Adventures in Onionism

Gf and I are back from six days in the Tahoe area. First, why did we ever leave California? We flew to Reno, arrived late and went straight to our hotel. The instant we left the next morning to walk around the riverfront and Midtown areas, we remarked how nice the dry heat and sunshine was. People like to mock Reno, but I dig it. I immediately regretted not bringing my packraft, since between the Truckee and Walker Rivers (the Truckee goes right through downtown Reno), I could have hit some really fun rapids. With a rental car, a second driver, and free checked bags on Southwest, it really was a golden opportunity for easy shuttling and great water. Oh well, hiking and running was plenty. Walking around downtown Reno I thought "it's nice now, but it's probably crazy busy with cars on a regular work day," assuming it was Sunday morning. It was actually Thursday morning, so downtown Reno is apparently just not busy, which is fine by me. We also walked around Midtown, ...

I accepted a job in DC starting mid-September. Gf accepted a job starting late June in Williamsburg, VA. Our stuff is in two Uhaul boxes, making its way across the country, where it will sit in storage for a few months. Our lease is up Sunday. That night gf flies to Virginia. George is scheduled to fly to Richmond via Atlanta, but it looks like Atlanta is going to be too hot (>85*), in which case pets can't fly. So maybe I'll drive to SLC to put him on a flight to Dulles, or there's a redeye through Atlanta to Reagan that may be cool enough, or I could drive to LA and get him on a direct flight to Dulles. Do you want to pick him up in DC and watch him until Amy can come get him on a weekend? Somehow I also need to sell my truck. Do you want it? Please buy it . It won't do me any good in DC. Once that is all taken care of, I'm going hiking! I was hoping to fly from Oakland to Missoula, Montana and walk from there into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. I didn't ...

Here are my favorite 30 photos from the superbloom, taken with both phone and camera. Here are 189 photos , mostly everything I took with my phone. And here is George prancing. VID_20170408_185954 from Garret Christensen on Vimeo .

Modoc. I went to Modoc. I don't have any time to tell you about it. Fine. Very briefly, Amy worked there for the Forest Service fifteen years ago, and she loves it. For her birthday and Labor Day weekend we airbnb'd a place across the border in Nevada, practiced the banjo, watched Stranger Things , hiked in the Warner Mountains, and got frustrated with George for ignoring us and chasing rabbits until he decided he was thirsty. If you're in the area, I highly recommend an end-to-end hike of the Summit Trail in the South Warner Wilderness. View from the cabin Just enough clearance Lassen across Lake Almaden

Oakland has only one old growth redwood left, Grandfather, which is in Leona Heights, a small Oakland canyon city park. The tree isn't that big, which is why it survived the saw, plus its location on a steep slope where it would shatter if cut. Gf and I paid the park a visit, and I managed to scramble down the slope to the tree. Here are a few photos, but really, click through to see this photo sphere I made where you can zoom in and see it from all angles. 

Gf was in town after passing quals/orals and advancing to candidacy (Congrats!) so we went to Mendocino County. Gf hoped for early season granite, but it was too early, and the weather was looking bad, so we went north instead. We didn't go far enough to see giant redwoods, just normal size in Jackson State Demonstration Forest. But then we did get very nice coastal views from Mendocino, California Coastal National Monument Point Arena-Stornetta Unit, and Salt Point State Park. Jackson State Forest: Flowers along Fort Bragg coast: Pygmy redwood due to crappy soil in Jughandle Ecological Reserve:   Big River estuary: City of Mendocino:  North coast is totally going for Bernie. A coyete in the California Coastal National Monument: Salt Point State Park: