No. I won't make a prediction for the World Series.

There is a widely held truism that "You Can't Predict Ball" and few teams have provided more evidence in support of that axiom than the San Francisco Giants over the last few years. In taking a look back at the 2010 season we recall that in the spring, the odds-on favorite to win the NL-West was the Colorado Rockies. Well, as it turned out they finished nine games back in third and it took a Jonathan Sanchez late inning double off of Mat Latos in game 162 to ink the Giants as Champions of the NL-West.

A Return To Utica Reservoir

Last weekend we'd planned to scoot out of town to Utica Reservoir with another couple to introduce them to back country canoe camping but work got in the way and they had to cancel. Kathy & I had already put in for the day off and we were pretty much packed and ready to go anyway so we went without them....you missed out suckas!

We were able to snag out favorite campsite (from our original trip, HERE ) at the NE end of the lake though doing so wasn't much of a challenge. There were very few people at the lake. I guess now that school is in session through most of the state people are heading to the mountains less...it pays to be a married couple with no kids!

The weather was a bit of mix, it was overcast on Saturday and we even had a brief shower, just long enough to duck into the tent for a flat-out lazy afternoon nap.

Wheeler Peak to the left (~9000') and Bull Run Peak to the right (~9200')

Outdoor Gear Review - Northwest Woodsman Folding Bucksaw

Among the more pleasant elements of a trip into the back country is the time spent at days-end beside the fire. Somewhere deep in our DNA remains an atomic post-it note that tells us the fire is not only a source of warmth but of safety and of comfort and a place for fellowship. That time spent alone with your thoughts sipping the spirit of your choosing or with a buddy or wife is a big part of why we seek the distance from "civilization".  If you are as lucky as I, in that your wife is also your best friend, well so much the better.

Making a fire is easy. We learned the necessary skills in Boy Scout or YMCA camp as kids. Making a GOOD fire is another thing. Collecting deadfall works fine in dry places where wood doesn't remain damp or quickly begin to rot. If you find yourself in a more damp environment you need to find standing dry wood which is often still firmly in the form of a tree, albeit a dead one. The challenge is in turning a 4-8 inch diameter 12 foot tall dead tree into a useful pile of firewood.

Making The Old Into The New And In Turn, Into A Business.

Once in a while I post short films here that I find compelling. Usually they are focused on the work that someone does and they celebrate craftsmanship. I think this aligns quite well with that theme though in this case, rather than crafting a motorcycle from steel its the crafting of Old World food products.

Here is the story of an Austin, TX couple who discovered a passion that struck an all too rare balance between viable business model and an available niche in the market. Enjoy.



Charcuterie - A Documentary from Christian Remde on Vimeo.

A Weekend At The Top Of California - Loon Lake, CA

Hectic work schedules and a frantic early summer full of birthdays, anniversaries & graduations had both Kathy and I at the end of our collective rope. We needed a getaway, and badly at that, but didn't want to hassle with the 4th of July weekend crowds so on the following weekend we loaded up and headed to Loon Lake.

Resting at ~6350' above sea level Loon Lake is a bit of anomaly in large Sierra lakes in that there's always been a lake in the valley in which it resides. The valley once housed Loon & Pleasant lakes and the two were joined into one much larger lake by the 1963 erection of the Loon Lake Dam across the Gerle Creek outflow.

The name of the lake is a bit of a mystery. There are in fact Loons in California but not of the type associated with the Wilderness in Canada, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Those are the "Arctic Loon" who's range does not extend this far South. You can find "Pacific Loon" along the California coast feeding in "near-shore" areas, bays and estuaries but they don't appear in the Sierras.... Perhaps someone just thought it a good name for a lake.

An Open Letter To The Food Network

It should be readily apparent by reading this blog that I dig food. I’m fascinated by the history of, and socioeconomic influences on legacy cuisine and I love learning about where food comes from and how to turn something mundane into something spectacular.

As I’ve aged, I’ve developed an intense intellectual curiosity about food and cooking. Along with that has come an increase in the sophistication of my palate and my desire to experience cooking styles and ingredients that I was never exposed to as a middle-class, white, suburban, California kid.

Luckily, my darling wife shares this passion. She’s a fantastic cook and I’ve learned a ton from her. Thankfully, we’ve had the opportunity to travel together quite a bit and have used those trips to expose ourselves to incredible new culinary experiences and brought home much of what we learned.

But there is so much more out there. So much knowledge, so many ingredients, so many preparations…..one could, if one could afford to do so, spend a lifetime traveling the world and only experience a fraction of it. This is why I was so excited when “The Food Network” was born. Initially it was highly instructive, the on-air personalities had unassailable credibility and there was the opportunity, though unfulfilled to really impact how people view food, how they cook and how they eat. But I think they’ve blown it.

Canoe How-To

At one time or another in our childhood most of us "learned" how to paddle a canoe. Be it at Boy Scout camp or a YMCA summer program, someone strapped you into a smelly life jacket, tossed you a paddle and sent you out on a lake in a clunky, leaky aluminum canoe and told you to have at it. You likely had no idea what you were doing but your got to splash your buddies and you were having fun so who cares?

Now, as an adult, you might be seeking to learn to paddle a canoe without soaking your partner, without the need to bail out the boat every 20min AND have it actually go where you'd like. Below is a video that does a fantastic job describing the various methods of propelling a canoe. The video is tailored to the solo paddler but the strokes all work with a tandem as well.

This short film from Canadian canoeist Bill Mason illustrates paddling solo. All the basic strokes used to control the canoe are rendered with perfect clarity through animated lines. The film was made by the National Film Board of Canada in 1977 which explains the music.....and Mr. Mason's epic tight "jorts".

You know you had a pair just like 'em in '77 as well.





Looking for information about Canoeing in Northern California? Visit: www.norcalcanoeing.com