i am trying so so hard to make hatojosetou happen u guys

Faded land: Chapter 2

In the darkness, single light shines ahead. A lone scientist, walks through the blackness as her flashlight shines down on the ground. The light shines on the trunk of a tree. Clara looks up and sees this tree was still whole. “Finally.” she says. Putting the flashlight between her teeth, she grabs onto one of the wayward branches and starts to pull. The branch from the rotted bark pulled off easier then she anticipated and fell to the ground, dropping the flashlight from the ground. She picks up the flashlight and points it towards the broken branch. Putting the light between her shoulder, she picks up the branch and starts to pull it apart. She’s surprised how easily she could split it in half. Putting the bits of wood in a pile, she throws a match into the bark. It instantly burst into flames, making Clara look away to keep from getting scorched. After the flames calm, she sits down near the fire to keep warm. Digging into her open backpack, she pulls out the box of tea bags. Looking at the bags inside for a moment, she sighs before pulling one out. Pouring water into her cup, she hold it above the fire as she puts the bag in. Once the cups warm enough, she sees the tea spread through the water and takes a sip. Calming down, she stares into the bright flames. The clouds above start to part, small glimpses of light start to shine through. Clara looks up and among the clouds, sees cluster of stars in the night sky. She can’t help but stare as the full moon comes out from departing clouds. The moon shines it’s lunar rays from above, illuminating the wasteland. As Clara stare’s, she only has one thing on her mind. “Where did you go, Arthur?”. The next morning, the sun rose from the horizon and starts to beat down on the ground. Clara wakes up as the sun shines in her face. Getting up, she sees the fire that she built was completely gone. Looking closer, there was no sign of it. No embers, chips, nothing. She looks around and says: “Which way was I going again?”. Clara finds the tree where she took the branch from. “Ah, that way.”. Walking along the wastes, the sun beats down over her head. Sweat runs down her face as she pants in the heat. Clara stops and take off her lab coat. After tying it over her head, something falls out of the pockets. She picks it up and finds it to be a photo of her and Arthur in a lab, side by side, holding the time sphere in each other’s hands. After putting the picture away, she walks ahead and starts seeing something in the distance. Approaching, she finds an asphalt road. The concrete looked cracked and faded. The heat of the sun baking down into the road and radiating back above. “A road? That must mean the town’s near.”. She looks down both ways before asking herself: “But which way did they say it was?” Clara ponders, pointing to one direction after another with one finger, trying to desire which direction she should heading. She stops at right and heads that way. A little ways down the road, she could be seen digging through her backpack. “Is there even a compass in here?”. Clara starts to hear something out in the distance. As she puts her pack back on, she looks behind her and sees something coming up. “What is...” She hears the sound of a motor running. Looking closer, she sees a buggy driving though the road. “A car.” she said with delight. Clara starts to wave her hands above her head, trying to make the vehicle stop for her. “Hey, over here.”. She starts noticing that the buggy was not slowing down, still speeding ahead. With the buggy about to hit her, she jumps off the road and out of the speeding cars way. She gets up from the ground and watches the vehicle drive away. In a huff, she says: “Jerks.”. She then realizes something. “Wait. That buggy was heading in the same direction I was going. Maybe I am going the right way after all.”. She starts to continue down the road, but suddenly stops when a thought pops in her head. “Or, maybe they were coming out of town.”. She looks behind her and pinches her nose as she groans. “I sometimes hate being smart.”. Clara continues down the path she chose, now more unsure of the choice she made. A further down, she started to see something in the horizon. Putting her hand above her eyes, she looks out ahead, wondering what might be out there. “Is that the town?”. Getting closer, the things out in the distance start to come out from the wavy heat and into focus. Once she saw that they looked like buildings, Clara started sprinting with a smile. “Finally, I never thought I’d make it.”. Her smile vanishes once she says: “But what if it’s not real? A mirage brought by the heat? Please let it be real.”. As she ran, the building got more and more clear. Once she was close enough to touch one, Clara put her hand on the building, feeling its stone texture. “It is real!”. She sits down as she breaths relief, leaning on the building as she said: “Oh thank god. For a second there I thought I was gonna die there.”. Looking behind the building, she saw a bunch of people out walking on the streets. Going in, she saw all kinds of people walk past her. Some who are covered up, some who had clothes on, some barely at all. She looked around and that even though the buildings around looked worn and could topple over, people were still coming in and out of them. Clara walks into a bar, everyone around her were either drinking, smoking, playing cards or all three. She takes a seat in the front, the bartender on comes up and asks. “What you’ll be having.”. “Oh, um. I didn’t come in here to drink, hee.” Clara says, the bartender gives her a disgruntled look. “I-I just want to know if you’ve seen somebody that might have past through here.”. She takes out the picture from her lab coat and says: “Uh, this guy?”. The bartender looks closer at the picture and says: “Uh, yeah. I seen this guy. Weird looking dude. Came in town a couple days ago. Holding this really weird metal ball.”. “You seen him!? Did he say anything!?”. “Said he was look for plutonium. Told him he must be insane if he think he’ll find some in this hick town.” “Do you know where he was heading?”. “Hmm...I don’t know. Memories are a little fuzzy. I might need a little something to jog it back.”. At first, Clara looks rather upset, having to trade something to find out where her friend, but then see remembers something that might get him to really talk. “Haa, gotcha. I know what you want. Let me just reach me reach into my pack real quick.”. She digs through her back pack and pulls out her pistol, pointing it towards the bartenders, giving a smug smile. The man gives her an unamused look as the sound of a gun could be heard cocking. Clara looks under her and sees the bartender pointing a revolver at her throat. She then starts hearing cocking sound all throughout the bar, everyone is aiming their fire arms at her. In a sweat, she slowly pulls her gun back into her pack and nervously says: “Ehe he he eh, Oopsie doops, did I pull out my pistol? Silly me. I must have reach for it by mistake. I meant to get out my can of carrots.”. Clara gets out a can of beans and gives it to the bartender. “Smart.”. Putting the can of beans away, the man said: “I didn’t really know what else to tell’em. Said that maybe he’d find some up north at old Louisville.”. Don’t know how getting plutonium would help.”. “Great. Can you tell me which way that is.”. “Do I look like a map to you?”. “Well, you know where I can find one?”. “I might be able to.” The bartender then sticks his hand out. Clara groans and pulls out another can. “There’s an old shop down next the church. Sure that if you had enough money, you could buy one.”. “Thank for the tip.” Clara said with little to no enthusiasm as she walked out. On the side of the bar, Clara looks inside her back to see what sees got left. Seeing only two can’s of beans left, she closes her bag and says: “What am I gonna do? Even if I find that shop. I don’t have any money, and I’m running out of food.”. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a wallet. Inside was a relatively new credit card. “I’d doubt they take credit.”. She gets up as she puts her wallet away. Coming out into the streets, she looked around. “Now which way is the church? I don’t think he even told me the directions. She looks above and sees a helicopter fly over the scorching skies and land out to the edge of town. Everyone around her rushes out towards where it landed, pushing Clara aside in their haste. She pulls one guy out and asks: “Hey, what’s everyone running to?”. “The Canadians came with a new shipment of food and water. First come, first serve.”. The man then shakes out of her grip and runs with the crowd. Clara runs after them. She makes it to the edge of town. As she tries to inch through the crowd, she did not see what was in front. In front were two soldiers in armor, with strange looking fire arms one would see out of a sci fi movie. In between them was a stern gruff looking woman in a red uniform. “Alright people. You know the drill. My name is General Vira and my soldiers will be providing you people with food and supplies. Anyone caught rough housing or trying to swipe from us will be shot. Now everyone line up!”. Everyone in the crowd calms down and starts getting into lines. Soldiers coming out from the helicopter bring out cans of food and give them to the people in front. “Next!” Vira shouts. From the back of the middle of the line, Clara tries to see what was happening with one big guy blocking her view. “What’s going on over there?” she asks as she tries to see around the man Clara sees some of the soldiers handing out gas cans. Just then, the guy grabs her and says: “You trying to cut in front of me?". “Uh, N-no. I was- I was trying to-”. “These guys only come around here once a week and can give out so much food. For any beatnik that comes around, they have to thin out the rations a little more. That means less for us!”. The man picks up Clara by her arm and says: “If you think you can just waltz into town and take from us then I’m gonna-”. “Hey!” Both of them look to the front and see Vira looking right at them. “Quit messing around or will open fire.” she declares. The man throws Clara out of the line. She slides on the ground before bumping into a wall. Rubbing her head, she looks starts heading to the back of the line. It takes ten minutes for the line to dissipate and for Clara to get near the front. Once she was right in front of Vira, she took out her hand and said: “Got any left.”. “Ooh, sorry. Just gave the last can out.”. Vira saw out distraught Clara was and looked at her helicopter. “Hmm...”. She scanned through the inside and pulled out a can from under the seat. “Aha, there we go! Must have rolled up under the seat!” She gives the can to Clara and says: “There you go. Don’t lose that, now.”. “Thanks. Hey, can I get a lift?”. Vira laughed and said: “Don’t push you’re luck.”. Her and the soldiers get into the into the chopper, Vira smacks the top of the helicopter and says: “Move out!”. The chopper lifts into the air and flies off in the horizon. Clara walks through the streets, looking around the neighborhood. “Where is it? Come to think of it, That bartender didn’t even give me any directions to the church.”. Walking around the corner, she sees a tall building in the distance. She gasps and runs over to the church in the distance. As she gets closer, Clara notices no other building surrounding it. Stopping in front of the church, she looks around and sees one building closest to the holy building. Knocking a the door, a tired woman walks out of the house. “Hey, um. Is this where I can buy a compass?” Clara nicely asks. The woman shuts the door right in Clara’s face. Rubbing her nose, she sits down at the bottom of the houses steps. “I don’t get it. That bartender said that the shop was near the church.”. She then realized something. Clara put her hand on her forehead and said: “Ah, he lied. I’m so dumb.”. She starts to feel down on herself, ashamed that she let a lowlife like that swindle her out of most of her food But then she stops in her tracks and says to herself: “Hang on a second. I don’t need a compass. I can just use the sun to tell where I’m at.”. She looks towards the sun setting in the horizon, blocking it’s rays with her hand. “Now it looks like it’s setting. So that must means that it’s going east...or is it west?”. She looks down and crosses her arms. “Um. Let’s see. The sun rises in the east, so that must mean it’s going west...or does it rise in the west? What if it’s not east and west at all?”. Clara groans starts and says “Never mind.”. She sees the twilight coming into the sky and has an idea. The twilight dims, bringing night to the wasted town, dust blowing in under the moonlight. While the night darkens the homes, some buildings break through the darkness, the light from inside piercing out through their windows. The bar happens to be one of the those buildings. Clara come out from the side of the bar and peeks through the front window. Inside, she sees all manner of dwellers playing cards, dancing to the jukebox, and drinking the night away. “Can’t go inside now.”. Going back to the side of the bar, she says to herself: “No problem. I’ll just wait it out. How much longer can they even be open?”. Hours into the night pass, the bar is still illuminating light through it’s windows. Clara was sitting out on the side, trying to keep awake among the darkness. She almost falls asleep, but quickly wakes up and slaps herself in the face. Groaning, she says: “How long does it take for a bar full of drunks to close!?”. She then sees a light burst out from her left. Looking over, she sees the bartender with trash bag in hand and toss it out into an oil drum before going back inside. “That’s it! I’m not waiting out here all night.”. Slowly opening the backdoor, Clara sees a small hallway leading out to three doors. She tries to open one of the doors, but finds it locked. Looking through another, she finds a kitchen with one man behind a stove, stirring a big pot of soup. She then sees a set of keys sticking out of the chefs back pocket. With quiet steps, Clara slowly enters. She ducks behind the counter and slowly starts to make her way through to the chef. Just then, she hears the door swing open and scuttles to hide. The bartender walks into the kitchen, saying to the chef: “Hey, Jimmy. Ya gotta pick up the pace. We gotta full house out there.” “Why? It’s not like nobody comes in here for my cooking.”. “Come on. Don’t talk like that. Your soup’s good.”. “Probably be better if I had more ingredients to work with.”. “You’re in luck.”. The bartender puts two cans out on the counter. “Just scammed some pour sap out of their food this afternoon. Also got some beans from the Canadian drop off. Why don’t ya try adding those to the soup?”. The chef takes a closer look at the can and says: “Okay.”. When the bartender walked out of the kitchen, Clara slowly came out from a cabinet under the center counter. She took the keys from the chefs back pocket as he was opening the cans. She takes the keys and use them to open the other door. Inside was what looked like a bedroom, with a bunk bed, drawer, and bar of hanging clothes. A loose light on a string is the only thing illuminating the room. She digs around the drawers, shuffling through the clothes and junk. Clara then pulls out what a plastic circle with a moving arrow. “A compass. Yes.” she whispers. Just as she takes her bag out and puts the newfound tool away, she hears the sound of a gun cocking behind her. She looks in her bag and reaches for her pistol. Looking behind her, she sees the bartender with his pistol aiming squarely at Clara’s face. “Um, hey...there. How-how you doing?” she responds. “Hands up.” “Okay, okay. Take it easy. I’m just gonna take my hands out of my bag and-”. She suddenly pulls the pistol out from the bag and shoots out towards the dangling light. The bartender shoots the gun out of her hand. “Nice try.”. The light then falls on him, the light bulb breaking into pieces on his head. Clara quietly leaves the room and shuts the door behind her. From the kitchen, she hears the chef shout: “What was that?”. “Uh...Nothing to worry about, the light bulb just busted.” Clara said in a fake mans voice. “Dammit, not again. We’re starting to run out of those. Oh well, hey come in here and taste this soup for me. I wanna see what you think. “Uh, later. Gotta take care of stuff outside. Why don’t you serve a bowl to one of the customers, see how they like it?”. “Really? Okay.”. Clara swiftly exits through the backdoor and as far away from the bar as possible. Under a streetlamp, she looks at her new compass and sees that north is to her left. “If I stay in town. I might be a goner. Best get moving.”. She then makes her way out of town and into the outlands, the only company being the starry sky.

Grand Canyon Rim-River-Rim, October 2019

Grand Canyon

Wednesday, October 23rd

Rim to River and Back details

4,600’ elevation gain

4,900’ elevation loss

18.2 miles

7 hours, 55 minutes clock time

6 hours, 53 minutes travel time

This included a side trip to Phantom Ranch

Route:

down South Kaibab

quick stop to put our fingers in the water

to Phantom Ranch

Back across the river

up Bright Angel

My best ideas are never what anyone would call “smart.”

Mark Markley had the idea a while back to do something really stupid.

OK, I’m listening…..

He proposed running the Grand Canyon. All of it.

From Rim down to the River up to the other Rim, down to the river again and finally back up and out to the South Rim. It’s also called Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim, and it’s something like 42 miles. You can probably guess, you are either going uphill or downill. There is no flat ground.

A bunch of us said we would do it. All of us but Mark Markley dropped out, and then Mark got injured.

Then I got laid off and needed to get the hell out of town for a couple of days. Family was up for it. United airlines was up for it (10,000 miles and $40 each way), and it wasn’t like training for distance has ever been that important to me. No, I wasn’t training for this. I think I had maybe 18 running miles since January of this year.

Whatever, I got the gear, I like to suffer. Why the hell not?

After flying with a very early departure out of SFO, I grabbed a rental car. Seriously Phoenix? Your rental car center is bigger than the Mall of America, and I was on the road, finally arriving in the town of Grand Canyon, or  whatever the hell they call it, around 3pm where I met Mark and Beth Markley at the Grand Hotel at the Grand Canyon. I also did a phone interview on the way. Unemployed means you do phone screens when they are available.

You may also notice a theme. Total lack of knowledge and thought. It’s pretty simple route - first you go down, then you come back up, so it doesn’t even really need a map. Yes, we forgot the damn map too.

That evening we did a quick recon trip to find the trailheads so we would be ready the next morning. It took us a bit to find South Kaibab trailhead which made it all the more important we did find it BEFORE the morning of. You can’t drive to the South Kaibab trailhead, so Beth waited with the car while Mark and I hoofed it in the ½ to ¾ mile to Yaki Point. When we found the actual trailhead, where the trail clearly drops into the canyon I was giddy like a 3 year old on Christmas. Practically bounced my way to the dirt and I think I said, “holy fuck man, this is it!”

I’m super eloquent like that.

So we cruised back, stopped for a pizza, and headed back to the hotel to pack. Which mainly meant Mark and I stared at our gear scattered around the hotel room and said, “I don’t know. What do you think we need to take?”

We knew the start would be cold with a forecasted low of 29F (that’s -2 for my Canadian peeps). We also knew we’d be heating up quickly on the trail. I opted for my standard coolmax sleeveless T-shirt (which I ALWAYS wear), a long sleeve duofold shirt and my Marmot Precip windbreaker along with my boony hat.

For shoes, I’d glued some velcro on a pair of crossfit shoes so my trail gaiters would stay down. I debated and debated about bringing trekking poles and finally decided to bring them. I hate trekking poles except when I need them, and these poles got a free ride to the bottom of the canyon and back up. But they were there if I needed them I guess.

3am wakeup and caffeine up. 4 am Beth drove us to the trailhead.

Seriously Beth, thank you. That was a serious crap detail to wake up with us and drive us. On the way, Mark and I complained that the temp was too high as we were seeing 32F (0 Canadian) on the Subaru’s thermometer. Beth dropped us off and the hike commenced at 0420. After just a couple of minutes we were at the trailhead and dropping into the canyon.

Within seconds we were already down several hundred feet vertical, and we were getting warm. It was probably only a ½ mile in before we decided to shed our jackets. While shedding our jackets we also decided to shed our long sleeve t-shirts and our hats. I kept my gloves on at this point, but I did stash my trekking poles in my backpack.

Down we went, switchback after switchback. Our headlamps trained on the trail ahead of us which, like all good trails, have completely random steps, and log retainers and granite slabs. Just look down and keep moving.

We didn’t have a map, and I didn’t even have a watch.

Yeah, I know. I’ve laughed at those idiots who had to be rescued because they were stupidly unprepared for reality. Oh well, just keep moving.

Somewhere about an hour in I powered through my first Rip Van Waffle, eg the stroopwaffles that you get on United flights. I think mine was snickerdoodle. I’m definitely bringing those on the next adventure. So good and just the right hit of thin waffle and honey filling.

At Cedar Point, it was still dark, and it took us a couple of minutes to find the trailhead across the clearing from the trail. Note: it’s literally directly across the clearing.

Down, down, down. Pausing occasionally to take a leak (check for urine color) or point out a headlamp either above us or below us on the trail. At some point we hit the halfway point sign. 3.5 miles to the canyon rim and 3.8 miles to Phantom Ranch.

It was cool. It was dark. We were just pushing on.

We ran for maybe 100 yards at one point, but the trail is so random it was best to just move at a steady pace. Honestly, we were pushing it even if we were “just walking.”

I was taking steady pulls off my camelbak and feeling well hydrated.

It was beginning to lighten up a bit with the sun in the west, and at some point we hit one of those amazing vistas and our first sighting of the river. Took my breath away for a few seconds.

We kept moving forward and were caught by some whippet little ultrarunner who prob weighed no more than 135 pounds. We were, of course, very polite as he went by, but after we spent a few minutes comparing him to Sean Prior who also is whippet thin and would have been much faster than us had he not broken his foot.

And then we saw the Phantom Ranch suspension bridge. And then we dropped down further and crossed the Phantom Ranch suspension bridge. Really. It was no easy downhill, but we just kept moving.

We took a brief detour to actually touch the river. You can do this entire route without actually touching the Colorado. C’mon, that would be lame.

Phantom Ranch is about ½ mile of the trail and up a canyon. This trail is the trail we would have to take to get to the North Rim, but we stopped at Phantom Ranch like the good, smart kids we are.

We’d been on trail for 3 ½ hours.

That said, I did ask Mark how pissed off Beth would be if we went ahead and did the North Rim too.

I wasn’t kidding.

I mean, it would have totally sucked, and Beth would have been HELLA pissed off, but I was thinking about it.

On the way up to Phantom Ranch we bumped into a guy who had come down the day before, was taking a rest day at the campground and would be headed up and out the next day. He was amazed that we were doing this in a day. He also mentioned that he fell pretty hard coming down because he was looking around too much. Another benefit of traveling by headlamp is that you can only see a little bit in front of you. No sightseeing.

After a short break at Phantom Ranch, I pulled my long sleeve t-shirt off again (I get cold when we stop), and we headed down towards the river, across the river and over to Bright Angel trail.

There were more people about. Bright Angel is a popular trail. As we motored along we saw a mule train behind us in the distance. One woman jogged by saying she wanted to get ahead of the mule train. Mark and I pondered picking up the pace, but thought it best to stick with our fast hike. Why waste energy now that we’d have to pay for later?

It was full sun by now, and I was wondering just how exposed the trail would be as we hiked up. You see, I had not brought any sunscreen.

There’s really not much to be said. After a mile or so we turned left and up into a notch as the upward portion of Bright Angel trail began.

We came across a couple of little creek crossings and hopped across them. They would have been full on torrents earlier in the year. We also came across a couple who were both seriously overweight, but they had packs and were making it happen. Kudos to them.

Up we went.  By this time we could see a person or two ahead of us. I use them as rabbits and try to pick them off by picking up my pace. I’m somewhat externally motivated like that.

More switchbacks, more climbing, the cliff sides blocked the sun from beating down on us.

It’s a bit of a blur. Fast walk, drink, eat (rip van waffle or espresso Gu), pee, keep walking.

Seriously. That’s all it is.

We made it to Indian Camp where we refilled our camelbak bladders.

There’s a mule ride location at Indian Camp, and we saw a couple get delivered to the camp by helicopter. Must be nice.

We also saw a mom and her 9’ish year old daughter who were hiking the canyon.

Mark had his sticks out by now for the uphill. My hands had their usual hiking induced edema and I couldn’t have held trekking poles if I wanted to. It’s really OK, because I didn’t want to.

Lot of people were coming down for the day hike, we were also cathing and passing many folks who were on their way up. Some were from an overnight at Indian Camp or elsewhere with heavy looking backpacking packs and tents and sleeping bags. Oh how I much prefer going light.

More uphill, more water drank from the camelbak, my last waffle. Trail was fairly crowded considering we had seen almost nobody on our downward trek.

We hit the 3 mile rest house (3 miles from the top) and kept going. No need to fill up on water.

By this time I thought we had a chance to finish in under 8 hours if we got to the top by noon. I know, my math was wrong, but I was feeling really good and had a ton of trail rabbits ahead of us to stoke my ego as we caught and passed them.

I’m always so damn barn sour.

Mark was feeling it by now and my ability (on a good day) to completely dissociate from the pain and tiredness in my legs was not aligning with how Mark was feeling, so we backed it down.

Bam! 1.5 mile rest house. Only 1.5 miles to go. Little did we realize, it’s a pretty darn brutal 1.5 miles. We were both surprised at how much that last 1.5 miles sucked in terms of steep trail.

Plus the short hikers were all over the trail. Folks who stay in the middle of the trail or hike 3 abreast. Thanks folks.. but MOVE!!!

And then we could see it, the buildings on the South Rim and the short tunnel through the rock at the end of Bright Angel trail. We hauled ass into the finish, weaving through a very crowded trail.

Sub 8-hours clock time (even if we did not finish at noon, I suck at trail math)

Mark had cell service, so he called Beth to swing by and pick us up - AGAIN, can I say how much Beth contributed to the success of this venture?

While we waited, I, of course, started freezing with my now soaked t-shirt, so I pulled on my long sleeve T and my jacket. Beth grabbed us in no time since she was already in the village and jetted us down to the hotel.

It’s been a rough couple of weeks, so I chose to pack up and head out to Phoenix where I had booked a super luxurious $35/night hotel room in Mesa. Why didn’t anyone tell me Mesa is not exactly close to the Phoenix airport?

It’s not. Lesson Learned.

By 6am the next morning, I was on my flight home.

Yes, I showered before my flight….

What an incredible trip and recon for doing Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim later. We learned that we can pull it off without running. We can make it happen on little to no training (that’s important for me because I don’t have any desire to actually train), and it’s a kickass adventure.

Thanks Mark!

Thanks Beth!

Start time:

4:20am - Beth dropped us off at Yaki Road and 64 (cars are not allowed onto Yaki Road, only park busses are allowed)

Took all of 10 minutes to get from the car to the trailhead

32deg temp at start

Gear

Reebok Speed TR shoes

Joe trailman gaiters

pair of Injinji socks and pair of Under Armor socks

compression shorts

Prana shorts

Nike sleeveless T

duo fold long sleeve shirt

Marmot precip jacket

pulled off jacket

decided to pull off the duolfold long sleeve  too! didn’t need it

Food:

Carried 4 Rip Van Waffles, 2 Dutch Vanilla caramel, 2  snickerdoodle

3 Vanilla bean Gu, 2 Espresso Love Gu

2ea 2 3/4oz Lays potato chips

Food that I Ate:

all of the Rip Van Waffles (8) - those things ROCK

the 2ea Espresso Love Gu’s that I had, but not the Vanilla Bean Gu’s

1 bag of Lays potato chips

A couple of Tum’s and 3ea ibuprofen somewhere on Bright Angel, but no thermotabs, I think I did the meds at Indian Camp

Water:

carried 100oz camelbak bladder

refilled at Phantom Ranch (was still about 1/2 full)

refilled at Indian Camp on Bright Angel (was still about 2/3 full)

Was maybe ½ full when we finished the hike

temps were very cool, stayed cool through the day

mostly trail was in the shade which was good

Next time BRING SUNSCREEN!!!

I got lucky and did not need sunscreen today, but if I had needed it I would have been roasted.

December 10, 2020: 3:15 pm:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawman_theory

If you are learning about modern day terror pirates, Russian Mother of all Hoaxes and how to zoom around to see in with Cracker Jack Secret Decoder Ring w/Way-Back Machine Attachment, Global Domination Under the Cross, and Crewed Oil, then, you need to know the legend of the Strawman.

You need to go into the Russian Mother Hoax and fly around for this.

There is a Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz, hates fire, won‘t go near a Bar-b-Que, bonfire, or ride a motorcycle without a spark arrrrrestor on it. He says he has no brains. Seems pretty smart to me, knows about fire science.

There is other kinds of Strawman inside the Russian Fractal of Lies.

One is the guy that is said to have access to some guns, if you need a gun, are not willing to go near the gun store, like a bar-b-que and a Scarecrow, then, you go see the Strawman, who is like a Martinizer at a Chinese Laundry, before the Chinaman was killed there, or, like a Amp Guru, can wave a magic wand, put a blessing, there could be some smoke, some guitar players could disappear when that happens. So, Gun Strawman is an important guy in the Russian Fractal Hoax Mother. Multi-Purpose, full service special cleaners, just go get a Big-Gulp, and a straw, at the craps table. “new shooter, comin‘ out!”

Then, there is that other, mysterious Strawman that I linked there.

That, is the Wikipedia Page is the Gnosis Version. It’s all sprinkled with bullshit, lies, deception, is like a treasure map for pirates, has secret messages for guidance in dense fog. There is way too much bullshit at the Wiki, so, we go this other way, towards the secret truth:

I don’t have all of the answers. I have some.

So, you get hauled into a courtroom somewhere, for some reason, could be a parking ticket you have to pay, or, could be car insurance you have to show, or some other small thing where you need to talk to the Courthouse Martinizer Dry Cleaner Amp Guru Power Circuit Mother of all Knowledge friendly Canadian Representative there at the front counter of the County Court House & Shipyard.

There, they show you some paper with your name on it. The reason you went there is explained in a receipt of some paper. The Court Magistrate Martian shows that your name is written in all CAPITAL LETTERS.

HEYSUES Q. CITIZEN

For instance.

“Jesus... is that my name? All Caps?” you say.

“Yes. That is your name. All Caps.” says the Magistrate Docking Clerk.

They explain:

“When you come to the courthouse, and then, after that, forever, you are hereby under Maritime Law, “Three Miles Out to See” they say. Your name is forever to be etched in all capital letters, even when you see it in other ways, it’s still always going to be all capital letters, because you came to the courthouse today, that’s why. So, that means that your name, as a Maritime Courthouse Subject, is henceforth a Strawman, your real ID is always Capitalized, for evermore, and you are under Maritime Law. So, pay your parking ticket at the cash register on the Starboard Side, and show your Auto Insurance Card to the people at the Port Side Shipping Lane as you exit the building”

Basically, that is “The Strawman”. All of that Wikipedia, is bullshit Gnosis they used to keep the truth under the plimsoll, out of view.

3:53 pm.

=============================

4:07 pm:

https://robertkeeley.com/

Bob Keeley. Comes from the email promotions at Hollywood Terror Choir Command HQ.

He is laying down some tracks here, there is some talk about the Strawman right there in that SYNTH-1, second from left.

Let’s have a look.

Let’s see... three areas, grey, blue, red... some knobs, different size ones... two kinds of switches... a BFK in the middle. (”Big Fucking Knife”, is also a Burger King Menu Item, subliminally... “Let’s go get a BFK, I’m hungry!)

The stuff is all arranged there nice and neat, looks cool, I want one.

There is something about those buttons there at the bottom in red... Idunno what it is, but looks kinda weird somehow, ... hmmmmmm... we can figure that out later.

Stuff like that, is often arranged with pleasing to the eye proven means developed by advertising experts long ago, helps to sell products when they look good, and the idea is mostly for the ad that is in the newspaper or catalogue for the products, is called CRAP.

If it looks like CRAP, it’s good, sell it.

C ontrast

R epetition

A lignment

P roximity

CRAP, those are the rules of advertising. Works with warfare too.

So, those other three items are much easier to see the CRAP than the SYNTH-1 is from Bob Keeley, but, the CRAP is there. There is one place where the CRAP is not there, and that is with those two buttons on the bottom in red with the BFK between.

Let’s look at the other parts of the thing first.

Three triangle arranged knobs in a field of grey, with a bigger knob to the upper right in a blue box. Some houses in a neighborhood with a 7-11 on the corner. The houses are tract houses, all the same. The people go to the corner store, get too much good stuff, and a Big Gulp, then go back home.

Those guys on the bottom in red though... they are right there, looks kinda weird, like they are baby sitting the neighborhood.

Maybe that big knob on the corner is the courthouse, and those knobs in the grey are the whole county, all arranged in a triangle of three-ness.

If so, who are the guys in the red zone? They are at the Burger King, have sharp stuff, lots of electronics there, “Wave Generator”, it says. (have you been to the 7th Street BK?. Kiersten Nielson of DHS was killed in defense there. Don’t go there without first understanding all about Bob Keeley.)

Those two buttons in the red area, one is round, port holes are round. That round one is the kind you have to stomp on hard to make it switch, is indestructible, made special for stomping on, has two positions.

That other one, has three positions, is kinda whimpy, easy to roll over, it’s called a Rocker Switch, is rectangle shape, looks like a smart phone video on the vertical setting, sort of, or Picture Window w/three different ways to let the air in, shows waves, air waves, sound waves, electronic current waves, ocean waves, people in the stands at a football game doing “The Wave”... (sorry, fractal decoder glytch happened, too many waves)

The red is below the Plimsoll.

Ok, now we have some sheets to the wind in the Fractal Viewer.

Bob Fuller, Fulltone. He makes stuff that is absolutely indestructible. There is no junk at the Fultone shop, it’s all built like a battleship. Robert Fuller is that round button in red.

Even looks like a battleship at the Fulltone shop, Venice/Santa Monica area of the Pacific Coast.

https://www.fulltone.com/

You need to go there, take a ride in a stealth dingy around there, quietly, Bob’s have the best electronics, swords, RADAR, SONAR, and the took over Raytheon in Colorado a long time ago, so, they have more and better equipment than does the US Military there, I am not exaggerating. The people from that part of the Russian Hoax Fractal Mother invented Raytheon, way back in the early 1970′s when Raytheon was just a maker of SONAR fish finders for fishermen, and somehow that invention was souled to the US Defense Department, probobly when Ronnie Reagan (Raygun) became US President, he was SAG President at the time he was “Elected”.

Conclusion:

The SYNTH-1 is a Aircraft Carrier, the three knobs in grey are Flying V’s on the flight deck. That other bigger knob in blue is the Flight Control Tower. Those buttons on the bottom in red, are distributing Chum into the water. The Chum is the US Navy after those two Bob’s w/BFK got to them.

Those other three items in the Keeley ad are supporting members for the shipping and warfare concert, are like USO shows featuring Bob Hope aboard ship for entertaining the US Crew during war-time.

The brought with them:

Pretty Girls

Coffee Maker

Ammonium nitrite

Lots of electronic equipment, cameras, recording gear, boxes to carry all of that, helicopters were provided for transportation to and from the boats.

The Bob Hope Traveling US Takeover Show was given special protective crew assigned to them for USO shows.

This part of the Fractal Hoax of Russian Lies is deep.

It goes to HWY 111 in Palm Springs to a house with a pool that is also a fish aquarium for big fish in the California desert. More available w/personal interview please from nsa or other Global Security persons.

NOT FOR HIRE. FOR FREE.

5:17 pm.

========================================

5:35 pm:

I have some glue for sticking together puzzle parts from Burger King to Dairy Queen, it’s Royal Glue, very expensive HMS Glue.

You go inside either of those two places, and the same condition can be seen.

Walk through the door, look to the left. There are some booths there by the big window. One of the most central of those booths, at either place, is going to have some stuff on the table, but there is no one there, just some personal items on a table.

no matter who you are, that is going to be your stuff after they kill you there. Part of the set-up is some personal items on a table at the Royal Take-Away.

I have seen many ways that stuff is arranged and used. There are too many ways, and can always change to suit the HMS Hamburger.

At Burger King, the items are almost always electronic items, a computer lap-top opened up and running is there on the table, maybe some reading glasses, and a smart phone on a small stand like a little tiny tripod for smart phone video conference is there on that table. You go in, make your order, there is always confusion, they don’t hear what you said, explain you can have super size, or something for free, or some problem is happening with the Burger King Order Taker’s Electronic Headset, one that has three blinking lights on the wrap-around microphone part, red, green, more red color lights on it, all blinking near that representatives mouth. That is when two thugs come into the store there, as you are mesmerized by the blinking lights, and are confused about why is the order taker talking to the people in the Drive Through when you are inside the store at the front counter.

The people who came in behind are releasing a lot of nitrous gas, you see them, hear that that are talking about you as if they know who you are, and they call you by name like a old friend just happened to come in there as you are ordering. That’s when the front counter person w/blinking mouthpiece shoots the .25 custom made gun. The people behind who say they know you, are there to offer some “help” first aid in the parking where there is a Pontiac Catalina 1968 V-8 400 Big Block 4 door waiting.

That is when all of that stuff on the table is going to be your stuff. no one knows what the heck is on that hard drive or in that phone, as you disappear into the parking with your new friends.

Same thing at Dairy Queen. The difference is that the items are not electronics on the table, it’s a motorcycle helmet, and there is a Green Harley Davidson out front, has a Tractor Seat Saddle, is for a “Loaner”, no room for female on the Bitch Seat at the Dairy Queen.

I don‘t go to the Dairy Queen very often, just enough to pick up some Royal HMS Glue to put hear in noble size globs.

I do know more about the Burger King though, sometimes, I just go there knowing that someone has to do some national security, so, I go there, to do that... all I need to do, is light a Bic Lighter, then go home and have a Whopper.

Please send help.

Please send US Military.

Bring your own Hospital

Please send some medical services to Oregon.

no help has come. There are no signs of helpful people to be found anywhere.

=============================

6:31 pm:

By the way, the Department of Motor Vehicle Attack Scenario is still open ended, has not matured or come to fruition as of today, but there is still much time for that, and, I’m reminded of the DMV and it’s Big Sister, DOT, every time I need to go somewhere.

Reminder: I renewed my vehicle registration tags online at the DMV renewal web page about two months ago, they sent a piece of 8.5 x 11 inch paper with some vehicle information on it, and instructions about where to stick it, on the car, with some tape.

There are no provisions for tinted windows, so, that is part of the “Custom Tailoring Penguin Tuxedo” terror. I have a no provisions car, came that way from the Russian Hoax Fractal Factory when they killed my mom in 2010.

The information, as you may recall, is that the DMV ran out of proper, license plate tags, and, they explain, the paper is to be applied to the car per instructions, there is a expiration date for the replacement temporary paper that is different from the exportation date of the tags that I paid more than $100 for, but did not get yet. The expiration date difference can be Fractal RUsian Hoax Mother Zoomed over to the Covfefe Trump terror, when “Fe - Fe = 0 Fe”, and the 0 is silent. Bad news to see that on there like that. It’s presidential Terror Comm, where the “math makes a difference”, and is “silent but deadly” because that is the goal of DOT, “dead motorists can‘t make exhaust noise”.

The set-up includes Fractal Russian Hoax for making bait to lure and capture some real police, who were told that I drive a pick-up truck with no tags on it. The thing about that, is that I do have a truck but am not using that as of this writing, and for quite some time, but can only afford to insure one vehicle at a time. Sometimes, I insure and drive the truck, sometimes a car. The registration for both, I always keep fresh with online registration because there is no way to survive a physical visit to the DMV anymore, and there are special dead-lines for using online registration, so, I just pay registration for both online all of the time so that I won‘t have to become V-8 at the DMV because of the dead-line for waiting too long made me have to go in person there to the DMV.

The tags come in the mail, if they don‘t run out of them, but, I don’t put the tags on the vehicle that I am not insuring to help keep the Three Boys Towing terror away, they steal registered licensed cars & trucks first, then the expired tags ones later on after the all of the registered ones all are stolen first. It’s like they do with the killing the disabled and elderly people first, because those people have some things like Social Security income and Medicare insurance that is useful to the terror army right away. The income and Medicare is like a fresh set of tags on a good car like that, just get in and drive it like you stole it.

But, the tags are tucked safely away, in a complicated filing system I use for terror information, very complex and sophisticated system.

So, real police are told that I sold the truck tags to someone else, just because they are paid for, but are not on the truck. It’s not insured, can‘t afford to insure both, so, that’s why, foools.

now, they are waiting to see if I am going to put the truck tags, that some think I sold and don‘t have, onto the car, because that paper replacement “Stick it where?” thing came for the car, and looks fake.

If I call DMV, the message recording always says the wait time is about 45 minutes for someone to answer, they are experiencing heavy call volumes, they say. That wait time is more time than a phone battery will last, so, you have to stay tethered to a battery charger for that call, if you want to ask about when the real tags might be sent to the house, so that I could  be ready to get them from the mailbox before Clyde Baum does. He is famous for stealing my mail, and has a lot of expensive stolen cars & trucks that all need fresh registration tags so he can drive them.

I don‘t have my tags yet. They ran out of tags at the DMV.

Meanwhile, the DOT with help from a armada of HMS Eleanor Rigby Pirates from l O Downing Street are murdering many hundreds of thousands of US Citizens while the real police are chasing around some tags and worried about if I drive a pick-up truck or a passenger car.

7:02 pm.

================

Reminder:

Google is a major part of the Global terror take-over. They have all of the very best computer engineers. Many of the engineers are kidnapped people who have the kinds of skills that the Vatican needs, so, they are chained up to a server in Hillary Clinton‘s basement, or equivalent, and, they have taken this account, all 750 or something like that, entries here, and made a searchable database of the information, all is cross-referenced to pertinent other information contained within here, and, also, is cross referenced to a Russian Mother Hoax Version of lies that were already told about the existence of this account, to help them keep the lies all in a line that is workable for making more lies and capturing federal officers at the same time.

As I said before, those officers also need to make a similar searchable database from the raw information that this account contains. But first, you are going to need some computer engineers, those guys are like what happened at nasa to the rocket scientists, they were tracked down, captured, and are at Space X and Space Force terror cells now, in Hillary’s Server network. So go find some of them, to make a database, searchable, like Google already did.

That bearded freind over at the Monroe’s I have been reporting a little bit about, is a Google Computer Engineer from Bad Guy Auto at Three Pines & Russell roads, so, they are like Johnny on the Spot when I write new entries.

Also, Gnosis sometimes is a giant DELETE button.

Don’t discard or discount the truth, that Google+ was a social media platform of many millions of peoples accounts. The whole fucking thing was completely erased just because of what I had written down there at the time.

Google+ was Deleted because of the truth I wrote threatens not only the existance of Google, but threatens the existance of Great Britain and the Vatican if the information were used to stop the terror those people are advancing towards Global Domination and complete and utter control of everyone and everything that will remain on earth after they are done with the Cleansing part of the slaughter.

Google+ deleted all of the information contained within many millions of accounts. I am sure there was much eye-witness of terror written down besides :mine.

8:42 pm.

The ultimate Ontario itinerary: A 10-day Road Trip in Ontario

Follow me on a 10-day road trip in Ontario! This itinerary is taking in some of the most beautiful landscapes of southern Ontario: the bustling city of Toronto, the gushing Niagara Falls and a canoe camping getaway in Killarney Provincial Park you’ll never forget!

I fell head over heels for Canada the first time I stepped foot in this country. That was in 2012 and it was my first big backpacking adventure. Then, British Columbia and Alberta dominated my itinerary, but I figured out pretty quickly, that I wanted to see more of this wonderfully diverse country.

Four years later, I had the opportunity to explore a different province – I would embark on a road trip through Ontario for 10 days. When I put the itinerary together, it was not hard to get ideas together. I wanted to see Toronto and the Niagara Falls, but also get off the beaten path and into the forest, and finally try canoe camping.

The bigger problem with Canada, quite literally, is its size. Even though Ontario is just one province, it covers such a huge area, that it becomes impossible to see everything in one trip. And so, I focussed on southern Ontario this time, keeping places like Algonquin Provincial park on my bucket list for a future adventure.

Yet, I managed to squeeze a lot into my 10-day road trip around Ontario; from the bustling city of Toronto to the quiet corners of Killarney Provincial Park – here is my suggested itinerary for 10 days in Ontario.

How to get around Ontario

I would have been lost without a rental car. While there are buses crisscrossing the province (especially towards the many national and provincial parks), their services can be limited. For the ultimate flexibility, I recommend hiring a car, getting a SatNav and hitting the road!

My road trip began in Sudbury. Rather than starting and finishing in Toronto, I decided to fly further up north to Sudbury and get a one-way car rental from there to Toronto. This is a little more expensive, but the amount of driving it saves you is worth the expense!

Distances in Canada are massive and coming over from Europe it can be quite a shock to look up routes and driving times.  Note, that this itinerary includes a decent amount of driving!

My 10-day Ontario itinerary

Killarney (2 days)

2-hour drive from Sudbury Airport, 132km

From Sudbury, I drove south to Killarney, a quaint town on the shores of Georgian Bay. Not many people live here year-round, but there are lots of holiday cottages, and many people come to Killarney by boat  – some even all the way from the US, crossing Lake Huron and into Georgian Bay. It is quieter here than in other holiday regions in Ontario; likely, because it is quite a long drive away from Toronto.

Killarney is all about the outdoors. The picturesque harbour town is not so much the draw, as is the wilderness around it. And so I embarked on two mini-adventure starting right at the doorstep of my waterfront hotel, the Killarney Mountain Lodge.

On day one, I explore on foot – the Eastern Lighthouse is a mere 45-minute walk away from the hotel, even though it takes me much longer to reach it. Too pretty are the views of the Great Lakes, too peaceful the atmosphere to walk past the many beautiful viewpoints. I stop often to take pictures or to just sit still and breathe, the sun tickling my nose. Even though it is still early in the day, the sun is strong and makes me sweat a little on this easy walk. The trail is marked with little arrows on the ground or orange flags in the trees, pay attention to those and you won’t lose your way.

The next day, I join one of the boat tours offered by the hotel. From the water, the landscape changes yet again. I now see the low hills that surround the village, giving the hotel its name. The region was once dominated by a high mountain range, slowly carried off by the glaciers on top. Today they’re mostly covered in lush green forests, but here and there the bright white rock shines through the trees.

We sail past beautiful lodges – summer cottages that are worth millions of dollars – and chat about native fishing rights in the Great Lakes. Quickly we leave the big open water of the Georgian Bay behind and enter smaller bays, navigating smaller islands around Killarney.

I reach behind me to stick my hand into the water. It’s cold – maybe not the right time for a dip in the water…

Canoe camping in Killarney Provincial Park (2 days)

10-minute drive from Killarney, several hours of paddling

From Killarney, I make my way to Killarney Provincial Park, a short drive back up the highway. I meet my local guide Mike at Killarney Outfitters, an outdoor shop that rents out canoeing  and kayaking equipment, but also offers fully-guided tours around the Great Lakes or the lakes of the Provincial Park.

Mike and I set off with everything we need for two days – the Provincial Park is far off the beaten track, and as soon as we leave behind the main beach at George Lake, we’re on our own. And it’s bear country.

Our goal for the day is Killarney Lake, the third in a wide-spread system of lakes among the mountains of the park. After crossing George Lake, we carry our canoes across a short portage to Freeland Lake, and a longer portage into Killarney Lake after that. While we meet few others on the lake, it is necessary to acquire an overnight permit for the park in advance. There is a limited amount of campsites dotted along the shores of the lakes, and you may only camp if you have the respective permit. You won’t be allocated a specific campsite, so the earlier you leave George Lake, the higher are your chances to get a good spot. We manage to find a beautiful campsite, a sheltered clearing in a light forest, surrounded on three sides by water, and pitch our tents. This would be our home for the next two nights.

Muskoka County & Haliburton Forest (1 day)

5-6-hour drive from Killarney PP to Haliburton Forest, 350km

This was by far the longest drive of my trip, and it felt like forever doing it on my own. Most of the way I followed a monotonous highway, but by the time I reached Horseshoe Lake, my SatNav directed me off the main road and into Muskoka County. This region is a popular holiday region for Torontonians and is world-famous for being the home of the comfortable Muskoka chairs.

The roads get smaller and smaller (in Canadian terms) until I finally find myself at the edge of Haliburton Forest, a privately-owned forest near Algonquin Provincial Park. I check in at Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve, which is run by the same family who owned the land around it; 100,000 acres of forest and it only keeps growing. They bought the land with the specific aim to make a living off sustainable forestry, while at the same time protecting the biodiversity of this very special forest.

By the time I reached the lodge, I had just about enough time to join the annual end-of-season BBQ, watch the locals line dance and have a few beers in the sunset.

The next day I explored the forest. Near the lodge, there is a wolf centre, where you can learn about the local wolf packs, and if you’re lucky, even spot some of them nearby. On a canopy tour, I learnt more about the challenges of caring for this forest and get close up with the giant trees at its heart. The tour included a brief walk through the forest, a quick canoe ride across a lake, and finally, a long walk high up among the treetops, on a purpose-built course with viewing platforms.

Accommodation at Haliburton Forest is in two- or three-bedroom cottages as well as log cabins more suitable for groups. If you can, I highly recommend spending more time here and maybe even venture into Algonquin Provincial Park for a few days!

Niagara Falls (1 day)

4-5-hour road trip, 380 km

After exploring Haliburton Forest in the morning, I made my way down south. You can either drive all the way to Niagara Falls in one day or stop overnight in Toronto and drive to the waterfalls the next morning. Either way, you will have a full day exploring the area around the Niagara Falls, as it is just a short drive from Toronto.

Niagara Falls Helicopter Flight

My first glimpse of Niagara Falls was from the air – a helicopter flight over the waterfalls is a brilliant way to really grasp their size and impact on the area. You can clearly see the difference between the Canadian and the US-American side, but also the greenery supported by the large river delta leading up to the falls. Flights with Niagara Helicopters cost from £85 (CAD$ 145) and last about 12 minutes.

Niagara Falls Boat Tour

The second unmissable way to experience the Niagara Falls is as close up as possible – on a boat tour with Hornblower Niagara Cruises.  Equipped with a thin red rain poncho you can choose to spend time in the protected lounge or the outer observation deck – guess which one I chose!

The boat tour lasts about 20 minutes and costs around £17. The route goes past the Bridal Veil Falls and the American side of the Niagara Falls, until you reach the famous horseshoe-shaped waterfalls on the Canadian side. The boat does not just stop in front of them, but goes right into the spray and the mist, leaving you wet, poncho or not. Make sure you pack away your camera and bring waterproof pouches. A GoPro is an ideal camera to take photos of the Falls and yourself up close.

The small town of Niagara on the Lake is an ideal way to end your day, not only because you will find less touristy restaurants than by the Falls, but also because the area is rich in vineyards waiting to be explored!

Of course, you can’t drink too much, since you’re driving, but even just tasting a sip of the famous Ontario ice wine is worth the detour!

There are also guided tours from Toronto that save you driving and include both, a Niagara Falls experience and a winery tour. Check it out here.

Toronto (3 days – or forever)

1.5-hour road trip, 130km

The final stop of my Ontario road trip was Toronto. I actually spend over a week here, to really get to know the city, but I think three days is enough to give you a taste of the city. I suggest, that each day you discover a different side of Toronto.

Day 1: Toronto Sightseeing

Spend your first day in Toronto like a real tourist. Whether you hit up the museums, like the Bata Shoe Museum or the fantastic Royal Ontario Museum, visit the top of the CN Tower or the stadium of the Toronto Blue Jays, there is an attraction for everyone!

My personal favourite was the sunset cruise with the Tall Ship Kajama which opens up a completely different perspective of the Toronto skyline.

Day 2: Toronto for Hipsters

Toronto is an incredibly cool city, and your trip would not be complete without learning some bits and pieces about the local street art culture, hanging out in coffee shops, strolling across the markets and vintage shop until you drop!

My favourite areas for shopping were Kensington Market and West Queen West, an uber-trendy part of town, where you can find one vintage shop after the other. The Distillery District was also very nice for shopping and restaurants, but overall a bit more touristy than the other neighbourhoods.

I went on a street art tour around Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue with Daniel from Tourguys, who explained everything from the key players of street art in the city to the legal situation of graffiti in Toronto. He took me to back alleys and lanes, pointed out street art that is well hidden in the busy city landscape and told me the stories behind the artpieces. I can only recommend doing this tour!

The best thing about Toronto for hipsters is the abundance of cool coffee shops, either to work in or simply cure your hangover (from drinking or shopping). I wrote an article about my favourite coffee shops here.

Day 3: Get outside in Toronto

Finally, Toronto might be a bustling urban jungle, but it is also surrounded by some wonderful nature!  Here are some ideas to get outside in Toronto:

Rent a bicycle and make your way to Toronto Island. The views across to the city are amazing, and there are many bike paths to explore. You could also rent a kayak or canoe and paddle around the shore of the island.

Take a bus towards Cliffside and hike through Scarborough Bluffs Park. The park northeast of central Toronto is famous for its crystal clear waters and bright white cliffs overlooking it!

Make your way to Woodbine Beach and rent a SUP board from WSUP Toronto. On the board you can paddle towards the Toronto skyline, try some yoga poses or simply relax in the sun away from the beach crowds.

My road trip to Ontario was an incredible adventure and I still can’t believe how much you can see in just 10 days. Still, the route I described here only covers a small area of southern Ontario, so if you’ve got more time, make sure to cover even more ground!

Traveling solo through this incredibly beautiful province with the kindest people and most serene landscapes made me fall in love with Canada all over again. I wish I could have had more time to see even more, spend another night or two in the tent and find more lakes to jump into, but alas the dream was over way too fast.

Canada, you did it again!

The post “ The ultimate Ontario itinerary: A 10-day Road Trip in Ontario “ was originally seen on Watch Me See by Kathi

Vitamin Therapy Toronto - The IV Lounge

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/thailand-cave-rescue-navy-seals-chief-says-they-worked-till-they-forgot-the-time-to-save-12-trapped-schoolboys/

Thailand cave rescue: Navy SEALS chief says they 'worked till they forgot the time' to save 12 trapped schoolboys

Mae Sai (Thailand): Two days after 12 boys and their soccer coach disappeared inside a cave complex in Thailand’s mountainous north, a team of Thai Royal Navy SEALs headed before sunrise into the pitch-black maze of muddy passages to find them.

“We worked until we forgot the time,” said Captain Anan Surawan, chief of the 1st Special Forces Regiment. But their day-long mission failed because, as monsoon rains lashed the limestone hills outside, Anan’s men found themselves wading through rapidly rising waters and, fearing for their lives, they turned back.

A week later, when British divers found the 13, hungry and huddled in darkness on a bank in a partly flooded chamber about four km (2.5 miles) inside the Tham Luang cave, Anan realised that his team had come just 500-700 meters short of the boys that day. He realised, too, that if reaching the boys had been so complicated and perilous, extracting them would be even harder. Indeed, it was nearly another week before the first of the ‘Wild Boars’ soccer team was brought out of the cave by elite divers who had, with Thai special forces, planned the rescue meticulously – but quickly, as more rains threatened.

Reuters spoke to rescuers and officials to piece together the three-day operation, which – aside from grit and daring – involved a huge amount of specialised and adapted equipment and materials, including pumps, guide ropes, wet suits, masks, stretchers, torches, pulleys, oxygen tanks, space blankets, and food gels to improve their health and energy.

It also involved about 90 divers in all, 50 of them from abroad, as well as medics, ambulance drivers, and helicopter pilots to take the boys straight to hospital in the town of Chiang Rai.

Erik Brown, a Canadian who was one of 13 foreign expert divers in a core team of 18, said he was terrified as he swam, crawled and waded through the labyrinthine cave. He recalled diving for perhaps half an hour in “zero visibility”, with his helmet bashing against rocks, and then a 10-minute walk in water up to his waist before diving again.

“If it rains, the water level goes up in two hours and we can’t tell what the water is doing inside, so you thought you were doing a half-hour dive and now you are doing a two-hour dive, and do you have gas for that? It’s nuts.”

Brown, a 35-year-old who runs a scuba shop on the balmy Thai island of Koh Tao, was tasked during the rescue with changing oxygen tanks and hauling the boys along between dive spots.

“Many people are coming” On 2 July, nine days after the boys and their coach were last seen, British divers Rick Stanton and John Volanthen pushed deep into the cave to an elevated mound of rock, about 400 metres away from a spot cavers had nicknamed “Pattaya Beach” after a well-known Thai resort.

At around 10 pm, Volanthen emerged from the waters around the mound and shone a torch into the startled eyes of the boys. In a grainy video captured on his GoPro camera that was later shown on TV news channels around the world, Volanthen told them: “Many people are coming. Many, many people. We are the first.”

From then on, it was a race against time. Oxygen levels in the cavern had fallen to 15 percent against more normal levels of 21 percent. Medical experts consider 12 percent a critically low level. And then there were the forecasts of more rain, which meant that water levels inside the cave could rise further, making an escape impossible.

Every day, at around 8:30 am, the international coalition of divers would come together with Thai navy commanders. Brown was impressed by the rigour of the planning by the Thai military. “I’ve never seen anything that’s so precise or to the point,” he said.

The team’s morale was hit when a former Thai Navy SEAL, Samarn Kunan, 38, died while helping lay out oxygen tanks underground. He was the only casualty of the operation. But they pressed on and, on 8 July, the rescue began.

Protected like eggs In the cavern, one-by-one, the boys were fitted with 5 mm-thick wetsuits and full-face scuba masks. They were told to remain calm and motionless as two divers prepared to tug them through murky waters and along guide ropes that had been put in place. None of the children, aged between 11 and 16, were strong swimmers let alone competent divers.

Some crevices were barely wide enough for a person, and the swirling currents risked ripping off the boys’ oxygen masks.

“The main challenge in the mission is water, which keeps coming all the time. This makes the current inside quite strong, and because it’s constantly flowing the water is murky,” a Thai officer involved in the mission told Reuters, declining to be named as he wasn’t authorised to speak to the media.

About 40 percent of the boys’ journey through the water of at least three hours involved diving and in other parts water was up to the rescuers’ chests, Thai Navy SEAL commander Rear Admiral Apakorn Yuukongkaew, told reporters on Wednesday.

Once past this stretch, they reached Chamber Three, the SEALs’ main base. The diving was over by this point, but still the way ahead was hard. The boys were put in green plastic toboggans and carried through: at some points, there were steep slopes with cascading waters and the rescuers had to use a pulley system to winch them up. “We didn’t want the children to walk because it is really tiring from Chamber Three to the cave mouth,” Apakorn said.

Wet and cold, some of the boys fell asleep as they were hauled along to the exit, but there were more than 100 people stationed along this section, including nurses who checked their temperature, blood pressure, pulse and oxygen levels. There have been reports that the boys had been sedated, though officials said only that some had been given medicine to calm their nerves.

“We brought the children out like eggs protected in stone,” Apakorn said, referencing a Thai saying equivalent to “velvet glove”.

No diving plans anytime soon Over three successive days, the rescuers brought out four, four and five survivors, respectively, sticking to the same routine each day. “If it’s not broke, don’t change it,” Brown said. “When day one went well, we said – we are going to do the exact same thing on day two.”

The Canadian, speaking to Reuters a day after the rescue ended, said he had no plans to dive again anytime soon. “I was exhausted,” he said. “I’m looking forward to staying out of the water for a bit. I’ve got a beer in my hand, I’m going to enjoy this, then I’m going to fly home and sit in a hammock for a few days.”