Lost. Scorched. Torn through. Destroyed. Devastated.
Think about those words along with something you love. Let them sink in, notice the feelings that come up.
Now try these on:
Damaged. Changed. Evolving. Resilient.
On Fires, Forests and Despair
September, 2020: The Oregon Coast Trail South of Arch Cape is a Windblown Mess (And Some of it is Closed)
I went out and tried to hike some of the Oregon Coast Trail on September 21, 2020, and it is a total mess. There was no fire here, but I assume that what I saw was the result of winds around Labor Day.
Near as I can tell, you really can’t hike from Arch Cape to at least Cape Falcon right now, and in fact some of that trail is officially closed. Continue reading “September, 2020: The Oregon Coast Trail South of Arch Cape is a Windblown Mess (And Some of it is Closed)”
My Latest “Breakfast Bulletin” Newsletter: In 2020, Rain is Sunshine
Every couple of … well, years lately (hanging my head), I write a newsletter I call the “Breakfast Bulletin.” The name comes from my old days as the Portland Breakfast Guy, and I keep it to honor those good times.
The latest issue is about the strange times we live in — for example, when the city of Portland celebrates rain in September. Tough times bring weird thoughts, I guess.
Continue reading “My Latest “Breakfast Bulletin” Newsletter: In 2020, Rain is Sunshine”
Which hiking trails have been affected by the 2020 fires in Oregon and Southwest Washington?
Here is an ongoing attempt to evaluate which hiking trails and campsites are within areas affected by wildfires in Oregon and southwest Washington in 2020.
This is not an official or complete list, just one person’s attempt to track it all. I don’t have access to any more information than what’s publicly available.
MAJOR, CRITICAL DISCLAIMER: Just because a spot is within the area affected by a fire, it has not necessarily been burned to the ground! I cannot overstate the importance of this. Many fires skip around, burn only along the ground, and behave very differently from one area to the next. When the media says a fire is 35,000 acres, that does not necessarily translate into 35,000 acres of total destruction. Places within a burn zone could survive intact, be damaged … or be burned to the ground. We won’t know for a while.
Updated September 22, 2020: I added some photos now coming in from fire areas, as well as links to a few amazing resources that were shared with me. People have made lists and maps with much more detail than I have here:
- Trails affected in the Clackamas Area (via TrailAdvocate.org)
- Interactive map of fire areas with labeled hiking trails in the Clackamas area (TrailAdvocate)
- Labeled trails in all fire areas, from user aiweitr on OregonHikers.org.
Reality or Hype?
In the last couple of posts I have written about depression and how I deal with it, which is by taking small steps to try and get a little positive momentum going. So here are some thoughts on a stage that lies between those: when you try to recognize the signals coming in, then decide what they mean and what to do about them.
I call this separating reality from hype.
Small Steps, New Moments
Yesterday I wrote about depression, so today I’ll write about … “progress” is the word, I suppose.
If my version of depression is like mud on the trail, holding me back without fully stopping me, then how to maintain forward motion? And to what end?
Recovery Share: Some Thoughts on Depression
I was going to call this one “Thoughts on the Looming Darkness,” with September in Oregon always making one start thinking of November in Oregon, but that whole thing seemed a little … well, dark. And click-baitish.
Also, it’s not that bad. But it is a little window into what I want to write about today, which is depression. A more or differently depressed person might well have led with “looming darkness,” because that’s how it can seem when you’re that kind of depressed. But what does it even mean to be depressed? And what would be the motivation for leading with such drama? To cry out for help? Feed into one’s own story of depression? Try to reduce its power through ridicule?
Off we go, into my confused (and often depressed) mind.
Continue reading “Recovery Share: Some Thoughts on Depression”
Another Day at the Crank
I’ve been thinking lately about the Clyde Parke Miniature Circus in Memphis.
Even if you’re from Memphis, you probably don’t know what that is. If you’re not? Let me explain.
What It’s Like Being From Portland in 2020
First, a little historical context. When I moved from Memphis to Portland in 1996, people in other parts of the country would say one of two things about my new hometown: “I hear it’s pretty there,” or “Isn’t that up near Seattle?”
Somewhere along the way, Portland has become both one of American’s “it” cities, as well as a canvas on which people paint all sorts of assumptions and fantasies.
Continue reading “What It’s Like Being From Portland in 2020”
Did I Just Go On a Trip?
I woke up this morning at home, wished the construction guys across the street would keep it down, made my coffee, stood in the back yard for a minute taking in the fresh air, then thought about what I need to do today.
First up? Unpack.
And that’s when I remembered I just went on a long trip — over 3,000 miles of driving and about 15 nights of camping in the last three weeks. I had actually forgotten!