Mount Washington Round 2

It's another year of life that has passed and another one to live. In a spur of a moment, a task was offered. Climb a mountain in winter, one that is known to kill and possesses record high winds. The weather worked out nicely in my favor and I learned the tricks of hiking in winter. 

The higher you go, the colder it gets, the stronger the wind becomes. The art of winter hiking is layers. I clearly stood out as an odd ball since I was not sporting the usual bright colors of expensive hiking gear. I made do just fine with what I had.

The beauty of a winter in real mountains is a sight to see.

Wind chill is no joke. Any exposed skin quickly feels the bite of blustering snow.

I love gloomy weather. Really. I do.

Visibility began to drop as the elevation increased. Recent foot prints in the snow were quickly erased. I could now see how people get stranded and sometimes meet their end. 

Reached the peak in about 3 hours. Surprisingly about the same amount of time it took in the summer. The peak itself is really nothing exciting, especially with zero visibility. I mean really, where is the thrill when there is a parking lot and you can just drive to the top? Takes away some of  attraction but fortunately there is still some left, it is a mountain afterall.

Wind is fun.

Heading back down. In the summer the cairns aren't of much use but now they were quite handy as the path down was not clear. The way down was also super fun with the snow as one could just run and hop and sometimes even slide on your ass. Certain sections would take mere seconds to pass when sliding versus pounding the ground one step at a time.

Complete. An exhausting effort. As always, eager for the next.

Here I Lie

Here I lie. Waiting. Patiently. Another year, another decade, another night. 

I contemplate what will come next. What had passed. And what is right now. 

Ive learned a lot. Seen a lot. Done a lot. A lot. I dont want to slow down. I dont want to stop. I dont want help. Most of all I want to be left alone. Doing what I should has never made me happy. Doing what I want makes me happy. Yet why is doing what I want not what I should be doing? 

Onto 30 years old. 

Sardines

A retirement community in Florida. Packed like a sardine can. Its a known fact that retirees goto Florida. I dont see myself ever doing it yet how many elderly Florida residents said the same at some point? The place is ugly. Flat. Too hot. Not for me. A little sun in February is nice though. 

Being able to sit outside in the comfort of minimal clothing was nice. Tropical foliage is pretty cool looking. I couldnt go tramping through the forests though due to my enemy the fire ant. Some nature preserves provided some minor adventures at least. 

A good way to start. 

The greenery was quite green. 

The sun beat down hard. I knew Id soon be wanting cloud cover again. 

Inviting water. Looks friendly. 

Slightly below the surface were massive schools of various fish just hanging out. 

Okay maybe not so friendly. 

The birds were friendly but they had hidden motives. 

Talk about bird party. Loud and active. It was amusing to see how like species stuck together and there were border wars among them. As humans we are still animals. 

Doesnt get much more patriotic than this. 'Merica!

Onto Fort De Soto beach. I always enjoy some war history. The remnants of what was intrigues me. A different time. Different people. The remnants here are a century old or more. 

Okay the pier is not part of it. 

A pretty huge bridge. Drove over it at a later time. 

Century old artillery could easily hit the more modern bridge. Its amusing how certain technology remains fundamentally unchanged. 

Impressive. 

Time to break free from this location!

Caladesi Island. Boat/ferry access only. Supposedly one of Americas best beaches. Sure it was nice but I guess Im not a huge beach fanatic. It was clean at least. Im used to the beaches on the great lakes where youre guaranteed to at least see a dozen tampon applicators strewn about. So I can appreciate a ferry access beach cause the ferry fee keeps certain types away. 

We walked to the northern tip of the island. The distance to the mainland was very short. I can see the appeal of the area. Warmer temperatures make you want to be more active. Whereas 6 months of chill can be a real drag. Just wish the sun wasnt so oppressive. 

Ah some cloud cover. The nature trails on the island were relaxing. Florida has no elevation change beyond a few feet. It was notable that even those few feet were enough to change the plant life. 

A literal 5 foot change of elevation turned the landscape into this. A nifty observation that certainly doesnt occur inland. 

A parting shot of the forest. There was a long drive to get back home. Not the most exciting. 

Especially when half way home you run into an ice storm. We werent sure what the storm would do but we quickly found out. At first it just seemed like rain. Cars were seen strewn all over the place. Upside down. Ontop of each other. In the woods. Stuck on guide rails. It was like when I was a little boy and I lined up matchbox cars just to kick them all over the place. We stopped for the night and thats when you could see how thick the ice was on everything stationary. The next morning it was an adventure getting the car ready. The roads were a little better and it was enough to get home. 

Idaho

Between my travels to the northwest, Idaho has eluded me. Its always been right there but time and money kept me away. Most people really have no idea it even exists or what is there beyond potatos. With a little research I found its quite a paradise for someone like me. Soon enough a relatively shortly planned trip was made to see it for myself. The time of the year was not the best for a visit but when something is being looked at as a possible new home you got to see the location at its worst anyways. 

I stayed with a couple from couchsurfing. New to me and a great resource. The fog was heavy and the first 24 hours didnt reveal much in terms of sights. However the smell alone was strong enough to know this place was diffferent. Ponderosa pines are wonderful. 

Silver Mountain ski resort offers the worlds longest Gondola. A simple way to get above the fog for someone pressed on time. It wasnt long until I felt like I was in mountain country again. Always a pleasant feeling. 

Never enough. 

Since there was much to do in a short time, the local amenities needed some perusing. The local hub of Couer D'Alene needed a visit to see what the big "town" offered. I found a clean well kept uplifting happy place. Even in the off season there was plenty of life to the town. To me it was a city. More than enough for anything Id ever want. 

The bodies of water were fresh and inviting, even in January. The unseasonable warm temperatures were a welcome surprised from the subzero temperatures I left at home. The sun set after I indulged in the local fare of anything with huckleberries on it. Just a few minutes out of town things got quiet quick. Maybe sprawl will be an issue someday but from what Im used to sprawl is not an issue presently. 

Top notch stuff. 

Unfortunately the town I came to see was covered in fog my entire stay. The town of Sandpoint is small. Small enough that not much happens there yet still big enough for a simpleton. I drove up the mountain serpantine road to a local ski resort and took one more look. 

Sandpoint is in there somewhere. 

A googled photo of Sandpoint. At least I got a feel for it. Ill be back, even if its just for a visit.