This was the first day, of an overnight camping trip to the North end of Lake Clark, aptly named Little Lake Clark.  It connects to the main Lake Clark by ways of a channel, which can be dangerous, but navigable by those that know the way. Our first stop was Cave Falls, which we made quick work of scaling and then descending. The view there was breathtaking, but bad rock formations kept us from attempting the rappel at that location. So we descended the trail with minds on fishing to come and other waterfalls to explore. Once back in the boat, lunch was broke, and water placed behind us, we arrived at a few fishing holes. Grayling, Lake Trout, and Dolly Varden graced not only our poles many times that night, but also our plates. However an oddity occurred upon that trip. Whilst skinning on of the aforementioned lake trout, inspection of the stomach revealed fat and claws, which combined became a porcupine foot. It was a strange sight to say the least. It must have been a good meal for the trout.

That night stories were told around the campfire, and rest for the weary was accomplished. We started the morning with French Press, healthy pancakes, and bear sausage. That got us going. Due to mixed priorities and scrambling skills, our group split, but we still managed to scale on of the very promising locations for the long awaited water fall rappel. It took quite the scouting process and adventure traverse to gain the top of the Water falling sight. But once we made it there, we jumped right into putting together gear and donning harnesses for safety and necessity. We used 6 cams and nuts to attach the main line to the wall, and wrapping a tree, so there was no possibility for failure. Safety first is a good saying any time.

  So as the story began, I was the first to test things out, and I was very pleased to be out there, not just that, but being on rocks, out there, which is a whole new level of enjoyment when you involve the created with the creation. It went smoothly, and as soon as  I touched the ground, I was scrambling to get back up on the rock, not only to continue the exhilaration, but also to reset the system for the following rappels. The two that were with me, Anna and Ryan were new to this as well, and although some experience was behind them, the magnitude of the event was daunting.  They both caught on quick and I believe have a new perspective on the whole rappelling + waterfall adventures. No one got hurt and we made it down safely, so that always equals a grand success in my book. Chock that one up for future adventures. Who said Canyoneering is only possible in warmer locations.

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1. The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan is the only school in the world offering a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing.

2. New York City has 722 miles of subway track.

3. In 1807 The Clermont made its maiden voyage from New York City to Albany making the vessel the first successful steamboat.

4. The “New York Post” established in 1803 by Alexander Hamilton is the oldest running newspaper in the United States.

5. The first capital of the United States was New York City. In 1789 George Washington took his oath as president on the balcony at Federal Hall.

6. The first presentation of 3D films before a paying audience took place at Manhattan’s Astor Theater on June 10, 1915.

7. Gennaro Lombardi opened the first United States pizzeria in 1895 in New York City.

8. On July 28, 1945 an Army Air Corps B-25 crashed into the Empire State Building at the 79th floor level.

9. The Big Apple is a term coined by musicians meaning to play the big time.

10. New York was the first state to require license plates on cars.

The reason for this discussion about the largest city populous in the United States is my brother and I had the privilege of visiting our sister Naomi a few weeks ago in New Jersey. She lives  just a stones throw from the Manhattan skyline. Ok, maybe a long stones throw, but it’s close by. The fall season was moving in, causing crisp evenings, but gorgeous sunny days with mild temps. It was a perfect walking and commuting weather. Abbie, another sister, (we have five) joined up with us for the weekend of our stay, allowing for a generous amount of family city experiences that tend to get less and less as our ages advance.

Since we had visited before, we were able to take less of a touristy approach to our daily activities. So rather than visting the Top of the Rock we were escorted to the upper floors of the New York Times Building by a cousins’, husband’s, college buddy. A different perspective of the city skyline. We spent a day in Central Park, but not peddling one of the many two wheeled vehicles, but rather rock climbing and free running on the large expanse of rocks and play grounds near Columbus Circle. We had many strange looks. We traversed the High Line Park, although it was a short jaunt, it was gorgeous. Anytime I could get a break from the busy city I was grateful. An afternoon spent with creative director of City Bible Church NY NJ Bryan Bettis was one of the highlights. It’s not so much what your get to see, but it’s the people you meet and grow relationships with. Visiting Ground Zero, and the World Trade Center Memorial was amazing. It was a moving experience, and brought to rememberance that tragic day ten years ago, but in a good way. We did of course do some touristy things, I mean you cannot go without bargaining for wares at China Town, which we did, gaining an odd satisfaction from being the “Name Your Own price” guy from commercials.

Not only did we have a splendid city experience, but we also were able to capture the vibrance and action with video and photos. Some of those things are included in this post. Others we will have to wait a bit longer for. We used the Canon 7D for most of the filming, but we also used the Go Pro Hero, for some of the travel and Time lapse stuff. All in all it was a successful trip, with results in epic camera shots captured, and a positive family travel experience endured. A great growth for all.

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So think awesome shoes, now think awesomer bikes, and you get Lean in and Ride. It’s a photo contest that is going on now, and you have a chance to be a part of it. Not only do you get a chance to vote for your favorite photo entry, but you also get a chance at winning Puma/Ducati gear just for voting. You can check out the awesome gear at the Puma Website. So here’s the scoop, go to the site, enter your email address, and then it will ask for some basic info about your self, so they know you are a real person, and then it will pull up a map of the US, that has the number of entry’s from each state. Now I am not trying to be biased, OK maybe I am, but still you should really check out the entry from Idaho. It was sent in by a friend of mine, and my Brother Josiah Ness did the photography work for it. The entry is titled, “Puma running taught me to lean, now I need a ride”. Her name is Ashley Puga, who made it to the top 25. Her Bio speaks for itself.

“Puma.  It’s been a big part of my life, especially when it comes to running.  My journey with Puma began in high school. At some point in my early high school years as running began to take off, my friend told my I ran like a Puma and pointed at his Puma shoes. Everyone thought it was a great nickname because by switching one letter of my last name, it became Puma. I won a state title in cross country once and nine titles in track. Not only was I fast, I became Puma fast racing all the way through to the final lean over the line.    My college career ended with two NCAA National Division II titles in the 800m.  It was a great way to end my running career but even better my fastest time occurred at a race called Mt. Sac Relays.  As someone nicknamed Puma, it could not get any better than to race on a fast track hosted by none other than Puma.   During college, I was introduced to motorcycles.  They are fun, fast, and economical, and I instantly knew someday I would get one.  After graduating, I took a class and got my motorcycle license along with my own helmet.  As running has now ended, and I have begun pursuing this new phase of my life, I would now love for Puma and its affiliates (Ducati) to continue to be part of my life.  I know how to lean, now need a ride.”

So you can read the bio, see the picture, and look at some of the other entries, but I hope you will decide to vote for Ashley “Puma” Puga. You can vote every day until the 18th of July, at which time they will pick a winner of a Ducati motorcycle.

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I was privileged to have an opportunity to spend five days in the Big Apple, and really enjoyed the time, but also realized a few things about it.

First – It would be extremely difficult for me to abide in a place such as that for a long period of time. Although don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the city, and the hustle and bustle of business and busyness. But there is a strong desire inside of myself to get out, and away from it all, and go climb a mountain, or breathe fresh clean air. I was surprised, however, that the air in the city was not as dirty and bad as I had expected, but i guess it is just the common misconception of the City, to always be dirty and unclean, but it was in pretty good shape.

Second – How much things become common place when around them so much, and how you hardly get to slow down and realize the things you have around you, when you see them every day. Living in Alaska I find this very true as well. It is also a big tourist destination, but living there and spending a lot of time there has caused me to become used to all that majesty and amazing sights that there are, and I tend to get used to seeing all the mountains and rivers and take for granted what is all around. So when I was in New York, at first I was looking up at all the tall buildings that were all around me, and got lost in the hugeness of everything, but by the time I was Leaving, I found myself getting used the hustle and bustle, and the greats sights. Not that I ever actually got used to all of the people, it was almost suffocating.

Third – You can find adventure anywhere, even in a big city. Although the big touristy attractions were great, I actually enjoyed the adventure of finding the small, hardly noticed things and exploring rather than the typical locations. One of my highlights from the trip was bouldering, i.e. rock climbing with out a rope. Met some really cool people, and got to borrow some chalk and crash pads. My Sister was gracious enough to take some pictures and video of me ascending the rock slab. There were some decent intermediate routes, but i had not packed my climbing shoes, so my feet had to endure the brunt of the pain, but it was well worth it. Through the people there, I found that there were several rock gyms in the city, and that even in the midst of so many people, there were some little known treasures to be discovered to satisfy even the outdoor adventurers.

It was these things that made the trip interesting, and kept it different at every turn. If it was not for my sister living nearby to the city, I do not know that I would have made the trip. But now that I have been there, I can look and say that it was worth while. The time went by very quickly, and by the end we were both pretty tired from all of the many miles that were trekked. Although we had purchased bus passes, and train passes, we actually rarely used them, and actually spent most of our time walking. My sister, Naomi, was able to get a four day weekend off of work, so we were able to spend the entire time together. Her knowledge of the City and how to get around was a huge help, and I was very grateful to have her with me. All in all it was a great trip, and It was alot of fun, and I learned alot from the experience. More pictures can be viewed on flickr in my photostream. The sights, the sounds, the people, the various cultures that seem to change on every street corner, created a unique and exilerating experience. Look for the Video coming soon that give you a look into my point of view of New York.

The principles in this post can be applied to many different locations and trips. So next time you are traveling, don’t just go down the tourist path, try the adventurous one instead.

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