Hiking!!

[HowToDisappear]

Mythbusters busted the water bag/pennies thing. Doesn't work. Allegedly, an orange studded with cloves will keep them away, but I've never tried it myself.

Have fun camping.

[algunz]

The orange thing (Pomander) was originally created during the plague because the stench of the corpses. I don't know if it helps with flies, but it was believed to keep disease away.

[djbionik]

I use mosquito coils. Insect repellant in incense form, so technically, not really fire so not considered an open flame.

I did a bit of hiking last week during our trip out to Candy Rock in the Calaveras County. Holy hell I had SooOOooOoooooo much fun. I'm banged up pretty good- bruises, cuts, about 5 shades darker as well, but I couldn't be happier! Didn't take as many pictures, since I was having too much fun and also didn't want to get my devices wet. I completely fell in love with that area and will gladly drive 12 hours and back to do it again.

[chairmenmeow47]

i can't see the pics at work

someone told me about mythbusters when we were there. at least there weren't many flies period!

i had fun going to the lava tube and kachina trail near snowbowl in flagstaff. the lava tube was about 3/4ths of a mile. it's what it sounds like, a tube-shaped cave formed by lava. the entrance is pretty rocky and a few parts are low and require you to kinda bend over. the end of the line is so worth it though. it was completely dark when we turned our lights off and we tried to sit in silence for periods which was really cool. sensory deprivation.

i will post some pics later!

[footixy]

got back from a weekend hike to Mono Hot Springs

[Buddha99]

got back from a weekend hike to Mono Hot Springs

That's a nice way to spend summer days, Footixy...

[djbionik]

Wowza. All that looks gorgeous and way fun!

[bmack86]

Damn dude! With Mono in the name I should be close, but I feel like that's probably an 8+ hour drive away?

Edit: Looks like it's about 30 miles from where I live, and it'd take me 7 hours to get there driving. It'd probably take the same amount of time to hike Rock Creek until I got there.

[amyzzz]

Wow, great pictures. That looks like so much fun.

[chairmenmeow47]

beautiful! my favorite is the shot of water falling into the bathtub

[HowToDisappear]

Dang, footixy, that looks fantastic! What temp was the water? Did you have to fill the tubs and then let them cool, so it was doable for your little one? Or does it flow at a manageable temp? Soaking in hot spring water is the best --- we'll totally have to check this place out.

[footixy]

Thanks guys, the tubs are natural flowing springs that were only concrete lined (only about 3 springs are that way) "old pedro" being the hottest at 100 degrees. My little guy was perfectly fine in them. Getting there is a different story. You take the 168 until it ends, from there take kaiser pass which is a one lane lightly paved road tightly hugging the granite mnt about 3 times (this keeps most people away) once there, all the springs are free for the taking along with a crystal clear river to take plunges in after getting out of the hot water. There is also a gorgeous 20 min hike to Doris or Tule lakes where I swear you can see the bottom of the lake, it's that untouched, plus so secluded you can skinny dip at will...The trails around the springs are very marshy btw due to the constant seeping mineral water, oh and the mud baths are amazing (pic above)...we hogged that bathtub daily, wife and I doing a lazy cowboy bath photo shoot in it hah!

Good times...

[algunz]

That looks beautiful.

We were up in Tahoe at the beginning of the month, and took the Squaw Valley Tram to the top of the mountain. We decided to hike down, and it was awesome. It was really rocky and quite a challenge, but nothing that a couple of 9 year olds couldn't handle.























The last picture shows pretty much the distance that we hiked down.

[HowToDisappear]

Went out to Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve last weekend. We came to make the sand sing (the dunes are "singing sands" or "booming dunes" and they resonate with a sound like the drone of low-flying aircraft or a digeridoo when it slides), but the rain and damp sand prevented that from happening. But the area is so beautiful, and the clouds and sky and fog were so spectacular, we didn't care that the sand wouldn't sing for us. We'll try again another time when conditions are drier.

[1litro]

Yum, espresso atop of Kelso Dunes

[algunz]

Awesome.