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Thoughts on writing

Someone (T) asked me about writing… I can tell you what worked for me, but first, T, I didn’t ask if you’ve thought about writing a book about your life. I asked, “Have you thought about writing about your life?” The point of writing about yourself is to understand more about yourself, how you got to where you are, where you might be headed, to tell your story, and maybe, if others read your work, to change people’s consciousness. (If you write truly you’ll certainly change your own consciousness!) I’m well aware that the first part of your life was extraordinarily difficult. I was seeing writing as a means of discovery and ultimately, healing. If a book results, well, great.

The way to become a writer is to write – several hours a day, five days a week if possible. Maintaining a blog is a good way to get started. I write about people I meet, things I do, my past, whatever. I’m writing a lot less these days. FB posts lead to nowhere in terms of writing.
Most people need coaching or editorial help, especially early in the process of becoming a writer. For many people, it isn’t easy to hear that their writing is lacking in grammar or style or whatever. But there is no avoiding correction if one is to be a serious writer. 

Related to editorial help is a constant effort to improve one’s writing. I always revise and correct my work several times over. One curiosity I discovered about my writing is that fairly often, the last sentence of a paragraph actually should be the first sentence.
Intentions are of little value. Actions matter.
The problem of “writer’s block” should be ignored. If you can’t write, work on the table of contents or clean your desk or change the oil in your car or something productive. Waiting for inspiration while staring at a blank screen or sheet of paper is a waste of time.
Read other people’s work. I’ve learned a lot from skilled writers like David Sedaris, Elmore Leonard, Harry Stack Sullivan, and countless others.
I carry a pocket notebook almost everywhere I go. I write down things I see. things people say, my thoughts, quotes from things I read, whatever. I use less than 20% of what I make notes of/on. I’m still waiting to use these quotes: “Onward, toward our noble deaths” (title of book by Misuki) and “He despised all cant and pretentions, and he never called himself an artist” (from the forward to the Aperture book on Robert Capa).
This is a lot of work, but if you do it for several years, you’ll be a writer.
I wrote because I had something to say and there was some degree of I wrote because I couldn’t not write. Thanks to my coaches and editors: Joe Bob Briggs, Jennifer Donovan, Linda Garner, and the editors at Lippincott and Elsevier Science.

Car camping in Colorado

This is from Elevation Outdoors, a hip climbing, BPing, cycling, etc., magazine out of Boulder. The original article with some photos is here – along with other good stuff. This is a good mag. Check it out at http://www.elevationoutdoors.com/.
“Colorado has one of the biggest menus of campgrounds in the country, but too many of those spots are overrun, poorly planned or filled with fume-belching RVs. To help you plan, we rounded up 10 of the best campgrounds across the state. Some are small and private. Others are better for rowdy groups, trailers and kids. But all are set in drop-dead gorgeous locales with adventure nearby. (Photos were taken in Colorado, but are not related to car camping, Underlined places were given further positive review by my internet friend SWT.)  
Campsite in Rawah Wilderness

1. The Crags – Colorado State Forest, southeast of Gould Colorado State Forest is often overshadowed by its more popular neighbor, Rocky Mountain National Park. Yet, the scenery here is almost equally jaw-dropping, and the wildlife nearly as abundant. What you won’t find in the forest are the bumper-to-bumper windshield gawkers. The Crags Campground is wedged among rocky peaks at the southern end of the forest. A rough access road and small spaces make this best for tents and small trailers—and keep the crowds at bay. All the sites except No. 6 are reservable, but you probably won’t need a reservation except on busy weekends. Call ahead to be sure. What to Do: Climbing at Nokhu Crags and hiking the surrounding chain of 12,000-foot peaks are the choice pursuits, with several routes accessible from the campsite. Cast a fly in the bordering American Lakes for cutthroat trout. CONTACT: 970-723-8366;http://parks.state.co.us/parks/stateforest

2. Mueller State Park Campground – Pike National Forest, south of Divide

Mueller is a popular spot, and once you set foot here, you’ll immediately see why. The park’s 5,121 acres of aspen and conifer forests are home to black bear, elk, deer, fox, coyotes and hundreds of bird species. Pikes Peak is in full view to the east, and a long stretch of the Continental Divide to the west. For walk-in tent sites, head up Revenuer’s Ridge to Prospectors Ridge. A dozen sites are (a short) walk-in only and spaced about 100 yards apart for privacy. Turkey Meadow sites are also a short walk in and provide the best views of Pikes Peak. What to Do: Access more than 85 miles of biking and hiking trails directly from the campground. Four Mile Creek provides stream fishing for trout. The south end of Mueller has the Four Mile Day Use Area where you can set off down the popular hike up to Dome Rock. Look for bighorn sheep. Have the family along? Sign up for a ranger-led nature program. CONTACT: 719-687-2366; http://parks.state.co.us/parks/mueller/
3. Camp Dick – Boulder Ranger District, near Allenspark
One of the Rawah lakes

Small groups, dog lovers, and wilderness buffs will feel right at home at Camp Dick Campground, which is situated in a glacial valley adjacent to Middle St. Vrain Creek and borders the Indian Peaks Wilderness. While many surrounding sites (including Rocky Mountain National Park) don’t allow four-legged hikers, they’re welcome (on-leash) at Camp Dick and in the wilderness area. Try to nab one of the sites that borders St. Vrain Creek—the sound of the water adds privacy and offers the chance to take a dip on hot summer days. The camp is normally full for the weekend by early Friday afternoon, so arrive early or reserve ahead. What to Do: Trails leading into Indian Peaks leave right from the campground. Horseback riding, biking and fishing are also available here. Campground full? Peaceful Valley Campground is approximately one mile east of Camp Dick and offers another 17 sites.
CONTACT: 303-541-2500. http://campincolorado.com/federal/arapaho_roosevelt_nf/camp_dick/camp_dick.html

4. Long Draw Campground – Roosevelt National Forest, west of Ft. Collins
Most Fort Collins visitors stop at Poudre Canyon and Red Feather Lakes, but if you keep heading west, there’s much more to discover. At 10,030 feet in elevation, Long Draw is the ideal base camp to escape the heat and explore. All the sites are first-come, first-served, so get here early to stake out your ground. Twenty-one sites accommodate RV camping and four are more suitable for tents. Most of the sites are heavily wooded, providing shade and privacy. Local rangers say that once people visit Long Draw, they keep coming back year after year—a true testament to the area’s hidden beauty. What to Do: Fish for trout in Long Draw Reservoir, La Poudre Pass Creek, and Corral Creek. Hike the nearby Corral Creek and Poudre River trails. Nonmotorized boats are permitted in Long Draw Reservoir. CONTACT: Canyon Lakes Ranger District, 970-295-6600
First campsite in the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop 

5. North Rim Campground – Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, near Montrose

Photos don’t do justice to the deep, narrow drama of the Black Canyon. You really must come and see it for yourself. There are many places to access the gorge, but the north rim offers the most solitude. The campground is arguably the most scenic in the area, set on the rim’s edge in an ancient piñon-juniper forest. Instead of looking up at snowy mountains—the quintessential Colorado view—you will be looking down into the nearly 2,000-foot-deep canyon. Campsites are on the small side, which discourages trailers and RVs. No reservations are accepted, so arrive early on busy summer weekends. What to Do: Hike along the rim or down into the gorge itself, where the fly fishing is unparalleled. At the end of the campground loop, set foot onto the Chasm View Nature Trail for amazing gorge views. The North Vista Trail leaves from the ranger station nearby and goes along the North Rim of the Gunnison to a high point on a nearby ridge. Climbing the “Black” is a unique adventure too (but not for the inexperienced). CONTACT: 970-641-2337; nps.gov/blca
6. Cold Springs Campground – Routt National Forest, southwest of Yampa
Here, solitude is absolutely guaranteed. Farther off the beaten path than most car-camping spots, this is the uppermost campground along FR 900. It sits at the eastern edge of Stillwater Reservoir and only offers five sites and no RV access. No reservations are accepted, so arrive early to nab a spot. Your backdrop is a knife-edge ridgeline of 11,000–12,000-foot peaks, and there’s a waterfall and small pond on-site. The trailhead to the Flat Tops Wilderness is nearby, as are several other trails leading to the small lakes atop the mesa. Steamboat Springs isn’t too far away by car if you want to break up your wilderness experience with mountain town life or a dip in the springs.What to Do: Hike. Stillwater Trailhead lies just beyond the campground and offers access to the Flat Tops. Smith Lake Trailhead leaves from the campground and is an easy stroll to Smith Lake—great for an after-dinner walk or hike with small children. You can also fish on the reservoir. CONTACT: Routt National Forest, 970-638-4516
On the Four Pass Loop

7. Parry Peak – West of Twin Lakes, near Leadville

Anglers who want to save money on hotel fees and have easy access to the best holes should stop over at Parry Peak Campground. This lightly forested campground on Lake Creek makes a great stopover on a fishing road trip or a great destination in and of itself. The campground was recently rejuvenated, including some reforestation of pines that were destroyed by beetles. The sites are a bit close together, but the campground typically only fills up on the busiest summer weekends. For the best sites, stay left after crossing the bridge. What to Do: Lake and stream fishing are the biggest draws here. You can also launch a canoe or hike in and around the campground (access to Mount Elbert is close by). Surrounding Leadville you’ll find amazing white-knuckle singletrack for mountain biking. Climbers can access Monitor Rock, Outlook Rock, Black Slab, Dump Wall and more. CONTACT: San Isabel National Forest, 719-486-0749
8. Bear Lake Campground – Sangres, near La Veta
This isn’t the same Bear Lake you think it is. Located in far southern Colorado, the granite domes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains border a forest of spruce and fir. This in turn gives way to an open meadow and Bear Lake, where you can enjoy tent camping in the most southeasterly slice of national forest land in Colorado. The campground is well placed along the dense forest and alpine meadow above Bear Lake. Along the gravel loop, several wooded sites are spaced out with obscured views of the lake. More open sites are in the center loop as the road swings around into a grassy meadow. Reservations aren’t accepted, but sites are usually plentiful if you arrive by early afternoon. What to Do: Dozens of trails offer hiking within minutes of the campground, or make a side trip to the Spanish Peaks. Indian Creek Trailhead starts just beyond site 9. A foot trail circles Bear Lake, fed by the streams above and home to trout. A mile up trail is Blue Lake, with more fishing. CONTACT: San Isabel National Forest, 719-269-8500
9. Saddlehorn Campground – Colorado National Monument, near Fruita
On the Four Pass Loop

Until recent years, the canyon country southwest of Grand Junction was largely overlooked by outdoor junkies who only had tunnel vision for Moab. But the crowds are discovering Fruita’s trails and the forests and rock sculptures of the Colorado National Monument. Saddlehorn Campground is an ideal jumping off spot for exploring the monument, and the campground is a destination in and of itself. Loop B has a few sites that are especially private. For the best weather and least amount of bugs, visit here in early September through November. All sites are first-come, first-served. What to Do:Some of the monument’s best day hikes are accessible from the campground. The Window Rock Trail is a nice short loop with views. Canyon Rim Trail travels on the edge of Wedding Canyon for more views. For a longer hike, take off down the Monument Canyon Trail for 6-8 miles and tour the natural rock sculptures. Or try the Ottos Trail, which drops down toward the Pipe Organ and overlooks the depths of Monument Canyon. Drive or road bike the 23 miles from one end of the park to the other—numerous overlooks provide wide vistas over the canyon. CONTACT: nps.gov/colm/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm

10. Vallecito Reservoir – Northeast of Bayfield, near Durango
Vallecito is one of the few large reservoirs in Colorado that marries the tranquility of camping with the bustling fun of water sports. For that reason, it’s an ideal destination for groups and families. Several campgrounds surround the reservoir, but we recommend Old Timers and Graham Creek on the east side, which is less developed. If you like fishing, visit in early fall when the water skiers are gone. Anglers can pursue rainbow and German brown trout, Kokanee salmon and northern pike. What to Do: Boating and water sports are the big ticket here. Several hiking trails are located near campgrounds, leading along streams and into the high country. You can take short walks to scenic overlooks or long treks into the Weminuche Wilderness. CONTACT: San Juan National Forest, 970-884-2512″

Wind Rivers 2012

Taken standing in front of my tent – sub-alpine paradise

(Written in a vast mountain meadow called Miller Park) When I was in my teens I would look at maps and see an area called the Bridger Wilderness and I would wonder what that was like. Now I know. This place, the Wind River Mountains in the Bridger Wilderness, must surely be one of the most beautiful places in North America, if not the world. I’m grateful I’ve been here.

In one of the basins between two of the passes in the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop (Colorado) I came across some alpine tarns and granite domes and I thought, “This is it. This is what I’m looking for. I’ll be back.” Then I found the Winds – a mountain range full of tarns and granite domes, and jagged peaks, glaciers, snowfields, waterfalls, tundra – really an amazing place.
Reflections
On my last night out, a prayer of deep gratitude that I’ve known some small part of this incomparable place.
I didn’t get as far or as high as I planned. I got to about 10800, partway up Indian Basin on my third day and was having to stop every 50 yards or so and taking a long time to recover. A man on the trail had said to me, “It’s a wise man who’s willing to change his mind.” As soon as I got down to ~10000 I started feeling better. I camped at Island Lake, on the way out the next day I camped at Seneca Lake, and the last night in the meadow.
Next to my last campsite

I’m camped next to a grove of about 8 large pines. In the morning as night fades the wilderness awakens – the nocturnal animals settling in and the sky purple over the mountains, rising to pink, fading into blue and the clouds white and some tinged with pink and a jay screeching, answered from around the meadow by other jays, some cheeping, some rapid warbles, cawing, and what sounds like a squirrel chuk-chuk-chuking and a woodpecker going to work. I’m having oatmeal and coffee on this last morning on the trail.

I’ve pushed it pretty hard backpacking, with the pinnacle being the 2009 loop along the Highline Trail, over Knapsack Col, and the long glissade down Twin Glacier, and on out through Titcomb Basin. The vision now is smaller. I think easier treks, no glaciers, no epic. I found myself thinking about Big Bend. The following is from the Thanksgiving 2007 Sierra Club Big Bend trip.
Island Lake

When I got up the next morning I walked into the woods to urinate and as I unzipped I heard a sound off to my right. I looked and about 30 feet away (I later paced it off – 10 paces) was a mountain lion standing sideways to me, looking at me. Big, beautiful tawny, big eyes. I flashed on Juana, a Mexican woman I know who has power over animals and I did what I thought Juana would: I said “Hello, how are you” and went ahead and peed. Meanwhile the cougar watched me, sneezed a few times, sat down and licked her chest. I finished, zipped up and said something like “I hope I see you later” and walked away. When I looked back she was still sitting there, watching me. A little while later at breakfast I told the people in my group what had happened and several of the men went to see if they could see it (they assumed it was a male, I thought it was a female – we later found out which it was)…

That night I slept warm with the wind rushing high above (but it was not windy where we were) and I heard the patter of rain or sleet on my tent. In the morning several people said they had heard something that sounded like cats, but not lion-sized….
I left Amarillo before sunrise and here it comes
In the morning the tents were covered in (granular) ice >1 inch thick in some places. The plan was to break camp and hike to the lodge for breakfast (mmm, bacon) and then hike out of the mountains. Taking the tent down was soooo slow, with so much ice (inside the tent, too) and my fingers icy cold and then numb and kind of hot feeling – how many times long ago climbing had they felt that way – knocking the ice off and untying lines and then the lion returned and began to scream. I saw it again, about 40 feet away, watching us. It stalked our camp, screaming and hissing 5-10 times as we broke camp. Our theory, zoologists that we are not, was that she had cubs nearby and had basically just had it with us being so close. Who knows.
As I was falling asleep one night I sat up laughing out loud, realizing that the commitment to live fully beginning when I survived a war has resulted in me living at least 1.5 lifetimes, so far.

I think of what I want to do in my life now… a little travel and being home with Leslie, being around David, a little backpacking, journeys with Jeff, but mainly what I look forward to is being with/taking care of Leslie.

High tundra – rock, ice, sky

Here we go again and as always, wherever you are, Leslie, you’re with me – through the endless Texas plains, the edge of New Mexico and over Raton Pass, into the Colorado flatlands, the foothills of the Rockies, stopping in Fort Collins – the city of my dreams, past the Snowy Mountains, into Wyoming’s high desert, and finally the Wind River Mountains and all along the way, Hello Kitty sticker (surrogate Leslie) reminding me, “The speed limit is…” and “Don’t you want to…” and “uhh…” and of course, “Hello.”
David and Leslie, near Hue
Last night we were lying in bed talking, cutting up, laughing and laughing about I don’t remember what – like so many other nights… and then sweet mornings. These are the days. It’s been more than two months since the hail storm that turned things upside down for us. Except you and I never got turned upside down – together and these really are the days.
Sweet afternoons.
When I think of you my heart is full, all the love, the joy, the respect, all the fulfillment, all the everything.
From Hue 2011/2012: After a banana pancake breakfast (with honey and yogurt) and not forgetting a glass of very strong cafe sua and a few minutes later splitting an omelet/baguette sandwich, we took a riverboat cruise for 100,000VND (Leslie’s bargaining acumen) to Thien Mu Pagoda, 45 minutes up the perfume river. This where the monk Thich Quang Duc lived before he went to Saigon in 1966 to immolate himself in protest against the VN government and the war. The pagoda and grounds were quietly beautiful –understated and mossy with just a few people around and a view from the grounds across the wide river, past the plains, to these mist-covered mountains where we fought and bled, where so many from every side fought and bled and died, aching for life – me for a beautiful dark-haired girl whose photo was so washed out from the water that only the shadow of her left eye was left and now, 45 years later, looking across the room from where I write she’s sitting on the bed, the love of my life, beautiful, her hair white now and here we are in Hue and I look out through the glass-paned doors toward palm trees and mossy buildings – it’s misting in Hue.
I’ve loved you a long time.

You dreamed of me



It was a heavy meeting this Wednesday morning. Someone has cancer, someone is six years (!) into his wife having a degenerative neurological disease, someone’s wife has cancer, and there are others with family members with cancer or other serious problems. And the wounds aren’t just physical. It’s not like there is some kind of the answer to making it through these things. I think it’s good to have family, community, friendships; it’s good to have faith and/or a spiritual home; it’s good to know you’re doing your job; it’s good that you’re here… 

Mention was made of Beatitudes…

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them, saying:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
(And so on – Matthew 5:1-12. I carry these verses with me in my little notebook – for contemplation.)

_________________________
From an email to Jeff: Last night I was thinking that we’re all just passing through and in the end, not many people will mark our passing, hence it’s good to treasure and nurture those relationships. 
I was also thinking that here I go on another vision quest into the Wind Rivers. I think I have some kind of fundamental or spiritual connection to the Winds. To paraphrase John Muir, These mountains call and I must go. 
Love, Charlie

_________________________
Attics of My Life 
(written by Robert Hunter, sung by the Grateful Dead, dedicated to Leslie)
In the attics of my life, full of cloudy dreams unreal.
Full of tastes no tongue can know, and lights no eyes can see.
When there was no ear to hear, you sang to me.

I have spent my life seeking all that’s still unsung.
Bent my ear to hear the tune, and closed my eyes to see.
When there were no strings to play, you played to me.

In the book of love’s own dream, where all the print is blood.
Where all the pages are my days, and all the lights grow old.
When I had no wings to fly, you flew to me, you flew to me.

In the secret space of dreams, where I dreaming lay amazed.
When the secrets all are told, and the petals all unfold.
When there was no dream of mine, you dreamed of me.

_________________________

Last week I talked some about a photograph of a girl who has haunted me for years. Here is Omayra Sanchez shortly before she died. I put the photo up for about 10 minutes and then realized I’m not qualified to do that. Maybe if I was still caught up in service – but I’m not. You can google her name. I recommend it. 

The mountains call

Peak Lake Basin in the northern Winds – high and wild

The Wind River Mountains! It’s that time of year again, poring over a topographic map of the northern Winds. Seeing the trail (Elkhart-Seneca-Indian Pass) going up up up through forests and across meadows and on the second day out of the forest into mostly open sub-alpine terrain (below photo, right) with lakes, glacier-scoured granite domes, groves of pine trees and on the third day, into the alpine (like in the above photo, left) where it’s all rock and tundra, ice and snow and water. Still going up and on the fourth day, if the weather is clear and my strength is good, leaving most gear behind and climbing Freemont Peak (13,745). The next day is off-trail over Indian Pass at ~12,000 feet and down Knife Point Glacier. I’ll set up a base camp for a few days and wander in the rock, ice, snow at the terminuses of this and other glaciers.


Then back over Indian Pass, down Indian Basin, past Island Lake back into the sub-alpine, where maybe I’ll sit for a day before walking out. The photo at right (below) is where I camped my second night in 2011 – I regretted not walking at least up to that little rise in the right center of the photo, maybe back there for a place to sit. I may spend one more night at the edge of one of the huge meadows they call “parks” up here, then out and it’s time for a cheeseburger and fries at the Wind River Brewery and a hot shower, sleep, and start home. Total 10-12 days on the trail, about 50 miles.

Sub-alpine area campsite along the Seneca Lake Trail


It’s unclear exactly when this will happen as the work on the hail damage at our house continues. It isn’t all that important when, except I need to be out of the mountains by mid to late September because of the snow.

House repairs drag on. Even though we seem to have a good guy in charge of the various subcontracting crews, it’s been stressful, but we’ve hung in there, mutually supportive. All this is against a background of how lucky we are (no tornado, no fire, no flood). Anyway, it’s far more pleasant studying the map, looking at photos, planning what I’ll eat, and so on.

I had to clear out the attic (with some help from Ron the construction superintendent) so all the insulation can be removed and new insulation put it. Leslie and I went through some Christmas decos and I ended up with more lights for the welcome lights on the arbor at the front sidewalk. I put them up today and this evening walked out to look at the lights and the fragrance of the four o’clocks was intense. Nice.

Campsite in southern Titcomb Basin

It looks like I’ll celebrate my 68th birthday somewhere high in the alpine. My 65thwas deep in the northern end of the incomparable Titcomb Basin “… a sight that will haunt you forevermore” (The World’s Great Adventure Treks) ”… dark and foreboding, almost like something out of the Lord of the Rings” (Dorf’s Winds, 2006). What a birthday that was, at the end of an epic journey! 


“The mountains call and I must go” (John Muir). 

Books for David

I have a lot of books – several thousand, several walls of them. About 35 of these are in a section I told David I’d like for him to keep after I die. Here is what’s there.


The Hill Fights: The First Battle of Khe Sanh (Edward F. Murphy). I was in the Hill Fights (168 KIA, 1000s wounded). Hidden away in all the struggle in the book a guy described something I did, so that was nice to read.

Refugee and Immigrant Health (Charles Kemp and Lance Rasbridge). Lance and I (not to mention Leslie!) spent countless hours in the streets and apartments of Dallas’ refugee neighborhoods. We wanted to tell some of the stories of the remarkable people we worked with in the bad old days.

Dispatches(Michael Herr). This is a real book about combat in the world’s first rock & roll war. Guns up! Balls to the wall mother-fucker.

Street Without Joy (Bernard Fall). Fall was the preeminent French scholar of the Vietnam War. He also wrote Hell in a Very Small Place, about Dien Bien Phu. I spent a lot of time on and around la Rue Sans Joie, where Fall was killed in 1967.

I Remember Nothing More (Adina Blady Szwajger). A book about the Warsaw (ghetto) Children’s Hospital. “…a testament to the workings of humanity in an era of unfathomable evil.”

The Norton Book of Modern War. British ditty from WWI: “The bells of hell go ting-a-ling for thee, but not for me…” I have a lot of books on war. I didn’t set out to do that. I just pulled together the most important books to me and many of them turned out to be on war.

Barrack Room Ballads (Rudyard Kipling). This is the book where (the road to) Mandalay is found. The last time we were in Burma we went to Moulmein, in large part, for me to sit where Supi-yaw-lat (the girl in the poem) sat “…lookin’ eastward to the sea” and when I looked to the west I saw the damp dirty prison where the donkey cart driver who took us up the hill had been tortured. His wife was a doctor, so I gave him several courses of levofloxacin as a gift to her.

We Were Soldiers Once…and Young (Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway). The Battle in Ia Drang Valley (LZ X-Ray). One lesson is never let the enemy cut your column. They tried to do that to us in our first operation at the DMZ, but couldn’t.

Never So Few(Tom Chamales). This is the only book Chamales wrote. It’s about guerrilla warfare in Burma in WWII. I think I first read it in high school – I learned a lot about being the kind of man I am from this book.

Cambodge(J.P. Dannaud). The “essence du Cambodge” in photos and words, from the 1950s. I spent a lot of time looking at the photos in the early 1980s, but the words are in French, so I missed >95% of that part.

The Stones Cry Out: A Cambodian Childhood, 1975-1980 (Molyda Szmusiak). “That night Robana, Ton Ny’s six year old sister, had a dream in which she saw someone very like an angel who carried an armful of five lotus blossoms and spoke to her. ‘Don’t be afraid, my little girl, I’m keeping your mama with me. But you shall go on living’ … the first to die were the two five year old twins, three days apart, lying silently on a bamboo pallet; then two other brothers… then…”

In Hue, beautiful Hue


Terminal Illness: A Guide to Nursing Care (Charles Kemp). I worked in hospice 1978-1981 (Director, Clinical Specialist), then taught undergraduate and graduate courses in hospice and palliative care – and most of the time was seeing someone as a volunteer. Several publishers wanted this book; I chose Lippincott because they were Bernard Fall’s publisher.

Amazing Dope Tales (Stephen Gaskin). Stephen was my first teacher. This book isn’t aboutpsychedelics; it is psychedelic.

How Can I Help? Stories and Reflections on Service (Ram Dass and Paul Gorman). The book answers the question of the title, mindfully, humbly.

Monday Night Class (Stephen Gaskin). Excerpts from Stephen’s Monday Night Classes. “It answered all my wishes and all my childhood dreams, and it gave me everything I wanted.”

Night(Elie Wiesel). Nazi concentration camps. “That night the soup tasted of corpses.”

Up Front(Bill Mauldin). Text and amazing illustrations, Willie and Joe, fighting a terrible war, in the mud and rain and drudgery. “You’ll get over it Joe. Oncet I wuz gonna write a book exposin’ the army after the war myself.”

Journal(Charles Kemp). Short, really just a few notes.

Hell in a Very Small Place (Bernard Fall). The Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Horror, gallantry, mistakes, death in 1954.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu (Jules Roy). Another account of Dien Bien Phu.

For the Sake of All Living Beings (John Del Vecchio). I vow to become enlightened for the sake of all living beings (Buddhist vow). This a novel about Cambodia, the war, the years zero.

To Bear Any Burden (Al Santoli). An oral history (Vietnamese and American) of the Vietnam War and its aftermath.

Everything We Had (Al Santoli). An oral history (American) of the Vietnam War.

Journeys Through Bookland (Charles Sylvester). I inherited several volumes of these well-illustrated old books (excerpts from classics) for boys from my father.

Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson). I read this book many, many times. A great story.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain). Another great one.

Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain). And yet another.

Tuna Fart Funnies (C Kemp). Notes from anatomy and Physiology – courses that were central to me in changing direction in my life.

Time Magazine on September 11, 2001.

Refugee and Immigrant Health (Charles Kemp & Lance Rasbridge). This was the first (shorter and limited) edition of this book.

Holy Bible, RSV. This is the Bible I used writing parts of the terminal illness books and related articles and chapters in other books.

At Khe Sanh


I Protest!(David Douglass Duncan). Dark photographs from Khe Sanh, Con Thien – all the bad places I was. Goddam, it was hard fighting in those places.

The Quiet American (Graham Greene). To me, this is a very realistic novel about Vietnam.

Infectious and Tropical Diseases (Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, Charles Kemp, Carrie Kovarik). Put it in your backpack and head on into the edge.

The Lover(Marguerite Duras). A short, very beautiful book about a woman and a man in Vietnam.

River of Time: A Memoir of Vietnam (Jon Swain). A book about how “whole generations of westerners who went out there as soldiers, doctors, planters, or journalists lost their hearts to these lands of the Mekong … there are places that take over a man’s soul.”


There’s a lot of darkness in that list – and some hope and light hidden away in there. And obviously I read many other things, but those are the books that I thought and still think are most important to me. To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season.

Hail storm

Goodbye

It was the worst hail I’ve seen and when it was over, water was coming through the ceilings in five rooms of our house, there was structural damage in the attic, and a couple of windows broken (including a small section of a stained glass window). Both cars were trashed, the garden destroyed (except the roses did okay), trees stripped, bird bath broken, and even the charcoal grill was bent. And I keep finding other things.


Front walk in April

Goodbye old Campry. I think you’re totaled. With the back seat out and my feet in the trunk I’ve slept in that good old car in TX, CO, WY, NM, AZ, KS, and OK. It was always a good feeling to get back to a trailhead after 5 or 10 days on the trail and know the car would start right up, and so it did, every time. I loved the anonymity of it. David used the Camry to go out – it was the car he learned to drive in. Really, that Camry/Campry was the best car I ever had.


Similar view of front walk in June

Leslie and I were supposed to go to Cali tomorrow for David’s Birthday and Father’s Day. She’s going and I’m staying here in case of rain and to interact with contractors face to face. Leslie can do her work with contractors, etc. on the phone (she’s a force to be reckoned with) in Cali as well as Dallas.


I keep thinking about seeing people on the news standing in front of their completely destroyed house saying, “We’re alive.” It’s not like that, but it’s not fun. Friday: just got word that both cars are totaled.

Thoughts on budget travel in San Francisco

“I can’t believe it’s a real place” (my friend, Jun).

Arrival: If you’re staying downtown you can take BART from the airport inbound to Powell or Montgomery Station. BART maps linked below – cheap and very easy, especially if you keep asking BART staff (whose helpfulness varies).   http://www.bart.gov/stations/index.aspxhttp://www.bart.gov/stations/index.aspx. It’s a 20 minute walk with luggage from Powell to the Grant Plaza Hotel and ~15 minutes to the Union Square area where many hotels are.
Noe at Market near David’s house


Transportation:MUNI (bus and train) is easy to use. There are free maps in hotels and stands around the city, especially Union Square – some maps have bus #s noted; some do not. SF Municipal Transportation Agency maps are linked below: http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mmaps/official.htm (maps have improved). To use MUNI buses or trains, figure out where you are and where you want to go, then find the bus #s that go to both places. There is also a map in many bus stops (but not at the vaguely marked/painted on curb stops) and people tend to be helpful. Be sure to get a transfer as these give you unlimited rides for 2-4 hours. Adult fare = $2 ($.75 for seniors – WooHoo!) – no change made, so carry some dollar bills and quarters.
F-line streetcar – restored and on the track. Note MUNI sign 


Cable Cars cost $6 one-way, no transfer, and there is often a significant wait to get on one. The F Line uses street cars from the 1930s-1950s from Castro to Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 39 along Market Street.

There is a City Pass that gives you unlimited rides on everything but BART: http://www.citypass.com/ + admission to assorted attractions. Be sure to click “price details” to see the less expensive 7 day pass that includes cable cars and MUNI without added attractions (neither pass includes Alcatraz).

Public transportation to:
Berkeley:MUNI (train or bus to BART station): http://visitors.berkeley.edu/gethere/public_transit.shtml(very helpful web page) OR take BART outbound toward Pittsburg/Bay Point and get off at Rockridge and walk a block to catch #49 bus Counter-clockwise for a nice ride through Berkeley and get off at Telegraph at UC Berkeley Sproul Plaza (where Free Speech Movement was born). 
  
Point Reyes Natl. Seashore: Golden Gate 70 or 80 bus to San Rafael Transit Center, change to West Marin Stage 68 (runs 4xday – check for seasonal changes). Also goes to Samuel Taylor State Park (Thanks to Yaguri, FAQ #246).
In front of the Star Grocery in Berkeley – happy days sitting on this bench 


Walking:“Nobody ever got to the end of a day in San Francisco and said, ‘I wish I’d walked more’” (Leslie). Even with easy public transportation, you’ll still walk your legs off, so take some ibuprofen, and do it again tomorrow. SF is one of the great walking cities of the world, except there is a lot of up and down.

Car: Expensive to rent at airport – save 30-40% renting elsewhere, BUT, parking is a real challenge and expensive. Many hotels charge guests for parking (>$20/day). We’ve never rented one and never felt the need. Pay attention to how wheels are turned with parked cars and do the same or get a ticket.

Weather: It’s colder than you think and the weather changes from hour to hour and neighborhood to neighborhood. Take at least a fleece and long-sleeve shirt; maybe add a parka or windbreaker if you’re walking across Golden Gate Bridge. A daypack for the fleece, water, etc. is a good idea. And an umbrella. 

Things to do in SF

New Moon Cafe in Chinatown

Chinatown: The totally tourist Chinatown is all along Grant Avenue until you get to Broadway (near North Beach). The Chinatown where Chinese people shop and eat is a block away, along Stockton to Broadway. Many markets, herbalists, tea shops, cheap dim sum places, cafes, etc. – a lively street scene, many old people. New Moon restaurant at 1247 Stockton for excellent duck and pork. New Chinatown is in Inner Richmond on Clement Street from about 4th or 5th Street to short of Presidio. Get there via the 2 bus from downtown (Sutter Street) or take 38 or 38L anywhere along Geary, get off at 6th and walk a couple of blocks to your right. Not as congested as Stockton, not as many old people, several markets, many cafes (Chinese, Thai, Burmese). Look for places that are crowded. Good Luck Dim Sum is very popular (3 pieces most things for $1.60!) – at 736 Clement. One of SF’s best used bookstores is in New Chinatown: Green Apple at 506 Clement (http://www.greenapplebooks.com/). I go to bookstores pretty much everywhere I go and this is one of the best anywhere.


Japantown is a quiet area with a quiet mall between Laguna and Fillmore (via 38 or 38L bus). There are 15-20 restaurants in the mall, some little food courts, gift shops, several $1.50 stores with Japanese merchandise, and clean restrooms.  
I love San Francisco


Ocean: I like to take the 38 or 38L to the end of the line at Point Lobos. Ask the driver if she/he is going to Point Lobos as some go a different way and I have no idea why or which one. When you get to the end of the line, walk back to the big intersection, cross street and you’ll find a well-marked paved walkway (take the lower branch) that takes you along bluffs overlooking the ocean. After a mile or so, you’ll find trails going down to small beaches as well as trails going up some higher bluffs over the ocean. See SF Bay Guardian for listing of beaches http://www.sfbg.com/index.php.

Golden Gate Park: An amazing (huge) place with something for everyone. A number of buses go to or through the park (see map). Haight Street deadends into the park (at Stanyon). There is a good Whole Foods right there (salad bar, restrooms, etc.) and Amoeba Records is across the street at Stanyon and Haight. It’s a nice outing to walk along Haight and on into the park. At the entrance to the park there are street people hanging out, but once you walk past them and through the tunnel, the scene is very nice.

North Beachisn’t a beach, but there is a lot of hip history here: Washington Square, Café Trieste, City Lights Books, Vesuvio (http://www.vesuvio.com/index2.html)… also many Italian restaurants, markets, bakeries, coffee shops, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Beach,_San_Francisco
Singer in front of the Castro Theater

The Castro is a friendly, vibrant neighborhood with lots of markets, bars, clothing stores (in one of which, the owner doesn’t wear any clothes), cafes, coffee shops (Spikes on 19th Street, ¼ block off Castro is recommended). Nice little Tibetan store across the street from Spikes. The 24 bus goes along Castro Street and the F Line (restored streetcars) goes to the corner of Castro and Market. It’s interesting to sit for awhile at the blocked off area at Castro and Market. The naked guys bring a towel to sit on and if you decide to take your clothes off, be sure to sit on a shirt or something. San Francisco!

Noe Valley: is an upscale (but not hyper-rich) neighborhood over the hill from Castro. Take 24 bus to 24th Street – hanging baskets, cafes, shops (check out Qoio at 4068 24th St. – the garden is wonderful). Baby strollers and golden retrievers everywhere. Take 48 bus from stops along 24th to Mission.

The Mission is predominantly Hispanic. Center of area is the 24th Street BART Station. Go any which way. Lots to see in this sometimes gritty neighborhood – cafes, markets, people. Different Mission areas are described in SFGate.
Beach, Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. Get there on 38 bus


Pier 39 is like an upscale Galveston waterfront. Sooner or later everybody goes and if the line is short, why not take the cable car ($6 one-way). Can also get there on F Line streetcars for $2 including transfer good for several hours.

The Tenderloin (a few blocks from Union Square) remains a rough place, but it’s where Shalimar is, home of the best chicken tikka masala anywhere imo (532 Jones St. (between O’Farrell & Geary – via 38 or 38L). Some hotels supposedly in Union Square are actually in the Tenderloin. Avoid the deep Tenderloin at night, though.

Union Square: Lots of upscale shopping, Cooks will love the Williams-Sonoma flagship store (the only place I’ve been – several times – my exciting life). 38 and 38L stop here.

Farmer’s markets:  See http://togetherinfood.wordpress.com/s-f-farmers-markets-the-full-list/ for listing – soooo much nicer than what’s in Dallas, groan. Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market (Embarcadero) is big, inside and out, artisanal, and more (Tu, Th, Sat). Get there via F streetcar running along Market Street.

Food: Some of the best food in the world is in SF. We usually buy stuff in grocery stores, take out places, street vendors, and the like, so can’t recommend anywhere for a fabulous meal (it’s all fabulous to us). If you want to know what artisan baking is about, check out Tartine, Semifreddi’s, or Acme (the latter two are found in several grocery stores as well as their own shops). I always bring home a loaf of Semifreddi’s rustic sourdough. Bleeding Safeway has better bread than all but a handful of bakeries in Dallas.

Coffee shops:There are many good coffee shops in SF – many locally-owned. Blue Bottle (several locations) is reputed to be the best and it is excellent.
On Noe Street – basic San Francisco


Houses, buildings, and gardens:Unbelievable. Everywhere you look there are incredible buildings and houses. The detail! Older neighborhoods have beautiful (often small) gardens. Get off the bus, walk around. What a place. Berkeley has even more incredible gardens.

Homelessness: The Bay area has a huge homeless population, especially in the Tenderloin. Many are mentally ill and a few are intrusive. Generally speaking, interactions are polite.

Other things to do: There is so much happening in the Bay area that it’s sometimes difficult to find local events (too much information!). Add the month or even the date to Google searches and keep looking. You’ll be rewarded with things like a Himalayan festival, a pagan parade, a huge marathon where many people are in costume and some wear nothing at all, an Asian festival, leather parties, psytrance street events, great farmers markets (not like Dallas, for sure), and on and on. The below resources will help in your search.

Resources:
SF Bay Guardian http://www.sfbg.com/index.php See Guides – you’re not in Kansas anymore! Also check Best of the Bay.
SFGate http://www.sfgate.com/ See Travel section with neighborhood guides, etc. (http://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/) Also, there is an excellent Bay Area Best hikes, wildlife, etc. at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/08/SPG8VOH5ST1.DTL&type=travelbayarea
Fun and Cheap SF: http://sf.funcheap.com/
BART (under/above ground train from one end of SF to another): http://www.bart.gov/stations/index.aspxhttp://www.bart.gov/stations/index.aspx.
MUNI (bus and related trains): : http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mmaps/official.htm
All sorts of transpo (including ferries) to all sorts of places: http://tripplanner.transit.511.org/mtc/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum USA branch http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum.jspa?forumID=26&keywordid=-1. Some of my favorites:
38 and 39 – Miss Ariel’s thoughts of travel to SF
157 – Hostels
170 – General info, comprehensive
176 – Napa and Sonoma
182 – Drive Seattle to San Diego, a tour de force by Williesnout
203 – LA to SF by public transpo
208 – SFB best outdoors
Residents would rather you say the city or San Francisco, not San Fran or Frisco.

Backpacking food

Keep it simple: freezer bag cooking, everything dehydrated, super cat stove…


Super cat stove and windscreen at left; meal at right

Freezer bag cooking means that you carry most dehydrated food in single portions, each one in a quart freezer-bag (regular baggies are too flimsy). It’s just a matter of boiling water, pouring it carefully into the bag, adding a little olive oil (from your little plastic bottle), and then putting the carefully sealed bag into a “cozy” (I use an insulated bag from a dollar store) for 5-10 minutes. It’s all pre-measured, there are no bowls or pans to clean, and it’s all very light. The freezer bag cooking site is at http://www.trailcooking.com/ and includes good info on dehydration. I use a Nesco 5-7 tray dehydrator (http://www.nesco.com/products/Dehydrators/). Dehydrating at home means overall better healthier food, and over time saves money.


The super cat stove is a cat food can with specific-size holes punched at measured intervals. Denatured alcohol from the hardware store is the fuel (I carry mine in two small Gator-Ade bottles). My windscreen is strips from a aluminum turkey pan from the dollar store. It takes about 30 ml alcohol to boil 2 cups of water. Instructions are at http://zenstoves.net/LowPressure.htm (have a look around Zen Stoves site – lots of good info). It is important to not use the super cat on top of duff or other flammable material, AND general burn bans apply to the super cat.

Breakfast staples include freeze-dried scrambled eggs (the only such pre-packaged trail food I carry) with pita bread and cheese. I put the eggs into freezer bags at home and divide 2 packages into 3 freezer bags (with some of my dehy jalapenos or salsa). I also carry oatmeal in freezer bags tarted up with milk, sugar, cinnamon, dried fruit, etc. Some days I just have an energy bar + hot chocolate. I’ve begun having some protein drink (see below) with breakfast. 

In the Wind Rivers – can you feel it. Stove with pan left front

Lunch and snacks are quick and include trail mix, energy bars, almonds, and half a Snickers candy bar. There are many excellent dried fruits and berries available in bulk at several stores, and these are good along the way, as is jerky.


Dinner includes (everything dehydrated) marinara with hamburger and angel hair pasta (all pasta is angel hair b/c easiest to dehydrate), chili with burger and pasta, mashed potatoes (Idahoan brand – so good!) with cheese, various dried sauces such as Alfredo and chipotle cream (when pre-measuring, add dry milk if milk needed) with pasta, tom kha with chicken (get soup mix + dry coconut milk and serve with instant rice or pasta) (dehy chicken [use canned to dehy] takes >10 minutes to rehy in a cozy). I bring cheese for half my dinners and have found that pepper jack lasts at least 2 weeks in the mountains. I add EV olive oil to almost everything for taste and >calories (carried in a small plastic bottle from REI). A wide variety of freeze-dried vegetables are now available in bulk from various stores – I don’t eat much of these as I like to take in lots of calories, protein, and carbs when backpacking.

Bread: I used to bring soft tortillas, but now I use bags of pita bread chips or something similar (such as flat bread) as they are lighter and more varied – I expel the air in the bag via a pin hole, bash them up some to make a smaller package, and put scotch tape over the pin hole. I also take smaller (not the smallest though) bags of Doritos, Fritos, etc. and treat them the same as the pita chips.

Pasta with onions, peppers, olives, chicken, etc. All dehydrated at home

Prepared trail meals: REI, Campmor, and retail stores sell prepared meals from brands like Backpacker’s Pantry, Mountain House, and Richmoor. Few people rave about these, though generally, they’re okay. Two-person meals are the best deal. It’s a good idea to re-package them in freezer bags to save space and decrease trash to carry out. An internet source (real people, in Austin) that gets good reviews is Packit Gourmet: http://www.packitgourmet.com/  Packit Gourmet has some good pointers on their website.


Protein drink: I use Walmart brand whey-based protein drink as part of my work-out regimen at home and have begun taking some, mixed with dry milk, when I’m backpacking. I mix up ~500ml (with cold lake/river water) every day, have a little with breakfast, and the rest mid to late morning. This seems very helpful to maintaining my strength and energy along the way.

Coffee: Starbucks instant coffee packets are the best, though there are now some pretty good packets from other makers. Hot chocolate is always good.

Other: A package of cooked bacon pieces goes well with several things. Spam comes in single-serve packs and ain’t bad (nor very good). Olives and similar foods can be well-rinsed and dehydrated, as can fresh basil, jalapenos, salsa, etc. I chew several sticks of Doublemint gum along the trail every day. Gum is essential in the desert. 

Sources of information:
Freezer Bag Cooking http://www.trailcooking.com/
And Google, of course.