Aug 30, 2010

Summer 2010 Recap

As summer of 2010 is coming to a close I reflect back and make a determination of whether it was a "successful" one.  Probably since my elementary school days, I continue to have a deep belief that summers should be for play outside.  As a kid it meant playing outdoors from sunup to sundown and living in the moment, but we probably never ventured any further than several blocks.  Now as a grown-up kid those feelings have never disappeared, but now my playground is basically anywhere of my choosing.  As far as this past summer is concerned I would give it a resounding yes as to whether I consider it a successful summer.  All the trips I lined up went without a hitch even with the limited days in between trips.  I had most things planned since February and everything was contingent upon whether I was able to get the early 6 week slot (May 24-July 2) for my grad school summer affiliation.  Fortunately, everything worked out in that department allowing the trips I had planned come to fruition. In the subsequent posts I will discuss the five treks (Eastern Grand Canyon, Trans-Catalina Trail, John Muir Trail (2nd time), Sierra High Route section, and the Wonderland Trail) and post photos starting with the Eastern Grand Canyon.  I still have one more bike trip lined up with my girlfriend Megan as we continue to piece together the Pacific Coast of the United States; Santa Monica, CA to the Mexican border over Labor Day weekend. That will officially be the last trip of this summer. I will also discuss the trail running I take part in this time of year, especially with my first 50 mile trail run in October to possibly attempt to qualify for Western States 100.

Aug 29, 2010

First Post

I am starting this blog to basically keep myself accountable to write about my experiences whether in school, backpacking, or running.  I don't honestly know if this will do the trick but I do enjoy going back into my private (written) journal and re-reading entries and reflecting on my evolution.  I attend California State University, Northridge for a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and I backpack. I also run, mostly trails, to keep in shape for backpacking.  This should be a fun little blog.