Climbing Devil’s Tower

by Erik Olsen on

If you’re like me an legions of Steven Spielberg fans who loved, and I mean LOVED, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, then the mere mention of Devil’s Tower in Wyoming no doubt summons all sorts of images in your head of Richard Dreyfuss clamoring over scree to reach the backside of the mountain where he would encounter a city-sized saucer filled with egg-headed aliens. The musical language that brought aliens and earthmen together still gets caught in my head to this day, and at one point, I’d committed to memory the hand signals used in the film to converse with the ETs.

All that blabbering about one of my favorite films brings me to this story by the well-known Outside writer Mark Jenkins, who discusses his love for the towers (which he calls a 60-million-year-old stump of intruded magma ) and finds in them a spiritual connection that has more to do with earthly qualities than extra-terrestrial ones. He dishes up a healthy plate of history here, telling us about the Native American connection with the place as well as its designation as a National Monument and of course, this being Mark Jenkins, the story of the first ascent of the towers….in 1893 by two enterprising Wyoming cowboys, William Rogers and Willard Ripley.

An altogether fine piece about a place that you may have heard of…or in my case seen in the movies…but wanted to know more about.

Seattle Fun

by Erik Olsen on

I have a soft spot in my heart for Seattle. Even though the city does get is share of precipitation, it is about as lovely a lace as there is on the planet, especially just about now. If you are an outdoorsy person, Seattle’s offerings to ride bikes, to kayak, to hike, to fish…well, the list is nearly endless.

So I am always looking for pieces that highlight things to do in Seattle. Sure, my friends who live there probably aren’t too happy that we bring attention to the Emerald City. It’s crowded enough already, they say. But what can I say? I miss the place and this might just be a vicarious way for me to be back there, paddling the Sound. So I direct you now to Frommer’s list of top things to do in Seattle.

From riding the Water Taxi over to Alki Beach, to Sea Kayaking on Lake Union (easily one of my favorite things to do) and, of course, strolling around Pike Place Market, the list is a strong one. It’s a bit touristy, but that’s OK. I might also recommend checking out the neighborhood of Wallingford and taking a walk around the University. The campus grounds are lovely. Oh, and don’t forget to grab a cup of coffee in Pike Place and just sit and watch the ferry come and go. This is one of my favorite Seattle pastimes.

Photo of the Day (9/26/2006)

by Erik Olsen on

A lovely shot of the glowing crags of Mt. Clarence King claims our much coveted Photo of the Day award for today. Shot by Misha Logvinov, the photo seems to have been taken NE Ridge of the mountain in Kings Canyon National Park in the Sierra Nevadas.

Across Mexico via Train

by Iva Skoch on

One of the most scenic train rides I have ever taken is the Chihuahua al Pacifico (or ChePe). We boarded the train in the coastal town of Los Mochis in the morning and traveled eastbound toward Chihuahua, stopping in Creel in order to explore the Copper Canyon area. The train ride takes around 10 hours, depending on how many stops (and breakdowns) you’ll encounter along the way.

And the entire time, the one thing you can’t get out of your mind while watching the Sierra Madre pass by is: “Badges? We ain’t got no stinking badges!”

It is best to travel from west to east because you see the best views during daytime. The scenery is stunning. From the low coastal areas, the train makes its way to the elevation of some 8000 feet. Make sure to pack appropriately. We went in December: it was steaming hot on the coast and below freezing in Creel. Needless to say, we were not prepared. Fortunately, as we descended into the Copper Canyon town of Batopilas, inhabited by the Tarahumara Indians, it was nice and warm again.

The Mancation

by Erik Olsen on

Always on the lookout for the next great travel trend, I now offer you a link to a story with a term you may not have heard before: The Mancation. No, this is not the newest movie-related travel fad…not the Brokeback Mountain version on Da Vinci Code Tours, in other words. The idea here is that men sometimes like to take vacations with one another, and there is a cottage industry emerging that helps them do so by coordinating specific manly activities for them to enjoy.

Like what, you ask (as if you really had to ask)? Well, according to the article over at CNN they’re talking about trips that include a panoply of testosterone-laden features like hand-rolled cigars, fast cars, penthouse rooms, wet bars, and round-the-clock butler service. Conspicuously, there is no mentin of strippers. But hey, that doesn’t sound too bad. The Mancation concept appears geared towards bringing old college friends together to spend a few days away from the old ball and chain, as it were. To clarify further what needs no further clarification, the “Urban Dictionary” says that mancations include masculine activities such as sports, camping, gambling, chasing women and drinking, without the presence of wives, mistresses or girlfriends. In other words, they are basically saying bachelor parties are no longer for bachelors any more. Personally, I like the idea, very Robert Bly meets Vince Vaughn.