Tatoosh Lakes 2012

 Back to Tatoosh for a second Man Camping trip!!! The wild flowers were once again AMAZING in the Tatoosh Wilderness area.

Jon Gabe and I ventured back to the high mountain lakes near Mt Rainier for out annual Man Camping trip. We enjoyed fields of avalanch lilies, lupine, paintbrush, daises, tiger lilies, blueberries, alpine bells and something we called a "Truffula Tree", seen just above as recorded by Gabe, our botanical photographer. The colors were beyond description. We even discovered two different colored Indian Paintbrush flowers, one the traditional red with yellow base and a second solid dark magenta.

Tatoosh Lake was covered with snow last year and was not accessible. I think that is why the fishing was so good this year, lots of cutthroat trout and big ones at that. The wildflowers ins the Tatoosh Wilderness area were once again AMAZING, as you can see. We made the ridge in a couple hours and set up camp in a sandy area with a couple nearby snowfields for water. We had just a few hours to fish the first night and made the most of it whetting our appetites for the next day. Early up and to the lake.....Here are a few of the catches of the day. All wonderful cuts with incredible markings. We kept four for dinner and we were glad we did, they were delicious. Above you can see gabe's fish in mid air, jumping out of his hand and the boys playing under a snowfield at the edge of the lake and the "Mudpuppy" salamanders we found at the lake's edge. We camped by ourselves thursday and friday nights enjoying a small campfire and sitting under the stars.

All in all another very successful adventure in Man Camping. We had just enough food and not enough desserts, not to surprising. Day three we decided to hike out instead of fish due to a weather change, but that allowed us to stop in at Bruno's restaurant in Eatonville for a late lunch of meat and fried goodness with french fries. A fitting caloric intake after a great hike.

Tony

P.S. Gabe was the most successful fisherman this trip catching not only the most fish but the biggest at 18". Way to go G-Man!

I have a record of miles I have run since 1980, when I first started to log miles with a purpose. Yes, as odd as it seems I do have a little bit of Type A personality in me. By the time you read this I will be well past 20,000 miles. It is hard to imagine that many miles. That distance is over seven times across the United States and roughly eighty per cent of the circumference of the Earth (a distance mark that is on my Bucket List) and all with original equipment. I have endured very few overuse injuries. A sore knee here a strained muscle there, the odd sprained ankle but nothing that I ever feared would end my running. I have run through hard times and joyous times. Within the 20,000 are miles of pain both physical and emotional. Loss of friends, loss of jobs, loss of relationships, fear of the unknown and failure, fatigue and strain, literal blood sweat and tears. But also within those miles are celebrations: births, new jobs, enduring relationships, smashed barriers and wonderful revelation. I have seen sunsets and sunrises. I have smelled the tropical rains of Nicaragua and breathed the dry winter air of Banff, Canada. I have pounded melting pavement in Guam and the heather choked rolling hills of Scottish highlands. I have heard mountains crumble and seas roar. I have run barefoot on Mexican beaches and along trails established by Indians in the Appalachians. I have run away from home and back again. I have run from myself and from my God. Only to find Him and who He has created me to be.

Running is like learning to cook or learning to appreciating art. At first you are taught the basics in rigid fashion learning from patterns established by those who blazed before. Then you are allowed to practice and develop your own style. Soon you dabble here and there with different aspects and nuances, landing on a few themes that suit your style. Sometimes you are influenced by the latest fad or by what others suggest but in the end you find what works for you, what you like, and stick with it. Sure you will try new things but there will always be your foundation. I have always favored Asian cuisine and Leroy Neiman.  As my running takes me well into my fifth decade I reflect on how it has improved my life. What have I learned, avoided, gained, and appreciated more because of the miles behind me? How will I grow as I cover the miles before me? What will happen when someday I am no longer able to run?

A few days ago Cheryl, the boys and I went back to that special five mile out-and-back route Dad ran to get ready for the Seattle Marathon so many years ago. I actually rode along side him the first couple times. Soon, the trip to Northup Way and back along West Lake Sammamish Parkway became my first run. It was a fun celebration of how far I have come and it was a true pleasure to share with my family. The run was enjoyable and easy but running with the little guys on bikes was nerve-racking in that I was now in my dad’s place being concerned about the boys riding out into traffic or crashing. He never said anything but I am sure he had the same thoughts as my little red bike spastically swerved about with every turn of my head. With the run complete we loaded back in the car and headed to the "Little Store" for ice cream bars. I reflected on the fact that this run brought my life mileage to 20,000 and Cheryl joked (in her best old man voice) about how, when I am 80, I will be fixated on recording my mileage saying, "I've got to run at least one mile today." She is probably right.

Tony

Camp Eyabsut

Today I was invited to visit Camp Eyabsut, the burn survivor camp I ran the mile for. It was an incredible and amazing experience. Words can't describe the compassion, empathy, sympathy and love all the staff and volunteers have for all the kids.

I was flat out overwhelmed by it all. There was a lunch donated by Taco Bell staff, a pool belly flop competition and a carnival of games. I was able to join the camp for lunch and a "thank you" celebration for all the supporter of the camp for this year. Here is a video of the campers coming down for the lunch.

Check out the link above and watch the KING 5 news video. Way cool!!

Tony

Alaska Archaeological Kayak Trip

I just returned from a twelve day kayaking adventure in the channels and passages north of Ketchikan, Alaska. It was an amazing test of my limited kayaking experience in open waters. Although on arrival my sea kayaking skills and experience were not up to par with the rest of the team, I was able to learn quickly and with valuable instruction be a contributing team member. I was granted permission to paddle a single; a rare occurrence for a first-timer on these trips. Fortunately I kept my self upright even in the tumult of four foot waves and confused seas we encountered coming into camp one day. During the “Windows On The Past” trip we covered over 100 miles of ocean waters, visited and monitored several historical archaeological sites and marveled at the majesty that is Southeast Alaska. I was invited to join the small team of volunteers lead by Martin Stanford, an archaeologist working in the Tongass National Forrest, Ketchikan-Misty Fiords ranger District and John Autrey, Tribal Relations Specialist for the Tongass National Forrest. These archaeological survey and monitoring trips, via sea kayak, are a vital program in discovering and monitoring historic and prehistoric sites and have added a depth of knowledge regarding the history of Southeast Alaska and the Northwest Coastal Region. During our trip we paddled up streams and silted fjord waters, around huge islands, and through passages made only inches deep due to tidal exchange. Most of the waters we traveled on were calm to slightly wind textured as we were blessed with very calm and sunny weather the first few days. I was excited to spend time with our team leaders and learn more about archaeology in a temperate rainforest's environment. I was pleased at the willingness and amount of time Martin and Jon spent answering questions from this new guy. The “Windows On The Past” program is in constant jeopardy of losing funding due to government cutbacks but it tenaciously continues year after year and it remains a strong connection between present culture and the people who lived in these rugged areas in the past.  During our tour, our group of six volunteers was privileged to come in close contact with many historical sites and gain a small amount of understanding about the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes. The depth of Martin and John’s knowledge and passion for exploring and preserving these sites was exciting. As we visited sites we were ushered into the world of archeology and the tremendous amount of research that goes into knowing where to look and then finding them. The most exciting archaeological portion of the trip was to locate the potential site of a village recorded by British explorer Captain George Vancouver and his crew in 1793. Many years of research had led Martin to believe the approximate location of the reported village. We spent the first day surveying the shorelines from our boats viewing the craggy areas at much the same angle Vancouver's men did. Pleased with the results Martin selected a spot to investigate. The following morning we headed straight there and began a much more in depth onshore investigation. We bushwhacked a bit to reach the higher ground that was described in the old ship journals. After a few core soil samples were taken with the special soil probes we carried, a small amount of charcoal was found under the layer of duff soil. The presence of charcoal indicates cooking fires. Martin and John picked a spot and we began to dig. First we used saw bladed tools to cut a well defined square out of the surface moss and duff soil. Once carefully cleared in one big chunk, we began the delicate examination of the underlying soil. We eventually found small fragments of shells and more well defined charcoal indicating that at one time there was a fire here used to cook shellfish. We bagged the samples and carefully replaced the soil, duff and moss. Martin was very excited to have his first indication that he may have found the village. As we took a wider look at the top of this 200' by 100' "mound" we started to change our view by imagining away several hundred years of fallen timber and the thick carpet of moss. This viewpoint brought out a rectangular shape at the exact peak of the mound, taking the shape of a collapsed structure. We took laser measurements confirming the shape and location. This evidence, along with the charcoal, was enough to establish with good certainty that we were standing in the middle of the village that was described 219 years ago. It was an exciting moment. The remainder of the trip was icing on the cake of this find. We spent most of the early morning paddling hours viewing known sites to record their condition. A typical day would find us up at 3-3:30am with the early Alaskan sunrise, packed, fed and on the water by 5:30. We would travel 8 to 12 miles a day and then make camp by lunch time, set up camp, eat rest and be in bed by 7:30 to 8pm. The schedule was challenging and exhausting.

The chance to help with exploration and investigation while at the same time push myself physically and mentally was an adventure that I will not soon forget. This trip was a valuable experience and I hope someday to return to Southeast Alaska and continue to look through “Windows On The Past” and discover more about this area and its people.

Hey supporters, pledgers and donaters,


The run last night was a huge success. I started in lane one of the Kid's Mile jog with a dozen or so kids. They were a bit intimidated by all the important announcements to please stay out of my way so I wouldn't run them over. It was cute. Lap one was an eye opener as I tried to control my pace but still came in under 2 minutes. It caused a bit of anxiety as I frantically did the math in my head fearing lap three. Lap two was a bit more controlled but I found it hard to slow my pace, fearing I would have nothing left at the end. I tried to keep the step rhythm up and shorten my stride length, it helped a bit but riding the encouragement of the crowd makes it hard to run slower. I completed lap two a few seconds over two minutes, the clock read 4:02. Eeeeekkk! still WAY under my predicted pace. Lap three is always the key to the mile. I knew it would be the most difficult mentally and physically. I dug deep into whatever recourses my training had provided and found a 2:04 lap. After three laps the clock read 6:04. With that I knew the record was more than secure. I dropped the rest of my energy on lap four. As I passed the last 200 meter mark I gained some encouragement from a coach reminding me to drive my arms. It helped and I was able to "sprint" to the line with a clock time of 8:05!!!

So to all of you that pledged according to my predicted times, well, sorry, I ran faster. :-)

Thanks for all the encouragement, pledges and donations. We will have video posted on Facebook.

Please make payment s to the Camp Eyabsut web site at: http://saveburncamp.org/

Attached are some of the photos Cheryl took.
Thanks again for all you support,

Tony

Firefighter Mile adn Pledge Update

As of right now we have over $500 pledged and $8 / second that I am under the record of 10:00!!! Thanks to all of you for stepping up!!! And a big thanks to all of you who have invited friends to the Event site on Facebook, here is the link incase you missed it: http://www.facebook.com/events/172409642887569/

Cheryl was interviewed by a reported from the Everett Herald today, yes Cheryl. She will have some of her photos published from last year's mile run in the paper tomorrow or friday.

Here is a link to the Camp we are raising funds for: http://saveburncamp.org/EVENTS.html

Still haven't heard if the TV stations will be there but we have high hopes. Keep inviting and we'll see you all next week at Shoreline Stadium at 6pm. The Mile should go off between 6:30 and 7:00.

Thanks, Tony

Kumado Update

As many of you who have eaten at our house know I own a Kamado. It is an original version of the now famous Green Egg. This model was made sometime in the 70's in Japan and shipped to the states. I found it on Craig's List for a song. It was listed by a retired Firefighter form Seattle. You see it here, next to the custom made BBQ cabinet, as it stands on our back BBQ Man patio. It has been a blast to use as a BBQ and a smoker. May other models have a "nest" of "basket" they stand in to allow them to be moved. When I bought mine it didn't have one BUT NOW THANKS TO A BUDDY WITH THE CORRECT TOOLS AND WELDING EQUIPMENT IN HIS SHOP THE KAMADO HAS A NEST!!!

We welded 1/4 stock in rings and added uprights and a base with four wheels. It fits perfectly and I can't wait to use it again. We designed it to look a bit organic, like bamboo and I think it turned out great. Bring on summer and BBQ season!!!

Tony