Mushrooms are eating the San Francisco Bay!

I'm sure you have all heard about the big container ship that hit the bay bridge a few days back and spilled 58,000 gallons of fuel into the bay. Oops.
Even the SF 7th graders I gave a presentation to yesterday knew all about it, so I'm sure all y'all out of staters know about it by now.

Apparently the governator won't let the fisherman or crabbers do anything until the mess is cleaned up, so lots of them are helping with their boats to clean the oil up. read article here.
Good idea Arnold, you know, I think he's not such a bad guy really. Did you know his signature is on my college diploma? Not that I'm necessarily proud that this grotesquely muscle-bound terminator is our governor, but he's actually done a lot of amazing work for the environment, so I've got to say thanks Arnold.

To be honest, I have been more busy trying to juggle a few different jobs lately than keeping up to date with the status of the oil spill clean up, but I did take a few minutes this evening to read a great article that made me really excited: a bunch of volunteers are using human hair mats (made from hair collected from hair salons)to soak up the oil on beaches, then using oyster mushrooms to absorb the oil, which turns the whole mat into compost! Turning toxic oil into non-toxic compost- awesome! That's gotta be one of the coolest, greenest, non-toxic solutions I've ever heard of! Yay for creativity and the mushroom family. Check out the article here.

Have any of you heard of Paul Stamets? He's basically the mushroom guru of the Pacific Northwest who wrote an amazing book about how mushrooms will save the world "Mycelium Running." I haven't read it, but I have heard him speak a couple of times about it, and it's truly miraculous stuff! Check out his website here.

So there are safe, all natural solutions to a lot of the yucky, man-made toxics created from our "industrious" species. Hallelujah! (I'm listening to old time gospel music right now. Which reminds me, Oakland has an amazing interfaith gospel choir! Who wants to come and see them with me? They have a Christmas concert every year, wouldn't that be fun?)
I'm thankful for creativity! May we all let more creativity thrive in our lives and make room for more innovation and miracles!
May I make more room for creative outlet in my life- I feel like an artist, but I don't do art often enough.
Here, some more paintings from this summer- feast on these for now till I get some new work:)



"Big Sand Lake" WI (near MN where Glenn's grandpa lives)



"Evolution Lake Sunset"- One of the prettiest spots on the Pacific Crest Trail located in Evolution Valley in Kings Canyon Wilderness I believe- also great fishing.



"Lake of the Lone Indian"- a beautiful spot off the beaten path a little bit, again an amazing spot on our hike along the Pacific Crest/John Muir Trail



"Rae Lakes" we stayed at a little island in between the two lakes, this is looking north at sunset.



"Puget Sound" in Seattle Washington- we went here right after our big hike and this was pretty close to where Glenn's sister Buffie lived.

I made some of these into cards- would you buy one? I'm thinking of trying to sell some at some of the local stores maybe?

Happy Halloween!!

Barbarian and Sea Monkey, the dynamic duo of the year.
I love Halloween! The costumes, the sugar, the costumes, the haunted houses, the costumes, the pumpkins, the corn mazes, the squash and leaves and crisp air and and and....all the creative costumes!
Highlights for me this year were: the Phantom of the Opera themed haunted house, the Pirate's Cove haunted house, glenn's two-faced reversible jack-o-lantern, going to the party of our performing arts friend Frank, seeing Michael Jackson dance Billy Jean, making my sea monkey costume, finding glenn a human hair wig for his barbarian costume, and last but not least, my friend Noelle's costume: "Barbie's friend Fanny, the overweight barbie that has been discontinued, still in packaging comes with a fanny pack, slim fast cans, and visible panty line strecth pants. (too bad she was up in Arcata for that one.)
I hope everyone had a fabulous Halloween! What a crazy fun holiday. I like it, no matter what people say about demons and satan, I think it's a fun time to be creative ,let loose, and celebrate the harvest of the bountiful season! So there.

One thing I have yet to do is watch the young frankenstein..sorry mom and dad, I hope you kept up the tradition, along with open face candy corn grilled cheese sandwiches, always one of my favorites...
"he was my boyfriend!"

I must admit, I have eaten lots and lots of candy, not even quality candy, just junk candy: peanut butter cups, kisses, neccos, I even had some smarties- those used to be the bottom of the candy trading post pile. Still are, what was I thinking?
Must be left over trick or treating nostalgia..I think after today it's wearing off.
The funny thing is that I don't really feel all that bad about it...hmmmm. Ignorance is bliss. Ain't America grand?
Happy Halloween!





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Blog Action Day!

Yesterday my faithful blog-writer sister Cassandra informed me that today is Blog Action Day: you're supposed to post a call to action about something. I promised I would so here you go:
What we can do about climate change. What else would I be calling to action about?
This is going to be fun though. Remember to have fun, that's my new mantra with work.

So after spending the day writing a grant for a climate change walkathon, I thought some videos would be fun. Doesn't that sound fun? You know it does. Here is a funny spoof with Will Ferrel on Global Warming...definitely check it out if you haven't seen it
Here's a good star wars spoof about eating organic food that's pretty entertaining too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUi43BCrsH0

I have yet to see Leonardo DiCaprio's latest documentary about Global Warming "The 11th Hour." But that's supposed to be good. Is it out on video yet? I think it's great that high-profile people are making efforts to educate and motivate us..isn't it great?
There is hope in the world.
Here's a site with some videos made by movie stars and others about Global Warming solutons...Some aren't all that exciting, but it's a good idea in theory. I haven't had a chance to watch all of them yet, so it's worth taking a look...
The site has a lot of good ideas and fun interactive stuff too. The Alliance for Climate Protection is the organization that Al Gore helped found. He is giving them of his $1.5 million nobel peace prize money that he received to continue the global warming education he started with "An Inconvenient Truth". (My mom, a devout republican for years, is actually considering becoming a democrat after watching his film. Pretty impressive eh?)



Okay, I'm gonna stop using my computer and producing green house gases and go take a walk back home- I'm stopping global warming!:) [Anything we can do to not use energy helps right?/ It was easier to remember that when I was hiking in the wilderness for a month... There should be a limit to how much time we can spend in front of a computer in one day...maybe there could be a carbon tax at work that says you can only use xx amount of carbon emissions from the electricity it takes to run your computer, therefore you can ONLY use the computer for xx hours per day and during that time you are required to go for a walk or run or a bike ride. Good idea. Save energy and your sanity at the same time. Happy walking!

Dimitris Tsouris, U.K.

Back to Civilization....

Most of you know that I am finally back from my long summer of adventuring with Glenn! I know that at least my dad is missing the blog, so I guess it's about time to write something new. I feel like I've been a lot of places since my last post and was feeling pressured to write a whole bunch of stories and updates first, before I could tell you what is actually going on right now. I decided not to do that. Instead, I have updated the box next to this one with "Summer Fun" and that is where I will put up more pictures and stories about the rest of my summer. It might take another week or so to update since I don't have internet at my house yet, but be patient, and they'll be up soon.
Today I re-entered the world of cyberspace. It's a little overwhelming to say the least. I checked my myspace account- Now I know things about my friends that they haven't even told me yet. I added friends to my facebook account, some of which I don't even know that I know, but I think I maybe know..so I guess we can call each other "friends" now?...Isn't it funny, all of our new technologically dependent social networks and devices? We hardly talk to those around us anymore because we're busy "talking" to our friends and family on our cell phones or e-mail, or text message, or myspace or blogging or listening to our mp3 music or podcasts ... I guess overall it's a good thing, I like keeping in touch with those I love...obviously I like the blog idea, but there's just something not right about the increased technogically-based isolation in our communities with everyone around us being plugged into something...What do you think?
Well anyways, I've been back in Oakland for about two weeks now and yes, it's taken me this long to get things rolling. It's funny that now the frequency of updating my blog is now an indicator of how stable or "together" I am in my life. It's been kind of a whirlwind lifestyle since I got back in town. Back home. It's weird to call California my home, but I have lived here for 5 years now. And I'm living here some more. Is this home? Hmmmmmmm.....

I moved into a new house with a bunch of new people and I'm pretty excited about it. I've never lived with that many people before. I met 2 of my housemates a few months ago through another friend. Tammie and Kat are great, we all get along and have similar interests: we like to cook and jog and do yoga, and do art and play music..I think it's going to be really fun. There are three others in the house so far: Nate, Glenn (not my Glenn, a new Glenn), and Daniel, then four more to come by November. I'm still getting to know them, but they all seem like pretty good people...It's going to be a huge house of recent college graduates tryin to make it in the world, meet new people, have fun, and co-exist in a big house together. I'll keep you posted, but I think it's going to work out. We're going to try and have a lot of communal dinners and build a community together. We're still looking for some couches and tables and a washer and dryer to make it feel like a home, but it's coming together. I call our house Warwick Palace
Check out the website for more pics...we have signed a year lease, but the house is still for sale to investors and such, so it's online and people come to see it every now and then...
So that's my house. I have a job too. Fancy that. I work for Allison Quaid, who is the excutive director for the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Communities. There's a new video up on the site that I helped with a little, check it out if you want to.
She also started Creative Community Catalysts (the organization Glenn and I were raising money for during our PCT hike this summer.) and a small business based on the same ideas called "Creative Eco-Catatlysts" and is working on getting clients that we can work with to help "green" business offices. She is a wonderful woman and a great mentor, so I am looking forward to working with her as her "Program Manager" doing a lot of different work with both of these organizations...I'm helping to write a grant for a Regional Walk-a-thon educational fundraiser to stop Climate Change and raise money for Solar Panels for schools. We also are working to get funding to do a big Climate Change Art Exhibit in different locations around the Bay including interactive art events and scientific lectures about global warming and what people can do in their own lives to stop it... It feels good to be doing work that is meaningful and to work for a woman that is so passionate, intelligent, and connected.

Ironically, after living a car-free life for the past 5 years, I now have a car. Thanks to my good friend Jen from SLC, I got a free car! She met a great guy named Andy this summer while backpacking in WY. He was visiting from England and bought a cheap toyota to travel around for the summer going hiking and climbing around the country. He flew back to England from San Francisco a few days after I got back, wanted to get rid of the car, so gave it to me.
I still try not to drive too much to save money and keep my emissions down (remember the whole global warming thing, ya, cars aren't too good for stopping that.) But it's nice to have one when I need it to run far away errands or going places on the weekends. I take the BART to work and ride my bike downtown, which is fun. I live close to Lake Merritt, which downtown Oakland is built around...it's nice to see nature integrated with the city, helps keep us sane I think:)


As for Glenn, he is getting ready to sail to Mexico and continue some adventures on his own to take a break from teaching and do some personal soul searching. So we're going to have a little break from each other I guess. He just bought a boat for a really good deal from a really great guy, so I've been out sailing a couple of times. The sailing community is a totally different world that I never even thought about- It's fun to be a small part of it for a little while- to be able to go out on the Bay in a boat, feeling the wind on your face, seeing the clouds shift in the sky, and feeling the water mist on your legs instead of just watching peacefully from shore...I'm excited for him and his adventures to come.


After living in a nomadic bubble for three months, I am looking forward to having a schedule and a routine and a place of my own. It actually even feels nice to have bills to pay and try my luck at being a normal, responsible citizen trying to make it in the world. Other than settling into a new house and a new job, I am trying to re-establish an exercise routine and a daily spiritual practice, get my house together, and start a new life in Oakland.
Welcome back Krystal Mae
...how long do YOU think I'll be able to stay in one place?
Make your bets.
(I hear a blog is not a real blog unless it ins interactive, so start posting comments!)

We Made it!!

35 days and 400 miles later, Glenn and I are back in Oakland. No more mountains or walking for miles and miles or filtering water to drink or cooking dehydrated food over an alcohol popcan stove, or putting on dirty smelly clothes each day without showering for weeks at a time....
We've have had a few days to recuperate from our 12 mile + hiking days and after 5 days off the trail can proudly say we have not really walked anywhere. Or really done much of anything like hiking in the woods till today when we hung out at Lake Anza in the Berkeley hills for a few hours... I think our bodies are finally beginning to readjust to "normal" eating habits, though it's hard to refrain from eating large quanities of food or lots of sweet things. All the convenience, easiness and fast-paced lifestyle might still take a little getting used to...but we're about to work on a farm for a couple of weeks, so maybe we don't have to fit into the so-called "real world" quite yet. Now that we've had a couple of days in Oakland full of shower taking, laundry doing, Harry Potter movie watching, Harry Potter book reading, binge eating, sunburning, repacking, and replanning, I think we're about ready to continue being nomads for a while and keep on adventuring...
I have some more trail journals and paintings to post from our hiking trip, but probably won't get those up for another couple weeks...check back.
In the meantime, check out http://picasaweb.google.com/krystapanga/PCT2007 for some highlight photos of the trip:)

Some favorites:
(From top to bottom: 1.Thousand Island Lake (John Muir Wilderness); 2.Lake of the Lone Indian (John Muir Wilderness); 3. JMT hiker Friends Michael, Niki, taking a "zero day" with little Adrian at Vermillion Valley Resort (Near Lake Edison, East of Fresno); 4. Glenn, Koa and I on top of Mt. Whitney! (Sequoia National Park); 5. Rae Lakes (Kings Canyon); 6. Evolution Lake (John Muir Wilderness); and 7. our run in with Mr. Bear (in Lyle Canyon outside of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite)!

Tuolumne Meadows: July 13, 2007

Tuolumne Meadows: At an elevation of 8,600 feet, Tuolumne Meadows is the largest subalpine meadow in the Sierra. Unicorn Peak, a popular destination among adventurers, rises in the background. www.YosemitePark.com

[text taken from postcard --Cass]

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 12, 2007

"Glen Aulin Camp" July 12, 2007

The sun feels warm on my skin as I sit on a rock next to the gigantic cascade of the Tuolumne River. We made it to Glen Aulin camp early today and are only 6 miles from Tuolumne Meadows, our first re-supply.

Glen Aulin has a backpackers camp w/composting toilets & bear boxes -- talk about luxury. It also has tent cabins & catered meals for mostly older folks who have the money & want to experience "wilderness" without the hassle of a backpack.

So here I am, feeling the mist of the mighty falls on my face, feeling more clean than I have in days after a "shower" in the falls & basking in the sun's warm rays, grateful that I am sitting in it next to a magnificent river rather than hiking up switch backs on a 2000 ft climb under her scorching rays. What a difference.

There's an older couple, maybe in their mid-forties, doing yoga in a meadow across from me -- seems fitting I suppose. Makes me more aware of my stiff spine & tense back -- suppose it wouldn't hurt to do a little stretching, eh?

One of the best lessons I'm learning out here on the trail is that of gratitude & recognition. Gratitude for life, for breath, for health, for beauty and diversity, mystery, & community. Recognition that happiness come in simplicity, in working hard for what you need & in honoring the sustenance that nature provides us.

When you have to carry everything you need on your back -- your shelter, food, clothing, stove, filter, entertainment -- then do all your work by hand (filtering water, washing clothes, gathering firewood, hanging your food, putting up your tent) it really make you both appreciate the luxuries of modern society and stop to think about if I really need or would even miss all the things I left behind in "civilization."

It seems society has become so fast-paced and mechanized that we have become detached from the natural world. Strange, since our ability to live & thrive is intimately & utterly reliant upon it. I'm not saying we should all go back to live in the wild...but...being out here, exposed to the elements & the pending dangers inherent in the "wild" world is a testament of the importance of protecting these wondrous places and the importance of visiting these places often.

Out on the trail I am humbled by mother earth's power & majesty. I feel my lungs breathe up & down in my chest -- and I am so grateful to have breath! I see a many-colored spectrum of hardy alpine flowers & shrubs blooming & thriving in harsh conditions and I am grateful for sight & inspired to be strong in the face of adversity.

I feel the sun, wind, & river touch my face all at the same time, & I am grateful for the simple pleasures, & refreshing delights that nature smiles upon us! I see others taking a dip in a pristine powerful cool mountain river and am so grateful for the privilege to even be here among them. It is a privilege to be here and I hope none of us take it for granted.

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 11, 2007

"Do you think they sell blood by the oz. ?"

The PCT is pretty hard core. It's true. There are lots of ups & downs -- up to high 10,000+ ft passes then back down steep canyon ravines, only to go back up more passes -- then back down to beautifully clear stream & lakes. It's wonderful! And tiring, and sometimes frustrating, I admit.

But worth every second at the end of the day when we take a dip in a clear mountain lake & sun bathe on the sandy lakeshore of Miller Lake, eat a hearty meal of mashed potatoes & turkey gravy, then sing songs by the campfire, marvel at the billions of stars in the universe, and lay our tired bodies down to rest in a cozy, mosquito-free tent. Yay.

The bear bag is hung, we've definitely entered Bear Country -- we've officially been in Yosemite Park boundaries for 3 days now & bears will get more frequent the closer we get to Tuolumne Meadows. Lucky for me, Glenn is a pretty excellent bear bagger, so not too worried about losing food. We have seen a lot of bear prints, but no bears yet. I'm okay with that. Hopefully we won't get a visitor tonight!

Sweet dreams.

Harriet Lake: July 9, 2007

"Harriet Lake" July 9, 2007

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 7, 2007

We did a lot of silent climbing today following Carson River multiple times & little snow melt creeks up the saddle & around Sonora Peak -- what a beautiful view! We hiked 8 miles to Wolf Creek Lake, met a nice day hiker named Eric & had lunch with him there, took a dip (pretty cold water up @ 10,000 ft) and rinsed our clothes a little bit -- I think we have a new standard of clean now -- "clean-er" -- less dirt than before, looks great.

We had a nice conversation w/ Eric & he gave us a piece of rotisserie chicken to share -- what a treat! Everything tastes so much better out here! We saw our first view of the High Sierras in the distance, Yosemite here we come! We're half way to Tuolumne Meadows & everyone we pass on the trail says it gets better & better from here! We saw another maybe 15 thru-hikers today -- I liked what one guy said, "We're just doing a long series of day hikes."

Really, thru-hikers are normal people who have a large goal, but just take it one day & one step at a time...One of them said it was easy to hitch down to Kennedy Meadows for a cold drink & hot grub, so we took their advice. A nice old couple just returning from a backpacking trip picked us up & we had a delightful 11 mile drive in the back of their truck. Cars are so amazing -- you can sit & move at the same time -- how great!

It was strange to be back to "civilization" if you want to call Kennedy Meadows Resort civilized. Families car camping w/ [something], fishing poles, tents, coolers, the works -- lined the river up to the resort, lots of young teenagers showing off for each other [something something] stereotype "red-neck" guys about our age made our [something] meal a little less appetizing, but there were also a lot of really friendly, nice, considerate people too that respected & appreciated smelly hikers like us.

Anyways, we had a filling meal (I got grilled chicken salad) which came w/ soup, bread & dessert. Nothing fancy, but fresh & different & we didn't have to cook it :)

To stay on schedule we wanted to make it back to the trail tonight and fortunately were told by the cashier to ask for a guy named "No Sweat" at the [something]. Sure enough we found an old friendly guy that agreed to take us back up the pass this evening in his old Subaru. At about 9,000 ft we were going about 10-15 mi per hour, the temp gauge was up to red & the car started hissing, but "No Sweat" assured us his little baby would make it, and amazingly enough, we all made it to Sonora Pass in one piece, no sweat.

We only hiked maybe 1/2 mile in by a creek & are camping on another windy bluff [?] with an expansive [?] view of [something...sorry, I can't read this section very well --Cass] of mountains rising the the distance. A slight breeze, the stars are emerging, & no mosquitoes! Tomorrow is another day.

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 6, 2007

"Sonora Peak" July 6, 2007

Today was a beautiful hike through meadows of beautiful wildflowers -- lupin, mule's ear, columbine, red paintbrush, subalpine buttercup -- I'm still learning all the names. We climbed and descended past 9000+ ft. peaks, through saddles & down over small creeks, then back up again.

We managed to get an earlier start today & hiked 11 miles before lunch feeling good & strong. It got a bit hotter & steeper in the afternoon, so it felt good to have those miles behind us. Now we sit, camp set up early with plenty of sunlight left to write, read, cook dinner, & maybe paint!

I think I've decided to keep my trail name from last summer -- "Paintbrush." I paint when I can, I'm kinda spunky [or spiky? -- Cass], & the same name as one of my favorite flowers. That's what I've been introducing myself as, so I guess it's stuck.

We probably passed 20 thru-hikers today! Most of them are doing the entire 2600+ mile trail! Makes 350 sound puny, but almost every one of those hikers have raved about the beauty of this section. I think we can enjoy it better this way :)

The shadows are lengthening across the speckled sandy soil where we have made our home. Chipmunks chirp & chase each other -- jumping between pine cones & anthills, the scaling the bark of the Ponderosa pine who towers above our heads, sheltering us from the wind. A solid mound of creamy granite rises up to the north -- we are subtly changing our geology from dark volcanic conglomerates to exposed igneous granite.

I feel at home. The air is dry, the ground dusty, the wind gentle & soft. The golden sun is peeking at me through the trees -- the dirt on my fingers shimmers. I feel calm & present -- nowhere to be, no rushing to finish...

The ground is flat & soft, my body is strong & ready to relax, my mind is quiet & my heart is content. I can still smell the blend of sage, mint, & fruity alpine flowers. Gusts of cool wind plume though our tent...Sonora Peak proudly stands watch to the south...The clouds are shifting, they're almost gone...The sky is blue with early evening & canyon shadows carve the landscape into deeper angular peaks & bluffs. The mountains surround us, the pine needles cushion us, the sun warms us & the wind comforts us.

This is why I walk.
This is why I sweat.
This is why I breathe & live & love.

My nose is dry & stuffy, my shoulders tight & strained, my feet are covered in mosquito bites & my lips are chapped from the sun. Yet I lie in the wonder & beauty of our planet, and contemplate the vast intricate universe that we are part of, and can't help but be overwhelmed with happiness & gratitude, for being a witness of this magic!

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 5, 2007

Today was beautiful but hot! We left camp around 8:30 and it was already scorching! Sad to leave our peaceful solitary lake on the mountain, but we had a wonderful stay -- warm evening breezes, Glenn caught our first trout -- a beautiful red-striped one which made for a filling meal! We even saw a coyote & bear tracks -- luckily no bear sightings yet! We hang our food every night and hope for the best...so far we've been fine.

Oh ya, from Raymond Lake we could see Lake Tahoe's fireworks in the distance!

Today we hiked about 15 miles. It was a pleasant hike through forests & meadows, meandering up & around mountains, over bubbling creeks from melted snow -- all pretty mellow hiking until our 1000 ft climb to Noble Lake -- a great view, light rain & wind eased the climb with time left for a gourmet meal of noodles & chicken in tomato sauce & quesadillas! Yum, plus time for painting right before the sunset -- yay!

"View from Noble Lake" July 5, 2007

The last few days we've been hiking most of the day, so by the time we set up our tarp tent, filter water, cook dinner & wash-up, there is often no more time for painting or writing. Sometimes reading or star gazing, which is nice -- I think Draco the dragon is my new favorite constellation, besides Sagittarius (looks like a teapot), which is home to a glimpse of "downtown Milky Way."

There's a slight breeze, Nobel Lake Creek is softly bubbling in the background, and I sense the stars coming to life outside our tarp (pitched on slightly slanted ground this evening). Early bedtime tonight -- we've got to get up early to try & beat the heat & hike the next 16 mi. to Boulder Lake.

The temperature right now is perfect. I'm glad I'm safe in my little bug net tent where mosquitoes have no access to my flesh! Bonne nuit!

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 4, 2007

Happy 4th of July! It's our third day out and & a beautiful morning! We camped by Upper Lost Lake last night pooped after a fifteen mile hike -- so our bodies are still adjusting...

I feel amazingly rejuvenated after a good night's sleep though. Being out here really helps you appreciate the simple things in life -- eating, sitting, lying down! They feel so good after being on the move all day long!

It's nice and quiet this morning -- only sounds of a slight breeze & bird chirps. A nice change from the noisy kids splashing in the lake and revving ATV engines -- this lake is drivable to by dirt road so naturally there are big families that want to enjoy the beautiful Sierras too...c'est la vie.

We're off to Raymond Lake today, another 14 miles. I'm hoping today I don't lose or break anything...I've had a little bad luck so far on the trail: lost one of my Crocs, got a little heat exhaustion from going back to look for it, which caused us to not quite make it to our first destination -- Showers Lake -- which made for a long day of hiking yesterday...

That's not so bad, but when I was lying sick in the tent I accidentally rolled on my fishing pole, snapping one section in 2. But wait, it gets better --yesterday I lost my sunglasses -- had to back track, but did find them after not too long -- but broke the end of my umbrella off when I sat down on a rock to rest...Maybe my trail name should be "Back Track."

Glenn was deemed a new trail name -- Stitch -- by our friend Zach (a.k.a. Germinator b/c he sprouts his food on the trail). Stitch is for his handiwork sewing -- he sewed almost our whole net tent, a camera bag, a ukulele bag, & a "ditty" bag among other things. We both sewed our backpacks & mittens but we all know Glenn is the pro.

So I'm still trying to pick a trail name...Some options are "Brushstroke," "Water Color," "Ortvark" [I don't know what this is...maybe Aardvark? --Cass], "Juggernaut," "Lefty" (cuz I only have 1 left camp shoe & leave everything behind), "Pigment," "Palette," or "Paintbrush." I like "Brushstroke" the best so far -- any suggestions?

I have my watercolors & am trying to do one per day, but haven't had time yet. Once our packs are lighter & our bodies are stronger, we'll get to camp faster & have more time to relax. We've run into a lot of thru-hikers (started at camps in So. CA & are heading to the Canadian border), many of them do up to 25 or 30 miles per day! Hiking from about 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. -- No thank you.

Ode to Pine Tree (July 1, 2007)

Ode to Pine Tree
by: Krystal & Glenn & Caroline

Oh, twisty, hardy moss-covered Pine Tree,
your branches reach
out, like solar-powered
sea urchins;
you have pointy
little fingers
like fireworks
in the sky...
Miraculously growing
out of a large granite
boulder, you give us
strength.

(Caples Creek, July 1st, 2007)

Hi!

I'm Krystal's sister Cass, and I'll be your guest blogger for the rest of the month. Krystal sent me some trail journals and watercolors, which I'll be posting here in several installments. Check back often, and don't forget to visit the website for more information about Krystal and Glenn's route and cool photos of their gear.

Comments in [brackets] are mine, everything else has been written, painted, or drawn by Krystal or Glenn.

Today's the day!

After days and days of planning, we're off for the trail! We'll be camping at Caple's Creek about a half hour from Echo Lake for 2 days with Glenn's mom, then Glenn and I will begin our month-long trek hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail!!
Woohoo!
Our bags are packed, our gear is sewn, our food is planned, and our money is spent.!
We'll be leaving in about an hour- looking forward to a month of sleeping on an inch of air mat, taking cold "showers" by lakes, (might sneak one one or two hot ones when we re-supply), fishin' for trout every night, and breathing the cool mountain air of the Pacific Crest Trail! I'm excited:) Just have to finish up our website and shave my head!

We'll be sending my sister trail journals that she will be posting on this blog periodically, so check back for updates from our trek! Happy Trails, Happy Summer Everyone!!

Planning our camping sites- check out our John Muir Trail Map Pack:)
Planning our dinners: "hungry! me, food."

"our bundles and bundles of food."
We're sending ourselves three boxes of food to towns near the trail where we will be resupplying about every week. Check out our website under "Our Route" to see our day by day itinerary.

"I'm a fish, don't eat me!"- Glenn playing with our fishing lures:)
Vacuum sealed food :P

rationing our food- cream of wheat for breakfast- ligthweight and creamy! yum

Glenn doing some last minute sewing- he sewed his own water-proof camera bag:)
Two things I will miss most on the trail: 1) fresh fruits and veggies 2) icecream!


There are a few more photos under "Our Gear" on the website, check it out! You can also donate to an art/environmental organization I volunteer for :Creative Community Catalysts.
So definitely give it a looksey, I've spent some time on it: planethikers.googlepages.com/pct07

See ya around the next bend.....

Mt Diablo

"The Devil's Moutain" is the tallest thing close to where we are, rising 4,445 ft above sea level. Our adventure for today. It's about an hour drive here from Oakland East over the hills past Walnut Creek. Perhaps a training hike of sorts for our upcoming hike a 350 mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail. ...Okay, so we only hiked a few miles total, but it was a hike nonetheless, as Caroline can attest.

There's a road that goes all the way up to the top, so that takes a little of the glory out of the satisifaction of hiking to the top of a mountain peak. However I am proud to say that Glenn and I dragged his mother Caroline to the top from a few miles below and had a lovely picnic at the top. There's even a visitor center up there so you can learn all about the geology and flora and fauna. The trail up to the top is called "the trail through time" because you are going from younger to older sediments of rock, with the oldest dark volcanic rock that burst up from underneath millions of years ago to form the summit.

Do you like my hat? This is looking East from the summit- you can barely make out the Sierra Nevadas in the haze, but we saught 'em out- soon to be our temporary wanderland in three weeks!

"Uh, whatta we do now?" "Huh?, what's that there city over yonder?"
"I think I cun see some sorta bridge up over there..." "This here's a purty old mountain eh?"
"Yup, they used it as a point-a - refrence fur mappin out the whole state North ta South."
"It's pretty nice out here in Cali-forn-i-a. I think I might just stay a while."

Pretty cool spot. I guess it's pretty neat that such a majestic mountain with one of the most extensive views in California is so accessible to people and their families. There are a lot of people that bike up there too- it made me get a dry throat just looking at them pedal their way up the windy paved roads to the summit. I bet it's all worth it on the way down.

This mountain was held sacred and worshipped as part of the creation story of the Miwok people native to this area. I can see why, it's the tallest thing around surrounded by flat river valleys and deltas that run to the bay, then to the ocean.
Pretty spectacular.
Here's a view from the top. The little tower is a radio tower? at the summit, that's where there is another tower with the visitor center and the lookout deck.


There are even species of plants and animals that only live on this mountain!
One of them is the Fairy lantern. Only grows on Mt. Diablo, no where else in the world!

pretty little thing.

Another is Mt Diablo Tarantula!

They come out in flocks, swarms, herds? What do you call groups of hairy spiders tromping around on a mountain? Pack?
Cool lookin, but to be honest, I would be freaked out if I happened upon one while on a happy little hike up the trail. I guess Fall is when they come out to play for everyone to see, so summer time you're pretty safe.

One last thought. Living in Oakland for the past four months has been great. There are a lot of things I like about the city- sunshine, environmental responsibility, beautiful hills, rich cultural diversity, cool community events and inspiring non-profit organizations working for justice and peace. But lately I've been so inspired by the trees. Oak trees grow everywhere, including all over Mt. Diablo. Their curling branches twisting toward the sunlight, their hardy stout leaves and intricate branches making a maze of intricate patterns against a sunlit backdrop...More than their mysterious beauty, old wisdom, and simple grace, I hear that Oak trees are amazingly home to over two hundred species of life! I am grateful for your presence might Oaks! May you live long and healthy lives and continue to bless us with your bounty!