Is That a Mountain Lion?

Mount Tamalpais and its neighboring areas are full of wonderful surprises. A few summers ago, I met a Western Fence Lizard in the Rock Spring car park and discovered that this beautiful creature cures ticks of Lyme disease. How about that!

From that very same lot, Jonathan and I set off for an adventurous five hour hike. We started heading Northwest on the Cataract Trail, aiming for Alpine Lake. It was only a short distance away and the perfect place to have our lunch. To our delight, this section of the trail meandered along the Cataract Creek and its waterfalls were healthy and strong from the recent rains. We stopped at each of them, along with several other people, to admire their beauty and catch our breath. Although the trail is mostly downhill, the decent is long and steep right before it spits you out alongside the lake.

This section of the lake was stale, so we quickly ate our lunch and carried on, backtracking to the Helen Markt Trail. This option allowed us to explore the less traveled portion of the lake, where her true beauty could shine. From this vantage point, we could really appreciate its size as well as its potential for packrafting! (not sure that's legal in the water district though)

Where the Helen Markt trail meets the Kent Trail the path veers away from the lake and back into the woods. This next section was much different than the first - quiet, peaceful, filled with pockets of redwoods, and the escape to nature we were both hoping for at the onset. For the next hour or two we happily passed the time chatting away and greeting the occasional hiker.

The Kent Trail eventually lead us right to Potrero Meadow, a welcomed rest stop just before the last stretch. It had picnic tables, a great clearing, and some facilities, which I needed. I spotted the bathroom about 20 yards away and ask Jonathan if he wouldn't mind walking over there with me. As we approached the cream colored concrete building, I caught a glimpse of a dog-sized animal sitting next to it. I was not immediately alarmed because a) it looked like an over sized house cat and b) it was sitting on its hind legs in a very relaxed fashion. But I quickly got worried and said to Jonathan, "Is that a mountain lion?" When he finally made out the spotted creature I was pointing at, whose head was at equal height to the handle on the door, he turned around and said to me in a calm voice, "I think we should leave...now." We backed away slowly and continued to look back until we were a "safe" distance away.

There wasn't time to take a photo, but it looked a lot like this one.

A few hours later, while having a beer at the Presidio Yacht Club, we concluded that our sighting was not a mountain lion at all but a bobcat. And according to wikipedia,"its preference is for mammals about 1.5 to 12.5 pounds." That explains the disinterested gaze he/she gave us as we approached and the absence of lacerations I had envisioned upon meeting this furry creature. In hindsight I wish I had known that. I might have stayed around a little longer to appreciate the moment.

Celebrating the New Year in Patagonia

Adventures in Patagonia from marissa viray on Vimeo.

Password: watch


Getting to Patagonia is no easy task.
We had several mini adventures before getting to the Southern tip.

Mexico City
We celebrated Christmas with thousands of locals at El Nacimiento Mas Grande Del Mundo (The World's Largest Nativity Scene). The exhibit cost the city $2 Million dollars and Baby J looked GREAT!

Buenos Aires
Then we headed to Buenos Aires to fill our bellies with steak and Malbec. It all lived up to my expectations. But after a while we needed a break from protein. These healthy alternatives were the perfect cure - Bio and Tea Connection. If you want to live like a local, contact Seba and he will show you all the best parilla, pizza, architecture, and sailing spots. He's a gem.

El Calafate
Aside from having one of the most amazing glaciers in the world (Perito Moreno), El Calafate has great food, a ski town feel, and easy connections to Torres del Paine & Fitzroy. We stayed with a wonderful couple, Angel and Margarita, who made us feel at home in Argentina. If it wasn't for them, we might have passed up the 4 hour glacier trekking.

Torres del Paine
The day we arrived in Puerto Natales a massive fire started in the park and our New Year's plans went up in smoke. Undeterred by the disaster we trekked to the northern section of the park, which our hostel manager said was "muy muy muy bonita." He was right. The glaciers at Dickson are breathtaking. What is more impressive is the persistent winds that slaps you around like you're in iFly. One guide told us that it can brings you to your knees. I believe her.

We ended up spending New Year's in a tent at Seron with 32 other backpackers and zero staff members. We were literally some of the last people to leave the park on New Year's Day. It was quiet, sunny, calm, and absolutely gorgeous. When we got back to town the newspapers reported that the President had closed the park and 600 people were evacuated. It was quite the adventure. This will always be a very special place.

You Can't Live Off Rabbit Alone

Not too long ago I started working for an outdoor company that provides team building challenges for corporations. They run everything from orienteering, to nature treks, to urban scavenger hunts. My favorite job so far has been helping out with the survival challenges. These are group activities that test your skills in survival situations versus others.

After spending a day walking a group through a few challenges, I decided it was time to test my own skills. I rounded up a few of my friends and went on a little survival adventure. We ended up about an hour south of San Francisco near Big Basin and broke out the SAS survival manual.   


The first thing we learned is the rule of three's. A person can survive:

- Three hours without shelter

- Three days without water and

- Three weeks without food




The bow & arrow turned out alright as you can see from the photo. However, it wasn't nearly as effective as the sling shot. Those rabbits on Gazos Creek State Beach wouldn't have stood a chance. Food...check!

We were less successful with the fire. It turns out this is really hard. Without the right type of wood (cedar is best), technique, and design, starting a fire is nearly impossible. All we mustered up was a little smoke and some cold embers. After several tries, we gave up and walked away cold and humbled. A lighter seems like such a luxury now. Water...still prototyping.

The lesson here is Survivor Man, Man versus Wild, and MacGyver make it look WAY too easy.
 

Packrafting the Escalante - 4 days and 3 nights

 

Things I would do again.  
- Buy a red Alpacka raft
- Put in at Eygpt and take out at Coyote Gulch
- Run it in May when the river is high

Things I would do differently.
- Explore all exit routes before resorting to rock climbing
- Scout portages well before staring at an unforgiving wedge between boulders
- Schedule a pick up from Bob, Donna, and Gus
- Spend at least six days exploring all of the canyons 

Things I go back and forth on.
- A spray skirt
- Mountain lion prints in the sand 
- Reading Steve Allen's book beforehand. Where is the adventure in that?  


         

Girls ROCK!

GirlVentures is a wonderful organization empowering young girls in the Bay Area through outdoor adventures.  One of the many programs they offer is Girlz Climb On, an after school rock climbing mentorship for girls in 6th through 9th grade.  Each girl is paired up with a mentor, who is volunteering to teach them techniques that will help them on the wall and in life.   

I am thrilled to be mentoring a young girl named Emma.  She has been climbing for five years and is already gracefully executing 5.10B's! Just the other day, she tackled a very intimidating 5.10C with several overhangs and maneuvers that required yoga-like balance.  Using a foot hook above her head for leverage, she muscled her way around the first overhang and then proceeded to make her way to the top with the flexibility of Gumby.  I was impressed by her willingness to challenge herself, her relentless drive to solve the problem in front of her, and her ability to ask for help when the first attempt failed.  And that was on our first day! 

I am looking forward to challenging ourselves, learning from one another, laughing,  snacking, and climbing  together in the next 10 weeks!  A big high-five to all of the mentors, mentees, and staff that make this possible.  If you want to be a part of this AMAZING network, head to the site and sign up.

December - Adventures in Volunteering & Giving

Last month my friend scolded her little kids in my hallway.  "Use your words," she said to her two daughters that were more than happy to use anything but words to get their way.  It seemed like a strange piece of advice at the time. But after sitting through a Youth Speaks event in November, I think my friend was on to something.  Words are powerful tools.  Just ask any teenager enrolled in a Youth Speaks program.  They understand that their words allow them to express their identity, creativity, and experiences in the world.  And now I understand that a string of words weaved together into a pattern of poetry is plain and simply magic. Good parenting, Elizabeth!

Another noteworthy nonprofit in the Bay Area is the Glow Foundation.  They help high school students get into college by teaching them the fundamentals of financial aid and management. 

I spent an afternoon at the City Arts and Tech high school teaching students about the importance of filling out the FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  The key word here being "Free."  It helps students determine if they are qualified to receive a grant, work study, or loan to  pay for things like tuition, books, the dorm, and food.

I was really impressed with the curriculum that Wells Fargo provided, especially the interactive games.  That said, it was the enthusiasm of the Glow staff that really engaged the students.  Props go out to Alana and Jason.

And last on my list, but certainly not least, is The Volunteer Center.  For 65 years, they have been bringing together individuals who want to volunteer with nonprofits who need of resources. But what people don't realize is that The Volunteer Center has an AMAZING training/consulting program that provides tools and guidance for a thriving volunteer program within corporations.     

Their next major events is The Board Match, a job-fair style conference sponsored by PG&E that helps 150 nonprofits pair up with professionals who are interested in serving on a board of directors. And it's FREE!

My job as the Outreach Coordinator is to recruit as many smart, creative, and civic-minded professionals as possible.  If that describes you, register at www.theboardmatch.org and join over a 1,000 like-minded people at Moscone West on January 11th.  

Three countries. Two months. One hell of an adventure!

First stop, Nepal.
25 days of trekking along the Annapurna circuit.
High: learning to cook dal baht on a raining night in Chitre

Second stop, Vietnam.
Two weeks in Hanoi, Cat Ba, and Hoi An
High: deep water soloing on limestone cliffs

Third stop, Thailand.
Two weeks in Krabi
High: Singing Thai songs in a torrential downpour