Robert Francisco

Ventura Blvd, Los Angeles

The contrast is obviously striking. Driving down Interstate 5 and the LA basin with it’s +10 million people is about as far away for the PCT and the North Cascades as one can get. Near the cities core I saw an advertisement that read “Got Asphalt”. Apparently the hardscape is not yet fully complete and at least one enterprising company would like to finish the job.

In the Barnes and Nobel parking lot a women behind me layed on her horn because, apparently, I had the audacity to wait for a pedestrian in the cross walk.

Had coffee with Gotago this afternoon; it was a wonderful visit with a fellow hiker who has previously experienced the “re-entry process. I am not missing the trail per se but I have been thinking a great deal about what next, and how to protect the trail into the future. By a non-coincidence the house we are renting at the beach has a national geographic magazine on the table. The entire issue was dedicated to the World’s national parks and one article was written by favorite author, David Quamen. He articulated the conflict between preservation for future generations or simply for preservation sake vs using resources to satisfy our current and insatiable appetite. Looking around he suggested that the latter likely has more votes but those of us who have experienced the potential alternative will likely spend more energy in altering the course of our collective history.

I sat watching two of my brothers in law cast their lines into the surf this morning in the hope of catching a fish. Now both know the likelihood of catching anything substantial was nil, yet they waded out, cast their bait, and held their rods with eager anticipation. Often it is the possibility that something big or something good sustains us. And you know, if they stand there long enough something big and wonderful will happen. And it will have nothing to do with whether they catch any thing or not.