Outdoor Lifestyle

Mt. Mansfield - Vermont's highest point at 4393', link - is located in the Green Mountains, with a ski resort owned by the Trapp family - of The Sound of Music fame - located on one side of the mountain and with a state park on the other... (read more)

In early November 2003 I paid a brief visit to Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro AR (link). Visting the "Crater of Dirt" was a bit of a waste of time and money; I went there on the state highways and if I'd just gone from Hot Springs south along the interstate I could have saved myself at least an hour. The park is basically just a big field that looks like it's been plowed. As in fact it has, by thousands of visitors who come here looking for diamonds. While the rules and regulations might have changed, at the time they were just charging a $5 entrance fee, which let you go in and dig to your heart's content. I don't recall it at the time, but a recent news report says you can't sell any diamonds you find (link)... (read more)

On September 4, 2003 I climbed the Third Flatiron outside Boulder, Colorado. This was my first "multi-pitch" climb [1]. This was definitely one of the highpoints of the trip. It was about a 5.4 to 5.6 difficulty, and it's generally considered a very good beginner's climb... (read more)

Here's a video of me mountain biking the lower section of the Old Mount Wilson trail that runs through Little Santa Anita Canyon from the city of Sierra Madre to Mount Wilson:... (read more)

I briefly visited Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, the former home of Elvis Presley. I didn't take the tour of the mansion or the plane, but I did watch the somewhat informative and entertaining video about Elvis' two planes which are on display there. It includes information on how they were moved there... (read more)

In October 2003 I rode about the National Mall area in Washington DC on my bike. I briefly stopped at the Washington Monument, but I didn't go inside for some forgotten reason. Perhaps it was too late, or perhaps it was closed that day, or perhaps it would have taken too long to undergo a background check. Then, I biked to the White House... (read more)

Here's a picture of the headquarters for the Hot Springs Showmen's Association ("No Business Like Show Business"), a meeting hall/entertainment center for carnival folk. In a way, this place sums up Bill Clinton better than anything else could:... (read more)

Driving through the vast, flat emptiness which is the entirety of Kansas, tourists have for ages been enthralled and saved from interminable boredom by various roadside amusements. Let's rank three of them... (read more)

Here are some gift ideas for the hiker or backpacker in your life. In order to avoid disappointment, you need to get something that isn't too personal, unless you know them really well. That doesn't just include items that need to be sized, but items that reflect personal preferences, such as how many pockets a pack has. Bear in mind that there are different types of hikers and backpackers. Some might try to go as light as possible, some might have more experience than others, some might prefer to hike all day and others just take short trips, etc... (read more)

Apparently a hiker broke his clavicle in Los Angeles' Griffith Park and had to be rescued with a Los Angeles Fire Department rescue helicopter:... (read more)

Last year I tried for the summit of White Mountain Peak and was forced to turn back just shy of the summit due to a thunderstorm. However, at this year's open gate day the weather was much better and I managed to attain the summit of the easiest 14er in California... (read more)

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Yesterday I "mountain biked" to the summit of Mt. Baldy (10,064') outside Los Angeles. I took the ski lift up to the Notch (~7800') and "biked" (OK, mostly pushed) to the summit. Then, I "biked" (more biking and less pushing this time) back. A very short video of the expedition is available here or here... (read more)