Out of the Mouths of Babes...

A commenter on the excellent blog Shakesville, in a thread about Washington's resistance to healthcare reform for fear it will "harm the insurance industry"...

"This seems to happen with other industries, too, not just insurance; automakers, record companies and financial services come to mind, for example — certain corporations get big, their products cease to be as profitable or their practices become harmful, and suddenly all the "free-market conservatives" are doing everything they can to keep those businesses going rather than let them fail for not adapting to changing market conditions, while the "socialist" liberals are more likely to want to let them die but provide sufficient unemployment and training/transition support to their employees so that communities that depend on those jobs aren't destroyed. And by "funny" I mean "not so funny, actually."

Real Health, Real Reform

Senator Bernie "Doesn't give a shit what Karl Rove thinks" Sanders talks to The Nation about healthcare reform:

"...A weak bill simply is not going to solve our problem of universal, good quality, comprehensive--and that's a key word--coverage. You can have universal coverage [that] doesn't mean a whole lot, because you'll have tens of millions of people who will have very high deductibles, high co-payments. They will still not be able to get to the doctor when they want to. And it will not be particularly effective. So, to pass legislation which doesn't accomplish those goals--of universality, of comprehensiveness, of high quality, and cost-effectiveness--is, I think, a mistake. Because what happens if it's not cost-effective--if we're not beginning to address the $400 billion in waste that takes place because we have a private insurance dominated system, with 1300 private companies and thousands and thousands of plans, which require a huge amount of money to administer...? If we don't deal with the profiteering of the drug companies, the high CEO salaries, the fraud actually being committed by many of these people--then the cost will be so high that in a few years the government will have to cut back on it and we'll be back to where we are again. So, to my mind...if you are serious about real healthcare reform, the only way to go is single-payer...

...I think that at the very least what has got to happen is that the fallback position, and it's a significant fallback away from single-payer, is a strong Medicare-type public option. And that to me means that anyone in America would have the right to have a Medicare-type set of health benefits administered at the federal level, and subsidized for low- and moderate-income people. And I think that that has got to be at least a minimal demand of progressives."

Read the rest here.

The Cult of Idiocy

"...If Jackson is a musical genius, one realizes, it is not such a great leap to imagine Sarah Palin as presidential material, Lauren Weisberger as a great author, or Lou Dobbs as a substitute for real reporting and news. The Simpsons lampooned the growing cult of idiocy and mediocrity in our nation in the character of Homer; sadly, hardly anyone noticed because they were too busy relating to him. As a culture, it appears that we have accepted the lowest common denominator as the highest we ought to aim. We are told Michael Jackson is the King of Pop, when in reality he is the Clown Monarch of Mediocrity."

Read the rest here.

I Wish There Were More Conservative Catholics Like Andrew Sullivan...

The Reason She Matters

"I'm getting lots of emails telling me to move on. I will. But I want to explain why I think the Palin drama is actually important. It's not because of her: she's a delusional, narcissistic and disturbed person who would be voted off a reality show in the first rounds. It's because of John McCain, the Republican establishment and the mainstream media. What happened last fall was a warning sign to all of us about how corrupt and cynical the GOP, McCain and the MSM are. They colluded in such a way that this unstable, erratic, know-nothing beauty queen could actually have been president of the United States. What matters is that all those in on this scam be exposed and their way of conducting themselves be reformed until they stop risking the fate of the country and the world on their own vanities and cowardice.

McCain knew full well that Palin was unqualified to be commander-in-chief at this period of time; and he knew there was no way she could ever learn enough to do the job. So his decision to pick her was pure cynicism and irresponsibility. The MSM knew full well that there were very serious questions about this unknown person's background, lies, mental stability, and secrecy - but they were so terrified of being called biased they refused to do the proper vetting."

~Andrew Sullivan

Salon.com - Whoa, You Blow Your Father With That Mouth?

"Baron Cohen's Brüno is a gay minstrel, in the most literal sense of the word. Just as the characters of the burnt-cork vaudevillians had, bound up ineluctably with their dark complexions, traits like being shiftless, lazy, and "a-feared of spooks" as their eyes bugged out in Neanderthal, superstitious terror, Brüno's homosexuality comes bundled up with a lot of unattractive software. He is an open hydrant of empty, venal ignorance, a fame-chasing, grandiose fucktard, all because he is a cockaholic (his term). The repeated pistoning of sucking dick has scrambled his brains, just as surely as a muddler pulverizes mint leaves. Make no mistake: It is gay sex that has made Brüno stupid. Perez Hilton has the sobriety, moral rectitude and class of Lewis Lapham by comparison."

Wow. So, um... you liked it, huh?

South Sister Route Is Still Snowy In July

I took an impromptu trip out to Three Sisters Wilderness yesterday, and although I didn't do what I set out to, I had a wonderful time and had my mind blown by the scenery. I had been toying with giving Adams another shot, but talked myself out of it, and decided to head to the South Sister. I left my crampons at home, and told my husband that if I encountered slippery snow I would most likely head home rather than risk slipping while hiking solo 4 hours from home. When I arrived at midnight, the moon was so bright that I could see the looming outlines of the Sisters, Broken Top and Mount Bachelor. I hit the trail at just after 4 a.m. and before I even got to Moraine Lake I encountered slick snow covering the trail. Though I carried an ice axe and a pack with warm clothes and the basics, I had little interest in slip-sliding my way up out of the incredibly steep forest. I decided to scrub, and come back next month. Driving away, I got some amazing pictures, and a good view of the snow-covered mountain. Maybe I could've made it, maybe not, but I stopped at Timberline Trail on the way home and played around on Mount Hood for a while. Still a lot of snow there, too. Trail-finding would've been hard without a GPS, even though there were footprints everywhere to guide me if I really did get lost. Lesson learned -- it's called early season for a reason. But it was better than going to some stupid barbecue...

Obama Finally Moving On Gay Rights?

The man gives good speech, that's for sure:

"...So this story, this struggle, continues today -- for even as we face extraordinary challenges as a nation, we cannot -- and will not -- put aside issues of basic equality. We seek an America in which no one feels the pain of discrimination based on who you are or who you love.

And I know that many in this room don't believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that. It's not for me to tell you to be patient, any more than it was for others to counsel patience to African Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half century ago.

But I say this: We have made progress and we will make more. And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I've made, but by the promises that my administration keeps."

And apparently he listens, too.

Ape Canyon Trail Hike

Ape Canyon is finally accessible again without the added on five-mile walk past the former road washout. The trailhead is at the end of Forest Road 83, the very popular access road for the Climber's Bivouac, Ape Caves and nearby Lava Canyon. Traveling east out of Cougar, WA the turn is on your right a couple miles past town. The road is well-signed and paved the entire way, but look out for massive potholes. The trail itself is similarly idiot-proof, with few side trails and clear signage. At first, you will have no choice but to follow it north for a long time through the forest along the east bank of a massive lahar, a veritable highway of debris funneling down the south flanks of the volcano.


The 5-miles through old growth trees (which managed to escape the lahar somehow) are tedious, gradually climbing along an overgrown and buggy ridge. Through the trees, you get full frontal views of Mount Adams to your right, as well as the Goat Rocks and the top of Mount Rainier to the north. Soon after you emerge from the trees, however, you'll see the full east face of the mountain up close, as well as the precipitious Ape Canyon to your right, which you'll pass as you merge with the Loowit Trail and head to a lookout point that stands atop a waterfall and provoides an excellent photo-op of Adams. These views are well-worth the boring prelude.


My guidebook had the hike end at the falls, but I recommend continuing on at least across the desolate Plains of Abraham like the mountain bikers do, making the round trip distance of this hike just under 13 miles (or longer if you choose). As you continue along on the flattened eastern flanks of the volcano, you'll hear rockfall and the crackling of glaciers on the higher reaches of the truncated mountain. Reddish-gray cairns mark the faint path across the pumice, and to your right there are some grassy cinder cones that bear the flattened-tree calling card of the 1980 eruption, as well as a variety of orange and purple wildflowers. I chose to end my hike at the signed intersection where the Loowit Trail veers off to the left and branches to the right as the Truman and Windy Ridge Trails. Ahead you'll see most of Mount Rainier as well as Coldwater Peak and Mount Margaret, in the blast zone just beyond Spirit Lake.


Hike time: 5 hours
Distance: 12.5 miles (click for map)
Difficulty: Moderate, but the location is remote so come prepared
Traffic: Heavy on weekends, to the point of being unpleasant by noon
Drive from Portland: 1 hours 45 mins
Red Tape: NW Forest Pass

Resupply Buckets for the JMT

~Typical scene at the Muir Trail Ranch

So I am now the proud owner of two bright orange paint buckets full of candy bars -- when I was a kid I would've thought that the be-all-end-all, not just a step towards an even greater plan. Did you know that Home Depot actually charges for empty paint buckets?

Something you should know about planning a long-distance hike is that it can get expensive if you're not already prepared. I'm fairly certain that I could've traveled (cheaply) to India on the amount of money I've put towards this hike since I first got the idea. But then, why shouldn't an experience that will stay with me the rest of my life cost every bit as much as another? And the gear I'm buying now will make future backpacking trips cheaper, an investment that doesn't apply in the case of a pricey plane ticket.

But the buckets, Oy! My dogs went a little mental at the sight of all that junk food laid out in little baggies, piles of pink smoothie powder and lime-colored Gatorade on a postal scale next me. Mr A came home from work and surveyed the scene. "You look like a gay drug lord," he said. Then my older dog swiftly and violently grabbed a bag of parmesan couscous and bolted for his crate.

Keep Your Laws Off My Burka: Another White Male Arbitrating Women's Lives

French Parliament Sets Up Inquiry Into Burka

PARIS (AFP) — The French National Assembly agreed on Tuesday to set up a fact-finding inquiry into the number of Muslim women who wear the burka, after President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke out against the full Islamic veil. Sarkozy said the burka was "not a sign of religious faith" but a sign of women's "subservience" that is "not welcome" in France. The lower house of parliament was responding to a call from a group of lawmakers, many of whom are from Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party, for a panel to look at ways of restricting the wearing of the burka. Speaker Bernard Accoyer said 32 lawmakers from right-wing and leftist parties will be examining the thorny issue for six months before making recommendations.

From an atheist and a feminist viewpoint, I find this incredibly counter-productive. An ardent, maybe even evangelical, nonbeliever, I have do indeed have disgust for most things religious, and would prefer every state be a secular state like France. That does not mean, however, that I support taking away a grown woman's right to choose something as basic as the clothing she wishes to wear, much less the religion she chooses to practice. This is not a human rights issue like female genital mutilation, the forced butchering of girl's bodies, after all. I may personally think that both the hijab and burka are sexist, oppressive and ultimately bad for women, but I think the Bible is bad for women, too, and I would never want to ban it, nor would that do any good. (I might wish it would magically disappear, but that's another post). I'm generally pro-personal choice, whether it comes to abortion, drugs, or people who want to drape themselves from head to toe in a damn sack for totally screwed up reasons.

For more from the ONLY people who should be making these decisions, see this video for a whole array of perspectives:

...And for a metric shit-ton of heated commentary on this topic, visit this post at Feministing.com, this one at Jezebel and these Harpies here.

Maher on Olbermann

"Corporations and their incredible strength are what have ruined this country so far, and this president we thought might be the one to stand up to them...."

Amen, Brother! No Wait, I Mean, A Totally Non-Religious 'Right-On'...

The newest Real Time with Bill Maher was incredible! Here's the transcript for those of you without video/audio capabilities at work.

"New Rule - He's your president, not your boyfriend. Last week in this space, I criticized President Obama for not fighting corporate influence enough, and it made some Liberals very angry. My phone rang off the hook...

Look folks, I like Obama too, I'm just saying let's not make it a religion. As far as you folks on the Right that think that we're somehow in league --- we're not in league! I was criticizing Obama for not being hard enough on the corporate douchebags you live to defend. I don't wanna be on your team. Pick another kid.

So I stand by my words. But there is another side to the story. And that is, that every time Obama tries to take on a Progressive cause, there's a major political party standing in his way - the Democrats.

...We don't need a third party, we need a first party. You go to the polls and your choices are the guy who voted for the first Wall Street bailout, or the guy who voted for the next ten.

We don't have a Left and a Right party in this country anymore. We have a center-Right party and a crazy party. And over the last thirty-odd years, Democrats have moved to the Right, and the Right has moved into a mental hospital.

So what we have is one perfectly good party for hedge fund managers, credit card companies, banks, defense contractors, big agriculture and the pharmaceutical lobby --- that's the Democrats.

And they sit across the aisle from a small group of religious lunatics, flat-earthers, and Civil War re-enacters...who mostly communicate by AM radio and call themselves the Republicans. And who actually worry that Obama is a Socialist. Socialist? He's not even a Liberal. I know he's not, because he's on TV. And while I see Democrats on television, I don't see actual Liberals. And if occassionally you do get to hear Ralph Nader or Noam Chomsky or Dennis Kucinich, they're treated like buffoons.

...Shouldn't there be one party that unambiguously supports cutting the military budget? A party that is straight up in favor of gun control, gay marriage, higher taxes on the right, universal healthcare, legalizing pot and steep direct taxing of polluters?

These aren't radical ideas. A majority of Americans are either already for them, or would be if they were properly argued and defended. And what we need is an actual Progressive party to represent the millions of Americans who aren't being served by the Democrats. Because, bottom line, Democrats are the new Republicans."

Of Interest To No One But Me, Probably

Arrggghhh... I'm kicking myself for not being ready to buy a house sooner. After just a couple of months looking, we've found one that actually meets both of our criteria, but we weren't planing to buy until next year.

Dear Housing Gods: please, please drop a down payment in my lap, sometime this week preferably, m'kay? I promise, I don't need that sleek eco-sustainable dream house in Bend with a view of Smith Rock, or a Pearl District condo -- this will do just fine, despite the goofy brick pillars:

See, the inside is cute and bright...

The bedrooms are just average and have carpet...

But with a little paint and some laminate flooring you'd never know we have two dogs:

And the best part is that it's in my ideal neighborhood on a charming block. You can see tons of GREEN from the front porch...

...Actually, the best part is that it's cheap. *sigh*

A Matrix-Style Red Pill Too Big to Swallow?

It was hard to get anyone to go see a food activist documentary with me on a Saturday night, even in Portland. But I bought two tickets for "Food, Inc." and informed Mr A that he was taking me on a date, my kind of date where we see an agitprop film and I spend the proceeding hour making sure you agree with me. He looked skeptical, and moaned "Should I eat the burger before we go, then?"

Unfortunately, "Food, Inc." is not quite as good as its intentions. This incredibly earnest film is informative at times - the bit about the cattle industry's sanctioned abuse of illegal workers is especially good. The movie's not afraid to name names, either, whether Monsanto or Tyson -- and reminds us of Oprah's famous censorship battle against an industry even more powerful than she is. It's certainly passionate, although a few of the human interest stories come across as contrived. And it's peppered with insights from the likes of Michael Pollan, who is entertaining as well as admirable.

Despite the positive aspects, I found major fault with this movie's lack of originality. Truthfully, I was reminded of a sheet of tracing paper, as if the script had been layered over "An Inconvenient Truth" and traced in rough lines. Throw in some Michael Moore-style graphics, interspersed with distractingly repeated use of the same overhead shot of a crowded cattle ranch, and you have a film that can seem a bit amateurish. Not to mention, in its haste to come across as optimistic, "Food, Inc." pits organic food as the savior of the film, a viewpoint which is not unanimous among food radicals. Sure enough, I heard a few incredulous hisses behind me in the theater when an organic yogurt producer envisioned himself as a hero for making it to the aisles of Wal Mart.

To be fair, the majority of this halfway decent movie's problem was that the topic is just too damn big to fit into a short film (though Al Gore seemed to do a decent job of it, but that's why he has a Nobel Prize and got to hold an Oscar). After all, once you start ticking off the problems with the American food industry, it opens up a Pandora's Box of corruption and greed - it would be the same if you tried to launch a critique from square one against, say, the military, or the health care industry. The issues are so complex, and our own smallness within the machine so crushing, that any attempt to chip away at them logically leads to an attack on the capitalist system itself. And that's another movie altogether.

But, hey, as they say in the movie, it worked against Big Tobacco. So maybe even this small bit of progress, flawed or not, will help.

A World Away...

“They’re shooting directly at civilians, but the civilians are undeterred. Have we ever been able to watch a revolution like this in real time? Has any mainstream media ever been able to broadcast scenes like this?”

~Andrew Sullivan

You Wish Your Balls Were This Big

Amanpour v. Ahmadinejad --

FORA.tv Keeps Blowing My Mind

Philosopher Simon Critchley from the New School on the Obama narrative, American loneliness and modern liberalism, from 2008:

Real Time

When the world starts getting me down, I need a little Maher:

Sullivan's Readers

From The Daily Dish, which I find, um...interesting, only because it reminds me that there are still reasonable conservatives in the American media:

It's So Personal: What Do You Mean, Viable?

A reader writes:

"My twins were delivered at 29 weeks and 3 days because I had severe pre-eclampsia. If I had continued to carry them I was at risk for seizures, kidney failure, and a ruptured liver. My blood pressure was so Davinci high that there was a risk the boys’ oxygen supply would be cut off, leading to brain damage.

So I had a C-section. The boys were in the NICU for 9 weeks. Owen in particular had a hard time; he was on oxygen and IV for a long while, had a heart murmur, and aspirated his milk. Retinopathy affected both boys, so they both wear glasses and always will. Oliver had surgery for a couple of hernias. They are now three and speech delayed, so we're going through testing to determine if they're autistic.

The reason I give you a brief outline of my boys' birth and development is because they were born nearly six weeks after a fetus is considered “viable”. To be perfectly honest, I don’t view my children as having been viable when they were born; I couldn’t feed them by mouth (the suck/swallow reflex doesn’t develop until at least 35 weeks), they couldn’t breathe on their own, their digestive systems didn't work properly, they couldn't regulate their body temperature (having no body fat), etc, etc.

In the abstract, I would say I am pro-choice, but an abortion was not something I could personally choose. I certainly treasure my children regardless of the challenges they continue to face. But as your readers have demonstrated, abstract concepts become difficult to apply in the face of deeply personal circumstances. One of the abstract concepts that is too often bandied about is the idea that at a certain number of weeks a fetus is suddenly viable. But my 29-week babies were not viable at all without massive medical intervention. Regardless of its gestational age, a fetus that is faceless or only has a brain stem is clearly not capable of sustaining life. So why do the number of weeks that have passed since conception determine whether the pregnancy can be terminated or not?

There are no legal limits on abortion in Canada. The law that governed abortion was overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1988 and nothing has taken its place. I personally think that’s a shame, because I’d like to see a public discussion of what we as a nation think is appropriate with respect to abortion and I’d like to see some guidelines in place. Having said that, abortion rates have been steadily declining in Canada and are now lower than the U.S. (97,254 abortions in 2005 compared with births of 364,085), so maybe we are doing something right.

It seems to me that rigid formulas determining what options are available based solely on gestational age totally miss the point – you can’t just plug the data into a flowchart and ascertain the appropriate outcome. This is personal, and the best system is one that assists mothers in coming to the decision that’s right for them."

Thirtyhood Thoughts

House hunting is hard, and I know everyone knows it and I have no new perspectives to offer. But welcome to my thirties, and this is what I think about, so you're stuck with a chronicle of our house-buying process from inception to end result in the middle of all my hiking paraphernalia.

Not sure how I feel about this one, the current front-runner. It's a pretty neighborhood, sure, and it's got many of the features we want. But all snark aside, this is not really where I pictured myself living when I decided to, you know, Go West. Still, I could envision coming home from a camping trip and unloading the gear and the dogs into the garage... I can see us jogging and walking the dogs on the hilly streets without completely giving in to suburbia. I think.


The inside is underwhelming for the price, but with hardwoods and neutral paint it would be fine...
How picky can we afford to be with our first home? My sense is not very much....

Your Daily Dose of Crazy

From Jezebel.com: "Dave Leach, publisher of the magazine Prayer and Action News, says that while Roeder "has not inspired me to shoot an abortionist, [...] he will be the hero to thousands of babies who will not be slain because Scott sacrificed everything for them." And although Operation Rescue has condemned Roeder's actions, the phone number of the organization's Senior Policy Advisor Cheryl Sullenger was found in his car."

The Chicago Tribune continues: "Leach said he welcomes civil discussions with anyone who believes the Bible forbids killing an abortionist, adding such a discussion could change his mind."

What do you think the chances are that this freak will be investigated? Zero? Yep, me too.

Central Oregon Camping and Biking Trip Pictures

Hood River to The Dalles Bike Ride

We tried out a great new bike ride this weekend with some of the best views, smoothest asphalt and most fun hills I've ridden anywhere near Portland. And that's coming from me, who HATES hill riding. Seriously, I'm bad at it, and I've had to fight that panicky feeling as my leg muscles start becoming lactic on more than one occasion. I'm getting better at learning to back off just before my body hits that point, but it's why I'll likely never be a strong rider. So if you're anything like me and you want to enjoy hills like a real cyclist but you don't have the chops to pull it off, this 37-mile out and back from Hood River to The Dalles may be for you.

The ride starts just east of Hood River. It's an hour's drive from Portland, but it's worth it. The trailhead is the Mark O. Hatfield Visitor's Center where the Historic Columbia River Highway dead ends at a pedestrian path. The ride starts climbing from the trailhead at a gentle slope along the gorge. As you head towards the small town of Mosier, you'll see the basalt cliffs of Coyote Wall and the Syncline mountain biking area across the river to your left, followed by occasional glimpses of Mount Adams. The trail is mostly shaded, with ample picture-perfect viewpoints. Soon you'll descend into the Mosier Twin Tunnels, and then further into the very small town of Mosier. From there on the route shares the highway with cars, but the traffic is surprisingly minimal. At about your halfway point, you'll come to the Rowena Crest overlook, which gives you a view of the hairpin turns leading towards the Dalles below. Don't be dismayed as I was at the thought of returning back up these loops - at most they're about %6 grade. I was pleasantly surprised at how fun they were to ride. Challenging, but fun.

From the Rowena loops, your ride will continue its ups and down, cresting along next to orchards, fields of bright yellow balsam flowers and maybe a small neighborhood or two. As you appraoch the Dalles, the scenery opens up a bit as the Gorge starts flattening out, and wild orange buttercups and sage-colored scrub overtake the roadside flora. We made our turn-around point the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, a beautiful museum built in Pacific Northwest eco-style. Overall, we were on the bikes for about 5 hours, but the ride can be done in much less. And if you're a stronger rider, this ride has a few options for longer rides. Google "the Dalles Lollipop," "Seven Mile Summit," or "Cherry of a Ride" for some ideas. The landscape past The Dalles offers views of Mount Hood, gorgeous farmland, and supposedly epic riding. I'll make it out there eventually!


... At the trailhead


... Memaloose Island

... The Mosier Twin Tunnels



... The Rowena Loops


... Balsam everywhere.


.... Incredibly smooth riding.


....The view from The Discovery Center

John Muir Trail Planned Itinerary

Looks like a lot of folks are finding this blog looking for JMT details. Here's a rough outline of my itinerary if it'll help you out any. It's ambitious by my standards, but modest by others. I highly recommend checking out Trail Journals.com under the JMT dropdown bar. Those folks are incredibly helpful, and will provide all the info you'll need. Also check out Two In A Tent and Jason Hasmi, whose blogs have been invaluable in my planning. Calipidder from California is also good. For inspiration, view Walking the West, a Pacific Crest Trail mini-documentary on You Tube. It'll make your upcoming 220-mile trek seem insignificant, which is what you want to trick yourself into believing as you haul your tired butt up Mather Pass. But it'll also make your heart pound with giddy anticipation.


Travel Day 1: FLIGHT Portland - SFO
Travel Day 2: Arrive Yosemite Valley via BART and AMTRAK (email me for details on transportation from SF), pick up permit in person
Hike Day 1: Camp at Cloud's Rest Jct (6.5 mi)
Hike Day 2: Camp at Sunrise High Sierra Camp (13 mi)
Hike Day 3: Camp at Tuolumne Meadows backpackers campsite (24 mi)
Hike Day 4: Resupply @ Tuolumne, camp at Upper Lyell Creek or further (36 mi)
Hike Day 5: Over Island Pass, camp at Garnet Lake (45 mi)
Hike Day 6: Camp at Red's Meadow or Crater Creek (60 mi)
Hike Day 7: Camp at Fish Creek (75 mi)
Hike Day 8: Camp at Lake Edison Jct (90 mi)
Hike Day 9: Camp at Marie Lake or Senger Creek (105 mi)
Hike Day 10: Resupply @ Muir Trail Ranch, camp at McClure Meadow (120+ mi)
Hike Day 11: Over Muir Pass, camp at Big Pete (134 mi)
Hike Day 12: Over G. Staircase, camp at Lower or Upper Palisade Lake (148 mi)
Hike Day 13: Over Mather Pass, camp just before Pinchot Pass (160 mi)
Hike Day 14: Over Pinchot, camp just before Glen Pass - South Rae Lake (174 mi)
Hike Day 15: Over Glen Pass, camp at Lake 12,250 (186 mi)
Hike Day 16: Over Forrester Pass, camp at Guitar Lake (204 mi)
Hike Day 17: Exit at Whitney Portal/Lone Pine (220 mi)
Travel Day: BUS Lone Pine - Reno Airport (runs M, T, TH, F)

House Hunters

Ever since the election, my interest in blogging has lagged a bit, so my posts may start becoming more confessional style. To tell the truth, I'm just plain exhausted with politics, and my overall attention span has become very narrow lately - mountains and more mountains. I still enjoy my morning paper, but I can't stand to watch the news, even lefty, satirical political shows. I find that if I don't switch the channel to non-confrontational home design programs, I start to get frustrated. I did my part - I voted Obama, and it's his problem now.

But apparently, a side effect of watching HGTV too much is that a light bulb will go on over your head... It's time to buy a house. Mr A and I have decided to try and join the world of adults next year. Financially, I can't start buckling down until after this summer - the JMT was there first (priorities, people!). But we've calculated what we think we can afford and how much we can get a loan for, and guess what, it doesn't involve a condo in the Pearl District where my beloved Powell's and REI reside. I'm supposed to be the cheap one around here, but I'm having trouble getting over this fact now that we're so used to it.

We expected this, of course, but I admit it's taken us both by surprise to learn that housing is expensive in Portland, even now when you can get crazy deals. But for two bedrooms, a garage and even the tiniest strip of green space, we're probably gonna be waving bye-bye to beautiful Northwest Portland as we head out to John's Landing or Forest Heights. We started out thinking we'd fix up a cute little house with hardwoods and some IKEA cabinetry, but after visiting our list of Craigslist potentials over the past few weekends, it's beginning to look like a townhouse or condo is the way to go. "Cute little houses" anywhere close-in are shockingly expensive, and Mr A and I seem to disagree on where the line for "acceptably dumpy" starter home is drawn.

I like gritty little St. John's, with it's view of the Cathedral Bridge, and the nearby Overlook neighborhoods, and I really want to be able to commute by bike. Honestly, I don't think my thighs will be able to handle the strain of biking up and over the West Hills from Forest Heights just to get to work every day, and I don't want to be forced into getting a car so that we can afford a cute townhouse. And secretly, I'm terrified of losing my Portland lifestyle... I know it's cliche, but anything that smacks of suburbia fills me with the panic that I'll lose interest in biking and hiking, and that my daily adventures will suddenly consist of mowing a tiny lawn and driving to and from the Safeway grocery store. My passion for the outdoors came on so fast... could it slip away just as easily?

I just have to remember that getting this taken care of now will give me greater freedom later, even if I won't be able to take any big trips for the next few years. I can see my hut-to-hut hiking plans in Switzerland receding farther into the distance... but I'm only thirty. And, oh yeah, I'm married now. It's not all about what I want.