Outdoor

Hiking

  • For day hikes, look at satellite views first to determine if it’s a “road” hike
  • For COVID-19 hikes you need to drive a couple hours away from the city to miss crowds
  • Always plan a fallback hike
  • Bring chairs/comfort items on day hikes

North America

  • Completed

    • [2019-08-31 Sat] Swimming hole

      • From HW 70 turn left on big bend rd

      • Turn right onto barbees bar road

      • Drive till the end (5+ miles)

      • Suitable for old vehicles. Road is very rough

      • We had to park and walk in about half a mile

    • [2019-09-01 Sun] Lassen Peak

      • Pretty much the max uphill we’d want to do
      • Cold and windy at the top
      • Very busy (it was also labour day weekend)
      • GPS said 8 miles but it was losing signal a lot, trail map said 5 miles

    • [2019-09-07 Sat] Rancheria falls

      Nice, short hike. Somewhat busy Schafer lake was better. Look for sites around there next time

    • [2019-10-27 Sun] Cathedral Lakes Trail (Yosemite)

      • Tioga Pass Rd is very pretty
      • Could be some good campsites around there
      • We went to both lakes
      • Swam in one of them, so cold
      • Went with David, Sophie, Mark, and Marissa
      • Camped at Hogdon Meadows

    • [2020-01-18 Sat] Webb canyon loop (near MV)

      • Might be my favorite bay area hike
      • Just me and Sab
      • Saw the goodyear blimp
      • Good picnic spot

    • [2020-02-08 Sat] Mt Diablo Loop (6.8 miles)

      • $10 state park fee
      • Good to get their early to get parking/avoid crowds
      • Did counter clockwise to all-trails route, this was probably a good reccomendation as it was easier than walking clockwise
      • 2.5hrs hiking time. But it was probably about 1.5 miles too long. 5 miles seems to be a sweet spot for a day hike
      • Mt Diablo State Park Campsites 11, 13 are good

    • [2020-02-29 Sat] Old Cabin & Twin Oaks Trail (6.7 miles)

      • ~900ft elevation change
      • Challenging without being too hard
      • With David and Sophie
      • Lots of bikes here
      • Nice ocean views
      • Exactly 3 hours walking time
      • Went to Humble Sea Brewing co after for a hazy IPA, and West End Tap and Kitchen. Had Blue Cheese burger (was good) and Flatbread
        • This was a cool industrial/bar district

    • [2020-03-14 Sat] PG&E, Wilcat Loop, Lower Meadow Trail (4.1 miles)

      • 600 ft elevation change
      • Saw baby goat at deer hollow farm
      • Super busy off the start with lots of kids and stuff
      • Back half was better
      • Rainy

    • [2020-03-21 Sat] Pinecrest Lake and Pinecrest Peak Loop (4 miles)

      • We only did the Pinecrest lake look
      • Can drive there and back from MV on one tank of gas
      • Went with Sab during the Coronavirus lockdown
      • We skipped the “Pinecrest peak” portion because of heavy snow
      • Could have/should have brought snowshoes
      • New Scarpa boots got soaked through
      • Should have brought gaiters
      • Was still fairly busy, I think this loop would be pretty busy in summer
      • When hiking in snow where you punch through the crust our pace is roughly 1 mile per hour

    • [2020-04-11 Sat] Zim Zim Falls Trail (7.4 miles)

      • Went with Sab
      • COVID-19 hike
      • Saw maybe ~10 people
      • On public land which was cool
      • Nice and flat
      • Can backpack/primitive camp up there but no fires
        • Would need to bushwack a bit to find a secluded spot
      • Lots of trail to follow deeper in
      • Detour off the main trail once you can see the falls
      • Favourite hike in a long time
      • Could be an option for a Grand Canyon fail over hike

    • [2020-04-18 Sat] Thompson Canyon Trail (6 miles)

      • COVID-19 hike
      • With Just Sab
      • Good spot for a backpacking trip
      • Few people, but would probably be busy without COVID.
      • Was on BLM land
      • Had a nice lunch on a hill top
      • Bringing chairs is a must
      • Saw a Mountain Lion and Cub on the trail, so we ended up not doing the loop portion

    • [2020-04-26 Sun] Burstarse Falls via PCT from Dog Trailhead (7.2mi)

      • Can keep going as far as we want to
      • Relatively flat out and back
      • 15 min from hotel
      • Beautiful hike. Had an apple overlooking the valley. The second time you cross the falls higher up, has a nice spot to sit on a rock shelf
      • Would be very sunny/hot in the later summer months
      • Saw a decent number of people on the trail
      • Cool to hike part of the PCT!

IN-PROGRESS Lost Coast

[2020-01-09 Thu 16:07] https://into.travel/blog/2019/05/29/lost-coast-trail-mattole-to-black-sands-beach https://www.wonderlandguides.com/hikes/king-range/lost-coast-trail#tides-and-impassible-sections

  • Notes

    • Pants are advisable because of Poison Oak
    • Tide Tables
    • There is good water access, but filter from the smaller streams for better tasting water

  • TODO Lost Coast Checklist [0/2]

    • Invite people
    • Plan travel

  • TODO Lost Coast Gear List [0/0]

    • Gear

      • Bear barrel
      • Bear Spray
      • Headlamp
      • Flashlight
      • Folding knife
      • Multi tool
      • Paracord
      • Camelbak
      • Stove
      • Fuel
      • Pots, Bowls + utensils
      • Lighters
      • Map
      • Sunglasses
      • Sunscreen
      • Bug spray
      • Go Pro
      • Packable towel

    • Clothes

      • 2 shirts
      • 1 shorts (packed)
      • 1 Pants (wear)
      • Boots
      • Extra socks
      • Underwear
  • TODO Lost Coast Meal Plan [0/0]

  • TODO Lost Coast Itinerary

    Cooksie creek at

    • TODO Pick lost coast campgrounds
    • Tides

    • Lost Coast Day 0: Not on the trail

      <2020-08-21 Fri>

    • Lost Coast Day 2: Horse Mountain Creek to Spanish Creek

      <2020-08-23 Sun>

      • Impassable section from Glitchell Creek to Past Shipman Creek at high tide. Must pass this section at TODO
      • Could go on farther to Spanish Creek

    • Lost Coast Day 3: Spanish Creek to Mattole Trailhead, to Home

      <2020-08-24 Mon>

      • Impassable section from Randall Creek to well past Cooksie Creak at high tide
      • Short Impassable section after Punta Gorda Lighthouse

TODO Look at Yosemite Backpacking Trip (Half Dome)

[2019-12-27 Fri 12:55]

TODO South America

  • Argentina

    • Once you get there, bussing around seems to be the way to go
    • Travel/cancellation insurance is good to have because it can be a little unreliable
    • SPRING (September-November): Hiking in the spring months is a great way to enjoy Patagonia before the swathes of tourists arrive.
    • Temperatures will be cool with daytime highs averaging in the 50’s, so you’ll need to bring warmer clothing. You can also expect less wind and less precipitation during spring months compared to summer.

    • Huemul Circuit

      • Starts in El Chaltén
      • Is a long journey from any major cities or travel hubs.
      • The best way to get there is to take a three-hour flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate, Argentina.
      • From there, take a scenic three-hour bus ride to reach your trekking home base of El Chaltén. I recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time, as buses tend to fill up. I used BusBud.com to buy mine.
      • Many hostels and campgrounds in El Chaltén
      • Maps.me is a good app for GPSing the hike
      • Getting a guide may be a good option, however weather may be unpredicatble (getting a refund may be difficult/impossible depending on their policies)
        • People think it is possible to self guide
      • Doing it in November may see more snow on trail. Optimal time is December-February (summer)
      • Not busy
      • A real adventure
      • 40+ miles
      • 4-5 days
      • Will require some route finding
      • Possible to hire a guide

    • W Trek

      • Located in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine
      • By far the most popular hike
      • May be too popular because of all the Refugios (mountain huts)
      • ~50 miles
      • One of the busiest hiking regions in all of Patagonia, so don’t expect too much solitude.
      • If you’re hiking independently, you’ll need to begin planning and booking your campsites months in advance, as competition is high and coordinating with the three reservation systems (Fantástico Sur, Vertice, and CONAF) can be a test of patience
    • TODO Check if visas would be required

TODO Look at making some camping reservations for the summer

[2020-02-05 Wed 19:14]

  • Tahoe

    • DL Bliss SP (couldn’t access reservations on [2020-02-16 Sun 20:51]
    • Fallen Leaf: No availability (First Come First Serve)

  • Stanislaus National Forest

    • Lake Alpine West shore (First come first serve)
  • Yosemite
  • Kings Canyon
  • Sierra National Forest
  • Mendocino National Forest
  • Big Sur
  • Big Basin Redwoods State Park?
  • Sonoma coast state beach

WILL-NOT-IMPLEMENT Grand Canyon

  • Note taken on [2020-05-12 Tue 17:05] COVID-19 killed it :(

[2019-12-16 Mon 20:12]

  • DONE Cancel Grand Canyon

    • <2020-05-12 Tue 16:52> Canceling Flights

      • They have to cancel it for me
      • https://prefunds.aa.com
      • Ticket numbers:
        • 0012124255475 for Bligh
          • Cancellation confirmation number: 0012124255475
        • 0012124255476 for Flemming
        • Confirmation number: 0012124255476

  • Trail Information

    • NPS Grand Canyon Backcountry Hiking
    • A rigorous rim-to-river backpack of three or more days, following one of the South Rim’s more difficult trails.
    • The tread is well worn and generally easy to follow, and the route offers access in one long day to one of the most scenic beach campsites in the canyon
    • I think keeping our gear light so we can carry extra water will be key
      • Given the steep elevation change, lighter is better

    • Weather

      • May averages: High 92f, low 63f in the inner canyon, but you will lose about 5f per 1000 feet as you ascend
      • If you get near water, wet yourself down for cooling
      • HEAT EXHAUSTION: The result of dehydration due to intense sweating. Hikers can lose one or two quarts (liters) of water per hour. Rangers at Phantom Ranch and Indian Garden treat many cases of heat exhaustion each day in summer.
        • Symptoms: pale face, nausea, vomiting, cool and moist skin, headache, cramps.
        • Treatment: drink water with electrolytes, eat high-energy foods (with fats and sugars), rest in the shade for 30-45 minutes, and cool the body by getting wet.

  • Grand Canyon Itinerary

    • Grand Canyon Day 0: SFO/SJC to Phoenix <2020-05-22 Fri>

      7:30am: Arrive at SFO

      • We do need to be somewhat early to check bags
      • Mack & Sab + possibly Erez
        • Option 1: Park and fly (cost: 70.2);
        • Option 2: Take a Lyft/Uber
      • Scott:
        • Lyft/Uber
        • BART?

      9:07am: Depart SFO on AA1868

      11:09am: Arrive PHX (Sky harbor)

      • I can rent us an SUV on Turo for the 4 of us to use for the duration of the trip

      12:00pm: Depart PHX for Mather Campground

      • Approx 3.5hrs without traffic
        • 228 Miles
        • Getting to Trailhead from here: 0.5hrs, 22mi
      • Pick up fuel at REI

      5:00pm: Arrive at Mather Campground

      • Reservation
        • 163, Juniper Loop (Sites 107-184) (TENT ONLY NONELECTRIC)
      • Rest of the night is ours to just chill

    • Grand Canyon Day 1: Trailhead to Tanner Beach <2020-05-23 Sat>

      4:00am: Wake up, break camp, breakfast 5:00am: Depart Mather Campground for Tanner Trail Trailhead

      • 22.8 miles, 33 minutes

      5:30am: Arrive Tanner Trail Trailhead, start hiking

      • 10 miles hike from rim to river. This is probably our hardest day
      • First 1-2 miles are the most difficult
      • Want to start very early in the morning to beat the heat

      1:00pm: Done hiking at Tanner Beach

      • Can just chill, enjoy the canyon

    • Grand Canyon Day 2: Tanner Beach to Anywhere Half Way <2020-05-24 Sun>

      • Want to start really early due to lack of shade

    • Grand Canyon Day 3: Anywhere Half Way to Trailhead to Airport <2020-05-25 Mon>

      • Want to start really early due to lack of shade

      3:00 pm: Depart Tanner Trail for PHX

      • 231 miles, 3.5hrs
      • Fill up gas along route

      6:30 pm: Arrive at PHX

      • Must be there to check bags. A little earlier would be better

      8:05 pm: Depart PHX for SFO on AA597

  • IN-PROGRESS Grand Canyon Gear List

    • Permits and Documentation

      • Printed permit (Mack)
      • Park pass from car (Mack)
      • Printed map (2 copies) (Mack)

    • Hard Goods

      • Hiking backpack
      • Camera/Go Pro
      • Flash light
      • Head lamp
      • Folding Knife
      • Zip locks
      • Duct tape
      • Trekking Poles (at least 1/person)
      • Water Filter (Mack)
      • Tarp (Mack)
      • Tent (1 per 2 people)
      • Sleeping pad
      • Sleeping bag
      • Backpacking chairs (comfort item; not necessary)
      • Pots (Mack has 1, coould be good to have 2)
      • Stove (Mack has 1, could be good to have 2)
      • Fuel (purchase in phoenix)
      • Utensils (may have enough for everyone)
      • Mug
      • Camping towel
      • Camp soap
      • Lighter
      • Signal mirror
      • EDC Kit
      • Parachute cord (Mack) (optional)
      • Camelbak (3L size is best)
      • Water bottles
        • Ability to carry at least 10L/person
      • Small battery pack (nice to have 1 for every 2 people)

    • Medical/Comfort

      • Spray bottle for cooling (optional comfort item)
      • First aid kit
        • Advil
        • Muscle relaxants
        • Tums
      • Blister dots
      • Molskine
      • Toilet paper
      • Trowel
      • Ziplocks
      • Sun glasses
      • Sun screen (spf 30 or 50)
      • Mini bug spray?
      • Kindle/book (optional; could be good for downtime)
      • Cards
      • Cigars
      • Cigar cutter
      • Flask

    • Clothing

      • Hat
      • Bandana
      • Toque
      • Long sleeve lulu shirt
      • Athletic shirts 2x (light colors)
      • Puffy jacket/fleece
      • Patagonia convertible pants
      • Shorts 1x
      • Thick socks 2x
      • Thin socks 2x
      • Underwear 3x
      • Flip flops
      • Hiking boots
      • Clean normal clothes to fly back in

  • IN-PROGRESS Grand Canyon Meal Plan

    • Grand Canyon Day 0: Meals

      • Breakfast

      • Lunch

        • Fast food; find on the way before we leave Phoenix

      • Dinner

        • Hot dogs
        • Fire steaks
        • Just a freeze dried?

      • Snacks

        • Hiking snacks + anything extra we purchased

    • Grand Canyon Day 1: Meals

      • Breakfast

        • Instant coffee

      • Lunch

        • Cheese strings
        • Sausage
        • Pita/bagel

      • Dinner

        • Freeze dried dinner
      • Snacks

    • Grand Canyon Day 2: Meals

      • Breakfast

        • Instant Coffee

      • Lunch

        • Cheese strings
        • Sausage
        • Pita/bagel

      • Dinner

        • Freeze dried dinner
      • Snacks

    • Grand Canyon Day 3: Meals

      • Breakfast

        • Coffee

      • Lunch

        • Cheese strings
        • Sausage
        • Pita/bagel

      • Dinner

        • Cheese burger and beer. As is tradition
      • Snacks

  • IN-PROGRESS Grand Canyon Food List

    • I think we should do the freeze dried dinners that cook in the bag to minimize mess
    • No dishes breakfast (e.g. oatmeal) is the way to go to make mornings easy, so I think we should just do bagels/that sort of thing
    • 4L/Water per day minimum + cooking requirements

    • Shopping list

      • Freeze dried dinners
      • Gatorate/electrolytes
      • Protein bars
      • Cliff bars
      • Peanut butter honey tube
      • Instant coffee (Nestle Mocha ones are good) x12
      • Costco GORP
      • Bottled Water/Water Jug

  • TODO Grand Canyon Planning Checklist [2/3]

    • Book car
    • Book flights
    • Plan night 0 camping/hotel
  • WILL-NOT-IMPLEMENT Check trail conditions

  • DONE Follow Up Grand Canyon Permit

    • Note taken on [2020-01-12 Sun 11:07] We got it

    [2019-12-29 Sun 18:40]

TODO Kings Canyon Trip

  • Fishing?

TODO Montana De Oro State Park Trip

Sample Weekend Trip Meal Plan

Saturday

  • Breakfast:
    • Bars
    • Coffee at home
  • Lunch:
    • Sandwiches
      • Chicken breasts
      • Head of lettuce/Romaine lettuce
  • Dinner:
    • Salads

Sunday

  • Breakfast:
    • Bars
    • Hotel breakfast
  • Lunch:
    • Wraps (tortillas)
  • Dinner:
    • home or on the road

Snacks

  • Apples
  • Berries
  • Turkey peps
  • Joseph’s pita bread
  • Sweet fish

Places

Santa Cruz

  • Humble Sea brewing Co in Santa Cruz is a cool spot

Sunset Viewing Locations

Ordered closest, to furthest from Santa Cruz. Approx 36 miles of coast

  • Scott Creek Beach
    • May have some parking anyways on the shoulder
  • Cliffs Creek Beach
  • There are turn outs around this area, but coastal access may be somewhat of an issue
  • Turn outs with trails that run down to beach; may be slightly more secluded

    • Turn out 1 (where we stopped). Nice spot

      • Requires watching the beach
      • Better than turn out 2
      • Probably good enough sunset view

    • Turn out 2

      • Requires short walk to the beach
      • May be less private on the beach than turn out 1
      • Small parking space for sunset view
  • China Ladder beach
    • Busy looking
  • Pelican rock parking
    • Busy looking
  • Turn out 3
    • May be the “best” spot to watch from the car
  • Lose proximity to the shore after this point
  • Pigeon Point Viewpoint parking lot
    • May be Closed as the neighboring “open space” it serves is closed
  • Tunitas Beach Turn out
    • Requires walking to the beach
    • Very close proximity to closed park. Therefore may be closed as well
  • Past here is point of no return

Santa Clara County

Apple mugs are at 1 infinite loop

[2020-02-23 Sun 16:00]

San Francisco

DONE In SF

[2020-02-12 Wed 20:47]

  • Walk around Crissy Field
  • Marina District
  • Delarossa
  • Paxtis Pizza
  • The Grove SF
  • North

Blackwood Ace wasabi The Dorian Reed and greeno piano bar Good parking around the marina district

Sports basement can be good parking Chrissy field center is parkable also

Molinari Delicatessen

[2020-03-09 Mon 17:26]

Noe Valley bakery

  • [2020-04-20 Mon] Sab got a really good birthday cake; chocolate kinda tiramisu flavor

Shasta County

  • Mccloud falls is a cool spot for a hike
  • Swimming hole by Le Moine exit near Dunsmuir
  • Railroad park in Dunsmuir is another cool spot to stay

Reading

Articles

TODO Perfect home workout

[2020-04-21 Tue 09:49]

Startup financial models

[2020-05-03 Sun 16:23]

Math HN

superorganizers

[2019-09-29 Sun 15:26]

buying a used car lpt

[2019-12-29 Sun 00:51]

How to learn Physics

how to sharpen thinking with writing

[2020-03-31 Tue 09:27]

DONE https://www.hillelwayne.com/post/this-is-how-science-happens/

[2020-03-16 Mon 16:00]

DONE Pricing your startup

[2020-05-02 Sat 15:31]

https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/pricing-your-product/

DONE Emacs as a malleable system

[2020-04-13 Mon 21:07]

https://malleable.systems/blog/2020/04/01/the-most-successful-malleable-system-in-history/

DONE Read this about org mode

[2020-02-02 Sun 11:14]

DONE New grad vs senior dev

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22708094

DONE Watch how to make mask

[2020-03-27 Fri 19:25]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-QKkdiFbmM/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fweb%5Fbutton%5Fshare%5Fsheet

Books Read This Year [10/22]

  • Unsong
  • Dichotomy of Leadership
  • Tower of the Swallow
  • Lady of the Lake
  • Lessons of history
  • Range
  • The Body by Bill Bryson
  • Every Tool’s a Hammer
    • Didn’t actually finish, was terrible. I really don’t care about organizing drawers. I was clearly not the intended Audience of this book
  • Clojure for the Brave and True
  • East of Eden
  • [-] Fiasco: The American Military in Iraq 2003-2005
  • The Code. The Evaluation. The Protocols: Striving to Become an Eminently Qualified Human
  • Mere Christianity
  • Old Man’s War
  • Laws of Form
  • Leadership Strategy and Tactics
  • The Myth of Sysiphus
  • Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
  • Gilgamesh: A new English version by Stephen Mitchell
  • Grapes of Wrath
  • War and Peace

2020 Audio Books [7/13]

  • [-] Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck (audio)
  • Leviathan Awakes
  • Caliban’s War
  • Valkyrie by Craig Alanson
  • Abbadon’s Gate
  • Cibola Burn
  • Nemesis Games
  • True Believer
  • [-] Babylon’s Ashes
  • Savage Son
  • Persepolis Rising
  • Tiamat’s Wrath
  • Awareness by Antony de mello