Vermont

The wild wild west. That statement finally makes sense to me now. I enjoyed my time in the east but I am surely glad to be back home in Oregon, and anticipating the move to Mammoth. I spent Thanksgiving with Kristin and her family in Vermont. I didn't take many photos while there but here are a couple.


We were feeling a little lost in the city so we decided to try our hand at city living and had the grand idea one night in Burlington to go into Urban Outfitters and pick out the most ridiculous clothes we could for each other. The woman at the dressing room wasn't too stoked about us doing this. Everybody needs their piece of the American dream, right?

...Where it all began...

Since being in Maine Jon has shared a cd with old photos from the Red Rocks in Nevada. I drove down with Brent and Steve from Bend and we met a group of people from Colby College in Maine. One of fellows ended up being Jon Begin, and another Scott Shiverdian. We climbing for about a week and spent one night in the living hell of Las Vegas. Brent, Steve, Jon and I would go off away from the group and do all day multi-pitch trad climbs. My favorite style of climbing: long easy trad climbs.

New England

For the last week I have been in Maine with the Begin family. They live in a town called China just outside Waterville. I have been roofing a bit, and more recently Brent came into town and we have gone on a couple adventures. We picked him up in Portland then B-lined it to the coast. We hiked a "mountain" (hardly a mountain compared to the West, more of a hill, or a bump) called Mt. Battie. At the top was an amazing view of Camden and the Atlantic ocean. This is possibly the best fall colors I have been to date.

Hiking up the mountain. We actually lost the car keys on this trail and as you can see they would not be the easiest thing to find on a trail with that much foliage. Some other hikers ended up finding them and we were able to retrieve them.

At the top of mount Battie.
We decided to pick up a few lobster, isn't that standard when visiting Maine? I wanted to try the difference between Maine lobster and California lobster. I thought the California lobster were better, but it could have been how fresh they were and because I dove for them.
The Maine coast is something special.

San(d)iego

From the sandy beaches of San Diego to the rainy meadows of Maine...

I spent all last week in San Diego. I went down for my grandmother's 80th birthday. My wonderful sister has been living down there for the last year or so. She was a wonderful tour guide. We visited the beach a couple times and surfed. Check out the photo below. The first day we went out with no wet-suits and the second day she was able to locate a wetsuit for me to borrow complete with a big hole in the butt.

My uncle Andy also took me out fishing for a day. We fished in San Diego bay for the majority of the day and caught, sand bass, and a couple halibut. Then after it got dark I got to scuba dive and go for lobster. I only was able to catch one lobster. (those buggers are FAST!) My first time scuba diving and in the dark. What an amazing experience.Check out the name of the boat (Last one #2)

We also caught a couple tuna. My dream came true and we cut the fish up on the boat, not but a couple hours old and ate it with soy sauce and wasbi.

Now I am here in the cold and wet Maine. The leaves are on their way out and they are something special. I am seeing shades of orange, yellow, and red that I have never thought we possible.

--The heart was made to wa(o)nder--

Hello- I hope reading this wicked long blog finds you well and healthy as we change seasons and move into the long cold season of Winter.

I have been roaming all around the Pacific Northwest/Northern California for the past couple months. I have sailed, rafted, and hiked all over. Now I am out of money and have squeezed every last bit of summer out, now I reside in Hood River where I enjoy my family and take in Hood River at it's finest.

I have been spending a good deal of time with my lovely sister Lindsey, whom I love like no other. My girldfriend Kristin, the beautiful woman from Vermont in many of the photos. Ben Hacket owner of the one and only Glara-mara. Forest, Michael and Lisa the coolest family in French Gulch. Mikey and YT fellow summer workmates and friends. More recently Blaine and Bethany, the strangest married couple alive, I don't know if I will ever be able to understand their relationship. My mom and dad who I am eternally grateful for. Brent my hotsprings buddy and BFF. And so many others there are too many to mention. Sorry y'all.

They say photos are worth a thousand words and my fingers are a little dirty from working on my van so here we go...
Linz and I hiked the John Muir Trail in the high sierra in Central/Northern California. We had an incredicle time that cannot be described by words.

Kristin and I in Big Sur California.

Michael and I on our way to the NAWA graduation in Redding.

Ben aboard the Glara mara crossing the Sraight of Juan de Fuca. She's on auto pilot.

My last major Goodness Collective event, the mother's day potluck. Thanks mom and dad for coming! RIP to the the collective, I am going to miss that place.

Forest Kielich. Cutest little dude around. One more reason to move back to the Gulch.

Michael fishing the Sacramento river in Redding. Yet another reason to move back.

Porcini mushroom in the Mt. Hood National forest.

The Wind River Hotsprings in Washington.

Kristin on a semi-steep section of Mt. Thielson. That is one cool peak to climb. Highly encouraged.
Kristin and I at Crater Lake. Take note we both got hair cuts! No dreads for Kristin and no more hair for me!

And now for a little, I say again, tiny does of the Sierras.

Before I forget... I also graduated college! I am done with my studies at Oregon State and have received a Bachelors of Art, in Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Tourism, with a focus in Outdoor and Experiential Education! I feel pretty proud of myself.

Linz and I on day 20 of the trail... WOW.

Kristin and Mikey on the trial the day before climbing Whitney.

Linz and I on the top of Forests pass at 13,200 feet.
Fresh chantrelles anyone?

I won a 39 pound watermelon in Oakdale near Yosemite.

The outside Lands music festival in San Fransico. Radiohead!

My latest obsessions.

#1) Fly fishing #2) Musrooms. #3) Family and friends.

Clean me up Scottie.

Kristin and I are on day two of the master cleanse. The lemonaid cleanse. As of right now I am experiencing some fairly painful headaches that are "the toxins moving through my body." I sure hope it is something like that.

Mountains, faces, and Forest(s).

Dear friends, I am being held captive in a place where I am forced to ski, take naps, hike through the forest, fish in creeks, and enjoy beautiful views. Please send for help as soon as possible.


I have been spending a good amount of my time with a new family call the Kielich family. Michael is the humanities teacher at NAWA, his wife Lisa gave birth to their son Forest a year and a half ago. They have been a major blessing to have added to my life. I spend many dinners, and many days with them. Forest is one the happiest guys around. The above photo is Forest and Lisa "fishing" at a nearby waterfall. They are a wonderfully kind family whom I have grown to love. Don't worry I am in good hands Mom and Dad.

In other news, Kristin is visiting. We got kicked out of our beautiful spot by the creek in French Gulch. I am in the process of finding another spot; hopefully where I am awake to the orchestra of gravity and water combining.

Goin' to California

I have arrived in California. Take a look at my life. I have been at NAWA doing the whole internship thing for about a week now. I have headed full speed into the slow life of the country. I miss everybody in Bend but I am also enjoying the new life ahead of me in California and beyond. I feel like a bird who has been let out of his cage. I am free to wonder, read what I want to read, and move at the pace I wish to move at. The internship thus far has been super lax and I can pretty much make up the schedule I want. It is refreshing to live in a place where there are no cell phones, not a lot of traffic, and people enjoy living their simple lives. I got some pretty funny looks the first drive I took through the Gulch. Hippy boy in VW Bus cruising through a town where most people have big jacked up trucks with guns in the back. However I am finding everyone waves at me and has a grin from ear to ear most days.

This is the place I have been staying on BLM land about 7 miles from the school.

The first week I went through the Spring Training which was a really intense five and a half days. We had a couple 12 hour days that were packed to the fullest. I am glad it is over but I learned an imense amount.

Here is the little town of French Gulch which I now reside in. It is just a little valley (Gulch) where about two hundred people live.

My life has changed for the slower. Having just come out of school and skiing to the max I am enjoying cooking large breakfasts for myself, doing yoga by the creek, drinking tea till 11 o clock in the morning and exploring the area on foot and on bike.

Thanks Brent and Steve for doing our little adventure on the way down. It was just what I needed for a transitition into a new phase. I have been thinking about you guys when I find myself in types of moments that are best described by the photo below. Beer, burrito, and guitar.

Much love to my friends and family around the world. You are what makes my world go round. I love you all dearly.