I got the ball rolling by just showing up at the Larson Park Bocce Ball courts in Arcata one Saturday morning. Intending only to watch, I was surprised when John, Dave and Rochelle invited me to join them. As I soon learned, playing with four is much preferred to any other combination, even if the […]
Get Out
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Bikes and Booze
There is a fine art to wine and food pairing — the notes and tones of the right wine will bring out the flavors of a dish, and the balance of sensations in a dish will affect the taste of the wine. There is a similar art to pairing the right outdoor activity with the […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
The Clam Whisperer
On a recent late April morning, in the hazy half light of dawn, I found myself wearing rubber boots, burdened by several layers of clothing and a shovel, and marching awkwardly through soft sand of the fore dunes to the ocean. There were hundreds of us, bulky and burdened, in a surreal trudge toward the […]
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Remodeling Our Wheel Estate
Long ago as a baby-faced innocent, I first read Jack Kerouac’s classic On the Road as I hitchhiked my way around Australia. Too naive to fully appreciate the nuance of Kerouac’s message, I embraced the superficial, carefree love of the walkabout. I liked to think that I was one of Kerouac’s people “who are mad […]
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For the Birds
The birders are coming. Godwit Days are upon us, a time when Humboldt welcomes avian aficionados from far and wide, especially those obsessed with adding as many different birds as possible to their life lists. As the organizers note, the festival is held during the spring migration of the marbled godwit, one of many […]
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Coasting (Part 2)
Over the years I have walked as much of the Humboldt County Coast as possible. The extraordinary wild and windy Lost Coast is the equal of any coastal walk I have taken anywhere in the world. It combines solitude with stunning landscape and incredible intertidal shoreline. Not far behind is the Carruthers Cove to Skunk […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Coasting
The day before my friend Lars and I had planned to explore a section of the California Coastal Trail, a storm system swept through that was cold enough to blanket Kneeland, Liscom Hill and the entirety of the Coast Range with a thick coating of snow. Squalls buffeted our house into the early morning. I […]
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Crab a la Kayak
It was a perfect winter day in Trinidad — blue skies, bright sun and ocean breezes. Just right for hauling crab pots around on a kayak. Yes, a kayak. While they may not be the most conventional crabbing vessels around, kayaks have a growing fan base, according to Greg Mounton, who helps coordinate the […]
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Break out the Crab Pots
For newbies: For those looking to learn the sport of kayak crabbing, Mouton offers free classes through Pacific Outfitters. Class schedules are posted at the Eureka store and on the LCKA Facebook page. He also organizes several species-specific charity tournaments a year. The Trinidad Rock Fish Wars in October draws 70-100 participants and raises […]
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Star Struck
For the grand finale of a Sierra hiking trip this past August, we got up at 2:30 a.m. and left from Guitar Lake to summit Mt. Whitney for sunrise. There was a new moon that night, and the neon and incandescent civilization was far away. With no competing light in this rarified air more […]
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Stand Up and Paddle
It’s raining again. After a glorious September and early October, the fog is rolling in and the days of peek-a-boo sunshine are back. For me, this means my running season is over, and my climbing is going mostly indoors. But there are still a few ways to enjoy Humboldt that do not include whining about […]
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Do It
Last year, my willpower sputtered out at mile 23. A runner behind me wept as she shuffled along. That 26.2 miles is long way. “One foot in front of the other,” I told myself. This was awful. But 20 minutes later, the announcer was saying my name as I crossed the finish line a […]