Get Rad!!

It is time! Get Rad!! No more snoozing behind the wheel of life! It is time to embrace the gift of life and its beauty!! We need to scream into the telephone!! Get Rad!! It is exciting. No more wasting days!! The time has come!! I am so pumped!!

I write this update from the bar at the Mt. Shasta Brewing Company in Weed, CA. I am having a porter. Next up is the jalapeño weed ale.

I have had an entire week of badassedness. I have been just ridiculously excited for days-on-end now!! It is the season!! If it is coffee time, let us use the French press!! If it is time to mange, let us cook!! We should all be exercising with brutal vigorousness!! Until our limbs are sore with anger and disgust!! When it comes time to smoke, we shall roll our own!! Do Work!!! When it is time to dance, let us move all four limbs simultaneously!! Let us disrobe for no reason!! Let us sing, Let us live, Let us breathe!! Not merely through the motions, not merely respirate, let us make an exchange with our surroundings!!! Be it human or otherwise!! The time is now!!

Happenings this week:

Monday: Lunch with my Swiss Grandfather and his girlfriend Mary. I had a great time with them. We ate at Marie Calender’s. Grandpa Frank had banana cream pie. Good choice, it’s in the blood. He shared with no one, haha. He told me that he loves what is over the next hill. I completely understand and agree with him. They bought me a tank of gas, they told me they love me. I love them, I went north, they to the mountains.

Tuesday:

Sequoia –

Such a radical place!! Largest tree in the world is there. They have it fenced off. I jumped the fence, had to. I touched the LARGEST TREE IN THE WORLD!!! I had to spend some time with it, it is important to BE the story, not just SEE the story!! That tree is 3200 years old. So sick.

I hiked up to Pear Lake in that park. Beautiful!!! I had lunch on the lake, no one else around. Swam in that lake, had to. The lake was much warmer than it should have been. That hike was my first time seeing the sheer granite faces that make up the Sierras. I saw a bear there too. I tried to get close enough to fight it. I have been waiting for a good chance to beat up a bear.

Wednesday:

North to Fresno. Great place to never visit! I went to REI, Trader Joe’s and In-and-Out.  Double-Double animal style. Trying to fight off having Bruce punch more holes in my belt. Sidenote: Cassie Gertz sent me out of Palm Springs with a bottle of Charles Shaw Cab. I have been wine-drinking since. Northern California is the perfect temperature for drinking wine. I picked up my travel companion Charles “2-Buck-Chuck” Shaw in Fresno. Also some dried mangoes!!  Fantastic. Bought a French press for the Jetboil at REI. Headed to Yosemite.

Yosemite –

Yosemite Valley is unbelievable. I obtained some maps for the hike up Half Dome. I called my little brother Elliott. I had to check on him. I worry about him spending all that time inside auditing and studying tax. I feel safer with cliffs and bears than what he has to overcome in a day. I called Ellis. He is an inspiration. Every time I think that I can call him and surprise him with something that I have done or am going to do, he has done it. I will catch up one day bro!! I ran out of people to call starting in Ell.

Charles Shaw, my road companion, convinced me that the only place to stay before going up half dome in the morning, was in the trailhead parking lot. I wasn’t convinced at first, he talked me into it after a while though.

Knock, knock, knock!! Park Ranger!! Can you please step out of the vehicle, so that we can talk?

I have never had to negotiate with authority whilst only wearing my long underwear pants and my ranger hat (thank you Grandpa Lew). I could have sworn that the lady-ranger giggled, when she saw my attire, or lack thereof.

I told her that I was training to be a ranger myself, hence the hat, and that I was making sure the trailhead parking lot was in order for the night. No need to worry, everything looks OK.

She took my driver’s license and called it in. She inquired as to whether I had weapons in my possession. In the end I would say she thought I was a little charming. She pointed me toward a free campsite. Thank you lady-ranger. I can only imagine the jails inside of Yosemite are cold, filled with Indians, and suck.

Thursday:

Half Dome!!!! 18 miles of walking!!! 5000 vertical feet of climb. Loved it!!! Got into the business on the last ½ mile. Pictures.

You can see the business that is the last part of the trail below.

I stood on top of this cliff below.

Went north. Found a great spot to camp in the meadows in the north park. Charles Shaw and I hung out with some chubby girls from Azusa Pacific. I think that is a school. He liked them more than I did. Haha.

Friday:

Slept in. Had some mechanical problems leaving Yosemite. Napa gave a free battery under warranty, I rewired my cigarette lighter to charge my phone. I overcame.

Heard some people talking about Burning Man. They were burning the effigy that weekend. I want to go so bad, but I feel that I would need to spend more than just a weekend there.

Tahoe –

Sucked. Big, Big Bear Lake. Tons of people. Swam in the lake. 2^nd deepest in the country. Had to.

Lassen –

Got there at night. Slept in the parking lot of the trailhead. Didn’t get caught, score one for my team.

Saturday:

Hiked Bumpass Hell to King’s Creek. Crazy place, the west side of the park.

I thought about leaving, but got an email from the honorable tree doctor himself, Ellis. He told me of a free place to camp on the east end of the park, and some must-do hikes. I went immediately. When Ellis speaks, I listen.

I got to the campground. It was free. Thanks.

Frank from Susanville, CA brought me over some watermelon that the Mennonites gave his wife. It was good. I slept well Saturday night.

Sunday:

Hiked the cinder cone from butte lake. A professor at the U of A says, “It is beautiful, it is perfect.” He was right. Gorgeous hike. Pictures.

Snag Lake below, I swam in that. Cold.

Butte Lake below. I swam in that. Very cold.

I got back to the campground. Frank and his wife offered me a tent. I refused, explaining that I sleep in my truck. It’s fun. They insisted. I have a tent now. I told him I had nothing to give him in return. He said he didn’t need anything, but only that I give something to somebody down the road. Thanks Frank.

Frio como culito de penguino en el pinchi “tent”. That is the first time I have typed pinchi, I think I spelled it wrong.

Monday:

Camped and read, all day. Talked to some people up there. Their nephew was one of my old wrestling coaches. Small world.

Went to Manzanita lake and did laundry. Took a 7 minute shower, boiling hot, awesome. Shaved also. Good day.

Also it is important to note that I have been practicing dancing in my campsite every afternoon, and practicing my photograph poses. I am getting really good at the both of them.

Today:

Drove up to Weed, CA. Great Place. Brewery is good. Jalapeno ale – weird. Like a liquid poore brothers jalapeno chip. I got the amber for my second round.

This post was finished at the local community college.

Next Stop – Oregon.