Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane ridge has been a goal of mine since i found out last year that they actually have a small ski resort. After looking at the website and talking my Boarding partner into it we planned for this year. So when the time finally came to make the trip over to the olympics the first time, we were greated with 15 feet of snow, and road closures. This forced us to reschedule for the following weekend. The following weekend was an amazing time to go though. With bluebird sky's and no wind we were greated with pure white walls of epic powder bliss. Fresh tracks to be had all around the mountain, little did we know the work that would be needed to attain these tracks. Having never used a rope tow or a poma tow i was surpised at the level of effort needed to maintain myself on these without falling. This would be the first of many obstacles to overcome before even hitting our first run.
After taking the rope tow, and destroying my gloves. We reached a small ridge, knowing we had to hike up, i unhooked my board and started hiking up. We reached the top of the first hill, and looked on to the massive wall that loomed in front of us, still a short hike away. Taking a small break we hiked the ridgeline up to the top, and after enjoying the breathtaking views, shredded down the untouched wall of powder.
At the bottom although excelirated you cant help but be a little dissapointed, and wanting more. Having that single run not be enough to quench that appitite for pure powder.

Wired Session 56- 2012

Wired Session 56- 2012

I figured i would post up this mix on my blog for those that didn't know. This one i am really happy with, and has some nice suprises for you. Starting out with some killer remix's and then some very layered, driving electro-trance, all finished off with some aggressive hardstyle style electro. Listen and tell me what you think? I hope you enjoy it.

Christmas Time

    Last week i took down the last of my Christmas decorations, i brought out all of  my box's, and while listening to the last of my Christmas music, i set about the task of putting everything away until next year. As a self described Christmas nut, this time of year is always a bit sad for me. To know that i have to wait another year for the joy, and excitement that Christmas brings. For the excitement of spending the holidays with family and friends. The joy of over decorating your house with trinkets and ornaments collected at random Christmas shops, and stores that i have found in my travels. For me each item brings to it a memory of Christmas past, of the person that gave me the ornament, or decoration. Of where i was in my my life, and what Christmas was like for me then. It is, in a way another way for me to travel down Christmas lane, and think of and reminisce about Christmas past.
   For me, i love Christmas for a wide variety of reasons. Not only for the ridiculous decorations, or the opportunity to try and put up so many Christmas lights you can see the glow from your house, before you even reach your street. It for me is really the entire season. Its the fact that its the end of the year, business's are slowing down, and people are taking vacations. The weather starts to get colder, and some of us secretly wish for snow to make the season that much more festive. On top of that, there are all of the various holiday events, and party's. The various Christmas parties with friends, dinner with family, and holiday parties at work. Christmas is a time where we really try and be a bit nicer, where we take the time to think about other people, if even it is just to send them a card, or volunteer at a food shelter. For some people though all Christmas is, is an over hyped holiday,which makes me sad, but for me its so much more.
  Now i don't really see religion during Christmas, as i believe in our day and age it should transcend religion. It should be something that we can all come together on, if even it is just to be a bit nicer around this time of year. I believe that you can take something from Christmas regardless of religion if you simply take it for what it is. The one time a year where people come together to say thanks for being in our lives. To say thanks for being in my family, and being my friend. To celebrate past years, and to look forward to the future. To give something to someone that will make their life better, to show them they are not forgotten or to simply put a smile on their face. Regardless of the cost, whether it be homemade and no cost at all, or something that broke the bank, the cost should never be the issue, it should always be the thought behind it. And right there is the core of it, the thought...thinking of others.  
    I  try very hard to start and keep traditions around the holiday season, because i believe that it is another big part of it. That tradition can be anything, and the fun thing is coming up with those traditions. For me this year, i started a Hard Cider tradition where on Christmas eve, we open up a different bottle of Hard Cider and sit outside and smoke cigars. Its not much, but its something where years later when we continue this tradition we can talk about years past. We can remember the good bottles and the bad bottles, and the conversation is all spurred on by our traditions. I was very privileged to have a mother that tried very hard to start and keep family traditions. She did this, because she grew up in a family that did not have them. Christmas in her family seemed to be more of a time of depression, where they focused on all they didn't have, instead of celebrating what they did, Family, and friends. Christmas doesn't have to be about the gifts you give, it should be about the time you spend. The traditions and celebrations that you and your family and friends share around the holiday. Its getting together to share that bottle of cider, or to do that white elephant gift exchange you have done each year with friends. Where there is one weird gift like a vase, that comes back every year, and is the most coveted of white elephant gifts. These kind of  traditions, and celebrations are what Christmas is to me. Its the reason i run a a Christmas themed camp, and why when i am feeling down i listen to Christmas music. To try and grab hold of that feeling of togetherness and joy that Christmas brings, and to share that with the world.

Detroits Theatre Bizarre

 Recently i went out to Detroit to take part in a magical event called Theatre Bizarre, the initiation. I had never really heard of it, being from the west coast, but everyone that had, said it was a killer unbelievable event. So i was super excited as i left the rain of Seattle and boarded my plane to Detroit.
 I had never been to Detroit before, so i was excited to be going to a new city. Plus since the auto industry bust, i was interested to see how this once big city was doing. As i got off the plane and wandered to the terminal to meet my ride, i wondered what adventures lie in store for me. I was curious as to how Detroit would look like, having heard of its decline in recent years. As i exited the airport  and met my friend to drive where i was staying, i will say i was shocked at the difference between Seattle and Detroit. No, not the obvious location differences like tree's and landscape, but the city itself. Detroit is a city that feels like it is slowly dying, there were whole streets where not one person lived, and every house was boarded up or tagged. Driving through parts of the city there was building after building that was empty and derelict. Now was this the case all the way around, no. There were still nice parts of Detroit, where if walking around you could forget that a few streets down were empty buildings, and few stores or business's. But you couldn't tell if you were just driving through, as it seemed to really access these little gems, you had to drive through the areas that were empty. I will say though that the nice areas that i visited reminded me of the old time feel that i love. Old time brick buildings, with maple tree lined streets, where the colors of fall, the browns and dark greens covered the ground. The streets and yards were filled with falling leaves, and houses where someone had already gone out to rake a pile of leaves, only to find it full the next day with more.

 Now with that being said there seems to me to be a bit of a revival in the sense of the arts in Detroit. Theatre bizarre being one of those revival groups. Theatre bizarre i found is more than just an event but a whole group of young circus based performers, and artists. They have carved out a place in the middle of what looked like the worst part of Detroit and created their own little Circus and Vaudevillian home. Like something from a movie, driving up and around the actual theatre bizarre compound was amazing and awesome. It was nice to see something fantastic rise up from the ashes. From what i was told, normally this yearly event was held at there location, but since this was really an illegal place to hold it, this year they took advantage of the cities need for anyone to use their buildings, and they threw their event in Detroit's Masonic temple.
 Detroit's Masonic temple is the largest Masonic temple in the world, and a truly stunning place to hold an event such as this. The temple itself added to the overall feel and atmosphere of the event. The architecture of the building, and the layout was amazing and confusing all at once. There were several ways to get everywhere. There were secret back stairways to other rooms, and secret rooms where if you could find them, held awesome shows.

 The room that i worked with was the fistorium with Lady Pain and her dungeon. Which was one of 7 different themed areas. The event held live bands, flaming acts, costumes galore, Dj's, a huge variety of circus and vaudeville type acts, and roaming acts like the Detroit Party Band. This location was so big, that the 2400 people that made it, you could never tell. Any time i left my room to wander around, i always ended up lost, asking someone what floor i was on, or at least what room. Having been a regular burner, i am used to costumes and craziness, and this event lived up to that. Every single person was dressed to the nine in some Halloween style costume, hundreds of zombies, undead, bondage, hello kitty vikings, stilt walkers, vampires, robots, and fallen angels to name just a few of the costumes i saw. Being someone who loves costumes, i was very impressed at the level of costumes and time people put into them that i saw at this event. Which made wandering around so much more fun, and also added to the level of confusion of where i was at the moment. I would walk up one level of stairs but really still be on the same floor, then walked through a door, then a room, then down two flights, through another room, up one flight, and somehow magically end up somewhere i wasn't expecting. I am sure mostly this had to do with me just so in awe of the event that i wasn't paying attention to where i was walking, but made for a gloriously awesome adventure of being lost. Its funny that i would wander around, taking in the sights, and acts and randomly without knowing i would walk up a flight of stairs, and see devils and bondage racks, and knew i was home(well back at the room where my stuff was).
 In the course of the night after getting the music setup and running, and wandering around i took part in two separate piercing style rituals. One where lady pain all dressed in virginal white, laid on the alter and with fallen angels, and mistress's surrounding her had her nipples pierced, by her dark and alluring piercer in her black cloak. The second ritual involved myself dressed in hot pants, black fur boots and large black angel wings proceeded to add extra feathers in the form of feathers attached to long needles that were pierced to me. Now i am an experienced piercee....as in, i have gotten a lot of stuff pierced in my time. So i was excited to be getting pierced again after so many years of not having anything done due to having nothing left that i wanted to get pierced. As i walked out in the procession with the seductive piercer in her black cloak and i asked for someone to hold one of my arms, this sweet woman, looked at me and asked me if i was OK with getting pierced. I guess being in a dungeon i could see where it might be something forced on me....but of course this was not the case, and i was happily ready to although temporary be pierced with additional feathers.
 Another awesome group of local burners who somehow managed to stand out in a sea of undead, and dark denizens of the night were dressed up in bright pink viking gear. They were the Hello Kitty Vikings, and along with there pink attire, light up pink viking helmets, and pink weapons, they attached a cardboard viking ship, so that when they were all together and the ship was attached they looked like a pink viking vessel sailing through a sea of black. I loved the fact that these were the people i went to the event with, and i loved that they were dressed in much more burner style attire then everyone else. In an event full of all sorts of dark and scary costumes, from zombies, to mass murderers to mexican undead, to steam punk, to robots, these pink denizens of the night stood out. I do not think i saw anyone else at the whole event as bright and colorful as this group. They stood out in every room the entered.

 

The Hello Kitty Viking Ship!!

Hello Kitty Vikings!

 In the end as i boarded my plane back to Seattle, completely high on such an awesome event, i went back to Seattle with a new found appreciation for the people and artists of Detroit. Having no expectations for any of it, i was happily impressed by the people, groups, art, and friendliness of the people of Detroit. This is one event that i will be a sounding board for here in Seattle, and somehow i will for sure make it back to the next Theatre bizarre event.



My Costume!!

Burning Man 2011

Burning Man 2011 Rites of Passage

 I have been thinking a lot about how to properly write about burning man and even now i dont know if i can properly convey the kind of experience it is. For me this was my 6th year straight, and by far the best one yet. So how do i put that into words, how do i explain something that is so visually striking, a place that at once is stark and beautiful, desolate and wondrous. To experience the true ingenuity of man, to marvel at what we can create when we are given an empty canvas to work with. Somewhere were anything from the smallest patch of luminescence mushrooms to a massive temple towering out of the desert seems to stand out in its own rite.Then sprinkled across this massive canvas are the denizens of it all, the creators, and participants, the lovers, and dreamers, the citizens of black rock city.
 Burning man for me every year has always been a crazy year long adventure. It is always there and the closer it gets, at times seems to grow that much farther. So many obstacles are always placed before me, that i must cross if i am ever to see that fair city again. This year was no different, and although what it took to get me here, was no less then any of the years before, and not nearly as dire as i believe another year has been, it seemed in the moment to be the hardest.
 So how do i properly convey the craziness that is burning man in a simple blog. I believe the experiences that we have at burning man, are both unique and personal. That can be shared with a single person, or with groups of Thousands...and that is the beauty. I found that his year above all else that people had such a variety of experiences. Some people were really upset about the fact that Burning man sold out. And someone in the SF Chronicle mentioned that this year seemed more packed then all the rest, and that camping next to a group of NY day traders, in their RV's killed it for him this year. That this year above all else was more commercial than all the previous years. I will say that at first i thought that. I secretly longed for a time when there were less people, where burning man was more of a whispered about event, for a select outgoing, and adventurous group of people. But i believe burning man is more than that. I believe it creates something, if even for only a week, unique not found in any other part of the world.
 Now did i not run into countless first timers this year, of course. There was even one young lady i ran into Djing on the Cock car, that had her keys in her hand. You could tell it was her first year, by the haphazard costume she was wearing. More just a random assortment of old clothes than an actual costume, but i knew, as that was my costume my first year. But i was shocked that she had her keys in her hand. I asked her, why do you have your keys on you, and in your hand. And she looked at me like i was crazy, and said so i don't loose them or get them stolen. That simple statement kind of rocked me, as i see burning man as a place where we can forget the issues of the real world, and really let go. Now i know that bikes get stolen, and random stuff goes missing,  but you know, we are to tied to those things anyways. You should be open and trusting to the world around you, once you start letting doubt and mistrust into your thoughts, then it will permeate you life. Then things whether you want them to happen or not, tend to. For me, my first year, i was worried about that. But then i found that everyone in my camp kept their keys in their ignitions, because who knows who might need to move your car. Or maybe you have something someone might need. I think we need to open ourselves up to being completely trusting of the people around us. to not fear that the person next to us is going to steal something we have. I think if you bring those kind of ideals into burning man, than you are negating the whole thing. Now if burning man turns you from one of those people, into someone who is more trusting, and more open, then in truth Burning man has done for you what it has done for me, open you up. To trust, to love, to be open to new experiences and adventures no matter how strange or unique.
This is why i feel that these people although a little out of place, half belong. I hope that these people, the ones that caravan there RV's to have there own private space, those that wonder around clutching there keys in their hands so they don't loose them, or get them stolen. Will see the beauty and reality of  burning man, will learn to let go a little of there own insecurities, and doubts about people. That maybe for a minute or two they will learn to trust, and depend on the person around them. That maybe by going to  burning man they will take those ideals that i find every year, and bring them back to their community. That maybe if even not at burning man, they will leave and realize how wonderful this place is. How magical it can be, if you are open to it. This is why i feel that guy from SF who says that burning man is to much for him now, forgot the things that really mattered. Making the world a better place, one person at a time. That maybe he should of stepped out of his shell, and gone and talked to those people from New York, maybe even gave them a hard time for doing what they did, and hope that next year they build a camp that is open to all of burning man. I can hope, we can hope for this.

Lake 22

 I want to start this blog off by saying i love Washington, especially this summer more than most. Let me explain this a little first. For the last seven years, i lived in Los Angeles, CA. Which means my summer was filled with endless sun. Now for some people that is awesome, but for a native lover of Washington, sometimes i just need some overcast and clouds. This weekend in the middle of July did not disappoint. Saturday was a usually nice and warm summer day here, the sun was out, and so were all the people. I choose that day, to sit at home and take the dog for a walk, work on some homework, and generally be lazy. But Sunday i was determined to go hiking. So when i awoke early Sunday morning to look outside and see clouds, and rain, i was pleasantly surprised, and eager to get on the road to the mountains.
 Since i had woken up early enough, and was on the road by 8 i knew i could do a more popular trail with minimal crowds. Plus with the low hanging clouds, and heavy raindrops splattering across my windshield, i knew that it would delay some of the typical hikers. I decided on this day to hike to lake 22, a lake i thought i had tried to hike before, but at reaching the trail head, immediately off the road, i knew i hadn't. I arrived in the parking lot, and was greeted by only 3 other cars, with a group just leaving and another pulling up as i was getting out of my car. I note this, because i like to Hike in somewhat solitude. i enjoy wandering through the woods, with nothing but the sounds of the Forest around me. Especially on days like today with the rain penetrating the high canopy, creating a never ending waterfall of water spraying down from the tree tops. The sound of this, along with the normal sounds of the forest are like a wonderful symphony that i truly love to listen to. This can be easily interrupted by a loud group chatting it up in the forest, where your voice carries through the trees.
 My hike up to the lake was greeted by all of this. I kept a good pace with my puppy beaker, and only came upon two groups, that had stopped as i was heading up. I have found in doing more and more hiking with my puppy. That he is a ball of energy and greats everyone he sees on the way up, but on the way down he is much butter. My assumption is by the time he reaches the top all of his excess energy has been burned off, to where now he is that obedient dog i want him to be.

 The hike up to the lake was a wet one, that started with a light mist, that grew to large raindrops as we climbed higher into the cloud line. By the time we reached the lake, beaker and i were thoroughly wet. The lake sitting around 3500 ft still shockingly enough had snow drifts here and there. Now it was dirty snow to say the least, but that didn't stop Beaker from running around in it. I have found that Beaker loves the snow, and seeks and destroys any snow he can find. After a pleasant walk up to the lake, and stroll along the walkway that surrounded the lake, i decided it was time to head down.
Now the hike down was a completely different hike, as is usually the case, when i go early to a popular trail. So today as i hiked ,about halfway down, i start hitting crowds, or more like lines of people hiking up. And as i stroll by them i always notice the various levels of hiking gear people have on. You can always tell the people that were forced to come, in comparison to there counterparts that are always decked out in hiking gear.  Or the large groups of people that are their just to get out of the house, or the kid that is dragged along by his parent. I wonder if these people truly appreciate what they have around them. I know sometimes we take for granted those things we are so used to having around us. It truly takes travel, the ability to step into another world by simply stepping off an airplane or out of a car to a new destination. Something that forces you to open your eyes, and see the world around you.

Heather Lake

 I awoke on Saturday to another cloudy overcast day in Seattle washington. I say this, because it is Jul 18, and as the rest of the US is dealing with Record Heat waves, Washington, is faced with a very mild summer. For me this is pure heaven, i love the overcast and rainy days. Espicially when deciding to go out and go hiking, which of course today was that day. It again means, that whatever trail i pick, will have thinner crowds than normal, as a lot of people hesitate from going out when it is this kind of weather. Which always boggles my mind, because Seattle rains all the time, if i really waited to go out for a nice day, i would seldom go out. But i understand with this mentality why so many people are depressed in seattle. As even i will admit that from time to time, to many cloudy days does dappen my spirits a little. But today was not that day.

When i started my day on saturday i was a little apprehensive, and i couldnt tell why that was. I wanted to go hiking, but i wasnt sure where i wanted to go. I was only planning on doing a short hike, but i wanted to go somewhere i had not been before. I chose MT. index because it seemed like a popular trail, that i new would be less popular today. As i headed out, i still had this feeling in the pit of my stomach, like maybe some kind of advenutre was callilng me. Or simply the unknown, whatever it was, it kept me on my toes. On my way into granite falls, i thought i new where i was, so i decided to check out a side road, that i thought would take me to a trail. And i did, but it was a trail that i had already done, so i turned around, and continued on to my designated trail. I did this like two times, making small side trips trying to find some unexplored or less popular area. I find i do this alot in my life when i get this feeling. I just get the urge to go out and do something spontaneously, i get the feeling to just go somewhere and to figure it out on my own, and today was one of those days. It basically means that keeping on my desired path is really hard, the littlest feeling of adventure one way or another leads me down a different trail. A part of me longs for crazy advenutre, that maybe that feeling would take me on some wild crazy adventure. Unfortunatly most times in my life, this is not the case, and a few times, it only ever got me into trouble. Today though, the big adventure was finding a different trail to hike then the one i had planned on, which was heather lake.

I had never been to Heather lake, or read anything about it, and i had forgotten my GPS at home, so i guess that little bit of excitement was all that i could get for that day. Needless to say it was a great choice, and a great hike. Heather lake, is on the way to Mt. Index, and the trail and woods surrounding it, is full of new growth forest. I say this, because you could see the old tree's that had been cut down(above), tree stumps like fossils of long dead giants. And as the mist hung over the tree's and the giant tree stumps once strong powerful trees, that had been there for thousands of years, now only a small portion of the giant that it used to be loomed before me, i was taken aback.
 The great thing is the small trees that have sprouted out of its trunk, new life starting to form after we destroyed it once. Will this all be for nothing, will this once proud forest grow tall once again, just to have man cut it down. These are the things i thought as i wondered up the trail.
 I was not very suprised to still see snow once i hit the lake, there was patches of snow around the lake, and up on Mt. Index in the background, and again for a second, i could hardly believe it was mid-july. Beaker lover of all nature was having a blast, running around in the snow, jumping in the water, and generally running around like crazy. My dog likes to attack water, he bites at it, and i wonder if its the water, or his reflection that he is really trying to get, needless to say it is amuzing to watch him jump into and out of the water, barking at it. I have found having a dog has really helped me smile more, its those little actions, him just being a puppy that makes me smile, that help me stop and appreciate all the little things in the world. The little things that bring a smile to our face, the extreme beauty that nature presents us, and those little adventures that make life all the more better. i look for these everyday, ways to smile, small adventures, beauty, these things are what make each day unique. Taking the time to admire the sunset, or the clouds, or the joy of watching a puppy all smiles and wagging tale excited over something as simple as water. I wish at times, we all could be as simple as that. That we can smile, and run around like kids over those simple things that make us happy. I think as we get older we look down on those things, when we should really be embracing those traits. Never forget how to have fun, never forget how to be a kid.