So, for those of you interested in seeing photographic (albeit low quality) evidence of my trip up Hanson Ridge, you should direct your browser to my flickr account.

I wrote a trail narrative for my nature writing class, and will be posting it in segments both here and at myspace.

Incidentally, for those of you who don't know me, the reedy albino sasquatch perched on the roof of the hut is Gabe, not me.

Tomorrow morning I am heading into southern Humboldt for some "survival camping." This is supposed to be experiential fodder for a nature writing class I'm in right now. It seemed like a good idea in October, but December is looking like a different story. Last weekend, the ridge we're heading for received 5 inches of rain in 48 hours (not unusual in a temperate rain forest*) and the night time temps drop into the 20s - the textbook makings of A+ hypothermia. Ideally, we'll be building debris shelters and gathering food, but it's late in the year and food will be in short supply and the weather will suck. As a contingency, we're taking food and emergency shelter (i.e., a tarp). My trekking partner grew up in an orthodox commune in Sonoma county, flintknaps, and makes his own bows/arrows. He also has Lyme Disease - which has been acting up lately. Whatever happens, we certainly won't die of boredom.

* more temperate rainforest trivia: The tropical rainforest has greater species diversity, but in terms of raw biomass/acre, we Cascadians come out on top. It's tough to compete with 18,600 cubic feet of living wood in a single tree. (more on redwood ecology)

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Hey Johnny,

I know you read LJ occasionally, so maybe you'll run across this. I hope your birthday is good, wherever you are these days. Get a message to somebody and let us know you're ok, even if you don't want to tell anyone where you're at. Take care of yourself, and call me some time.