Mysterious, intellectually challenging, and sweet

Atmospheric Disturbances

by Rivka Galchen


When is talking about literature not an evasion of the real question at hand?

An amazing smart, funny, cerebral, touching book. I had to go buy my own copy because I was dog-earing so many pages with great lines.

I mean come on! Any book incorporating:

dogs
Doppler effect
Patagonia (Argentina)
cultish meteorologists
and a heartbreaking love story

Yeah. I loved it.

See more about Atmospheric Disturbances

I'll Be Your Baby, Tonight

Bob Dylan (1965) / Richard Avedon
Originally uploaded by shihlun

Rock and roll lives.

Yes, Las Vegas is probably one of the worst places in the country to follow live music. The clubs are big and corporate. The fans are more concerned with pyrotechnics and celebrity sightings than what type of guitar the musician is playing. There is more security than Fort Knox. Beer is outrageously expensive and of course you can't smoke.

But, one thing Vegas does well, is throw money around and The Joint at the Hard Rock is nothing if not state-of-the-art. It's probably a treat for musicians to play at (though the huge plasma screen TVs are a downer for some), and the sound is an audiophile's dream come true.

So Bob came to town and we went to see him. We braved the high ticket prices, the pitfalls of parking, the crappy tap beer, and the iPhone maniacs trying to sneak videos all night long while big scary security guards shined flashlights in their faces. (Really adds to the mood, thanks guys!)

No stranger to Dylan concerts, loyal fans know that no Dylan show is the same as the last Dylan show you saw. Sometimes he's bluesy, sometimes he's kinda country, and other times he's just surly and never even shows his face to the audience. It's okay. He's a legend. He's allowed to do whatever the hell he wants.

But this concert was different. Dylan always reinvents his work in his live shows, rarely faithfully reproducing th hits the way some fans yearn for him to do. In fact, he seems to take some pleasure in remaking these songs from our subconscious into new and unfamiliar pieces that become less touchstone and more a nagging sense of deja vu. But Dylan outdid himself. He was back and he was, well, he was hot. I don't purely mean sexually alluring, although I am sure some in the audience were pleased to see him make some moves for a change. I mean that from the first note, the whole place was electrified and Dylan himself radiated, yeah, it looked like he was totally enjoying himself. Not only, did the band (including Charlie Sexton) rock, but Dylan rocked, the audience rocked, we all rocked. Together, like in the shared artistic experience that only live performance can provoke. It was Dylan covering Dylan and making the old new and the new new-er and remaking us as an audience in the process.

Of particular note, were the songs; Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, Don't Think Twice It's Alright, Ballad of a Thin Man, Highway 61 Revisited, All Along the Watchtower, and a version of Like a Rolling Stone that was genius. (Yeah, the version you are thinking of is genius, but this reinterpretation was simply amazing. The song lost none of it's intellectual profundity, but gained teeth - and an unforgettable beat.)

The Las Vegas paper may have called Dylan's voice a "croak" and his fans the "middle-aged office crowd", but I prefer to go gentle on the ignorant journalists of this city (one mis-referenced the seminal Dylan album as Blonde AND Blonde). For us, as the brave, clever, lucky few that got to see Dylan this weekend, we saw an artist - at 68, no less - play one of the best shows of his career.

Shhhhh...it's a secret....Rock is not dead.

It just blew my mind.

Vacation in Sedona

Poolside in Sedona
Originally uploaded by zenhikers

I had been looking forward to last week all spring. Our newest digital collection had launched and it was time to relax and celebrate with family!

My week off started with a bang at the Wilco show at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The show was actually really enjoyable, although Wilco is certainly a long way from the last Uncle Tupelo show in Hoboken, NJ back in the early 1990's. They played "Box Full of Letters", "California Stars", and (of course), "Casino Queen"--which was awesome!! Very fun, though I must complain about the absurd parking situation at the Hard Rock. It literally took almost an hour to exit the garage after the concert and the combination of rowdy drunk people and a traffic jam in a confined place is just bound to be a bad scene.

The next day, we hit the road to Sedona for our vacation. We had previewed the rental and it was simply fabulous. The best part was the pool, patio, and gorgeous view of the red rocks, We spent a LOT of time out here. I spent a LOT of time contemplating a rock that was supposed to look like Snoopy.

This trip was also my first opportunity to meet my new niece, Abigail. It was wonderful to see her, play with her, listen to her laugh, and get to know her a little. better. I had a great time catching up with my older niece, and her brother and we collaborated on several pranks that kept all the adults on their toes through the week!

There were two trips that we took during the middle of the week. On Wednesday, we explored the Grand Canyon, which certainly deserves far more time that we had in one day. We managed to get a bit confused by the bus system, but eventually found the Rim Trail and took a nice walk along the edge of the Canyon. I can't wait to go back and see more.

The second trip was an expedition in the tradition of Long's Peak and Half Dome: we climbed Arizona's highest peak, Mt. Humphrey's. It was a partly cloudy day, but we were on the trail by eight and at the summit at 11:15. The climb was hard; mainly due to the altitude (12,633 ft.) but the trail was good and well-marked. The views from the summit were spectacular, with some spots of snow on the slopes. We made it down the mountain and back to the hot tub for a cold one by 4:00 pm.

We enjoyed lots of great home-cooked food at the house: Aaron's BBQ (Wisconsin for sloppy joes), the healthy tortellini and spinach that Aaron and I are addicted to; Erin's orzo salad, and lots of forzen mini Snicker bars! One night we went into town to the Javelina Cantina for some tasty local fare and we had Pizza Heaven takeout two nights. Try it for excellent pizza when you are in Sedona!

On the way out of town to Phoenix, we stopped in Jerome to shop, sightsee, and eat at Haunted Hamburger. It was a nice way to wrap up the trip and say our goodbyes. We can't wait to see everyone again soon. Thanks for making this a wonderful, memorable trip!

UNLV Launches New Digital Collection: Southern Nevada, The Boomtown Years: 1900-1925

The University Libraries are pleased to announce the launch of a new digital collection:

Southern Nevada: The Boomtown Years 1900-1925
http://digital.library.unlv.edu/boomtown

The LSTA-grant funded, Southern Nevada: The Boomtown Years 1900-1925 digital collection brings together a wide range of original source materials found in the rich collections of UNLV Libraries Special Collections, as well as items from the Nevada State Museum and the Clark County Heritage Museum.

The project contains over 1500 digitized items; including photographs, correspondence, newspapers, maps, and ephemera from several mining and railroad manuscript collections documenting both large historical events, and the more private and social lives of individuals and their communities during the mining boom in Southern Nevada.

Notably, this collection also promotes the use of primary source materials by K-16 educators by providing a wide variety of standards-based teaching activities for elementary and high schoolers.

Blame it on Thunder Road

It's been a long time since I have checked in. I skipped writing about our Christmas trip to Denver and basically February flew by uneventfully. I should mention that there was a great trip to Mojave National Preserve where we got to see the Camper Van Zinda. March came quickly and, well, here I am on my way to another hellishly hot Vegas summer. So did I miss anything while I was obsessively listening to Thunder Road? Let me know. Here's an update about my recent trip to Seattle, and I promise to try to do a bit better at keeping up with things.

Happy Inauguration Day!

How exciting to welcome in a new era! I'll be raising a glass as we try to look forward, with hope, to the future. The festivities and events have begun in Washington, D.C. and over the next few days I hope we can all enjoy the excitement of this historic event.

Just had to add that the HBO "We Are One" concert was absolutely amazing and awesome. And yes, Pete Seeger is totally my hero. And Garth Brooks ain't all bad, either! With a feel-good concert like this I can see why some are calling it Obama-stock!

Happy Holidays from Vegas!

It's that time of year again and we are sending out a greeting from the desert! We have posted our annual holiday letter so if you want to know what the highlights of the year were you can check it out. Happy Holidays to our friends and family!

Missing XM Radio X-Country Channel 12

So this month XM Radio merged with Sirius to form some hybrid mutation mega-satellite radio channel with new programs, added news content and Howard Stern. It took me a while to download the channel guides and decipher which channels changed names and numbers, and figure out where my personal favorites were repositioned.

What a shock it was to turn on my radio and see "Outlaw County" replacing my much-loved XM Channel 12, "X (Cross) Country. I quickly searched the dial to see where they relocated X-County, but lo and behold, it was gone. I looked up the guide for the new channel and saw that several of the same artists that I like were listed on the page (Steve Earle, Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, etc.) and I thought I would give it a chance.

This past weekend I spent several days in the truck driving around California and had a chance to really listen to the music. This is a different channel altogether. First of all I noticed that there are radio "hosts" that actually make comments and talk a lot more than any of the folks on X-Country (Do I really need to listen to Shooter Jennings pontificate on the new kanye West and Guns and Roses albums? And then do I really need to listen to the new Guns and Roses track? No!).

Secondly, the music is different. One morning, on the way to work I heard one favorite (The Gourds version of "Gin and Juice") but the rest of the day I didn't hear much. I ended up listening to Bluegrass Junction instead. On the long weekend, my husband and I listened to the channel almost exclusively and as much as I like and respect Outlaw Country artists, this is not the same as alternative country. Gone are the songs by Uncle Tupelo and the whole No Depression movement. Gone is the wry, political music of Todd Snider and Jack Ingram. Gone is are the crossover artists that defy any classification like the Be Good Tanyas and Chip Taylor. Instead there seems to be a focus on playing "Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother", in one weekend I heard it three times; not that it is a bad song...

I will greatly miss the shows that I grew to love. Especially "Rogue Calls" the call-in request show. I seriously could listen 24/7 to nothing but the request show because X-Country listeners had good taste! There is a reason why I subscribe to XM- and it is because people need a place to learn about new music. iTunes is not, and will never do this for me. I fill up my iPod with music I read about, or hear on X-County, through No Depression magazine, and through friends. Losing my beloved channel 12 is a sad, sad thing.

But, other folks have noticed and are upset, too.

Go to this web site to sign a petition to Bring Back XM Channel 12.

And this great blog post sums up what I've been thinking perfectly.

Come on XM/Sirius, don't alienate your users! Aren't there enough numbers on the dial for you to add in one more? Alternative country deserves it. Bring back X-Country and do it now!

National Novel Writing Month starts soon!

The month-long challenge for would-be novelists begins again! November 1 marks the start of the 2008 National Novel Writing Month. The goal? To write 50,000 words in a month. Amateurs and authors are encouraged to, "write like the wind and edit later" with the main idea being to output the word count and hope that an idea emerges. So get your typing fingers ready and sign-up! Sounds like a fun experiment!

October blizzard in Great Basin!

We may live in the Sun Belt, but we are still tough enough to winter camp. Check out the 10 inches of snow over night in October in Great Basin National Park!!! Fun!

Yellowstone Trip 2008 Part III

So I have done a pretty horrible job of recording the Yellowstone trip, I didn't keep any notes because I was navigating and driving a lot, but I did want to finish the summary and I happen to have some time on my hands while I am in an airport waiting to fly back to Vegas.

So, a couple things I wanted to record, some notes on the fishing and some notes on the drive home. I personally fished on two rivers while we were up there, the Madison and the Lamar. If I were to recommend one, I would go with the Lamar, because the drive out to the valley is amazing (which is important if the fish are laughing at your casting and don't bite -- this happened a lot to me!!) Our fishing friend who accompanied us also had lots of luck on the Yellowstone River when he backpacked in for an overnight. I think if I went back I would try to plan a lesson at the beginning of the trip. I am a true believer in getting some decent technique at the beginning and since it has been a while since I had been fly-fishing, I think it would have helped. Even our experienced friend, struggled somewhat until he got into it and had some time to practice.

On the last day at Yellowstone, we headed out towards Ennis to drive through some more pretty country and to make a stop at the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge where we stopped last summer. We had one wrong turn and ended up driving extra miles (like a couple 100 extra miles really matter??) We turned on the road out of Dillon and a huge thunderstorm hit. It was amazing with the clouds looming and lightning and thunder. There were weird pockets of sunshine in between and then spots of hail. A typically dramatic summer storm out west. We arrived at the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge and got a cabin for the night. A few things had changed since we had stayed there last year during the Backpacker project. The former owner sold the lodge and it was not longer being run by Inga and her staff. There was a new bartender/manager and a new chef (not that I got to EAT last time--grumble, grumble!). We spent some time at the fabulous bar, found out about a fishing hole that we had permission to access off one of the ranches, and found out the cowboy poet we met last year had passed away. It was great to spend some time there and check out some of the places we hiked. The weirdest thing was that the whole time we were there last year we NEVER saw the mountains because of the fires and smoke haze. I was SHOCKED at the view and would have never known just how pretty the valley truly was. We took a soak, met some nice folks, listened to the locals talk about the "wolf problem" and observed the Lodge's signature "Shot-ski" where they served shots on a ski outfitted with glued on shot glasses. Three people drink on cue and it is very amusing!

The next morning we stopped at Big Hole National Monument and headed back to Idaho Falls to our favorite Motel 6. That night, in search of food, we stumbled upon a Russian restaurant in the phone book. When we saw the name, we knew we had to check it out...and that is how we ended up at Ida-Russkie!! The woman who waited on us was so incredibly nice - even though we made her cook us every single Russian dish on the menu (actually they weren't on the menu, as this was a fast food place in a strip mall, but we has called ahead and knew she offered Russian food.) We ate and she cooked and we laughed and really enjoyed ourselves at this little gem of a place. Thanks for the hospitality, it wasa a great way to end the trip!

The next day was sad, we dropped our friend at the aiport in SLC, drove the long drive back to Vegas and unpacked the millions of boxes of gear. It was a fun trip and I'm so happy we got to do it with our grood friend from the trail.

The Magazine of Alt-Country (Whatever That Is)...Reborn

After the sad demise of No Depression, an independent publication that I love and respect, due to rising costs of publishing a paper-based, subscription-only periodical; I thought I might have to start listening to Top 40 or start researching what Celine Dion replacement was on their way to a three-year contract on the tawdry Vegas Strip...but no! Not only did No Depression transfer existing subscriptions to a surprisingly interesting mag called Paste, but they also vowed not to let down their loyal followers and to launch a new, sleek, yet satisfying online publication.

And they have delivered on the promise with the new, beautifully designed No Depression web site. Looks great and will save me from major withdrawal from good writing and new music. Check it out!

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

Not since Fast Food Nation has a book affected me as much as this one. I know, I must be a glutton for punishment reading a book about local food and farming when I live in the Mojave Desert which is barely fit for human habituation. But, a girl can dream. If you care about big issues, the way food relates to politics, homeland security, global warming, the environment, corporate greed, and living simply.....just read this. It is powerful.

There are tons of resources out there that say it better than I can, but here are 10 Reasons to Eat Local and the “Locovore Pledge”, which I like because it allows for options:
If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.
If all else fails, at least don’t eat at McDonald’s!

Local can also be defined differently based on regions, so here in the desert 250 miles from home is “local” compared to say 100 in the Bay Area or 20 miles in parts of the American South. The Eat Local Movement is also closely aligned with the Slow Food Movement, which seeks to encourage and nurture diverse food cultures (think Tuscany, the Mediterranean, and parts of Vermont).

I have a tendency to get a little obsessed with things, and I’ve moved on to reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Coming Home to Eat. But, I like food, I like cooking, and I like the simple pleasures of spending time with people over a meal (as opposed to going out and spending lots of money) so this stuff hits home with me. Enjoy!

Adventures in Food: Where Have You Been?

I saw this list on a librarian blog and since I love food and consider myself moderately adventurous, I thought it would be fun to see how many of these things I've eaten. I still consider myself not vegetarian, or carnivore but another more appropriate term that we used on our long-distance hikes. Most dirty, starving hikers (and probably most college students) are proud to self-identify as Oppotunivores. If it was free we'd eat it. The original blog post about the list seems to come from this site: Very Good Taste.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison: Can't say I really love or hate it...
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros: Probably the best dish on the face of the earth. I like it with flour tortillas, New Mexico green chile, and eggs over easy.
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue: Oh yeah. I can't get enough cheese. Cheese + wine + Swiss kissing games = even more fun.
8. Carp:
9. Borscht: Yum. Beets rock.
10. Baba ghanoush: Eggplant rocks, too. Especially homemade on the grill with lots of garlic.
11. Calamari: Bar food of choice
12. Pho: Too bad our local UNLV place closed down. I miss it.
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi: Indian food is probably my favorite ethnic cuisine.
15. Hot dog from a street cart: I don't know if bratwurst or polish sausage counts, but I don't eat hot dogs. Period.
16. Epoisses: had to look this one up.
17. Black truffle: I think I had this in an olive oil, so I can't say it's really a regular thing
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes: Plum wine is good
19. Steamed pork buns: Thanks to dim sum
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes: I even grew my own Amish Paste
22. Fresh wild berries: Blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries, etc. Along the PCT up north.
23. Foie gras:
24. Rice and beans: For about 4 years I lived on this dish
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters: I love oysters, especially oyster po-boys in Louisiana
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda: had to look this one up
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl: Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut: Essential for the Milwaukee side of the family
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O: I am assuming this is the classic Jello shot? I like lime.
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat:
42. Whole insects: Not really intentionally though, so it probably doesn't count
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more: I think there was a night in NYC...but unfortunately I don't remember it.
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel: I could eat unagi all day and night
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin: Ditto for uni
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal: I wouldn't eat it now, but I have had it at least once.
56. Spaetzle: I love homemade spaetzle with goulash
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine:I had a modified version referred to as Disco Fries, but it contains the same thing.
60. Carob chips: We had a hippie neighbor that scarred me for life with carob.
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian: NOT YET, But I can't wait to try it
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe: Now that was one bad night of imbibing
74. Gjetost, or brunost: A Swedish favorite
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong: I'm not super fond of smoky teas, but I've had it.
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum: Awesome. Love it.
82. Eggs Benedict: Second to huevos rancheros as my favorite brunch item. Good with avocado.
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. NOT YET....
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers: ISo squash blossoms count?
89. Horse: Aw, no way!
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam Not bad if you grill it!
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster I went to a wedding in Cancun where the resort had an all lobster menu. Too over-the-top for me, but I do like lobster.
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

What is missing from this list? In my opinion

Pierogies, Chicken Feet, Sauerbraten, Bone Marrow, Tofu, Zubrowka, Buffalo Steak, Pasties, and Menudo.

I’m sure there are others, but that’s what jumps off the top of my head.

So there you have it. Now here’s the rules:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

Yellowstone Trip 2008 Part II

The third day of the trip we GOT TO YELLOWSTONE, which is something that you really can't imagine, unless you go and experience it yourself. First of all, there is a ton to see and at any moment you can spot bears, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, bison, elk, deer, antelope, bald eagles, or wolves right from the comfort of your car. It is surreal and amazing.

In addition to the geysers, mudpots, waterfalls, boiling hot springs, and towering peaks there are about a million of your fellow Americans to observe if the wildlife get too boring. The drive into the park allowed us to take in a couple scenic stops including a view of Yellowstone Lake and several waterfalls. We arrived at our campground (Madison), learned all the rules about bear country, and then set up camp complete with our hammock. Throughout the trip the excitement had been building to GET to Yellowstone and yet we promptly LEFT Yellowstone to go to town and buy some supplies (bourbon). We also took our first trip to a local fly shop.

Like a Crested Butte ski shop, Moab bike shop, Oahu surf shop or any other snotty, tourist-exploiting outfitter the staff at this fly shop had attitude and the tourists tended to put up with it; maybe because they are stunned by natural beauty and seek an authentic experience (of which sarcastic outdoor staff have become an integral part). I bought an handful of flies and some flotant, but was generally underwhelmed by the Madison River fly shop. Don't go there unless you are single and want to hook up with an attractive young fly guide and don't mind spending lots of money in the process. Later in the week we re-located all of our fly purchases to Jacklin's Fly Shop which was a million times better. To get it out of the way here is a rundown of the various places we ate in West Yellowstone:

• The Gusher (Pizza)- excellent pizza and a nice local vibe
• Beartooth Barbeque (BBQ)- good sandwiches as long as you can handle meat
• Old Time Cafe (Diner) Polish waitress, try the chicken fried steak, family-run
• tried to go to the microbrewery but it closes absurdly early

On an additional eating note, I have to say that everyone that goes to Yellowstone should at least visit the Old Faithful Lodge. It has a special place in my heart because my Mom worked there as a college student for two summers and it always reminds me of her and our family trips. But, even to those less nostalgic, the building is an architectural wonder and the dining room has an amazing fireplace. Just go there and think about the time in this country when the Civilian Conservation Corps were building our park's grand lodges. Not to mention the view out the back...oh yeah, that would be THE Old Faithful. The one that has rows and rows of seating and erupts just about every 50 minutes.

We went early in the morning of our fourth day and as the sun was rising over the steaming Firehole River we pulled into the vast, empty parking lot literally right before the impressive eruption. Killer timing as the sun came up. After a walk through the geyser basin (Old Faithful is but one of many geysers) we hit the breakfast buffet in the lodge. Notably, it comes with the "good coffee" (organic fair trade and most importantly- strong). You won't be so lucky elsewhere. The food is typical, with nicer than average service and top notch atmosphere. You get the feeling that if you could tune out all the families and tourists that Teddy Roosevelt might be around the corner smoking cigars and telling stories.

In the next installment I promise to get to the important stuff...the fishing.

An Exercise in Futility?

In my never-ending quest to find hope in the city of Las Vegas I have recently tried to humor the good folks putting on the Las Vegas Farmers Market. No, it has not been lost on me that we live in the Mojave desert and nothing grows here. But, hey, I am trying. These are nice folks that drive from California and presumably the produce is fresh and farm-raised.

But tonight I lost a round. After we went and picked out some fruit and a nice loaf of bread there was a huge commotion. My friends, the people of Las Vegas have once again shown their character. Someone, right in front of everyone, in broad daylight, robbed the cashbox at the Farmer's Market and ran to a getaway car. You just can't make this stuff up.

Yellowstone Trip 2008 Part I

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Originally uploaded by zenhikers

At the beginning of August, we headed out of town to spend some time in Yellowstone National Park, near the part of the country we visited last year on the Backpacker CDT Project. This year, rather than meeting up with a cranky trip leader, we met up with our friend Fine Dining (Andrew) from the Bay Area. We're old friends from our PCT hike in 2002, so travel together was anticipated to be a fun reunion. After a quick stop in Salt Lake City to retrieve Andrew, we hit the road for Idaho and beyond. I don't really recommend stopping at the Tasty Treet in Pocatello, but if you want to encounter a completely enigmatic menu you can order a burger (or something) make a guess at the unique combination of condiments you may receive and sit outside in a nice yard on the main drag. After a few more miles on the road and the integration of our various iPods, satellite radio channel preferences, and CDs, we made it to Idaho Falls and the warm welcome of Tom Bodett. There was a lot of anticipation to GET TO YELLOWSTONE, but because we hadn't set up a campsite reservation until Saturday we decided to drive into the park through Grand Teton and camp out one night a lake there.

The drive out of Idaho Falls involved a search for suitable caffiene, a drive through rural Idaho (beautiful) and some yuppie-viewing in Jackson Hole. We also made our first stop to clean the bugs off the windshield...this would be a point of contention during our travels, since some people literally can't see the road for the bugs, and some fail to let a few arthropod carcasses get in the way of their driving. Others were just plain compulsive and did a great job cleaning the thing. Hey! Pocky appreciates that kind of effort.

Almost immediately after leaving Idaho Falls we starting seeing wildlife, and the bison (a most impressive animal) really woke us up as we entered Grand Teton. We got to Lizard Lake campground in the early afternoon and had a relaxing time setting up camp, chatting and cooking a meal on the Cobb Cooker. Most of the time in camp (and this is a theme through the whole trip) I spent practicing the myriad of knots involved in fly-fishing. I started practicing at home with some alpine cord, but using real fishing line and leader was a whole different ball game. Frustration ensued. I took breaks to go see the awesome campfire programs that the National Parks put on for bored campers, families, and nature nerds like me. At Lizard Lake the program was on the pronghorn antelope and I learned a lot about this very funny looking animal. We went to bed pretty early because we were REALLY EXCITED to GET TO YELLOWSTONE in the morning.

We are Socially Intelligent?

According to an online IQ test, I score the highest in the area of social intelligence. This is closely followed by math (!!!) intelligence and verbal intelligence (about the same scores). I did most poorly in spatial intelligence, in fact I found those tests really hard. My score is saved online. If you'd like to take the test and compare go to the site and try it out!

Aaron is taking the test as we speak and he totally beat my social intelligence score! He also scored high in math and spatial, followed by verbal. His score is online, too.

Review of: The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind-and Almost Found Myself-on the Pacific Crest Trail

The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind-and Almost Found Myself-on the Pacific Crest Trail (P.S.)

by Dan White

I know I will be a harsh judge of any long-distance hiking memoir because I have done two of the long trails and have a whole slew of my own memoir-deserving stories (including my honeymoon hike of the PCT in 2002 with our dog).

I think this was a generally amusing tale of a guy’s journey on the PCT. My major complaint about the book was that the author ended up focusing a lot on his relationship and less on the trail. The relationship story ends up being sort of lame and doesn’t really show him in the best light, so I’m unsure why. Also a minor complaint, he never tells us what year he hiked in. Obviously it was many years before 2002, since I had the absolute hardest hitch of my hiking career in Castella and sure could have used a trail angel! All in all a funny and well-written book. I commend ANYONE that makes a good effort to hike a long trail and soak up the amazing trail culture! But as is the danger in memoir, the Cactus Eater’s story just doesn’t seem quite as interesting as my own!!

See more about The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind-and Almost Found Myself-on the Pacific Crest Trail (P.S.)