End of the Year Reflections

My site in Tucson is reserved until April 1st which I can probably extend to May 1st; however, after that, Tucson’s summer heat will probably force me to a cooler climate for at least the summer. Where I go after Tucson should ideally be linked to what I want to do; but alas, timing is everything:)

I’m tempted to travel internationally (Europe?) for the summer but this could be just another desire for sense experience. Nothing wrong with this desire but I don’t want to get sidetracked from my journey. For several years, I indulged my desire for sense experience through mountain climbing expeditions, international travel, etc.; while these experiences were fun, they didn’t advance my current goals - improve my awareness, be happy, and provide practical help to others. This is my first articulation of these goals; something I've been thinking about throughout this year's journey but until today, have not put into words, 

Devoting 2014 to reading, reflecting, and meditating, without having to work, is one of the best decisions I've ever made. After 1 year, I certainly don't have all the answers and now realize this is a life-long journey; however, I am closer to figuring out what I want to do with the rest of my life, my awareness has increased, and I'm a bit closer to figuring out how to pursue my new goals.

Prior to this year, I'd never made a New Year resolution; for 2015 my resolution is to live the year as if it is my last.

Wishing everyone happiness.

Esperero Trail #25

Hiked the Esperero Trail #25 today with the Voyager hiking club (6 including me); about 9 miles roundtrip, including about 0.5 mile extra due to missing a trail junction:)  The TH begins about 0.2 miles from the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center at 2720’ AMSL, and traverses north through the Pusch Wilderness; lots of large Saguaro cactus! Unsure exactly where we stopped for lunch and turned around but think it was around Geronimo Meadow (4720’ AMSL); great views of Tucson to the south along Sabino Canyon Road! We left the Visitor Center around 9am and returned around 2:30pm. The return trip took 2 hours from Geronimo Meadow and we stopped about 30 minutes for lunch. The trail continues past our stop providing connections to “Window Peak” and Mt. Kimball to the west and to Cathedral Rock and Romero Pass to the north. I hiked to Romero Pass (from Catalina State Park) a couple of weeks ago. I'm impressed by the number and length of trails in the Tucson area. Unlike Denver, where I'm from, one can reach many area trails in 30 minutes!

Lots of Saguaro!

Lunch along the trail.

Cathedral Rock; about 6 miles north of our lunch/turn around stop.

Looking back (south) at Tucson along Sabino Canyon Road.

Mount Wrightson

Mount Wrightson

Hiked Mt. Wrightson today (Sunday) via the Old Baldy Trail. Unsure of trail conditions and still new to the Tucson area, I scouted the trail Saturday; hiking about 3/4 of the way. Based on yesterday’s scouting, I returned this morning with trekking poles and my mountaineering boots; meant to also bring micro spikes but forgot:)  There was 3-4 inches of snow; packed on the trail due to previous hikers. The trail was mostly snow-covered rock in most areas but bare ground appeared where the sun made it through the trees. Much of the trail was icy which could be treacherous, especially on the way down. Trekking poles or micro spikes were essential for safety.

Enjoyable hike; went through desert, deciduous, and coniferous ecosystems; lots of nice views. TH at 5450’ AMSL and summit 9453’ AMSL; 10.8 miles RT = 742’ vertical per mile - very similar to last week’s Mt. Kimball hike. 

The trail begins at the Mt. Wrightson Picnic Area in the Madera Canyon Recreation Area, part of the Coronado National Forest. Concerned about ice, I hiked with my ice axe and packed a helmut just in case; no need for either. It was cool this morning (about 20 degrees at the TH around 7:15). It took 3 hours to summit and 2.5 to return to the parking lot.

The summit provides beautiful views of the Green Valley area, surrounding mountains, and the Mt. Hopkins Observatory. Hikers on the Old Baldy Trail pass two saddles - Josephine and Old Baldy. A boy scout troop erected a monument to 3 teenagers who lost their lives in 1958 at the Josephine saddle; caught in a storm, they died of hypothermia. Very sad but doesn’t seem to prevent people from being unprepared; Many people I came across were hiking in shorts and tennis shoes and without adequate water. Disappointing to see designated wilderness treated so poorly by the public. Dogs running unleashed, dog feces, orange peel, and other trash littered parts of the trail; mostly at Josephine Saddle and below.

On the summit!

Sign on summit; Mount Hopkins Observatory in background.

Snow-packed trail approaching Baldy Saddle.

Monument for 3 teenager hikers who died from hypothermia in 1958.

Swimming Update

Lately, I've been swimming about 5 days per week and am up to 30 minutes of continuous swimming - not all freestyle. While my swimming condition is improving, I use a combination strokes to swim continuously for 30 minutes; also, I don't do flip turns. Generally, I start the first two laps freestyle, followed by a rotation of breast stroke - back stroke - freestyle. I don't count laps but know that my freestyle speed is about 30 seconds/lap (25 yards); my breast and back stroke are much slower so I'm guessing I swim a bit under 1/2 mile in 30 minutes. My technique is improving but I still struggle with breathing on the freestyle; I don't always get a clean, full breadth when I turn my head. Also, I typically swim after an hour of working out with weights and possibly a jog or incline walk so maybe my stroke might improve if I swam first:)

Routine and Change

Since settling (at least for the winter) in Tucson November 1st, I've also settled into a routine that keeps me active. I hike on Tuesdays and try to workout with weights, walk/jog, and/or swim every day. Although Voyager has a lap pool (only 20 yards long) and a fitness room, I enjoy going to the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club to workout and swim; keeping fit gives me pleasure.  If I decide to snowbird in Tucson long-term, I might rent a condo/apt near the Club.

In addition to physical activity, I'm finding plenty of time to think, meditate, and read; these mental activities are part of my journey towards awareness/enlightenment, and they are changing me. I've reached a point where I quickly recognize when negative thoughts creep in; hopefully, with less frequency. As some books I've read warn, meditation can lead to change and a changing self can be unsettling; I equate it to losing my self-identity - who I thought I was for the past 40 years.

Book Review - A Practical Guide to Buddhist Meditation by Paramananda

This is a good introduction to Buddhist meditation; it defines some of the basic terminology, methods, and techniques, including samatha and vipassana. Most of the book focuses on two samatha practices - Mindfulness of Breathing and metta bhavana. The book begins with practical information on “how to” meditate, including body position and then explains the two practices. I found the book’s discussion of the five hindrances to meditation, and how to work with them, especially useful.

Having meditated for a few years, I was familiar with some information but find that I always have more to learn; as with other books on meditation and Buddhism, it sometimes takes awhile to sink in so I reread the information from time-to-time.

Mt. Kimball

Hiked Mt. Kimball (7,258’ AMLS) today via the Finger Rock Canyon trailhead (3,120’ AMSL). This hike is about 5.6 miles one way and of moderate steepness (732’/mile); it took me a bit over 3 hours up and 3 down plus time for lunch on top and time to chat with other hikers along the way. This was the first hike in the Tucson area where trekking poles were beneficial; broke them out about half way up and put them away about 1/2 way down. Also the first hike in the area where I exerted myself; it felt great! I didn't need them but chose to wear my La Sportiva mountaineering boots for training purposes (extra weight) and because I hadn't worn them in about 6 months; want to avoid going too long without wearing them. Thought about brining my ice axe but since I don't have my crampons (they are somewhere in my storage unit:(), I was prepared to turn around if I encountered ice.

Great hike overall and great views from the summit. Met 5 groups of 2 hikers each plus 1 set of 4 hikers on my way down; I think I was the first one up this morning. A bit of crusty snow at the top didn’t require an ice axe or crampons but there were a few icy spots on rock slabs on the trail; a bit treacherous on the way up before the ice melted.

The trail starts out with plenty of Saguaro and desert scrub.

From this junction, it is about 15 minutes to the summit via Pima Canyon Trail.

Looking back at Tucson below.

From the summit.

From the summit.

Wasson Peak Hike - Correction

Reposting to correct elevations.

On the way back from Sells, AZ I stopped at the Saguaro National Park Visitor’s Center to purchase ($80!)a new Interagency Annual Pass; lost my previous pass. 

Before heading home, I hiked the King Canyon Trail up to Wasson Peak (4480 feet AMSL); I'm guessing the trailhead started at 2,880' AMSL. Its an easy hike and well-marked trail; 90 minutes up and 75 down. Met two other guys on the trail; nice views of the surrounding area. At 3.9 miles one way, the grade was 410'/mile for a total vertical of 1600'.

From the peak

From the peak

Desert Rain Cafe

On the recommendation of a friend, I drove to Sells, AZ today to eat at the Desert Rain Cafe. Located in a small plaza, what the restaurant lacks in ambiance it makes up for with its food. From the mix of breakfast/lunch menu, I ordered the sampler of hummus, salsa, and beans. It came with tortilla chips and was tasty; would have liked to order more but wasn't that hungry.

Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum

Based on the recommendations from several people, I visited the Desert Museum. The day started as another rainy day so I almost had the place to myself. 

“Museum” may be a bit misleading; it seems more like a zoo to me - lots of pens/cages with live animals. Maybe its my training as a wildlife biologist, but seeing animals in zoos has never been one of my favorite things to do; I admit they serve a purpose and the Desert Museum seems to do a good job with their natural looking habitat pens for coyotes, javelinas, and some other animals. I imagine this place is popular with kids and tourists.

This mountain lion needs a bigger tree:)

Wolf was intent on something...

coyote

javelina

Happiness

Happiness isn’t easy. Don’t get me wrong, no longer working 60+ hours/week has greatly reduced my stress level and simplified my life:) but that doesn’t automatically equate to eternal happiness. To me, happiness is a state of mind that requires ongoing effort (e.g., through meditation) to control my thoughts.

Reflections

Been thinking a lot lately about life, meditation, and my future. Recently, while “catching up” on the news, I was struck by how less interesting and less important the news seems to me now compared to when I was working. Now, my happiness is what is most important to me and it isn’t affected by stories in the news.

Change in exercise routine

Rainy today (Wednesday 12/17) but the clouds parted long enough this morning for a 30 minute swim at the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club (TRFC); had the pool to myself:) Prior to swimming, I started a new exercise routine developed by a personal trainer; new TRFC members get a free 1 hour personal trainer session. I asked my trainer (Laura) to develop a bone strengthening routine to combat my Osteoporosis; it relies on a mix of machine and free weight exercises to stress, and hopefully strengthen, my bones. For example, leg press, military press, lat pull downs, rows, etc. I’ve done these exercises before but going forward I attend to focus more time on them and decrease attendance at Body Conditioning classes. The latter classes consist of high reps with lower weights; my trainer confirmed I need to do fewer reps with heavier weights.

Blackett's Ridge Trail

Hiked the Blackett's Ridge Trail with the Voyager hiking club today - beautiful view from the trail's destination! Started the hike with 11 but 2 hikers turned back. Hike was about 6.5 miles; vertical gain about 1900'.

Met an interesting fellow on today's hike; we chatted half of the way up and all the way down the trail; talking sure makes the hiking pass quickly.

View from the top.

Tucson in General

Driving to Oracle today provided another glimpse of Tucson and prodded this post.

People here seem to go out of their way to describe how this city differs from Phoenix (its smaller, higher elevation, not as hot...) but in my mind these two cities are very similar and have a feature in common with Denver - miles and miles of suburban sprawl and frustrating to drive in. To be fair, there are plenty of nice things to like in Tucson (as well as Denver and Phoenix) - like the warm winters, and I'm considering whether to rent a townhouse in or around Tucson as a base but it will be important to pick a neighborhood that has all I want/need so I can minimize driving.

On my way home from Oracle I stopped at the Public Library downtown Tucson; seems like a popular hangout for the homeless during rainy weather. Nice library with free WiFi in the heart of Tucson (around Stone and Alameda). Drove around downtown a bit in search of "neighborhoods" but didn't see any. Admittedly not optimal conditions (raining) but at first glance, downtown doesn't appear to have what I'm looking for in a neighborhood. Best area I've found so far is Central Tucson near the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club and Rillito River Park.

Romero Pass Hike

Instead of biking with the bike club yesterday, I felt the need for a vigorous hike. About an hour north of my home is Catalina State Park; the Park provides several nice trails and provides great access to the Santa Catalina Mountains. I hike a couple of miles up to the Romero Pools, several small pools within Romero Canyon; took about an hour. I continued to hike up to Romero Pass; my starting time was 10am so I'd set 3 hours as my turn around time (these canyons get dark early and this was my first outing on this trail). The map indicates the Pass is about 6.6 miles from the trailhead and I was traveling at a good pace (my "good" pace is about 2.25 mph) so I was really close but decided not to risk it.

Coming from CO, hiking AZ trails is a real pleasure. The Romero Pass trailhead started at 3,000 feet AMSL and the Pass is about 6,000 feet AMSL so it is a gentle climb - less than 500 feet/mile.  From my limited AZ hiking experience, gentle climbs seem common - these mountains have had plenty of time to erode. In addition to the gentle grade, the best part about hiking in AZ is the thick air; yesterday's hike to 6,000 feet is the same elevation I lived at in Colorado:) In CO, we typically began hiking at 10 or 11,000 feet and gained 3,000+ feet; not having to gasp for air, makes me feel like Superman:) On the other hand, the gentle grades and low elevation can fool oneself (i.e., me) into thinking they are in shape when they are not:)

The trail starts out wide and is easy to follow to Romero Falls.

Or Valley in background.

Romero Pools.

Multiple trails to choose from at Catalina State Park.

Oracle AZ

Rainy day so I drove about an hour north to Oracle, AZ. Small town without a town center but I stumbled upon a nice cafe - Oracle Patio Cafe (http://oraclepatiocafe.com). A small restaurant on the main drag through Oracle; it featured fresh baked goods (one of my many weaknesses) and an interesting breakfast and lunch menu. To accompany my green tea, I ordered a apricot/ginger scone, soup of the day (eggplant and tomato), and strawberry rhubarb pie - all delicious!

I was the only person when I arrived (11am) but a number of patrons arrived during my hour+ stay. The restaurant has several rooms including the wood-paneled room where I sat; it included a small library and gift shop. The waitress was very friendly; she is applying for jobs out of state, including Vermont so I told her about my years there in graduate school at UVM.

It turns out Chef David is hosting a holiday celebration tonight at the restaurant; an Italian theme where guests bring their own beverage. Would have love to attend but didn't want to drive all the way home and then turn around a couple of hours later - next time:)

The menu.

Apricot ginger scone; almost gone:)

The room I sat in; see library and gift shop in background.

Great strawberry rhubarb pie!

Big House Cafe

Had lunch yesterday at the Big House Cafe in Casa Grande, AZ with my friend Charlie. What a treat! This locally-owned restaurant was great! Breakfast is served until 2pm so Charlie and I each had an egg-based breakfast - his with beef, mine vegetarian. I also ordered an appetizer of pinto beans and corn bread laced with hot peppers - delicious! Haven't had beans and corn bread for decades:) When I travel, this is the type of small town restaurant I search for.

Old paramount theatre in old town Casa Grande

Charlie's meal - can't recall the name.

My "Ranch House" meal.

The Big House Cafe counter where they also serve fresh pie, brownies, and cookies:) 

Pink Lady and Blue Cheese

Paired pink lady apples with a Caveman Blue Cheese (raw milk) from Whole Foods; love this apple variety! The bitter flavored blue cheese paired well with the sweet pink lady; I'm not a huge blue cheese fan but it was a good pairing. Also mixed some of the cheese in my salad; very good.

$29.99/pound!

Raw Milk Cheese

To ensure I get enough protein and calcium, I eat a lot of cheese and since fresh apples are still in season, I've decided to experiment a bit with apples and cheese made from raw milk. Today, I purchased 6 different raw milk cheeses from Whole Foods. Today's pairing is organic Fuji apples with Alpha Toman (Jasper Hill) raw milk (cow) cheese.

The cheese is mild and buttery which although ok, doesn't in my opinion, have much flavor or pair well with apples. Note - I'm not an expert on cheese or apples so my comments just reflect my unsophisticated pallet. These Fuji apples are ok but they are similar to galas - crisp, mild apples but not very flavorful. I'm sure this cheese goes well with something but not with apples and at $27.99/pound, I wouldn't buy it again.

In addition to apples, I tried the cheese with scrambled eggs. First, I sautéed scallions, mushrooms, and kale. Next, I beat two eggs with whole milk and scrambled them. I then added the mixture to the eggs and topped with grated cheese. It was ok but again, the cheese didn't add much flavor.

Alpha Toman cheese and Fuji apples.

$27.99/lb - ouch!

When the apple pairing didn't turn out, I decided to try some of the cheese in scrambled eggs and kale:)

Another Swim Lesson

Another swim lesson from Mark at the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club (TRFC) today; very helpful. Told Mark I needed help with 3 items:

1. Breast stroke whip kick
2. Freestyle head position
3. Lap turn

My hip joints seem to always bother me and I can't spread my legs very far without pain so I wasn't sure I was spreading my legs far enough in preparing for the whip kick; Mark indicates the power comes from the ankle spread/position and closure of my ankles together. He says my legs are spreading enough; I just need to focus on spreading my ankles before extending and closing my legs. My Mother had bad hips (she broke one in her 80s and died in the hospital of pneumonia) and she had osteoporosis. My osteoporosis may contribute to my hip problems but recently it seems to be getting worse; evidently, one of the side effects of the daily Forteo injections I take is joint pain so that may be contributing to the pain. Anyway, with Mark's help, my whip kick is improved; I now know what to focus on and don't have to worry about spreading my legs further.

I've been having problems getting a full breadth when swimming freestyle; taking in water instead of air. Mark suggested I roll my body more when taking a breadth. He indicates my stroke looks good so I think it is just a matter of practice to condition my body; I still get tired after a couple of laps. Keeping my head level is key; sometimes I raise my head but that forces the mouth down and creates more turbulence, thus increasing the opportunity for water to enter the mouth.

Mark also gave me a refresher on lap turning; I turn above water rather than using the flip turn. Mark showed me how to touch both hands on the pool side, then move one arm towards the opposite end of the pool, then submerge my head/body deep, and then kick off with a gentle angle towards the surface. I wasn't submerging deep enough before kicking off.

Mark also taught me the back stroke today; I could do this stroke before but didn't really know what I was doing so my technique stunk. Mark told me how the thumbs come up out of the water first with the palm facing inward (pointing up) and then with a twist of the arm (so palms face outward), the pinky finger enters the water first. Another tip is to keep my head position relaxed and neutral - don't look at my feet. I really enjoy this stroke as it is nice to have a another stroke to practice to break up the monotony of lap swimming.

Mark is great; he is so patient and has this knack for providing simple yet effective tips that focus my training. Key to coaching me, he doesn't overwhelm my simple brain with a lot of theory or instruction.

Desert Club

A friend (Ron) invited me to join the Desert Club and participate in their December holiday event - a trip to Tubac, AZ and dinner at the Tubac County Club. It was a great  opportunity to meet new people and to make my first trip to Tubac; a small tourist town south of Tucson off of I-19. An enjoyable evening!

Tubac was lit up for the holidays!

Tubac Country Club dinner

We celebrated a birthday for one of the club's members. celebrated h

Pima Canyon Trail

This week 13 members of the Voyager Hiking Club drove to the Pima Canyon Trailhead for a beautiful hike up the canyon. Overcast sky, calm conditions, and mild temperatures (high of 74 when returned to cars) combined for a perfect outing! An easy 6+ mile (RT) hike with little elevation gain and good trail conditions. The trail starts near a high-end housing development in the foothills and proceeds through wilderness. As it was a weekday (Tuesday), there were few other people on the trail but given its proximity to town, I suspect this trail is popular on weekends.

Typical trail section.

Lunch break.