June 10, 2012. Day one on the #JohnMuirTrail. 14 miles. After leaving Happy Isles, I decided against the Mist Trail and continued up the JMT to Clark Point where I was greeted with the sight of Liberty Cap towering over Nevada Fall. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 11, 2012. Day two on the #JohnMuirTrail. 18.5 miles. From a frost-covered Long Meadow, I continued on toward Tuolumne Meadows, passing Cathedral Peak above Cathedral Lake. The day ended with a smack on the head via a low-hanging branch. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 12, 2012. Day three on the #JohnMuirTrail. 20.5 miles. After a slightly disastrous and embarrassing mix-up around Tuolumne Meadows, I continued on toward Donahue Pass. As I climbed up, I stopped for a look back down toward Lyell Canyon. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 13, 2012. Day four on the #JohnMuirTrail. 11.7 miles. After passing through Devil's Postpile (and taking a wrong turn that cost me miles and hours), I passed through the aftermath of the 1992 Rainbow Fire that raged near Red's Meadow. fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 14, 2012. Day five on the #JohnMuirTrail. 22.9 miles (Duck Creek Crossing to Lake Thomas A. Edison. This waterfall near Tully Hole is about halfway though. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 15, 2012. Day six on the #JohnMuirTrail. 0 miles. After a ferry ride across Edison Lake, the day was spent relaxing (and eating) at Vermilion Valley. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 16, 2012. Day Seven on the #JohnMuirTrail. 19.5 miles. A view of Marie Lake, just before Selden Pass. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 17, 2012. Day Eight on the #JohnMuirTrail. 14.4 miles. Mount Mendel and Mount Darwin, two of the many peaks in the Evolution Valley named after early pioneers of genetics and evolutionary science. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 18, 2012. Day Nine on the #JohnMuirTrail. 19.3 miles. Obligatory Muir Hut selfie. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 19, 2012. Day Ten on the #JohnMuirTrail. 21.6 miles. The day started with a climb up the Golden Staircase, a steep rocky climb up to Palisade Lakes. This was the last section of the trail that was completed in 1938. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 20, 2012. Day 11 on the #JohnMuirTrail. 18.6 miles. After spraining my ankle (I did a real good job of it, too), I crossed the Golden Gate of the Sierra, more often known as the "one-at-a-time bridge." Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 21, 2012. Day 12 on the #JohnMuirTrail. 19.6 miles. A pair of lakes below Forester Pass. Beyond this I discovered it was #NakedHikingDay. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

June 22, 2012. Day 13 on the #JohnMuirTrail. 12.8 miles. The last day on the trail. That's Mt. Muir on the left and Mt. Whitney on the right. Don't let the perspective fool you, Whitney is taller than Muir. Read more: fordsbasement.com/john-muir-trai…

Is any company's call center ever NOT experiencing excessive hold times these days?

Tonight! The final #Grunion Run of the 2022 observation season. If you're angling to take a gander at the strange reproductive practice of one of California's most iconic fishes, then head on out to the beaches tonight round about 10:25 PM. losangelesexplorersguild.com/2022/06/16/cal…

Dispatch No. 23 — In which the author prepares for the imminent winter weather by changing a lot of oil, maintaining and storing the small engines, and playing a few video games. fordsbasement.substack.com/p/the-games-we…

If you've had romantic ideas about train travel, then the Bed & Breakfast Train operated by the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad just might be for you. wisconsinexplorersguild.com/bed-breakfast-… #train #wisconsin #explorewisconsin

Eleven years ago we ventured into the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud Village in Bali. We survived to tell the tale but the (mental and emotional) scars remain. #monkeys #bali #imminentdeath medium.com/@fordsbasement…

The Joy and Guilt in a Cup of #KopiLuwak — my experience pursuing and finally drinking the fabled, rare civet coffee in Bali, Indonesia first appeared as part of my Dispatches from Nowhere newsletter. But you can also find it on Medium #coffee medium.com/@fordsbasement…

A good set of starter #tools can help you get out of a lot of jams, especially those of the household repair variety. In the latest Dispatch from Nowhere #newsletter, I write about how to build a solid beginning tool kit. fordsbasement.substack.com/p/building-a-t…