2026 Mt. Whitney Hike: Day 2, Ferguson Creek To Big Wet Meadow: Be Present

Day 2:

Distance:  9.41 miles

Elevation Gain:  2027 ft.

 Rising time was 0500 again; breakfast was a "Breakfast Sandwich" consisting of sausage and cheese inside of an English Muffin (I should note that while I am discussing meat options, there were vegetarian options for those so inclined).  

And coffee.  Always coffee.

By 0630 we once again hit the trail.

Today was another uphill start through forests. Our first checkpoint would be the Roaring River, the second Brewer Creek.   I (again) pretty quickly dropped to the end of the pack. Our packs were slightly lighter of course - this would be an ongoing weight reduction during the course of the hike - but the heat would again get to the high 70's or low 80's, making things uncomfortable.

I should mention that there seem to be two schools of thought for hiking in terms of coverage.  The first are those that hike in shorts and short sleeves and sunscreen up.  The second are those that wear long pants and long shirts and layer and minimalize sunscreen.  I am in the second group, for whatever reason.

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How hard it is to Be Present.

Modern society seems almost consciously designed so that we will not be present.  Distractions are ever at the edge of our consciousness:  if not The Computer In Our Pocket, it is the screen in front of our face.  It is the windshield and sealed car when we drive, the office and stores that we shuttle between, the constant flow of noise and images and sensations that take us from the consciousness of the moment.

(Lunch - Hiking charcuterie, one of my favourites)

Just by reaching in my pocket, I can access a world that is completely removed from the world I currently exist in - which is, in reality, almost of no importance to me.  And even when I am engaged in an activity - a meeting, a paper writing, reading, even a blog post - I can be bombarded by other incoming messages and contacts, all demanding my attention - now, at this moment.

The Trail - or The Way, if you want to use that term - is no different.

We can be so invested in a world where posted pictures and making memories is so important for ourselves and others, we forget to be in the moment for ourselves.  We do not enjoy the scenery or the hike or the training or the experience for what it is, but rather what we believe it should be.

That can be challenging in itself of course.  We stare at the trail - dirt, gravel, sand - and forget to look up. We are so busy getting to the next campsite it is only in our pauses and our stops that we look up, look around, see where we actually are.

There is a balance there, a balance I struggle to hold onto within myself:  this balance between being where we are and yet being where we need to be.

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After lunch, the long uphill to Big Wet Meadow begins.

I quickly fall to the end of the pack, switched off between Rainbow Bright and Garbage Women.  The time passes pleasantly enough:  I walk, I count, I rest.  Garbage Woman asks me about my sword art, which I am more than happy to share about.

And then, pine forests give way to quaking alders.  Big Wet Meadow (with Whale Back Ridge to the right) is upon us.

It is drier here than it was in 2022; this is a feature that continues to confront us throughout this hike. The water crossings are really stepping across stones instead of any sense of waiting.  I am regretful for the grass and trees; I am happy for myself because I do not enjoy wet feet.

Another camp set up.  I take a nap while others wander and fish and swim, then walk down later and wash my feet and rinse my socks.  It is a ritual of sorts, a sign the day is done.

Dinner tonight was chicken noodle soup and mashed potatoes with chicken gravy and broccoli.  It is always interesting to me how less and less hungry and thirsty I get on this hikes; I am constantly admonished by Rainbow Bright to eat more and drink more.

Two days in and no sign of altitude sickness.  I am grateful.

2026 Mt. Whitney Hike: Day 1, Horse Corral To Ferguson Creek: Why Do We Hike?

Day 1:  

Distance: 11.1 miles

Elevation Gain:  1546 ft.

Our hike began with a wake up call at 0500 with a schedule that would come to be more or less the same every day:  coffee/tea available within 15 minutes of waking, breakfast available within 30 minutes, departure time within 90 minutes.  A student of The Outdoorman's School of Hiking, my goal was to be completely broken down and packed up within 30 minutes - which generally, I was.

After a breakfast of bagels and cream cheese and a banana, we hit the road

The bulk of the morning was spent going up (no surprise there; again, a recurring "feature" of the hike as we ascend from around 8,000 ft to 12,000 ft.).  By snack time (we always have snack time) the day is heating up to the high 70's/low 80's. Not a concern at home; carrying our packs at the heaviest they will be (40-50 lbs. including bear cans full of food) it feels like a bit much.

By lunch I am definitely feeling the heat and the uphill.

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Why do we hike?

Once upon a time, we humans walked everywhere:  following prey, then following herds of domesticated animals.  Migrating to other places.  

For most of history, society moved at the speed of human feet: armies marched on them, merchants carried with them, farmers worked their crops with them.  Sure, at some point we developed ships and domesticated animals for burden bearers, but there was still an awful lot of walking prior to as short a time ago as the end of the 18th century.

Then the 19th Century arrived.  Trains replaced canal boats and wagons and horses, then cars replaced trains, then planes replaced all other forms of transportation for long distances, leaving cars or trains for less significant differences and ships for bulk cargoes or entertainment. Walking remained, but it was much more of a thing that we choose to do.  For many, walking is now mostly an optional activity for anything than the most average of activities.

(Lunch:  Salad with chicken, apples, and cranberries)

Why do we hike?  

Is the goal?  Is like a pilgrimage or holy walk of long ago now, where we seek a destination physically or within our mind?  If so, what is that goal or destination? Is it seeing a certain place or things? - but we can see pictures which are more often far better than any we can take ourselves.  And the going always costs both time and money, vacation we could spend on something else and money that might be better spent elsewhere.

Why do we hike?

The scenes we see, the places we go, the views we experience - ultimately they largely die with us unless they exist in picture albums or (like this post) somewhere on the InterWeb, electronically frozen in time.

Why do we hike?  What drives us on in discomfort and pain and expense of time and money?  Surely it is not simply just for a view?

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Our afternoon is a long downhill I recall from hike four years ago: dusty, hotter than I like.  This early into the hike, I have to start counting my steps like I did on the Mt. Goddard hike where I had altitude sickness:  50, 60 at a time, then stop for a breath.

This is not promising.

(Dinner:  Pesto chicken with walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes)

By the time we roll into our campsite at Ferguson Creek, I am already exhausted.  Putting the tent up and getting situated goes smoothly enough; I have enough time to go down to the creek and wash my socks, which will become a nightly ritual as long as we are by water.

After dinner (complete with smores), we start with the slightly more in-depth introductions that a group has to go through if they are going to succeed.  Being an introvert, I struggle with this a bit as I always do, but put in a good effort both to honour our guides and blend in;  having The Outdoorsman and The Brit there always makes it easier.

That night, the creek fills my ears as I drift off to sleep. I have forgotten how much I enjoy the sound of running water.

2026 Mt. Whitney Hike: Day -1: Prologue

Friends - As alluded to on 21 August 2026, last month I participated in (and completed) an approximately 85 mile/135 km 8 day hike through the Sierra Nevadas and summited Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous 48 states at 14,504 ft/4420 m.  Total elevation gain was 23,000 ft/7,010 m, more or less.

Longer term readers may recall that this hike was something I did four year ago in 2022.  It was a challenging hike then; it was equally (or more) challenging now.  Why, you might ask yourself, would I do such a hike again?

The roots of this find itself in the fellowship with which I hiked.

As you might recall, in 2022 I went with my brother-in-law, The Outdoorsman. These hikes (started in 2021) became an annual sort of "male bonding" activity.  In 2023 in going to Mt. Goddard, we added in The Outdoorsman's son-in-law, The Brit.  This year, in discussions, we added in Nighean Bhan's fiancé, The Fiancé.

Things were planned and we all intended to meet at The Outdoorman's house in Old Home - until a freak accident meant that The Fiancé, who is a small business owner, had to stay behind and cover his business.  This was a great disappointment to all of us; we are hopeful that we will do another hike together next year.

And so the three of us assembled and took the 3 hour drive down to the meeting point.

At our meeting point, we linked up with our guides:  Rainbow Bright, our guide from last year's trip to Thunder River, and a new-to-us guide, Garbage Woman (It is not as you think:  for a major hike, she received a sponsorship to pick up garbage along the trail and the name stuck).  Our companions for the next 8 days emerged from their cars as well.  It was a mixed group as is usually the case on these hikes:  men and women, old and young, retired and employed, all ready to test themselves against a challenging hike.

Of note, of these hikers only The Outdoorsman and myself had made the trek before.

After procuring dinner (sandwich and chips) we headed for the trailhead.

Our starting point, about 1.5 hours away from the meet up point, was in King's Canyon at a campsite known as Horse Corral.  There, we did our pack check (what goes, what stays - I always have to advocate for my book and my journal), got our equipment as needed (for me, all the things:  backpack, tent, sleeping bag, pad), set up for the night, and then gathered together for a short meet and greet and a discussion of what lie ahead.  There were six other hikers plus our team of three and our guides (2), making for a team of 11.  With an admonition that tomorrow was going to come early (rising time 0500), we turned in for the night.

A comment on what to expect for this series:  One of the admonitions from Rainbow Bright was to "Be Present" for this hike.  I did my best to honour this request:  I took about half the pictures I did on my previous hike (to be fair, not much changed in four years).  More importantly, every day of the hike I chose a particular thought or theme to consider during the day.  As a result, the writings on this trip will be less about the conditions and views of the hike (they will be there of course) and just as much about the Thought Of The Day - in all cases, having that thought to come back to resulted in some very interesting ruminations.

A second comment is that I will break a bit with my general format in terms of subjects.  Rather than spread this out, we will continue on the journey as if it were a through hike every day, breaking only for 11 September and Sundays (A Year Of Kindness).  

Thanks for coming along.  We are going to have an excellent trip.

(Post Script:  I would be remiss if I did not mention that the organization I go through is TSX Challenge.  They are a first rate hiking group and have saved my life (literally) at least twice.  I cannot recommend them highly enough [and, they do all the cooking!].  For those that are curious, an itinerary of the hike is here.)

A Year Of Kindness (XXXIII): Minor Chord

 

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"The world is not kind so I will be" is thought we have visited a great deal over the course of the year; nothing inherently novel in that.  What struck me about this picture is the juxtaposition of the two characters:  often such pictures or thoughts come with genuinely delightful bucolic scenes or lovely flowers.  They do not often come with a much darker theme.

But should I be surprised at this?  I freely admit that I am in many ways a sort of bumbling bucolic fool, wandering through life ignorant (or ignorant by choice) of some of the realities of life (which I grant are out there).  But there is kindness to be found in those places too, kindnesses that are invisible to me in what is a different point of the world.

Regardless of bucolic scenes or dark realities, the world can still be unkind.  All the more reason - in whatever circumstances - to practice kindness as often as we can.

The Age Of Novelty

 One of the interesting stories in the book Superbloom by Nicholas Carr is how a superbloom of flowers in California caused a bit of a crisis when thousands of visitors swarmed the area so that they could take pictures of the Superbloom. It is a phenomenon that has manifested itself more and more, especially given the fact that social media and social influencers are now a thing.  People - really tourists - flock everywhere now, wanting to get their pictures taken by famous things. In some cases - like Justin Bieber in Iceland some years ago - these sorts of events lead to ecologic destruction of the environment in the rush to "get the picture". In other areas - like the Dolomites - local farmers have taken to charging for people to walk across their land to take pictures.

We all must now be able constantly see the amazing.  We live in The Age Of Novelty.

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The Age Of Novelty (Trademark for me, I guess) is a phrase that came to mind when I was thinking of the fact that our modern Western World constantly demands to be amused and enthralled by the novel.

Social Media has driven this of course:  we now see pictures from all over the planet (and beyond it!) of people going amazing places, doing amazing things, and - at least in appearance - living "their best life ever".  

And for many, they demand that this be true of themselves as well.

The Age Of Convenience helps this trend as well - technology helps us not only with the social media aspect but the travel aspect.  Abundant energy means we can go to the magical places quickly. And the abundance of riches means that such things are accessible for more individuals than ever.

The Age Of Convenience did not create The Age Of Novelty - after all, the ultra rich of every age have sought the exotic and unusual (looking at you, Roman feasts with peacock tongues), but it certainly democratized it.

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There is a danger in having living in The Age Of Novelty of course.  It is that we will become so addicted to novelty that the ordinary becomes boring and something we retreat from.

Most of life is - frankly - ordinary and not-novel.  It is a series of activities that we do every day.  Many of the things that we do to live and exist - work, cook, clean, provide; the ordinary things of life - are for the most part simply that: ordinary. They are not novel.

But it is in that ordinariness that we gain experience and knowledge.

By doing a thing a thousand times - say, drawing a sword or cleaning a house - I learn the best way to do the thing. I learn where I can perhaps shave some time and where I have to spend the time.  As I water a garden or care for an animal (or a loved one) over time, I come to know their foibles and their ways: I can learn where the best place is to plant tomatoes (not in the shade, apparently!) or when a rabbit suddenly loses their appetites.

I would submit that every person has mastered a thing has, at some level, been deep into the ordinary activities of that thing and life itself.

Novelty seekers are denied this.  Yes, they can - and do - see amazing things and have amazing experiences, but those are often one time events that may or may not stick and even if they do, become a memory or a memento on the shelf or a picture on social media, destined to disappear in the flow of information.  And coming back from those experiences, how pale and boring life must seem - the ordinary life, the life that most of us actually have to live.

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I have to be fair of course: I am as guilty of this as anyone else.  I feel the pull of the new, the novel, the exciting - and, as exhibited by my travels and hobbies, sometimes do it.

But there is, I feel, a difference.

For all that I go to these places and do these things, there are simply novel experiences.  They are not something that I constantly demand happen.  I am just as happy to return home and go for long stretches with my daily schedule and arguably quiet (and boring) life.

And perhaps therein lies the difference.  For some, they cannot walk away from The Age Of Novelty.  For others, it could be lost without any impact whatsoever.

Because even in the ordinary, we often find the novel.

August 2026 Grab Bag

 August, as it turned out, was a very busy month

My grandmaster (soke) was here for the end of July and most of August.  As a result, we got to spend two hours a week training with him for four weeks instead of our usual one hour a week of class.  It was great training, but I was reminded - yet again - of how far I have yet to go in correcting some very basic mistakes.

We are all, he reminded us, students on journey, even himself.

The New Home Seminar has been rescheduled for September, so I will see him and my sensei again in two weeks.

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Clearly August was dominated by the hike to Mt. Whitney.  What also happened during that time is the first session of my new school program started.  My professor was very kind in not making a big deal of me being out for this pre-planned trip.   That said, I missed the introductory session and hit the ground running by arriving home Sunday and plunging right in to the thick of it.  

Over the course of the semester we are required to make four 10 minute presentations, create a weekly blog "post" (like a short paper), and participate in online discussions.  

I managed to cobble together a post on Monday (thank goodness I blog for an unpaid job!).  Coming late, most of the slots for presentations were already filled in so I took what I could; my first presentation is next Tuesday.

Even one class in, I found myself really enjoying this and even starting to think a bit differently.  I think this will be good for me.

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Although technically falling into September, of note I (along with at least two of my coworkers) registered for a Fall Curling League.

It is a full team (4) and will cover 12 games.  I have to confess I never saw myself as an "after work" sports person, but I quite enjoy the sport. 

Looking forward to (maybe finally) being able to do some posts on it on future Fridays.

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Somehow in the course of everything, I realized that I now have to plan things on weekends at least a month out.

This seems remarkably ridiculous to me - yet, when I look at things, my calendar seems to have almost magically filled up through the end of the year.

I cannot consciously ever remember being in this place before.  It is the oddest feeling.

A Year Of Haiku (XXXIV): Slither

 

Summer's hot granite:

outgrown, outworn outer-ware

cast off, abandoned.

Travel Interlude (IV): Whimsy Imagines

 

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The older I get, the more I embrace whimsy.

I embrace it because - as I continue to discover - my interests and passions are inherently whimsical.  They do not fit into the modern world at all.  They likely will not move me forward in "the world".  They will certainly not enhance my bank account or my career.  They might enhance my social media standing, but only with those that value such things.

And what have I discovered?  That those who value such things are the sort of people whose opinions I actually care about and in whose lives I am actually interested in.

So go be whimsical.  And then have the courage to build your life around that whimsey.  It will likely be far harder, but will also likely be so much more fun along the way.

Travel Interlude (III): One Friend

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Friendship is an odd thing - as more than one person has said, it can sometimes seem like walking down an aisle, randomly grabbing someone, and saying "This one.  This one is the one."

Most of those that have been or become my good friends over the years are not ones that I would consciously have chosen at first. They very often seem like a set of random events in meeting among the hundreds of people that we encounter in our lives.  There is something - some interest, some spark - that moves it beyond the greeting phase to the "Hey, this person seems like someone worth spending time with".  That moment is often lost to the history of friendship, but there are times I can still remember it happening: the moment where The Director introduced me to Uisdean Ruadh in the Spring Semester of our freshman year of high school, the moment at work where Rainbow and I started taking a walk at lunch, the moment when The Shield Maiden moved beyond just another throwing acquaintance to a friend.

What  difference those friendships make.

My friends believe in me, sometimes more than I believe in myself.  My friends have listened to me rant and rave and helped me come out on the other side, if not better than at least feeling heard.  They lift me up when I down, remind me of the things I have done when I can only think of the things I have failed at.

How empty my life would be without them.  

And what a testimony to the fact that one person, one friend, can truly change a life.
 

2026 Mt. Whitney: The Triumphant Return

Friends - After 8 days, 85 miles, and 23,000 feet of elevation gain (more or less), I am back.  For the second time, Mt Whitney- the highest peak in the contiguous 48 U.S. - was successfully summited.

I have vague and general notes to get together so I must once again beg your patience, both in documenting it as well as responding to your comments while I was away.  I leave you with a few pictures as a good show of faith.

Your Most Humble and Obedient (and Tired) Servant,

Toirdhealbheach Beucail

A Year Of Kindness (XXXII): Worthy

 

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There is nothing more crippling to a person that to tell them that they are not worthy and are not loved.

You do not really appreciate the depth of the issue until it has happened to you.  And likely, it has happened to all of us at some time:  a parent, a spouse, a friend, a coach, a manager, a relative, a coworker.  It can come from anywhere. 

But its impacts can last for a lifetime.

To believe that one is not worthy and not loved is to carry a burden that no human was designed to carry.

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To believe one is not worthy and not loved can manifest itself in one of two behaviours.

In one behaviour, we are always searching to make ourselves worthy and loveable.  We will go to any length, do almost anything - sometimes very foolish or even dangerous things - to prove that what we were told about ourselves was not true.

In the other behaviour, we become hardened.  We do not care if we are worthy or loved - and too often, we come to treat others as not worthy or not loveable.  After all - if I am not, I need not treat other people as they are worthy or loveable either.

Instead of being confident and coming from a place of love and strength, we come from a place of desperation or anger that tinges everything we do.

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When we are kind to another - when we offer them worth and love simply by treating them kindly, we strike back at a world that does not share such a message.

Francis Schaeffer writes often about the importance of treating people - all people - as if they matter to us, because in point of fact that matter to God.  The Bible says they do, of course - after all, God sent His Son to die for all, that all might be saved.  But often we can fall short of this:  we treat some people as they matter, just as the world does.

We should treat people as if they are worthy and loveable, just as God treated us in the same way.  And that can start by simply being kind.

2026 Garden: Mid-Autumn Edition

  Slightly after the middle of Autumn.  I remain remarkably impressed by how any of this is going at all.

The cherry tomatoes remain productive.  Sadly, I failed to take detailed pictures of the Roma tomatoes, although you can see them in the background:

However, there may or may not be spinach growing:

The spinach/leeks planted here have done nothing,

but if you look closely, you will see leeks peeking out below:

The pole beans are starting to fade,

but their pods are drying out:

The buckwheat is still blooming:

My onions are struggling a bit, but still hanging on:

Soybeans:

And I may actually get some corn this year (drying corn, but still corn)!

The volunteer potatoes continue their groove, 

As does what I believe to be my one surviving sweet potato:

For a first year, I am very pleased at the results.