Science! Psuedo-science! Nature! Art! Nonsense!
November 11, 2022
hiking, mountain, nature, photography, travel hiking, mountains, nature, Norway, photography, travel, vettisfossen, video, waterfall 2 Comments
The day could not have been prettier. Light rain, but gorgeous light. And peak Fall leaves. And waterfalls everywhere you look. The funny thing is, though we hiked about 13km, we never made it to the big waterfall! Ran out of light.
I guess we’ll just have to go back
THIS is not the one! But look. Spectacular does not even begin to describe this walk.
We had some very late lunch very near the top at an old farmstead and village.
The turn around point.
November 11, 2022
hiking, travel dogs, gøran, hiking, mountains, nature, Norway, nova, photography, romey, travel, video 2 Comments
Sometimes walking out the door and around back is the best way to hike. We bushwhacked up through juniper and blueberry towards a small lake where fish are rumored to live. Tyinkrysset, Norway is beautiful.
This little stream is just up the road a few hundred meters.
Here are some pictures of our walk in the mountains.
A view of the valley.
Chilly Romey.
Panorama
Our intrepid hosts at the top. Our fearless leader Nova was dressed for the weather.
We love being in Norway.
Coffee and brown cheese? Nova says yes.
November 8, 2022
hiking, mountain, nature, travel gøran, hiking, kongevegen, Norway, nova, romey, stave church 1 Comment
The trail, built by hand with horses and carts through steep mountain passes, is incredible. Like a movie set. This is one hike in Norway not to miss. We did a few kilometers day hike to the Stave Church completed in the 1180s.
The Kings Road is what Kongevegen means, BTW. The scenery at peak Fall is stunning and magical.
Romey and the logo bench.
Just up over the pass the first view of the Stave Church.
We approached from behind (with a herd of sheep). These are not the sheep!
Our fearless leader Nova.
Don’t eat the mushrooms.
A quiet moment of conversation.
A boy and his dog!
An impressive waterfall on the drive home.
Coffee stop.
And back home for beer and a small fire. This is the only kind of smoking that I like to do.
July 20, 2022
hiking, nature, travel ave maria, bariosco, hiking, italy, opera, passagiata, rialmosso, rosazza, shooka Leave a comment
On my last day in Rialmosso (Italy) after all three performances were behind us, the hiking boots finally came out. Sadly the boots were massive overkill since the “hike” was really just a walk and the walk was really just a stroll. But, I lugged those boots all the way here from Virginia, so on they go!
Anyway, the stroll in the park was behind Rosazza on a mountain trail that was well tended and obvious in the Italian way. Gorgeous, filled with green trees, burbling creeks, and an ancient Italian village at the top.
I like listening to the woods as much as looking at them. The sounds were curative.
We did the blue hikewalkstroll.
The four others included Santa Mariela, Matt (of the piano), Shooka (of the opera), and Dani (movement artist).
A fellow Tennessean.
A miniature concert at the top by Shooka with some movement by Dani.
After the walk we headed down to town (about one km away) and revisited Auto Bahn. The others joined us there for dinner.
Tutti per la cena.
Stevie demonstrates proper chaise lounge form.
The imitators.
Ciao, bella!
January 2, 2020
dogs, farm, hiking, mountain, photography blue ridge, dogs, gem, hiking, nature, photography, river, shenandoah, shenandoah river Leave a comment
Three views from the corner.
Trio one
Trio two
Trio three
The walk.
Mogli blends
Shenandoah
Light
Tree fire
September 16, 2019
hiking, photography australia, blue mountains, gem, hiking, katoomba, nature, photography, stairs, video, wentworth falls 2 Comments
As it turns out, getting from Katoomba to Wentworth Falls in a taxi (all of 4 miles) costs more than a roundtrip train ride to Sydney. Brian and I had quite the adventure because when we arrived at the train station there were no luggage lockers. Ultimately a very nice hairdresser near the station said she would watch our bags while we did a quick morning hike.
So it was off on a 1 hour and 50 minute walk of around 3.5 miles with a 1000 foot elevation delta. Yes, we did some stairs, but not all of them this time. Once again, the weather was perfect.
We made the Sydney train with only 1 minute to wait before departure. Excellent “plan.”
Wentworth falls trail is cut directly into the cliff
Wentworth falls in the early morning
Upper pool
September 15, 2019
hiking, mountain, travel australia, blue mountains, dardanelles pass, federal pass, furber steps, gem, giant stairway, hiking, katoomba, lilianfels, photography, three sisters, travel, video 2 Comments
In about three hours, Brian and I hiked 6.3 miles covering an elevation delta of 1600 feet. We started at Lilianfells,took the Prince Henry trail over to the Furber Steps, went down the steps (with some great views of Katoomba Falls), hiked Federal pass to Honeymoon Lookout, doubled back through the Dardanelles Pass and then climbed up the 900 steps of the Giant Stairway to the Three Sisters. Finishing with the climb up the steps was interesting.
Katoomba
Katoomba falls
Brian takes a picture
Picture in picture
Katoomba
Overlook Mt Solitary
Katoomba Falls
Spring Fiddleheads (Australia September)
Rain forest Katoomba
Turning point
View from Dardenelles
Heading up the Gianty Stairway
Only 1/2 way up. Exhausting climb.
Three sisters. Alone.
All in all, an incredible hike on a gorgeous day. Better ending up than down.
March 18, 2019
hiking, nature, trees armstrong redwoods, armstrong redwoods state natural reserve, california, california coast, gem, giant redwoods, guerneville, hiking, nature, photography, redwood, trees, video 1 Comment
Whatever you do, make sure you visit the amphitheater (though this time of year it might have better been called the “amphibian-theater”). Also visit a winery and catch a buzz before you park the car.
The posse
Amy dwarfed by a giant redwood
The band at the crest
Crown
More crown
March 18, 2019
hiking, nature, ocean, photography, trees california, california coast, David Joseph State Park, hiking, nature, pacific ocean, photography, Russian River, shell beach, sonoma, travel, video 1 Comment
On a beautiful Spring day (one of the first for months) we went to the edge of the continent with Uncle Jim and Chloe. Just south of the Russian river is Shell Beach and across Highway 1 from that is a nice set of trails traversing the coastal hills.
All told, we may have hiked 3.5 or 4 miles.
From the Pacific
Vernal mud on the trail
Spring mushrooms were everywhere (irises too)
To the fern forest
Then it was back down to the ocean.
December 1, 2018
flowers, hiking, mountain, nature, photography, plants australia, blue mountains, day trip, gem, hiking, katoomba, nature, photography, sydney, train, video 2 Comments
A two hour train ride outside of Sydney, you can find the tourist hamlet of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Tourists have been coming here since the turn of the century (1900). Katoomba itself reminds me of West Virginia in its old coal town turned bust turned tourist vibe. You can now find hipsters and artists in residence.
We took the train out in the morning and spent several hours walking from the train station to a trailhead, down the cliff face, and back up again.
Highlights on the mountain visit include the three sisters, the giant stairway (976 steps!), waterfalls, and the steepest railroad in Australia.
We started our morning at Sydney central
The two hour train ride is a little long. The tourist center by the train station is well worth a visit. That is where we finalized our plan.
8things cafe. Great food and super service
Cassiopia coffee (recommended)
We walked from the station to Echo point (2.3 km).
The Echo Point visitors center
This is where we first caught sight of the famed three sisters. Which we saw many times throughout the day.
Three sisters from Echo Point visitor center
Three sisters from the echo point trail
Three sisters from the trail
Three sisters from just above
Honeycomb cave (at the three sisters)
Three sisters from below on the Federal trail
Three sisters from Scenic World gondola
Here’s what happened in between. After honeycomb cave, we entered the giant stairway. Lots of stairs down (976 in fact). Amy did not do them all.
This is an alternative way to get down the stairs (not recommended by our attorney)
Not here
Here
Flowers and bromiliads
Amy
AMY
A tiny fiddlehead against the mountains
Down
Flowers on the mountain
Looking down 500 feet
The blue mountains
Amy contemplates
Cliff hangers
Amy takes the stairs with a monk
Cliff hangers and rare species
Eventually, we entered the rain forrest at the bottom of the cliff.
The giant stairway is well named. It has been there a while.
Rainforest ecology
Amy rounds the bend
Ferns and trail. The rainforest shift is striking
A very big tree indeed
Katoomba Creek falls
After the falls, we were back in what passes as civilization. Scenic world was first contemplated by coal miners. Just take the train thingy up.
And, why not? Try the cable car too.
We walked back from scenic world (another 2.5km). All told we may have hiked around 5 miles. We deserved a beer.
After a long day hiking, it was high time for a beer!
The 2 hour train ride back to Sydney was slightly too long.
