We arrived in San Francisco and the heat was a real shock to our systems. Canada hadn't been cold, but very little can prepare you for the heat of California. We had intended to stay in the city for a while, but there was some convention going on and hotels couldn't be got for love nor money (well, i dare say that if we'd had 500 bucks to spend on accommodation it would have been possible, but we didn't, so it wasn't). So we decided to change our plans a little and head out into the great plains and then do San Fran on the way back.

Writing about the west of the USA really hasn't been easy. In the east there were hundreds of small things, cities, places, historical markers all put together in a relatively compact space. Out here in the west there are fewer points of interest, but they are huuuge, and they are spread far apart. The sheer size of some of the things we have seen beggars belief -- the biggest mountains, fields, rivers, canyons: everything is vast; so vast that in writing it down I almost don't know where to begin describing it. I guess that because this land was far from the great eastern ports and hubs of commerce and politics it doesn't present a clear historical narrative. There are stories of frontiersmen, indians, territorial battles, but one cannot say the States started here.

The people are different too. There is no sense of urgency here -- we've stayed in villages where the locals don't use cell phones and where 4x4 trucks and jeeps are the only way to get around. It seems that the legends of the Great West die hard in this land.

It is beautiful land, that's for sure. We've seen lakes, deserts, mountains, forests -- all of nature's wonder in one place. It's mesmerizing, breathtaking-- adjectives probably can't do it justice. (Expect a lot of photos!)

Yosemite

We took an old-style cabin out in the woods for this adventure. The Yosemite National Park covers an area of over 1000 square miles and, while it is mostly wilderness, it contains some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth. After all the tumult of the cities, this was quite literally a welcome breath of fresh air.

The park holds some of the largest natural wonders in the world. It's simply beautiful and almost shocking. The massive granite mountains all have their own history and names; there's El Capitan, the Half-Dome and Sentinel Rock. We actually missed out on waterfall season, normally there are a few in the Yosemite Valley at the center of the park, but in the summer it gets too dry for them to run.

It was exactly here in May 1903 that Theodore Roosevelt was struck by the wonder of this place and decided to take all of it under state control so as to better protect it. In 1916 it was one of the first properties to be placed in the care of the newly formed National park Service.

It's not only the mountains which are vast. Yosemite also contains a grove of Giant Sequoias, the largest tree (by volume) in the world. Again... how can I describe these? I can only show the photos.

The one problem with all this enormity surrounding us was the heights. Now, i don't mind being high up so much, but there were a few very scary moments in the car. You see the signposts counting the height for you: 4000, 5000, 6000 feet above sea-level, the roads are quite fast (people, us included, were moving at about 45-60 miles per hour) and you get very, very, skin-crawlingly close to that edge (no more than a foot away at points) and it's a looong way down.

You literally are inches away from certain doom. One slip of the wheel, or you turn your eyes away from the road to turn off Maroon 5 who just came on the radio, and it's a Thelma and Louise ending for everyone in the car. I was scared.

But we got through it all in the end. Nick and I did a bit of hiking, climbed through waterfalls and over rocks, and we discovered some animals. One is a Blue Jay, a bird about the size of a crow and bright blue (understandably), and a new one for us -- a Chickeree! Chickerees are like a cross between a mouse, a squirrel, and a raccoon. They live on the Sequoias and actually help the trees to reproduce because they eat the tops of the pine cones, allowing the tree to drop its seeds. It's a perfect little give-and-take balance from nature which we were very happy to see.

So, my plan was to create a DT Log Book to distribute to a select few people at the reunion.

I don't remember the circumstances, but this plan, along with attending the reunion, was canceled due to an unforeseen financial emergency.

So here I present the introduction to that document after the leap.

Fascinating that in the course of six years, I have transformed from a hopeful, undeterred 20-something to a depressed, cynical bastard of today!

***

The DT Log Discount Publishing Company
“We Make Keys While You Wait”
PRESENTS

DT Log Reunion

Selected Gobbledygook, 1989-2002.

by Dan Touchette

To mark the occasion of the El Capitan High School Class of 1992 Ten Year Reunion.

Now with more or less 35% all new material.

LIMITED “SELL ON E-BAY WHEN DAN GETS FAMOUS” EDITION

Copyright 2002, Dan Touchette

***

Introduction: We’re All Still in High School

I want to present you with some facts that are in dispute and argued almost daily in the back of our minds:

We are all still in high school.

We’ve made tons of mistakes in our adult lives.  How can that be?  We told ourselves we’d be making one hundred thousand dollars a year and flying around in the company jet.  I mean, really, folks… I haven’t really slept with one person my entire life, have I?

There’s got to be an explanation and I am ready to tell you.  We have to be imagining all this.  Time has passed way too quickly for real life.  This is all some sort of semi-lucid dream we are experiencing; we all fell asleep in Mr. Engberg’s American history class during that stupid film where the kid learns how to make windows out of empty wine bottles.

We will soon wake up and start worrying about the SATs.  Did you read your book for Mr. Hanson’s class?  Quick, I’ve got third and fourth period to b.s. a four page term paper!  Maybe I can sneak it in the pile when he’s not looking at the end of class.

And life is as we remembered, seemingly very innocent.  Kurt Cobain is still with us and we are discovering his music.  I am going to stay up late and watch Saturday Night Live so that I can laugh at the brilliant Phil Hartman.  We will walk around the campus at El Cap and not feel insecure—that whole shooting a few miles away at Santana in 2001 was just a very realistic nightmare.  And I want to visit New York City someday.

I was right!  Ah… back in class.  It was just a dream.  I knew that I couldn’t mess up my life as much as I thought I did.  We won’t make those mistakes we imagined.  I must remain motivated and remember that dream.  I am going to get that afternoon job and save some money and get work experience.  I will study harder and join the AP physics class with Mr. Dennison in the morning.  When I get to college, I won’t max out my credit cards on that Sharper Image stereo and buy the entire in-stock catalogue at Goody’s.  I have to tell my high school sweetheart about my love.  When I have kids, I am going to spend every waking moment with them.  I will definitely not slack off of my daily exercise and I won’t eat crap that’s not good for me.   I’m going to be the best adult I can be, and it won’t be difficult…

Mr. Engberg’s droning on.  I’m just staring out the window.  I love the grass and the hedges and the trees in the sunlight.  Such green, so cool, I wish I was out there now.  All of us now we are drifting and very secure.  I am very relaxed, though very bored.  What was I supposed to remember about my dream?  Never mind, the weekend’s coming up and I can relax then.

And just like that, for all of us in that class, our adult lives fade into oblivion.

The boss, the bills, the diapers, everything.  It all dissipates.

And now we’re all back to being punk-ass, spoiled, arrogant teenagers.

And those are our good qualities.

We will make the same mistakes again.

Actually, the truth is none of us is ever destined to lead a charmed, problem-free lifetime.  All faiths and religions broker a theology based on learning.  To achieve and ascend, whatever is our life’s goal, we must learn.

Ten years after graduating from El Capitan High School, we might point to one or two or ten crucial decisions and let ourselves know we should have made better choices.  This is exactly what we are supposed to experience.  We revel in bad thoughts and ill-timed decisions, stumbled, acted grumpy and petulant, and let the id of our consciousness dictate the terms of our personal “bad hair days.”  The more introspective you are, the more regret bothers you about the past.  It is tough to move on and forget, but I hope this first article of the book will give you some comfort about the other side of this tricky magical excursion.

That trophy shelf gets a good dusting and we see the quantifiable results of our life’s work.  We have achievements and accolades.  We finally get that car with the nice paint job that we’ve wanted for years.  With just one more signature, that house is closer to being ours.  We eventually come to realize what it’s like to be truly in love and join that other person in a partnership of life’s journey.  And then that union produces living dividends running around the house.  We get to the top of our profession field and look down from that summit.  We have pride and satisfaction.  We appreciate the little things a little more, being a little wiser.

Not all of this has happened to all of yet, but it will happen.  We see the results and learn.  This is the only way we can approach harmony as human beings.  Given the worldly climate we face today, that’s a lofty goal we can hardly imagine.

To summarize, credit ratings can be repaired.  You’re not locked into your bad career choice for life.  Our neglected children can get more hugs.  We’re not quite as screwed up as our parents are, but we’re getting there.  There is no sensational hi-tech solution to solve the mistakes of our past.  There is just the realization that everybody you know is coming to terms with the same story.

So you see, we are still in school.  I didn’t lie to you.  We will never stop learning.  Please consider this DT Log Reunion Book my attempt at a lesson in history.

Disclaimer: Don’t Deny It! You Were a Punk-Ass

Friends, the volume you hold in your hands is a collection of some of my writings as well as past issues of the DT Log.  There are some controversial subjects and potentially inflammatory and satirical commentary about everybody, including me.  Any remark or derision is meant for humorous and entertainment purposes and is never meant to be mean-spirited or personal.  I just hope you get a kick out of this and don’t get too pissed off at me.

Besides, don’t deny that you were a bitter, selfish and moody punk-ass teen in high school.  We all were.  Hell, some of us still are.  If you feel you might not be able to handle things said by or about you, stop right here, track me down on the dance floor, and give this back to me.

But keep in mind the ego is a horrible thing.  Actors must lose it completely to avoid feeling humiliated with every blown audition.  Writers must swallow their pride to take constructive criticism.  Even the president of the United States needs to repress the urge to blow up a small third-world country after Jay Leno skewers him on “The Tonight Show.”

So this is fair warning.  But I hope you enjoy it.  The Bhuddists believe life is imaginary and preposterous.  The teenagers of the world believe “MTV’s Jackass” is the show to end all shows.  Who do you trust more?

Wildnis, Bären, Schlangen, Berge, Seen und viel Wald - so habe ich mir Yosemite vorgstellt. Am letzten Wochenende sind Sylvia, Gesche, Alex,  Micha und ich hingefahren und wollten gucken, wie es wirklich ist.
Wir sind Freitag sehr spät abends angekommen; erst am folgenden Morgen haben wir wirklich was von unserem Zeltcamp Curry Village gesehen.

Die Zelte stehen zwischen riesigen Nadelbäumen und dahinter ist eine riesige Felswand. Die sah sehr beeindruckend aus und ich dachte erst das wären die berühmten steilen 1000 Meter des El capitan, aber es war 'nur' die Wand vom Galcier Point. Ich stand nach dem Aufstehen erstmal eine minute mit offenen Mund da - ich wusste ja noch nicht was ich noch sehen werde ....

Am Samstag haben wir eine Wanderung zum Vernal Fall und zu den Nevada Fall gemacht.

Es ging erst gemütlich los, aber wurde schnell ziemlich steil. Der Wanderweg ging auf und ab und die Freude war groß, als wir den Vernal Fall zwischen den Bäumen entdeckten. Nach einer kleinen Pause um das letzte mal die Wasserflaschen aufzufüllen, brauchten wir noch einige Zeit bis zum  Vernal Fall. Dort sahen wir Typen im Wasser und schnell war der Entschluß gefasst baden zu gehen. Als ich meinen Zeh ins Wasser hielt durchfuhr es mich ..... brbrbrbrbbrrrrrr war das kalt. Rumjammern gilt nicht, also rein ins Wasser und schnell schwimmen, damit die Muskeln wenigstens etwas Wärme produzieren.

Zwischen den Felsen schwimmen und von den Felsen springen machte riesig Spaß. Gesche und Sylvia haben sich das aus sicherer Entfernung angesehen und sind dann schon zum Nevada Fall vorgelaufen. Weiter führte uns der Trail zur Kante, wo das Wasser über mindestens hundert Meter 'runterschoß in dem wir eben noch gebadet hatten. Auf dem Weg trafen wir Franzosen, die uns erzählten, dass beim nächsten Wasserfall wieder ein Bademöglichkeit wäre mit noch höheren Felsen: *freu* .
Oberhalb des Vernal Fall machten wir erstmal MIttagspause und haben den Squirrels zugeschaut, wie sie um unsere Rucksacke 'rumschlichen und versuchten etwas Essbares zu stiebitzen.

Der Nevada Fall waren für mich noch beeindruckender. Die Wand war noch höher und breiter und obwohl jetzt am Ende des Sommers wahrscheinlich sehr wenige Wasser dort ist, konnte man doch die Wassermassen erahnen die die Wand im Winter und Frühling 'runterklatschen. Der Weg dort hinauf war ziemlich anstrengend. Wir mussten über ein Geröllfeld laufen, wo zwar der Weg markiert war aber es gab dort keine Bäume und die Sonne brannte ....

Oben angekommen entdeckten wir den Emerald Pool im dem es sich herrlich baden läßt. Das Wasser ist auch nicht annähernd so kalt, weil der kleine See so flach ist, dass die Sonne ihn schnell aufwärmen kann.
Wir haben richtig lange dort abgehangen, waren schwimmen, haben den Wasserfall hinuntergeschaut, Fotos gemacht & uns gesonnt. Irgendwann war dann die Zeit gekommen, an der wir den Abstieg antreten mussten um noch einigermaßen im Hellen zurück im Zelt zu sein. Der Weg führte uns an der anderen Seite der Schlucht entlang und wir hatten einen wunderbaren Blick auf den Nevada Fall und den Half Dome.

Abend sind wir ins Bett gefallen und haben so lange geschlafen bis Alex' Handy uns geweckt hat. Das war auch gut so, denn wir wollten ja nicht pennen, sondern was sehen ... .

Wir sind am Sonntag eine Wanderung um Hetch Hetchy machen. Auf dem Weg haben wir am El Capitan angehalten und die steile Wand bewundert. Wenn man da ganz hochguckt gibts ganz schnell Nackenstarre.

Hetch Hetchy ist ein Stausee aus dem das ganze Wasser für San Francisco entnommen wird. Wir wollten reinp******* und wollten eigentlich gucken, wann es dann im Wasserhahn gelb wird - haben wir aber dann doch nicht gemacht ;) Der Staudamm ist sehr beeindruckend, jedoch sah für uns der Weg am Staussee entlang sehr langweilig aus.

Wir haben uns entschlossen zum kleinen Fluss (Tuolumne River) der hinter dem Staudamm weiterfließt zu laufen um dort eine Stelle zum baden zu finden. Die letzten Meter mussten wir durch den Wald und über große Steine klettern. Das Wasser war glasklar aber noch kälter als am Samstag der Vernal Fall. Wir sind noch zu einer anderen Stelle am Fluß gelaufen. Dort habe ich mich dann auch kurz ins Wasser getraut und bin wieder bibbernd 'rausgekommen.

Auf der Rückfahrt haben wir auf einem Parkplatz gehalten, von dem man einen schönen Blick auf den Eingang des Yosemite Valley hat. Die Sonne ging hinter uns unter und tauchte alles in ein orange rotes Licht - Postkartenwetter ;)

Am Montag (ich hatte einen Tag Urlaub) haben wir ausgechecked und sind zum Tioga Pass gefahren. Die Strasse schraubte sich über sehr viele Serpentinen immer höher und höher. Die Bäume wurden weniger und die Berge wechselten von hellgrau über dunkelbraun zu manchmal rotbraun und ocker-Tönen.

Die erste Pause haben wir am Olmsted Point. Von dort hat man einen sher schönen Blick über die Landschaft und sieht im der Ferne den Half Dome. Weiter gings zum Tenaya Lake wo wir wieder eine Badesession eingelegt haben ... . Der See liegt zwischen den Bergen, es geht schön sanft ins Wasser und der Sandboden lässt das Wasser türkis schimmern. (@Sandi: is es in Venezuela auch so schön?).

Um uns herum flogen blau gefiederte Spechte, die sich immer ziemlich lautstark um etwas zu essen stritten. Ich habe versucht ein Foto zu machen.
Die Mädels mussten auf Klo und sind ein paar Kilometer zurückgefahren.

Ich habe noch etwas am See gechilled und dann gings weiter zu den Tuolumne Meadows. Das sind Hochwiesen durch die sich kleine Creeks schlängeln und in denen versprengte Baumgruppe stehen. Im Hintergrund sieht man die Berge die fast kahl sind. Wir sind erstmal weitergefahren und haben am Tioga Pass gestoppt. Hinter dem Pass ändert sich die Landschaft schlagartig. Es gibt gar keine Bäume mehr und man merkt das die Wüste Nevadas nicht mehr weit weg ist.

Wir sind am Tioga Pass umgedreht wieder zurück Richtung San Francisco gefahren. Ich habe in den Tuolumne Meadows Wiesen noch einige Fotos gemacht und die anderen haben ohne zu mosern auf mich gewartet. Thank U all for that.

Inzwischen war es schon spät am Nachmittag geworden und wir haben beschlossen keine Pausen mehr einzulegen und uns zurück nach San Francisco aufzumachen.

Als wir aus den Bergen 'raus waren merkte wir das sofort. Obwohl es schon dunkel war mussten wir die Klimaanlage einschalten, wil es immer noch so warm war.

Yosemite hat mir so super gefallen, ich denke ich werde im November nochmal dahin fahren. Ich hoffe das Wetter ist dann auch noch so gut. Ich habe auf diesem Ausflug sehr viele Bilder gemacht. Die anderen haben auch viel fotografiert und so gibt es sehr viele Bilder auf der pictures - seite.

Bilder vom Samstag: Wanderung zu den Vernal - und Nevada Falls
Bilder vom Sonntag: Wanderung am Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
Bilder vom Montag: Fahrt zum Tioga Pass

El Capitan, California Nose Route VI 5.11 A3 and Salathe Wall VI 5.10 A3

Fondly known as 'El Cap', this huge lump of granite - a 3,000ft (910m) vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park was once considered impossible to climb, but is now the standard for big-wall climbing. "El Cap" has two main faces, the Southwest (on the left when looking directly at the wall) and the Southeast. Between the two faces juts a massive prow. While today there are numerous established routes on both faces, the most popular and historically famous route is The Nose, which follows the massive prow. however, there are more than a dozen routes up the granite face, all of which are lengthy and complicated.

Half Dome Northwest Face VI 5.9 A3 or 5.11

Also in Yosemite National Park this is another imposing lump of granite and is possibly Yosemite's most recognised site. It rises more than 4,737 ft (1,444 m) above the valley floor. You can actually hike to the top of The Dome using a trail and cable route that was erected in 1919, but I imagine you rock climbing enthusiasts out there would consider this a poor sort of way to spend a day. So for the serious rock climbers there are over a dozen rock climbing routes leading from the valley up Half Dome's vertical northwest face. Other routes ascend the south face and the west shoulder. Bear in mind that the Regular north West Face is a 5-day climb!

Tahquitz Rock, California

This massive 1,000ft rock face is sometimes known as Lily Rock. It is located on the high western slope of the San Jacinto mountain range in southern California and is above the mountain town of Idyllwild. It has a steep approach hike (approximately 800ft elevation in a half mile) which makes it both a popular hiking destination and rock climbing area. More than a dozen routes have been established ranging well into the 5.10 territory. It is also where the Yosemite Decimal grading system was developed. It is considered one of the best free climbs in southern California.

Moab, Utah

Considered the Mecca for desert climbing, Moab has a great variety of climbs on the sandstone towers of the Colorado Plateau. It can get crowded, but the wide selection for beginners, moderate climbers, and bouldering is unparalleled. Delicate Arch as seen below is CLOSED to climbers.

Smith Rock, Oregon

The birthplace of modern sport/rock climbing has more than a 1,000 different routes, many of the most challenging on the planet, that have been climbed by some of the best in the sport. They are considered cutting-edge even by today's standards. Its sheer cliffs of tuff and basalt are ideal for rock climbing of all difficulty levels.

Stone Mountain, North Carolina

Stone Mountain has some of the best friction climbing anywhere - a 600ft (183m) granite dome. Although there are some moderate routes, climbing here can be intimidating due to the featureless nature of the rock and the exposure. A rebolting project in the late 90s by the Carolina Climbers Coalition and the state Park Service replaced all the original bolts and established solid rap stations on most routes.

Rocky Mountain National Park offers a lifetime’s worth of spires, snow couloirs, ice smears and ski descents.

Longs Peak

This peak has long been of interest to climbers. The easiest route is not "technical" during the summer season (mid July to early September), and was probably first used by American Indians collecting eagle feathers, but the East Face of the mountain is quite steep, and is topped by a gigantic sheer cliff known as "The Diamond". There is also the popular Keyhole Route which is open all year but is upgraded out-of-season to "technical" as treacherous ice formation and snow fall necessitates the use of specialized climbing equipment including, at a minimum, crampons and an ice axe.

Flatirons, Boulder, Colorado

And then there are the spectacular Flatirons, rising like thousand-foot spikes out of the base of the Rockies, with climbing at grades accessible to almost everyone. Yvon Chouinard called the East Face of the Third Flatiron, 1,300 feet long and rated 5.4, “The finest beginner’s climb in the country.” As a bonus, these amazing formations are within walking distance to the downtown pubs.

In recent years, climbing Devils Tower National Monument has increased in popularity. Today hundreds of climbers scale the sheer rock walls of Devils Tower each summer. These climbers ascend climbing routes on every side, climbing up the various vertical cracks and columns of the rock. The difficulty of these routes vary greatly, ranging from relatively easy to some of the hardest in the world.

Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire 5.6 - 5.11

Because of its easy access and routes of all grades and styles, Cathedral has been deservedly popular for decades. Though new route potential exists, the classic lines receive most of the attention. Routes like Thin Air (5.6), Recompense (5.9), and The Prow (5.11) may see many ascents each weekend. Cathedral has something for everyone as the cliff offers long multi pitch routes, face climbs, splitter cracks, and even a few dubious quality sport routes. From short practice climbs at the North End to the soaring Yosemite-style aid routes of the Central Wall, everyone can be happy at Cathedral Ledge. Some might say that Cathedral Ledge is now a bit out of fashion - but how can a rock which offers something for everyone, and a brilliant climb at that, ever be out of fashion?

Thank you to www.brianpostphoto.com for this picture. I am sure if you get onto his website he will have many more beautiful photographs. I scoured the web for a good photo of Cathedral Ledge, but this was definitely the best...

This shot is a 3 image stitch taken around a hr before sunset.

The promo train for High School Musical 3 is in full effect two months before the movie hits.

A special "Pep Rally" was held at the El Capitian theatre, which had a sing along night of the other HSM movies and a special preview for HSM3.  This is a VERY smart idea as the first two were free on Disney and now the next one will be in theatres. 

This franchise is really on fire and no doubt will have impressive opening numbers and staying power.-Dr.FB

Where does this leave us? The Chiefs will have 18 of 24 players returning. I think I covered our dearly departed, but allow me to name them again in case your forgot; Chris Bruton, David Rutherford and Judd Blackwater. Our wildcards are Justin Falk and Justin McCrae. Falk potentially going by way of the Wild and possibly McCrae joining the Hurricanes. There is a chance for Drayson Bowman to depart as well, but I really think he wants more season to just slaughter in the W before playing with the big Hurricane boys. Kevin Armstrong was traded to the Prince George Cougars and Jace Coyle went to the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Tomorrow the Chiefs will be practicing which I will probably be dropping in on. I will be taking notes. Eying the fellas. It's what I do. Also, the Red and White scrimmage will take place Sunday at one pm at the Arena. It is free, it is hockey. Sign. Me. Up.

Let's do a Get In the Box link roundup;

[] In no fucking shit news; hockey players are aggressive. Link via Jez.
[] And if you haven't gotten friendly with my boys over at He Score He Shoot do ittttt. They put on a classy podcast. That is all kinds of amazing, it has production values. Plus I got Moose to sing Morris Day and the Time.
[] Jared of London has a plan. An epic plan. He wants to get the band together, as it were.
[] Q-girl gives a rundown on the terrifying boys of the Q.
[] Lori over at My Three Favorite things critiques the Alyssa Milano NHL Merch. It's dead on and hysterical. Tim Gunn would approve. Who wants a 60 dollar maternity looking NHL tank top? Not this buttercup.

Ansel Adams fotografer landscape yang karya2nya sungguh hebat itu menyebut Taman Nasional Yosemite sebagai tempat dimana matahari seakan terbit setiap waktu. Keindahan lembah ini bisa kita saksikan melalui karya2 foto hitam putih Ansel Adams yang menjadi rujukan bagaimana seharusnya sebuah foto pemandangan alam di buat. Kunjungan saya yang pertama ke Yosemite di tahun 2000 yang lalu, tempat yang senantiasa mengingatkan keindahan alam Amerika yang dijaga kelestariannya secara serius. Tidak perlu reservasi untuk datang ke tempat ini, kecuali bila anda menginap. Sayangnya banyak beruang hitam yang sering mencari makanan terutama di tempat2 berkemah.

Taman nasional Yosemite terletak di negara bagian California, sebelah Timur San Francisco dan ke Utara dari Los Angeles. Bangsa Indian telah menempati lembah ini sejak 8000 tahun yang lalu dan akhirnya sejak tahun 1864 Yosemite dijadikan salah satu taman Nasional oleh Presiden Abraham Lincoln. Luasnya sekita 3 ribu meter lebih dengan kekayaan flora, fauna, dan pegunungan granit raksasa yang menghiasi lembahnya.

Waktu tempuh dari San Francisco bay area menuju ke Yosemite dengan mengendarai mobil van (kami sewa 75 dolar per hari) selama kurang lebih lima jam (300km). Sepanjang perjalanan kami menikmati alam California di musim panas bulan Agustus dan beberapa perkebunan vineyard kecil. Rute perjalanan sangat mudah dengan memperhatikan peta melalui interstate 205, 120 dan 140 ke arah pegunungan Sierra Nevada hingga sampai di lembah Yosemite. Tiket masuk mobil berikut penumpang seharga 20 dolar belum termasuk log (semacam bungalow) yang harganya bervariasi.

Kembali ke masalah beruang hitam. Binatang ini punya nafsu makan yang agak kelewatan dan sering menghampiri orang2 yang sedang berkemah untuk mencari sisa2 makanan. Kami sudah di wanti2 oleh petugas Park Ranger untuk selalu menutup rapat2 semua makanan. Walau demikian tidak terhitung beruang yang bertamu tanpa diundang dan menyapa para pelancong yang ketakutan didatangi mahluk hitam besar ini.

Tidak cukup waktu sehari untuk menikmati keindahan alam Yosemite karena jarak antar tempatnya yang sangat berjauhan. Atraksi alam yang terkenal adalah El Capitan, sebuah gunung batu granit yang tegak lurus 90 derajat dan sering digunakan untuk panjat tebing. Apabila malam telah tiba dan puncak gunung belum tercapai, para pemanjat nekat ini tidur sambil bergelantungan !. Aktivitas lain adalah hiking, bersepeda, berkuda, memancing, dan teantu saja melihat Mariposa Grove dan Giant Sequoias, pohon raksasa yang entah sudah berapa ribu tahun usianya.

Jadi, bila berkesempatan ke California, pergilah ke Yosemite, dimana keindahannya sukar dilukiskan hanya dengan kata2 di blog ini.

So David very kindly agreed to do an interview with Mindless Ones, as we're all tremendous fans of his disturbing, enthralling and brilliant comics.

That's one way to put it.

Another would be this. Posing as travelling Bible salesmen, we drugged Lapham up to the eyballs, dressed him up like a little girl, and tied him to a chair. Then we set Mr Stairs, our resident knife-wielding monkey to work on that pretty face of his.

After a few hours with Mr Stairs, he was very keen to answer our questions. There's lovely!

21 Questions with DAVID LAPHAM.

Interview conducted by The Beast Must Die!

Part a) 10 Questions about comics

-Is self-publishing a quick way to an early grave?

You really know how to start it off. The long answer is no. The longer answer is that in the last 10 years the market has changed. The fan base has shrunk. From my own experience, it became a situation where takes 100% commitment 100% of the time. Earlier on the fan base was stronger. If you slacked a little you could recover, but when the base attrits—and I don’t mean me, it’s ALL of comics—the margin of error becomes nil. So when things happen in life and you go through a period when work is not your primary responsibility. Then you’re in trouble.

Having said all that, I can also say, there’s nothing better than working for yourself. As my wife says, he may pay like shit, but there’s one person you never have to beg for work, and that’s yourself.

-Young Liars is a much more gonzo comic than Stray Bullets. The last issue (5) in particular was the most fucked thing I've read in ages. What are you aiming for with the series?

Thanks. Like Stray Bullets, Young Liars is my book. It gets all of me. In SB I usually kept the gonzo to the Amy Racecar stories. Here, it’s mixed into the main story. Having that element of surrealism/humor/absurdity is necessary for me. It just comes out of me like that. It’s always grounded though in solid storytelling and it’s not weird for it’s own sake. There is purpose. I guess unless you think the whole purpose is weird or unworthy of your attention. It’s important to me though. And fun.

I’m aiming for the whole thing to be about one particular thing and how complicated and horrible this one particular thing is.

-Your work tends to explore some pretty dark territory. In Stray Bullets for example when you're writing a character like Roy, and that whole sequence with Ginny and Bobby trapped in his house, do you ever worry that it's potentially a little exploitative? Where do you set your limits?

No. I feel I have a good sense of the line I want to hold back from. Believe me my imagination can go further than anything I show, but I pull back to a line that communicates what I want. I don’t mean to say I’m giving less of myself, just that I can pull it back to communicate what I want in the stor y, without the exploitative elements overwhelming the story. It’s not shlock horror. I love that stuff. But it’s not what I’m aiming for here.

For instance in YL #5 you just mentioned there’s a rape and a castration. What did I show? Where did I cut? What would happen if I showed all that in detail? It would not have served the story.

However, I could see playing out something in extended version, I’m not saying I wouldn’t. But as long as it serves your story first and the fetish second, I think your okay.

Keep in mind, too, that this is a dark book. Mature readers etc. So my limits are just my own.

And no, I don’t think there was anything exploitative about the Virginia, Roy, Bobby, and Joey scenes. One of the themes of the book is how transforming and important our childhood years are (years which are generally dismissed), and how we react to and survive them. Again, I thing I go to the point of communication and impact not further.

-How do you work? Do you treat it like a 9-5 job, or create whenever the muse strikes?

The muse either keeps up or the bus leaves without her. This ain’t no hobby. This is a career.

-Obviously you get asked this a lot, but do you still have a drive to finish Stray Bullets? It very much seemed like a comic that had an ending in mind from the outset. Is that the case?

Yes. More and more so. Doing Young Liars, which I love to death, makes me want to return to SB even more.

-You're definitely a creator who seems to enjoy writing female protagonists. Especially crazy, ultra-violent ones. Why so?

There’s a mystery and a strength there that’s appealing. The women I have known seem to have a clear sense of right and wrong and of purpose. They seem to be able to do what is necessary without question, hesitation, or doubt. Actually not doubt...It’s a sense of priority. Say I have tickets to a concert and my child is sick, throwing up, etc. thoughts run through my head, like “Just how sick is she?” “Can’t the babysitter handle it?” Or at the very least, “Aww, man, this sucks.” My wife would just simply know we can’t go and not give it a second thought. That’s powerful.

-You also revel in creating truly fucking terrifying bad guys - what in your eyes makes for a real scary badass?

I think a good killer is a good character, and by that I truly mean CHARACTER. Distinctive. Extreme. And of course capable of horrible things. When you see that killer, even if they seem friendly, you have to know they can fuck things up in an instant. You also have to believe they are good enough to do it. A villain who loses all the time quickly loses his teeth. As a kid I remember watching all those bad 80s cartoons like G.I. Joe and Transformers. I wanted to like them but I really couldn’t stand how the bad guys alway, ALWAYS lost. I used to root for the bad guys. Your badass can’t turn into the underdog. Your heroes have to be the underdogs. Everybody roots for the underdog.

-You need to eat (presumably), so obviously doing mainstream work for the Big Two is occasionally necessary. How do you find work for hire? Do you even enjoy writing superheroes? Are there any you're dying for a crack at?

W4H is fine. Even Young Liars is W4H, although I am the creator and there’s an understanding that within’ a broad range of reason it’s my story. I’ve always had fun, even though sometimes things didn’t work out exactly how I thought they would. Batman I loved writing. I didn’t think I would, but I loved how mythological the DC Heroes a re. Marvel I’ve found tougher. When I did Terror there was a lot of latitude, but Spider Man, there were so many don’ts. I really still liked what we did there a lot, but It was a challenge trying to communicate the things I wanted. The coke and whores were out early on.

No there’s no character I’m particularly dying to do, though I’d take any character as a challenge. I also wouldn’t mind doing Batman again. I’d love for Sienkiewicz and I to be able to take another crack at him.

-Why comics? What drew you to the medium?

Stupidity.

-What other comics/creators do you dig?

I grew up on Miller. Huge fan of strip work. Segar. SEGAR! Caniff. Love Rude and Mazzucchelli. The Hernandez Bros. particularly Gilbert; I think he’s a great mythmaker. Sienkiewicz. Dave Gibbons. Paul Pope. Jay Stephens. Evan Dorkin & Sarah Dyer. Scott McCloud.

Part b) 10 Questions not about comics

-What's the best /worst haircut you've ever had?

When I was a teenager I used to go to a barber who gave everybody triangular/angled sideburns, like you were a character on Star Trek. I was just a dumb kid and didn’t notice, till I met my wife and she...um...pointed it out.

Best haircut. Short. Just fucking short.

-Who's your favourite celebrity Scientologist?

All of them, Dan. Every last beautiful one of them. And I’m not just saying that because I fear an IRS audit.

-What's your favourite Fall record?

Favorite. Real New Fall. U.S. version with the rocket propelled Sparta and the eerier Recovery Kit and the two extra tracks. What a monumental achievement for a band 25 years old. The best, though, I’m hard not to pick Hex Enduction Hour or Perverted by Language. Hex transcends though, one for the time capsule. Greatest post punk album ever made.

-There's a gun to your head. If you don't tell me what your favourite film, book, and album (no comics - everyone knows they're for sissies) of all time I'm going to pull the trigger and end your miserable life.

Favorite again not best. I’ll say Wild Bunch, Breakfast of Champions, Real New Fall, and I’ll throw in comic because it’s a strip E.C. Segar’s Popeye one of the greatest works of any kind anywhere. No other comic even comes close.

-What's your guiltiest pleasure?

Italian food.

-Is nostalgia harmful?

No. Necessary. It can overwhelm if you let it, but to have admiration for the past and to let it come through your own work is necessary to evolve forward. We’re not cavemen reinventing the wheel. Eras of the past have a lot to offer and through the filter of history we can distill the best of that.

-You're in front of a space tribunal. A harsh but enlightened alien race wants you to provide an example of humanity's worth. If not they will obliterate everyone, starting with you. This is your Shatner moment. What you gonna do?

We have the Big Kat. First we had Kit Kats then the good people of the Earth made the Big Kat. If that’s not a step forward I don’t know what is. Also hookers.

-What's the best animal?

Patrick Starfish.

-If you could travel back in time what would you tell Young David Lapham?

Hang in there kid, you’re going to have a girlfriend one day!

-What's your problem?

Dem’s fightin’ words.

Part c) Finally, the Big Question.

'The unexamined life is not worth living' - Plato.

With that in mind whose gonna win - Superman or Wolverine??

It’s funny because, I’ve have spent a lot of time, money, and energy on this subject. First we have to define thet “win” means. Do we mean win, as in, win a fight? Or win as in a broader “life” perspective way. Then we have to define the perspective. For example. Who would have more relations with members of the opposite sex? Clearly Superman with his super speed could win this match up, but it’s highly unlikely he would force himself on that many women, whereas, you know Wolverine’s a dog.

We could also ask who is the greater humanitarian? Again Superman could easily outdo the midget with the claws. However, don’t you get the feeling Sups could be doing more? World hunger and all that? War? Crappy cell phone service? He could solve all of that before breakfast but, nope, he’s stopping bank robbers. Can’t the police do that? Meanwhile Wolverine always seems to be going above and beyond.

So how about that one on one match up. Superman could clearly pick up Wolverine and throw him into the sun. So Superman would win right?

Maybe not.

These two characters exist in entirely different universes. For them to meet in a battle of this sort a lot of contracts would have to be drawn up. Then, of course, Superman, being a big icon and all, would be contractually obligated to win, but Marvel, not wanting to lose one of their fan favorite characters, would, at least, insist on a simple KO and nothing like a weenie roast on the sun! You know this would be decided before they ever got in the ring. Therefore the whole thing would be rigged and thusly thrown out and a determinating factor in this discussion.

So, I guess wolverine takes it.

Nanny nanny poop poops.

Many, many thanks to David for taking time out to answer our stupid questions. If you haven't already, then you must, must, must read Stray Bullets; his brilliant new Vertigo ongoing Young Liars, the gripping noirs Murder Me Dead and Silverfish; plus (if you can find them) the Amy Racecar Colour Specials. They're all worth your time and hard-earned shecks. (He hangs out at Jason Aaron's fine message board with a host of other good writers and artists, if you want to know the cut of his jib) Mr Lapham is an inspiration to anyone who's ever considered self-publishing, one of the best crime comic writers out there, and an absolute gentleman as well.

Plus the facial scarring isn't that bad.

This is a 3 image stitch taken on a clearing morning, when I first set up the clouds covered the top of El Capitan with pretty much no direct sun on the granite, being patient and just enjoying my surroundings I was rewarded after a short time with just a whisper of sunlight hitting the top of El Capitan, it was then time to click off a ton of exposures ;)

Moments before I took these images a deer crossed the river looking for greener pastures, was such a delight to see a wild animal just going about its morning chores.

We talked earlier in the week about the record for climbing El Capitan in the Yosemite National Park being missed out by a couple of minutes - well the two climbers involved, Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama, returned on Wednesday and this time managed to shave a couple of minutes off the record set by the Huber brothers from Germany.

Florine and Yuji Hirayama set a speed record on the Nose, the most famous route on the most famous wall in the world’s rock-climbing Mecca. Their ascent shaved 2 minutes 12 seconds off the previous record set in October by Thomas and Alexander Huber.

And so ended the latest chapter in one of the most singular competitions in the world of sports, one not sanctioned by any official body, with no judges, and whose official time was kept on a stopwatch clipped to Florine’s climbing harness. Nonetheless, their attempt to set a record has set abuzz the world of climbing, and the feat astonishes even seasoned rock climbers, who typically take three days or more to climb the granite monolith.

“Awesome, awesome,” a tired-looking Florine said after he and Hirayama were greeted with the traditional Champagne spraying in a grove of trees at the base of the mountain. “I felt way more exhausted than the two other times,” he said, referring to two attempts at breaking the record in recent days.

To climb so quickly, Florine and Hirayama have to subvert many of the basic practices that most climbers consider essential for safety. Typically, climbers ascend one at a time, with their partner anchored to the rock and always holding the rope in order to catch them in case of a fall.

Instead, Florine and Hirayama climbed simultaneously for most of the route, tied to one end of the same rope. The rope was always clipped through carabiners into equipment stuck in the wall, so a mistake would not necessarily mean a fatal plunge to the bottom of the cliff. But a misstep by one climber could pull the other climber off his stance and send both on long, bone-crushing falls.

Their feat required not only athleticism but also efficient rope- and equipment-handling skills. Every handoff of climbing gear is planned so it can be completed with the precision that runners display when they hand off a baton in a relay race.

Mike Tollefson, the superintendent of Yosemite, said the park’s rangers never had to rescue anyone involved in a speed ascent. “These guys are world-class experts,” he said.

Perhaps more than any other climber, Florine, who lives in the San Francisco area, is associated with speed climbing. He first set a record of a little more than eight hours on the Nose in the early 1990s. Every time the record has been broken since, he quickly reclaimed it. His prior record, 2:48, was set with Hirayama, a top climber from Japan, in 2002. It held until October, when the Huber brothers broke it.

Many congratulations guys and a big shout of respect for this extreme effort - awesome.

I would also like to thank Miguel Helft of the New York Times for brining this story to us.

Florine and Hirayama at the baso of El Capitan before setting the new record.

	Paul Hara The climbers Hans Florine, left, and Yuji Hirayama set a speed record on Wednesday.

TO THE LIMIT is a visually breathtaking essay about daredevils hooked on the thrill of speed rock-climbing. World-class mountain climbers Thomas and Alexander Huber share an extraordinary depth of trust that has been forged by shared experiences scaling heights for as long as the brothers can remember. TO THE LIMIT captures their challenges in Patagonia and California, focusing on their attempt at breaking the speed record for climbing “The Nose” of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. The 3,000-foot ascent takes most mortals three days to complete; these guys aim to scamper up in 2 1⁄2 hours. The camera crew delivers epic landscapes and extreme sport climbing action, propelled by rock-solid determination and the exhilaration of reaching for a dream, overcoming fear and performing at the limit.

Well, today the news is that their record has been beaten! According to NPR, "Hans Florine, 44, and his climbing partner, Yuji Hirayama, 39, beat the record by a nail-biting two minutes."

I haven't seen TO THE LIMIT, but from the description it sounds like the film is more about what drives people to speed climb, rather than the competition for the record itself. Perhaps we'll be seeing a new documentary soon about this new chapter in the sport. Could be some compelling stuff.

Here's the complete story from NPR:

Climbers Reclaim World Record on El Capitan

Listen Now [4 min 20 sec] add to playlist

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John McChesney/NPR

El Capitan is the largest monolith of granite in the world and a favorite of rock climbers.

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John McChesney/NPR

The American-Japanese climbing duo of Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama climbed the nose of El Capitan on Wednesday, with Hirayama leading.

Morning Edition, July 3, 2008 · Two men hauled themselves up to the nose of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in 2 hours and 43 minutes Wednesday, setting a world record for the granite giant in California that is an icon of world rock climbing.

Hans Florine, 44, and his climbing partner, Yuji Hirayama, 39, beat the record by a nail-biting two minutes.

People once thought it was impossible to scale the sheer cliff face, which rises more than 3,000 feet. Fifty years ago, Warren Harding set out to climb El Capitan. It took him 47 days of repeated assaults, but he finally made it.

Florine has now climbed El Capitan 68 times. He and Hirayama owned the record at 2 hours and 48 minutes, which they set in 2002.

Then two German brothers, Thomas and Alexander Huber, showed up and broke it in October. Their time: 2 hours and 45 minutes.

That prompted Florine and Hirayama to set about reclaiming their rightful place at the top, as it were.

On June 27, they climbed what's called the nose route — straight up the middle — but missed their goal by 43 minutes.

"I think we could have gone faster," Florine told the San Francisco Chronicle at the time. "I haven't been getting as much rest as I would have liked. I think I need to come up early next time and get more sleep."

They set out again on Sunday and missed by 2 1/2 minutes. Still, the American-Japanese climbing duo decided to try it again. If their latest attempt hadn't succeeded, the men said, they would have returned in September for another go at reclaiming the record.

Compiled from NPR and San Francisco Chronicle reports.

'The climb straight up the Nose of El Capitan in the Yosemite National Park ended Sunday in dramatic fashion with Lafayette climber Hans Florine scrambling on his hands and feet, exhausted, his gear hanging off of him, as he desperately pushed to beat the world's record. He came close, but missed by 2 1/2 minutes. Florine and his climbing partner, Yuji Hirayama, made the ascent up the 2,900-foot wall in 2 hours, 47 minutes and 30 seconds, the second-fastest time ever.

"I'm disappointed," said Florine, 44. "I wanted it. I wanted the pressure to be off. ... But I think we showed everybody today that we can break it."

Florine, a former All America pole vaulter who grew up in Moraga, and Hirayama, 39, of Hidaka, Japan, plan to go for it again Wednesday. If they fail again, the record will be safe until September, when Hirayama plans to return for an all-out assault, complete with television crew.

The duo is trying to take back the record on the world famous Nose route from German brothers Thomas and Alexander Huber, who raced up the cliff face in a death-defying two hours and 45 minutes in October, smashing Florine and Hirayama's previous record by three minutes.

"We can cut 15 to 20 minutes if we can take these next two days to recover physically and if we do better technically," said Hirayama, after a confidence-boosting dip in the Merced River. "But that is a big hope. You have to have big goals, big hope, you know."

Florine has been competing for 17 years with other climbers for the fastest time on the Nose, the most prominent and popular climbing route on El Capitan, but the quest for the record has become increasingly difficult and risky.

The Hubers, known as two of the strongest, most technically skilled and daring climbers in the world, accomplished the task after months of practice over two years. Two years ago, they had to suspend operations after Thomas Huber was seriously injured in a fall.

The competition for bragging rights became a spectator sport Sunday, as crowds with binoculars and telescopes gathered in the meadow, among the trees and along the road below the giant cliff. Climbers on El Capitan look like slow-moving ants in a sea of granite, and movement is usually hard to detect. Hirayama, one of the world's best free climbers, always leads while Florine, the consummate strategist, belays and simultaneously climbs behind him, an extremely difficult and usually dangerous maneuver. In this scenario, a fall by Florine could be disastrous, as it would pull Hirayama off the wall. It is the ultimate team sport, in which the participants' lives literally depend on each another.

"We are quite good working together," Hirayama said. "I really need Hans. If he wasn't there, I wouldn't go."

The crowd in the valley whooped and hollered after the duo completed the hardest sections of the 32 pitches, or rope lengths, including a maneuver known as the "King Swing," in which climbers propel themselves 80 to 90 feet in the air more than a thousand feet off the ground. As they neared the top, it became clear to those gathered in the valley, including Florine's wife, Jacqueline, and two children, Marianna, 7, and Pierce, 5, that it was going to be close. Climbers watching below were biting their nails, pacing about, yelling "go, go" as the two men reached the dreaded, difficult patch of granite known as the Glowering Spot.

"He's at the belay," one man yelled as Florine finished climbing a tiny crack in the wall. "It took eight minutes to do that pitch. I think they can do it."

One could see them stepping it up, struggling to go faster near the top, but it was not to be. It was already too late by the time Florine made his scramble to the tree.

"I had a lot of little rope catches today," Florine said later after he had hiked down to the valley to be with his family. "But a personal best is always a good thing. The yells from the crowd were fantastic."

Speed competitions like this one are controversial in the insular world of rock climbing. Purists have criticized Florine's competitiveness, forgetting that record setting has been almost an obsession, especially on the Nose of El Capitan ever since it was first climbed by Warren Harding, Wayne Merry and George Whitmore half a century ago.

The Hubers' quest for the speed record inspired a movie, "To the Limit," which depicts the brothers as transcendent climbers. Their competitiveness - which has driven them to subject themselves to ever more extreme dangers - is presented as a kind of spiritual journey toward a higher plane.

Realists simply call it reckless. After all, 13 climbers have been killed in nine separate accidents on the Nose since 1973 when Michael Blake, 19, of Santa Monica lost his grip on the rock and plummeted 2,800 feet to the ground after a bolt, a tie off and his rope failed. That's just on the one route. Twenty-four people have died on El Capitan - elevation 7,569 feet - since 1905.

But the record for the fastest time is there, so Florine and Hirayama intend to grab it.'

Sure sounds kind of scary to me but good luck for Wednesday guys, I hope all goes well and you come back safely. I've included this excellent YouTube video from firstrunfeaturesnyc of the Huber brothers on El Capitan. This story has now been made into a major feature film by Pepe Danquart, called 'To the Limit' - it opened in NYC on June 6th.

Jackson & his daddy In Front of the El Capitan

Bubbles on Hollywood Blvd.

Posing by the poster

                                  Having dinner at the Disney Soda Fountain, next door to the theater (Yes, that's a Mickey Mouse grilled cheese)

Sharing a milkshake with Mommy

All ears

Jackson giving a coin to the "Golden Robot"

Before it all started, there was an organ player (notice the cool red shoes)

A view of the theater

Confetti...

and curtains!

The climb straight up the Nose of El Capitan ended Sunday in dramatic fashion with Lafayette climber Hans Florine scrambling on his hands and feet, exhausted, his gear hanging off of him, as he desperately pushed to beat the world's record.

He came close, but missed by 2 1/2 minutes.

Florine and his climbing partner, Yuji Hirayama, made the ascent up the 2,900-foot wall in 2 hours, 47 minutes and 30 seconds, the second-fastest time ever. "I'm disappointed," said Florine, 44. "I wanted it. I wanted the pressure to be off. ... But I think we showed everybody today that we can break it."

Florine, a former All America pole vaulter who grew up in Moraga, and Hirayama, 39, of Hidaka, Japan, plan to go for it again Wednesday. If they fail again, the record will be safe until September, when Hirayama plans to return for an all-out assault, complete with television crew.

The duo is trying to take back the record on the world famous Nose route from German brothers Thomas and Alexander Huber, who raced up the cliff face in a death-defying two hours and 45 minutes in October, smashing Florine and Hirayama's previous record by three minutes....

...The competition for bragging rights became a spectator sport Sunday, as crowds with binoculars and telescopes gathered in the meadow, among the trees and along the road below the giant cliff.

Climbers on El Capitan look like slow-moving ants in a sea of granite, and movement is usually hard to detect. Hirayama, one of the world's best free climbers, always leads while Florine, the consummate strategist, belays and simultaneously climbs behind him, an extremely difficult and usually dangerous maneuver.

It was a great experience and I had a lot of fun. Everyone should check out Wall-E!

PS: The short film Presto that comes before the feature, is brilliant! So keep an eye out for that too.

I <3 Pixar.

Basically what is going on is that our friendly little robot from Pixar's newest film, Wall-E, is all around town. Somehow he manages to be everywhere that I am...

Well the last time that I saw him, I asked if I could take a picture with him and he said yes. So here it is...

Eve also happened to be there so I took a picture with her as well.

They're both very nice. But the best part was driving by a bp Gas Station and seeing this...

Yes. It is a giant Wall-E. He grew!!! So you understand that I just had to stop and take a picture with him.

While there I also found these plantable cards.

Did I say plantable? Yes... I did. You can bury these cards in the dirt and something will grow from them. Please note that they will grow with water and proper care, they aren't miracle plants! I found these to be the most intriguing about my Wall-E/bp adventure.

Well, as a a true Pixar lover, I will be watching Wall-E at midnight this coming Thursday at midnight and I will be watching it at the El Capitan theatre. It will be a most exciting night. :)

For better pictures of Wall-E, visit my flickr account.

Yager is the driving force behind a nonprofit organization pushing to build a permanent museum celebrating Yosemite Valley's integral role in the sport's development.

Climbing may have been born in the French Alps, but Yosemite is where it came of age. To ascend the Valley's sheer granite walls, some of which rise more than 3,000 feet, tenacious young American climbers in the 1950s and '60s developed tools and techniques that were later exported to mountain ranges throughout the world.

And they did it with an environmental sensibility passed down from John Muir -- whose 1869 un-roped ascent of Cathedral Peak, a weathered, sculpted horn above Tuolumne Meadows, kicked off Yosemite's climbing era -- to big-wall pioneer Royal Robbins, who often risked his own safety to avoid defacing the rock.

Until recently, however, no enduring record existed of this rich history. And park visitors who stood by the dozens in El Capitan Meadow craning their necks toward the sky and watching tiny dots inch their way upward had little or no appreciation for what they were seeing.

That's when Yager entered the picture. An accomplished climber who has scaled El Capitan more than 50 times, Yager and buddy Mike Corbett in 1991 came up with the idea to start collecting climbing artifacts that otherwise would've been lost to the dustbin of history.

Yager's collection now totals nearly 10,000 items, about 3,000 of which have been catalogued. The most important pieces, along with some owned by the National Park Service, are on display at the Yosemite Museum. The 1,800-square foot exhibit, titled "Granite Frontiers: A Century of Yosemite Climbing," is open daily through Oct. 27.

In one display case lies a metal spike that Scottish carpenter George Anderson used to nail his way up Half Dome in 1875, just five years after California's top geologist proclaimed the summit "never will be trodden by human foot."

Another contains two large pitons built from the legs of a cast-iron stove and used to protect 2-inch-wide cracks during the 1958 first ascent of El Capitan's Nose route. Known in climbing circles as the Stoveleg pitons, Yager called them "the most famous pitons in the world. I know of one other one, and I'll probably get that one, too."

There is a 1933 roster of the Sierra Club's Rock Climbing Section, the group that introduced roped climbing to Yosemite. There is the postage-stamped piton called a RURP that somehow held Robbins' weight during a fall on his 10-day solo climb of El Capitan's Muir Wall in 1968. There are the climbing shoes worn by Lynn Hill in 1993 when she became the first person to free climb (when only hands, feet and other body parts are used for upward progress) the Nose.

The exhibit also includes video presentations, both historical and modern, and photographic displays. An interactive granite wall allows visitors to wedge wired nuts and camming devices into cracks of varying widths, just like a real climber.

Yager's efforts are applauded by Yosemite's climbing pioneers, some of whom believe the park service has long regarded their sport as little more than a nuisance. In 2003, Yager founded the nonprofit Yosemite Climbing Association with the goal of establishing a permanent museum in the Valley. Although early proposals "weren't very well received" by the park service, Yager said that the initial resistance has started to thaw.

When park officials began drafting a master plan for the Valley, Yager urged climbers to write letters supporting a climbing museum in the final draft. He said more than 1,000 did. The campaign, along with efforts from climbing groups, helped convince the park service that a museum should be included in the park's future. However, all Valley construction has been halted by ongoing litigation, and the future of the museum remains in limbo.

"The lawsuit kind of put everything on hold," Yager said.

Yager won't rest until that happens. The married father of three earns his living as a quality-control inspector for a general contractor and does not draw a salary from his work with the YCA, which also organizes an annual trash cleanup effort every September called the Yosemite Facelift.

"I just want to see the museum get done," said Yager, who works the equivalent of two full-time jobs. "Then I can relax."

TOMAS OVALLE / THE FRESNO BEE

Old climbing tools such as two hammers (back) and two carabiners with assorted pitons forged by John Salathé circa 1940 are on display at the climbing exhibit: "Granite Frontiers: A Century of Yosemite Climbing."

5 image stitch taken at 70mm - Canon 5D - 24-70 Lens

out crazy moonlit dinner!

Yes, but the dude who played Prince Caspian, reminded me of the Aerosmith song "Dude looks like a lady".. :-)

Having said that, I do not know if Narnia-2 (right?) was better than the first part or not. Mostly, because I do not have the faintest memory of what happened in that flick....Seems like ages since I'd watched that.

So, more than the movie itself, the events preceding it were quite exciting. We finished the Kodak Theatre guided tour (30 minutes) and then took the LA city bus tour, which started getting sucky after about the first 30-40 minutes, because, (a) bad sunlight/cloudy weather... (b) the top level on the bus had these huge window openings and it was getting pretty chilly as the bus drove by the streets of downtown LA ..and (c) because of (a) I couldn't get even reasonably good pictures, so I went crazy and was clicking away randomly like a zombie.

Finally, we completed the tour and went and ate a half-quizno each. After that we went to check out the showtime for the Narnia movie playing right opposite at the El Capitan Theatre. The theatre in itself was pretty cool, whatwith the look of an actual theatre and not a cinema-theatre. So we got tickets to the seats which were in the 'orchestra' row or something like that. Tickets came with a medium sized bucket of popcorn and a soda bottle - you could pick up the soda of your choice....picked all this up and went in...found our seats, and rested our rumps. During all this, there was this black-tuxed-hair-gelled-dude playing a weird looking 'organ' and belting out tunes which sounded vaguely similar to the ones composed by Scott Bradley. By this time however, looking at the baroque interior and the organ and everything in general about the ambience, I decided that I had fallen prey to probably one of the biggest KLPDs that Murphy has ever pulled on me so far - I though we were going to watch the Narnia - Prince Caspian - PLAY!!!!! ***shudder*** Silently admonishing myself, I told my friend about my suspicion and guess what, she freaked out too! However, a minute later, she was alright about it and made peace with it and said this could be the coolest play ever and all that crap!! my soul silently wept... And then, there were regular movie (a.ka. motion picture) trailers, and I was finally relieved that it was actually going to be the movie and not the freakin play! But no! Murphy is not an easy master! The bastard pulled one last trick - a pretty fantastic one at that - There was an even gay-er looking dude wearing those princely tight-scrotum-crushing-pants and ran out from behind the transparent screen in front of us, on the stage. What appeared to be a rocky pillar on top suddenly made a full 360, and the word NARNIA was engraved out of the rocky... pillar thing.

And then, FINALLY (Thank GOD!) the movie began!

and yes, the movie was alright. :-)

P.S. 1: If you do not know what KLPD is, please do not ask me to explain it to you. Ask your friends. :-P

After a couple of nights of drunken debauchery on Newport Avenue, Sickboy, Sevrin, and the crew often head out to experience "hidden San Diego" bright and early on Sunday morning. The Hangover Hikes are a healthy and detoxifying change of pace. Sickboy will return to Newport with more drunken antics and sentimental psychobabble, but for now just enjoy the scenery .

----------------------------------- EL CAPITAN -----------------------------------

Sickboy and Sevrin didn't know what they were getting into on this one. Straight up, straight down, straight up, straight down. Switchbacks? Ha! Good Luck. Prepare for pain and lots of dust, and bring plenty of water. Sevrin nearly busted both his sticks on the way back down. "El Cap" is a challenge, but there is a killer view from the top. And if anyone knows the story behind the funky contraption made with PVC pipes and mirrors that sits out on the rocks at the top, please drop me a line to let me know. That thing was perplexing.

Think I'm exaggerating about how tough this hike can be? Check out this quote from Neal Watkins on nealwatkins.net:

Thought this was going to be an easy one. I found out they were not kidding when they mention this is the most strenuous hike in San Diego county. Incredible view - a hike well worth the effort. I actually was totaly unprepared for this hike and would have turned back if some fellow hikers didn't offer me some food, allowing me to summon up the strength to finish.

*** Click here to read more about the rigors of hiking 'El Cap' in this article from the San Diego Reader ***