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Perhaps a little overly cautious in life. Love most of the EU, but in looking for a place to spend winters, as is my wont, trying to maximize pluses, and keep the major downsides to a minimum, ---keep coming up with this unassuming, high value, very unique place. Climate warm enough to escape the worst of our Maine winters. Food and music to die for, for some of us who grew up with same. Really doesn't seem all that attractive to the Jihadis, at least up to now. Great base of operations for jaunts to alternative linguistic places. The Fourth Reich, dissolving Andalusia, bombers' delight France, Brexitland. Sure, not nearly as exciting as say a Berlin, or a Paris. But I remind myself that, while I love visits to Manhattan, after 3 or 4 days, I'm ready to scoot. So the flights are booked, and will experience an ethnic Christmas. Stop over in the Azores, to check out family roots. Several EU friends may rendezvous, Inshalla. Aa.

Surprised how EU folks seem to like the place. Moreso the South, actually. Really not as exciting as other parts of the EU. Exciting isn't always a top feature of interest for some. Funny how that works. Maine is a little boring, but I choose it over many other places as a base of living/travel operations. Perhaps Portugal will serve the same purpose for me on the Continent. Aa.

Red light district Amsterdam 2017

ATTN: Nature Lovers, Adventure Seekers, and anyone who could simply use some outdoor recreation,

"This weekend you can do something that really matters and make a real difference. We are making history and we need your help to do it: Our goal is to create a comprehensive US Parks & Forests online video library. We need your help to make it happen. In some places there is less than one-tenth of one-percent of the original wilderness left in existence.

Sadly, state and federal funding has ended at many of our nations wondrous and historical wilderness areas. Add to this, the Internet currently offers little, to no information about these ancient and beautiful places. They may soon be lost and forgotten forever. Unless we act now. We need videos of all these places to help bring public attention to them. Videos of these places, will inspire millions to get outdoors and spend time in nature. Videos of these wilderness areas, will help preserve them for the next generation. More than that ...

These videos will survive digitally for ever. People in the distant future, will be able to watch videos of our nations parks and forests - hundreds of years from now - and be able to see what earth was like during our time. Those future peoples will know that you, personally existed, if you become one of the volunteers that record one of these videos.

With your help, and the help of thousands of others, we are creating the worlds first comprehensive video library of over 10,000 U.S. Parks & Forests, making them available to everyone for free, forever. If you love nature as much as we do, we are asking you to travel to parks and forests in your area and film them. Later we hope to expand our video library to wilderness areas in other parts of the world.

Next time you plan a camping or hunting trip wouldn't it be helpful to have a video to watch that was recently recorded from inside the park or preserve? Today, you might not be able to find a single sentence anywhere on the web. So let's do something about that ...

We offer a complete list of over ten thousand US Parks & Forests. In addition to that, we have made checklists that will help you get the most out of your day trip to record this historic video footage. Our staff will do the video editing. All we need you to do is, visit wilderness areas near you and record them. If possible, speak with the park ranger, interview the locals ... learn as much about the park as possible. Any and all video footage of these parks is appreciated and extremely valuable.

Submit your videos, photos, stories to us. Our team will promptly review and publish your videos and articles through our websites, and with one-hundred Facebook Groups, sharing your videos and articles with millions of nature loving individuals, and to nearly ten-thousand Twitter followers.

SubmitMyOutdoorAdventure@HighAltitudeVentures.com

Get outdoors,
and explore ...

David M. Curtis
Project Manager
High Altitude Ventures LLC
February 7, 2018

Any companion female in next may in serbia ????......................

Mountenering..
sometime I enjoy do do it.. and, im lucky that my friend in the office offering to joined them on this trip.
.. i know, that i'am not young anymore...
but.. with all my confidence, i joined..

... tired,.. of cource yes.. , imagine that i should pickup my carrier by myself with no porter.. the bag size is same bigger with me :



But after you get the top of the mputain, .. you well meet paradise in the front of you.. so.. your tiring will payed full



..so.. let's go to enjoy the natural sceenery...

It's so disheartening to write a blog and then watch it sink steadily down the page and finally disappear into the wilderness behind that little square box labelled 2, and beyond. So, why condemn yourself to that very same fate by creating this one, you may well ask.

Because I can, that's why.

Visions of heavy steam engines chugging up dense forest mountainsides, clacking across steel girders spanning deep chasms cross your mind while cycling the Iron Horse trail from Snoqualmie Pass. Driving the scenic route from Abbotsford, Highway 9 winds through vast stretches of verdant farmland, including an abundant vineyard framed by the Cascade mountains to the east.

North Bend, Washington is approximately a 2.5 hour drive from the Abbotsford, Huntingdon border on I-5 and I-90. The scenic route, Hwy 9 to Snohomish, east on SR (State Route) #2 to Monroe, turn right (south) on Wa-203 to Duvall and Wa-202 to Snoqualmie and North Bend, winds through some of the Pacific Northwest's most spectacular scenery. Hwy 9 is a secondary two-lane highway, dotted with lush green farms and dense forests, broken with numerous lakes along the way, including Lake Whatcom, Big Lake, Clear Lake and Lake McMurray. Be sure to stop by the acreage advertising bird houses, with ancient vintage cars in all kinds of disrepair parked haphazardly on the lawn.

A fill-up at the old-fashioned Lake McMurray Gas Station or a stop for snacks will introduce you to Yumi, the owner. Yumi, originally from Japan, settled in Lake McMurray 36 years ago after purchasing the store/gas station. Her initial immigration into the US had her settling in California, steadily moving northward in three different cities. The Pacific Northwest's similarity to Japan drew her to Lake McMurray, eventually purchasing the properties on both sides of the gas station . Her passion for flowers is evident year round, with flowers blooming inside and outside. Through the back door of her store, an abundant garden flourishes in the rear where several pots of beautiful orchids are carefully placed for fresh air and sunlight.

Her home next door is a vintage 1910 model that she spent 8 years renovating and restoring. Owning all three properties on the curve of the road ensures that no one will build around her, leaving her an unimpeded overlook of the lake.

Further east and south, both Monroe and Duvall are small cities teeming with history and well worth a visit on their own, each one proudly displaying restored historic storefronts housing modern businesses. Southeast, past Falls City (be sure to take an inner tube for floating under the bridge in the summer), Snoqualmie Falls, the hydroelectric plant, warrants a stop to view the impressive dynamism of the falls as they crash 81.6M (268 feet) into the river below.

After observing the falls, a short drive to the City of Snoqualmie greets visitors
with the Northwest Railway Museum, the massive ancient engines and cars sidelined on unused tracks at the city's entrance. North Bend Motel offers clean rooms with a fridge and microwave. They do not supply coffee pots or coffee, but Twede's Cafe, boasting a traditional 1950's decor about three blocks west, serves a "damn fine coffee" in large mugs with bottomless refills. For $10.00, buying a pound of coffee beans is well worth it, it's tagline a testament to its smooth flavour.

Twede's Cafe's breakfasts are large and delicious. Their Denver omelette is stuffed full of peppers, onions, cheese and ham, and fills an entire platter. They gladly substitute a side of four pieces of bacon for a lack of hash browns and potatoes without up-charging. Between their "damn fine coffee" and delicious omelette and bacon, you're more than fuelled for the day.

....continued.....

This is the first blog of ? of a travel article I wrote on cycling from the top of Snoqualmie Mountain a couple of years ago. It'll be two years next week, and I'm dying to go back there and experience it again. I will post the next part tomorrow.

...continuation....
Heading half a block further west, Compass Outdoor Adventures rents bikes and offers a shuttle to Snoqualmie Tunnel from a second storey retail space. A steep ramp behind an overhead garage door leads up to the office/store where you're greeted by one of their friendly staff. A yearling company, they offer corporate packages for team building, as well as children's summer camps, bike rentals and the shuttle. Driving from North Bend to Snoqualmie tunnel, the 20-minute drive through the pass affords visitors the opportunity to view parts of the trail from an alternative perspective.
Reaching the parking lot, snow lays in quickly melting mounds on the mountainside, and in the runoff ditches near the tunnel entrance, having been plowed away from the immense doors only two days prior.

Dropped off, there is only one way back to town, and that's through the spooky tunnel that evokes imaginings of the worst kind, and over trestles to challenge any fear of heights. Alone, pedalling slowly through puddles of water from still melting snow, a sudden blast of frigid air displaces the humid heat, chilling bones and raising hair on arms and back of neck. There is nothing but the mountain around you, and the curve in the path before you. Where are those icy fingers of air coming from?

Rounding the corner, massive wooden doors stand open to blackness so thick, it seems to seep out of Snoqualmie Tunnel. Despite the heat of the day, the tunnel, 2.3 miles of blackness so dense it swallows photons, the only light visible is the exit, a tiny pinpoint in the distance. Like a beast lurking 457 M (1500 feet) under the surface of the lower slopes of Mt Catherine in the Cascade Mountains, it funnels warm air into its belly from the west, exhaling it's raw breath in frigid gusts to the east.

Like a runaway train, imaginations careen wildly as the tunnel blindfolds its inhabitants in sightless dark. Auditory senses acutely magnify drips from rounded ceilings and your own breathing, (that was yours, right?) echoing with tires crunching on packed dirt and gravel. One can almost hear the shouts of the men in the 3,624 M
(11,890-foot) length, the longest in the railroad's system in 1908. Detonating 340 tons of dynamite, blowing it up 100 rounds at a time, approximately 2,500 “tunnel stiffs" removed 180,000 cubic yards of rock, finally completing it in August 1914. Built to by-pass avalanche prone areas in Snoqualmie Pass, the first train entered the tunnel in January 1915, keeping Seattle and the Midwest connected.

Donning a jacket against the chilly dampness, a 505 LED lumens attached to the right front fork of a bicycle barely pierces the deep caverns. Pinpricks of light and reverberating footsteps are the only indication of other tunnel inhabitants, impossible to gauge how far away or near until almost toe to toe. Alone, the tunnel has an eery silence, initiating a faster pace through its creepy sightlessness.

Nearing the west end of the tunnel, still immersed in inky darkness, sounds of ceiling drips are masked by the roar of rushing water, seemingly overhead. Emerging into light and warmth, you get a definite sense of the weight of mountain you've been cycling under and exactly how much earth is overhead. To your right, a stream crashes its way over rocks and deadfall, carving a steep path to the distant valley below.

Heavily laden grey clouds swirl around towering evergreens, veiling surrounding mountain peaks. The Iron Horse trail, a gradual 2.2% grade, winds its way through thick forests, disappearing into the distance. Ribbons of silvery streams reflect the cloudy conditions, peeking through far-off valleys, hundreds of feet below. Hues of near-by summits fade from forest green to paler shades of blue on the horizon.

...continued....

...continuation...

Picnic tables gleam wetly from a recent rainfall, and lily-like wildflowers bloom abundantly along the trail edge. Steep drop-offs remind you of the 3,352M (11,000-foot) elevation at the tunnel, down to 440 feet in the valley. Iron Horse trail is an ideal trail for kids and adults alike, regardless of fitness level, due to its gradual grade. Twenty-two miles long from the tunnel to Rattlesnake Lake, it's an easy downhill ride from peak to valley.

From the nearest curve, two hikers with long walking sticks trudge up the gradual incline. As they grow closer, one sported a full head of gleaming white hair and bushy, snowy beard. Suspenders held up beige corduroy trousers and a camouflage work shirt completed his mountain man ensemble. His co-hiker is less noticeable, but no less prepared for the hike. (picture). Shortly behind them, five more women and men catch up to join them. Friendly, curious, knowledgeable and helpful, they imparted their wisdom of the trail and its nuances prior to entering the tunnel and being swallowed in its darkness.

Cruising on the gravel path, approximately 4.5 miles down, an aging snow shed still stands, the pungent scent of creosote permeating the air. Thick cables hold the beams in cement slabs against the mountainside. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific railway built snow sheds at strategic places where avalanches were common.

Designed to protect the track from being blocked by avalanches, an avalanche would flow over the top of the roof of the snow shed, missing the tracks, preventing blockage, or worse, derailment. Looking up the steep mountainside above the snow shed, you can see a wide treeless section of hillside, an avalanche chute, a testimonial to their power and devastation. This part of the track was a prime location for a snow shed. Although there were many snow sheds along the railway, this one is the only one left standing, the others all being demolished in 1997-1998.

Cycling through varied terrain, from thick forests to open meadows, talus slopes (pic) and sheer rock face, the scenery is nothing less than spectacular with unparalleled views. Approximately 11km (7 miles) down the trail (remember, we are in the US), the rush of highway traffic from I-90 competes with the roar of water as Hansen Creek trestle spans the deep chasm. Thick, loose gravel on the trestle makes cycling a bit slow going and unwieldy. Gearing down makes it manageable, although there is plenty of width to dismount and walk across. At the first of the trestles, the noise and height is enough to frighten any confirmed acrophobe. Chain link fencing lines both sides of the trestles, but anyone with a fear of heights understands that fencing of any kind is irrelevant. The scenery across the valley is phenomenal; - looking down is optional.

Numerous hiking trails dissect the old railway line, the Annette Lake trail crossing a mere 6.75km (4.2 miles) from the tunnel and just before the snow shed. As with the rail trail, waterfalls, wildflowers and mountain vistas abound and hidden in their midst, the pristine Annette Lake is surrounded by Humpback Mountain and Silver and Albiel Peaks. Cycling is restricted to the rail trail. The hiking path crosses high above Humpback Creek, its deafening roar is muffled by distance and sheltering trees.

Past Hansen Creek trestle, an old sign announces Bandera with views to the north of Bandera Mountain and Granite Mountain. Low clouds shroud their peaks on this day, lending a mysterious air to the hidden peaks, fingers of mist swirling amongst the trees. The rush of traffic on I-90 is audible as it winds through the mountain pass, periodically visible amongst the dense forest. Burgundy, pale pink and white glacier lilies dot the trails at this elevation in spring, and yellow wood violets bloom haphazardly in mossy areas.

....continued....