Tag Archives: pnw

Bye for now, Seattle…

Dear Seattle –

Over the past 15ish years of meandering your streets, you’ve been a bosom buddy, a mysterious lover, a constantly shifting schizo, and a real asshole. Your varying moods have kept things unpredictable, to say the least. I loved it, hated it, and sometimes I just put up with it. So it goes with love…

And so it feels strange to finally say farewell – Harpo and I are off to a new adventure in the high mountains of Colorado. I thought I’d never leave, but it feels like the right time – before I become an old timer myopically fixated on a nostalgic, nonexistent past.

I’ll miss the view north from the fishing spot before the Spokane street bridge, the grimy pockets of Georgetown & the smell of the Duamish. I (mostly) remember many nights spent scheming at Vermillion, doodling at the Hideout, getting vaguely creeped out at Double Header, or trying not to black out at Shorty’s. I recall running (and living in) the hype art space for 5 years and hosting the wildest parties (including that one where someone pooped in the tub & pulled the emergency shower at the biotech lab upstairs), and that one time we paid rent to the cops for a year while they secretly surveilled us.

My time in Seattle was formative as an artist and a adult human. While I proved that survival doesn’t depend on being good at either, I thank that city and the many people who helped, taught, punished, and taunted me for shaping the dirtbag I am today. I have no regrets, but I do have a bunch of great scars.

So it is with neither ambivalence nor remorse that I say BYE FOR NOW, SEATTLE. See you never? I doubt it…

Wrong Way Gang on Si

IMG_4179Harpo and I headed to North Bend to visit Twinless during her brief sojourn back in the northwest, and to meet her sister who we’d heard so much about. Bug and Sprout joined us, and the next day while Twinless and her sis packed for their south American holiday we headed up Si for some snowy fun.IMG_4183 IMG_4184 IMG_4186 IMG_4187

Storm Queen

Harpo and I decided a couple of days on the Washington coast would clear our minds and hearts as we finish one holiday and prepare for the next. We’ve been coming out to La Push for a few years now, always during the winter, and enjoying the solitude of the stormy beaches. This trip was no different – with incredible breakers driven by unprecedented heavy rain throughout the Northwest. The skies were leaden grey, occasionally sparkling shot thru with distant light, and weeping heavy mist. Perfect weather for vampires or PNW natives… the beaches were almost deserted, often allowing us to lay first tracks.

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Harpo testing out the neoprene socks at high tide

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Northwest School of Mystical Hikers vibe…

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All the sea stacks fading into an impossible horizon north of Rialto Beach

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The surf was heavy, the sea swollen after recent storms – the breakers were hitting the high tide mark hours after

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Northwest forests are always spooky in the half misty light – ghosts abound, the imagination runs ahead of the feet…

Bogachiel River Romp – also Waterproof Sox

Harpo and I first hiked the Bogachiel River trail when we were starting to train for the Appalachian Trail hike in 2013. It was as wet as we remembered. And although it’s hard to romp hip deep in icy water, we did our best. The trail was muddy, wet and due to recent storms there were numerous blowdowns – but it provided a welcome (if not wet) few hours of hiking.


We got to test some new gear – NRS Hydroskin .5 neoprene socks. These actually worked great when paired with wool liners – tho to say they are ‘waterproof’ is a misnomer. Neoprene works by allowing the body to heat a small area of water close to the body – so like using a wetsuit, you’re wet but warm.

I tried the neoprene socks alone, wool socks alone, and the wool/neoprene combo. The wool/neoprene combo was definitely the warmest, allowing for a quick reheat every time our feet were drenched again. Both Harpo and I remarked we’de like try the neoprene socks if we hiked the AT again, especially towards the end of the season. I used lightweight DarnTough no show socks as liners the first day, and DarnTough hiker crew socks the second day – my only complaint is the wool socks retain too much water, causing the feet to feel super heavy. I’m excited to try the combo with thin REI wool liners, as well as experimenting with poly liners. These beat a bread bag for sure! Tho considering carrying the weight just for those times when your feet are wet all day is tough….