Voice Of The Orphan

Saddle Mountain is part of the Oregon Coast Mountain Range in Clatsop County. Rising over 1,000 meters high, the mountain is rugged and provides a fabulous panoramic view from the top. For those who want an afternoon hike that is not too strenuous, but definitely invigorating and rewarding, Saddle Mountain is an excellent choice.

Summertime is the best time to visit to see a good view without too much cloud coverage. The mountain wildflowers bloom in the summer, as well. All along the paths are lovely flowers. Those who enjoy capturing nature photography should bring their cameras. While flowers should not be picked, a picture lasts much longer than the petals do, anyway. I got some exceptional shots of sunbeams through wild flower petals.

While walking up the incline, the scene before the eyes is constantly changing. I found the rock formations on the sides of the mountain, and the …

First you need to understand what actually rock climbing will consist of. When rock climbing, you should always wear a harness. Climbing without a harness is called “free climbing”, and it is a very dangerous variation to the original sport. If you have proper rope and harness gear, then you will not have to worry about falling as the rope and harness will prevent you from taking the fall. Instead you will be hanging in mid air. The rope is not meant to help you up or assist you in any way during your climb – it is simply there as a backup in case you slip. With this safety precaution in place, you can make your way up the rock, inch by inch.

Since we essentially live on a giant rock, opportunities for rock climbing are not hard to come by. The difficulty level can also vary greatly. On …

As a young adult still in her twenties and graduated from university only a year ago, I can say that I have not decided what the ‘end’ is going to be like – the end being a career. For the longest time in my life, I had been unconsciously living other people’s lives, dreams, and wants. And yes, I had operated like a twenty-four-seven ‘careerist’, and it took over so much of my life in ways I did not want. It took enrolling in a History graduate program last year at Simon Fraser University for me to figure out that I was not happy with the path I had chosen. Most importantly, it also took my dad’s current health problems for me to place things in my life into perspective.

Things did not feel right deep inside, and I intuitively had many doubts even before moving to Burnaby solely for …

Sky Diving

The most fun you can have is by jumping out of a plane at 30,000 ft. I remember the nerve-racking flight with all of its light jostles, the discomfort of the goggles, the sweat pouring off my forehead. My heart was thumping like a jacket rabbit. But your heart suddenly stops when the man or woman opens the airlock door, and you end up saying “What the hell?” just loud enough for the person you’re with to hear. On normal 747s that door is supposed to remain shut at all times to sustain cabin preasure. You can’t help but worry that the plane is going to start dropping in altitude and everyone on board is going to crash into the Earth in a big ball of flames. Then there is the rush of standing in front of the open door, waiting for the courage to step off into …

For those amongst us who have an adventurous bend, mountain climbing is the ultimate challenge. There are a lot of things to take into consideration and all of them play a part in your safety and the safety of everyone in your group as well. Pick a good mountain climbing school and you will learn about glacier climbing, Alpine climbing, rock climbing and even how to climb a frozen waterfall. Don’t even think about going mountain climbing without first taking lessons.

Alpine Accents International is based in Seattle Washington and offers courses for beginners and intermediate climbers. For beginners and intermediate, they offer an eight day training course with climbing on Mt. Rainier. Another one on Rainier is the Denali Preparation Course, another one for beginners or intermediate climbers. Choose the six day course for beginners or intermediate climbers with climbing in the Cascade Mountains or the eight day course …

Safety is of the utmost important for climbers and they make careful considerations when choosing Climbing Equipment to ensure climbs are eventful for all the right reasons.  Seasoned climbers get to know the types of Climbing Equipment that will help to keep them safe during various climbs, but what happens if you are a novice climber?  How do you know if the Climbing equipment you choose is suitable for a first time climb?
Obviously you put a lot of faith in your climbing instructor if you’re a novice climber. You rely on them to hook you up to sturdy ranges of Climbing Equipment, proven products that are designed for safety and comfort.  Armed with the right Climbing Equipment and with a decent pair of climbing shoes, you’ll soon get to grips with surface of all types.
Starting out with the basics
Climbing equipment will vary depending on the types of …

Hiking through the wilderness is only one rugged adventure every American should have.

It is essential for those of us who live surrounded by pavement to feel the grass under our feet and shade over our heads every once in a while. Hiking not only provides great exercise, it also rejuvenates and usually allows for some spectacular views of nature.

There are some spectacular views of nature all across the country, particularly along the coastlines.

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, completed in 1937 stretches over 2,000 miles between Maine and Georgia. The Pacific Crest Trail runs nearly 3,000 miles between Mexico and Canada.

The Appalachian Trail also offers glimpses of exotic plants and animals. The trail along the mountain chain is located in a suitable environment that has allowed species to persist through periods of climate change. There are also isolated climatic refuges for boreal and subtropical species due to …

After a restful night camping at 8000 feet, we were up early on Sunday morning ready make a go for the summit of Mauna Kea. We piled into Jim’s Cherokee and he drove us further up Mauna Kea’s western flank via the 4×4 road. We eventually stopped and started hiking at around the 10,000 foot level. The 4×4 road actually continued beyond this point but it became rougher and prudence said to begin hiking where we did.

The good thing about hiking above 10,000 feet on Mauna Kea is that the weather stayed below us. We enjoyed clear, sunny conditions during the hike. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us, it was raining downslope, a fact we realized when we saw the wet, muddy condition of the jeep road at lower elevations during our exit drive down the mountain. Though it was sunny up high, the temps all day were in the mid- …

Challenges stand in our way
as we start climbing the mountain
of difficulties

We may find many
boulders blocking our path,
making our progress harder,

We wonder if
we can make
it to the summit.

But as we go up the mountain,
we see a small trail which will
make our way easier.

We notice the wildflowers
along the way, and hear the birds
singing their sweet tune

Look! There is a fellow traveler.
Perhaps he would like
to join and walk this path with me

Yes, the mountain is still
A challenge, but now the path seems
less difficult, with a travelling companion

We keep going,
up the mountain step by step,
until, finally, we both reach the top!

What does this poem mean to you?…

Meet Stephanie Haddad: Massachusetts writer, wife and mother. Fate saw fit that she should find her soul-mate in one of the world’s oddest creatures: the movie addict. Over time her husband has accumulated enough movies that they cover nearly an entire wall, appropriately dubbed “the movie wall.” Since most of the films were purchased by Mike, Stephanie has never seen a rather large number of them. Even many of the films that Mike has seen he hasn’t watched since buying the DVD, some are even still in their plastic wrapping. Stephanie has made it her personal mission to watch every last movie on the wall and blog her thoughts about each and ever film, titling it Climbing the Movie Wall .

For every film that Stephanie sees she makes a new entry in the blog. She includes an image of the movie poster and a basic summary of cast and …