T.M. Schultze...and his blog.

Chase Sucks

2009-11-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

I would like to let all of you know why Chase sucks.

This could be, I suppose, emblematic of just the Santee branch. But I am blaming the entire company.

First problem, is that my ATM card was swallowed up by their ATM machine. I put the card in, processed the transaction, and the card never came out. Very nice. To top it off, it was on Thanksgiving day so I couldn't get any money that day.

I go in first thing today at 9 AM. The line is extremely long. As per usual bank policy, about 8 employees are walking around with only 2 helping people in line. I think this was why ATMs got invented in the first place, so you didn't have to stand in line watching employees not help you.

I tell the lady what happened, only, she informed me I couldn't get my card until 3 PM. They wouldn't have anybody available to open it to retrieve my card until then. I was flabbergasted and frustrated.

Then, at 12:45 PM (not 3 PM), I get a call from the bank letting me know they had my card. My reply was something like "Duh, no kidding," (full disclosure: I used less charitable language but we will censor that) and said I would come right down.

15 minutes later, I am back in line and seriously, I think Wal-Mart had shorter lines today (Black Friday) than the stupid bank. More people standing around doing nothing. I get to the girl finally and explain I was just called and they had my card. She then goes to a set of file cabinets, looks around confused, doesn't find anything, then comes back to say that they don't have my card. A flurry of less charitable language from me here, and then she, get this, decides to ask her co-workers if they had the card (for people with real jobs, this would be step # 1). She asks the woman next to her, who then asks, "Do you know who called you?" I said no, that is ridiculous, I was just called 15 minutes earlier and I already deleted the voicemail. She asks my name, and as if this was some joke on me, she reports to me that she herself has my card. Yes, the one who asked who called. Aargh!

My card has a huge cut down the middle and it is obvious I need to replace it. I suppose for debit point of sale purchases I can use it since the magnetic reader is okay, but I want a card that doesn't have a huge cut on it.

You would think this would be an easy request. Except, this is a Chase bank. So this is apparently as tough as hacking into Obama's NSA Blackberry. I was told that they couldn't reorder me a new card because some guy is on break. They thought he'd be back soon. At this point I was sure this was a big joke. I said, accurately, that this was ridiculous, and I was told I could order over the phone or online but I would get a different PIN (not from a human apparently). Like I care! I just want a new card!

I couldn't take anymore. I told them I would just go bank somewhere else. And they told me, "Thanks, have a great day."

Chase, you suck!

Upcoming Trip

2009-05-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

I will be talking more about it as the trip gets closer, but I am planning to see the following:

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, New Mexico
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Arizona

I will be gone for a week. I am very much looking forward to the trip.

The Canyon Is Alive

2009-01-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

One of the places I am anticipating on this trip coming up is the Toroweap Viewpoint at Grand Canyon National Park. It is located on the North Rim, which is closed in the winter. It is a 60 miles dirt and high clearance road to get in. Without a doubt, one of the more remote areas you will find.

It is also one of the more complete views of the Grand Canyon. Along the South Rim, it can be challenging to see the river in places but that is not a problem at Toroweap where you are almost exactly 3,000 feet above the mighty Colorado.

The plan, as long as the road cooperates and the weather is nice to us, is to shoot the sunrise on Saturday morning. I can guarantee you the golden glow of the sunrise will be 5 of the most meaninguful moments I have spent in the outdoors.

Onward, the adventure awaits.

TM

Another Trip In The Works

2009-01-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

I leave Thursday night/Friday morning for a new trip to Utah and Arizona. The weather seems likely to play a role in what gets done, but I am hoping to get a lot more shooting done with my new camera.

Some of the spots include:

Toroweap: Located at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon which is closed in the winter. It is a 60 mile dirt high clearance road to get in. If it rains Friday, this won't be happening.

Horseshoe Bend: One of the most famous photography spots on the Colorado River. Let's pray Curt lends me his 12/24 lens! I shot this before with a point-and-shoot and both sides of the river were cut off.

Paria Rimrocks: Been there before. Crazy hoodoo formations. Sometimes called Toadstools.

Wahweap Hoodoos: Neat white hoodoo formations. Never been here.

The Wave: The highlight of the trip. Tough permit to get, thanks to my friend Jeremy, we will be there Monday. Some of the neatest looking geology in the world. Imagine a huge wave breaking over the ocean, only, it is actually Utah slickrock. These pictures will be a huge hit.

Now that the best laid plans are in place, I can't wait for everything to go wrong. But sometimes it is best to be there and enjoy the moment. I can't wait to show everyone what we find as we discover yet another beautiful area of the most beautiful area of the world.

TM

Cowles Mountain

2009-01-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months, I have been cutting time off my hike up to Cowles Mountain. I take the Mesa Road trail to the peak, which would be considered the "back side" to most people. I like it because it is steep, strenuous, and the longest advance to the mountain.

Today I cut 4 more minutes off my best time. I am now down to 57 minutes to the top. I can't begin to describe how good it feels, how much more energy I have, and how motivated I am to keep working on it.

I even see room for improvement, and I think eventually I can cut a few more minutes off the hike.

I also got my roundtrip under 100 minutes, 99 total, but I had to run the last stretch to make it. I have tended to take it easy coming down after hiking so hard up to the top.

Another new feeling...the satisfaction that I actually pass people to the top. I used to be the one who would get passed.

I can only wonder why I had not worked this hard in the past. But, here I am, and I know how I feel now, and I want to keep it going.

TM

Technology Sucks...

2009-01-17T23:14:00.001-08:00

Tonight I was having trouble with my computer and all my USB devices weren't connecting (Insert Windows Vista joke here). I have several external hard drives in my desk and I looked to find one of them was off.

So I turned it on. I looked at the drive and it was empty. I completely paniced. I had literally about 12 years worth of data, including all my BSA files that I couldn't find. The shortcut to them wasn't working.

I do have jungledisk for backup, only I never remember to back up, so I could only think about the last few months worth of data I would lose forever. This was bad, like cats and dogs sleeping together. What is this world coming to?

So I restarted my computer and the drive was still empty. All of that stuff lost forever.

Then I noticed another drive was turned off. I turned it on. There was all my data.

Technology would be so easy if it weren't for them users (me).

TM

More Target Fun

2009-01-16T21:05:00.000-08:00

Target is always fun. I never I could top the time when I accidentally took somebody else's shopping cart and then had to go back and steal mine back to get the things I bought, but this one might do it.

The line was really long and I was just standing there waiting when a woman came up and put her her hand on my arm. Which was odd...but then she put her other arm around me, put her head on my shoulder, and then squeezed tight. I must admit, wasn't really complaining here, but she was a complete stranger.

So, I gave her about 5 seconds, then quietly said, "Wrong person?" Well, her head looked up and she got the surprise of her life. Her husband was the shopping cart in front of me. He didn't look too thrilled. She was embarassed beyond belief, and I probably made it worse because I couldn't control my laughter. Finally after about a minute, she just abandoned her husband completely and left the store.

I am still laughing. Hey, it was fun.

TM

The End Is The Beginning

2009-01-01T19:07:00.001-08:00

So much for 2008.

Resolutions are cliche. I have goals in mind.

Everything I do, I want to improve. A vague answer to so many questions.

All in all, I hope that 2009 is everything that 2008 wasn't, and that 2009 is nothing like the reality of 2008.

Onward.

TM

The Mountain Calls My Name

2008-08-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

I am back in my hometown staying at my friend Jeremy's place. Gene arrives at 5:30 AM and we are heading immediately for the Eastern Sierras. The hope is that we can obtain a walk-in permit for Monday morning so we can get an early start on Mt. Whitney.

I am a nervous wreck but I am ready to give it my best effort. The mountain is calling. This will be an interesting journey, a potential huge accomplishment, a possible failure, and a test of my will, strength, and resolve.

So, with that all of that being said, I will write more when I am able. Wish me luck.

TM

Anticipation

2008-08-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

In order to achieve success, you have to leave open the possibility of failure. So as I write this passage, I am vulnerable. The trip up Mt. Whitney is only 10 days away. This has been my most inactive weekend in a month.

Yet tomorrow I endeavor to break my personal best climbing Cowles Mountain and coming back down to my starting point. Setting a record on such a small mountain is less important than what it represents. Perhaps a reprise from the shin splints that have continually dented my confidence and held back my training.

Whether I break the record is immaterial compared to how I feel doing it. Whitney for me won't be a race, but a matter of mental and physical strength, in that order.

While I won't have too much weight on my back tomorrow, I am considering loading up my backpack for a couple hikes up the hill this week. Some have advised me to rest, but I feel I need more endurance.

So, early in the morning, I will be heel-toe walking to the top. I hope to report a successful ascent, with few breaks and a lot of confidence.

Mt. San Gorgonio

2008-08-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

I spent this weekend punishing myself. Saturday was one of the most physically challenging days of my life, and certainly the toughest in the last 11 years. In that time, I have lost my skinny shape and replaced it with a considerably rounder one.

I went with Gene and Jeremy, once again. We hit the trail relatively early, though we all wanted to have started even earlier. The plan was to backpack up to Halfway Camp, set up there, and day hike to the summit.

The trail we were taking, Vivian Creek, is well-known as one of the most strenous trails in Southern California. I have yet to find a person who disagrees. I was concerned for many reasons; my overall physical shape, my shin splints, and my lack of recent training with full backpacking gear. My last two trips with a backpack, to Dry Lake (other side of the mountain) and Coyote Canyon in Anza Borrego, made me feel that I needed more time before taking on such a considerable challenge.

The first 1.2 miles up to Vivian Creek ascends approximately 1,100 feet, an absolutely brutal climb. Going slow, I made progress and my legs felt fine. Only fatigue was setting me back, a welcome development. I made it to the creek only about 5 minutes after Jeremy.

The next set of mileage to Halfway camp (mileage uncertain due to several maps with several mileage numbers) was a steady climb but I was starting to finally feel fatigue catching up to me. It was just in a nick of time that the trail crossed back over Vivian, the sign that you were entering Halfway camp. The total climb in backpacking gear was about 2,100 feet and thinking about Whitney's climb from the Portal to Trail Camp (3,900 feet) made me wonder if that was going to be feasible.

Jeremy and Gene set up their tent (I was going to sleep on the ground) and we put up our bear bags. We all had camelbacks and after an early lunch we headed out to conquer the summit of San Gorgonio. We still had nearly 3,500 vertical feet to go. I pointed out Dobbs Peak towering above us and noted that we would need to go 1,000 feet higher than that mountain. The comment wasn't greeted with enthusiam.

As far as actual distance, High Creek is not too far from Halway Camp, but the trail zig zags the mountain it sits near until reaching an altitude of 9,300 feet. This wasn't too bad of a hike except the last very steep portion. At this point, I wasn't falling too far behing Gene and Jeremy. Still, I had been here before and knew just how tough the next section would be.

A big change from High Creek to the ridge that I noticed was that the switchbacks were vastly lengthened. This made for a moderate climb instead of the very steep climb I remembered as a kid. As a consquence, the trail was much longer. I was starting to tire though, and fell back of Gene and Jeremy. They were only 100 feet above me on the trail, but that meant they were a quarter mile or more ahead of me. I finally reached them on the ridgetop which is a well-known spot for San Gorgonio hikers because it is at roughly 10,000 feet. This is also the first spot that you get a good look at the summit, still 1,500 feet above you. It is a very intimidating sight.

Jeremy and Gene continued but at this point they were gone and I felt like I had hit a wall. I don't know if it was natural physical conditioning, or altitude, or something else, but every footstep left me fatigued and weak. Doubts began to creep into my mind. The Red Ridge is an orange/red colored spot that is another landmark, and I could see the last creep of the trail to the summit junction. And it was absolutely brutal, straight up, clearly delineated being above the tree line, no rest in sight.

I felt that I could only walk 50 feet at a time. I sat on virtually every boulder along the trail. I keep looking back at Mt. San Jacinto, where I stood 7 days before, gauging my progress with its 10,800 girth. The front peak ahead of San Gorgonio was about 10,900 and I stared and stared. Was I above it, even with it, below it? The guessing fatigued my mind as much as my body.

I kept thinking about quitting. The easy way out. The way I would choose when I was young. I encountered a group of gentlemen descending from the summit. They could see the exhausting in my eyes. It was obvious. They told me I was close and that I could do it. One pointed to the pile of rocks and said I was right there; I told him I had been staring at it for hours. They pointed out the summit junction, I was closer than I thought.

I gave it a try. Reaching the junction was such a release for me. I knew I was over 11,200 feet at this point. I had just about made it. I could see over Jepson Peak which I knew was 11,205. I made it to the foothill of the rock pile to find Jeremy and Gene there. Truth be told, they had been there for quite some time, but this time I don't think they were as surprised to see me. As I said, "I may be super slow, but I don't quit." It was a proud moment to make it. The climb was 5,500 feet in a single day, equivalent to starting at sea level and making it higher than the City of Denver.

The hike back down to Halfway Camp proved to be tough too. My back was hurting me at this point and my legs had given all they could. We had over 5 miles to go and the sun was beginning to set. I had to stop occassionally, a rare thing for hiking downhill. Jeremy and Gene were running out of water and only made it due to some good campers who offered to filter water for them at High Creek. You encounter some great people in the mountains.

I was still rounding the hill from High Creek to Halfway when it got really dark. I had to hike in total darkness for the last 20 minutes to Halfway. It didn't bother me, my eyes adjusted well, but it was a welcome sight to see a flashlight inside a tent near one of the top campsites.

I ate a little, mainly fruit, while Jeremy and Gene cooked a meal on their stove. They used a different brand that they didn't like. I set up my sleeping area, which only took a couple minutes, and I slept. Like at home, I tossed and turned a lot. I slept in fits. I never was completely comfortable and the mosquitos were irritating. I may have to buy one of those nets for sleeping next time I go to REI. They look lame but its not a bad price to pay.

The campers next to us in the morning were a little annoying, making too much noise, but I was ready to get up anyway. We were greeted with a fun surprise, a bear in camp standing very close to our bear bag. I was impressed with everybody at camp who enjoyed watching the guy, but also confidently leaving him alone. He was a big guy, and didn't appear to have missed a meal. Clearly, our goodies in the trees attracted his attention, and I don't blame him. When you do the right thing, like hanging your bear bags properly, you can enjoy the sight. Jeremy and I tried to shoot photos of him. It was too early to shoot without a flash, and the photos I got were very dark. Still, good to see him. He finally decided we weren't offering anything to him, and he quietly headed up through the bushes and got on with the rest of his day.

From then, we put our backpacks back on and headed out. I took the lead and kept a decent pace. My back wasn't hurting at that point but my legs were certainly sore. The Vivian portion also proved to be tough, it was so steep that my legs got a huge workout and my knees hurt from all the hard impact. I was glad to make it down, to cross Mill Creek and head back to the truck. It was an accomplishment indeed for all three of us.

Now, from this point, I have a lot of thinking and soul-searching to do. I enjoy hiking, and I enjoy the photography I do as a result. The exercise is great. I feel stronger. But I do feel that this trek pushed me to the limit or perhaps passed it. I also wondered if I was struggling with such physical exertion at altitude, something important to consider since Mt. Whitney is 3,000 feet higher than San Gorgonio. I've heard people say that Gorgonio is tougher, but I will have to backpack twice as far on Whitney. I am still much slower than most people. Thinking back to hiking as a kid, I was never fast and often brought up the rear, but I am really wondering if I would be holding the group back.

I need to give it a lot of thought. Is Whitney something I can really do this year? Am I in good enough shape to do this? Is there something I can do from today forward to get ready? What I don't want to do is make an attempt and fail. So...expect me to put a lot of thought into this new challenge before committing to it. Because right now I am nervous about my ability to do it. I am not sure at this moment if I am really ready.

Mt. San Jacinto July 27 2008

2008-07-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to begin.

I rode with my friends Gene and Jeremy to Palm Springs where we took the Aerial Tramway up to 8,500 feet elevation. It is the easiest way to climb Mt. San Jacinto but it certainly wasn't easy today. I am getting to that.

For the 2 or 3 people who have been reading my blog know, I have been fighting shin splints for quite some time. I have good days and bad days. Today began as a very bad day. Immediately upon our first steps into Long Valley, my legs were failing me. I had to stop repeatedly. I was holding back Gene and Jeremy and every step I took brought on more ferocious pain, especially my left leg. The pain was as intense as I have felt in my life. It took me probably 2 hours just to hike the 2 miles to Round Valley. At that point, I could see they were frustrated, and I certainly was too.

I made the decision to call it a day. I couldn't go any further and I was holding them back. Jeremy and Gene said they would reach the peak and meet me either in Round Valley or back at the Tram Station.

There were wide-ranging consequences of what I was going through. At that moment, it seemed clear to me that my days hiking were over. This meant Mt. Whitney was out, as well as the hike next weekend up San Gorgonio which corresponded with my birthday. This wasn't to be taken lightly. I love the outdoors and hiking if the main way you enjoy it.

A few others may know that I attemped to climb the peak in 1990 with my BSA troop. Only, my map was marked wrong and at the Wellman Divide I headed north instead of camping at Round Valley with my troop. I spent the night on the trail until Search and Rescue came looking for me. I knew I was close to the peak, and I didn't make it. It has bothered me all these years.

I found a rock to sit on and let my legs burns and cool down for the next 45 minutes. I needed every second of it, my left leg in particular was on fire. After a while, I grew weary of sitting there and I walked around a little, making a circle around the Round Valley meadow. I could see the peaks like Jean, Miller, and Cornell jutting skyward. It was frustrating to be grounded.

Earlier in the day, Gene and Jeremy made an observation. They thought I was walking flat-footed. This is not something I was apt to pay attention to because when you have muscle memory, you tend to let your body do it for you. With a little more range of motion in my left foot, I exaggerated a heel-toe walk to see if walking this way, if it were different than my normal gait, would help.

At first, there was little difference, but I made a curious decision. I would head up the trail to the Wellman Divide, to see how far I could get. It was only 1 mile, but climbed 700 feet making it very steep. At the same time I did this, an older gentleman hiked ahead of me and I noticed he was keeping a very slow pace - perfect for me. I followed behind him, careful to stop when he did. My shins still hurt, but it wasn't debilitating. After some patient time had passed, I saw us cross the creek and I realized I was almost to the junction. What a surprise! I could see the ridge just above me and at this time, I was up to 9700' elevation.

Then, the thought hit me. I am starting to feel better, my stamina is still good, what if? What if I could get higher up the trail to meet back up with Jeremy and Gene. I continued north, and I honestly felt a second wind I hadn't felt before. I moved as quickly as I could, and I believe it was a good pace because I passed a number of people who hiked ahead of me earlier in the day when I could barely walk. The distant peaks of Jean and Miller were surprisingly close. I kept going, and the thought finally hit me that I might catch them in time to make my own ascent.

Alas, I passed a group coming down who I encountered earlier in the day. They told me I was at 10,200'! I couldn't believe it, but what was more remarkable was that I was only 600 feet from the summit, in elevation. They thought I was only about 1 mile from the top. As luck would have it, I immediately ran into Jeremy and Gene who seemed generally shocked to see me so far up the trail. And I didn't have answers for them, I don't know what force it was that carried me that far but it was remarkable.

I immediately negotiated with them. They knew I wanted this climb for a lot of reasons and they decided I was close enough to do it. Even better, they decided to go back up with me. With my renewed energy, I put my focus on climbing and I think they would agree I kept up a good pace. Within minutes, we were doing the final rock scrambling up and unbelievably, improbably, I found myself on the summit of Mt. San Jacinto. After 18 years, there I was.

As many a hiker will tell you, when you make the summit, you are only halfway. So we had to get on with things and head down the mountain. The pace was good, with few breaks. Just a few to calm down everybody's legs and knees which were starting to ache. I even found the rock I slept on 18 years ago and showed it to Jeremy and Gene. I still remembered that rock.

Coming down, we ran into a lady named Christine (Kristine?), who had passed me and hiked near Jeremy and Gene most of the day. She appeared to be struggling and her friend had left her behind. She had her hands to her head in a clear sign of a headache. As it turned out, she had run out of water which is dangerous in the mountains. We gave her a bottle of water, a Clif bar, and a couple of Jeremy's naproxen. I hope she made it through okay. She was quite beautiful and asked us for a business card to thank us, only I was too dense to think to get her phone number or email address. The usual for me. I did have the pleasure of lecturing her friend on leaving her behind. What a jerk. You don't leave people behind in the wilderness.

I did fill out a permit card with my name, phone, and email but alas, I never saw her again. A shame.

Now that the peak is done, I really am in a quandary. Is my way of walking causing my leg problems? Is it that simple a solution? Can I realistically do San Gorgonio next weekend, with the first 4 miles wearing a full backpack? I am very nervous about that, and Whitney is only 3 weeks away. Next weekend will be test.

Today, I failed and then passed with flying colors. What a strange world. On the Whitney confidence scale, I would say I am a 3 right now.

Cowles Mountain

2008-07-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

No good news to report here. My time was the worst yet. My shin splints were at their worst. Obviously, I am doing something wrong that I have not put my finger on yet. I am guessing it has to do with properly stretching and warming up. Still, it seems strange that I can climb one mountain on one day without issues and then be nearly debilitated on the next day.

I started the hike at 5:14 and summited at 6:40. Those 86 minutes are the slowest yet. I made it down at 7:26 PM. The 46 minutes down the hill are about the same time I usually make it.

I see myself always getting off to such a slow start, and I realize how much time I could cut if I could make it up without complications. I feel like I know every single turn on the trail up to Cowles Mountain. It should be getting easier. Today is a rest day, and one I plan to enjoy. After work, I am going to do some additional exercises that I hope will help, and more stretching to see if that helps. I am planning to go back up the mountain Wednesday evening, and we will just have to see how I feel.

I would say the Whitney confidence scale is back down to a 2.

Tahquitz Peak

2008-07-20T20:58:00.001-07:00

It was a dark and stormy day...Jeremy and I climbed Tahquitz Peak. For me, it was my 2nd ascent up the peak and my first in over 10 years. As for the usual protocol, I got off to a very slow start. Jeremy was patient with me, and it prevented me from getting shin splints on the hike.

The weather was interesting, with gusts of wind blowing clouds over the peak and from the south. I was wearing a shirt with no sleeves, so the gusts were quite cold. There were intermittent rains. We found a tree to huddle under to let them pass.

The trail was measured at 3.6 miles with a '2400 elevation gain. It did not feel like a steep trail though and that either means the mileage is mismeasured on the trail or I am starting to be more confident going up the trail. I won't give myself any credit, it is probably the former.

The trail roughly followed the South Ridge that leads up to the peak. Approximately 2 miles into the hike, it moved across the West face of Tahquitz with steep switchbacks leading all the way to the top.

One pleasant surprise was to find the Fire Lookout manned. They are all volunteers now, but they were very gracious and friendly to hikers. One gentleman showed us his map and where other fire lookouts had spotted lightning fires in the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

The weather drawback was that the spectacular views promised by a Tahquitz ascent were nowhere to be found. Someday, we will come back and bask in the view.

Overall, this was a slow day but I felt progress being made in my quest to do Whitney. If you wanted to know...I would say I am a 5 on the confidence scale today.

I plan to do Cowles Mountain on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week, with a date with Mt. San Jacinto on Sunday.

Cowles Mountain

2008-07-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

Not as good today. I got a start at 5:09 and my shin splints started immediately. They seem to have a mind of their own. I have good days and bad days. I try to stretch every time I hit the trail. I wish I could narrow it down and eliminate the problem.

I quickly figured out I was running way behind my last trip up the mountain. Despite the pain, especially in my right leg, I didn't want to turn around. I made it to the peak in 84 minutes, 10 minutes behind Tuesday. Coming down, I made it back 7:20 which was 14 minutes behind my last time up Cowles Mountain.

It is hard for me to evaluate this trek. I was very disappointed and considered it a setback. Then again, instead of turning away from the challenge, I stuck to it and finished the hike.

I will be doing Tahquitz Peak on Sunday with Jeremy. I will have a better idea on my progress then. In the meantime, it's time to do some stretching...

My Whitney confidence would not be about a 1.

Cowles Mountain

2008-07-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

After work, I headed back to Cowles Mountain in Mission Trails Regional Park. I was feeling tired, and even considered taking the night off. I knew I would be out on Thursday though, and I needed to conquer the feeling of laziness.

I started the trek slow as usual. This is where I think I can eventually make up time. It is amazing the burst of energy you get when you hit a landmark. As I met the merge with the Big Rock Trail (0.7 miles) I walked much faster. I passed a couple people and one of them remarked "can you believe mom does this every Sunday?" I laughed since it was my third trek in 4 days. I left them in the dust and didn't run into them later, they never made the peak.

The final ascent was as tough as always. I focused on steady progress and didn't beat myself up for being slow or tired. I could feel I was moving better than even a couple days ago. I made the peak at 6:29 PM, meaning it took me 74 minutes. This was 2 minutes faster than yesterday.

Coming down, I also accomplished something else because I did not make any stops. I had to slow down and move out of the way of a couple mountain bikers, but I moved quickly down the hill. I made it to my car at 7:12 PM. This was a total time of 1:57, my best time in a long time. I also cleared a mental hurdle by getting under 2 hours.

I am taking the night off on Thursday, hopefully hanging out with a good friend if all works out. Then Friday I will be back at it and I will have more to say about that experience.

On a scale of 1 - 10, my confidence in doing Whitney would be about a 4 right now. This is an improvement though, so I will keep at it.

Cowles Mountain

2008-07-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

Last night I climbed up Cowles Mountain in Mission Trails Regional Park for the second time in three days. It was 86 degrees outside but the heat didn't bother me. I didn't stretch as much as I should have, so I shouldn't have been surprised with the early beginnings of shin splints.

I got off to a very slow start which was frustrating. The view wasn't anything special, with marine layer mixed with smog. I kept a reasonable pace, albeit a slow one. I felt stronger than two days before, something I was cognizant of going up. I pick up something new about the trail every time I do it, and now I have a dozen ascents in me at least. I noticed that the last leg of the climb has a moderately steep section and a very steep section. I had always perceived it to be one strenuous stretch. The familiarity is helpful. I made the summit in 77 minutes which was pretty mediocre. This was not a good time for me and I long to get it closer to 60 minutes if possible.

I picked up the pace coming down and was back down in 45 minutes. I only stopped a few times, a couple times to slow myself down on the steepest part of the trail from the summit, and once to let a couple mountain bikers go by.

My overall time was 2 hours, 2 minutes, which was about 7 minutes off my best time. I believe I need to make that time up on the ascent, and to have any chance at Mt. Whitney I need to conquer Cowles Mountain like it's nothing.

The work continues, I will ascend tonight for the 3rd time in 4 days.

Struggles...

2008-07-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

As you may know, a long-time goal of mine is to summit Mt. Whitney in Eastern California. The moment is at hand, in late August, and I must confess I do not feel confident. I am worried. I am not sure I am conditioned for the challenge. I don't want to fail.

For the next six weeks, I will chronicle the struggle to prepare for this awesome quest. A pilgrimage if you will.

Completion of this task will amount of one of the biggest successes in my entire life.

No pressure. But I may fail.

The Next Big Thing

2008-07-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Maybe it is kayaking through the Anacapa Islets...

Perhaps it is pounding the Vivian Creek Trailhead, exhausted and desperate to reach the top...

It could be strolling the shores of the Virgin River in Zion...

But I can imagine a distant faraway place, vaguely familiar to the senses but disorienting to the mind. A remote island, a mountaintop, a fired synapse, a place real or imagined or an unsettling combination of both. It could be thousands of miles away or never further than the next neurotransmitter.

There is the next big thing, both real and physical. And my mind can't help but wonder what it is, where it's at, how I can reach it, and what it will be like if in this life I can ever find it.

Moments of Introspection

2008-05-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

Give me a moment in the forest and I will enjoy the solitude.

Give me a moment with the masses and I will loathe the loneliness.

A minute of solitude brings me the vitality to endure the days and days of humanity which threatens everything I want to live for.

The Power Of Things Gone Wrong

2007-11-19T23:37:00.000-08:00

My hotly anticipated trip to New Mexico and Texas has been scuttled. Rain, ice, snow, and a 2 wheel drive car. With my schedule as it is, I may not be able to visit for quite some time. Definite disappointment.

This Week's Trip

2007-11-18T22:16:00.000-08:00

I simply can't wait until Tuesday, 4:30 PM. These long trips are few and far between by my own expectations, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving...

Last year, the trip alone through Arizona sparked something in me. I felt comfortable alone, I felt self-reliant, I felt refreshed. Rising for sunrise, retiring at sunset, with few moments of rest in between.

Now, this year, a new experience. I will see ruins in Casa Grande and the Gila Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico. I will stagger up white sand dunes, see the tallest mountains in Texas, and look over the long expanse of the Rio Grande. Not just the beauty, but the quiet story of two cultures meeting at one singular demarcated body of water.

There is snow in the forecast, which will make the trip interesting. Time for me to be vigilant...

TM

Pictures

2007-11-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

I am starting to redo my photography online using my Flickr account. I used to have them solely on my website but using Flickr will allow you to comment on them, add them to favorites, and see more of what I am up to. I hope to have my new camera soon.

The url is http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmschultze.

TM

Return To Zero

2007-11-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

I have decided to make a return to the world of blogging. But this stream of consciousness has no beginning and no end. Like our universe. You will find posts after this date, which will be created the moment I think of them, and posts before this date, guided by the unreliable gift of memory and recall. Wish me luck on this journey through forward and backwards...calling H.G. Wells...

Joshua Tree National Park

2007-01-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

This weekend I went to Joshua Tree National Park with Scott, Brad, my Dad, Tom, and Matt. We drove in separately since we were all coming from work. From San Diego, it took me about 3.5 hours to get our campsite in Sheeps Pass.

My Dad, Tom, and Matt showed up about 10 minutes after me, great timing. It was a tad cold, but the wind was a killer. The ground was too hard for my stakes so I settled for lame tactics like using my ice chest in one corner to keep the thing settled down. We stayed up too late, huddled by the fire ring, wishing it was warmer. Of course, we were the guests, mother nature didn't really need to take us into account.

I got up at 5:15 AM to head to the Cholla Gardens. I was successful in getting Scott up but Brad wouldn't wake up. It turned out to be his loss too. The sunrise was stunning. There was heavy cloud cover, but it was clear across the horizon allowing the clouds to light up in a deep red. You just don't see much of it in Southern California. Jeremy showed up at the turnoff around 6:20 or so, so he missed a little of it. All of us got some great pictures which is the name of the game when you get up so early. The consequence though of having so many clouds was that we didn't get to see the Cholla Gardens "light up" but there is always next time!

We left and headed back to the camp site. My dad had breakfast going and it hit the spot. Jeremy had his own itinerary so he headed out. The rest of us took two cars and went to Barker Dam. We were just about the first people there and lo and behold, Tom spotted three Bighorn Sheep. This was the third park I've seen them (also Zion NP and Anza-Borrego Desert SP). It is always a great sight to see.

I stood on the dam and took pictures from afar. I don't have an SLR like my Dad, Scott, or Matt so they definitely got better photos than me. My zoom is only 3.5 while they were using 300 and 400mm lenses. My dad got on the other side of the lake and stalked him. He went around a huge boulder and they spotted him though and headed up the rock face to the top. They are certainly nimble creatures.

The lake itself was low like it was last month, but the Bighorn made it worth the trip. I didn't take too much pictures around the loop since I did a lot of that last month.

From there, we drove to the Lost Horse Mine trailhead. We heard good things about the mine and it didn't seem like a big hike. Wrong. It was pretty steep and I got a shin splint in my right leg (they pick the worst times to show up). I made it just fine, but had to take it easy. The mine was in pretty nice condition but they've put up a big fence around it. I was able to put the lens of my Nikon through the chain links and get my pictures though. The wood structure looked like it was in good condition and the 10 stamp probably wasn't much different than it was in the 1890s, except for a lot of rust. We encountered a lot of people coming down that didn't look like they were going to make it to the top. Funny.

After that, we headed to Keys View. Sucked. Too much smog, haze, and clouds. It was nothing compared to what I saw on Christmas Eve. We left after 2 minutes.

From that point, the older crew (my Dad, Tom, Matt) were itching to get some spirited drinks into their system while I wanted to spend every daylight hour seeing as much as I could. Scott, Brad, and I headed out. Brad took the Desert Queen Mine road but made the wrong turnoff and we headed into Park Blvd. He decided to head out to Pine City but we talked him out of it. Scott was nearly comatose at this point...I think we was tired from the week and waking up early. We headed out to Split Rock which was nice, but we were there at the wrong time of day. The Split faces East so when you are taking pictures of it, you are shooting directly into the setting sun. We will have to do it at Sunrise next time.

We still had an hour or so of daylight so we needed something else to do. Brad and Scott had never been to Arch Rock at White Tanks so we headed over there. It is the most famous arch in Joshua Tree. Luckily there was just a European couple to deal with, and then we had the arch to ourselves. I finally got the guts to climb on top of the arch to get a picture though I was having trouble hanging with it while Scott was taking his time with his camera!!! Brad, as usual, was laughing at me.

Scott picked a vantage point behind the arch in the rock to shoot for sunset. I followed him up there and did my own point-and-shoots. The sunset was okay, not as much cloud cover but we got a couple cool ones or us "touching" the moon with good light on us. Now if Scott could just get those raw formats converted....ha.

We headed back to Sheeps Pass and my Dad dutifully had dinner almost done. I was starving too...the guy should have his own cooking show. Left to my own devices, I think dinner would have been beef jerky and gatorade. The fire was very welcome and it seemed colder, more on that later. The older crew was just a bit more awake and rowdy then the younger group. Scott was the first one to sleep, and I followed him by about an hour. I was out by 8 PM. Brad followed a little bit later.

I woke up sometime in the night and looked at my phone to see what time it was so I would know how long I had before I had to get up (5:15 again). Except...my battery was dead. Damn it! I slowly got up and went to my car to plug it into the charger. I didn't start my car (and the heater) because I didn't want to wake anybody up, this despite the fact that everybody was snoring so loud it could have drowned out the Southern Pacific! So here I was, at 2 AM, pathetically charging my phone battery so my alarm will work, shaking violently from the bitter chill. What a scene. I'll tell you this, those last 3 hours in my sleeping bag were heaven. My new bag is great and I was completely comfortable, camping at its best.

We got up about 5:30 and this time, Brad woke up. Scott was wide awake, and I guess so since he got like 12 hours sleep or something. We headed back out to Keys View. My goal was to get good light on San Jacinto and San Gorgonio Peaks which would be a couple of my favorite pictures. That didn't quite work out, not this morning, but once again the sunrise was outstanding. Good cloud cover and deep reds and purples. It was my first time at Keys View for sunrise, I've done it during the day and sunset before.

From there, we headed back to camp and packed up. There was a thick layer of frost/ice caked on my car. We had been out for 2 hours and it had warmed up to 31 degrees. Tom said it was 27 when he woke up. No wonder why I was so cold!!!!!

Which brings me to a real test. Next week, Scott, Jeremy, and I head out to Yosemite National Park. The highs will be in the low 30s with lows in single digits. If they're off by a little bit, we could be looking at below zero temperatures. It is going to be a very cold trip. However, if I really am going to be doing so much hiking,camping, and photography in the future, I have to test myself and the elements. It is going to be quite an experience for us, and I plan to write plenty about the trip. Wish us luck though.

Overall, this was an excellent Joshua Tree trip. It is great to drive so many miles through the park and realize that not only have I been to most of the places, I've been to many multiple times at different times of day. That is when you really get to feel at home in such a place. I can't wait to find myself back soon.