Close-up Flowers

In honor of Spring, I've been taking closeups of all the wonderful flowers blooming everywhere. To see the whole series, check out my Flickr page. I'll continue to add more pictures over time as I encounter new flowers. I'm no botanist, and if you folks happen to know the names of any of these flowers, I would love to know what they are. 

Outdoor Kit

Everyone loves gear. However, the depth and breadth of equipment available for traveling and adventuring is staggering, and merits some careful contemplation. This is a list of some of my favorite outdoor kit, which I use for most of my wilderness adventures. This is by no means an exhaustive list of everything you need to survive, but I do believe it covers the essentials. 

Snowshoes

I've gone snowshoeing the past three weekends in a row, and being as cheap as I am, not rented snowshoes. As long as the snow is knee deep or less, it's no problem. Of course, walking at the back of the group means stepping on already-packed snow, and you don't sink in too much. And isn't that really what friends are for? To make sure you don't sink in too deep.

   

Santa Rosa/Toro Peak

Amid the arid landscape and sparse brush of southeast California is an unobtrusive forest road leading up and onto little-known Santa Rosa mountain. The mountain encompasses views of the ocean, the desert, the Salton Sea, and rippling hills in between.

Rattlesnake Ridge

 Rattlesnake Ridge is a popular hiking destination near North Bend, Washington, just outside of Seattle. The trail is very crowded during the Summer months, and less so in the Winter or in the early morning. However, for how short this hike is (about 2 miles), the view of the surrounding mountains is spectacular. It only takes about an hour to get to the top at a decent pace. I would highly recommend this trail for a quick day hike. If you are short on time during the weekend, but are in need of a refreshing nature walk, go to Rattlesnake Ridge.

Sheep Lake

 Sheep Lake is a camping area in Wenatchee National Forest that makes for a quick and dirty, yet superb backpacking trip for residents of Washington State. It's really easy to get there, but the payoff is incredible.