The North Face

So this is looking down the 1,800 sheer granite face of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. My dad and I climbed to the top, an arduous 17 mile hike that gained nearly 5,000 ft in elevation from the valley floor. This was without a doubt the hardest day hike I have ever done. Yet to peer over the edge and see rock climbers below scaling the vertical face I instantly knew I had taken the easier route. Perhaps next time I face a challenge I'll take the less traveled path. Perhaps.

Westward Bound (Part I)

I took a while to choose which one of these biking photos to post, but I finally decided to use both. This is in Yosemite National Park in CA, and the latter from somewhere in Utah. I really miss the 4K

Westward Bound (Part II)

To some, the desert can surely be desolate and lonesome. Camaraderie and an appreciation of natural beauty can change that.

Different Light

After 65 days of biking, we finally crossed the Golden Gate on July 29. As we came upon the bridge, we found it nearly hidden from sight by dense fog. At first I was a bit peeved, wanting to see the entire bridge--the metaphorical finish line to which we had been biking for the entire summer. Yet I soon found myself appreciative of and oddly transfixed by the fog. The cloak masked the better half of the bridge, and it created a rather mystic allure to the entire experience. I later learned that in the six years of the Hopkins 4K, only once had the bridge been entirely visible. I'm glad our year didn't make it two.

Big Blue

In some ways college never dies. In this case such a notion manifests itself in the beerpong table that now occupies the center of the living room at home in AZ. I made it myself, complete with a Big Ten Conference theme. Problem is, there are eleven teams and twelve cups. Thus one remains blank, waiting to sport the logo of a twelfth team should it ever become part of the nation's best conference. Go Bucks!

Soar

I always find it funny to consider how if we (humans) didn't have our brains, we would be one of the most pathetic and defenseless creatures on the planet (if we hadn't already been weeded out by natural selection). Think about it. We can't fly, swim, run, climb, eat raw meat, or survive in extreme climates. Our senses of sight, hearing, and smell are far inferior to that of most animals on the planet. We don't have fur to keep us warm or claws or teeth to defend ourselves or to capture prey. We are extremely susceptible to disease and our skin provides a pathetic barrier to poisonous plants and animals. Our digestive tracts are weak and susceptible to a variable host of bacterial and viral infections. Our natural muscle tone is practically non-existent and is shaped only through arduous labor or unnatural weight training. Take all this in and reflect upon just how unique all of Earth's creatures are. Consider, then, just how powerful the human mind is.

Golden

So we're told never to burn bridges, that even when you least expect it somehow that avenue you left open will benefit you in years to come. I do my best to never burn bridges. Nonetheless, most of mine could use a little stabilization.

Bay Glo

After the final sun set on the 4K, a full moon rose on a new and unpredictable life.

Tioga

So the last major climb of the trip was Tioga Pass. This 12-mile, 4,000 foot climb brought us up through the High Sierra and into the Heart of Yosemite National Park. The day before we climbed the pass as a team, we had a day off in Lee Vining, CA. Most of the team piled in the vans for a (tame) day at Yosemite. Others did laundry and shopped. I had other plans, and chose to climb Tioga Pass by myself, knowing all-too-well that I would be doing it again the following day. It turned out to be the single most rewarding day of the trip. The climb provided for plenty of reflection, and during the 12-mile descent I lastly hit 50 mph (I have a speedometer of my bike)! I had hit the upper 40s during the Rockies, but I made it a personal goal to break 50 (or break my skull, whichever came first). After rounding a bend at 43 mph I hit a 3/4 mile stretch of straight road and put my head down and pedaled as hard as I could. 45...46...47...48...49...48...49...50! At this point I screamed at the top of my lungs, likely to the utmost dismay of the family enjoying a scenic viewpoint on the side of the road. I imagine them turning around to see some guy yelling at the top of his lungs while pedaling madly down a mountain. For what it's worth I've never been more scared in my life and I had to pull over and stop at the bottom, as my legs were shaking uncontrollably from the combined effects of adrenaline and nerves. Hey, I never claimed to not be crazy. In the end I would not give up my solo climb up the Sierras for anything. I took my good time (on the way up), snapping a few photos (like above) along the way. When we hit the climb as a team the following day I eased up the mountain, certain that my mind and body were capable of the feat...again.

Even out here

This summer it seemed as though the smaller the town, the nicer the people. As with any rule there were exceptions, but I always felt as though the arms of small town America opened a bit wider for us than did those of the larger metropolises. This haphazard sign resembles this point, given that even in the middle of God-knows-where Utah politeness still abounds. Some rancher made a point to stencil the word 'please' into his sign. It's amazing how far a simple 'please' or 'thank you' can go, especially in today's cheetah-paced materialism. I muttered these two complimentary phrases of the English vernacular more times than I can count this summer. Always be polite--not like it's that hard.

Defy Doubt

Yep, that's my odomoter from this past summer. I cherished each and every mile, though some more than others. Nevada sucks.

Lost to the Light

Everyone has a cup of tea. Sin City just isn't mine. It's still a fun place--don't get me wrong. I'd just rather leave the jewel behind and find a nook among the canyons

I-34

Roads are often directive in life. Other times only perpetual.

Sherman Grove

Two paths towards an infinite sky. Not that choices abound, but at least it's nice to think they're there