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djh
Senior Nomad
Posts: 936
Registered: 1-2-2005
Location: Earth mostly. Loreto, N. ID, Big Island
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mellow fellow, plays a yellow cello...
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Winter Solstice
Nomad, Amigos,
Enjoy this special nodal point, when the days start to grow longer... especially important for those of us in the cold, snowy north... (waiting for my
next trip to Baja :-).
I 'll be sitting in a hottub, watching the stars, and dreading the dash back into the house.... (12 degrees F. and falling...). And sharing Soju with
my friends visiting Shing and I ~ from Korea. We'll take them skiing and boarding the following morning 
This has always been an important day for me... maybe because it signals both the beginning of winter (on the calendar, anyway), and also the
beginning of the slow march towards spring and longer days.
See you in Baja after Christmas!
djh
Its all just stuff and some numbers.
A day spent sailing isn\'t deducted from one\'s life.
Peace, Love, and Music
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13033
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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And a merry soltice to you too djh, enjoy your winter and thanks for reminding us of longer days to come...hasta pronto
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Bajagypsy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1416
Registered: 8-31-2006
Location: BahÃa Asuncion BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Living the dream
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I love winter solstice as well, means my seed catalogs will start arriving, and I can start playing in the dirt again!!
Merry Winter solstice one and all.
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fdt
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4059
Registered: 9-7-2003
Location: Tijuana, Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Yeah, what if it all goes right
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Feliz Solsticio a todos
A well informed Baja California traveler is a smart Baja California traveler!
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
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Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Winter Wonderland
I hear that it's also a great time to go Mountain Climbing, especially up North.
Then Again ..............
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Cincodemayo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 3-7-2005
Location: Pacific NW
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djh....Couldn't agree more as in the Seattle area November and December have proven how much Spring and Summer are missed. As a comedian said about
the PNW and Seattle...Everytime I'm in Seattle there is this drizzling rain constantly coming down and I look up in the corner...there's the sun with
a gun to it's head.
Don\'t get mad...
Get EVEN.
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Cincodemayo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 3-7-2005
Location: Pacific NW
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Bill......tell that to those poor souls that are frozen solid on Mt. Hood...
I don't get it.....Climb mountains in the DEAD of winter with hurricane force winds and blinding whiteouts. Watched the Discovery's Mt. Everest with
those fools and I'm struck with what the "F" are they thinking!
Don\'t get mad...
Get EVEN.
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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No problem with fools that risk their lives climbing a mountain, but definitely having a problem with rescue people having to risk their lives to get
forementioned idiots off the mountain, dead or alive.
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Cincodemayo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 3-7-2005
Location: Pacific NW
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Vandenberg I couldn't agree more but from being in the Fire Service those guys and gals in Search and Rescue love what they do.
Don\'t get mad...
Get EVEN.
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
Member Is Offline
Mood: undecided
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The sun's gonna start heading back up this way. 
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bajaandy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 769
Registered: 2-7-2004
Location: North County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Adventurous
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I saw the topic of this post and I just had to reply.
Many years ago a long time friend and I started to journey south to Baja every year around this time to discover and surf points unknown (to us,
anyway). Eventually we came to call these surf getaways our Winter Solstice trips.
Since that good friend moved to Washington State, we don't make those trips every year like we used to. But he did fly down a couple of years ago to
join me and some other friends for a commorative Winter Solstice trip to the Seven Sisters.
He and I used to joke about how long the nights would be on those trips. Its tough when you're sitting around the campfire and it's just a tad after
6:00 and its already dark and cold. We had to convince each other to stay awake and not turn in so we wouldn't wake up at 3:00 a.m.
Once we invented a game that we called Mouse Trap. There we were, sitting at the fire, a camp box between us with chips and drinks on it, when we saw
a mouse scamper along next to the bottom of the box. We'd been sitting there so quietly and not moving that the mouse began to get very bold. Bad
move on it's part.
Now you have to understand that these were long and boring nights, and we'd do just about anything to keep ourselves entertained. Back at that time,
I was making a living building custom stairs, and as such often had left over balusters or pieces of hand-rail to bring along as firewood. Turns out
that an old baluster makes a pretty good wacking stick. Armed with a baluster in hand, we'd wait silently, poised and ready to strike as soon as the
mouse was in range. The funny thing was, we wound up with about a half a dozen dead mice before we were laughing so hard the mice wouldn't come
around anymore.
Anyway, I have so many good memories of those early Winter Solstice trips, that this time of the year always makes me long for Baja. Cold sand in the
morning, strong offshores blowing, good northwest winter swells. The spray blowing back up in your face as you drop in and set the rail. We used to
throw a single strip of bacon on a piece of fire wood so that we could smell it when we were out in the line up.
Good times, those Winter Solstice trips. Thanks djh, for bringing up the memories.
subvert the dominant paradigm
"If you travel with a man, you must either fall out with him or make him your good friend."
JBL Noel
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17301
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Online
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaandy
Armed with a baluster in hand, we'd wait silently, poised and ready to strike as soon as the mouse was in range. The funny thing was, we wound up
with about a half a dozen dead mice before we were laughing so hard the mice wouldn't come around anymore.
Good times, those Winter Solstice trips. |
What stopped you from driving into town to bean a few stray dogs?
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
No problem with fools that risk their lives climbing a mountain, but definitely having a problem with rescue people having to risk their lives to get
forementioned idiots off the mountain, dead or alive. |
Costs for the Mt Hood rescue, so far, are estimated just over $100,000. Oregon law does not require the families to pay; the taxpayers foot the bill.
Some ill prepared adventurers decide to test their skills at the expense of their families, their children, the rescuer's lives and the huge costs.
While I Won't judge others for following their passions, I do believe in the old saying;
YOU WANNA PLAY; YOU GOTTA PAY !!
I'm glad I don't pay taxes Oregon. We could see the action by telescope from our front deck in Washington.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17301
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Online
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Diver
| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
No problem with fools that risk their lives climbing a mountain, but definitely having a problem with rescue people having to risk their lives to get
forementioned idiots off the mountain, dead or alive. |
Costs for the Mt Hood rescue, so far, are estimated just over $100,000. Oregon law does not require the families to pay; the taxpayers foot the bill.
Some ill prepared adventurers decide to test their skills at the expense of their families, their children, the rescuer's lives and the huge costs.
While I Won't judge others for following their passions, I do believe in the old saying;
YOU WANNA PLAY; YOU GOTTA PAY !!
I'm glad I don't pay taxes Oregon. We could see the action by telescope from our front deck in Washington.
. |
Huh?
If you make climbers pay, then you better make boaters pay.
If you make boaters pay, then you better make all people that live in wood houses pay for the fire department responding to their house fire.
I would rather have my tax dollars to saving recreationists and wood home owners than paying for war in Iraq.
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
Member Is Offline
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Huh ?
We do pay for fire protection; it's itemized in our taxes.
You want an ambulance; your insurance pays.
If you fall off your horse, you or your insurance pays, etc...
So why shouldn't recreationists pay for their own mistakes ?
Those that don't make mistakes and need rescueing should pay the bill for the others ?
Huh yourself !
And let's not get into Iraq; that goes without saying.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Footing the Bill
Earlier today on the "Big Story" Fox News Channel, John Gibson was interviewing a character on this story and said person was rambling on about the
"adverture spirit" that drives men to conquer new territory, yada, yada, yada, and without it, we never would have gone west of the
Rockies.............
Gibsons' reply was "Yeah, but Lewis and Clark didn't expect the government to come and bail them out".
My solution ? Forget about charging them for the rescue. Simply don't go looking for them. Either they'll make it back or they won't. If they
don't, TOUGH ! Darwin strikes again.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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When I was involved in SAR activities with DPS, any costs incurred over a certain threshold was billed to the victim's home insurance
carrier.......sometimes we collected, sometimes we didn't. Don't know how it is in Oregon
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bajaandy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 769
Registered: 2-7-2004
Location: North County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Adventurous
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaandy
Armed with a baluster in hand, we'd wait silently, poised and ready to strike as soon as the mouse was in range. The funny thing was, we wound up
with about a half a dozen dead mice before we were laughing so hard the mice wouldn't come around anymore.
Good times, those Winter Solstice trips. |
What stopped you from driving into town to bean a few stray dogs? |
HEY HEY!!! Check it out everybody.... the goat can edit!
Oh... by the way, driving into town was out of the question. Dog's would have required something more than a baluster, say maybe a 2x4.
subvert the dominant paradigm
"If you travel with a man, you must either fall out with him or make him your good friend."
JBL Noel
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Mango
Senior Nomad
Posts: 685
Registered: 4-11-2006
Location: Alta California &/or Mexicali
Member Is Offline
Mood: Bajatastic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MrBillM
Earlier today on the "Big Story" Fox News Channel, John Gibson was interviewing a character on this story and said person was rambling on about the
"adverture spirit" that drives men to conquer new territory, yada, yada, yada, and without it, we never would have gone west of the
Rockies.............
Gibsons' reply was "Yeah, but Lewis and Clark didn't expect the government to come and bail them out".
My solution ? Forget about charging them for the rescue. Simply don't go looking for them. Either they'll make it back or they won't. If they
don't, TOUGH ! Darwin strikes again. |
That's kinda how I feel about it.
It's a tough situation. When I climbed Pico de Orizaba in Mexico with two of my friends back in the 90's we knew we were on our own. It's part of
the adventure.
I've climbed several peaks in the Cascades and Sierras. I've aided in rescues or searches for fellow climbers a few times. Most times people pushed
themselves too far and exceeded thier limits... often in a short sighted attempt to make it back to work on Monday, etc..
Trying to explain to someone who has never climbed a big mountain, why you climb big mountians.. is like trying to explain god to an atheist.
It was almost ammuseing watching the press try to understand climbing, the equipment used, and what was really going on. The famous "Y" signal in the
snow...was a snow anchor setup.. it's snow caves... not ice cave.. blah blah blah..
Some routes on big mountains are actually safer to climb in winter due to decreased rockfall and better ice conditions on the glaciers. Again.. most
people just would not understand.
Here is a sunrise from about 13,000 on the north side of Mt. Shasta.
My heart goes out to the families and friends of the climbers. Sometimes climbers have a problem when they climb big mountains.. they don't stop at
the top.. the just keep climbing.
Bless their souls.
[Edited on 12-20-2006 by Mango]
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FARASHA
Senior Nomad
Posts: 848
Registered: 6-3-2006
Member Is Offline
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WINTER SOLSTICE - YEAH - days get longer again!!!!!!
Will spend my day/eve on that day in the sauna, sweating a bit (to cure my baja fever) and also dreading the dash back to the house!
MANGO - WHOW - nice picture, what a view!!
And here too some nutty people climbing up the Mountains (Alps of Austria) to ski down in areas that are not safe, and sometimes causing Avalanches,
or breaking their bones, getting lost in an Glacier's Crack,.........
BUT nevermind - the Rescuer's Troops are carved of the same piece of wood. They just love doing their job. And the insurance pays, (if you got one)
otherwise it's your bill.
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