A photo I took of one of our
Snow Leopards in 2011.

These are really some amazing animals and each are vastly different. The snow leopards (aka Panthera uncia) were great to be near - and so very close! The ones here are a family - mother (whose name I can't recall - it was long!), father (Czar), and new daughter (Kenji). The two females were in the outside enclosure while Czar was in the inside enclosure. He weighs about 110 pounds (visual estimation only) and was quite mellow. Of course, to him I'm merely 'the keep'... there to sweep up and spray down his room while he pretended to sleep and not notice me. He liked to grunt at people, though, which amused me. Of note, their fur is just as thick and luxurious as it looks; while I see the draw to making them into garments I detest the mere idea of it. His coat is by far prettier on him. What I think made him truly adorable to me was his teddy bear. Yes, his teddy bear.

The bobcats (aka Lynx rufus) were cute - named Gene and Joan (like Gene Simmons and Joan Jett). It's assumed that they are brother and sister. Both were prior 'pets' and found released in the city some time ago. I was distracting them with mice and was enthralled when they kept swatting my hand to get my attention - so very cat like! They are much smaller than the snow leopards, both the size of medium dogs with Gene being a little larger than Joan. Once again, a great example of why people should NOT assume they should have exotic pets... how irresponsible to force animals to imprint on humans only to them release them to fend for themselves just assuming they will find their wild side. Amazing little animals!

A photo I took of Coby earlier in 2011.

Of course, that leaves only the cougars (or Puma Concolor - meaning 'cat of one color') to tell you about: Miamya (mee-ah-mie-ah) and Coby. First off, neither cat has their tail - the most prominent sign on a cougar - each for different reasons. Coby, who is quite a big boy, lost his in an 'incident' at one time with another animal. They are also both declawed. Coby, despite his lack of tail or claws, is still a very impressive cat to behold. He probably weighs in around 180 lbs and, without his tail, he's probably 4.5-5 feet long. With his tail, he'd be an easy 6-7' cat. His head is the perfect shape and his teeth were still incredibly large. He grunted while I was there but I didn't get to his hear his token cougar growl. Miamya is quite different. She was... amazing for different reasons. Her story is long, but the short version is that she was once a school mascot... but as the school was the bobcats and she is a cougar, they had her tail bobbed and also did a relatively bad job declawing her and filing down her teeth. It's also suspected that she was once hit by a car in her 'prior life' and she has a pronounced limp. She's a small cougar, maybe 90-100 lbs at most. She had an awesome disposition and, due to her perfect little 'meow' and purring, I fell in love with her. Her sordid history makes the plight of her species all the more prominent in my mind.

I can't wait for my next day!

"Eastern" Cougars?

2011-12-10T07:19:00.001-05:00

Eastern cougar

A photo I took of Coby, Puma Concolor

When you say "Eastern cougar" what do people hear? I think they hear
"cougar that reside in the east" rather than identifying this as a specific subspecies of the great cat. This is quite the misnomer. Eastern cougars, which were recently confirmed and declared formally extinct by the USFWS, are a specific subspecies of cougar (puma concolor couguar) rather like the Florida subspecies (puma concolor coryi). Traditionally, it is accepted that the eastern cougar's natural range extended from Canadian provinces west to the Mississippi and south into Tennessee extending to the coast. The Florida panther home range was estimated to range from southern florida up to and bordering the range of the eastern cougar.

The reason this is important is because, while the eastern cougar has been declared extinct, that does not mean that individuals from the current Floria population or the western population haven't begun dispersing to our region. Furthermore, there are estimates ranging from a mere 100 up to 1,000 captive cougars of varied genetic composition in captivity in the eastern united states. Hypothetically, if any of the transient males that have begun dispersing (as the ones we have proof of are all subadult males) were to encounter a released or escaped female... Maybe then we would actually see a population rather than just individuals.

But my questions specifically surround protection. With the eastern cougar being declared extinct, what are the repercussions of shooting a cougar now in this region? With no big game laws around it, does that negate the ability to kill it indiscriminately? For this I seek advice with more knowledge on the subject than I. I asked a hunter friend who I consider a reliable resource and he states that in TN it would have to be a very clear case of self-defense to keep a hunter out of trouble - that there is no season (and therefore you cannot shoot for the sake of shooting) for the cat.

So let's make a drastic flying leap with some data... There was a confirmed western cat in CT and a confirmed Florida cat in mid-Georgia. That's 2 males - lets assume that is half of the transients that made it this far. If we take the middle ground on potential captive cats, that's 500. Of that 500, let's say that 5% are released illegally because they aren't nearly as cuddly when they weight 150 lbs and realize they can eat you. That's 25 individuals. Now let's say that 1% escaped, which is another 5 individuals. Of those, we can estimate that 50% are female. So now we have a wild population of 32 cats in 15 states with 17 males (large range) and 15 females. Looking at just the national forests (c/o Fs.usda.gov), there is a strong stretch of wooded lands from the Chattahootchee in northern GA extending up to northern VA. A very large range hitting exactly where I live... Southeastern TN, northwest GA, southwest NC.

I know from personal knowledge that deer densities of this region are high. So are coyote and black bear densities. So what, then, are the odds that this would be a place of refuge for either dispersed nomads or former captives?

How Extremists are Killing Our World

2011-11-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

We've all heard them... the extremists. These are the people that cry wolf so loud and so often that we find ourselves tuning them out. I posted on twitter that extremists are like a snowball with a rock core... a lot of puffery with a painful nugget of truth buried within. The problem is that extreme views propose extreme fixes in many cases. The typical trend is that the left runs the television while the right rules talk radio. Both sides have valid points on many issues and I don't intend on going into a political rant. I care about lots of things, but one of the things that tops my list is my home. I don't mean the one made of lumber and stone with an address on the front. I don't even mean the city in which I live. I mean the planet that has, through eons, provided for the species that inhabit it.

Where is the middle ground? Why can't people have a sense for capitalism AND a sense for environmentalism? There's a reason that we all study history when we're growing up - not to memorize facts and dates, but because people who forget what happened are doomed to repeat the same failures. It's a lesson we're taught through life. So why is it so hard for humans - as a species - to take the tiniest of glimpses to our past and realize that we apparently aren't capable of policing ourselves when it comes to the world we live in? We use and abuse the land. Sure, dump stuff in the drain rather than pay to have it taken care of the right way. Strip mine. Clear cut. Do things that provide the most amount of profit with the least amount of work. Predators kill livestock? Screw 'em; kill them all. Does private property really mean we have the right to do anything we want with it? We seem to think that because we have evolved and harnessed energy and technology that we are the culmination of what defines evolution. We are the pinnacle and the only concern. Conquer nature. Tame wilderness. Exploit what can be exploited, regardless of cost, for profit.

We eradicate species we don't like or ones that are profitable. It's not Americans I point an ecological finger at, it's humans. Here's some facts:

When humans first migrated to North America, we played the key role in extinction of some of the coolest animals that ever lived. North America had lions bigger than the African Lion! We had giant turtles. We had camels. We had three different species of elephants. These animals were large and had never encountered humans; know what that made them? Sitting ducks. Kill off the giant herbivores and then the, through competition and hunting, the predators were dead species, too. (Of note, happened everywhere, I just liked our megafauna the best.)
When America started to 'shrink' (through easier transportation and communication), we saw the resources on this great continent as an inexhaustible resource. Bison were eradicated in the wild. Beavers - a keystone species - were hunted to near extinction because of the value of their pelts. Certain birds were driven to the verge of extinction not because we ate them, but because their feathers were pretty in hats. Passenger pigeons, which had an astronomical population, driven extinct due to being easy targets.

Why do they go extinct - what did people do? Hunting. Habitat change (the big one). Introduction (whether accidental or on purpose) of invasive species. And of course the token few that go extinct due to natural causes. Here's some animals that you probably grew up with that are on the list:

Eastern Box Turtle (vulnerable, decreasing)
Polar bear (vulnerable, decreasing)
Mexican Long-nosed Bat (endangered, decreasing)
Red Wolf (critically endangered, increasing)

So tell me, is it impossible to have a "meeting of the minds" in regard to capitalism and conservationism? I know a lot of brilliant - non-extreme, even - people who could likely think of ideas. I don't agree with regulations merely for the sake of regulating, but there's some aspects that warrant it. There's so many brilliant people... I hope that they have a few ideas and I solicit them to share. I'm tired of extreme-minded people constantly directing the way things are going to be. Don't get me wrong - I'm pointing my finger both left and right. I'm tired of 'right and left'. I want circular, well-rounded!

Human Predator Perception

2011-11-07T16:24:00.001-05:00

Some of my hockey fans will be depressed that this post isn't hockey related... Half the time when I say "predators" I mean the Nashville NHL team and the other half of time I mean the literal carnivores. I'll try to use a certain Inuit player to mesh hockey with nature... but it's a far reach to tie both predators together, I promise.

Human perceptions play a pivotal role in predator management - whether you're discussing current populations or reintroduction. Humans have an inherent fear and bias towards apex predators that really needs to be looked at. The success or failure of a reintroduced species, for example, relies on how the humans of the area perceive the predator and whatever posed threat they may bring. I'm one of those 'idiots' who goes out of my way to find predators - bears, cougars, ...even rattlesnakes. I don't do this because I have some death wish (nor do I try to interact with the animals) but I really want to see them, their behavior, and study them. Fact of the matter is that around 125-145 people a year are killed in deer-human accidents. Rattlesnakes? 5.5 people on average. Bears? Average 1 person a year, so admittedly this is a high year. Cougar? Again, about 1 person a year. Shark? 1. How about the virtually eradicated wolf? Try 0.1 people a year. The odds are far higher for a bee sting to kill a person (53 average) than a predator. Or, if you'd like, a horse (20 per year). So why, then, the unrealistic fear that predators in your 'local habitat' are going to stalk and kill YOU. It's statistically minuscule odds (Historylist, 2008).

The funny thing is that predator perception varies based on many different factors. For example, people living in rural areas have a utilitarian view and tend to favor exploitation or subjugation. People with advanced education lean toward naturalistic and conservationist mentalities. Young people and women tend toward moralistic and humanistic values with a lot of affection for an individual animal or species (Reading, Keller, & Clark, 1993 & 1996). In most cases the instilled fear of predators likely has less to due with human-predator interaction and more to due with human-predator conflict due to livestock loss.

The problem arises when humans have a "humans first and only" mentality that disregards the eventual outcome of so many species. Did you know that in the next 50 years it's estimated that HALF of the world's current species will be extinct? I'm a learned girl, so I am aware that we're in the midst of the world's sixth mass extinction, but what is disconcerting about this one is that it's primarily caused by one species: US. (Of note, about 3% of the extinctions have/will be due to natural causes... so saying "we didn't do it all" isn't comforting when we cant take responsibility for about 97%.)

Asking "how did we get here" garners one of the simplest yet most complex answers in the history of our time. We cared about us most. Some people say "that's to be expected" but many others think that we're depriving our children - not even our children's children, mind you, but OUR children - to seeing far less of what we had the pleasure of. Isn't it time, then, that not only the left and right wings came together in understanding but that we figure out how to help on a global basis? Rainforests, for example, cover a tiny percentage of land (1.8%) on earth... yet they are continually harvested. Timber companies don't exercise the same responsible land use policies as other agrarians and clear cut old growth forests. Our rivers and streams and ponds and lakes - ALL of them - have suffered the worst. We all say 'sure, I care about the environment' but, like with so many other things, we merely SAY it. We don't do anything actively about it. I guess we expect the 'other guy' to stand up and do something.

To bring this blog full circle (and tie in to the Nashville Predators, as promised), here's a snapshot of how historic Inuit versus current Inuit mentality on polar bears - a predator often in the world's view due to climate change. Of note for non-hockey fans, Jordin Tootoo is the first Inuit in the NHL and from Nunavut - he was also unavailable for comment.

Historically, Inuit saw Nanuk (polar bear) as a species garnering great respect. If Nanuk was killed in a hunt, it provided clothing and food (the only thing discarded was the liver). To show respect for the takoit (soul of the bear), the skin was hung in a place of honor for a few days. Ancient Inuit legend shows a coexistence and respect for this greatest of bears. Now, the Inuit officials don't even want the great Nanuk even added to Canada's list of protected species. "Protect us, not the bear" (CBC News, April 2010). The logic? Threat to people, property destruction, and killing of their people. Of note, a look at polar bears international discusses the very rare cases where humans are killed by polar bears. I did a look on the net globally and found a case recently in Norway... but historical numbers were drastically low. Granted, maybe the Inuit people don't report these? Or, perhaps, it has more to do with hunting restrictions and less to do with Nanuk attacking people. I really don't know but this is a great example of human perception on a species... the politics involved and the opposition and facts.

In closing... I know that I'm working to practice what I preach - and I put my money and/or time where my mouth is in support. Where do you stand?

The world calls them "Siberian"... but really, they are...

2011-11-06T14:07:00.001-05:00

Panthera Tigris sumatrae.

I was doing some homework on my favorite species and, on IUCN I was a bit surprised when, in the search bar, I keyed “tiger” and a whopping 112 species with “tiger” in the name appeared. What is it that the world has against striped beauties regardless of class/order/family?! For actual Panthera Tigris, 9 species, 3 of which are already extinct, appear.

Most of the world knows this fine animal as the Siberian Tiger, though the more appropriate name is the Sumatran Tiger. This cat isn’t indigenous to the entire geographic range of Siberia, but rather merely the Sumatran river region where Russian and China converge. While many subspecies of tiger are endangered or threatened, this cat is my most favorite animal of all. The Sumatran tiger is different from any other cat in the world – including being the largest feline on the planet! Throw that with the usual human fears of predators, some myths about tiger bones and ancient Chinese health tips, the enormous home range, and the fact that this feline has devastatingly beautiful fur and it’s a poster-child for the Endangered Species list.

Because of the size of the mature adults and the vast ranges they require, many of the tiger conservation areas set up for this cat are really too small to retain a viable population. Low recruitment rates also hurt their chances for increased populations. IUCN states two factors which increase the tiger's vulnerability to extinction are their low densities (relative to other mammals, including their prey species) and relatively low recruitment rates (where few animals raise offspring which survive to join the breeding population) (Smith and McDougal 1991, Kerley et al. 2003).

Officially the Sumatran tiger is decreasing in population due to high rates of habitat loss and fragmentation which even occur inside protected areas. There are also high levels of human-tiger conflict (including being struck by trucks on a logging road that goes right through the middle of a habitat area) and illegal trade in tiger parts (fur for trade and the bones for ancient Chinese medicines for male ‘enhancement’). Lastly, they also suffer from prey depletion.

Conservation efforts are generally in habitat conservation and education. Recently actor Leonardo DiCaprio founded the Save Tigers Now and is attempting to garner more support using his personal celebrity status as a springboard. In addition, many tiger foundations exist to help the futures of all remaining tiger subspecies. Illegal poaching of tigers still exists. Between 1998 – 2002 at least 51 tigers were killed with 76% being for illegal trade and 15% being human-tiger interactions. With drastically low numbers for some of the remaining subspecies, one sincerely hopes this is not a case of “too little, too late”.

To see more on the IUCN Red list for tigers, go here; for the Sumatran Tiger, go here.

Why Hiking?

2011-09-18T12:23:00.000-04:00

For anyone who loves the outdoors and physical activity,hiking is a sure thing to win your heart. Hiking is one of the great activities that is done in the wonders of the‘wild’ that can be done solo, with a partner, or with a group. Hiking is a very easy way to get some serious steps, increase your energy, better your physical health,and really impact your life all together. A deep respect for nature develops quickly. Moreover, hiking really can improve yourmental wellbeing as much as your physical well being.

Regardless if you’re new to hiking or a hiking aficionado,Tennessee (and the southeast) is a great place to be. If you’re new at hiking you can start onnature walks. (See “where to go” below.)Build experience on various trails and work your way to the big hikes that ourregion is known for. Hiking is a veryeasy hobby to start, the only bare-bones basics that you need are right shoesand a means to carry hydration – as simple as a bottle of water. As your experience and endurance levelsincrease, you can add gear slowly to grow with you. When you get to the multi-day, heavy terrainlevels you’ll need a full pack. Here’sthe average contents of my hiking pack:

The pack itself – my multiday pack is about70L and my day pack is about 30L. The “L”stands for liters, which just tells you the overall capacity of your pack. Only my big pack is an internal-frame pack;however, both have full straps (don’t stress your shoulders – carrying a packthat has a waist strap is a MUST. Yourhips are the best weight-bearing part of your body and you’ll feel a LOT betterhiking with even distribution of weight.)
MedPack – I keep my med pack in a thing called a “stuff stack” (various sized sackthat you get to literally “stuff stuff” in). The contents of my med pack vary slightly based on the length andterrain I’m going to. It always has OTCpain killer, benedryl, ace bandage, band-aids, etc.
WaterBladder- 3L
Waterfiltration system – never drink stream/natural water unless it’s “that ornothing”. Natural water often hasmicroscopic bacteria that can cause severe abdominal upset.
Trailfood – light weight and packed with proteins and carbs. Hiking with a pack on heavy terrain burns aTON of calories, make sure your body has fuel!
Waterflavor packs. This is one of mytreats. I carry these to mix with waterif I have to filter it from a stream. While filtered stream water often tastes just fine, the flavor packshelp to mask any mineral flavor that may be present.
Raingear – functional and lightweight. Thisincludes a rain cover for my pack.
GPS,compass AND maps. I never take justone. I use the GPS because it offers alot of really nifty features but I never trust battery-powered things100%. Better safe than lost.
Flashlightand headlamp. I carry both all the timebecause, again, I don’t trust battery-powered things 100%.
IfI’m staying overnight, I always have my hammock. It’s more lightweight than a tent and farmore comfortable. But, a small tent isjust fine for my daughter!
IfI’m hiking in bear country I carry bear spray. Also, if I’m staying overnight in bear country I’ll take my bearcanister (it’s a bear-proof canister for foods and anything that has an aromaof any kind)
Trekkingpoles – not a necessity but when you’re clumsy like me, it’s better to be safe.
Alwaystake a very strong respect for nature and remember that what you pack in youalso pack out. I also always try topack-out any trash that I see while I’m on a hike.

If you’re wondering where to go, around this part of thecountry you have so many options it’s hard to settle on one. If you’re brand new to hiking try a naturewalk like the 4.5 mile loop at Harrison Bay State Park. It has very easy terrain that is only occasionallybroken by roots or rocks and the elevation variance is virtually nil. If you’re looking for a bit more of achallenge, try The Walls of Jericho (around 8 miles, I think) near Winchester,TN/Stephenson, AL. This hike offers goodscenery and a relatively challenging elevation variance. If you live north of the city, try LaurelSnow Pocket Wilderness in Dayton, TN. Itoffers 2 different hikes, both found from the same trailhead (one is 9 milesr/t and the other about 5 r/t with different terrain for each). Want more wilderness in your hike? Try anything near the Cohutta/Cherokee parksthat cross the GA/TN/NC lines (easy access near Springer Mtn, GA orOcoee/Reliance, TN; heavy concentrations of bear). There are hundredsof trails in that area with varied lengths and terrains. The Benton MacCaye (pronounced mack-eye) goesthrough here; it’s a 300-mile trail). Areyou ready to summit a mountain? Irecommend Rainbow Trail in the GSM Park, take the Rainbow Falls trailhead allthe way to the summit of Mount Leconte from Gatlinburg stoplight #8 (apx 13miles r/t, very difficult and I do NOT recommend this as a 1-day trip; there isa free group camp area/shelter at the top that you can use with reservationsthrough GSM). Like I said, around hereit’s not a matter of where to go, it’s a matter of picking one trail out of thevariety available. (Of note, you can't take your 4-legged bud with you on Federal Park trails.)

What to expect out of hike really varies depending on whereyou go and the length of time you’re out. Always research where you’re going and whatwildlife you may encounter (and how to react to said wildlife!). I’ve encountered rattlesnakes and bears (evenbeen charged by a bear!) and knowing what to do when you encounter wildlife isa MUST. If you’re looking to starthiking and are new to it, join me someday for one of my group-led hikes atHarrison Bay. It’s an easy walk andfour-legged, well-behaved leashed friends are welcome. If you’re looking for more, check out some local hiking clubs. I’m out at least twice a month hiking andalways willing to share my passion for hiking with anyone!

Wade Belak, A Day to Mourn

2011-08-31T20:13:00.001-04:00

Wade Belak, my fave photo cuz of the tatts.
Photo Copyright Nashville Examiner

Today Twitter brought me horrid news. Wade Belak, on again-off again hockey player, was found dead in Toronto. Wade was many things over the years, not limited to his transition between teams, ending his career and retiring a Nashville Predator. Wade was a constant source of discussion, whether the discussion surrounded his 'healthy scratch' status or his amazing public persona. From game to game Wade talk ranged from impassioned talk over ice time to, occasionally, him being a fan whipping post for on-ice mishaps. Regardless what lovers of ice hockey thought about Wade's play, there was one thing that we could arguably all agree on: Wade was a Good Guy. He was funny. He always had a smile for anyone and everyone. He loved the game he invested his life in but, moreover, he loved what makes the game what it is: the Fans. Very few professional athletes had time for fans like Wade.

I had the pleasure of being on what I call the 'fringe' of Wade's life. I knew his name, he knew mine. He never failed to have a smile and some anecdote to relay, often at his own expense, just to make those near him grin. He had a zest for life and his jovial attitude was virtually contagious.

Today was devastating, not only at the news that we have lost Wade, but that we have lost so many so soon! What a shame it is, what a loss... as we the fans mourn and feel loss, I can only imagine the loss that the families of these public personalities must now face. First it was Derek Booggard (27) then Rick Rypien (28)... and now it hits so close to home with Wade (35).

If any of the deaths mentioned here were accidental overdoses, what is going on? Where is the strict control surrounding limits of such high-powered meds? I go through surgery and it's an act of congress to get more than a few weeks supply of pain meds... so what gives? I understand chronic pain (I mean, I did break my back in three spots and have arthritis in my hip from hockey) but there has to be something we can do. Education? Limitations? I don't know what the answer may be - if there is an answer at all - but this needs to be looked at. Our players are valuable to us and indispensable to their families...

...but mostly I have to 'blame' something and I naturally gravitate to over-willing prescribers.

Wade, your infectious smile will be missed, regardless of ice.

Wade Belak, 7/3/1976 - 8/31/2011

Rocky Mountain National Park - A Week in Paradise

2011-08-26T23:09:00.001-04:00

(This is going to be a long post as it spans 4 days)
Day One
Due to weather delays, I got off the plane about 3 hours later than expected. I rented a red, convertible Camaro, which I admit was super sweet. The drive from Denver International to Estes Park was starkly beautiful. The jagged peaks of the Rockies became more clear with every passing mile.

Starving, I finally located a McDonalds when I arrived in Estes Park. The scenery here was amazingly different from home. Pine and aspen trees rule the hillsides there. Rock juts precariously from every exposed surface. The landscape is a uniform brown dappled by bits of greenery. It's easy to see why this rugged place draws so many hikers. My home turf is a menagerie of green encroaching in from everywhere. The stifling humidity seems to saturate everything in a damp haze and the wind only blows as a precursor to a storm. Here, there is no humidity in this semi-arid climate. The deep rooted ponderosa and lodgepole pines creak in what seems to be a ceaseless alpine wind.

A black bear cub obviously thinking I had
a pretty sweet ride.

After my 'dinner' I went through a quick drive in the park, staying close to town. I didn't really have any expectations and was looking to take in some scenery as a means to blow-off steam from the flight delays. On the way to the first trailhead I wanted to glance at, I rounded a corner of a gravel road to find a black bear walking down the road with a cub - large and fuzzy - in tow. They were both larger than the black bears here and I found myself clumsily trying to pick my phone up off the floor where it had fallen with my quick braking and trying to put the top up on the car at the same time. I hadn't even thought to bring my real camera because I knew my jaunt in the park wouldn't be long and hadn't expected a bear! I nabbed my phone and, though momma bear had already meandered to the dense underbrush, the cub was still in view. Crappy pic, sure... but still a pic!

Twenty minutes later and on a main road I saw, in the fading light of day, my first elk. It was immense... and too dark to try to get a picture. I was actually pretty impressed with myself that I had even seen it. I ruefully wondered if that would be my only photo op for a bull elk. I jokingly thought to myself that if a bighorn sheep bounded across the road with a mountain lion in chase, I could leave and feel satisfied. Alas, however, no lion padded across my path that night.

Exhausted from my day, I returned to my lodge for the night. The lodge was historic, which I think is code for "we lack air conditioning". Actually, from what the front desk said, most of the residences and businesses didn't bother with a/c here as it was rarely ever hot. This week, however, seemed to be an exception. With all the windows open, I attempted to sleep. By 4 a.m. local (MDT) I finally resigned myself to being "up" as the heat was annoying and the dry climate had made every bit of me feel dried out - skin, nose, eyes, mouth... I was parched in the true sense of the word. I dressed, made coffee, and wandered out to enjoy the pre-dawn hours from the comfort of the lodge steps.

Day Two
The pines creaked noisily and rabbits scurried hither and dither within feet of me. The air, constantly moving in the alpine breeze, was actually chilly outside. I was glad I brought some thermals for the night in backcountry. Even my coffee didn't retain heat for long. My shoulders, aching from carrying a 48-pound, single strap duffle containing my pack and gear, were screaming at me. The elevation here, close to 8,000 feet at the lodge, was already tangible to my body. I wondered if I would be ready to hike with any sort of load. Following on that thought, I wondered how much wildlife I was going to incur on my hike and how safe I was going to be. Thoughts flitted across my mind as I watched the sky lighten from black to deep blue. I knew the world around me would soon wake and my day would officially begin.

Herd of elk crossing a meadow.

I had time to kill before the backcountry office opened, so I decided to snag some real coffee and do a quick drive into the park. Driving on a whim, I found myself on road leading to the Beaver Meadows trailhead. Once again, my animal magnetism was in full form and before I knew it I was stopped watching a herd of elk - cows and calves - crossing a field. I watched them casually walk across the field and the setting was something out of a movie.

The Fearless Coyote

A mile down the road, I had to nail the brakes as a coyote came loping towards me. It walked right next to my car, not giving me (or the car) so much as a sideways glance. I opened the door, stupidly sure, but rather in amazement that the coyote had really not even registered that he was sharing the road. I snapped a few pics of him as he looked off in the distance. I noticed then that he was watching a single elk with her calf off in the meadow. I snapped a photo of them, but was more intrigued by the predator so casually standing not 20-feet from me. I snapped another picture of him and he turned to look at me - I snapped another.

At the trailhead, I sipped my coffee and casually talked to a volunteer of the park. Bolstered by talking hiking for an hour, animal sightings, and now a surplus of caffeine, I headed back to the backcountry office. I talked trail for another hour there and finally had A Plan.

Marmot - I have a ton of these pics!

...well, at least a plan for later in the week! Satisfied, I decided I wanted to first drive Trail Ridge Highway over the Rockies to Grand Lake. The sky was a flawless, robin's egg blue with only an occasional puff of a cloud to break it up. Well above the tree line, which is about 12,700 feet above sea level, I decided to stroll along the Ute Trail where I encountered my first family of marmot. Cute buggers, these... rather like groundhogs interbred with prairie dogs. Cute and noisy, they became the mainstay animal of my trip.

Bierstadt Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park

I had to cut my drive short as they were doing roadwork - I swear I am plagued with travel woes! - so I turned around to find something more productive to do. I drove down Bear Lake Road to the Hollowell Park trailhead and got on the trail to Bierstadt Lake. The hike was nice and a relatively easy course. Glad for a sharp eye, I noticed a tree with some very obvious claw marks and, scouring the ground I found a distinct paw print in the soft dirt - it was a mountain lion! (Go here for pictures from my trip - they are the last two in the series). The hike to the lake was relatively easy for the majority, saving for the elevation (the lake is apx 9,200 elevation). I enjoyed the company of a fearless female duck and a chipmunk while I virtually drank in the beauty and solitude of the place. I could have sat there for hours, but true to my usual hiking self, I soon packed up for a hike down the mountain. The rest of the day and into the night was uneventful. I sat at a picnic area until after dark, however, and FINALLY got to see the Milky Way with my own eyes.

Day Three

Otis Peak on left, Hallet Peak on right - in the
finally-still reflection of Sprague Lake.

Some people think I'm nuts for hiking alone. On day 3, those people would freak. Today I intended to hike to Cutbank - a single-site, backcountry camping area. Admittedly, it was my first time camping in the backcountry all alone. Before I headed that way, since it wasn't a long hike (just 4 miles), I decided to take a couple of 'quick' trips. My first was, on the advice of professional wildlife/nature photographer Dick Orleans, was to Sprague Lake where I snagged this amazing photo of Otis and Hallet Peaks. I had hoped to see a moose, which was rumored to like the lake, but no joy.

After Sprague Lake, I was hoping to finish my journey across Trail Ridge Road... traffic and construction permitting!

Moose looking for shade.

Every curve on the road introduced a new and breathtaking view of the Rockies. My only wish was that I had managed to find a chauffeur so I could gawk openly instead of being forced to pay attention to my driving. The road, while boasting amazing scenery, is precarious because often, just off the shoulder of the road, would be a precipice that scared the living heck out of me. On the west side of the park and mere miles from the exit, my animal luck showed up again. My intent that morning was for a bull moose... and while I never saw a bull, I did manage to lay eyes on a cow and her calf - awkward with so much leg under such a large animal. I watch the mother - at first not knowing that she had her calf at all - as she climbed from a stream and meandered to shade. As I was about to turn back to my car, I saw a flicker of ears and a moment later the calf exited the bank of the stream as well. Satisfied, I turned around to head back across the tundra.

Bull elk, living large on the tundra

As I crossed the now-familiar scenery, my mind drifted to the bull elk I had missed the photo of on my first day there. As if I had thought it into existence, I rounded a corner and glance to my left to spot a bull who had already claimed a harem.

From here, and feeling quite smug, I headed to my trailhead to start the hike to my overnight spot. The trail to my site was labeled at just under 3 miles one way... but gaining 1,500 feet. And, just to pay me back for my smugness I'm sure, it started to storm not 10 minutes into my hike. I had to unload, get out the rain gear, cover the pack, don the gear, and then reload. My pack wasn't light - having the extra weight of the required bear can as well as my camera and extra lens and 6 liters of water. Before long, the elevation was wearing on me and my legs and shoulders ached. Seeming to take forever, at one point I convinced myself I had missed my break-off when I had to go through a family that had their horses completely surrounding the trail. I glanced at a map - not my awesome topo as it was stowed in my pack - and decided I had missed my turn. I trekked back down the mountain for a half a mile. At least the error had me going down hill, right? I got to where the horses had been... but to my chagrin there was no break off trail. I had just walked all this way nothing! Furious with myself, I unloaded and grabbed the topo. Sure enough, if I hadn't turned around, I was maybe a 20 minute walk from my spur trail. Talk about a 'face palm' moment. Now, instead of 20 minutes, I had a 45 minute walk back UPhill. I was so angry at myself I wouldn't even allow myself to take a break during the make-up hike, regardless of the steep incline.

The Roaring River in the foreground with the
elegant backdrop of Long's Peak (the sheer face
is called 'The Diamond' and is a mountaineers
playground) in the distance.

Finally, I was at camp and set up and allowed myself to soak my feet in the frigid waters of the Roaring River while I ate my dinner of trail-mix and jerky. After dinner I stowed my food in the bear can - double zipped inside and 200 yards from my camp - and reveled in the wonder of solitude. The only sounds, aside from the occasional plane, was the ceaseless chatter of squirrels and, at once point in the evening, the distant sound of a bobcat yelling (there's audio on that link - various 'sounds').

Day Four
The night in the forest was cold... like REALLY cold. I had my thermals and my spring bag (i.e. a 45-degree sleeping bag) and it was no where near enough. The elevation at my campsite was around 10,500 feet and the temperature dropped between 35-40 degrees. I didn't get much sleep but when I finally woke up - at least for the final time that night - the tips of my finger's were blue and a sickly yellow. It took almost an hour of me keeping them tucked under my arms to get them nimble enough to breakdown camp. I hiked off the trail, treated myself to a breakfast and hot coffee, and then made one final attempt to find a bighorn sheep. My animal luck, it seemed, had finally worn off. Before long, with still not so much as a distant 'baa' from a sheep, it was time to head to Boulder for the Expedition Impossible finale party.

Expedition Impossible Party Quick Thoughts
The finale party was great and insane. It was SO crowded with over 500 people jammed into a place intended for maybe 400. I finally got to hang with my guys, Team No Limits: Jeff Evans, Erik Wiehenmayer, and Ike Isaacson. I also had the pleasure of meeting the Modern Gypsies - the winners of Expedition Impossible - John Post, Eric Bach, and Taylor Filasky... all super nice guys. I also got to meet Shooter - one of the assistant producers on the show - and really enjoyed talking with him on his part of the project... of everyone I met for the first time that night, he was by far my favorite. Photos of a sunburned and extremely exhausted me with the guys are below.

Finally, I turned in for some well-earned sleep only to wake at 4 a.m. and head back to Denver International Airport for the ride home...

Me and Ike

Me and Erik

Me and Jeff

Abrams Falls, Cades Cove

2011-08-08T19:08:00.000-04:00

Cade's Cove is a splendid and enchanting place where modern day mingles with echos of days gone by, lingering in a misty, fog-shrouded union. Ripe with wildlife, steeped in history, Cade's Cove is a beautiful area with easy access nestled in the heart of the most visited National Park in the US.

While splendid and full of wonder, it's not exactly easy for a hiker to plan a full trip if the trailhead is nestled in the park, which is closed to motor traffic until 10 a.m. This would have been a great fact to know AHEAD OF TIME as the the trailhead I needed was located deep within the park. Furthermore, the mileage (around a 15-mile R/T) and terrain (summit of Rocky Top and Thunderhead) of my trail warranted a necessity to be on the trail by 9 a.m. So, as I sat in dead-stopped traffic until well after 10, that made me alter my plans. To make my ill-tempered morning even worse, the line of cars I was trailing did not heed the "be courteous to other drivers and don't stop on the road" signs that were posted every quarter of a mile. Nope. So by the time I finally got angry and decided I'd take the very next trail I saw, it was 11 a.m. That next trail happened to be Abram's Falls.

Flowing Abram's Falls, Great Smoky Mountains, Cade's Cove

Abram's Falls is often considered one of the better falls in the Smokies. It has a bit of allure because it has a very high volume of water going over the not-terribly-high falls. The falls themselves are around 20-feet in height. To make it better for visitors, the hike to get to the falls isn't too far into the trail. The posted sign states that it's 2.5 miles one direction over moderate terrain and that hiker's should plan for a "2-4 hour trip" for each leg of the walk. While the trail is wide and the path well worn, I agree that it is a moderate hike as the elevation shifts are frequent and steep. Only a couple parts of the trail are rough, containing exposed rock (good ankle twisters!) that, as per the geological structure of the land, is at crazy angles.

Some people just ignore the rules
for the sake a few minutes of fun.

Further, the allure of the falls seems to beckon people to do what the blatantly posted signs (at the trailhead and at the entrance to the falls itself) warn against: "Do not climb on the falls. Four drownings have occurred in these waters, don't be the next victim". Of course, what are the point of rules if there were no rule breakers? While I had only hiked for about 1.5 hours to get to the falls, I decided to sit on a great rock that had perhaps the best view of the falls. I leisurely ate my lunch (cold pasta and some almonds) while watching swimmers and, of course, 'falls divers'. There were three 20ish-aged boys who were entertaining us all by ignoring the signs, climbing the falls and then leaping spectacularly from the top (see image). While I can't condone their behavior, I thought it would be a good way to get a photo to add perspective to the other pictures I'd nabbed of the falls (especially since a little patience afforded me photos of the falls without bobbing heads of swimmers!).

The vast majority of people stop their hike at the falls and then head back after enjoying the view. Of course, the falls are only 2.5 miles in... so there was no way I was stopping at the highly known. My hikes crave solitude and the discovery of what few take the time to see. I loaded my gear back up and continued on my happy little way.

A hidden waterfall

I followed the trail, which followed the water, for another 2 miles. The serenity of this temperate rainforest did not let me down. One of the splendors of the Smokies is in the hidden wonders she holds just out of view. Often you hear things you can never see because of the very dense and thick greenery that surrounds the trail. At one trail crossing at the 4 mile point, I sat on a rock for a rest and, peeking through at knee level, I spotted a hidden falls dowsed in sunlight just out of 'normal' view - hidden by fallen trees crusted in thick moss and mountain laurel. The falls weren't impressive - maybe 10-feet high - but the fact that they were so discreet and somehow enchantingly hidden made me smile.

Not too much further on, I opted to turn around... I was breaking one of the rules of hiking and I knew it: I was on a trail that was NOT the one I had told everyone I would take... IF anything happened, there was no logical reason that my family would know to look for me here. So I turned around knowing I would at least have 8 or more miles under my belt for the day.

After an uneventful hike back to the trailhead I loaded up and rejoined the motorcade that is a constant thing in the park... it's the one thing that I hate about my park being the most visited in the US... it's always crowded in the easy-access areas. On the way out I saw a splendid 10-point buck (in too dense of forest to manage a picture) and one of the tiniest doe I'd seen alone yet (if she was 65-lbs I'd be shocked!).

Osprey

On the trip home, as I was about to cross the Decatur Bridge over the Hiwassee River, I spotted an osprey in nest and managed to snag a photo - albeit not very clear - who was checking me out to see if I was a threat. The nests that these birds use are amazing and these raptors are simply gorgeous.

Even though plans get altered and things don't go they way they are always supposed to, there's still more to be said for a bad day of hiking that shames a good day in front of the tv or computer.

Go. Play!

The Next Big Trip

2011-07-24T17:10:00.000-04:00

This weekend's backpacking trip was just enough to whet my appetite for more. The Smokie's, like other great mountain chains, offer a variety of options. Add to that the proximity to Nantahala, Cherokee, and Cohutta... and you have a hiker's heaven with lush areas to trek. I've often considered what side of the US is the better to hike and I have an insatiable urge to test all of the epic areas out west... you know: Rocky Mountain National, Glacier (which is my fave and I want to LIVE there), Yosemite, Sierra Nevadas, Olypic National, Tetons... there are SO many places out there I want to go. All of these places are dramatically different from what I have locally and while I may be green with envy for a few of those (Glacier and Yosemite, for starters!) I always try to remember that the range I have here is close, easily accessible, diverse, and ...HOME.

That being said, I know I have intent to go to the Rockies sometime soon (maybe next month?) and I know I'll be taking a trek to Glacier for a week or two (next year, I think) which leaves me ample time to plan a multi-day trek locally.

With so many different multi-day trails, I'm open to suggestions (either here or on Twitter using my handle: @Nicotye) but I'm thinking about doing the 16.5 mile Big Creek Loop in North Carolina.

&lt;p&gt;This site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip &amp;lt;a href='http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/10742'&amp;gt;here&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;

What I'd LOVE to do is get my new Hyperlite Asym hammock first and then make my pops (whom i have aptly trailnamed: Methane Man) go with me.

Sounds like fun unless you all have a better suggestion???

Go out and play!

Surviving My First Bear Charge

2011-07-10T13:04:00.006-04:00

It was a perfect day. The sky was blue and pocked with plump, lazy stratus clouds. It was early, so the temperature was still tolerable. It had rained the night before, so the trail was damp and perfect to keep your eyes peeled for tracks. The damp leaves softened every footfall, so the sounds of the forest were alive. We hiked the incline at a casual, deliberate pace. Today, we had no set destination; we merely looked at what branched off the trail and, though we agreed that we'd take one specific trail if we made it that far, opted to take whatever trail looked the most inviting to us.

A quarter mile passed... half a mile... one mile... the incline leveled substantially. We neared our first branch and stood for a moment, deliberating on how enticing it may be. We'd never taken that specific trail, so there was promise of new adventure if we so wished it. After a few minutes discussion, we decided to keep going and see what the next trail brought.

The main trail crosses over three mountain "streams" but, through the summer (excluding after rain) the creeks are normally barely flowing. The recent rainfall didn't impact the creeks much, but it did leave potential for tracks. At every creek, I would pause and inspect the forest floor, looking for tracks of bear, bobcat, deer, boar, and coyote.

We approached the third stream and I meandered over to it. I heard a rustling in the forest on the hill above me. My eyes immediately searched for the source of the scratching sounds.

"Jess," I said as I pointed up the hill, "cubs!" Sure enough, two cubs were scrambling up a tree about 75 feet away. They were taking it at quite a pace, too. That, my friends, is NOT a good sign. Bears climb trees for three reasons: 1) to escape perceived danger, 2) to get to some nuts or fruits, and 3) to rest or sleep. When hiking, if you see cubs hauling bear tookey up a tree and you don't see momma in the bush, this can be a very bad sign.

"Awe! Yes," Jess replied, "oh look, there's momma!"

"Momma?!" my ears perked up and I leaned left to get a view from Jessica's vantage point. She wasn't kidding. We saw momma, NOT scrambling up a tree, and momma quite clearly saw us. The following portion of the story will take far longer to tell than the encounter itself, but I swear to you, I will not embellish one thing.

Momma bear saw us and charged. Immediately my hands were in the air waving. It's the equivalent of saying "I'm human" in bear. She closed the distance to 50 feet. Jess's arms were in the air now, too. We yelled 'HEY BEAR' as we waved. Momma bear closed the distance to 25 feet. My yelling became more aggressive and loud - black bears respond to aggression (whereas a grizzly responds by becoming more aggressive). She was 20 feet away. I started snapping photos with my right hand, aiming at nothing but hoping the flash would help make me look big and scary. Now she was 15 feet away and I was reaching with my left hand for the bear spray.

Suddenly, she stopped. She was somewhere between 10-15 feet away. Her teeth were bared at us still, but she stopped; it was a bluff charge. Still waving our arms and yelling at her, I told Jess quickly and quietly to very slowly step back. We took a large but slow and deliberate step back. Momma bear stood her ground.

"Back up another step, Jess." We did. Again, very slow and deliberate. We had increased our distance between us and momma bear to about 18 feet. She didn't realize it, but I was in the exact same mode that she was in: "if you threaten my child, I will attack and hurt you."

It was enough. She turned and ran back up the hill to her awaiting cubs. We stood our ground. She gathered her cubs and they took off in the opposite direction. Finally, I was able to breathe.

"Jess," I said at last, "do you realize we were just bluff charged by a black bear?!"

Jess and I stood there for another 5 minutes, talking excitedly. I glanced at the photos on my camera, not spending a lot of time on any as my adrenaline was pumping, and told Jess I didn't think I managed to snag her in any of the photos. We continued to talk excitedly while we made our way to a backcountry camping area to sit and have a bite to eat.

We continued to talk over some trailmix and jerky and, on a whim, I wanted to look at the photos again. I was calm now, and I was so very hopeful that I had managed to get even a shadow of her in one of the sure-to-be-out-of-focus pictures. I hit the display on my camera and, right there she was.

Defensive Momma Black Bear after a bluff charge. (Nic Pic)

How I missed it before can only be summed up by sheer adrenaline causing brain freeze. In the photo in front of my eyes was an almost in focus, 10 feet away, teeth bared, pissed off and scared momma black bear.

I say it every time, but this is one of those cases that really brings it home: know everything about EVERYTHING where you plan to be.

Of note, I didn't manage to get a photo of the cubs. I will report this sow and her cubs to the Cherokee National Forest rangers because this bear has been spotted by the trail 3 times in three weeks; twice by me. I don't know if they will do what the Smoky's do (block the trail for awhile) because this is a wilderness area, but I should at least let them know that she is very active and consistently near the trail and that she has at least 2 cubs (she had 3 a couple weeks prior, but I can only verify a visualization of 2).

Now, go outside and have fun!

Nothing But Water and Woods?

2011-07-02T18:37:00.004-04:00

Today Jess and I hiked Big Frog Mountain in Polk County, Tennessee. I was anxious for this trip as I knew it was black bear country (and boar country). I haven't seen a black bear in a few years, the last two I saw were in Glacier National (Montana) and the only wild bear I have seen in Tennessee was ages ago (15 years?) and the bear was quite far from me. My aspirations, today, were to see a black bear.

A view from Big Frog, by Nicotye

Jess and I left around 6 a.m. and hit the trail around 8. Not quite 2 miles into the 10-mile-round-trip I hear something "hear us". Normally, the most noisy creature in the woods is a squirrel. I swear, I have watched a large buck run through the woods and make less noise than a squirrel rooting around for nuts. Whatever heard us, however, wasn't a squirrel.

It was big.

It huffed... not a deer huff, but deeper.

My heart started racing. I started fumbling, hands over my shoulders, with the top of my pack to get my camera. It was still making noise and was in a thicket not 30 feet from us. I told Jess, "my heart is pounding!"

As soon as I spoke, even though it was a low tone, the animal started to run. Instinctively I listened for the direction it was running and realized almost instantly it was running away! The trail went around a bend immediately in front of us and I took two huge strides - forgetting the camera - and rounded the corner just in time to see it.

Maybe 50 feet now to my left a large (well, it would have come to my waist, so large to me!) bear was high-tailing it down the mountain. I watched him bound for about 10 strides and one jump before he was in underbrush too thick to see him. I got a great look at him (granted, from behind). His ears were, for the record, freaking adorable.

After my missed photo op of a bear's bum, I opted to strap my trekking poles to my pack and carry my camera. Now, you know as well as I do, this is a big, fat JINX. It worked flawlessly, too... at least against bear.

About 4 miles later the terrain had shifted slightly and I told Jess, "keep your eyes open, this is pristine rattler country." Less than 40 steps later, I let out a loud, startled "WHOA!"

Jess quickly caught up. "Mom? What is it?"

I pointed.

Six feet in front of us, what in my wonder-filled eyes did I see?

A HUGE effing rattler, about to see ME.

Sorry for the lamer poetry there, but I was startled. Just last week I found a rattler, but there was one difference: I had MEANT to find that one. This one was being totally un-timber-like and laying, literally down the center of our 12" path. He was large, too. Every bit of 4-feet long and as big around as my fist. No sooner had Jess let out a gasp of wonder (I hadn't let her see last week's specimen), the snake realized we were there. It went into a mildly defensive "S", staring us down. It didn't "RATTLE" but it 'buzzed' at us. Not a "ch-ch-ch-chhhh" but a "zzzzzzz".

Timber Rattlesnake, photo by Nicotye

"Jess, back up a couple steps," I whispered. She immediately complied, as did I.

No sooner had she and I backed up, it laid it's head back down and started to slowly move off the trail. There was one problem. It moved off the trail by, at most, 2-feet... and it was parallel with the trail. I may have cussed a bit. Making up my mind that it had moved for a reason (to be out of our way), I told Jess to get behind me and, never turning my front or taking my eyes from the snake, we eased past it. As soon as we were clear I told her to step it up and we walked a little faster for about 15 feet. I cussed a little more and thanked all that was green and good that I hadn't brought my dog, LeiLui. On the way to a destination, Lui is always out front; there's no doubt in mind she would have been bit and killed. After that, I'll admit, I went a little paranoid. I'd go so slow I was almost in reverse any time that I couldn't see the trail (it was overgrown in spots).

Jess asked, "What's your deal, mom?"

I explained to her over the next quarter that timbers were the bane of the pioneers. They aren't aggressive by nature, but their venom packs a punch. If you startled an adult, there's a 20% chance that, when they bite, they won't inject you with venom. But 20% isn't odds that are high enough to bank on. Timber's venom is highly toxic and deaths have been recorded. Moreover, survival rates decrease based on two things: amount of injected venom (only the snake knows, initially) and length of time before treatment. I then asked her how, if I got bit, she was going to haul me off the mountain and get to a medical facility in a couple hours when it had taken us 4 hours to get that far, not including the 45 minute drive to the nearest city.

Her reply?

"Well, if you get near it, you'll hear it rattle first." Comforting? Not really. I explained that timbers aren't actually known for their over-use of their rattle. They rely on camouflage far more than their rattles.

"Then I'd leave you." Less comforting.

"You'd leave me?!" I exclaimed.

"Well, I'd leave you and my pack and run down till I got cell signal and then call 911 and give them your GPS coordinates to fly in and get you."

It was a good thing I never got bit. I checked on the way back and we didn't get signal once on the trail and, once back on the road, we didn't get signal until 35 miles later.

We hiked the rest of the trip, and the trip back in peace. I did have to make a quick trek about .75 miles back in to find one of Jess's trekking poles that a tree had pick-pocketed (which, of course, we didn't figure out until we got to the trailhead). Luckily, I was pack-free so I walked at a good 3.5 mile pace to her pole and, literally, jogged back. Nothing like adding an extra mile-and-a-half mallwalker/jog to the end of your lengthy, 3000-foot-vertical-variance hike!

15 rattles on this timber! (Nic Pic)

In all, totally exciting trip and a magnificent picture to boot.

Just in case you were wondering, the timber had 15 'rattles'... which does not indicate he was 15 years old (snake shed more than once a year).

As always, learn about the areas your hiking in... temperatures, elevation variances, terrain, and FAUNA. Study the facts that help you to identify signs, tracks, scat, and behaviors. In the end, seeing wildlife in the wild... is the most amazing thing you can do.

As always: GET OUT AND PLAY!

The World of MountainVision: Next up... "New Horse"

2011-06-29T20:06:00.001-04:00

A Word From Nicotye: Never
Underestimate the opponent!

Anyone who knows me knows I don't watch TV (except for Nashville Predators hockey!). So when I pipe up about watching a TV show, it's kind of a big deal. Not much keeps me inside and glued to a TV, but Expedition Impossible is an exception...

Want some insider, behind the scenes info from Expedition Impossible? No worries! My bud, Jeff Evans (team No Limits) has a blog and gives you more info than the editors can let through in an hour (not to mention personal touches).

Never give up on team No Limits... Erik ("the blind guy") has done more amazing things than most of us could ever hope to do. How anyone could count him out is beyond me.

The World of MountainVision: Next up... "New Horse": "crawl"

My Bucket List Desinations... it's about the JOURNEY

2011-06-27T14:51:00.001-04:00

Everyone has a bucket list... some are experiences, some are destinations, some are skills or accomplishments. My bucket list (aside from seeing my Preds play in every other team's barn) is made up of journeys in different places. Most of my places are on the North American continent... which probably makes me a lucky girl. Here, in no particular order, are my Bucket List Journeys:

Sierra National Forest

Photo belongs to Mike Jones

Who wouldn't want to visit Bull Buck, the second-largest tree on the planet? The Sierra National Forest has enough sequoias to make even giants feel small. Bull Buck, a 2,700-year-old tree, towers over 247 feet and I'm certain it will make me feel like I've tumbled through a rabbit hole into some magickal realm. Located on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, this California woodland’s hiking highlights includes John Muir Wilderness, Ansel Adams Wilderness and several others.

Grand Canyon National Park

Photo from LivingWilderness.com

I grew up near the Grand Canyon and can't remember ever actually seeing it. In my late 20's or early 30's, I remember flying west and the pilot pointed it out in the distance. The setting sun glowed red and magickal over the earthen rock. I'm dying to climb down a world famous gorge with a depth of about 6,000 feet (or 1 mile)... and equally dying to climb back UP. I'm one of those weirdo's who prefers up or level to down. For those with the endurance and will, this hike is bound to be one of the greatest adventures of a lifetime. The government site about Grand Canyon National Park gives lifesaving pointers such as avoid huffing and puffing to ensure your body is getting enough oxygen during that arduous journey.

Yellowstone National Park

From Destination360.com

Yellowstone. If ever there was a place on earth that was amazing due to geology, this would be it. Home to one of the world’s super volcanoes (the one they made the TV show about that’s been dormant for about 640,000 years and due to blow it's top), this wilderness safe haven holds so many wonders! Old Faithful Geyser. Even another active volcano. While the park’s geological attributes really provide no eminent threat, perhaps it does add a hint of danger to the trek while weaving through trails overflowing with the highest concentration of mammals in the lower 48.

from RockyMountainMagazine.com

Glacier National Park

I've been to Glacier but didn't get to hike. It was October (and I had one, rainy day to get a view of the park). I remember Logan's Pass (I think?) was closed already. Glacier National Park looks like the Swiss Alps without having to travel so far. Breath taking views along the Going-to-the-sun-road. Watching the sunrise over the gorgeous mountains. Hiking some of the most beautiful trails in the United States. The best part is the park is hardly ever crowded because it's way up in northern Montana about 45 miles from the Canadian border. I can't wait to go again, and staying in White Fish, MT was a blast all by itself! Did I mention I met my first real cowboy in here? I love this place.

Grand Tetons

Photo from SummitPost.org - Visit them!
I think the Grand Tetons are the most photographed mountains in the US. There are a magnitude of trails and so many rumored, hidden qualities of the peaks and canyons. One look at Painbrush Canyon and I'm always willing to pack my bags.

Denali National Park

Denali, Care of Alaksa101.com
And then, there's Denali. Never has a single mountain called to me like Mount McKinley and the Denali Range. I've loved that mountain since I was a kid and, while I have no plans to summit that beast, I'm sure that one day I will hike it's base and trails. Snow capped peaks are my very favorite and the amazing spring/summer in Denali is guaranteed to please. The park is massive, the wildlife is amazing, the rangers are helpful (they provide bear canisters and teach you want to do during bear encounters) and the views are nothing short of enchanting.

Day Trips Don't Get Much Better

2011-06-26T18:25:00.015-04:00

Snow Falls, Laurel Snow Pocket, Dayton, TN

We started our day on time, leaving the house at 8 a.m. I had told my dog, LeiLui, for two days that she was grounded and not going. As we were walking out the door, she gave me a pitiful look and I patted her head gently and explained that this was a longer hike and she wasn't fit enough to handle it. I closed the door, walked to the car, and backed out of the driveway. As I passed the front of my house, there Lui was; framed in the door with the most deseperate 'don't leave me!' look on her face. I turned around in the next driveway and explained to Jess that I was taking Lui, even if it meant carrying her again. Lui was so spastic when I came to the door (she knew she had won!) and she bolted to the car. THEN, again, we were off.

Let me tell you a smidgen of history about where we went today. When you pull into the trailhead at Laurel Snow Pocket Wilderness, you are immediately immersed in history. When you park the car, a quick scan around the parking lot and you'll notice the chunks of coal and pig iron. Along the first mile of the trail you'll pass one of the abandoned coal mine shafts, dinky lines (smaller rail lines that hauled the coal carts), the old water main that ran from the Old Dayton Reservoir to downtown Dayton, and of course tons and tons of crafted rock with a lot of it still standing. I've always said, one day I intend to just explore these areas and... if I'm feeling especially stupid, maybe take a look in that mine shaft. (Author's note: only stupidity would pressure me into the mine shaft... it's no secret that old mines are notorious for cave-ins and toxic [not to mention, explosive!] methane gases).

So, where was I? Oh yes, HIKING. Shortly after passing the mine (and, as there was only 2 other cars at the trailhead, unleashing Lui), I saw a person in the distance. As she turned, I saw a green patch on the arm of her earth-toned shirt. It was a forest ranger and here I was, breaking the rules, by not having my Lui on a leash (I know, I'm a rebel). I quickly leashed Lui and then we made our way to where the ranger was standing. We had a brief discussion where she complimented Lui's looks and discussed our hike for the day. Then, again, we were off. (Yes, I waited till we were off the beaten path before un-tethering Lui).

After the trail splits (right for Laurel, left for Snow), we found that we had to cross the Richland Creek on three 50-foot long metal bridges that were anchored into massive boulders. I can only imagine how hard those bridges were to get on location and then anchored in place! Lui, who normally shy's away from these see-through bridges, trekked right on across like it was normal. From there we followed the creek-line back awhile before an ascent up the mountain. Nearing the apex of our climb, we passed huge rocks that had fallen as well as the amazing 'shelves' left behind. Seeing the sheer rock faces that were left and the size of the rocks that had broken off, I couldn't help but marvel at how magnificent this mountain chain (all of the eastern mountain chains, really) must have been in eons past. Maybe that's one of my draws to this region? For anyone who isn't versed in the geological history of this region (TN/KY/VA) of our continent, it's a very interesting tale full of turbulent destruction, impacts from outer space, and upheaval of young rocks. I've heard it said that the Appalachian Mountains were once rivals to the Himalayas! That's like 30,000 feet high - but 300 million years knocked FOUR MILES off the top of the mountains. (Author's note: you realize if these estimations are correct that Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina is the tallest mountain it the HISTORY OF THE EARTH??) I'm digressing again, aren't I? Sorry. HIKING:

As we reached the summit and traveled along it for awhile, I noticed a rock outcropping that afforded a great view of the adjacent mountain as well as a glimpse of the Tennessee River. I had asked Jess to keep Lui on the trail while I ventured over in an effort to get a photo with the little "junky" camera we bought for hiking. Of note, that camera hates me so no pictures that *I* took will be posted from it (my phone's are fine). After attempting to get a photo of the view, my attention was drawn to the ground to my left where a relatively fresh snake skin (from a relatively large snake) was laying. I hollered at Jess that I would bring it over and was certain it was a timber rattlesnake's skin. We "ooh ahh'd" at the skin and then I placed it back on the ground (Leave No Trace!) and we ventured on.

LeiLui enjoying a rest overlooking
Snow Falls on Morgan's Creek.

Around 2 miles later we reached Morgan's Creek and Snow Falls. The view of Snow Falls, while it can be seen during the hike it, is most easily enjoyed after crossing Morgan's creek and sitting atop the falls. If the rainfall hasn't been too tough the creek crossing sounds harder than it is. The outcrop is very rocky but the far side of the creek offers a view of the top of the falls as well as shade and very comfortable seating - hard to find in the wild! Jess, Lui, and I sat here for a good 45 minutes and enjoyed a delicious lunch while contemplating where we would pitch our tents when we came back for an overnighter. After our leisurely lunch, we packed up everything and were back on the trail headed home.

On the way back, I started thinking...

"What is the daily range of a timber rattlesnake?"

"It was overcast on the trip up, but now it's sunny... and that bluff sure did provide a good basking spot... something she'd like if she was pregnant."

"How old was that skin? It was damp (coulda been rain?), pliant and still had great color... I'd bet it wasn't more than a few hours old at most unless it was damp from rain."

"I WONDER IF THE SNAKE IS THERE?"

So, I kept my eyes peeled for the shed skin during our trek out. We came upon it and I ran my above questions by Jess. She said she didn't know about the daily range and that we should read up on it. I asked her to get my camera and keep my dog on the trail while I 'took a quick look'.

I walked through the forest to the bluff.

I stepped up onto the outcropping and walked to the edge.

I looked in the sun-riddled spots... no snake.

I was just about to give up and turn around when I had a thought that I'd look where the skin had been shed.

BAM!

There she was!

Timber Rattlesnake photo'd by Nicotye

A gorgeous, fresh-scaled, 3-foot long and THICK timber rattlesnake coiled up and resting not 6 inches from where I had reached to grab an end of her skin. Realizing that I was only about 12 inches above and behind her (and more than 2-3 hours from being off the trail and near medical facilities), I slowly stretched out my arm (after yelling a few cuss words in my excitement at finding her) and snapped a photo. Finding the gorgeous timber rattler was enough to keep Jess and I engaged in excited babble almost the entire trip back (admittedly, we picked on Lui that bigfoot offspring [i.e. littlefeets] had a taste for canine and she needed to keep up).

Of note, we also saw a long, slender black rat snake basking in the sun about 3 miles later.

When we got back to the trailhead, the ranger we had encountered (Diane) on our trip in was still there. We spoke to her about a spade-toed toad that she had to show us as well as a HUGE orange moth that was laying eggs in a jar she had for display. Somehow her career was brought up and she told me she was a herpatologist by education and I went into my tale of the rattlesnake. She commended me on leaving the shed skin behind, complimented my phone's photo, and asked me if I was a biologist. I wish! We spoke about a few other things and I really, REALLY enjoyed talking to her. We said our goodbyes after I nabbed her email address (promising the photo of the timber rattler) then Jess and I had to hit the road.

After coming home, I admit, I told Funkdubie that I was leaving him for Diane the Forest Ranger. (hahaha)

Wildlife seen: Timber rattlesnake, black rat snake, corn snake, a few dozen young frogs/toads.

Trail length: 10.36 miles round trip

Trail difficulty: 7.5 of 10

Great hike - now go outside and enjoy some nature!

Vertical profile shows the elevation gain at 1,284 feet.
At 4.7 miles, you have made it to Morgan's Creek.
At 5.18 miles, you have made it around the trail and over the creek
to Snow Falls.

Today's Fun: Return of the Dead (Zombie Photo shoot)

2011-06-25T20:21:00.002-04:00

Nicotye, the living dead girl!
(sorry, shameless Rob Zombie plug!)

Today was likely the most fun I've had in a photo shoot in a long time. I didn't have to get dolled up, I didn't have to provide a full wardrobe... heck, I didn't even have to get a good night's sleep or brush my hair. Today, I worked with a relatively local photographer named Chris Ozment. Chris is fairly well known for his work with Heather Williams (she does a lot of motocross and 'rock' themed shoots, was on VH-1, etc) and often works with models from Atlanta. Chris's new thing he's trying is 'goul/zombie'. He's just starting to learn his make-up/liquid latex techniques and I willing volunteered to get all gunked up. This, after all, is my favorite style (i.e. jacked up, abnormal).

I drove for almost 2 hours this a.m. just to get to Chris. It took about an hour to get my three 'gunshot wounds' in place as well as a 'broken arm'. After that, there was some airbrushing and squirting o' blood to give it that glistening, freshly oozed feel. We hopped in the Gator (offroad all purpose thing) and headed out in the woods to an old, abandoned cattle hold. Chris set up lights with his portable genny and we were off and running... or perhaps I should say off letting me crawl into spider webs and weeds and crawling on the ground.

We only shot for about an hour or two. The fake blood is primarily made of corn syrup which bees are highly attracted to. In the end, Chris said I was the best zombie he's shot with yet and offered to do more of any style shoot in the future. I also willingly agreed to be a guinea pig for future make-up trials. In the end, this was the most fun I've had on a shoot in ages. The photos here are mildly photoshopped versions I did (please don't hold Chris responsible for my lack of photoshop skilz...).

Hopefully I'll get some professionally edited photos in the near future that I can add to my port.

TONS of fun, this!

Having a Girl Moment: Nicotye's Favorite Make-Up Look

2011-06-21T22:25:00.001-04:00

It's no secret that, in my free time, I like to be a muse for any talented (fine... sometimes "semi-talented") photographer. Sometimes I'm paid, most of the time I do it to help someone capture a certain look for their portfolio. Most of these photographers don't have a professional make-up artist, so over the years I have learned to pay attention when the make-up artist is 'doing their thing'. So, for anyone (there's a few!) who asked me about my make-up or for tips, this is for you.

I was bored today (never good) and decided I'd try my 'classic, dynamic' look and snap a few pics with my handy-dandy phone while I was at it. Never hurts to share trade (girl) secrets, right? This is the look that I use in my main portfolio photo, for the record, tho not the same colors.

Step 1 - No makeup (stop laughing)

Everything that I use in this is basic - things you likely have (or should?) anyhow. What you'll need: black eye shadow, silver eye shadow, white eye shadow, foundation, liquid/creme eyeliner (black), regular eyeliner (black), mascara, pink blush, lip liner (burgundy), lipstick red, standard set of makeup brushes, and gloss (optional).

So, Step 1: start with a clean slate. Easy enough. Don't laugh at me, either... it takes guts (stupidity?) to put a picture online with no mask!!! HAHAHA.

Step 2 - apply foundation.

Step 2 is pretty easy: Apply foundation. I use a foundation brush and, for this series of photos, I used my 'winter foundation shade' which is a couple of shades lighter than my summer look. I also blended the foundation down to my collar bone.

One of the things I see a lot is people who use the wrong shade. You'll likely change shades from season to season and I try to use one that matches my skin well. I have 'cool' skin, so I use cool tones. Some people have 'warm' skin, so they shouldn't use the same tones. Regardless, make sure you never underestimate the hideous ability of the dreaded MAKE UP LINE. I digress... moving on.

Step 3

Step 3: ON THE INSIDE half of your eyelid: Use the silver eye shadow from your eyelash lid to just above the natural crease your eye makes. On the outside, use the black eye shadow on the outer half of your eyelid. Kind of make the outside edge of the black shadow go at a slight angle from the corner of your eyelid up. Yes, there will be a silver/black vertical line in the center of your eyelid, that's ok.

Step 4: Going back to the silver eye shadow, use a small bit of shadow and BLEND the line in the center of your eye towards the outer edge. After you've blended the center out, blend the black portion at the top and bottom in (do not apply more eyeshadow for this blending). Using a thin, angled (slanted) brush, use the black shadow in a thin line along the outer 1/4 of your lower lid. Using a soft brush, blend out any remaining 'hard' lines.

Steps 4 - 7

Step 5: Using liquid liner, apply a line across the upper eyelid at the lash line extending to past your eyelid (I use a 'fingernail' guide - meaning I apply the liner to about a fingertip's width past my eye). The line should be thin near the inside of your eye and grow slightly in width by the outside, but comes to a point again on the outer tip. Apply a thin black line (for this i use my far more 'Idiot Nicotye Proof' regular eyeliner) on the lower lid.

Step 6: Apply a touch of white eye shadow to the very inside curve of your eyelid (meaning the part that goes between your eye and your nose - not IN the eye, either. Blend it both up/in and down/in.

Step 7: Apply pink blush to JUST the apples of the cheeks (you know, that part that plumps up when you smile).

Step 8: Apply false eyelashes if you so desire (I loathe them with all that is good and holy in this world) and apply mascara. I like Lash Blast... that stuff rocks.

Step 9: Blend with a blending sponge/pad

All Done :)

Step 10: Apply a thin line of lip liner and lipstick (followed by gloss if you like). Do NOT use a liner that is super dark compared to your lipstick.

So there you have it, ten easy steps to a decent, all-purpose make-up look (please remember that ANY photo will 'decrease' the amount of make-up you're wearing... so I don't recommend this color scheme for a day/work look. For day/work, follow the same guide and use more neutral colors and don't use the massive amounts of black liner.

Now you know my standard 'look' :)

“You don’t know the true sense of freedom until your smiling, wonder-filled eyes watch the sun play across the tops of mountains.” ~Nicotye

2011-06-19T16:52:00.000-04:00

My (Nicotye) favorite sign... so many options and
all hold the promise of an amazing day.

There is an inherent fear to sharing anything you passionately love... but the love for the thing itself often pushes you to share it. ~Nicotye

The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man. ~Author Unknown

So many people in my home state live so close to some amazing geography yet they never take the time (or maybe they can’t physically manage?) to see what our amazing state has to offer. Have you ever been to the Smoky’s? Cumberlands? Nantahala? If you’re physically fit, take a walk through them. Don’t spend all of your time chatting up your family and friends, don’t listen to your ipod, and don’t go so fast that you only have time to look where you plan to plant your next footfall. This region of the world has gorgeous scenery, even if we lack the rugged, jagged snow-covered peaks of the Rockies or Tetons.

“Man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard.” ~Standing Bear

Nicotye's pic of one of her favorite signs.

You know what stresses me out and scares me to death? People in “my” nature. I get irritated that so many people don’t take the time or effort to visit and appreciate the amazing joys of nature. The sounds of birds and babbling brooks replacing the constant drone of cars or television or people. The amazing feeling of raindrops on a warm summer afternoon. The solidarity with nature as your feet lead you on a path you’ve never taken. The exhilaration of cresting a hill and feeling like the only person in the world graced with the beauty of your new discovery. The lazy afternoon clouds playing on summits. A shaft of sunlight streaming through the treetops and illuminating a mountain laurel. Letting the wind play with your hair. Hearing the distant thunder and feeling the music from your heritage haunt the air. All of these things are amazing and irreplaceable moments in life. These moments calm you. They quiet your worries. They ease your tension. They let you forget about work and stress.

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. ~John Burroughs

But then, what scares me to death is fear that others will discover my nature… my peace. If history has proven anything at all, it is that humankind has generally not protected nature or its inhabitants. We trash it up, poach it to extinction, ‘develop’ it… Who are we kidding? We ruin it for the sake of ‘advancement’. So yes, nature may not be suited to cater to the masses as they seem to not heed the ‘pack in, pack out’ or “leave no trace” mentality.

Nature is my medicine. ~Sara Moss-Wolfe

Nifty things you didn’t know you wanted to know:

Horticulture of the Smoky’s: When you get to the peak of a summit, you’ll notice that the hardwood trees are replaced by spruce or fir trees. Know why? These trees are relics of the last ice age which made the average climate of the higher elevations too cold to sustain other species of trees. The most common are the red spruce and fraser fir. Granted, most of the fraser fir’s were killed off by invading insects that were brought from Europe to the US in the early 1900’s. When you’re nearing a summit, like Clingman’s Dome, you’ll notice a lot of dead fir’s that were killed in the 1960’s by this insect. Because of that, the red spruce became the dominant tree on the summit landscapes.

Herpitology 101, anyone? There’s only 2 poisonous snakes that you may encounter in your trip to the Smoky’s, Cumberlands, or Cherohala/Nantahala/Cherokee. In the lower elevations you may have an opportunity to glimpse a beautiful Copperhead (aka cottonmouth) and, higher, the timber rattlesnake. Three things to remember: 1. The non-venomous corn snake is usually mistaken for a copperhead, 2. Eastern Diamondbacks don’t live this far north (I think their northernmost region is southern North Carolina), and 3. Snakes are more scared of you than you of them… promise. Imagine how big you look to one of them! You respect their turf and I’m sure they’ll respect yours. ((Never EVER forget with ANY wildlife - including snakes - that you are in THEIR habitat and you should leave them alone and not disturb or EVER hurt them!))

Fauna of the Smoky’s: I’ve wanted to see a black bear in the wild for quite some time, and I’ve actually had the joy to have already seen 3. One of the three was in the Smoky’s and the other two were the BIG guys in Glacier National Park. Other cool animals to note are the endangered northern flying squirrel, elk (which were reintroduced awhile back), and the most diverse families of salamanders you’ve ever seen (and they are in almost every creek you cross!).

Heritage of the Smoky’s: This region is rich in both Native American and Appalachia.

So sure, stroll through Gatlinburg and maybe hitch a ride to Ober. Drive to Cherokee and enjoy the casino. Drive the Cherohala Skyway and marvel at the views… but don’t forget to hike Mount Lecont in Gatlinburg. Hike Mount Guyot in Cherokee and walk Ocanluftee. And at the end of the amazingly scenic Cherohala Skyway, stop and hike through Joyce Kilmer.

Nicotye's photo of a hiking bridge in the Smoky's

Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. ~Rachel Carson

So tell me, why haven’t you gone? What auspices have bolstered your excuses? Too little time? Too far away? Too expensive? Look around. Hiking (especially day trekking) is very little monetary investment and I promise you that enjoying a day out beats a day in front of your computer or TV. Have kids? Take them. Let them see the beauty of nature and help them learn to respect that you take OUT more than you take IN (meaning you pack everything you brought back out, pack out any other trash you come across, and have not only the memories but the feeling of doing a small favor back to nature).

Human nature is just about the only nature some people experience. ~Abigail Charleson

Nature isn’t something that we own or something that is just ‘out there’… it's something we marvel over, spend quality time in, nurture, and care for.......

“You don’t know the true sense of freedom until your smiling, wonder-filled eyes watch the sun play across the tops of mountains.” ~Nicotye

Want to see more of my hiking photos? I'm working on building a 'personal portfolio' on trips where I can handle the added weight of my good camera. Feel free to take a look! Nicotye's Hiking Photos

2011-06-12T16:30:00.000-04:00

Hiking Mount LeConte – A Summit Run

I had planned on hiking the ‘moderate’ Snow Falls in a county bordering middle and eastern Tennessee that weekend. It was supposed to be a moderate terrain, moderate distance hike… you know… about 7 miles round trip. An easy day, for the most part. I’m not exactly sure what prompted it, but I ended up changing my mind on a Thursday night and opting to, instead, hike to the summit of Mount LeConte via the Rainbow Falls trail.

Rainbow Falls, Mount Leconte, Smoky's

Let me give you a little of “what I knew” going into this hike. I knew that LeConte was the tallest (from immediate base to summit) in the Eastern United States and (therefore) Tennessee (yes, I know Clingman’s is ‘higher’ but it’s not as much distance because the base is situated at a higher elevation). Technically, LeConte (elev 6,593’) is the 3^rd highest peak in the Smoky’s (behind Clingmans [6,643’] and Guyot [6,621’]). Again, what made me think “Oh yah, that’s a good day hike” is kind of beyond me. Well, that’s actually not true – it was a good idea for a 2-day hike, which was the original plan. I made reservations for the LeConte shelter – which is free but does require some advance planning. Funkdubie, however, was really not fond of my grand plan, though. So, fully aware that Funkdubie didn’t want us staying overnight unless there was no other option, I made the choice to go ahead and pack for 2 full days of hiking and an overnight stay, erring on the side of caution, with the intent of making this a 1-day hike.

Packs: Jess doesn’t have a ‘real’ backpack, so I ended up with 2 sleeping bags, all the usual supplies, and enough food for 2 in my pack while Jess carried 3 extra liters of water and clothes that we discarded as we got warmer. The good news for Jess was, as refilled my 3 liter water bladder, her bag got lighter! The bad news for me is that the food we consumed at the summit and along the way wasn’t enough to make my bag any different (plus, the water from hers went to mine – so there was never a decrease in water weight).

My Hike Experience: I’ve got great legs; and no, I’m not being conceited. What I simply mean is that I can handle 30-40 pounds of pack and the distance AND the uphill/incline pretty easily. The terrain summary for the hike is moderate at best and very strenuous at it’s worst. Parts of the trail are very loose rock, often accompanied by constant trickles of stream (that aren’t very forgiving after a rain – even if the rain isn’t directly over top of you). The trail up to Rainbow Falls (the actual falls) and for a mile or so past that has some very gorgeous scenery as you actually follow a river/brook for quite some time. While Bullhead Trail may offer more views, it’s also more exposed to sunlight for that same reason, so that helped in our decision to hike Rainbow.

A view from the summit of LeConte's High Top

On the trek up, I had a distinct advantage over Jess (even though I had the pack) simply because I’ve trained for this kind of endurance. My muscles barely ached. I could still hold a conversation (and even whistled for a bit) and I never got winded. Jess, who had this experience to mark her SECOND hike, wasn’t as conditioned and to say that she loathed the trek up is probably being mild. On the way up I would gain quite a bit of ground on her and it felt quite leisurely to me as I would stop every few minutes and wait for her to catch up. The trees – from pre-falls through the first 3 miles – were amazing to me. A little further on, the trees weren’t quite as impressive but I loved looking through the treetops and seeing the mountains next to us, realizing how high I had travelled. The last mile or two to the top was, on the way up, difficult because the incline was accompanied by precarious loose rocks, slick and narrow mud footings, or rock ridging. After 6.5 hours we finally reached the shelter and opted to have a good, late lunch before going the last quarter mile to the summit. We snacked on canned pastas, snack crackers, a bit of jerky, and some dried fruit – YUM! We then trekked to the summit and did the “ooh, ahh” just as planned. It felt like we were on top of the world. The view is nothing short of inspiring and enchanting.

Another view from the summit of LeConte's High Top

We hoofed it back to the shelter where, glancing at my watch, I noted that it was nearing 4 p.m. I assumed that 6.5 hours up meant 5 hours on the way back. In the thick of the forest, darkness falls much more quickly than open fields or cities, so we knew we would have to really push it to make it out before nightfall, so 5 hours down wasn’t an option. I hadn’t completely made up my mind if we were trekking back on the same day, but for a short stint about 6 miles up the mountain, you can get cell service and Funkdubie made it very clear that he wanted me safe at home that night. Against my better judgment (and with some encouragement from Jess that down would be ‘way easier’ than up), I agreed that we should pack up and get moving. We extended our trekking poles for a descent and pulled out of the shelter at 4 pm.

Within an hour, while making good distance, my knees started to hurt and I ‘tweaked’ my ankles no less than three times each. The loose rock coming up turned a precarious climb up into a treacherous climb down. Within 2 hours, my knees were aching so badly that my pace was being affected. Within 3 hours I was putting as much weight as I could on my poles and Jess was waiting on me like I had been waiting on her on the way up. My knees were aching so badly that my ‘stride’ wasn’t even enough to put one foot in front of the other. I was, quite literally, shuffling. I tried to explain to Jess that jarring on joints with the added weight of my pack and at the rate we were (or had been) travelling was nothing short of physical ‘knee’ suicide. We had made it past the falls again at this point and had, literally, about 1 mile left. We sat on a log for a few minutes so I could take my pack off and rest my knees. My legs were shaking so badly that Jess asked if I was going to make it. I wanted nothing more at this point than to simply become a bear snack. I asked of her what I never thought I would ask: if she could trade packs for awhile. She looked at my legs, shaking uncontrollably, and agreed. She then shouldered the 35-ish pound pack and I told her to trek ahead and I would eventually catch up. It took us just over 30 minutes to make the last mile because my knees and one ankle were shot. We made it off the mountain in 3.5 hours.

When we got to the car, I admit that I wanted to cry… but my motto (as it is with hockey) is that there’s no cryin’ in hikin’. I took off my pants (yes, I had shorts on under; and my pants were drenched from trekking through creeks that were full of storm run off) and sat in my car wondering if I was going to be able to control my legs enough to drive home or make my daughter do that for me as well. After about 5 minutes the shaking ebbed enough to help me decide I could drive it. We started rolling at 7:45 and were home at 10:30.

As stupid as it may sound to some, I’m anxious to try Alum Cave and Bullhead trails next! Granted, I’ll take my pops along so that Funkdubie is cool with me spending the night.

Facts and Figures

The hike up the mountain is ‘advertised’ as 6.6 miles each way via Rainbow Falls, but it’s worthy to note that that is NOT to the actual SUMMIT. That’s to the lodge/shelter/Trillum Gap area. The actual summit of High Top (the highest of the mountains 3 peaks) is 6.9 miles one way. The trail retains a relatively steep incline throughout, averaging about 580 vertical feet per mile. The entire hike up (via either Rainbow or Bullhead) takes you through just shy of 4,000 feet.

HikingTheSmokys.com uses a ‘mathematical formula’ difficulty scale because they feel a ‘1 of 5’ or ‘1 of 10’ gives too much subjectivity. I agree to some degree; experience, fitness level, and conditions of the terrain can change a rating quiet easily from person to person. That being said, it’s worthy to note that their scale says “a difficulty rating of less than 5 is generally considered to be an easy hike. Between 5 and 10 is moderate and anything over 10 is considered to be strenuous.” So, here’s how they rate the trails up LeConte:

Alum Cave: 16.53 (to the cave only is rated 6.65)

Trillium Gap: 20.70

Boulevard Trail: 21.60

Rainbow Falls: 21.79 (to the falls only is rated 8.77)

Bullhead: 22.39 (to the geological features is rated 9.11)

Nic’s Rating

If you’re an experienced hiker and carrying a light pack, this trip would be fine (albeit strenuous) as a 1-day hike. If you are carrying a pack or aren’t an experienced hiker, I would really recommend this as a 2-day hike. I would give this (out of 10):

To Rainbow Falls: 6-6.5

To and from the Summit: 9

Last thoughts: I know hiking isn't for everyone... but if you love the outdoors, it's a great escape and a good time to just BE with yourself. For this trip, my sense of accomplishment is epic. I am so very, very satisfied with having the ability to say "I did that in a day". (Granted, I have daft idiot tendencies from time to time!)

A New Brand of Mace

2011-06-05T14:02:00.000-04:00

With LeiLui (the trusty K9) out of contention as a hiking partner, I felt compelled to borrow my neighbor's (and one of my best friends) Mace. When I say "Mace", I don't mean the spray, I mean HIM (see photo).

Nicotye and Mace the Pit

Mace is an 85-lb, full blooded Pitbull. Historically, I wasn't good at handling Mace because he is protective and likes to take the lead on any walk. I'm ok with both of those traits, but I wanted to see if I could handle Mace alone (his human always had him while I had Lui). The last time the 4 of us had walked, Mace was (and in the yard is) quite the puller. At 125 lbs, I wasn't 100% that I could keep him in line alone. So, I grabbed Mace, we got in the Jeep, and headed to the all-too-familiar Harrison Bay 4.5 mile loop.

We were tested almost immediately as we came upon 2 bikers. Luckily, I knew the male of the couple and even he wasn't too keen on getting close to Mace. Not a 1/4th of a mile further, Mace and I had the pleasure of watching a very large deer gracefully run and leap through the forest not 50 yards from us. Mace didn't pull, didn't show signs that he wanted to give chase, nothing. I was amazed (and secretly wondering why the first time I have to see a deer is when I have the big guy!).

Long story short, Mace was a great walking partner and he only slowed me down a wee bit. He's obviously not used to long walks - by 2 miles in he was content to only pull a little when he saw a squirrel (which he secretly wishes were chew toys). It was very funny when we came across two turtles in the path - they scared him to DEATH. After the 2nd turtle, even large pine cones would startle him. He enjoyed the Bay (literally, he climbed in to cool off 3 times) and with a little practice to build up his endurance, he may be suited for longer trips. The best part was that no one - and we passed 1 family, 2 men walking and 1 man on a bike - wanted to stop or linger or get close.

It seems that the K9 version of Mace is a better deterrent than the spray!

Laurel Snow Pocket Wilderness: Laurel Falls

2011-06-04T21:14:00.000-04:00

Laurel Falls: N35 32.837 W85 01.462
Trail Head: N35 11.853 W85 03.030
Approximate temperature today: 96-degrees F

This trip had everything - talk about a fun hike! I'll admit, there was some drama built in, but I don't want to spoil the fun by telling everything up front. Today's hikers: Jess, LeiLui (the trusty K9), and yours truly. To give a little bit of the layout of the area, there is a main trail that splits twice: once to go to Old Dayton Reservoir and once to go either to Laurel Falls or Snow Falls. From the trail head to the Reservoir split is about 1.2 miles (one way) and is a very well groomed trail that follows Richland Creek. It's worthy to note that for the first 3/4-1 mile you will generally see lots of people taking advantage of the creeks numerous "swimming holes".

Nicotye standing on a rock ledge by the creek

In addition to the splendid views proffered by the very boulder-infested creek, one also has views offered by the sheer bluffs on the side of the trail, old mining ‘establishment’ foundations, and one brick-arched mine shaft. Of note, the last time that I was at this location – about 13 years ago – the mine shaft was purposefully caved in. Over a decade plus, the mine is now open (though I’m not sure how far). My emergency flashlight didn’t have the robust beam to penetrate the darkness that fell at the end of a very precarious, slippery hill that enters the mine shaft itself. However, the mine entrance is about 10-degrees (or more) cooler than the outside temperature, so it offers a welcome rest on the way out.

A nifty hole you have to climb through...

At 1.2 miles down the nice little nature walk you come to the first split: Old Dayton Reservoir/Main Trail. This is almost exactly the point where the ‘nature walk’ turns into a legitimate hike. The main trail forks to the right and begins and immediate uphill on a very narrow path. This path leads you to the “T” fork where you can then opt for either Laurel Falls or Snow Falls. The “actual distance” between the reservoir split to the "T" split is about 0.4 miles but, in that time, you climb around 200 vertical feet. In addition to the relatively steep and narrow trails, the overall terrain went from usual forest trail to very large rocks and boulders. At one point, the trail literally takes you through a hole between two large rocks where the off-strewn rocks offer footing. The hole, pictured here, is large enough (3' tall by 5' wide) for a person to easily go through, but expect your pack to skim on the way up. Then, more uphill and across a metal bridge that is the sign of the relatively close “T” split. Of course, our trip was to Laurel Falls, so we took a right.

The next mile – and that’s literally about how far it is from the bridge to the falls – has some moderate terrain, a lot more uphill, and when you approach the falls, the rocks are precarious at best. Jess had a couple minor tumbles and I witnessed a woman with a different party that was leaving the falls take a pretty decent fall. More than once I would have to lift LeiLui up onto a large boulder and then hoist myself onto it. At one point, when I jumped down (maybe 3 feet) and was preparing to get LeiLui to put her from one boulder top to the next, Lui decided she didn’t need my help. She tried to jump from one boulder top to another and, not realizing how sloped her landing was going to be, she fell and tumbled from the rock onto her side. (We have begun referring to this incent as either “she blew a tire” or “her 4-wheel drive went out"… in case I slip up and

call it that later!)

Luckily, we were almost to the falls, which was our planned lunch stop. After another 10 minutes of boulder traversing, we were nestled in the shadow of the precipice that creates Laurel Falls.

Laurel Falls, a view from behind the falls

The falls aren’t impressive in flow but are in height and, I’d assume that if we weren’t in the middle of a dry spell, it would be more impressive. We settled in for some canned beef-a-roni, smoked salmon, snack crackers, and jerky. We rested in the shade of the overhang for about 30 minutes and then began the trek back. Somewhere after the metal bridge/”T” split LeiLui was showing a very marked slowing of pace. Over the next half mile we had to stop at least 5 times for her to catch up. Thinking she needed a rest, I promised Jess we’d stop at an awesome swimming hole I had spotted on the way in.

We made it to the swimming hole, though I’ll admit that the pace was achingly slow. Here, Jess and I took a cool dip and I even managed to persuade LeiLui to come in (ok, fine… I pulled her). We then sun-dried on a boulder, loaded up, and started the 1.2 back. We weren’t far… maybe 200 feet?... when it was clear that LeiLui wasn’t going to be walking back. It wasn’t like she was walking slow… she wouldn’t walk at all. I prompted her to take a few more steps and it was clear that she was favoring her left shoulder.

We still had a decent trek back to the car and it was clear she wasn’t going to make it. I picked her up in my arms and carried her but after not even ¼ of a mile my arms were giving out. So, I handed Jess my trekking poles, squatted down as far as I could, pulled Lui over the my head and, with some assistance from Jess, stood up with the dog hoisted around my neck and shoulders. We walked at a steady pace and made the last mile finally, slowly, and painfully disappear. When we were nearing the parking area, I had Jess take my keys and go ahead to start the car and open Lui’s door. We settled her into the car and drove the 45 minutes to home. I was secretly amazed that I managed to carry my pack and a dog that weighs 1/3 my body weight for that distance. (Woot, me!)

Nicotye snagging water to rinse out a salmon package

I dropped Lui and Jess off at home (I still had a 4.5 mile hike to do at the Bay to finish my 10 miles planned for the day) and Jess had to carry Lui into the house. Luckily, by the time I got home 1.5 hours later from the Bay nature walk, Lui is again walking around (not much, but not with a pronounced limp anymore). Yes, I’ll keep a close eye on her and take her to vet if she doesn’t show marked improvement in the next couple of days.

All-in-all, I rate the Laurel Falls trek as follows:

Terrain: 60% easy, 40% rugged. If you aren’t a good hiker, the serious uphills and boulders may prove to be more challenge than you bargained for, but with a good pace, lots of water (the three of us used 4.5 liters), and perseverance I would highly recommend this trip.
Wildlife: lizards, a humongous wolf spider that I was in awe over, and the usual chipmunks and squirrels. Oh, I also saw the biggest effing bullfrog I've seen in awhile and lots of fish in the crystal-clear swimming hole.
Time-to-Distance: the entire hike was 4.5 miles (note: the snow pocket is about 2 miles further if you opt for that route) and took 4.5 hours – this includes the lunch, the short swim, and the exceptionally slow pace on the last 1.2 miles. If I had done the trek alone and stopped only to eat, I would estimate it would take about 3 hours.

Personal note: I’m very, very proud of my daughter, Jess. She’s not done any serious hikes with me (this was her first) and she did a stellar job that I highly commend her for! She’s proven to me that she can handle some rugged terrain and, if she ever wants to test it further, we can do the Snow Falls leg.

DAY LATER FOLLOW-UP LEILUI REPORT: She's getting around better and even taking the stairs again today (albeit slowly!). My guess is she bruised her shoulder and ribs, but I think she'll be OK. (added 06.05.2011)

Savage Gulf: Stone Door (Trekking Review)

2011-05-30T16:52:00.000-04:00

The South Cumberland and Savage Gulf offer a lot of options for the day trekker or for the serious hiker. With over 90 miles of trails and perfectly nestled between Nashville and Chattanooga, it's impossible to not consider Savage Gulf when looking for somewhere to go hike. The trails range from easy to very rugged and the lengths vary from 0.8 miles to 12.5 (one way).

Today we (Funkdubie and I) did a minor trek to Laurel Falls and Stone door. Laura Falls is so close to the ranger station that it's near impossible to not take the tiny .4 jaunt to see the falls. While they may be impressive during or after a rain, I was more impressed by the apparent sinkhole/mini-gorge that formed the falls than the falls themselves. Laurel Falls is a mildly challenging hike at worst, primarily because of the uphill slope on the way back to the ranger's station. However, the very short duration of the hike easily make's up for the small uphill.

From the ranger station the hike to Stone Door Bluff is about 0.8 miles one way. The trail is paved for the first quarter mile (to Laurel Overlook) and the remaining trail to the top of the bluff is quite maintained and very easily traversed. The bluff atop Stone Door offers a stunning view of the surrounding mountains. Keep in mind that there is no railing around the bluff, so one should keep a very close eye on kids, clumsy people like myself, etc. Also be sure that no one kicks/throws stones or anything from the top of the bluff as there are often climbers or hikers directly below. By my opinion, the hike to the Stone Door overlook is considered "easy".

The Stone Door is a really nifty structure with an absolute gem of a past (actually - there's amazing geological history to the region). The "Door" itself is a 10-foot wide crack in the sandstone rim that surrounds the entire valley and is, pretty much, the only easy way to get to the bottom. Tennessee State tells us that the 'door' was used by Native Americans as a means to get to hunting grounds. Walking through the seemingly tight expanse of rocks, one can feel the cool breeze and imagine the sounds of eons past. There are (wild guess) 75 stone steps that lead to the bottom of the door. The stones felt well placed and poles were not needed. At the bottom of the door, one can traverse down slightly further and then branch out to where the climbers would go. This section was rugged but very short (I believe there are steps created to go to this area, but a fallen tree made that a non-option). From the bottom of the bluff, one can feel a new appreciation for the 'do not throw/kick stones' sign above. The cool air blowing from the pitted areas of the bluff were a welcome feeling mid-day (the day we chose to go - May 30th - was unseasonably warm and hovering around 93-degrees).

As always, what goes downhill eventually has to go back uphill. We made the trek back up the steps and took another brief glimpse of the expanse of forests. It's worthy to note that while the area has never been logged, the trees don't grow to the grandeur that one may find in, say, Joyce Kilmer park in NC.

Overall the entire trek, including the unplanned trek around the base of the Stone Door Bluff, took no more than 2 hours (and, had we not stopped to bask in the sunlight on the bluff, likely 1-1.5 hours total). I would rate the Stone Door trail - including the steps to the base - to be 90% easy and 10% moderate. If you can't handle steps, then skip the aforementioned 10% and just enjoy the beauty of the bluff from atop.

Wildlife: We saw a very small black snake, typical squirrel, and a very gorgeous copperhead. We first came across the copperhead after a man coming out of the trail warned us of an "eastern diamondback that was across the trail up ahead". I snagged my cell phone (camera) and we trekked on. Not far ahead we discovered the "eastern diamondback" but rather than across the trail, he was nestled just at the corner of a wooden overlook 'pier'. The other embellishment was that he wasn't an eastern diamondback but, rather, a southern copperhead. Copperheads have a reputation as an 'aggressive' snake, but most of the time they are really quite docile. This little guy was maybe 1.5 feet long, so he was a young snake and hadn't found out the hard way that snakes laying on human structures don't usually have happy endings. So, I gently encouraged him to at least move to the grass next to the structure (he did with zero issue). On the journey back, I felt an urge to see if he had moved much and found the little guy peacefully wrapped up in a shaft of sunlight that was breaking through the trees. He was off the path (by a foot, maybe) so hopefully he remained safe. As for the hiker who said he was a diamondback?... I hope he learns to ID venomous snakes of regions he's hiking more throughly in the future. Never bodes well when, if it happened, someone tells the doctors you were bitten by the wrong poisonous snake. (And how someone mistakes a copperhead for an EASTERN DIAMONDBACK is beyond me... they [copperheads] get more often mistaken for corn snakes and vice versa, but at least those two resemble!)

My point of going to Savage Gulf today was actually to peruse the terrain casually as my next planned hike is the 25 mile (round trip), rugged Fiery Gizzard. I can't wait to review THAT one!

...Bring On the Fiery Gizzard! (wow... for some reason that makes me hungry)

Harrison Bay Loop - A Casual Hiking Review

2011-05-28T13:13:00.000-04:00

N35 10.088 W85 07.198 (Trail head)
Harrison, TN

Harrison Bay is a gorgeous area and the main reason I actually moved to this specific part of Tennessee. Harrison boasts easy access, a great lake, good area, and friendly people.

The Harrison Bay hiking loop is, at it's very hardest, a mild hike; most of the 4.5 miles is a mere nature walk. Twice I saw debris from the recent tornadoes in the area (a month - exactly - prior to the date of this blog) which was a little surreal for me. The main tail head is very accessible and situated at the back of the boat trailer parking area. When entering the park, go towards the boat ramps, not towards the picnic areas. The pay-per-use site is near the gated recycle depot. Most of the 4.5 miles skirts the water's edge so there's lots of pretty views.

Wildlife: mostly just the 'common' sights of basking turtles, toads, and lizards. Bird sightings were cranes, cardinals, and blue jays. Oh, and of course squirrels.

Pros: great views, easy access to the lake for pets, decently maintained trail

Cons: lots of bikers like the loop which makes it a little congested (I passed no less than 20 bikers) and there is a tendency for bikes to rut the ground in softer areas. Also, the Bay is a popular boating/water rec area so it's rare to not hear boats or families splashing around from their boat. Lastly, if you're a hiker, this trail isn't really for you unless you're just looking to test the comfort of a new pack or some new shoes. Again, it's more a nature walk than a hiking trail. One can easily maintain a 3.5 mph pace.

Geocache: I'm not sure if the geocache here still exists. I perused for it but didn't spend a lot of time really looking because I had heard rumors that the cache(s) was removed.

(NOTE: I was supposed to hike in the South Cumberland today - a rugged 10-mile trek. Due to unforeseen issues with my son's car, I had to let him borrow mine which limited how far I could then travel with the time I had available to me... so, there's a chance that I was a little upset over going on an easy hike to the bay rather than what I had planned on doing. If I inadvertently took my angst out on my review, I apologize.)

Who do you pull for when you don't like anyone?

2011-05-27T23:14:00.000-04:00

Who do you pull for when you don't like anyone?

Tonight the one team left that I was pulling for, the Tampa Bay Lightening, were put out in a game 7 effort by the Boston Bruins. So now I have a conundrum: I don't pull for Eastern Conference Teams but I don't want to pull for the team that put MY team out of contention. So... what's a girl to do? I want to say I don't really care who wins but...

...then again, I don't want the team that put my team out of the race to feel the glory of raising the coveted Cup. I don't want the team that we really could have beat (feel me here, offense!) to hoist the most amazing prize of my sport.

So, short and sweet: Go Bruins.

A Woman's Guide to Solo Hiking

2011-05-26T20:28:00.000-04:00

It's funny how often I'm told not to hike alone. Uncanny. Maybe I'm bolstered by statistics that are on my side. Maybe I'm too hard-headed to admit I'm the 'weaker' sex. Maybe I'm just a daft and stubborn idiot.

Or maybe it's that I think I have more to fear walking to my car after work at night - you know, something routine that I do every day at almost exactly the same time. Or, maybe, it's that my sole 'fear' of hiking alone has more to do with falling and less to do with being seen as a troll's 'prey'? I'm not sure. Maybe... no, LIKELY it's a mix of all of that.

Regardless, I know I can't be the only female in the world that hikes alone (and by hiking I don't me trekking the Appalachian Trail, I mean a good 1-2 day hike) so I thought I'd toss some HockeyChic's Personal Pointers out. Remember that I'm telling you my take on things, that doesn't mean that I might not still be the daft idiot mentioned above.

Most of the items on this first list are on vast numbers of websites... others, most of the ones on my Grit list, I haven't seen at all. So, the
HockeyChic's Woman's Guide to Alone Hiking/Day Trekking:

Always pack the 10 basics:

GPS, Map, and compass (yes, a 'real' one... and these all count as 1 item but you need them ALL)
First Aid kit and "survival bracelet"
Flashlight
Sun screen (and Bug Repellent) and sunglasses
Multi-purpose tool (if you don't know what we mean, look up a "gerber" and think "swiss army knife on 'roids")
Water. Make sure you look at bladder systems as they are efficient ways to carry. Make sure you get the right size and don't go to small. In hiking, size matters... sometimes things need to be small and light, but water is not where you want to skimp unless you're taking purifiers as well.
Food. Again, pack for your trip but always take extra, dried goods are great for this (they don't spoil and are lightweight, too)
Matches (waterproof) or a very reliable means of creating fire/heat.
Take your cell phone. It may not get signal... but then again, it may!
Rain gear and dress in layers! Hot doesn't always stay hot and cold doesn't always feel cold. (This goes with #5 under the Grit.)

Now, the HockeyChic's Grit behind being a solo female hiker:

Always know the 10 Solo Female Hiker Basics:

First and foremost: tell someone where you are going and be as detailed as possible. I don't care if it's a family member or staff at the Ranger's station (though both would be best), but someone should know your intended destination, route, and intended duration. Always leave a number for a Ranger's Station, if you can, with a family member along with the above details. IF something were to happen (again, I fear more for a broken ankle than a stalker), I want people to know where I planned on being because that should be a good indicator of where to look.
Know your location. I don't care how many times you've hiked somewhere, take a good map (topo) of the area and a hand-held GPS unit as well as a back-up compass (the old fashioned kind). You may have been somewhere a billion times, but one washed out trail or landslide can really wreak havoc on plans.
If you're out overnight either be within easy view of some tents or be completely out of view of anything. The idea is that you're either in ear shot if needed, or you're invisible if you feel safer that way. Don't camp near roads and if there's an overnight shelter, check it out first before just packing it in for the night.
Be prepared to stay longer than you thought. I say this for a few reasons. Sometimes we underestimate terrain and get 'stuck' out longer than anticipated. I hope we never face this, but there may be other times where something doesn't go as planned and you're just plain stuck for the night or for an undetermined amount of time. Think big storms or (we REALLY hope not) an injury here. Always have, at bare minimum, a first aid pack and emergency blanket, extra water or means to purify water, dry matches, and survival essentials. You may think this sounds nasty, but it also doesn't hurt to know how to fish/hunt and, if required, prepare (field dress, scale, clean, etc) animals/fish. Lastly, it doesn't hurt to know the vegetation of the area; which plants are edible and which are NOT.
Read the sky. Be aware of the weather for the location you're headed to as well as the weather coming that way. Remember that your body is more prone to temps during 'exposure' to the elements. Don't forget not to wear cotton because it doesn't retain body heat if it's wet and it doesn't wick moisture away from your skin, either.
Be Prepared for any bad stuff. Just to be clear, by "bad stuff" I mean anything dangerous to your actual body/self ranging from boars or bears to poisonous snakes to trolls (bad men). Have mace, bear or pepper spray, a firearm (if you are licensed to carry, QUALIFIED to carry, and there are no firearm restrictions where you are going - which is actually going to be rare if you stick to state or national parks), and an 'all purpose' or 'multi-' tool that includes knife, shears, etc. These items help with wildlife - in any form - but make sure that you really know what you're doing. None of these are helpful to you if you aren't 100% knowledgeable and secure in use. Also, really take time to study the wildlife in the area that you're headed. Know how to handle potential wildlife encounters and what the best means of self-defense is (which, sometimes, is merely avoidance!). A good example is that your bear spray may work better on a bear than a gun (depending on caliber). Also, most snakes aren't going to chase you through a forest, they're usually only going for self protection, too! Worst case, know basic self defense against trolls. Of everything on the trails, trolls are the scariest things. Know these things.
Don't take unnecessary risks. This ranges from NOT taking short cuts to staying hydrated. Furthermore, don't overestimate your abilities or strength.
Use common sense. Yes, this would seemingly go with #7, but it includes your common sense about people and places, too. If you feel lost, stop and count slowly to 10 before looking around. Find something you are 100% sure you recognize if you can backtrack. If you can't, stay put. Also, if you come across a guy who is overly willing to accompany you, lie about having a partner with you. Never underestimate the validity of an 'uneasy' feeling about a person or situation and never assume everyone is good and chivalrous.
Know how to ask for help in different forms. Remember the 3: Three bursts on a whistle = "help". Orange flares. Mirrors.
Check in. If you are going on a long hike, sign hiking registers, call home, or do whatever you can to update someone on your location as you go.

As a side-note, I have a dog. I take my dog. She's super sweet and loving and, as a general rule, polite and kind to anyone we meet. But once, she flared up on a man and I was more than willing to take her word for it and high-tail it out of there. Even the most docile family pet can either be a deterrent or a helpful hand (tooth) when necessary.

So, like I said, I'm not going to proclaim I'm the world's most successful solo-female hiker. I'm not going to say I trek vast forests on my own. What I WILL say is that I'm not afraid to hike alone because I refuse to NOT do things I love simply because I can't find people to join me. I hike with people and like it... but hiking alone is very invigorating and enjoyable. The above list, it's mine and I'm sharing it; not because it's "tried, true, and unbeatable" but rather because it's just about everything I can do to make others (and myself) comfortable with my decision to hike alone.

AT&T Wireless vs. AT&T U-verse; Service Faux Pas

2011-05-13T17:24:00.000-04:00

Service – Noun or Verb?

It’s not often I vent my personal woes publicly. Ok, so not as often as I could. But this is worth the read, my friends, I promise. Full of drama, angst, and (thankfully) joy and satisfaction. Let me give you the back story…

…Unhappy with her current internet/television provider, a certain heroine (me) opted to switch her service to the New AT&T U-Verse package. I don’t fall for commercials saying it’s antiquated (it’s really not – Comcast is using 10-year old data for their commercials) and have had AT&T Wireless for eons – happily. So I negotiate a new package and U-verse installs my service on May 3^rd. While the tech is here, he gets everything all wired up and tells Funkdubie “your new home phone number is ###-####”. Funkdubie replies, “Dude, that’s not going to work for me… that’s my cell phone number that you had listed as the contact number to call before you got here.” Tech says “oops, not my problem, call the U-verse service line” and does the biggest faux pas in the history of the world: PUTS THE CUSTOMER IN THE MIDDLE.

Funkdubie calls me, I call U-verse, they admit the oops, disconnect the cell number from the house and assign a new one. I call Wireless and they say “um, we can’t port the number back. U-verse hasn’t released it”. To make a woefully long story short (if possible) I spend about 5 hours on the phone between U-verse and Wireless only for U-verse to play stupid and Wireless to tell me they can’t do anything for at least 10 days while they try to get the number released from U-verse (keeping in mind that “this is all AT&T” per the commercials to US).

U-verse’s call center, for the record, is in the Philippines.

I wait as 10 days pass with Funkdubie having NO cell phone (my resolution was supposed to be done) only for me to find out the port escalation area hasn’t worked on my account yet (no real fault of their own, my rep was in an accident). As I’m on hold with Wireless, I get an email notification from U-verse that my new bill has arrived and it’s $459. Then, the Wireless person gets back on my line and warns me that Wireless assessed me an early termination fee on the line that U-Verse stole… $300 (which would be waived after I talked to the port people).

My eyes bugged out.

My blood pressure shot up.

They left a message for the port specialist to call me ASAP.

As for the U-verse bill, I had agreed to waived installation and activation fees along with a $160/month package and they are charging me $459 after ONE WEEK?! I think not. Pissed as a girl can possibly get, I called U-verse and told them to come and retrieve their equipment, release my effing cell phone number which they messed up, and cancel my service. (Response? They can’t help with the cell number cuz it was disconnected, I have to pack up their equipment and UPS it to them within 10 days or I’m billed for it, and amazingly they had my service shut down within 15 minutes… funny how fast they work on THAT!)

Two hours later, I get a call from Mike, a “port escalation specialist” with Wireless. He assures me he will be working on my issue till resolution. I tell him what a bad day I’ve had and my angst (and cancellation) with U-verse. He says “uh oh.”

Not what a girl wants to hear.

Apparently, the ‘quick fix’ was to have U-verse reassign the cell number to my home and then they could port it over within a few days… well, that wasn’t exactly an option now that I cancelled my service. Fuming, I told Mike I didn’t care anymore and I wanted a new number. He said “we can do that, but I don’t have the authority to waive the early disconnect fee, but our service area can and then you call me back tomorrow after you make sure that’s what you want to do.” Mike assures me that in the interim he’s going to try to call U-verse and get them to release the number and, oh, for the record, this is his third escalation this week for this exact problem.

He transfers me, and I get Christy.

From the start, Christy is nice… empathetic… genuine. I give her a run down of my version of what happened as she’s reading the novel that has now been written on my account. Christy takes the time to get permission to waive the “early termination fee” associated with my account and also a $40 reactivation fee. She repeats to me over and over that she thinks it’s only right because none of this is my fault. She continues to work and, when we’re at the part where we assign a new number, she says “just to see… let’s try to reassign his original number to him”.

With nothing short of a ‘wow-ing’ moment, Christy has his phone up and running under the OLD number in 30 minutes. Now, we’re not sure how much credit Mike gets here, as some may be due – but after 10 days and HOURS on the phone for something I didn’t cause and of being told that there was no fix, Christy fixed it. (Note: Christy and I were on the phone for no less than 2 hours and she never once waivered in her empathy and determination to see this through.)

That, my friends, is what service means. Service is NOT a noun that is a job title… it’s a verb – and Christy never once forgot that. We’re all willing to vent when things go wrong, but so often we don’t tout something when it goes well. I’ve always been of the opinion that we should give thanks anytime that it is due and, Christy, I owe you one huge effing THANK YOU for making me feel like a human and not an account number.

(Last note: Yes, I had her transfer me to her supervisor and I bragged with every bit of my vocabulary on how pleased I was with the service she provided and how she, alone, made me feel like my issue was resolved… and not to say that there’s no such thing as a good outsourced call center, but Christy’s call center is located in Colorado – where they understood me, spoke in non-scripted language, and actually tried to resolve my call. It didn’t hurt that Christy is a huge hockey fan, either; we talked hockey while she was [and still is] working on the technical aspects of the fix from her side.)

Message to the world: U-Verse may eventually get their service up to speed, and I had zero issues with their product (the actual product) for the week that I had it. But, as far as service goes, they suck so much donkey dung that it’s beyond comprehension. They caused the problem and then put the onus on me to fix it. Furthermore, they didn’t fulfill their contract as they had agreed with my billing. I will never recommend their service to anyone and am quite pleased I opted to give it a “trial period’ before cancelling my former internet/television provider.

AT&T Wireless, however, has proven to me over and over again in the service that they have provided (dude – they called ME when I went to Canada and didn’t realize I was using foreign coverage!) that they care about me as a customer and, for that, they will always have my business.

</end rant>

(later that day: I got a call at 10:30 at night from the director of one division of AT&T Wireless saying he would have the final issues resolved with our number in 36-hours… SERVICE ROCKS!)

(and since blogger was down last night: today - phone service reinstated fully to Funkdubie's phone by 4 pm.)

Post Season Rambling and Love for the HockeyTonk Town

2011-05-10T11:21:00.000-04:00

I’m not a conspiracy theorist usually. I don’t normally blame my teams’ shortcomings on flimsy circumstantial ‘evidence’. I will admit though, I’m not exactly sure if I am willing to give the Vancouver Canucks the respect that so many others are willing to toss their way just because of points standings or series wins. I realize you didn’t ask why, but I’m going to tell you anyhow.

I don’t dispute that Vancouver has some great talent. Sedins, Kesler, Luango… who wouldn’t want names like that on their roster? But names like that should be in the upper echelon of playing skills and, never once, should hockey fans have either had to try to justify their action or question their action. Players of that level should be above questionable antics.

Vancouver fans may say I’m being a bitter fan or whatnot, but Vancouver’s own Bieksa publicly stated: "It's not cheating," Bieksa told the Vancouver Province. "It's within the rules and if the referee wants to assess it, he can penalize you for it. It's not cheating but it is a matter of integrity." Someone, please elaborate: What does it mean when someone on your own team, Vancouver, essentially says ‘it’s shady play and we’re above it’?

While I’m prone to angry outbursts over officials (or “awficials” as I have dubbed them), I’m equally as angry that people say we only gripe when calls ‘don’t go our way’. Two things:

First, yes, I’m a fan who does like it better when I don’t feel like my team is taking heat merely due to their geographic location in proximity to Toronto and,
Secondly, when someone on my team draws a call, I’m willing to at least say “he drew that call” or - if he did something stupid or uncalled for - openly yell "nope, people – quiet down – he deserved that penalty”.

Why? Because I don’t want to be a team that plays like they are going for the Oscar awards instead of the Stanley Cup. I think that there are ethics that each player should live by before getting to that level. I do NOT believe in the old saying of “if you aren’t cheating, you aren’t playing”. Maybe I’m too old school… maybe my Superman tattoo goes beyond skin deep? To quote one of my favorites (Joe Yerdon): “…What Vancouver does during the game for the serious NHL watcher is enough to make them really dislike how the Canucks play hockey.” (full article here)

I’ll admit I’ve openly ranted on the officials this year, heavily this series, and I really don’t want to revisit that. I’ve also vented on commentators; again, I’m going to back off. Why? Because my season is over so now it’s just pointless.

I Love This HockeyTonk Town

My season was really amazing this year. There were roller-coaster trends on the roster and on win-loss streaks. But the snapshot of my year shows what it almost always does: my team perseveres. My team never gives up. My team is a fan-friendly team and, regardless of the Western Conference Standings, I have believed in my team since 1999 (yes, I was a late bloomer). Here’s just some musings on my team’s roster – by no means a comprehensive list.

Blake Geoffrion and Jonathan Blum: Both showed amazing talent and an ability to step up into an NHL role and really become Nashville Predators.

Jordin Tootoo went from being a 400+ PIM player to a 40 PIM player… and with some puck handling skills and dynamic plays to boot. The crowd loves him, I adore him, and the Nashville Predators should be proud to call him theirs. I know that I am.

Jerred Smithson made efforts to step up in the center role and pull everything he could our way. Let’s not forget that some crucial goals were tipped in by the talented #25.

Shea Weber and Ryan Suter: perhaps the best tandem D in the league and, without a doubt, a physical force to be reckoned with. These two are like the Kariya/Selanne of the defensive world.

Joel Ward ended up playing a crucial role this season. He complimented quite well with our consistent ‘shooters’ of Erat and Legwand.

Shane O’brien really seemed to mesh with our roster and provide some of the grit and rumble that we needed – especially during the month of January. If he can keep his temper (and self-discipline) in line, I think he’d be a good long-term addition to the team.

And who could ever, EVER look at Pekka Rinne and not feel a sense of pride at the potential Vezina Trophy winner – a goalie to end all goalies and one that I’d love to see break a few Brodeur records in his time. I hope that Peks really knows how much we believe in him and how we, the fans of the Predators, have placed enormous amounts of faith and trust in his skill. I remain in awe of Rinne and having him makes me every bit as proud as when we had Forsberg*.

While my season may be over, hockey is not. I will continue to watch and figure out who I’m pulling for.

I have never been so proud of my team and the accomplishments we achieve and adversities we overcome.

…bring on the tattoo artist, I’m getting the logo inked.

*(Anyone who knows me know that Forsberg is my all-time favorite – so giving Rinne a spot along with/next to my hockey idol is nothing short of incredible).

Nashville Battles to Stay in the Playoffs

2011-05-08T13:20:00.000-04:00

There's nothing scarier to a die-hard fan than thinking your "Win or Go Home" night is an away game. There's some special sort of fear that strikes at the heart of a fan, especially when your team has gone further than they ever have in their history. I wasn't ready for the away game on 05.07.11, a game in 'enemy territory', to be my final game of the season. I wasn't ready to go for a long summer without my team, my sport, and potentially seeing a lot of my friends as often. One thing had been my mantra from the beginning of the playoffs and my Twitter account was on fire with the #iBelieve in my #Preds hashtags.

Luckily, my team held off the #1 team in the league and held on to my playoff hopes. They kept my dream alive by pulling out a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in hostile territory and, perhaps, against all rationale odds.

The win was amazing and there aren't words to say how pleased I am that my season continues on. But there are a few things I need to vent. First, I loathe Ryan Kesler. He has managed to injury three of our players in this series and we've dubbed him the Pred Killer. The NHL seems to turn an eye to elbows, dives, and shady play. I'm sure Nuck fans love him, but if roles were reversed we'd be taking a lot of crap publicly. The officials don't help much either. They'll call Jerred Smithson for an Oscar-worthy performance by Luongo yet our guys get injured left and right and nary a call is made. On Kesler, finally, there was some due comeuppance as he took a puck to the face and ended up with a few stitches being applied on the bench. We suffer from Karma, so welcome to YOUR KARMA, Mr. Kesler. Second, I'm getting EXHAUSTED from the mispronunciations by 'professional commentators' on our guys. It's pronounced FRANZEN, not frazen; and REE-NAY, not rhine. This is the big league, boys; and these players have earned the right for you to learn how to say their name and show a little respect. With each mispronunciation my respect for Versus and NHL commentators goes down bit by bit. And you know what NHL/VERSUS? MY TEAM DOES DESERVE TO BE HERE. We worked our butts off to get this far so back the **** off and start giving some respect.

Even with my occasional angst for whatever annoys me at the moment, I can't help but be in awe of my team's season this year. Pekka Rinne has amazed us all with the prowess that he shows in goal. Our best tandem D team brings pride I can't ever express in words. The offensive line that has remained consistent and the others that have stepped up to play their roles... my appreciation goes to you. Lastly... Jordin Tootoo, who battled his own demons earlier in the season... he has grown into a very dynamic player this season and watching him on the ice is a real pleasure for me to behold.

Along with the team, my appreciation goes to the amazing fans that show up and cheer on the underdogs game after game. The volume we maintain in our barn is nothing short of chill-bump-causing enchantment.

I'll see you all Monday for the next home game and, as always: #iBelieve in my #Preds

The Playoff Run... in the bag?

2011-04-03T11:11:00.000-04:00

The Playoff Run... in the bag? (Yes, repeat from my website)

by HockeyChic 04.03.2011

Throughout this season, we've had ups and downs. Winning streaks that elated our spirits, losing streaks and injury rosters that questioned our fan-hood. But in the end, there is one thing I can always say about the die-hard fans of SMashville and the endurance of the team: We Perservere.

I write this now, as we sit pretty in the #6 spot in the playoff run (with a strong chance at moving up!) and wonder openly if this is our year. Is this the year that the Predators finally see some well-earned respect as a team? Is this the year that Nashville loses the stigma of an 'off market' team?

Maybe.

This year has been better than many in my past 9 years of attending games. I've met a lot of new people, made a lot of new friends, and watched new players sparkle when 'old' players were out. I watched one of my favorites battle his inner demons and one of my least favorites step up and play his role as intended. Perhaps one of the best things I've seen, however, is Pekka Rinne coming into his own and proving to the rest of the world that he embodies amazing talent and skill. Peks has become, to most citizens of Smashville, Superman. Not to put undue pressure on him, but it is on the shoulders of that Superman that we will ride into the playoffs.

It is with my new mantra that I look forward to our last 3 games and to our upcoming playoff run. I will not settle for a first-round only playoff season this year... and I don't think my team will, either.

The smallest amount of faith is greater than the largest amount of doubt. #iBelieve #Preds

With that said, I want to send a great shout-out to some of my new friends that I hope to keep beyond the borders of hockey: Mark, Travis, Bryan, Jas, Jen, Ben... and the list goes on. You all know who you are, and I wanted to say "Thank You" for helping this season be one that is truly remarkable for me.

A Bit of Beauty Leaves Us…

2011-03-23T13:49:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth Taylor was, by almost anyone’s standards, one of the most beautiful women of all time. Her appeal exemplified class and her look, while sultry and beyond compare in many ways, was unique and truly amazing. Unlike most amazingly beautiful women (example is one of my faves, Marilyn), Liz had talent. Most extremely gorgeous women either lacked talent or lost themselves in the vices of their era. Liz somehow managed to overcome and continued, until her death, to be an icon of feminine beauty.

Liz was someone I admired. She had a self-proclaimed obsession for living with passion and I think most of us forget to maintain passion in our day-to-day lives. Some people find it ironic (or perhaps shallow?) that I feel we should mourn the passing of such an icon. People say we are a shallow society who places too much on appearances. But you know what? We – all of us – help form that society and I don’t regret my ability to appreciate the beauty that she had (just as I don’t regret my ability to find beauty in virtually everything and everyone I see). I will forever look at Liz and marvel (and wish I could replicate) the beauty that she so gracefully took the burden of every day.

…and yes. That kind of beauty would be a wonderful yet horrible burden to carry every day.

Best of hope to you Liz, on wherever you may now be. You add class and wonder to the cast you are now with. I will forever be enamored by you.

Elizabeth Taylor 02.27.1932 - 03.23.2011

-Nic

Vieux-Quebec

2011-03-08T11:48:00.000-05:00

We did something that other Tennesseans (and many 'normal' people) would think is crazy: we opted to visit Vieux-Quebec the first week of March... when the weather is harsh and REALLY cold. Why? FTHOI! Funkdubie had never seen "real snow" or experienced "real cold" (nor had had been north of Ohio) and it was my intention to introduce him in harsh yet beautiful fashion.

(There is a link to more photos at the bottom of this post.)

Winter in Quebec is a magical season... they don't call it the "Great White North" for nothing. But Quebec offers something otherwise unseen in North America: the only fortified city and a bit of Europe nestled into our continent. The main reason I wanted to go was for the obvious: History buried in SNOW. I miss snow... I miss the cold. If you know how to dress for it, visiting cold places (or living in them) isn't nearly as bad as many may think. While I had originally kicked around London, I thought I'd go to Vieux-Quebec first because it's a one-of-a-kind on my continent.

Day 1:
Our first day on our trip was unexpectedly delayed by 10 hours in Detroit's scenic (not so much) DSW Airport. We flew from CHA to DSW and immediately boarded our flight to YQB. After about 10-minutes on the plane, the pilot informed us that, due to snow and wind in Quebec, we would be unable to land so our flight was being cancelled. Not delayed; cancelled. I secretly think they cancelled it and booked all 8 of us on the way later flight just because there were only 8 of us flying in. Our day at DSW was dull at best and our 2nd most expensive day of the trip. Why? The only way to combat boredom and retain morale came in the pale amber liquid we like to call BEER... at $8 a glass. The only thing good I can say about the Detroit Metro Airport is that it's clean, large, and has a cool hall of tranquility (I'm not sure what it's REALLY called, but I've dubbed it this and linked to a video I took on my phone while going through).

Finally we board our flight and after 2 more hours in the air, we're finally in Quebec City, Quebec. We breeze through customs, grab our luggage, and snag a taxi to the hotel.

We spent our trip at the Hotel Louisbourg which is part of the Acadia 'chain' here. The Louisbourg and Acadia are situated right between what is known as upper and lower town and central to many great sights. Quaint and cute (and warm!), it was a good place to stay. The only thing I can say, however, is to bring ear plugs if it's the winter season. The stone walls and large windows don't do much to block street noise (which isn't from noisy and boisterous tourists, but rather from the large snow removal equipment!).

We knew it was going to be cold, so after we got checked in, we layered up and started to walk the streets looking for something to eat. We discovered quickly that Vieux-Quebec rolls in the rugs early and closes everything. We were very lucky that St. Patrick's Pub found themselves with a few more patrons than usual and opted to remain open. So at 2230 (or 10:30 as we would call it) we had nachos with salsa and some amazing St. Patrick's home brand: St. Patrick's Blanche (i.e. wheat). The weather? About -23-degrees Fahrenheit with the wind chill.

Day 2:

We ate a french breakfast every day at LeFleu Sacre which was next to our hotel. Some of the fare was the usual: scrambled eggs and cereal while other things (baked beans or crepes, for example) were more traditional for French fare. My intent today was to travel and see St. Anne's Basilica and Parc de Chute Montmerency (the waterfall at Montmerency Park). These were also the furthest destinations I had wanted to visit. I know there was likely a tour, but we also know I hate working on anyone's schedule or waiting for anything... so we opted for le taxi. For the record, le taxi was SUPER expensive... it was a $120(CAN) round trip... but worth it. St. Anne's was freaking amazing and the fact that it was built in the 1600's is enough to blow anyone's mind. Luckily I could get a great view of Chute Montmerency on the way, so I didn't bother to stop. It was only -1 Fahrenheit so playing outside near falling water (it appears the center of the falls rarely freezes all the way solid) wasn't on my list of things to do.

After our trip to St. Anne's we walked about 7 blocks into the city to a local pub called Le Sacrelige. A local folk band, Le Rouvielle, was playing and while I couldn't understand a word of what they said, I had a wonderful time listening to them. The music was good, the atmosphere friendly, and the beer tasty and inexpensive. Finally our stomachs took over and it was time to wander and eat. Our selection was St. Alexanders which was pretty well spoken of in reviews (as an establishment and also as a historic site). The food was amazing but this was the one place where our waitress seemed offended that we were English-speaking. We tried, at all times, to 'make up' for our lack of French and ask politely if the person could speak English. When they couldn't, we would always find a fun and friendly way to improvise... when they could, with the exception of St. Alexander's, they were always happy to oblige. Our waitress wasn't mean about it, really... more like sarcastic with an aire of "if I had to learn to speak English, you should have had to learn to speak French". But, whatever. On the way back to the hotel, Funkdubie wanted some more beer and I was craving cafe (coffee) and I spied a hockey game through a window of a pub. We ended up at D'Orsay English Pub and met a fun local named Steve who tried very hard to talk to me about hockey... bless him. :) At this point, I'd say it is fair to admit that Funkdubie's new favorite beer is St. Ambroise Stout.

Day 3:

We opted for D'Orsay for lunch because Steve had bragged on the food, which did end up being amazing. The service during the day left much to be desired compared to the service we had just had the night prior. Funkdubie was having some minor knee aches, so we walked to a store and bought some French loaf bread, a bag of Doritos, and 2 bottles of Don De Dieu. We spend the rest of the day relaxing and watching TV.

Day 4:

I woke up to amazing amounts of snow! I had to get out in it, so we walked to the Citadel, walked around Plains De Abraham and around the fortifications of the city. We ate at St. Patrick's where I tried something new: Smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers on a bagel. We were GOING to do a pub crawl, which we were GOING to start at Sacrilige... but... well, I'm a lightweight and after 2 pitchers (shared) at St. Patrick's we made it halfway to Sacrilege and I was ready for death. Sorry, Funkdubie... I'm a lightweight.

Day 5:
On the 5th day I was suffering from cabin fever while Funk was suffering from over-walkabout. I wanted to go cross-country skiing but Funk had other ideas, so we stayed local and ate at (can't remember) for lunch and D'Orsay for dinner. Funk had a huge bowl of muscles while I enjoyed steak-n-frites with homemade mayo. The French have something with this dipping fries in mayo... amazing stuff that assisted in my 7-pound weight gain (LOL). We ended the night at our favorite: St. Patricks.

Day 6:

We were supposed to catch a flight at 6:30... but the same weather I loved on the ground wasn't going to let us leave. So after about 5-6 hours of delays, we finally took off and made it home in the evening. I miss it already.

RECOMMENDATIONS and RAMBLINGS
I recommend the St. Patrick's Pub completely. A good selection of local beers and a good atmosphere. I also recommend Le Sacrelige on Rue St. Jean in the 500 (I think) block. The place is crammed with locals, has a killer beer selection, and the joy of live entertainment. Regardless how you get there, make the trek to St. Anne's Basillica... it was the coolest. I liked it better than St. Patrick's in NYC. Make SURE you eat some frites with homemade mayonnaise.

On a side note, I recommend Icebreakers thermal gear in 200 or more weight (get it in the States before you go). One layer under jeans and a layer under a sweater and coat kept me toasty and dry. Also, bring ear plugs if it's winter as the massive plows and snow blowers start roaming the roads around 4 a.m. and are VERY loud.

If you don't know any French, I recommend learning the very basic French words: Do you speak English? Please. Thank You. Yes. No. Those words are enough to get by.

Lastly, forget about currency exchange and just use your credit card. There are so many non-official 'currency exchanges' that you're bound to lose money if you go that route (especially right now when the Canadian dollar is worth more than the American dollar).

Want to see a few more photos?

Au revoir.