Year: 2008

I live within walking distance of the bison paddock in Golden Gate Park. I’m proud to have them as my neighbors. If you want to see them, they hang out in a field along John F. Kennedy Drive (across from the Anglers Lodge.) Just remember that these bison are built for comfort, not speed. They like to hang out, and, to be honest, they don’t move a whole lot. They mostly just sit there, sunning themselves, or wiggling their hairy ears, and who can blame them? Apparently, someone transported the first bison into the park more than 100 years ago, when these shaggy creatures were facing extermination in the wild (although I am glad to report that the current bison population in the U.S. is now close to 200,000.) These park beasts trace their lineage back to three bison named Sarah Bernhardt, Princess, and Ben Harrison. And that’s not all….

Last night’s crowd was stupendous — the group included family members, Santa Cruz friends and a former Santa Cruz Sentinel colleague, a high-school pal, members of my Santa Cruz writing group, a former student and many other folks that I’d never met before. A big bunch of people followed my sister and brother-in-law to an after-party at a funicular-accessible restaurant in Capitola By The Sea. Also — I am very grateful to this blog’s readers for sending all your crazy adventure stories. Keep rolling them in. (and one last thing — “Cactus” was the number-one travel book on Amazon yesterday — a shock to my system to say the least; thanks for passing this around and letting me know about your own explorations and adventures.) http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Don’t miss author Zoe Ferraris, who is giving two readings right here in the Bay Area. The author of the critically acclaimed “Finding Nouf” will speak on Tuesday, June 24, at M is for Mystery and More, San Mateo 7:00 pm. She will also speak on Wednesday, June 25, at Books Inc, Opera Plaza, San Francisco (601 Van Ness, SF 94102) 7:00 pm. Both events will feature readings, signings and discussion. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Thanks to KFOG and all the Fogheads who called in during my in-studio interview this morning. It was a great conversation. One of the callers asked about the disgusting food that one often eats on cross-country adventures. I told her to steer clear of home-baked granola (it goes bad quickly, and the nuts rot and become very bitter. Of course, I made 23 pounds of that stuff in advance, and sent it all ahead to myself in supply boxes throughout the trail, meaning that I had to eat that nasty granola for months on end.) Looking forward to Capitola Book Cafe tonight at 7:30 p.m. I will be there early, eating pizza next door, if you want to stop by and say hello. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

I’m getting a lot of questions about the “Pacific Coast Trail” and why the thing is so darned steep if it just follows the western coastline. Actually, there is no such thing as a “Pacific Coast Trail.” (someone correct me if I’m wrong about this.) I think that people are mixing up two major trails — the Pacific Crest Trail, which never comes close to a beach, and mostly stays up high on the mountainous spine of California, Oregon and Washington, and The California Coastal Trail, a network of public trails that spans the entire California coastline and is now about 50 percent finished. If you want climbs, views, bears, snakes and deserts, do the PCT. If you want beaches, shifting sands and crashing waves, walk the CCT. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

I’m very excited about this Thursday’s reading in my former hometown. See information below. As I mentioned before, the Capitola Book Cafe is one of my favorite bookstores on the planet. It’s well-lit and spacious, the staff is whip-smart, the coffee is good, and there’s a silver-colored elephant sculpture on the wall. And, best of all — it even has a movie marquee out front advertising the latest readings. I can’t tell you how many pots of tea I’ve swilled there while working on an earlier version of this thing. Just for the occasion, I have unearthed some scary artifacts, including a couple of Chewbacca-esque photos of myself from the Cascades section of the walk. I will also bring your choice of archival stamps — horned lizard, Opuntia cactus, yucca and rattlesnake — with a brand new “rainbow-colored bloodsucking arthropod” stamp that I acquired just yesterday. Feel free to ask…

This week I had a chance to meet my doppelganger at a reading (his reading, not my reading.) I said, “I just want you to know that every time I go into a book store, people think I’m you.” He agreed that we look very much alike — even though he is actually a few inches taller and has a different color of hair. I agreed to be very polite and careful to everyone from now on so people don’t blame him for my misdeeds. Also, I apologized for leaving his book at home, meaning that he couldn’t sign it for me. “No problem,” he said. “I’ll just sign one of yours.” http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

I’ve been hearing from a few hikers who have reached Kennedy Meadows and are now getting a bit closer to one of my old haunts, Mammoth Lakes, in the Eastern Sierra. In case you missed this one, here is a story I wrote for the New York Times Escapes section about Mammoth Lakes last year. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Listen to my interview with Denny Smithson on Cover to Cover KPFA Berkeley by clicking here http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

It’s great to open up my inbox and see messages from readers who are heading out to hit the trail this week (I’m glad I haven’t scared you off!) In fact, I’ve heard from a bunch of folks who say they are amped to go out into the backcountry and stomp around for a while. By the way, I took a “sneak preview” hike of sorts on a Kentucky section of the 1,800-mile under-construction “Great Eastern Trail,” which parallels and in one section overlaps the Appalachian Trail. I can’t wait to through-hike this thing when it’s all done. It might even end up as America’s newest national scenic trail at some point. Stay tuned to find out more about the “G.E.T.” http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default