Stone Shelter!!

One of my absolutely favorite views on the Appalachian Trail, or A.T., was at the top of a mountain where there was an old stone shelter.

You could see in ever direction for miles upon miles. There was nothing but trees and lakes as far as the eye could see. The calm i experienced up there was overwhelming. The gentle breeze that brushed your skin, or the slight warmth of the sun on you back was amazing. The slight sound of song birds in the background mixed in with the sound of a river in the valley was the most calming i've ever heard.

The serenity of everything up there made the place almost heavenly. The place was very surreal and I never wanted to leave. Places like this exist all along the Appalachian Trail. If you have a particular place on the A.T. that was amazing for you, let me know; who knows i might have been there before.

White Magic

Appalachian Trail!!!

The Appalachian trail is the most amazing trail in the world. It is about 3000 miles long and goes along most of the east coast. It covers terrain from mountains to fields and habitats from deep woods to cities. Needless to say it is a very very diverse experience. Whether it is the terrain or the people, the trail is never the same.

I myself have done almost half the trail in my 21 years of life and i have loved every moment of it. The atmosphere and overall experiences you have are life changing. I have done some of the trail by myself and some with family. The trail is difficult one day and easy the next, is peaceful one day and violent the next.

The trail is marked by white blazes all along the trail. There are many shelters, campsites, and even lodging along the trail. The trail is maintained by volunteers who do things like maintain the trail, fix broken shelters, and make sure the water sources are still good. The volunteers are the heros of the trail.

There are many majestic and awe inspiring views on the trail. The views are so beautiful they make you think about life and what your life is like. I have had many deep thoughts about my character while looking over a valley or mountain range.

Have you ever hiked any of the Appalachian Trail? Let me know we will share stories of adventure.

White Magic

General Sherman!!!!!!

When it come to sequoia trees nothing is bigger than the Sherman. It is more than 22 feet across in diameter and takes about five minutes to walk around. I timed it when i went around the thing.

When I first saw this tree on our hike i didn't know what to say. The sheer mass of the thing left me speechless. Its height was no small measure either. Only a few people have ever been up in these trees, i wish i was one of them. This tree is like the father of forest.

The Sherman tree is massive silent sentinel watching over the many other trees and inhabitants of the forest, ever watchful, ever mindful, and everlasting to eternity.

White Magic

Across the desert and through San Fransico to the Red Wood trees we go!!

After about a week of the constant traveling we finally got to California. Our first stop was at a campground a couple hours outside San Francisco. We went into the city for a day to see what it had to offer... what we found was crowded streets and people that tell you to come in your restaurant whether you say no or not.

On the good side we saw things like Alcatraz and got to ride in the cable cars. But all this is inconsequential when i tell you that i hiked in the Sequoia and redwood forests...

If you have never seen these trees they are absolutely massive and insanely tall. You feel like no more than an ant when you walk among these giants. I hike four or five trails, all about 9 miles long, among these trees and i can tell you i never got bored of them.

I had to hike up a mountain just to se over these trees and even when i was halfway up i could only see the tops of some. When i got to the top of the mountain i saw the tops of these trees and it looked like a forest of broccoli. it blew my mind that something so huge could look like something so small.

What real blew my mind was when i found out how old some of these trees were. The oldest ones were about 3000 years old. Thats amazing, if you think about it these trees where here way before columbus or even some of the middle ages.

If you ever get the chance to go to california check out these celestial giants in the north, for nothing will make you more humble of power than they!

White Magic

Drive, stop, camp, sleep, .. drive, stop, camp, sleep,.. repeat

When traveling long distances in a van full of people that do nothing but bother you for the mere enjoyment, you come to enjoy the subtle freedom experienced when alone in the wilderness.

I can tell you that after being in the van for hours upon end while traveling west to california, there was nothing better then to find a secluded wooded spot at the campsite to just be alone. I remember that one campsite we hit had a lake and there was a nice bench by the water away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the campsite. It was my favorite place at the campsite and i watched the stars come out while sitting at this bench. With the trees and forest around me it felt like i was alone a lot further from humanity then i actually was.

The first campsite we hit where we actually did any hiking was at arches national park in the desert. It was a great reprieve from the endless repeat of driving and sleeping. The vastness of the desert amazed me. The rock formations were astonishing. The fact that some of them were still standing was impressive.

The most amazing thing about the desert is the stars at night. You literally see every single one. To look up into the night is to look at the vastness and wonder of our solar system. You will see shooting stars and constellations galore. The concept of how much distance is between us and the nearest stars is mind boggling.

The stars are a calming factor for me. Being under them makes me feel overwhelmed with wonder and amazement. It makes feel like no matter what goes on there is always someone watching over me. Its a calming feeling.

Have you ever seen the stars in the west? Till you do you'll never understand the heavens to their full extent.

White Magic

Go west young man!!!

In the next couple entries I am going to tell you stories of my journey west to california. The reason this is a multiple entry set is because me and my family... drove all the way out there.

We began our journey westward at 4:00 am! Needless to say the whole family was tired, that is except for my oldest sister... she has, shall we say, a very positive outlook on life even at 4:00 am in the morning. If none of you have ever been up at 4:00 am let me inform you that there is nothing positive about 4:00 am. Not even the birds are up that early.

As everyone is slowly going to the car and loading the last of the gear we need my oldest sister is skipping around telling us all how much fun we should be having and how much excitement we should be having this early in the morning. So we all decided to tie her to her chair and muffle her with a shirt.

This worked till about three hours into the ride when she got free. Luckily by that time we were all up and had no problem with the endless "this amazing" and "were having fun right guys?" All and all she makes the trips interesting. My favorite line she ever said to me was, after pointing at me, saying "Dam." I proceeded to ask her why she said Dam to me and she pointed to the dam on the river behind me.

Thats just the first recollection of a story i have of the amazing journey. The trip took us a total of a month and a half long. Many more stories of the amazing times and hardships we experienced are on their way. Stay tuned...

White Magic