#The video is from our campground and the first photo was taken on the top of Mt. Washington looking at the cog. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hortensemitchell · 3 years

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Into the Woods: Chapter Two

After Big Time Rush, their lives seemed to only get more hectic. So on the rare chance their schedules lined up, they had to make the most of it with an epic camping trip for the ages.

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Kendall Knight/Carlos Garcia/Logan Mitchell/James Diamond

Words: 2295

Logan has been pacing back and forth by the door for the past ten minutes, and looking at him was starting to make Kendall feel tired. He’d make it to one side of the room, check his watch and immediately trek to the other side. “We’re supposed to be on the road already.” Logan made his way over to where Kendall was laying across the living room sofa. “I gave them a laminated schedule and everything.”

“You sent Carlos and James upstairs with James clad only in a towel and you think they’re up there packing?”

Logan gaped for a moment, his eyes instantly flickering to the stairs. “They wouldn’t.”

“I think we both know they would.” Kendall replied, trying to bite back a laugh. He couldn’t care less about a schedule, he’d always been more of a go with the flow type of guy. But he had seen the hard work that Logan had put into his planning for their trip, and he wasn’t about to hurt his feelings. “I could go check on them if you want?”

Logan just shook his head, and turned on his heels heading directly up the stairs. From his spot on the couch, Kendall could hear the bedroom door open upstairs and Logan’s exasperated sigh of “Really guys?”

Several minutes later, Kendall heard the telltale sound of footsteps coming down the staircase and the sound of luggage being drug behind them. Kendall finally sat up from his spot on the couch, loading his bags on his shoulders to bring to the car.

Logan came down the stairs first, with Carlos not far behind. Logan was quickly shuffling around in the other’s bag, most likely checking to make sure he brought more essentials than his game system and snacks.

James came down the stairs last with a slight pout on his face, no doubt caused by Logan’s interruption. He made a beeline to stand beside Kendall at the foot of the stairs and whispered into Kendall’s ear, “He’s such a cockblock when he’s on a schedule.”

“You guys do this every time, you think you’d have learned your lesson by now.”, Kendall replied with a laugh. He looked over at his taller boyfriend before something caught his eye. “By the way, you have a little something right there.” He said as he gestured to the developing mark right under James' jaw.

James’ hand immediately flew up to touch the spot before he threw a teasing smile in Kendall’s direction. “Jealous?”

“Nah, there will be plenty of time for that later.” He readjusted the straps of his luggage on his shoulder. “But if we don’t get out this door, I think Logan will murder us before we get the chance.” With that he linked his fingers with James and finally headed out the door, ready to get this vacation under way.

For once the California sun wasn’t quite as overbearing, which Kendall was thankful for. A nice breeze broke through the normally dry heat and the cloud coverage was mild. It was almost like the entire state knew they were on vacation.

In the passenger seat beside Kendall, James typed away on his laptop, no doubt answering some last minute emails to his agent. Having been in the entertainment industry together, the other men fully understood the sheer amount of obligations James was under.

In the back, Logan and Carlos were sitting together, the rest of their luggage piled on the seat behind Kendall. The two of them looked through a pamphlet of the campground they had chosen, quietly discussing where the best place to set up would be.

Kendall reached over, turning on the radio of the car, making sure to turn the volume down to not disturb James. The sound of an obnoxious car salesman flooded the car, and Kendall rolled his eyes. When he was a kid, he actually could hear music on the radio, but now all he heard were commercials. He would have said those thoughts out loud if he didn’t think it’d make him sound like an old man.

His thoughts were cut short when the radio announcer came back on air. “Welcome back, you’re listening to WYMZ, the station for all your favorite throwback hits. Coming up next, we have Big Time Rush’s hit, “Boyfriend.” The starting beats of one of their first songs filled the car, and all four men looked toward the stereo.

No one said anything, the car silent except for the voices of their younger selves in the stereo. Until Logan started to laugh. “Throwback? Has it really been that long?”

“Pretty soon, we’ll be on the Golden Oldies channel, right next to Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.” Carlos added.

James finally closed his laptop and turned around to face the men in the backseat. “Speak for yourself old-timer, I happen to be in my prime.”

Logan leaned forward in his seat, playfully shoving at James’ shoulder, “Yeah yeah, we know. Aren’t you at week eight topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart?”

“Just hit nine weeks actually. My agent Nigel says this is a good sign for the album drop in October. Soon you won’t be able to turn on the radio, without hearing my angelic voice.”

When the conversation first came up about everyone taking a hiatus from Big Time Rush, James had been reluctant for the change. It had always been his dream to be on stage performing, but he’d grown to love the safety net of having Kendall, Carlos and Logan with him.

He had always planned to have a solo career at some point, but when that moment finally arrived he felt nervous. Anxious that no one would like him on his own, and that his boyfriends would see him as a failure.

None of them had ever doubted his ability to shine without them though. There wasn’t anything like seeing him step out on stage and sing his heart out. It was simply what he was born to do. And thankfully it seemed the world could see that too.

Kendall leaned over, placing his hand on James' knee squeezing gently .“I’m proud of you, but didn’t we say no work talk on our vacation?”

The car filled with murmurs of agreement at Kendall’s careful reminder. It seemed like such a simple rule, but it could be so hard to follow sometimes.

After Big Time Rush officially ended the boys imagined that they would finally get a chance to relax. For four years they had been going from dance practice, to the recording booth, to concerts, and interviews. While they were all thankful for the chance of a lifetime, it really took a toll on them.

Logan was the first one to bow out of their quiet free time after just four days. He’d applied to several colleges in the surrounding LA area, anxious to get a jump on his studies. When Kendall thought about those days, he wondered how Logan had even made it out alive.

He would take 18 credit hour semesters, a decision he made to make up for the two years he claimed he was behind. And while that alone seemed like a lot to the other guys, the classes weren’t exactly easy either.

While none of them could keep up with the concepts that Logan had been learning, they all tried to help out where they could. Kendall was usually elbows deep in flashcards filled with medical terms that he still couldn’t explain to this day. And James would try his best to stay up with Logan as he studied late into the night, rubbing the stress from his shoulders and making him take breaks.

The late nights and early mornings were worth it though, that much Kendall knew. One of his favorite photos of Logan was taken on the first day of his residency at a local hospital. His smile shined just as brightly as his new lab coat, and Kendall had never seen such genuine happiness etched on his features before.

Logan had pretty much always known what his dreams were, Carlos on the other hand had chosen to get out into the world and explore. Letting his future come to him.

During those early years, he had held a variety of jobs, and he took to them with such exuberance and focus that it was always hard to picture him doing anything else. When he started working at a bakery, it was like he was born to do that. And when he took up a job at a local daycare, Kendall wondered why he hadn’t been doing that his whole life.

Carlos was simply the kind of man who thrived in any situation. But it became clear to everyone when he found exactly where he was meant to be.

Growing up when asked about his future, Carlos always said he wanted to be a superhero because he wanted to save people. And while he had long since put away his ‘El Hombre Del Flaming Space Rock Man’ costume, the urge to protect was still inside of him.

When he finally applied for the police academy, it was like it all had made sense. Following in the footsteps of the greatest man he had ever met, his father, Carlos understood how his boyfriends had felt everyday as they put all their hard work in.

It truly was something special, being able to see all of them achieve their dreams everyday. Kendall didn’t know what force of the universe he had to thank, but something somewhere was looking out for them.

While they all loved where their futures had brought them, that didn’t mean there weren't some sacrifices to be made.

From the very first time he had a hockey stick placed in his hands, Kendall knew he was going to be a center for the Minnesota Wilds. And to this day, he still couldn’t wrap his brain around the fact that he achieved his goal.

However, the sobering reality of just how demanding his career was always hit when hockey season began.

Being gone from your loved ones for months at a time was difficult, especially for Kendall who had gotten so used to seeing his boyfriends every single day. They all tried their best to make it easier, video chatting often, and flying out to see each other when the opportunity presented itself. That didn’t make up for the feeling that something was missing every night when they went to bed though.

The four of them had gotten pretty good at saying goodbye with how often Kendall and James had to be on the road. And when they finally had time to spend together, it was important to make it count. That’s why this trip meant so much to Kendall. He was looking forward to spending the weekend with the three men who were the world to him. Completely uninterrupted, they could be together just like they had as kids, when they would trek out into the Minnesota wilderness with Papi Garcia.

Kendall felt a warm palm cover the hand he still had absentmindedly rested on James’ knee and was pulled from his thoughts. He glanced away from the road to see the other man looking at him fondly. “We’ll be there pretty soon, you excited?”

James leaned into Kendall’s ear voice barely above a whisper. “Absolutely, don’t tell Logan but I’m totally gonna push him into the lake first chance I get.”

“Dude you’re like a foot away from us, we can hear everything.” Carlos piped up from the back. “Besides, if anyone is throwing him into the lake it’s gonna be me.”

Logan looked frantically between Carlos and the front of the car, meeting Kendall’s gaze in the rearview mirror hoping for some backup. “I personally like the plan where I don’t get thrown in the lake.” Kendall fought back a smile, as he listened to Logan plead his case and his other boyfriends tease about their future plans. Up ahead he saw the worn sign for the campgrounds and pulled in already feeling much more at ease.

As he got out of the car, Kendall had to shake feeling back into his achy limbs, as he fished his supplies out of the dogpile in the trunk. The sheer amount of bags they had managed to shove into the tiny vehicle was actually impressive. However, now reality had sunk into him that they would have to carry everything to the designated camping spot.

Once they were finally loaded up with their belongings, Logan stood at the front, his nose buried in the map to lead them to their destination. James was not far behind him, carrying not only his own bags, but most of Logan’s as well. He didn’t seem to mind too much though as he hummed a soft tune that Kendall couldn’t place.

Kendall took up the back and Carlos bounded up beside him and offered his hand for Kendall to take. It took him a couple of moments to rearrange all of the bags he had been carrying, but it was worth it for the smile that came across Carlos’ face as he intertwined their fingers.

They fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying the sounds of the wind rustling the leaves and the birds chirping in the trees. It felt like the calm before the storm, and Kendall knew the moment they arrived, things were going to get chaotic, it was just in their nature.

But he would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited to see what the weekend had in store. After all, he had to see which of his boyfriends would get to push Logan into the lake first. Little did they know, Kendall would probably get to it first.

#my writing #Big Time Rush #Kendall Knight #Logan Mitchell #James Diamond #Carlos Garcia #ot4

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jrgarcia · 7 years

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What’s the Gambler 500? It’s a Road Trip Rally

“It’s not a race, it’s a challenge.” A quote taken from 1976 film the Gumball Rally. Let me set the record straight that the Gambler 500 is NOT, I repeat, not a race or a timed event. This is a navigation rally designed to show you the Oregon landscape while having road trip fun in a wacky car with friends. The gamble comes from showing up to the start line in whatever, road legal, vehicle you can piece together that can survive 500 miles over a two day event. The Gambler 500 is Wacky Racers meets Family Vacation at the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mons. A motoring event unlike anything you’ve seen.

Team Rabid Beaver aka Red Beaver

How I ended up in Portland, Oregon on the eve of the Gambler 500 is a story that took a year in the making. It all started when I randomly came across a Facebook video clip of last year’s Gambler 500. It showed a bunch of wild cars and trucks being taken off road with big smiles all around. It looked fun. I shared it saying I would add it to my bucket list. One friend agreed, and meant it. Jeremy Mahovlich, a friend, fellow auto writer, mini truck aficionado, and general car nut from Vancouver, Canada. He was actually one of the first people I asked for advice on how to get into the automotive media racket in 2014.

At the start of 2017 he tagged me on another Gambler video asking if we should actually do this rally. I said yes, but in the same way friends agree that they should open a bar together. Sincere but with no real plan to actually go through with it. Wishful thinking. I didn’t think I would actually be at this event until he showed me the photos of the car he and Ron Kertesz, Rabid Beaver Co-driver, had bought at the auction. Soon as I saw the car in Jeremy’s driveway I started looking for flights.

The Red Beaver is a 2002 Ford Focus ZX3 hatchback with a 5-speed manual and that Jeremy picked up for $600 bucks. After a mild tune up of new spark plugs, fluids, and an air filter the car was given spacers to add ground clearance. The wheels were painted white and an Amazon Prime ordered light bar was dressed on the grille. Jeremy and Ron created a spoof livery on the Red Bull rally car of the same era. (Points for creativity!) I had no idea how the car was going to look until I saw at 11 pm the night before the race. Seeing my name on a professional looking rally car was a really good feeling.

A Symphony of Misfires

The start of the rally was a symphony of sputtering exhausts pipes, squeaky fan belts, and rough idling engines. Hood slams echoed as gamblers pushed their heaps to the start line. This was the 4th running of the Gambler. In previous years attendance was small. Around 40 teams entered last year, but thanks to social media a record setting 300 was expected to show up at the Portland Meadows horse track to start gambling. We arrived at 8 am and saw that over 700 teams had showed up! Unpresented and unplanned.

Teams ranged from chump cars and junkers to full builds and customs. Everything on wheels was represented at the event. AMC Eagles, lifted Crown Vics, a JDM Firetruck, 70s land yachts and wagons, limos, Pontiac Fieros, a white hearse, smokey motorcycles, ex-food trucks, vans, muscle cars, Jeeps and Subarus, and a $600 Toyota Prius! Our unofficial celebrity guest was Fred Williams, editor-at large for Peterson’s 4-Wheel & Off-road and host of Dirt Everyday, who showed up in a wicked 4×4 Dodge Tradesman.

Fred William’s Far Out 4×4 Dodge Tradesman

When Team Rabid Beaver set off it was 11 am and we were the 721th car to leave the starting point. We were given a paper with a list of GPS coordinates to different way points along the way towards the overnight checkpoint. Each waypoint ranged in road difficulty. Easy ones were just off the highway. Median way points involved dirt roads and pot holes. The most hardcore off road waypoints were appropriately named “Satan’s B***hole” in terms of difficulty. These required ATV permits. Vehicles that could handle rock climbing.

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There were only two rules in the rally, “If you aren’t having fun, go find some!” And “Always be Gamblin!” Enjoy the fun of being the weirdest convoy on the road. Driving through small towns like a herd of renegades in vehicular cosplay. Playing on the CB to live out your Cannonball Run day dreams while following the unwritten rule of stopping if you see a fellow Gambler on the side of the road. Big feeling of comradery among us as Gamblers. We were all here to have fun and nearly everyone was a first timer so we all shared the experience.

The Gambler 500 was sponsored by NAPA auto parts which gave Gamblers a 10% discount during the race. Also, the Gambler is not a race so you don’t need to wear crash helmets or invest in a 5 point safety harness. Only things required on gambler vehicles is for it to be road legal and a CB radio for emergencies since cellphone signal can be dicey in the Oregon country side.

Woodstock for Oil Burners

The overnight checkpoint for the rally was a ski lodge near the city of Sister, Oregon, named Hoodoo (Who-doo). By the time the Red Beaver arrived the ski lodge was completely full and we had to park in the street along with several dozen other Gambler teams.

Hoodoo entrance gate

The scene was wild. Crazy cars littered the parking lot with tents and camps set up around them. Alcohol vendors were on the scene handing out samples and by 10 pm everyone was holding at least one sudsy beverage in their hand. Live music echoed as we walked the grounds checking out the cars and observing the crowd. Guns, cars, and music was the only topics of conversation. No politics, no current events. Nothing annoying. There was even a city bus that had been converted into a mobile Tattoo parlor that was opened for business.

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What amazed me was that we had over 800 vehicles, with 3 or more people per vehicle. At least 90% of us were new to the event with drinks flowing freely. I didn’t sleep at all that night, mostly because I didn’t prepare for winter conditions in July. Spending the night freezing allowed me to listen and observe the campgrounds. Were we loud? Of course! But all you could hear was talking and laughter. No fighting, no shouting, no foul language echoing in the distance, no dangerous burnouts, and no cops. It was surreal seeing such a diverse group of people spending the night together and getting along. No drama, just civil fun with beer breathe.

Naturally the restrooms were a mess but what do you expect? A few wild cards started setting off fireworks but were quickly shut down (Smokey the Bear didn’t approve). Others who brought bikes were riding up and down the ski slopes in the darkness. A few college kids dancing on the hoods of cars. The point is that all these people showed up and nobody got hurt, nobody was offended, and nobody’s car caught on fire. The planets were aligned in the Gambler’s favor that night.

By 2am most had gone to sleep except for a few dozen huddled around the bonfire. The band had called it a night and allowed anyone to grab an instrument and jam. I couldn’t sleep so I stood listening to the group of strangers play together. They played tunes that reminded me of Link Wray and Dick Dale. Surfer music, exhaustion, and the few beers I had made for some essential thinking while looking up at the stars in the moonless Oregon sky.

Junkers for a Good Cause

The end of the rally was back at Portland Meadows were it began. All cars were able to cross the finish line and park in the horse track infield to create the most outrageous looking parking lot. Once we were all here the awards were given out. This year’s winner was given to a man who visited all the waypoints in a $500 Honda 500cc motorcycle that he put together days before the rally started.

The cherry on top of the Gambler 500 sundae is the auction held after the awards. At the end of the rally anyone who wants to sell their ride can do so at the auction and 100% of the money goes towards the Children’s Cancer Association. How awesome is that? Anyone who buys a gambler car will have an automatic entry for next year’s rally.

Sold for $500

Ramblin for Next Year’s Gamblin

I was able to talk briefly to T. Cole, founder and organizer for the Gambler 500. My main question for him was how they planned to control the number of Gamblers for next year. A large attendance was a great surprise but things could have quickly gotten out of hand. No secret that we were lucky this year. Cole couldn’t give me a definitive answer but I assume that ticket sales to partake in the rally will be in order next year. Money will be the factor that separates the real Gamblers from the trouble makers. The Gambler 500 is not a Gumball 3000 or Cannonball Run. They want this to be a family friendly event that focuses on fun and not speed.

I was able to talk to Fred Williams and ask him for a quote on this event. His answer was as accurate as it was funny.

“The Gambler 500 is all the people waiting to be extras in the next Mad Max movie.”

After spending 2 days looking at some of these creative rides I can certainly agree with him. Everyone was friendly and everyone I talked to was excited to do this again next year. Jeremy, Ron, and I spent most of the time on the road thinking of theme ideas for next year. What kind of car? Livery and costume ideas? How will one decision impact the other? Best road game ever. Check out the Gambler 500’s FB page to see more content and vides of this year’s gamble.

Below is a gallery of some of the Rides from the Gambler 500.

The Battleship Lincoln

Original drivetrain and chassis, slightly modified of course

Used to be a 1999 Crown Vic

Used to be a 1970 Cadillac

$600, owner just removed all fuses and added a skid plate

Miniature Dog Van

1941 Dodge Power Wagon Weapon’s Carrier. All original!

Beastie Boys Cosplay

Mighty MG

“If you ain’t first….”

Fancia, Get it?

It’s a Pontiac Fiero dressed up like a Lancia Stratos

Mary Kay Special

“Make Mexico Great Again”

My favorite decal of the entire event.

Gambler 500 is officially an international event.

These guys used the Gambler 500 as a company retreat. Are they hiring?

Not your typical hair dresser’s car

No idea, but I want one.

A mail truck Jeep!

Discount Roadkill Muscle Truck

Good Old Truck

Only Suzuki represented

Long live the Crown Vic

Reminded me of 80’s NASCAR

This Cheby was wraped in printed Duct Tape

Looked as if the internet had vomited on this thing.

A Pontiac Bonneville dressed to look like the T/A Trans Am

Get It?

Great name for a Crown Vic

Breakdown lane to the Danger Zone

Team Suburbia

Moon Buggy Scoobie

“This is a van”

An International Pickup, these are getting rare.

Crown Vics were a favorite vehicle of choice at the G500

AMC Eagles!

A Brown 70’s Olds, love it.

a JDM fire truck

Left hand drive

Canadian Mopar

Wizard Van

The OJ Special

An Olds Cutlass

Imagine seeing this heard in your rear view

Mad Max Mustang

Mark 5 Mercury Wagon

I called it the Mercury 5

A hearse, because of course

I want one

Honda hatchback

Mods

These 2 Camaros drove all the way from the East Coast to be here

Costumes are encouraged

Strongly encouraged

AMC Eagles, may they live on

This Dodge looked ready for the Baja 500

Push

This food truck reject was sold at the auction for $400

Read more stories and articles here.

A road trip rally, a two day party, and a charity car auction. This is the Gambler 500. What’s the Gambler 500? It’s a Road Trip Rally “It’s not a race, it’s a challenge.” A quote taken from 1976 film the Gumball Rally.

#4x4 #adventure #chump cars #driving #entertainment #gambler 500 #lemons #lifestyle #news #off roading #oregon #road rally #travel #wacky cars #writing

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jenhikes · 7 years

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Hiking the Great "Soaky" Mountains - My Flash Flood Experience

I recently had a brand new experience during a guided trip - a flash flood. While many of us go through our daily lives and hear or see the words "Flash Flood Warning" pop up on our phones or scrolling across the screen during a weather report, none of us ever actually get a chance to see or experience one. While I hope you never do, I'd like to recount my experience, share a video, and let you know how you can avoid a situation like that while you're out on your next hike.

During my most recent Women in the Wilderness trip thunderstorms were again in the forecast. So far this year it has rained on every single trip I've taken. Granted, after our severe drought last year, the rain is a welcome sight. Even though I'm grateful for the rain and the fact that we are now two inches over our normal rain level, I'm starting to get a bit sick of it. Knowing rain was in the forecast I made sure I had packed my usual rain kit for a guided hike, including my uncomfortable and hot rain jacket and a large and incredibly heavy (when it's dry) tarp for my clients to relax under. While our first day on the trail only gave us a sprinkle or two when we first took off, our second day was calling for afternoon thunderstorms. It was while we were lunching that we heard our first thunder clap, but after about 45 minutes of all bark and no bite the storm never materialized. However, just as we arrived at camp, around 3:30 in the afternoon, the sky in front of us was nearly black. I knew we'd be pushing the rain and we hiked downhill to my favorite campsite in the park, campsite 49 (Cabin Flats). We walked back to the farthest site from the trail, right next to the river, and immediately put up our tarp to keep us dry. We assembled all the tents and got underneath the tarp as the first rain drops started to fall. Our group joked how this would be our trip high point - we assembled the tents and tarp just before it got wet, assuring that when we finally set up our tents on the inside (putting our sleeping gear inside) it would be nice and dry.

At first, the rain was steady and not out of the ordinary; however, after approximately 15 minutes, the rain began falling in heavy sideways sheets. The tarp quickly slackened from becoming wet and due to the sideways rain and winds we ended up holding some of the edges, moving to the middle of the tarp with all our gear and hoping the storm would let up. The sideways rain continued for about a half hour before it finally let up, but the rain continued steadily. After approximately 1.5 hours the rain had let up to the point where one of my clients asked "so, how much longer will we have to do this?" meaning stand under the tarp before we set up the rest of our gear. As if on cue, as soon as those words escaped her mouth, we all heard a deafening roar. Looking toward the river, we all watched the water level rise from normal to just at the shoreline and ready to breach. After looking at each other and saying "did everyone just see that?" we ran over to the tents, picked them all up, and moved them to a higher point in the campground. After standing for a few minutes and chatting, we decided I would head up to the top of the campsite, which was higher up, and see how the river looked. When I got there, the water had risen to above the shoreline and was beginning to cover the upper part of the area. I instructed everyone to grab their packs and head up the hill, leaving the tents for the moment.

After bringing all our gear, minus the tarp and tents, to a safe point we came up with a game plan. We definitely weren't staying at the campsite because it could still be raining upstream and the water could get higher. We now had a few choices - grab the tents and stay right on the main trail, hike up to a different site about 3.5 miles away and stay there illegally without a permit, or hike out to our cars. My group was shaken, but not ready to call the trip. We decided to grab the gear and camp somewhere else. Staying as a group, we broke down the tarp and three tents quickly and brought them up the hill to pack them up. On our way back the second time, the water level had risen even more, despite the rain stopping where we were. We sloppily packed the gear as best we could and decided to make the 3.5 miles trek to campsite 50.

My biggest concern with hiking down to campsite 50 was the fact that it was at an even lower elevation than our campsite at 49. I also knew the water would be higher down lower and that we had four bridges to cross to get there. After approximately half a mile we came to the largest and what I considered the most secure of those bridges and I looked to see the water was only about a foot and a half from the bottom of the bridge. This water, at normal levels, comes up to about my mid calf. We paused on the bridge to take photos of the water and I shot a video as well. You can see that below:

From 3:30 to 5 pm it rained approximately 1 inch at Campsite 49. At around 4:45 we heard a roar and watched the water rise to flood levels in a period of approximately 15 seconds. We moved to Campsite 50 approximately 3.5 miles away shortly after. . #flashflood #flood #floodwater #REIAdventures #REI1440project #OptOutside #AppalachianTrail #AppalachianTrials #whiteblaze #greatsmokymountains #GSMNP #Smokies #hiking #backpacking #hikingguidelife #criticalthinking #backpackingsafety #safety #womeninthewilderness #wiw #outdoorwomen #dontpanic #forceofnature

A post shared by Sprinkles (Jennifer Kelley) (@sprinkleshikes) on Jul 9, 2017 at 11:49am PDT

Our walk continued along the Bradley Fork Trail and over a few more bridges that spanned the raging river. We could see several walls of debris that were freshly piled up on the shorelines at the turns of the water. Thankfully though, the water never breeched the trail. When we got to campsite 50 we were shocked to find it was empty on a Saturday night. We set up our tents, cooked dinner, and spent a dry night cozy inside them.

I would be lying if I told you I felt 100% calm about the situation. I've never experienced water like this in the Smokies before, although flash floods have been known to happen in other parts of the park. Now that I've been through the experience, I can be better prepared for dealing with this situation in the future. Here are my tips for dealing with a flash flood:

1) Stay Calm: If you panic your body won't help you make a rational decision. In retrospect, it may have been safer to break down the tents and the tarp first to avoid taking that second trip down to the site. Either way it would have taken the same amount of time.

2) Know your outs: Even if you're backpacking someplace new to you, having an evacuation plan is key for a situation like this. The most important thing you can do during a flood like this is getting yourself to higher ground. Knowing how you can get back to your car is even more helpful, but it's not always possible.

3) Keep paying attention: Even though we had a plan to continue onward with our hike, and even though we were still talking, laughing, and joking, I was still paying attention to that water and listening for anything out of the ordinary. While you want to get out of the area quickly if possible, it's also important to stay safe while doing so.

4) Report the incident to the proper people ASAP: I had no cell phone service on this entire trip. For me to report what I had seen I actually had to talk to the backcountry office at the park once I drove to it. Letting the proper people know will get someone out there to check the site for anything unsafe and possibly close it to keep other people safe as well.

While I hope I never have to deal with a situation like that again, I know that hiking for a living in a park with more than 3,000 miles of flowing stream it is a distinct possibility that I will. I'm hoping to be better prepared and even more in control if I ever do. Have you ever experienced a flash flood?

#Smokies #Great Smoky Mountains #GSMNP #women in the wilderness #Women hikers #Hiking #Backpacking #Smokemont #Flash Flood #flood #water

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media-and-me · 4 years

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Capturing The Majesty of Yosemite With ZEISS Batis

There is no greater valley full of spectacles on Earth. Yosemite is a mecca for climbers, adventure seekers and those searching for that Ansel Adams moment.

In 2018 I had the pleasure of traveling across the world to visit one of the most incredible places; Yosemite. Accompanying me on this journey was two great friends; Adam and Ferne, a pair of boots and a backpack full of photography and filming gear.

After using the ZEISS Milvus lenses on a Manfrotto campaign earlier in the year (read the ZEISS article here and the BTS here), using the Batis prime lenses was the next step forward for capturing the landscapes in the Yosemite Valley. At the time, the ZEISS Batis 2/40 was just announced, so I was extremely lucky to have one of the few lenses on the planet with me.

Why ZEISS Batis?

As a Sony mirrorless shooter, using native E-mount lenses is the ideal combination for filming and photography. The quality of the optics is unparalled, combined with ultra-fast auto focus is a winning combination.

ZEISS kindly lent me the 2.8/18, 2/40 and 1.8/85 for this trip, it was my first time using the lenses and the light weight construction gave me confidence as I would be carrying them while hiking and traveling around the valley. Some of those hikes would be over a thousand feet elevation, so keeping the kit compact and light was paramount.

I was shooting with the Sony a7S II and Sony a6500, which gave me a wide range of perspectives and angles of view with the Batis lenses. The 2.8/18 was the widest angle I could shoot, with the 1.8/85 on the a6500 equalling nearly 135mm. This would come to my advantage when shooting the granite monolith Half Dome from Olmsted Point; compressing the landscape.

Filming and Auto Focus

Much of the filming I was doing was static (on the Manfrotto BeFree Live CF) or on the Zhiyun Crane Plus gimbal. Every day I would update the vlog with the a6500 and Batis 2.8/18, some of these were on the go, and the AF kept up with my walking and traversing across the landscapes. Tracking shots were a breeze, locking focus onto subjects that then moving forwards, sideways or orienting around them.

For more tele shots, making use of that 130mm equivalent on the a6500 was impressive. The stabilized sensor in the camera really helped with the micro jitters.

The video is in post, a continuing work in progress.

Ansel Adams. Not Quite

Yosemite Village hosts the Ansel Adams gallery, and after first discovering his photography in a postcard book I picked up years ago, being in Yosemite Valley made me appreciate the history he made in capturing the iconic views like Tunnel View.

The incredible work that Jimmy Chin has captured, not only in Yosemite but across the world also spurred myself to “be in the moment” in this trip. Capturing film and photos was only part of the experience.

We visited Yosemite in October, so much of the melted snow and ice had dissipated. Yosemite Falls were completely dry, and the Mist Trail and Vernal Falls were more of a trickle.

From researching, watching and admiring so many photographers and filmmakers take on Yosemite, it was important for me to have my own take on this. The iconic views or ‘Instagram worthy’ shots went out the window when I was there; the trip needed to mean more than that.

It was the moments spent at camp relaxing, the off track shots, or times when I just pointed the camera and created a memory. The ZEISS Batis lenses allowed me to do just that; pick up the camera and shoot. The magical ZEISS pop was prevalent in a number of the shots that I took, and the flexibility across focal lengths gave me so much choice when shooting.

I felt that the Batis 2/40 gave the ideal angle of view for the landscape shots, as it is so similar to how we see as humans. We were doing a lot of moving, every day a new location, hike or drive, so from wide angles to the glowing sunsets, the AF kept up with that speed which was often point and shoot style.

A lot of the landscape shots were taken with a narrow aperture of F/11 +, but in lower light I was able to open the aperture right up to F/2.8 or wider and still achieve crystal sharp shots.

What has capturing Yosemite meant to me?

As a personal project, standing on top of Taft Point at sunset overlooking the valley and El Capitan has put the scale of the world into perspective. Without the help of ZEISS, and my travel friends Adam and Ferne (who put up with numerous stops along the way and many requests for BTS photos (photo credits to them both respectively)), I couldn’t have captured this adventure.

Thank you.

"Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space." -- Ansel Adams

Equipment Used

Sony a7S II

Sony a6500

ZEISS Batis 2.8/18, 2/40, 1.8/85

Sigma 18-35

Manfrotto Befree Live CF

Zhiyun Crane Plus

GoPro Fusion (now replaced by the GoPro MAX)

Sennheiser Memory Mic and AMBEO Smart Headset

Manfrotto Off Road Backpack

Peak Design Leash

Interested in traveling to Yosemite?

We flew with BA to San Fransisco and stayed in an AirBnB in Oakland for two nights. The camping kit we hired was from Sports Basement (Berkley), I 100% recommend them for your hires, and the store is incredible.

Our Ford Edge was hired through Hertz, and we travelled over 1000 miles in it.

Our first five nights was spent at Lower Pines Campground, with our sixth night at Upper Pines. We had planned to camp at May Lake but the campground was closed due to weather warnings. Make sure you book 6 months in advance when the booking system opens!

Yosemite Village Store has everything you’ll need for a weeks stay food wise, and there is always great pizza and beer available at Camp Curry (was Half Dome Village).

San Francisco

We also had a number of days in San Francisco before heading home, so of course we saw the sights of Pier 37, Mission and the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge.

Want to learn more?

Please do get in touch if you want to learn more about the trip, the kit, the filming and photography. You can connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook. I look forward to it.

For production or commisioning enquiries, visit the contact page to get in touch.

#Yosemite #yosemite filmmaking #Yosemite photography #yosemite video #photography #filmmaking #documentary #landscape photography #landscape filming #ZEISS #ZEISS batis

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krnaturalphoto · 6 years

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Camping in Vermont

One of my favorite things to do is get out in nature and go camping someplace I have never been. This summer my wife and I decided to go to Vermont and camp with one of our dogs. We decided to camp at Gifford Woods State Park. We had narrowed the choice down to two different locations. I decided I wanted to check out Gifford Woods.

One of the main reasons I wanted to camp at Gifford woods was because it was literally right on the Appalachian Trail and that would allow me easy access to explore this legendary trail that I had previously never had the opportunity to check out. I wasted no time doing so. As soon as we arrived and unpacked the first thing I wanted us to do was go see where the Appalachian Trail met the campground and explore a little bit of the trail. As soon as we headed out we quickly learned that not only did the Appalachian trail run through our campground it literally lead right past our campsite. I thought I had spotted trail blazes on trees as we approached our campsite, but I didn’t know what they were for. We saw so many hikers pass by on the Appalachian Trail while we relaxed at our campsite, probably between a half-dozen and a dozen hikers every day. And that was just at the times we were actually at our campsite which was not most of the time, most days. It was quite impressive to see all the hikers.

Kent Pond was just a short walk from our campsite. We visited several times.

We had purchased an AMC hikers guide to Vermont and marked off many different hikes we were interested in possibly doing while we were on our trip. There was one hike that we were excited to try out because it was right nearby our campground. We wanted to hike the Deer Leap Overlook hike. It was a relatively short, relatively easy hike with reportedly great views of the area. We followed the directions in the guide-book and parked at the noted parking location and started up the trail head we saw right in front of us. However, we missed one important detail. The trail head we wanted to be going up was across the road from where we had parked. We wouldn’t realize this for quite a while. Once we had been hiking long enough that we were sure we were likely not on the right path we decided to check to see what info we could find on out our phones. We discovered that we were not on Dear Leap but on the Sherburne Pass up to Pico Peak. The next decision was do we keep hiking up or head back down. We didn’t really have a good idea of how long or how far we had gone up or how much farther or longer it would take to reach the top. We didn’t really want to do all that hiking up a mountain without any reward of a nice view. We decided to continue up the mountain taking periodic breaks to reassess the situation and determine if we wanted to kep going and look at maps on our hones to get a sense of how close to the summit we were. We did eventually reach the summit and were rewarded with some nice views. The moral of that story is, if you want to climb a mountain but your wife might not accidental climb the wrong trail because you are both to stubborn to quite once you are out there. My wife said that she would not have wanted to climb the mountain if that was what we had set out to do. We would not have done it. But after having done it she was happy that she had done it and she felt good about having done it.

The view from Pico Peak

In contrast to the mountain we climbed we also hiked around a short 1 mile trail at what must have been one of the flattest tracts of land in all of Vermont. There was essentially no elevation change on the trail. It was quite a nice relaxing little hike. This was on the Robert Frost Trail. All along the trail were posted Robert Frost poems to read as you relaxed and enjoyed the scenery which included a beautiful stream, some woodland, and even a more open field like area.

Robert Frost Trail.

After a nice casual stroll at the Robert Frost Trail we decided to venture on to a more difficult trail. We really wanted to go see what kind of views we could find overlooking some beautiful scenery. So we headed out to a section of the Long Trail noted in the guidebook as Sunset Ledge. This trail definitely had some challenging sections. It was a good workout. After hiking up for what seemed like longer than we should have been we were beginning to worry that we had gone astray again. Fortunately another hiker was headed towards us and when we inquired she said that we were close and that the view is great. She was not wrong. After a little more hiking we arrive at a nice overlook. We sat and enjoyed the view and took some photographs. We relaxed and just enjoyed being out in nature.

Sunset Ledge

One thing that definitely has to be taken into account is that even when you are looking at a guide-book that gives you ratings of how difficult a trail is to hike with rating from easy to difficult you have to be mindful that the guide is essentially all relative. That means that a lot of the hikes are rated relative to the other hikes in the area and when you are in Vermont many of the hikes are mountainous or require a lot of elevation gain or are very long hikes. So a short hike that is rated as easy might still have over 400 ft of elevation which is not necessarily a lot of elevation gain but it feels like a lot more when you are covering that elevation in 1 mile. So the perceived effort of the hike, how you feel during the climbing of the hike can feel harder than one might expect from a hike that is rated as easy or easy/moderate. Also another consideration is the decent. It sounds simple enough to think that the climbing might be easy but coming back down will be easier. This may very well be true but it might also be the opposite. The exertion might feel like it is lessened but it still might be difficult depending on how steep the trail is and what the terrain is like. Going down a large rock surface can pose bigger challenges than going up it for example.

One of my favorite features of the scenery that just happened to be purely chance and not part of the planning was this stream that flowed across the Appalachian Trail right near our camp. It was just a short walk away. I saw that spot probably more times than anywhere else. I stopped and took photos of it multiple times. It is really cool to me when you find these neet little hidden gems that are not predominant features of the landscape or well-known marked scenic spots and you can just check them out and enjoy it.

I also got some running in while out camping and didn’t even have to travel to do it. It is a great feeling to be able to wake up put on your clothes and run off onto a trail without having to drive anywhere. I never did get up as early as I wanted for ay of the runs I went out on. I also never quite got the distance in that I wanted. As I learned quickly out on my runs the AT is no joke and you should not underestimate it. But I did enjoy my time running there and I took some videos and photos while I was running.

When we were in the early planning stages of our trip and had decided to camp at Gifford Woods in Killington, VT we started to check into things and see what else might be going on in the time frame we would be there. I was thinking that I would like to find a trail race to run. As it turned out there was a race going on that same week. The Under Armour Mountain Running Series was at Killington Mountain just a short drive from where we were staying. It seemd like the perfect opportunity. The event featured 5k, 10k, 25k, and 50k distances. The 25k was the only distance that really interested me. However, the cut off time was 4.5 hours and that was the amount time it took me to finish my last 25k that I thought would likely be comparable, so I wasn’t even sure I would be able to finish it if I ran. Also, as the time approached I was not in the healthiest place physically. I also wasn’t sure that I wanted the anxiety and worry that can come with having a race looming hanging over my head on what was supposed to be a fun trip with my wife. I decided not to run the race, but we did go and watch the event and cheered runners on and I took many, many photographs of people crushing their races. It was really fun to sit back and watch and enjoy the event as a spectator. I was definitely glad I chose that route. I was still able to get a goo amount of running in and enjoy the rest of the trip as well as take in a cool event. Win, win, win.

Under Armour Mountain Running Series, Killington, VT.

Then in the evening we found purely by chance what I think was the perfect way to round out and finish off our vacation. While at the running event we saw signs for a free outdoor concert at the same location later that night. So we went back that night and sat out on the side of a mountain listening to music and enjoying being outside. It was the perfect relaxing way to end a trip.

from Camping in Vermont

#Camping in Vermont

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licencedtoretire · 6 years

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Heading back down the hill after the morning walk (prefer previous blog) back towards the camp we managed to sneak this view of the motorhome sitting there in it’s prime beachfront spot. I must say that some of the camps we have stayed at have had fairly boring outlooks so to have a view like this is a huge bonus.

Running into “no hurry Murray” on our return to the camp he asked us if we enjoyed our walk and then proceeded to let us know about an unofficial pathway through the farm at the other end of the bay.

So with our legs still full of energy after the earlier walk (refer previous blog) we headed off back down the bay in search of this second unofficial track. It’s actually quite hard to find the start of the track with Murray saying lookout for the water trough, easier said than done when it’s hidden behind grass that’s grown all over it.

As is usual with our walks the path starts off with a nice clear formed track through the pine trees as it rose along the cliff edge heading out towards the point. With the pine needles underfoot it was like walking on a cushion it was so soft underfoot although it did have me worried a couple of times that they might give way and I could see myself slipping down the cliff.

Of course as we have discovered what starts out as a well formed track quickly deteriorates to something more suited to the goats and sheep that are living wild in this area as we pushed through these gorse bushes we began to wonder if somehow we had strayed from the path.

Strangely enough it’s all become part of the fun starting out on these well formed tracks only to have them turn into these narrow tracks that have you holding onto trees or plants to stop yourself slipping down the banks in some of the steeper areas.

Then after being hemmed in by the trees we emerged into this clearing which had a really nice view back towards the bay. Although as you can see the path continued to be somewhat elusive and we weren’t 100% certain that we where on the right path.

Crossing the gully it was back into the pine trees were the path again emerged the occasional glimpse of the sea spurring us on towards the end point of the track, whilst we didn’t really know where it would emerge we knew that we had rounded the corner of the headland away from the camp, maybe this might be a spot where we could head fishing later.

What we hadn’t realised either from the motorhome or as we walked along the track was just how strong the wind was that day as the headland and hills behind the camp had sheltered us from it. As we emerged from the track directly into the path of the wind it was blowing at what appeared to be almost gale force as you can see if you watch the video above.

We had the choice of either continuing on the left hand side of the fence down to the point or crossing a handy stile to get to the windward side and walk down to the point inside the fence. Choosing this option as it felt much safer than being blown over the cliff we walked out to the point for some great views of the sounds and millions of white caps on the water.

When you feel wind that strong and you are walking either inside or outside of the fence that close to a 30 metre cliff edge I don’t think there is much choice about the side of the fence to be walking.

Not really sure if it was private land or not we decided to follow the farm track out along the farm to have a closer look at the mussel farms dotted along the coastline. In the areas where it was sheltered it was a really nice walk but once exposed to the wind it became quite unpleasant and after maybe 1 km of walking into the wind and feeling the full effects of the wind chill we decided to return to the motorhome and defrost.

Almost the moment we got back into the pine trees the effect of the wind disappeared and once we had rounded the headland slightly it had gone completely turning back into a really nice day. Strange how that works.

One of the advantages of being almost the only people in the campground is the chance to get to know the camp hosts. After a couple of encounters with Murray and his wife Raewyn they offered to take us fishing.

Pointing out the obvious that with the strong wind we would be rather exposed on the point and that with the wind causing the waves to crash over the rocks Murray suggested that we visit his secret spot on the other side of the point.

It’s not hard to work out why it’s a secret when you have to somehow get down a cliff face to get to this secret spot. With Murray leading the way we worked our way down what he claimed was the track, it looked more like a couple of gaps in some gorse bushes to me. The good news about gorse is you can hang onto the trunk area without having to worry about prickles , we used this method to avoid falling down the cliff.

The final 5 metres is by hanging onto the rope in one hand fishing gear in the other as you try and abseil the last bit. It was only once I was on the bottom that I felt confident enough to take a photo. The rest of the time I was hanging on for grim death.

With Murray explaining how to catch Blue Cod it was time to put our rods together and see how good this secret spot actually was. As you can see from the photos it’s very rocky here and an important part of fishing here is not to let your sinker settle on the bottom or you are 100% guaranteed to snag.

It wasn’t long before Murray’s fishing tips paid off and although it wasn’t big enough to keep Sarah was the first person to land a Cod. It turned out that Raewyn does not fish but provided lots or moral support for Murray during the time we spent here.

When at one point it looked like we weren’t going to catch any keepers with the minimum size of 33cm being well beyond our initial catches Sarah decided to forage for some of the local green lipped mussels which cover the rocks in abundance here, obviously seeded from the mussel farms that cover the shallow waters of the Marlborough Sounds.

Finally after loosing countless amounts of gear to the rocks Sarah had had enough and I decided to swap to the rod she was using as it’s my favourite. The next two casts resulted in the two Cod you see above, one just legal at bang on 33 cm the second a healthier 37 cm. So it was to be Cod for dinner.

Sadly our guide (Murray) did not catch anything worth keeping but with another 4 weeks to go on his stint as camp host he assured me there was plenty of time left to catch some cod and the previous day he caught his bag lot. Murray then proceeded to fillet and skin our cod for us doing a much better job than I ever could have.

Of course what goes down must come back up and to leave the fishing spot we had to climb back up the cliff to get to the pathway. Like on the way down I was too busy worrying about not falling to consider taking photos until I was recovering my breath at the top of the cliff. I think the spot will remain secret for a while yet!

That night we had some of the freshest, tastiest Fish that we have ever eaten pan fried in a little butter with potatoes and a nice salad. A huge thank you to Murray and Raewyn for their assistance in helping us catch dinner. We could not have done it without you.

When we arrived at the camp I expressed surprise to Murray that there was still a camp host here on the middle of May. He told me that without him there DOC was missing out on hundreds of dollars in income from the campers who chose not to pay. Turns out I didn’t take a photo of them so I included the one of our van at the camp.

This was clearly shown when we returned from the fishing trip to find 3 lots of campers in what might be termed “slider” vans all of whom had used the facilities and all of whom chose to leave when asked to pay for the night. It’s a bit sad and makes me wonder why DOC are still asking $13 per night at this time of the year maybe it was $5 then a better percentage of the people would stay and pay.

Later that afternoon we watched this strange craft approaching the boat ramp. As you can see it’s a small vehicle ferry boat that was being piloted by one very busy person who between steering the boat was busy running forwards and backwards from the wheelhouse to the ramps at the front to lower them so that when he hit the boat ramp the vehicle just drove straight onto the boat.

Once the vehicle was on the vehicle ferry it backed out, turned around and sailed off towards D’Urville island the whole exersise would have taken no more than five minutes it was obvious that both the boat master and the person driving the vehicle had done this before. Very Interesting to watch.

The following morning with the wind having died away and before the forecast rain it was time to leave French Pass to explore other parts….. Next blog to follow the continued adventure. But just before I sign off one final reminder of the “wonderful” road into and out of the place, Not really for someone that doesn’t like metal roads and certainly not for the faint hearted!!!!

French Pass Part Two Heading back down the hill after the morning walk (prefer previous blog) back towards the camp we managed to sneak this view of the motorhome sitting there in it's prime beachfront spot.

#campervan holiday New Zealand #Doc camps #Walks

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politicalfilth-blog · 7 years

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Infographic: Inside Bohemian Grove

We Are Change

This WeAreChange infographic details the secretive Bohemian Clubs private campground the Bohemian Grove, where each year in July many of the elites of the United States meet for privately for upwards of two weeks. Many strange rituals take place amongst the redwoods of California along with talks and discussions often of a political nature.

A larger more detailed version can be downloaded here as a pdf or you can download the high-res jpeg version here.

Luke has done a number of videos over the years on the Grove and other secret societies, they can be found here.

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“Bohemian Grove is a 2,700-acre campground located at 20601 Bohemian Avenue, in Monte Rio, California, belonging to a private San Francisco-based men’s art club known as the Bohemian Club. In mid-July each year, Bohemian Grove hosts a two-week, three-weekend encampment of some of the most prominent men in the world.”

“The Bohemian Club was formed in 1872. In 1878, 100 Bohemians gathered in the Redwoods for a send-off party and which then became the club’s yearly encampment. The group quickly relaxed its rules for membership to permit some people to join who had little artistic talent, but enjoyed the arts and had greater financial resources. Eventually, the original “bohemian” members were in the minority and the wealthy and powerful controlled the club.” – Wikipedia

Bohemian Club’s City Clubhouse in San Francisco. The club is said to cost $25000 to join and $5000 per year. It is said the waiting list is up to 15 years.

The club motto is “Weaving Spiders Come Not Here”, it’s taken from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It implies that outside concerns and business deals are to be left outside. When gathered in groups, Bohemians usually adhere to the injunction, though discussion of business often occurs between pairs of members. No Cellphones or Cameras are permitted.

Picture from Summer 1967, those in the photo include both Ronald Regan, Richard Nixon, who met here before they went on to be Presidents.

Nixon even admitted in his memoirs that the path to his presidency began with his visit to the Bohemian Grove. After 40 years of membership, the men earn “Old Guard” status, giving them reserved seating at the Grove’s daily talks. Former U.S. president Herbert Hoover was inducted into the Old Guard on March 19, 1953; he had joined the club 40 years previously. In his acceptance speech, Hoover compared the honor of the “Old Guard” status to his frequent role as veteran counselor to later presidents.

Bohemian Grove Cremation of Care ceremony where ‘mock’ sacrifices of children are given up to Minerva. The occult meaning of this ceremony seems clear. These men carry the cares of the world and use a symbolic ritual to cast it off.

At the edge of an artificial lake in the middle of the Grove, is a 40 foot owl that has been the centerpiece of a secret ceremony which takes place on the first night of the club’s annual encampment. Performed after dark in front of the members, a small boat crosses the lake towards a group of dark, hooded figures waiting at the owl statue with a High Priest who receives a human effigy from the ferryman, places it at the foot of the shrine, and sets it on fire.

The High Priest says, “The owl is in his leafy temple; let all with the Grove be reverent before him. Lift up your heads, O ye trees, and be ye lift up, ye ever-living spires. For behold, here is Bohemia’s Shrine and holy are the pillars of this house. Weaving spiders, come not here!”

“Nay, thou mocking spirit, it is not all a dream. We know thou waitest for us when this our sylvan holiday shall end. And we shall meet and fight thee as of old, and some of us shall prevail against thee, and some thou shalt destroy… But this, too we know: year after year, within this happy grove, our fellowship has banned thee for a space, and thy malevolence that would pursue use here has lost its power beneath these friendly trees. So shall we burn thee once again this night and in the flames that eat thine effigy we’ll read the sign: Midsummer set us free!”

As the ritual reaches it’s peak, the effigy is set on fire, screaming is played over the sound system, and once fully engulfed in flames, fireworks are set off and the crowd cheers.

The High Priest continues “Oh owl! Prince of all mortal wisdom. Owl of Bohemia, we beseech thee, grant us thy council.” A short song is then sung with lyrics that go: “No fire, no fire, no fire. Let it be kindled in the world where Care is nourished on the hates of men and drive him from this Grove. One flame alone must light this fire. A pure, eternal flame. At last within the lamp of fellowship upon the altar of Bohemia.”

The High Priest then concludes, “Oh, great owl of Bohemia! We thank thee for thy adoration! Be gone detested Care! Be gone! Once more, we banish thee! Be gone, dull Care! Fire shall have its will of thee! Be gone, dull Care and all the winds make merry with thy dust! Hail fellowship’s eternal flame! Once again, midsummer sets us free!”

Prominent Members Past & Present

Stephen David Bechtel, Sr. – president Bechtel Corp George H.W. Bush – U.S. President George W. Bush – U.S. President Steven Harper – Former Canadian Prime Minister Ronald Reagan – U.S. President Caspar Weinberger – Secretary of Defense Clint Eastwood – Actor/Director Newt Gingrich – Speaker of the House William Randolph Hearst – Newspaper/Media Herbert Hoover – U.S. President Henry Kissinger – Diplomat, Sec. of State, Advisor Theodore Roosevelt – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower – U.S. President Warren Christopher – Sec. of State Under Clinton Joseph Coors – Coors Brewing Company Tennessee Ernie Ford – Recording Artist Leonard Firestone – Director of Firestone Colin Powell – Joint Chief of Staff Bush/Clinton Donald Rumsfeld – U.S. Sec. of Defense Walter Cronkite – Anchorman CBS Dick Cheney – U.S. Vice President Edward Teller – Physicist/Atomic Bomb Mark Twain – Writer, Humorist, Publisher Charlton Heston – Actor, Political Activist Merv Griffin – TV Host/Media Mogul Alan Greenspan – Economist/Chair Fed. Reserve Walter Cronkite – Former Anchor of CBS Arnold Schwarzenegger – Actor/Politician Stanley McChrystal – Cmdr. U.S. Military Conan O’Brien – TV Host/Comedian/Producer Chris Matthews – Political Commentator MSNBC Bill O’Reilly – Journalist, TV Host, CBS/ABC Glenn Beck – Radio Host, Political Commentator David Gergen – Political Commentator/Pres. Advisor Michael Malin – Astronomer, Mars Global Surveyor Jeffrey Toobin – Lawyer, Blogger, Author, Pundit David Martin – CBS News Journalist Rupert Murdoch – Newspaper/Media Mogul Fareed Zakaria – Neswseek Editor and Journalist

Official membership info is rare, these are individuals who either known to have attended as a guest of a member or are official members.

The Grove serves as an informal evaluatory feedback process to the top socio-economic domestic and foreign policy councils in the United States. – Mark Dice

Every afternoon during the two week camp, a Lakeside Talk is given after lunch wherea political insider or industry leader gives a thirty minute speech in there area of expertise. The speeches primarily revolve around political, economic, and business trends, and often include information that is typically not revealed publicly.

The group produces a yearbook of sorts every decade called the Annals of the Bohemian Grove, which are given out to members. They occasionally make there ways to bookstores and collections after estate sales.

The post Infographic: Inside Bohemian Grove appeared first on We Are Change.

from We Are Change https://wearechange.org/bohemiangrove2017/

#We are Change #We Are Change

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krnaturalphoto · 6 years

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