Mount Whitney - high above the Lower 48.

We were a rag tag group of climbers, three of us came from Folsom - Gary, Brandon, and myself; two from LA - GENE and Jason; and one mustached mountain man from Mountain House State Forest - Rick.  Rick does forest management at a California State forest. The group's climbing experience was thin with only Gene and I having relevant experience. What they lacked in experience though the rest of the group compensated with determination and a lot of laughs.

The trip started with an ominous tone as Brandon forgot the most essential piece of gear, his boots. Luckily we were only 10 minutes up the road so we doubled back, then onward to pick up Gary. It only took leaving the neighborhood before Gary asserted that he forgot his boots too. Newbies!

Gary, Brandon, and I rocked out to sweet country tunes heading south down US 395 towards Mount Whitney - the miles ticked off quickly as we passed numerous small towns and the turn-off to Mammoth.  We rolled into Bishop, an hour away from the Whitney Portal, with our minds on our last real meal before facing the mountain.  After consulting the Yelp! machine, we settled on a little BBQ spot called the Holy Smoke Texas Style Barbecue.  When the hostess greeted us with a big Texas drawl, we knew we had hit pay dirt.  Out came delicious cuts of beef brisket, half chicken breasts, pulled pork, and ribs along with tasty sides of mac'n'cheese, baked beans, 'slaw, cornbread, and apple cobbler.  We ate, then ate some more.  There were delicious BBQ sauces along with the meal and we even tempted fate by trying the ghost pepper based sauce.  It brought the punch but it was more Oscar de la Hoya than Mike Tyson.  No standing 8 counts were given out as we continued through and polished off the meal.  Holy Smoke was a good choice for our last meal before facing the mountain.

Pre-game meal at Holy Smoke and the Ghost Pepper sauce!

Onward we continued south and made out way to the Whitney Portal well after dark.  The chosen rendezvous spot was in the "overflow parking lot, near the port-o-potties" according to Gene.  Classic.  Everyone else was there with Rick just getting settled and Gene and Jason already set up with their parking lot sleeping bags next to the car.  Gene was rudely awakened by me as we got the run-down of the plan.  Gene was our guide as he'd been to Whitney's summit a handful of times before.

That night the plan was to get some terrible sleep in the parking lot and get started in the morning - no rush on day 1 as we just had 8 miles to cover by mid-afternoon.  The sleep went as expected (rather horribly) yet everyone was in good spirits as we put our packs together in the early morning light and readied for the hike.  A quick stop at the trail head pack scale and we were off.  Gene weighed in with the heaviest pack at 36 pounds and mine was just behind at 33 pounds - rather light.  Others' packs were between 25 and 33 pounds.  Off we went.

Getting packed up.

My expectations were that this hike was going to be relatively straightforward and easier than both Rainier and Shasta.  Besides being slightly less gained elevation than Shasta, we would not need any ice gear and were forecast to have relatively benign weather.  Additionally, I'd been hiking all summer long with numerous strenuous day hikes and various other activities - I felt like my body was at it's peak for the year, perhaps ever.  Would expectations play out?

Look at these guys! From left to right - Gary, Rick, Jason, Gene, Me, and Brandon

We made steady progress throughout the morning, stopping at nearby Lone Pine Lake as a quick aside and at a few spots for snacks.  Weather was really good, sunny and in the 50s, as we hiked through the alpine forests loaded mainly with pine.  Great vistas of the below valley were abundant as we continued to gain elevation.  The trip couldn't have started any better.

Great views and sunny skies on the way up

As we gained elevation, we made our way above the treeline around 11,000 ft. and into the exposed hills guarding Whitney's summit.  Base camp was attained around 2:30 PM and we found a suitable spot for setting up our one-night camp.  Boom, tents came out, water got filled; we could smell the summit.  Soon, the mountain began to have her presence become known.  Winds picked up and the temperature dropped.  As the sun dropped below the ridge line around 5 PM, the temperatures plummeted into the 30s and the winds began howling.  We started to realize that it was going to be a very cold night.  Quickly, our MRE dinners were assembled and scarfed in an attempt to stay warm.  Then, one-by-one, as we were all freezing in the evening twilight and howling winds we retreated to the relative warmth of our tents and mummy sleeping bags.  The last of us were in our beds by 6 o'clock at the very latest.  The night would not be kind.

Brandon and I hunkered down in our two man tent with Gene and Jason in another with Rick and Gary in a third.  Our agreed-upon plan was to wake up at 4 AM and start the summit climb.  At best, I got 3 hours of sleep that night even though we were in our tent for more than 10 hours as the wind howled and whipped the tent into our faces.  Halfway through the fitful night I felt the pillow portion of my sleeping bag and felt nothing but ice.  I assumed that condensation was freezing on the bags.  I pulled my head into the sleeping bag like a scared turtle.  As I watched my watch tick down to 4 AM and waited huddled inside my sleeping bag, I worried about my hiking companions who were even less prepared than me and probably colder.  It was maybe 2 AM at this point; two more hours of waiting and shivering before I would poke my head out of the sleeping bag and see that Brandon and I were covered with a light dusting of super dry snow.  Anything outside of the sleeping bags was frozen and cold.  Luckily I had put my boots and most of my gear inside of my pack so it was sheltered under the tent vestibule and at least dry.  Brandon's boots had a half inch of snow inside them.  The wind was still whipping, keeping everyone awake, I got up and checked on everyone.  Everyone was alive, cold, and not ready to start the hike.  We agreed that 2 more hours of huddling and shivering in our respective tents would be enough to time to perhaps wait out the storm and warm up slightly.  Back into the tent and turtle position in my sleeping bag I went.  At this point I was starting to have pessimistic thoughts that not everyone would be able to make a summit attempt.

Whitney bathed in the first rays of morning sun ... and the cold shade that we needed to escape!

Fortuitously the wind abated and air temperatures slowly began to rise with the coming dawn.  Our group was able to get a little bit of sleep with our delayed departure and the improving weather.  We emerged from our tents after 6 and this time everyone agreed that we would depart soon.  The gathering of day packs and consuming of calories commenced as we began preparing for the day.  Although it had warmed slightly and the wind calmed, it was still in the 20's and felt colder in the shade of the mountain.  We saw headlamps working their way up the 90+ switchbacks and thousands of vertical feet waiting to greet us after our miserable night.  We began the switchbacks, going up to meet the sun's rays as they slowly descended the mountain to meet us.  The thought of the sunshine on my face and warming my body pushed me onward at a fast pace.  Quickly we spread out with myself taking the lead followed by Gary, Rick, Gene, Jason, and Brandon.  As we climbed, I observed Brandon and Jason falling behind.  I began worrying when 10 minutes had passed and Brandon and Jason did not resume the climb.  I did the last thing I wanted to do, turn around and descend, telling the others to continue as we would try to meet them higher on the mountain.

The snow that tormented us all night.  Frigid.

I got down to Brandon and Jason.  Brandon was struggling with classic symptoms of altitude sickness, he wasn't able to warm up, had slight headache, couldn't feel his hands or feet.  We got him some aspirin, fluids, and calories and waited to see if he would feel better.  I sent Jason up the mountain and waited with Brandon.  After 10 mins or so and some encouragement from me, we started at a slow pace up the mountain.  Moving would help Brandon warm up and the sun above would really help.  I took Brandon's pack, carrying both of ours, as we trudged along.  I felt really good and slowly Brandon began to regain strength.  We reached the sun and Brandon really picked up the pace - it was clear he had fought through the altitude sickness and we were going to be fine.  He took his pack back and we continued up to meet the others just before the Trail Crest at 13,600 ft.

Gene at the Trail Crest.

At the Trail Crest, we took a break.  Here we were only 900 vertical feet from the summit yet still about 2 miles away.  Two miles at these altitudes is no picnic but very achievable.  From the Trail Crest I put it into high gear.  We were on the backside of the mountain and tip-toeing along icy loose rocks.  I passed the 3 "windows" with views back to the front side of the mountain and below valley.  The backside views were of the Sequoia National Forest; we could see the John Muir trail cutting up the ridge to meet the Mount Whitney Trail.  The last couple of miles ticked off and finally I saw the Mount Whitney hut as the trail flattened to the summit.  I was there and threw off my pack.  Whitney had been more of  a challenge than I'd anticipated but at the end we would all make it to the highest point in the continental United States at 14,506 feet, just a hundred feet higher than Mount Rainier.

That's my boot!  Victory!

Traditional victory summit beer!  The highest bud light consumed on that day in the Continental US!

A lot of happy faces at the summit

The rest of the group trickled in and we enjoyed lots of snacks and of course some traditional victory beers.  We were behind schedule so we did not linger too long.  Down the mountain we went.  Between the summit and the trail crest, I had to make a bathroom stop which proved to be most satisfying, my first experience with a wag bag.  It was all downhill from there as we made good time down the mountain to our camp and got all the gear re-packed.  I hung out with Gene and Jason on the descent as we fell behind Rick, Gary, and Brandon.  I snapped a lot of pictures and enjoyed the sun on my face and increasing oxygen as we descended.

Third 14,000+ ft. summit under my belt.  Also, an 'E'.

Back to the vehicles by 5:30, we headed to Lone Pine for our victory meal.  Old fashioned milkshakes (with the metal cup) and hefty burgers were consumed, recovering our calorie deficits.  A 6 hour drive awaited Brandon, Gary, and I; we would arrive back in Folsom just before 1 AM.
What a trip.  We dealt with considerable adversity yet overcame.  It was great to introduce 4 new hikers to some serious climbing.  I was challenged more than I thought mainly because of a lack of sleep and colder than expected temperatures.  Since the hike, I've bought more cold-weather gear for the next adventure.  The down jacket is a piece of gear one should never be without.

Our group was awesome.  So many laughs shared and grit shown when things got tough.  I wouldn't have it any other way; well, except for maybe those howling winds, unexpected snow, and frozen sleeping bag.  Now, which adventure is next ...  stay tuned.

Many more pictures on Picasa.
https://picasaweb.google.com/115426733602360079088/MountWhitneySummitSeptember2013?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Moab and Arches - some of Utah's Finest - Fall 2012

From previous escapades, I was well aware that Southern Utah was one of my favorite places on the West Coast for adventure.  Then came Moab!  What a great spot to be outdoors.

Typical Moab View - soak it in.

Some of the usual suspects gathered Gene, Mark, and I.  I flew into SLC to meet Mark; we drove to Moab from there.  Gene made the long solo drive from LA, managed to blow out a tire and won back some casino money lost on our prior Zion trip at the desert lovely oasis called Mesquite.

We planned for a late Fall trip, in mid-October and that was a really good time to be in Moab.  Sure, the days were shorter than August but the weather was warm enough during the daytime and cooled off at night.  The crowds were minimal too; I hear that in the peak Summer season, Moab is a zoo.  I was grateful for the affordable lodging, meaning we didn't have to camp.

Evening 1: We played some disc golf at Old City Park just South of Moab.  I'd rate it a 4 out of 5.  I nearly threw my first hole in one on my first throw on hole 1 - so close!  It was Gene's first disc golf outing and he made considerable improvement throughout.  It was a fun course, challenging but still plenty of birdie opportunities.

Day 1: The first day was all about exploring on two wheels.  I rented a bike from Poison Spider Cycles (sweet name, good service!); Gene and Mark already had their mountain bikes in tow.  We headed out to the Moab Slickrock area.  I highly recommend this for some mildly technical to extremely technical mountain biking.  The risks are high as the trails are solid rock and there are ups, downs, curves, and bumps.

Gene, Mark, and I did the practice loop to get acclimated then headed out to the main loop.  A mile or two into the main loop, we came across an older gentleman who took a hard spill down a steep, technical descent.  Mark, who is a doctor, helped out but really there wasn't much that could be done except make sure to stabilize his back and neck neck, check for broken bones, and distribute pain meds (Mark's specialty).  With that fresh reminder of the perils of mountain biking, we continued along; another mile or so into the trail, after some leg crushing climbs, we came to some stunning views overlooking the Colorado River and the town of Moab.  Some nice descents followed by more minor ascents kept us moving along.  I was sucking wind trying to keep up with Gene while Mark was sucking wind trying to keep up with me - peer pressure in tact!

We pumped out the ride, taking in the ridiculously expansive views.  Back to the car, we loaded up the bikes as we were planning another ride up a nearby fire road.  We made it to the fire road where we saw a bunch of mountain bikers, sponsors, organizers, and spectators setting up for some kind of race.  We were in for a treat, the race was starting soon but we still had time to ride up part of the trail that the mountain bikers would be later going down.  Off we went.  Everyone was gassed from our Slickrock adventures already but we made it up a few miles.  Some race spotters along the way let us know that the race was starting soon so we headed down.  The racers caught us midway back as they literally screamed by.  They made us look like we weren't even moving.  I was going as fast as I possibly could (I don't know, 12 MPH) over all the bumps, crags, huge rocks, loose rock, etc; I thought I was moving semi-fast.  Then these pro guys fly by, jumping all the big rocks, full pedal, probably 25 mph.  Mind you we are on the side of a mountain and heading off the edge would lead certainly to a broken collar bone, neck, or back.  Apparently it takes some huge cahones to be a pro mountain biker.  We saw one guy take a huge jump, clear about 15 ft. of boulders and come off his bike in mid-air but somehow he gracefully recovered without falling and popped back on the bike without missing a beat.  Ridiculous; I would have certainly left my blood and skin on the trail.

After a long day of riding and adventure, we ate some good food at Eddie McStiff's in Moab drank our fair share of beer.

Aren't these rock formations amazing?  They are hundreds of feet tall.

View from the top of our Arches canyoneering adventure

Day 2:  The plan for day two was to go to Pleiades and do some technical canyoneering there.  We had out wetsuits and headed out early.  As we drove to the site, we found that it was much higher in elevation that we'd bargained for and actually there was some light snow on the ground and it was frigid.  Pleiades is a canyoneering adventure best done in the dead of Summer it seems.  We made the call that we probably didn't want to be wet in that weather so we aborted that plan and made an alternate plan to go to Arches National Park.  We had a short day so we were unable to explore Arches thoroughly but we did make time to partake in some really awesome canyoneering.  I don't know the name of the canyon (Teardrop perhaps), but it was very near the entrance to the park, less than a mile or two away from the Moab-side visitor center.  There was a short hike from Park Avenue trailhead back towards the visitor center and then a hefty scramble up to the top of some formations.  From there were great views, and a couple huge bowls to explore.  We found our way to the canyoneering drop-in point and found that the rappelling gradually increased in length and difficulty.  First was a 12 ft. rappel, then a 18 footer, then a 30 footer, then a semi-concerning blind-landing 50 footer.  The rappels were followed by a short hike out and we were on our way again.

Brent spread-eagled on the last (longest) rappel.

Arches is certainly a place I'd like to spend a couple of days at and Moab is an area I think I could spend an entire week or Summer exploring.  I will be back!

I still have Bryce Canyon to explore so hopefully I will be back in Southern Utah in the next couple years ...  and will have time to do Zion again as well as Moab and Arches. So much to do, so little time!

Adventures in Utah -- Part II -- ZION

Zion blew me away.  If you're anything like me maybe you've never even heard of Zion National Park in southern Utah.  If you haven't, get in a car, take a train, ride your bicycle, do anything to get there!  Zion is the definition of epic; one of the most stunning National Parks I have ever been to.

As you drive towards the National Park, you start to see little teasing glimpses of what Zion is hiding behind it's canyon walls.  Gene and I arrived the evening after our grueling St. George mountain biking adventure.  We refueled with some pizza and frozen yogurt and sought out lodging.  The hotels were expensive and paid camping spots booked.  Luckily there is some Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land a few miles outside of Zion which is undeveloped yet free.  Free is perfect.  We headed there and Mark, "Doc Awesome", met us shortly after dark.  We spent the night under the stars in our sleeping bags; glorious.  We slept with the Milky Way painted across the sky on the doorstep of Zion.

In the morning we rounded up all the necessary gear which included all the traditional rock climbing items (ropes, harnesses, belay devices) as well as wetsuits, hiking shoes, and helmets.  It was a beautiful day at Zion with sun and temperatures expected in the 80's.  We rode the Park bus into the Canyon and started from the Weeping Rock Trailhead towards Echo Canyon.  From the trailhead we blitzed up switchbacks on the East Rim Trail for about 4 miles.


Amigos ready for Canyoneering at the Weeping Rock Trailhead 

  

Views from the East Rim Trail

 We fueled up with a tasty lunch of salami & havarti sandwiches as well as gummy worms at the drop-in point for Echo Canyon while switching from our hiking gear to the canyoneering gear, including the wet suits & harnesses over the wet suits.  Ridiculous but necessary for our upcoming adventure. 

Look at Mark's Smile -- "Canyoneering Rocks!"

We dropped into the narrow canyon, utilizing our climbing gear and splashing through icy cold puddles at the bottom of the canyon. As we proceeded the canyon walls stretched higher and higher above us and at spots the canyon was about 8 ft. wide and over a hundred feet tall. Sunlight never hit the bottom of the dark canyon, keeping the water and air temperature very cold; hence the wet suits. We rappelled down 6-7 drop offs where when there is water flowing in the canyon would have been waterfall to pool drops. In the dry summer conditions these drops were from ledge to icy, murky, pools of water. With the water so murky we couldn't predict the depth of the water so I was often the crash test dummy. We came to this decision as we needed Mark at the top to take care of the climbing ropes and Gene's only swimming stroke is the doggy paddle / sink to the bottom.



Brrrrrrrrrrrr!



Welcome to my office!

The drops ranged from 8 to 25 feet with pools at the bottom ranging from 8 inches to deeper than 6 ft. This was a truly unique adventure, not very strenuous and not super technical but a nice blend of both. At one point in the exploring, Gene found a goat foot, evidence of a flash flood victim. Gene kept the 'lucky' foot and named it Edward. ;)

Eddie

After three hours of canyoneering the canyon walls began to subside and we found ourselves an opportunity to escape back to the East Rim Trail. We swapped gear once again and made our way back down to the road.

Celebrating with a beer and tasty food, Gene and I bid farewell to Mark; he was heading back to Salt Lake City to meet his Dad early the following morning.  Gene and I went back to the friendly confines of the BLM land and spent another night under the stars; we had decided to hike Angel's Landing in the morning.

Angels Landing was breathtaking.  The first 2 miles up were grueling switchbacks; heaps of elevation were put under our boots.  Gene and I reached a ridge which stretched for another 3/4 mile to an outcropping called 'Angels Landing'.  Some rock scrambling ensured with drops of 1000 ft on one side and 1300 ft on the other.  Two weeks after our hike the forest service was closing the upper portion of this hike to make it safer.  I highly recommend this hike, especially for those who are not afraid of heights.  At the end of the hike you make it to a nice place to have a small lunch and get amazing views up and down Zion.  If I were an Angel, this is indeed where I would choose to land in Zion.

An afternoon in the Cesar's Sports Book in Las Vegas split up our drive back home.  Another good adventure in the books.



View from Angels Landing



Wow

 

Ridiculous Views



Independence Day Weekend in Pictures

The July 4th holiday is always great, especially when you can expect glorious sunshine here in California.  For the 2nd year in a row I did some boating with friends on New Melones Lake, near Sonora CA.  The Marks really know how to boat, with a party barge, speed boat, and a spread of ribs, shrimp, cookies, margaritas, fresh fruit, and Bud Light.  This year I tried water skiing and wake boarding -- both very difficult.

With the rest of the weekend, I went for a hike in the Stanislas National Forest and spent a lot of time on the ST 1100.  Let Freedom Ring.

http://picasaweb.google.com/bbero82/4thOfJuly2010

Escape to Puerto Vallarta

March 12, 2010 - Day 1: Travel.

The trip got off to an inauspicious start. I was booked on a red-eye flight out of Sacramento on Mexicana Air. Interestingly they had changed my flight from 11:50 PM on Thursday to 12:20 AM on Thursday, a 23 jump back into time! I was informed of this as I proceeded to check in at the slowly progressing check-in time. Even the customer service representative I called the day prior was unaware of this change, he had thought the flight was pushed back a half hour, to 12:20 AM on Friday. Despite the trouble and added anxiety I kept cool as Mexicana was able to accommodate me as there were obviously many others whose flight was changed from Friday to Saturday who were also unaware. Flying out of Sac International was ok, the terminal small and we were the only international flight at this time. Alas, we made it off the ground on-time; heading to Mexico! I had a Sol with Lime and a Tylenol PM and zonked out for a few hours, landing in Guadalajara around 6 AM local time. I took a short shuttle over to my terminal to wait for an 10:30 AM puddle jumper to PV. Again, the flight was on-time which was nice ... kinda surprising. I spoke with a Latino from Chicago who was headed to PV for some sailing lessons and races; he called me a tourist for carrying a PV guide book; sucka! The guide book was really useful and helped me acclimate quickly and identify some good eats and activates.

I arrived into PV around 11:20 AM, got the bags quickly and shared a taxi from the airport with a couple from Elvarta, CA; small world eh? Without issue, I checked in at Villa Del Palmar Resort; travel complete! All and all, the travel was good; it would have been nice to be travelling with a friend though.

I relaxed a bit at the hotel and prepped for the arrival of Reid, Holly, Dennis, Jen, and Trevor by hitting up the local grocer for some Pacifico and Sol! I relaxed at the pool, checked out the beach, got acclimated to Villa Del Palmar’s layout, and took a much-needed nap. I was ready for some amigos!

Dennis, Jen, and Trevor showed up around 4:30 PM and we were enjoying our first beers in Mexico by 5! Salud! Apparently the lines through PV customs / immigration were long for them ... bummer. Reid and Holly’s flight was delayed an hour but made their grand appearance a couple hours later. The companions had gathered; let the games begin!


We enjoyed some more tasty Mexican brew at the hotel then headed into the city to Pipi’s for some food – people were starving! Pipis gave big portions and catered to Americans, slightly expensive for the fare. The place was packed with tourists and buzzed with the sound of a 3 piece band. The traditional Mexican grub was good and they served giant margaritas for the ladies. I had a combination plate of enchiladas & taco (~$14 USD) which hit the spot. The service at Pipi’s was FAST, they were ready with new beers just as your finished and they were expertly poured with flare each time! Pipi's did the job but I hadn't yet satisfied my hunger for authentic Mexican grub. The trip was off to a good start and everyone started to relax.

We walked along the crowded beach walk and found a bar on top of a building to enjoy some more beer and take in the sights. We made it back to the hotel and did a little late-night hot tubbin’ before being unceremoniously kicked out because we were past closing time. They were nice enough about it and we complied. Day 1 in the books.

Day 2: Decompression

Decompression is different for everyone. For Jen and Holly it is about relaxing at the pool, getting some sun, and having a couple beverages. They can “decompress” all day long I learned! For Reid and Trevor it’s about having some beers, chillin, and maybe a few Jaeger Bombs! I decompressed on day 2 of the escape to Puerto Vallarta by going for a seaside run, hitting the gym with the fellas (“gettin’ swoll!”), relaxing by the pool for a few hours with the crew, and having a couple drinks. It was nice – the run was a good one; it’s always different and challenging running barefoot at the beach.

We met some interesting people at the OPP (old-person’s pool) on day 2. First was a big guy in his late 30’s perhaps who was visiting from Wisconsin. He was a jolly fellow even as I ribbed him about Gonzaga’s victory in the Maui Invitational. He offered our crew a couple Corona Lights in a sign of good-sportsmanship. We ran into some spring breakers from Kansas State and hit the hot tub. It’s always good to meet new and interesting people while travelling.

Reid suggested an impressive place for dinner, La Rumba. It was so authentic that even the taxi did not know where it was. La Rumba is a small little place in Vallejo Vallarta (Old Vallarta, also known as the Romantic District by tourists); the service was excellent by an older mustached happy man. The food was very generously priced (~$12 / plate) and $1.50 beers! I asked what the specialty of the house was and got the “Mexican Plate” which was a combination of sorts. There was some carne asada, a fabulous chile relleno, a kind of taco with chicken and cheese and verde sauce, very tasty black beans with crumbled cheese, and rice. The service here was top class – it was apparent that the man serving us got enjoyment from our happiness and he did everything he could to accommodate; he showed us the snapper, brought extra guacamole, serrano peppers for Trevor, and just had a real genuineness about him. La Rumba was small with only 3 or 4 other tables and one other group came in. I was very happy with the food, service, and authenticity! Muy bueno.

We did some exploring around Viejo Vallarta stopping for a drink and just taking in the atmosphere. We headed back to the hotel and played some epic games of 13’s. It was fun getting everyone around and playing some cards; I dominated ... good cards helped! :)

I think everyone was pretty well decompressed at this point! A planned move from our Villa del Palmar to a resort up North, the Grand Mayan was on the agenda for day 3.

Day 3: Grand Mayan Luxxe

We made it to the Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta as planned. I had no idea what to expect but soon found out that the resort is SUPER SWANKY. Trevor’s parents just upgraded their membership to the highest level, so we had plenty of perks and amenities. If we weren’t already spoiled enough vacationing in Mexico just for kicks we had our own Executive Lounge where we had a really nice check-in. We checked out the pool and the premises. The Mayan really catered to those who wanted to lounge by the pool and have drinks brought to them all day. It is more of a pampering and service-oriented resort than a party-going resort. Some of the highlights included a really nice gym and spa, a lazy river, free internet in the executive lounge, and some impressive architecture including 40 ft. Mayan statues in the darkened entryway. The room was really comfortable too with a 2 bedroom suite on the 8th floor overlooking the pool area; really sweet setup for 6 people.


Reid, Dennis, and Trevor went shopping to Wal-Mart on Day 3 and came back with the essentials for the week – beer, beer, and more beer ... oh, and a little food too! We ate in the room that night; a scrumptious meal of hot-dogs and sandwiches prepared by Jen and Holly. Kinda chilled out that night a bit and played some 13s; Trevor and I stopped by the bar in the lobby which was decent for an after-dinner / early evening drink. Met a few Canadians and a girl who seemed to be best friends with her breast augmenter! Dios Mio!

Day 4: Canopy Zip Lining

By day 4, I was itching for an adventure and zip lining hit the spot. I used expert negotiation skills to get a killer deal on the adventure. For all you negotiating newbies out there, listen up. When you’re in Mexico and want to score a good deal, use this tried and true method.

1) Don’t show much interest in the item but inquire about it
2) Always offer 1/3 to ½ less than the original asking price; they expect Americans to barter
3) Get the price down to the “best price”
4) Tell the merchant you have something else to do or saw a better piece of merchandise elsewhere
5) Ask for a lower price; what you are really willing to pay
6) Merchant will refuse, so tell them thank you and walk away
7) Merchant calls out to you as you are about out of distance and re-negotiate your best price!
8) BAM!

I was able to get $75 canopy zip-lining tours for $40 per person which was a pretty stellar deal.



We rounded up the troops and headed into PV to catch our ride up into the mountains. Good times all around as we chilled and had some beers while waiting for the open-air truck to show up. The road up into the mountain was awesome, meandering through the jungle and along ridges up a few thousand feet in elevation. Good thing we had beers because the girls (mainly Trevor!) were scared as we approached cliffs and the tires of the truck driven by a seemingly 16 year old Mexican came within a few feet of the edge. We were sliding and bumping around all over the place. After about a 40 minutes of this we approached the zip line site; three Mexican hombres approached us with unbounded energy. We limbo’d our way to the staging area while “El Nino”, “Captain Jack”, and “The He-She” cracked jokes and ribbed us the whole time. The zip lining was pretty sick; we careened around the canopy from 10 to 100 feet off the ground and over a river’s ravine. The longest ride was about 1000 ft long and took maybe 20 seconds; I’d imagine we were hitting speeds of 20-30 MPH. Naturally us boys were expert zip liners in no time and began riding backwards, upside-down, with no hands and no pants! :) I went inverted like Maverick in Top Gun across the gaping river ravine; one of the highlights of my trip.


After a baker’s dozen zip lines, we ended at a little homegrown cantina and enjoyed some celebratory adult beverages, excellent guacamole & chips, and a ballin’ quesadilla! There was some complimentary tequila tasting of a locally grown and distilled tequila with flavors such as cappuccino, jack fruit, vanilla, and blanco. The zip lining was a blast and I’d recommend it to friends – just remember to barter and let it all hang out! Play hard amigos! We did our tour with Vallarta Adventures (http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/). I think you’d get the best price if you go to their home-base in PV’s northern hotel district to purchase your adventure.

We jetted back to the hotel; nothing too noteworthy except we passed a Corona distributor.

I was really satisfied that we finally had a unique adventure!

Day 5: Aye Carumba

Day 5 was pretty chill for a Mexico vacation day. I hit the beach for another run and cooled down with a swim in the ocean. I was starting to feel a little jealous of those lucky souls who get to live on the beach all the time. The gang hung out by the pool for a bit and took a ride on the lazy river; it was a really nice sunny day out. Trevor and I hit up the Tequila Volleyball; lots of college kids ... a little too college! :) I had one stellar spike and had a good time.

We decided as a group to go into PV for dinner that night (Tuesday). Reid had read a review about a really good joint called Andale, but when we got there it was closed – disaster! We had to rely upon the local taxi driver and he recommended “Aye Carumba”. He advertised as it “muy authentico” but it wasn’t quite what we were looking for. It ended up being a good seafood place with a good view of the city and ocean. There were some fireworks down by the water which we had a really nice view of.

My dinner entree was awesome – I went with the whole red snapper, vera cruz style. It came with salad and some other tasty sides. Although it looked rather unappetizing it was actually really good. Reid even ate one of the eyes; I did too. Holly and Jen squirmed. :) Good protein!


After dinner we walked down a crazy steep hill where the ladies had trouble because of their heels but they were troopers and made it. We hit up a Cuban joint for some beers and then went to a club called Mandela. It was a cool open-aired place with a view of the Malecon (boardwalk). You know we had some drinks and did some shakin’ on the dance floor.

One funny thing happened at Mandela ... As I set down my beer, a drunk-as-a-skunk spring breaker picked it up and started sluggin’ on it. Party Foul! I grabbed it of his mouth with Chuck Norris inspired reflexes and in the process spilled a bit on him; he didn’t seem to notice. His friend sitting with him explained that he was hammered and didn’t know what he was doing. I asked them to buy me a replacement drink but they refused; karma is a B#%*$!

Day 6: Tour de Taco

The Tour de Taco was definitely a highlight of the trip. Reid had done some research on the best spots to get street tacos in Viejo Vallarta. Reid, Dennis, Trevor and I headed into PV via a city bus. It would be a boys only adventure! Obviously we were the only whiteys on the bus and there was even a mariachi band; I was watching my wallet but at the same time really enjoying the culture.

We arrived PV after a bus transfer and made our way to a local restaurant run by ex-Pats. I don’t remember the name of this place, but I do remember the $4 half-gallons of beer they served. On a hot Mexican day, that is the way to start a Tour de Taco.

We were about to begin on a taste-bud tantalizing experience. At the first spot, we had carne asada tacos. The quality is so good, the food so fresh, and cooked right in front of your eyes. Part of the experience is just being there and trying to communicate with the street vendors who often don’t know much English. We were getting looks from the locals who were just getting their normal grub on. The second joint we had beef. The third joint I had the best quesadilla EVER. It was nothing like an American quesadilla. We washed these down with $1 Coronas. The next joint it was smoked marlin with more $1 coronas. This experience was one of my favorite experiences during the escape to Puerto Vallarta.


After all those tacos and beer, what could we possibly want? Hmmm, how about tequila? :) We happened to find a deserted bar called “The Hangout” that was being manned by what must’ve been a 16 or 17 year old bartender. He was pushing 2 for 1 tequila shots which you know we couldn’t resist. We were able to upgrade to the Resposado which I thought was actually very good even though I’m not much of a straight tequila fan. It was fitting for the boys adventure. Salud!

After leaving the bar, we stumbled upon an authentic Cuban cigar shop. The owner was of Cuban descent and really had a passion for cigars. He spent 15 or 20 minutes helping us understand what to look for in a cigar and how to find one that is good for you. Priceless information.

At this point, Reid, Dennis, and Trevor headed to another watering hole and I headed nearby to check out some art that I’d noticed on a previous trip into Viejo Vallarta with the whole group. I found the gallery and art I had spotted earlier. I thought the price was $4,000 pesos, ~$350 USD. It was a really cool piece of abstract art. Alas, turns out it was $4,000 USD! That just wasn’t in the cards – maybe sometime in the future. The piece is by Alfonso Pena at Quadro Galleria (www.quadrogaleria.com).


I rejoined my amigos for a last $4 half gallon of beer; we headed back to Nuevo to meet the ladies for dinner at a pizza joint, Godfathers. :) It wasn’t the American Godfathers – different but tasty and $2 beers never hurt. :)

I reflected on the trip over a few drags off of Trevor’s Cuban cigar from the balcony as I overlooked the resort and Pacific Ocean; this was my last night in Mexico.

Day 7: Back to the US of A through Denver!

The flights back were ok – I made my way through Denver for the first time and arrived in Spokane on Thursday evening. Myself and some good buddies had tickets to the Friday / Sunday NCAA basketball games in Spokane; another adventure to write about on another day.

Mexican Brew Review

My experience in Puerto Vallarta gave me a chance to try many of the local Mexican beers. Here is my top 10 list from best to better. Mexican beer = good.

1) Indio
2) Estrella
3) Pacifico
4) Negro Modelo
5) Bohemian
6) Sol
7) Tecate
8) Corona Light
9) Sol con Lima
10) Corona

Try a Michelada when you are in Mexico (or at home) – pour Mexican lager over an ice filled glass with lightly salted rim and plenty of lime juice. Very delicious on a hot day.

Check out Holly and Jen's Facebook for more pics!

Sandwich of my Dreams ... and Whistler

Whistler Blackcomb is a sweet place, and the greatest sandwich I've had in recent memory was at Portabello in the Upper Village.

Feast your eyes on this.



JD discovered this place, so I have to give him all the credit. My sandwich was a masterpiece -- cranberry bread with roast beef, ham, pepperjack, cheddar, chicken salad (boo-yah - 3 meats), pickle, lettuce, and red onion with hummus and olive spreads. I had to take a picture of my creation. My sandwich was really good, but JD is a sandwich innovator. He was genious enough to inquire about bacon, a rare item which makes everything better. Turns out the bacon was hidden behind the counter -- sneaky. Then, JD did something utterly amazing -- he asked for egg salad on top of his roast beef, turkey, and bacon sandwich. BRAVO YOUNG MAN! Egg salad really took his sandwich to the next level. It keeps getting better -- a customizable salad (also with great, fresh toppings) and drink come with the delectable sandwich for just $12 Canadian (mere pocket change USD)!

That was one heck of a sandwich. You might want to stop drooling all over the place!

The rest of the Whistler trip was stellar as well. Whistler and Blackcomb are both GIANT mountains with a great variety of terrain and the surrounding village has everything you'd want from a resort town. There were so many bars that I'll have to go back just to check all them out.

On Day One, Joe, Christina, David, Liz and I went snowboarding; it was a good day, my first day of the season so I was shaking off all the rust. The night of Day 1 we played some spirited drinking games (I had to ride the bus) and there was a monumental game of Kings -- for rules, you had to curse and use an accent with everything said; plus make an animal sound prior to drinking. JD stole the show with his Aussie, Canadian, Mexican, Indian, and Russian accents. I can't remember if we went out to the bars after our drinking games -- must've been a good night.


Day Two, everyone else was tired from the night's activities and I was pretty roughed up also, but lots of snow had fallen and was expected to keep falling, so I decided to head up boarding alone. It's a decision I didn't regret -- there was a great run off of the Creekside Gondola on the Whistler side called Kadenwood. It was roped off but ridable with a foot of fresh powder. So there I was on a deserted, powder rich run on a great day at Whistler, enjoying every turn ... not to say I didn't face-plant a time or two.

More on Whistler later ...

Allright, continuing the tale (February 27th, 2009).

One of the other special things about Whistler for me was enjoying some quality time with J-Thrilla. I am a BIG fan of this kid, and we turned in quite a performance. We were the non-stop, no-holds barred, "let's take a shot at 8 AM", bash brothers. We puffed cigars outside the pubs, kept the beer flowing inside the pubs, then closed down those pubs; we even sipped brew in the hot tub. Good times!

Day 3 on the mountain was forgettable except for the last epic run of the day. I became seperated from friends most of the day (ehh -- DITCHED!) and was ready to head back to the condo to relax. I was down in the Creekside village looking for some grub but only came upon ridiculous lines. Boo on lines! I decided to call it a day and walked to the bus stop to grab some transportation to Whistler Village. Talking to local 'Joe' I found out that ride was going to cost $2; everywhere else was complimentary. Quite a dilemma; I had 2 options. 1) Hang out with Joe and pay $2. 2) Gondola back up and ride gloriously (FOR FREE!) down to Whistler Village one last time.

If you know me, you know what I did. Gondola baby. As soon as I made this decision, I was IMMEDIATLY rewarded. Still hungry, I scavanged through my backpack for any leftover granola bars. BAM, I found two leftover sandwiches from JD and Caitlyn's lunch at Portabello the prior day. I unwrapped one at random and discovered the leftovers of JD's masterpiece with egg salad! MAGNIFICIENT; I knew the kid was a genious. I scarfed down the sandwich, every bite better than the last.

I hopped off the goldola and started boppin down the mountain, just takin' her easy. As Whistler Village came into view, I hear a "yo Brent" from behind me. I took a seat, swivelled around and saw my bro, my flesh & blood, J-THRILLA! We decided we needed ONE MORE EPIC WHISTLER RUN; "to the top" he said and I said "YUP."

Thirty minutes of lifts and we were as close to the top as we could get. We rode down through a deep powder bowl, some moguley junk, and just a few more last Whistler runs. Riding down with James on that last run was perfect.

Some other things I'll remember from Whistler were the Ketchup Chips (weird), the drunken singing couple walking back from NYE at 4 AM, and the "2000 Sweet Running Mix".

I can only imagine what Whistler is like with full coverage ... someday I shall return.

MickyD's

Often time fades the sting of a bad experience. Other times the opposite is true.

Let me set the stage.

After a long and arduous night of consuming copious amounts of alcohol after the Zags tragic slaying at the hands of the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2007 Battle in Seattle, my GU crew and I decided we needed ot refuel on McDonalds. On principal, I avoid most fast food and very rarely touch MickyD’s, but on this day a sausage biscuit and classic Egg McMuffin had me pretty excited. Definitely something was wrong.

Stage is set, ACT I.

Walk into MickyD’s, everything is cool, no line, breakfast still being served, right on! Get up to the counter and start the order.

Brent (lazily pronouncing because of hangover): “Can I have a sausage mcmuffin, egg mcmuffin, and a yogurt ... to go”

Cashier (language barrier apparrent): “Ok, 2 sausage mcmuffin and egg mcmuffin.”

Brent: “Huh, no – one sausage mcmuffin and you forgot my yogurt.”

Cashier (no change): “2 sausage mcmuffins and egg mcmuffin.”

Brent (using hand gestures): “No, no. 1 yogurt, 1 sausage mcmuffin, 1 egg mcmuffin”

Cashier (seeming to understand, nodding): “Ok”

BRENT WAITS FOR FOOD, INTERMISSION
FOOD ARRIVES, ACT II

Here comes the food, disguised in the to go bag. Brent peers in, NO FREAKING YOGURT. Not having the heart to try to explain the situation to the rest of the language-impaired staff, Brent succumbs to his fate ... But, he does want some ketchup.

ACT III

Brent to food deliverer: “Can I have some ketchup please”

Food Deliverer doesn’t say a word, simply picks out ONE ketchup packet and drops it into Brent’s bag.

Brent: “THIS IS THE WORST MCDONALDS EVER!”

Brent walks out angrily (but still enjoys the sausage mcmuffin and egg mcmuffin sans yogurt).

THE END

A few lingering questions ...

1) Where is my freaking yogurt? Did I imagine ordering it?
2) Who gives out 1 ketchup packet? Are you serious?