Weekend Wanderer: Sespe Wilderness in Los Padres National Forest, part 2

This is a continuation of the story of my first-ever backpacking trip, where Trailer Park Boy and I hiked into the Sespe Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest, attempting to reach Willett and Sespe hot springs via the Piedra Blanca Trail.

We spent the first hour of the morning packing up, eating our granola bars and referencing our map.

Once completed, we set off.

In the wrong direction.

And it made all the difference.

Somehow, we missed the trail, crossed the river and ended up in a valley of boulders. After hiking downstream for about 10 minutes, along what most certainly was NOT the trail, we crossed the river again to try and find our way. Hopping along boulders, we looked for the trail until I hopped off a boulder and sprained my ankle! I spent a couple of minutes breathing like I was in lamaze class (no tears!), hopped up and said "I'm ready to go!" I stood up, looked in the direction we were climbing, and there, quite clearly, was the trail. Right in front of me. Directly post-disaster. Just imagine how pissed I was. I climbed up there and stuck my foot in the creek immediately to ice it.

TPB comes up and sits on a rock. "We have three options," he tells me. "Option A: Hike back. Option B: Stay here, keep your foot in the creek, and camp here tonight. Option C: Keep going." 

I knew immediately that I couldn't keep going. But I definitely didn't want to cut our weekend short. So I chose option B. TPB told me later that this was a test, that he wanted me to choose option B. Looks like I passed. 

We ended up just hanging out in that general area, setting up camp, and chillaxing. We got to swim in the creek, take a nap, build an epic fire, and just have fun--all my favorites!

Although I had to hike back 5-6 miles on a sprained ankle, TPB wrapped it with duct tape and I survived. It wasn't so bad and now I can limp to my heart's content. LOL

Check in next weekend for a random assortment of photos from the adventure and more!

Weekend Wanderer: Sespe Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest, Part 1

Have you ever been backpacking?*

Before last weekend, I had never been. Not because I didn't want to or because I didn't think I could do it, but mostly because I don't have the correct equipment or a backpacking buddy. Well, enter my new beau, the Trailer Park Boy (or TPB, for short), a regular hiking, camping and backpacking buff.

Together, we drove to the Sespe Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest, to hike to Willett and Sespe Hot Springs via the Piedra Blanca Trail.

This was quite the lofty goal for my first weekend bushwhacking, but I got by with a little help from my friends--well, sort of. More on that in part two.

We arrived at the trailhead late in the day on Friday, which wasn't entirely ideal but was entirely necessary due to my working, our lack of preparation, etc. Surprisingly, there were tons of boy scouts, backpackers and equestrians taking off around dusk as well. We took off in the near darkness along a well-kempt trail into the unknown.

Taken on our hike back out.

We set up camp at the first primitive campsite along the river, Bear Creek Campground, where we set up our tent, gathered firewood, and enjoyed some freeze-dried beef stroganoff in total darkness. Because of our lack of sight, we were completely unaware of the proximity of the river--a mere 10-15 feet from our tent, as we discovered in the morning!

Check back in tomorrow for more about our backpacking adventure! Watch how things go awry!


*Interestingly enough, when I googled "backpacking," the first wiki article to pop up was about backpacking while traveling, something that wilderness backpacking got me thinking verrrrrry seriously about...again.

I'm going on a troll hunt

It's that time again. I am here to answer the call of adventure! This time, adventure will take me to two new states, on a plane, train, boat and automobile, across new terrain and to new people. I am leaving tomorrow for Alaska on Holland America's Oosterdam!

Itinerary:

Friday, May 25 -- Catch the Amtrak train at Los Angeles Union Station
Saturday, May 26 -- Arrive in wet n' wild Seattle, Washington
Sunday, May 27 -- Hop on our cruiseliner and partay
Monday, May 28 -- At sea
Tuesday, May 29 -- Cruise Tracy Arm
Wednesday, May 30 -- Play in Juneau (7 am - 6 pm)
Thursday, May 31 -- Play in Sitka (8 am - 4 pm)
Friday, June 1 -- Play in Ketchikan (7 am - 1 pm)
Saturday, June 2 -- Play in Victoria, British Columbia (6 pm - midnight)
Sunday, June 3 -- Arrive in Seattle once more; fly from Seattle airport to Long Beach airport

I am SO excited! I will still be updating from the Misty Fjords of Alaska, so be sure to keep checking in on me! I will also be preparing a TON of blog updates full of cool Alaska pics. Check ya later!

Links of Love: Nail Art

As I said yesterday, I've become slightly polish obsessed (think: birthday presents). So today's links of love will touch on some of the nail art trends with which I have recently become familiar.

I discovered water marbling for nails just a couple months ago and still haven't been able to figure out the technique solo. For those of you who don't know, water marbling is a method of painting your nails in which you form the design on the surface of a cup of water using a toothpick or some other tool. After preparing your fingers with tape gloves, the victim rolls their nail through the design. Upon completion, tape gloves are removed and then you have a long, tedious date with your nail polish remover to take off any stray marbling.

The newest, hottest, most Kim Kardashian thing in nails right now--caviar nails. Personally, I think they look tacky, but then again, I've never seen them in person. This manicure consists of painting your nails (preferably with a matching polish/bead combo, but clear coat supposedly works, too) and then pressing/pouring beads onto the still-wet mani. I like the striped/ombre effect here on the pink nails, but the texture still really bothers me.

Speaking of ombre effects, ombre nails and nail polish sets are popping up all over the place. Some of you may not know, but the term "ombre" is a dying effect, generally used on fabric, where the color creates a gradation. I consider this mani to be a sort of ombre cheat because we all know it should really look like this, but this effect is much hard to achieve at home.

Did these wacky and far-out manicures inspire any nail art for you? Post photos please!

A study in duality

I'm not quite sure how it's possible that I am tapping into my girly side so late in life, but it's happening. I wear floaty, girly dresses more often than I wear jeans and a t-shirt. I have begun painting my nails, and regularly (although I still don't care if it chips and looks awful). I have at least as many dress shoes as I do junky shoes.

I mean, just check out my last Amazon order:

China Glaze Fairy Dust

S-shaped body jewelry

Neon brights

Nubar Diamont

Don't judge me.

But never fret, ladies and gents! I am still same old hiking, jumping, dig-in-the-dirt tomboy on the inside.

Last weekend, I went camping! Look forward to a new installment of "Weekend Wanderer"!!

Media Monday: My favorite board game

What I wouldn't give to be playing some

Weekend Wanderer: Sky High Sports

I WENT HERE.
AND IT RULED.

Weekend Wanderer: Ultrazone in Alhambra

It's sad that none of my regular readers will find it surprising that I will gladly drive more than an hour to the other side of the city to play laser tag, but I did.

Despite what the sign says, Ultrazone is "the ultimate laser adventure," and is one of two of this particular chain in Los Angeles. The second is actually much closer to home than Alhambra/South Pasadena area, but it does not boast 11,000 square feet of laser fun. And if you know me, you know I demand only the best in my laser quest.

We arrived at Ultrazone on a balmy evening shortly after a traffic-filled commute that consisted mainly of driving in circles (thanks Google Maps). But once we arrived and made our way into the building, we came to realize our journey was about to take an unexpected turn. The building was dead. With the exception of two people working, we had the joint all to ourselves. I was ecstatic!

And then this guy showed up. At 30 years of age, our new friend comes here every day and plays laser tag, apparently by himself or until poor saps like us come along. We had the very joy of playing with this dude, oh he who calls himself "Game Master." Eight games worth of the Game Master had me wanting to throw him out a window of self defeat, but I used my gun instead of my words and decimated him swiftly...in a couple of the games, anyway.

All in all, definitely worth the drive! For my Phoenix friends, it's on par with Laser Quest, slightly better in some ways, but lacking in that the course is made of wood, not metal grating.

My anti-clothing anathema

I have qualms with clothing.

I don't mean I have qualms with

• women's clothing
• interview clothing
• clothing sizing

While I, in fact, draw issue with all of the above, my issue du jour is clothing in general, and more specifically, the requirement to wear clothing every day.

You might think I'm whacked, but I see no benefits to the societal pressure to be perpetually clothed. It is just that--a norm we have been adhering to for so long that our clothing has lost most of its utilitarian roots, which are now buried firmly in the soil of the superficial consumerism that drives the American economy. Think of the developing world, or religious traditions that veer away from the Western view. Dress varies greatly across a spectrum from entirely fabric-covered to outfits of the loincloth variety.

Yours and my jeans and t-shirt mandate originates, not from a religious perspective nor a utilitarian one, but rather societal. But in that 110+ degree heat, wouldn't it just make more sense to be entirely without? Hell, even in 75 degree weather, clothing is oppressive, obtrusive, and cramps my style.

Not only that, clothing is a shield to hide behind. It's a way of expressing yourself, sure, but also labeling yourself, a broadcast to the world of what kind of person they can expect to find inside these clothes. I see this as majorly negative since you're likely to miss out on amazing individuals solely because you don't think they will be your kind of person.

Now, I'm not saying I wish to be a nudist. I'm just saying that I wish our world view of nakedness would evolve to be less embarrassed and more accepting. I mean, lady parts or dudely parts or a little bit of both--it's just our bodies. They're all essentially the same.

Sure, I understand instances where clothing is necessary--certain working conditions, let's say. I know I wouldn't want to be operating a jack hammer with my lovelies dangling loose and free. And of course, in inclement weather, it would be downright foolish to stick to this ideology. But sometimes, a girl just needs to be free.

Retail Therapy

Sometimes you just need a little retail therapy. Excited for this to come!