
In wilderness again…
…Drift Creek is where I ended up a couple of weeks ago, after looking at the real-time wildfire map and air quality forecast, and road conditions. Not all that far from the coast. Near the trailhead there was a glimpse of the river meeting the ocean. After gaining that elevation on the drive to the … Continue reading “In wilderness again…”

Thwarted from visiting public woods for now…
…by a second force this summer, the smoke. For now I just look at backpack contents until it makes sense to pack again. Early in the summer the pandemic had many trailheads closed. The smoke and fire risk now have a lot of federal lands in my area closed. Some state forest is open though, … Continue reading “Thwarted from visiting public woods for now…”

A nice overnight backpack…
…for me in national forest. I was near water on some stretches of the trail. It was nice to sleep in the deep woods again. I awoke to temperatures in the high 30s F on this August morning at about 4500 ft., then warmed myself with a hot brew. But the ongoing political unrest. I … Continue reading “A nice overnight backpack…”

I’ve been spending time on…
…the floor of my living room for the first time. It’s because since working primarly from home, my stretching and exercises are done at home on my mat instead of on the floor of the gym at work. Being on the floor is giving me a glimpse into my dog’s perspective. Dog rest her beautiful … Continue reading “I’ve been spending time on…”

Podcast in Quotes: Episode 1
Podcast in Quotes: Episode 1: I (Ben) talk with Jesse about how the southern Oregon woods and wilderness were a central part of his childhood and how hiking as an adult relates to it.

Podcast in Quotes – Episode 3
Podcast in Quotes – Episode 3: I talk to Dominic about hiking around and exploring public and trust lands in Europe.

Hikes and Rides
Being homebound during the week got me out for the weekend. Yesterday was for a big loop ride. Rode all day, and even stopped for a break for a short hike to catch-up with a friend south of home. But just after Redmond, I had to stop for a shot of these senior members of … Continue reading “Hikes and Rides”

There’s a connection between…
…the woods and urban areas: the homeless are generally not allowed. I’ll expand on this further down. On an errand in town I wonder if the emptiness of the bus strictly reflects unemployment, or also people switching to safer modes of transport. I still shoot out to the woods of the coastal range partly because … Continue reading “There’s a connection between…”

In the greenery
I did get out recently for time among the trees and critters. This time of resurgence of people heading to the accessible and established trails has me finding little used areas near them. Walking in them offers something peaceful contrasting with goings on in the city. My neighborhood is about the same, but downtown isn’t. … Continue reading “In the greenery”

I noticed while riding how…
…different it feels exploring knowing that sit-down stops at a diners or coffee shops are not yet again routine, not quite yet allowed. A stop for the magic of something as simple as a chocolate chip cookie dipped in coffee, and that partially dissolved chocolate found in the last sip. All these tricks we’ve done … Continue reading “I noticed while riding how…”
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