Sun down on the start of summer

February 23: Two road trips, a birthday, a few snow storms, the loss of two friends (one two legged one four), three surf sessions, a four rolls of film and catching up with friends up and down the west coast.

Commit to the Spiral @fosterhunting

Winter road trips require a bit different strategy.  Attractions are vacant or closed for the season.  Cops are more understanding and less weary of travelers. The weather is often shit and the days are short.  Instead of finding spots to cool down, you look for places to warm up. "Sit anywhere you like," greets you.  Crawling into a sleeping bag a few hours after sunset means you fall asleep before 8 and wake up before twilight.   In December and early January, I logged five thousand miles driving around the West Coast running from the doldrums of seasonal spin out.  With friends riding shotgun, we talked about the left's cognitive dissonance, the widening gap between urban and rural life and the magic of Lee Scratch Perry.  On my solo trips, I listened to audiobooks, called old friends during periods of solid cell service and played albums from years past.   The joy of a winter road trip is nurtured by the idea that in a few months, the same trip could be more fun.  For the fellow car nerds out there, in order of appearance, I drove my 1994 R32 GTR recently spit shined by @tommyfyeah, my 2001 Ford F350 with a @fourwheelcampers , with a recently rebuilt front end courtesy of a snow covered dirt road on Hart Mountain and the fine folks at @fitgarage, and my bad dad mobile, a 2000 Volvo v70R.

I heard the distinctive crack of a window breaking and jumped out of bed.  From the deck of the tree house, I watched in shock as flames leaped out of the windows on either side of the sauna.  For 45 minutes, my brother and I fought the flames with a hose and buckets of icy water from the hottub.  My chest sucked freezing air and my ears pounded.  Eventually, Tim and I acknowledged the inevitable and our pace slowed.  There was no stopping the fire,  a fact that I had known, but not admitted, the moment I first saw the yard lit by the dancing light.  Taking turns with the hose, we stood quietly until the volunteer fire department rumbled up the hill in their old Ford to put the coals out. The last sauna session was a good one.  Thank you for the good memories and making the long winters more fun.  You will be rebuilt in the spring.

2 degree Fahrenheit at 7 AM at Summer Lake Hot Springs.

There’s been enough snow on the ground for the last week that despite being the first week of December, fall is over. Long live fall 2022. Here are some portra 400 scan taken over the last few months in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Hibernation season snowy day activities down on the river house.

The first snow of the winter at the Cinder Cone.

On November 24th, 1971 a man, now known by the alias DB Cooper, boarded a Boeing 727 headed from Portland to Seattle and solidified his place as one of the most mysterious criminals in modern American History. For those unfamiliar with DB, I recommend you grab a cup of coffee and go down a Wikipedia rabbithole. In short, he hijacked the plane for 200k and parachuted out of the plane somewhere in the mountains between Washougal and Stevenson Washington. He was never found. 51 years later, in the very area where he disappeared, a cedar tree died close to my house on the Washougal River. @afewithtrees demanded we take it down. Heart broken, I knew there was only one thing we could do. Thanks to @rmailand and @nightjarillustration for honoring the legacy of the Northwest’s very own Robin Hood so well. What happened to DB? Did he die that night in the woods of Washington or escape to Mexico and live out his days drinking margaritas and surfing? Who knows. The song Diamonds are Forever performed by Shirley Bassey came out the same week DB disappeared with a briefcase filled with 200 thousand dollars. Coincidence? I think not. DB Cooper, 1971 to Infinity. If you want to share a cold one, or a hot one, with this DB Cooper shrine, it’s available on Airbnb in the link in my profile.

Last weekend at the @adventuremobileroundup. Kicking tires, lightening fires and showing people the magic of modern night vision.

Most people know of Wim Hof’s work, but have you heard of his brother Jack?