Tag: National Parks

Yosemite: Lessons in Unparalleled Beauty and Mental Fortitude

Posted on June 9, 2018 by

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I was really glad we had our raincoats. The day was gorgeous and there was 0% chance of rain, but we were absolutely drenched; Water dripping from the tip of my nose, drenched.  The name Mist Trail is a bit of a misnomer. I…

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Yosemite By Any Other Name…

Posted on May 15, 2018 by

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Yosemite is “not just a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra”. It’s honestly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. And…

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Yosemite: You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Posted on May 12, 2018 by

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We were going to Yosemite and we were climbing Half Dome. That’s all there was to it. I had found out that you have to join a lottery to get a permit, as they now limit the number of people that can climb it…

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Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

Hunter S. Thompson

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Happy Sunday everyone! What are you up to this weekend? I’m putting up crown molding and replacing an IKEA desk we’ve had for 25 years. It’s time. #weekendchores * * * #gettingshitdone #officeremodel #quitehandywithasaw #womenwhobuild #toolfinger #lovediy #happyweekend #emptynestadventures
Early morning look back into the cloud filled valley from Tengboche. When we were there I didn’t realize the historical significance of the place. When we got home and I was reading the book by Tenzing Norgay’s son and saw a photo of the monastery that said this is where his father’s and Hillary’s 1953 expedition as well as his 1996 IMAX expedition were blessed, I realized I had taken the same photo. We attended a service, which was my first Buddhist experience, and the monks chant the mantras in rounds, so to speak. They are all saying something different at the same time and it’s unlike any sound I’ve ever heard in my life. There were about 100 of us sweaty, unshowered trekkers packed around the edges of the temple, where you must remove your shoes. It smelled like a junior high boys’ locker room. Swipe to see Norgay’s photo and then mine of the monastery. I think it’s eerie how similar they are. The last photo is looking in the other direction with Everest just visible on the left. From this vantage point it doesn’t look all that impressive with just the small tip showing (that’s what she said) but you can see the plume of snow caused by the jet stream that blows off its summit. P.S. In my last post of the Khumbu Glacier and Icefall I talk about how big those ice chunks are. I JUST noticed that there are tents and people along the edge and if you zoom in you can see just how big that ice is. Now that’s impressive. #tengboche * * * #ebc #nepal #himalayas #everestbasecamptrek #abovetheclouds #tengbochemonastery #highaltitude #morningview #ilovehistory #sagarmatha #tenzinghillaryroute #khumbu #perfectweather #emptynestadventures
The infamous Khumbu Icefall. They look tiny, but those ice chunks are as big as houses. “The grandness of the landscape deceives one’s sense of scale.”~ Jamling Norgay * Since the US is directly on the opposite side of the globe from Nepal, when Sherpas cross a crevasse, which must be done very slowly, there is time to look into the seemingly bottomless pit and they call that “looking into America”. Falling into a crevasse is “getting a visa to the United States”. There are lots of dead bodies on Everest and the Sherpas call them “raven momos”. Momos are meat dumplings and they are delicious. #gallowshumor * * * #khumbuicefall #khumbuglacier #everestbasecamp #ebc #nepal #highaltitude #trekking #emptynestadventures
Happy 26th anniversary to my best friend and adventure buddy.
The numbers are in...5,801 photos/videos taken. I feel that the documentation of this trip was a success. 😝 #itakealotofpictures * * * #nepal #ebc #exploretheglobe #documentationisimportant #sagarmatha #suspensionbridge #prayerflags #emptynestadventures
🌸🏔☁️🙏 * * * #nepal #ebc #ebctrek #mistymountains #himalayas #highaltitude #prayerflags #mountainflowers #emptynestadventures
I’m sitting at LAX after having been in Nepal for 3 weeks and it seems like a dream. Moving out of the way (or racing ahead) of herds of yaks was a multiple times a day occurrence, tying prayer flags at BC with the infamous ice field behind me, we hiked 87 miles and met people we will be friends with forever. If you want the adventure of a lifetime in one of the most beautiful places on earth, do this hike. I promise you won’t regret it. #everestbasecamp
We did it!!!🇳🇵#everestbasecamp

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