BEG, The Spaniard, and I decided to take the long weekend prior to the beginning of my semester to go snow camping in Sequoia. The weather couldn't have been better - it was serene, spectacular, gorgeous. And we had the place all to ourselves!
We like to camp safe and store our food appropriately in bear lockers. Unfortunately, the 90 inches of snow that would provide us with excellent snowshoeing conditions and deceiving skiing conditions, also largely obscured things like bear lockers.
Luckily I had remembered to purchase a shovel, and The Spaniard was keen to hone his shoveling skills.
We got creative for maneuvering around the campsite (snow shoes were really handy) and setting up a cook station, oh, and staying warm!
But then, with the sun and some giant red trees, we launched into a glorious new day!
It was consistently funny how much snow there was- why warn about the steps when the snow has buried them so deeply that the railing is at ground level?
I spent quite a bit of time watching youtube videos on xcountry ski techniques over xmas, and was particularly fascinated by the step turn... I think it's much funnier if you high-knee it, especially if your rate of forward motion is very slow.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, our solitude was broken. 20 boy scout tents formed a city around our campsite and flags, tables, sleds, saws, stoves, kids and fire pits littered the previously pristine snow.
giant human mudcrack on genuine mudcracks
homemade solar oven expo - what you can build with less than $5 worth of material - they cooked cup o' noodles for any students who came by during "Spring Fling" week
you can't help but feel a little special when jumping photos are done in your honour and absence
This is where the flow is currently traversing the land to get to the ocean. This apparently was a subdivision 2 weeks ago. Note the helicopters - that is where I wanted to be.
At the very very end of the Thurston lava tube, it was awesome. We named a new "lava cave" feature too. While lava stalactites have long been known as "lavacicles", we have now officially designated lava stalagmites as "Pele's poop". This is what happens when you find equally nerdy teachers to go on 10 mile hikes with you on your afternoon off - and they weren't even geologists!!! L-R: math, english, computer science, english, ME
Anyone who knows me knows that I love to hang onto the edge of lava cooling cracks. Hawai'i is especially fun for this due to the lack of snakes!
Looking across Kilauea-Iki "crater" - a roiling lava lake in 1959.
Yay! Steam vents in Kilauea "crater"! Right there! Right next to me! Exciting!
Himalayan raspberry. Tasty. I just love trails that I can eat my way down.
Freaking awesome flower on some sort of GINGER plant!!! Except that this ginger root smelled like musty garbage and not the ginger that is tasty. Sure had a pretty flower though.
Flower on an Ohia tree. I love these - they give the trees this all-over firey pom-pom appearance.
A jumping photo, of course, who couldn't resist in this environment???
The statue at Donner Park - the snow was up to their feet (the feet of the statues that is) at the time the Donner Party was stuck up there at Donner Pass.
It started as a gorgeous day for snowshoeing, and FlyBoy and I tested the hill-climbing capabilities of our shoes by scrambling up some short, but nearly impossible inclines.
Then, as a storm approached, we reached this pond for a spectacular view of the mountains (Sugarbowl?), clouds, and my frightening "fashion sense" - I'm not sure how else to refer to my outfit there...
