5/24/2001
I got into Pokhara, Nepal yesterday, back from a 90+
mile hike in 10 days. Wow! I met up with a great group
of people, now all good friends, in Katmandu, and we
had a memorable trek around the Annapurna circuit together.
Seven people all together, 4 women and 3 guys, almost
all from different countries. We hiked up the Marsyangdi
River Valley, starting at Besishar on the Southeast
flank of the Annapurna massif at 2,000 meters elevation,
and hiked for 8 straight days, 10+ miles a day, to the
summit pass of Thorung La, at 17,516 feet! From monkey
filled jungles to hypoxic trudging through snow at the
edge of the death zone and back down again, all with
a 60 pound pack of gear on your back. I'm back in the
world of electricity and automobiles now, quite a change
from the Manang and Mustang valleys near Tibet.... The
Ancient Gompas and 2,000 year old prayer books.....
The Gurung tribes in the south, and the Tibetans that
occupy the lands to the north, staying in their houses.....
Eating Dal Baht by candlelight with them and experiencing
how they live,.... Wow. I feel like I've traveled to
a time several centuries ago, lived for a year there,
and returned to the 20th century again, all in two weeks.
I can't give you dispatches from here now, but will
have many stories for you when I return. Gotta go. I've
been online for work almost two hours already, and at
5rupees a minute, this is gonna cost me! Forward this
to everyone and let them know I'm thinking of everyone
in Boulder and wish you were all here to experience
this place!
From Pokhara, Nepal, Namaste, Tim
February
22th, 2001
Ya wanna know what I'm doing here in Washington? I've
been babysitting some scientists and the radar behind
the surfer-dude in the picture I've attached. It's amazing,
I'm experiencing the reality that keeps me and others
like me at NCAR employed and highly sought after. Talent
in Atmospheric Physics is inversely proportional to
the knowledge and grasp of what the capabilities and
limitations of microwave transmitters, receiver electronics
and computers are.... These guys would blow up a 1 megawatt
transmitter or irradiate themselves, or otherwise try
and force the systems to do something physically impossible
if we didn't have regulations against operating without
an technical liaison present. I'm one of the guys who
makes sure the machine goes "ping!"
Attached is a shot of an uncommonly clear day at "Paradise"
on the southern flank of Rainer. The weather has turned
really shitty, We just had the biggest storm to hit
Washington since '96. HEAVY WET POWDER! Later, See ya
back in Boulder in a week++++
February
9th, 2001
Here's a pic I nabbed with my digicam from the observation
deck of the Spire. A rare clear day when you can see
Rainier like this.
This next photo is a shot looking north from my door
at work. That's the entrance to gray's harbor in the
foreground, and Mount Olympus and Olympic National Park
in the hazy distance.
The surf that had actually been keeping me from sleeping
has calmed to nice and rhythmically soothing, most of
the time now. It's pretty intense during storms, and
when the tides are very high. I just walked a mile and
a half down the beach from my work at 10pm. The sky
is beautifully clear and full of stars, and a nearly
full moon is rising. It was quite warm, about 48 degrees,
and most importantly, the wind was calm. A nice night
for a walk on the beach. I spent Friday and Saturday
in Seattle touring around and getting to know the city
better. I started out at the University of Washington
campus on the shores of Lake Washington, and then walked
over to Lake Union and watched the seaplanes take off
and land. I had lunch and a few beers at my favorite
brewery, the Redhook, with a friend before heading down
to check out the locks that make the waterway all possible.
Not a bad day at work!
We've had a few good days of weather, enabling me to
do more sightseeing than I actually had planned. A big
front moving in for Thursday, and I thought I'd enjoy
my location while I can.
Tuesday, I drove the hour and a half up to the southwest
corner of Olympic National park, and the beautiful lake
Quinault Rain forest. I'd been here before, roadtriping
with Eddie just after Todd's wedding. What's good about
short and quick trips is that it lets you figure out
what's worth coming back for. Someday I'd like to hike
up the Quinault river valley up through an area called
the "Enchanted Valley." Today I'll suffice with
a nice 30 mile drive around the lake.
It's nice I have the opportunity to be here in the
way Off-season, Mid-Week in the wintertime. I was the
only visitor to the park ranger station all day, according
to the helpful lady at the desk. I was at deep in the
park as I could drive when I stopped to take a picture
of the sun on the snowcapped mountains, when I heard
a sound from the forest near me. I stealthily investigated
and ran into an elusive herd of rare Roosevelt Elk.
They are only found in the Northwest, are even larger
than the elk we have in Colorado, and much more shy,
the ranger told me later I was very lucky to spot them.
But they are also more social than our elk, and the
herd I saw was huge. I lost count around 50+.
After a short day of work on Wednesday, I drove down
to catch the sunset on the mouth of the Columbia river
in Astoria, Oregon. It's only about 40 miles from where
I'm working now, but the road to get there is very convoluted,
wrapping around the muddy Willapa bay.
The mouth of the mighty Columbia rive
This trip was my first scouting mission, I'll return
another day to check out more. I did find this awesome
landmark lookout in Astoria. It's quite old, and has
been restored recently. It's sides depict the history
of Columbia river exploration and settlement.
Later,
Tim
Click
here to see Tim's Photos of Nepal
