What fall looked like

back from Quartz Creek, back from Icicle Ridge

Well, I can't really believe it, but it looks like it's the end of the summer for me. My fall job starts on the 1st of September, and I've moved in to staff housing and started looking for some winter busy work.

The high country around Lake Augusta and Big Jim Mountain. Larch, Rocks, Dust, and Garnets! Nothing big enough for me to take home though. Crew leader Julia and I had a great time together, cooking, venting, hiking, and finding rocks to hide behind. Not to mention signing songs.


It was cold and frosty at our mountain meadow camp. Wind rattled the silver tree skeletons and blew dust and dirt into my tent. Snowed one night and reached lows of 28. Very beautiful up there, no hiker traffic, probably because it took some serious commitment to master the strenuous hike up.
Brushing, rock removal, root removal, and picking up sticks and throwing them on the downhill side of the trail. Two and a half miles of this.

This is one of my few pictures from Quartz Creek. We were working in a nice shady forest, building some horse-worthy check steps and fighting the black fly fight. We had an ice cream social on the last day, and I downed an entire pint of half-liquid brownie batter ice cream. Yum. Then I had to hike back 4 miles to retrieve a lost shovel. Not so fun.

Going to try to summarize my summer notes for a wrap-up meeting tomorrow with my boss...it's been a great summer.

back from Schreiber's Meadows, back from Meander Meadow

I have been work a lot with the youth lately, first a front country trip and then a back country. I've got to say that it is amazing the different that a year or two can make in a kid's maturity level. Neither were 'bad' weeks, both were successful trips, but things were just so much more fun and relaxed with the older kids, I think mostly because they had more work ethic and were a very inclusive group and very into having fun, even in the face of mountain meadow mosquitoes and daily thunderstorms.

Time for a trail nap. The youth were arguing about the Robin Hood morality question.

Beautiful PCT near Glacier Peak. If I ever learn enough about mountaineering, that's the mountain I want to climb.

Mt. Baker and Mazama Camp. Quite a hike to get up here, but stunning views. Right now I am starting to pack for the next two weeks, sorting out the fall circus, looking for amazing winter jobs (Nov-March, I'm awesome and hard working, and I'll send you a resume), and gathering my things for moving in day for Salish.

back from Holden Lake, back from Robbinswold

It's been a busy two weeks, and I'm about to start another two week stint, but I wanted to check in here briefly. I'm relaxing at home, with cheese melts and lavender ice cream, watching NCIS and putting off doing laundry.

Holden Lake: beautiful lake, baby marmots, massive turnpike, good crew, great crew leader.

Camp Robbinswold: teaching kayaking, beautiful Hood Canal, great group of middle school girls, singing, crepes, friends.

Looks like I'm going to be sailing onboard the Carlyn this fall, with Salish Seas. If you have some fabulous winter employment, lasting from Nov to March, let me know. I will travel, I'm handy in the kitchen, can tidy, sing, sail, or crosscut.

back from Hart Lake

Happy fourth of July, everyone. I had a surprisingly nice day yesterday, with camp friends, walking, rain, the Festival of Wooden Boats, a job opportunity, getting called 'pretty lady', laundry, and ice cream with hot fudge sauce.

Had a really good WTA week with the youth up at Hart Lake. Rebuilt two puncheon, learned a bunch about trailwork, honed my Fox Walk, got to explore a whole new area of Washington. We bowled at Holden Village, swatted mosquitoes, rode the slow boat, told riddles, discussed gender stereotypes, and laughed at the Nose Monster. It takes a lot more energy than the adult Volunteer Vacations, but I think the payoff is bigger. Now I have a short, busy week off, and then I'm heading back east.

back from the Carbon River

Well, Arlen warned me that Volunteer Vacations would really take it out of me, and he was right. I really wanted some quiet time after I got back. But now there stretches before me a lonely expanse of time with no colorful meals or old growth forests or stories in the party tent, and I am sad. I've got my climbing gear out in hopes that I'll get to tag along with someone, and I am working on logistics for a solo kayak around Vashon and Blake. I'm getting ready to send out a bunch of fun mail, I am applying to jobs and waiting to hear back from NOLS. And all the time, I am wishing I was not here in this house, and that I had more friends in the area to rescue me. Sometimes, self-rescue is hard work.

beyond the summer

Outdoor Environmental Education:

Boojum Institute

Ashokan Center

High Trails

Green River Preserve

Sailing:

World Ocean School

Sea Semester

Salish Sea Expeditions

and of course, NOLS:

National Outdoor Leadership School

Some recent photos

I've been meaning to do better with the photo-taking. Some small upheavals lately, so didn't do as well as I hoped...no pictures of bleached teak decks for instance. Trying to work up some enthusiasm for this awesome summer job that's coming up. Things I don't like: feeling trapped, and running away. Hoping for a little sun to lift my spirits here in Seattle.

Plaques from the Sculpture Park

Heron, adventures in Adobe Illustrator

Got to ac-cen-tu-ate the positive

So I'm still working on the robbinswold logo. Unlike many art projects, my first draft really was a first draft, and I've been working on redrawing it to be more balanced and pleasing and awesome. I have some high hopes for tomorrow, when I will get to use the studio of a real graphic designer, who has already given me one tip (full moon, not a crescent moon) that really ties everything together.

I've been listening to the How Stuff Works podcast, eating creme brulee'd cheesecake, and resigning myself to the fact that my jeans are uncomfortably tight and I should stop trying.

A couple of the places that have fall job opportunities:

http://www.worldoceanschool.org/

http://www.thehightrailsway.com/PositionOverview.html

http://salish.org/GetInvolved/progemploymentopportunities

http://www.nwresd.k12.or.us/instrserv/noss/employment.html

I guess that working at an environmental education center for a while would really show me once and for all how well I like teaching kids...

What's coming up

Hello. I'm sitting in Seatac Airport right now. They've added free wifi since last summer, and it has inspired me to post to the blog. I know it's been a long time. Headed to the midwest to visit family. I have cheese and crackers and dried mango to eat, and a trashy magazine to read, and two heavy carry on bags.

Made some citrus cornmeal cake last night, based on a recipe from Simply Recipes--it's one of my favorite food blogs, I feel like her recipes are really well written. Most of the cake is going to some family friends, but I made a couple mini-fish-shaped cakes to taste and they were good--sweet and light with lots of green zest.

Working on finding more seasonal work for when summer is over. There are a few different directions I could go in, and I am starting also to look into more schooling. I would really like to be in a place where I could have my own little home, and decorate it, and arrange the kitchen to my tastes, but Most Likely, I will be in a situations that involves a tent, yurt, cabin, or bunk.

I still need to mail out some of my Chile gifts--to Montana and Boston. And I have a couple of weeks this summer that are just calling out for adventures to be planned.

more from Suzy's corner

Thinking of: boat names.
Capability
Directrix
Hemerine
Tornatil
Nepenthene
Tantivy
Aquaintance

Making: jewelry for gifts.

Coveting: Alba Organics facial moisturizer.

Saving up for: Osprey Kestrel 68 backpack OR Gregory Z65 Backpack.

Considering: Permaculture, Ethnobotany, Experiential Education.

Planning: a party menu.
http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/key-lime-pie-bars/
http://eyecandy.nanakaze.net/?p=535

Spending: too much time on eBay.

Ricon de Suzy

Tuesday morning, here. Spending some time waiting for the weekly meeting to end. I am not invited to this meeting. Supposed to be boxing up and cleaning out the food closet today. Leaving soon. Hope everything will work out. Hope everything will fit in my bags. I'd like to do something fun this weekend. Things are going to get busy and complicated soon, so I should be glad of this period of calm, but I don't like waiting. I like doing.

Rations Room and a Weekend Shot

North American Summer

So I'm going to be an assistant crew leader this summer, working for the Washington Trails Association. I'll be all over the state this summer, from Mt. Rainier, to the Wenatchee Nat'l Forest, to the Hood Canal area. Going to lead some adult and some youth crew, which will be a nice mix, I think. 

I'll have four weeks off this summer, so that should allow me some time for personal hiking trips, visiting friends on their sailboat, and hopefully volunteering for camp for a week. And I have almost everything that I need, besides a couple of pairs of gloves, and (hopefully) a new backpacking backpack. My current one just isn't suitable for heavy duty trail work, though it's comfortable enough carrying lighter loads. So if you would like to sign up to go on one of my volunteer vacations, I can tell you which ones I'm leading. Most are full, but the standby list does sometimes work. 

I've also got to motivate myself with this whole stick-shift manual transmission issue. 

Evolution

It's almost time for a new t-shirt to be designed. At least that's the tradition...

Wedding Party 3

Wedding Party 2

Wedding Party 1

Street Scenes in Patagonia

For Sale in Coyhaique

Patagonia Pictures 3

Patagonia Pictures 2

Patagonia Pictures 1

creating opportunities

Well I've applied to three companies for summer so far. NOLS Pacific Northwest as a Issue Room girl--they've written back and said they would consider me, but that they wouldn't know until March. Which is a long time to be left hanging. If they say no in March, I would have to scramble for any other sort of job. Passages Northwest--was supposed to interview me on Monday, but that's been bumped to Friday. I'm not sure how many days I would be working with them, they say 30-40, which leaves a lot of summer to fill and doesn't give me a place to live. Anacortes Kayak Tours--I'm not even sure they are hiring for this summer, the website is behind, but they offer good training to their guides and maybe I could work in logistics and also lead a few trips? That would be very nice.

Considering a couple more companies, adventure expeditions for teens that run some trips in Washington, amoung more exotic locales. But maybe I will wait a bit to see what comes of my interview.

Life in Patagonia is going along. I'm feeling underutilized as an Intern, and it is not always the easiest thing in the world to assign myself work. But I do work hard, and people are nice, and I made some kick-butt bread pudding yesterday at lunch with a lemon glaze. That's my life.

Ciao.

Coyhaique, Chile

Work day is done. It is 6:00, though I officially clocked out at 5:00 today, I am sticking around the office, helping a bit with Epi Kits (no EpiPens here, just syringes and vials of adreniline), trying to set up a schedule with my supervisor, and waiting to go into town.

So, I'm here. In Patagonia. I've been on vacation for the past few weeks, and it's been extreme nice, very low key, with lots of reading and cooking and staring out the window at the storms moving in across the mountains, the occasional trip to town (11 km away) for chocolate and mate and cheese, and a short kayak trip (with a very long bumpy drive attached).

It is a little like Ireland, if Ireland had huge mountains lurking everywhere. Very green, lots of sheep. Lots of hot drinks: mate, tea, Milo, coffee. Lots of meat eating. Lots of sweet things: manjar, chantilly creme, membrillo, guava paste, chocolate with almonds.

I'm the official Rations/Kitchen Intern. I work for the senoras in the kitchen, who don't speak English, chopping onions and peeling potatoes, smiling and nodding and hoping I am doing things right. I also work in the rations room, putting spices into tiny little bottles, and having big bottles of Thai Extra Picante explode all over me.

It's been quiet here at the campo up until recently, but now the instructors are starting to arrive, and there is a flurry of activity, planning and plotting and lots of little groups of friendly people. The students are coming soon and things will be even busier then.

My visa is good for 90 days, and since I am a "volunteer" (who gets enough money to buy a few limes and some cornflakes every week) I don't have to worry about worker's visas, thank goodness. I will have to take a trip into Argentina at some point to get a new visa, but I think that will be more a fun side trip than anything.

People are friendly, social, with lots of breaks to say hello, lots of people dropping by the quincho (kitchen) to chat and help peel potatoes, drink something hot. I haven't been very good about taking pictures, so I will try to do that. It hasn't been great weather, and everyone is wondering when summer will finally arrive. But when I do get around to it you may see: cats, dogs, horses, sheep, turkeys and turkey babies, chickens, ducks, kayaks, empanadas, my new mate gourd and bombilla, and the view.

I live in the Vista, I've begun painting my ceiling blue, I wish I'd brough a few more clothes, but I don't know what I would have left out of the packing. Going to go to dinner now.

Short List

Listening to: The Splendid Table.
Ready: to go.
Craving: Chocolate Mousse.
Making: Caramel Apple Pie.
Crazy Family Project: Giant Rose done in Christmas Lights.
Feeling: Slightly Unstable.
Have too much: Hair.
Learning about: Varnish, Sailboat Kitchens, Eskimo Rolls.

two excerpts from LDP journal

We are standing in front of the rig. The sun has just risen, and the day is not yet warm. One by one, we struggle into our packs, bending and lifting and twist our way into the piles of stuff, asking each other, “Can you make sure those baguettes are underneath the bungees?” and, “I can take those hazel hoes, but I can’t bend down to get them. Help me?” Walking carefully so as not to overbalance, we maneuver ourselves into some semblance of a group. We hand cameras to Greg, our Forest Service contact, and smile (or at least grimace) as he documents our first moments on the job. Leadership Development Program is hiking in. We know that the trail is only two miles long, and that it is unmaintained, and that we’re to go to “the bottom of the draw—there’s plenty of flagging.” A person can carry anything for two miles, especially when it is all down hill. This is what we think, and according to our information, the group sets off singing. We are the workers from Northwest Youth Corps/ We have to go on hiking although we’re really sore/ We’ve got to hold up the bloodstained Pulaski/ Got to hold it up until we die…This cheerful and uplifting song is our anthem, to be sung for us many times, on many long hikes. But this is the first of them, and the worst. Five hours later, we stumble into camp. We will be pulling inch long thorns from our scalps and thighs for days afterward. It was a rough introduction to the joys of life on the mountain. Heat, logs blocking the trail, disappearing trail, endless amounts of trail, switching back and forth down the mountain, bushes with thorns, shrubs with thorns, and dead black, charred and twisted trees towering over us. We made it. It did not fully crush our spirits, as our Forest Service contact gleefully predicted it would do. In an altered state of numbness, we rounded the last bend, shed our packs, stood trembling for a moment, and then folded up silently on a downed log. Sitting there together, the crew looked off into the distance, then down into the gray dirt, then at each other. “We’ve got to hike back to the last stream and get water. Who wants to go?”

Tense your muscles. Twist your body. Feel the edge of the grubber bite into the dirt. It’s a good feeling, because this is good dirt. Not too many rocks. Rip back the grass, exposing a wide strip of dark brown earth. Reset. Stop when you reach the other edge of the trail. Kick the dirt and the grass and the small rocks off the trail, away from the edge. Examine your work. Kick at any stubborn piece of greenery marring the dark expanse. Take one step to the right. Repeat. Ask your crew members around your for stories, for recipes, for advice on love, for future plans, for favorite baby names. Their voices keep you going. There are times when it is pleasant to be working alone with your thoughts, silent and mechanical, so absorbed in your work and private meditations that time does not pass, or passes quickly. You’re not sure which, but it doesn’t matter either way. Right now is not one of those times. Right now is early afternoon, nearing the break that your crew will not take because they would rather end fifteen minutes early. Right now, you need to talk, to joke and laugh, and take long pauses to chug water, and in a few minutes, take long pauses to hike down the trail to pee. Pry at a big rock in the trail with your grubber. Kick at the big rock until it loosens. Pry at it some more. Sigh and carefully set your grubber aside. Bend down, feel your muscles complain about this new movement. Dig out the rock, trying not to put any new holes in your gloves. Throw the rock down the hill and listen to the satisfying crash, crunch, crash, as it rolls down to the streambed far below. Only two more hours.

striped shoes and children's classics

I am going back and forth between two modes of being. One, I am impatient and restless, feeling slightly trapped and wanting to go, go, go. I am packed, prepared, and wondering how to leave sooner. Two, I am happy and content, waiting and enjoying the Seattle rain and mindless tv, not wanting to rush into serious things, knowing that they are coming soon enough. At times I am very young and stupid and superficial, focused too much on material items, lacking depth or interest or allure. Other times I am mature and want only to make others happy, spoiled, to understand how they think and ask questions that reveal more about what makes them work. I've been switching between these modes hourly in the past few days. It's a bit dizzy-making.

Dodging Winter

It's been a long time, hasn't it? But I am back, taking things slow and moving into another transition period. Right now I am in Oakland, California, at Mills College. Sitting in a dorm room right now and trying to think of a to-do list. Well, I should write a new resume, a thank you note, and...it's an odd feeling to not have an extremely long to-do list and not to be overwhelmingly busy. I've gotten to sit in on some classes and lectures, eat at the dining hall, read in the library. It really does confirm that I want to go back to school before long. It also makes me miss Missoula, especially Missoula in the fall before the cold weather starts.

I'm just getting back from my adventure in Arizona, where I sweated and hiked and ate a lot of dirt. We had a great crew of people, five girls and three boys, all hard workers with a sense of humor and enough creativity to make even the most tedious tasks worth while. Trailcrew...I would do it again, but maybe not under the same circumstances. It felt really great the last two weeks when I realized that I could work nine hours, physically moving and lifting and lopping and boot-o-matic-ing, and have at least a little bit of energy left. I still went to bed at seven when I could, though.

Next adventure is starting to draw close, and I am impatient for it to happen. I'm ready to go now. Well, maybe I need a few more days in Seattle to purchase some schriacha sauce...

8/31

Today was difficult. We set off with favorable conditions, and for the first time I was in one of the singles, Tropic Thunder. Learning to be lead boat, staying stable, steering without a rudder were all part of the challenge of today, which was then compounded by adding in the wild open ocean. Walls of water and a big chop, the wind against me all the way--it made for a wild ride. I still have not reached my optimum kayaking endurance level and pushed past my limits and into the land of dogged misery. Ken and Gene traded off babysitting and body guarding duties, which meant I was never unsafe, but not being able to switch out or take a decent break with food, water, sunscreen or stretching equalled one furiously tired and grumpy girl. At the end I ever started to get seasick, which never happens, and hopefully will never happen again. I was so slow paddling but it meant that at the very end, when Ken asked for a go, I could paddle like crazy and ride the breakers in to a perfect first controlled landing. I am glad today is nearly over but I also think it was an important day for me and for the group. Now we are here at 3rd beach, the rollers crash into a curving sand beach, dry skies, a beautiful stream of fresh water, grassy field for tents, rocks rising up out of the sand in shattered formations, and the charry smell of a driftwood fire. Ever cooking tonight was calming and low stress. The boats are safely moored, the tent is up, and I am in good spirits after a calming cup of tea and a chat with the fearless leaders. I tried to bathe in the creek earlier, but Dr. Bronners is as poor at hair cleaning as I remember. There have been some unusual prints in the sand, some sort of large canid? and I wish I could ID it for a bear or wolf or dog. Tomorrow we will move on along this rugged coast. Never did I think that I would ever see the wild shore of the Northwest Coast from both the land and the sea. Life moves in interesting patterns.

7/31

I am hiding in the woods in order to concentrate and also to hide from the sand and gnats and various other distractions. I can hear the crash of the waves at high tide and see the cheerful colors of our circus tarp peaking through the leaves. Gale force winds were predicted for today and and instead we were given calm water, gentle rain, and a favorable current. While I do not mind rain while paddling, it has made for a cold and messy beach camp, with sand everywhere and everyone slightly out of sorts. We switched cook and tent groups today, dispersing us girls into the wider group. I am not perfectly happy but it could be worse. Last night was some stereotypical girl bonding night talk. in honor of the last time we will truly be together. Today, paddling in the rain and mist and fog shrouded peaks just showing and deep cut valleys hidden from us, we paddled swiftly in a pod, followed by harbor seals, watched by lofty eagles, and examined by families of sea otters. We are now on the outer shore, and the ocean swells begin to lift our boats up and set them down gently in the next trough. This is Neptune at his most benign and I relished the travel today. The swells turned to white sprays of plume on the outlying rocks and small islands scattered around us like a child's imaginary world, untouched and sized so to offer endless exploration and still be home to the castle by supper time. Through the rock gardens we picked our way, at times poling through the matted seaweed like a pirouge down the bayou. Tomorrow is even longer than today, and many things are dependant on forces beyond us. The only thing we can do is live in the moment, plan for tomorrow, and accept the obstacles that are thrown in our way as learning exercises.

planning for the future

Seattle Children's Theater
ACT Theater
Alaska Sea Kayaking Rangers
Amazing Grace Tall Ship
America's Test Kitchen
Backroads Trip Leaders
Sierra Club
Nature Conservancy
Girl Scouts
Organic Farms
High Mountain Institute
Cascade Land Conservancy
Naturalists at Large
NOLS
North Cascades Wilderness School
North Cascades Institute
Northwest Service Academy
Alpengirl
Parks and Recreation
Port of Seattle
Schooner Zodiac
Sierra Club
Camp Seymour

Some of the jobs and internships and companies I've been looking at. The one that I feel most suited for, and most excited for, is Logistics Coordinator with Salish Seas, working with sail boats and kids and getting things ready behind the scenes. I'm trying to rewrite my resume for something outside of the theater world, and it is slow going. It seems a daunting task, pointing out all my good points, asking someone to like me. Hope for the best.

6 sticks of butter

1. Lemon Tart with pretty cut out hearts and candied lemon peel
1. Upside-down wine-plum cake (cross your fingers that it works out, still in the process)
4. Peach baby Dutch Babies, not so pretty, so I ate them
2. Couches that I have to carry up and down stairs
Lots. Of things to mail to lots of people

Also, dinner invites to arrange. Packing to finish for St. Louis. Exciting phone calls to wait for. Despite there being lemon juice and a fruit sticker in my hair, for once it is curling under on both sides instead of flipping out like a crazy-person's hair. So that is good too. There is a good breeze for sailing out on the sound today.

away

Listening to world music, lounging in bed, reading the Sunday funnies, getting ready to say my goodbyes. It is the end of the summer, it is the end of the summertime adventures, time to return to real life, check in with friends and family, plan for the southern hemisphere summer, start projects and forward-looking future things, and try to stay busy and happy and full of emails and the occasional phone call.