Hiking Devil's Rest loop

Yesterday's European daytrip to bicycle with overseas friends was reworked into flying down to Hollywood for lunch with one of my best buds.

I didn't lead a hike this weekend, but instead stayed mostly local for what matters most: Spending time with family, ministry grads, and the amazing friends who make life worth living.

The first of the 2015 hikes I led for NW Wilderness was short, sweet, and not too steep.  I didn’t have time that February day for the longer events that I usually lead or get involved with, so I posted an 8-mile quickie to the top of Devil’s Rest.

Here is the link to my NW Wilderness event invitation, including our post-hike comments and additional photos:  http://www.meetup.com/NW-Wilderness/events/220733223/

I’ll dedicate blog posts to our earlier and bigger 2015 hikes, climbs, and scrambles when I get a chance!

Foggy hike I led up to Devil's Rest earlier this year

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on Jun 3, 2015 at 12:18pm PDT

Devil’s Rest is what I referred to as the “most effortless” third of our brutal, annual Triple D challenge for NW Wilderness in August: Dog Mountain, Mount Defiance, and Devil’s Rest in one day.

Since I’ve summited Dog Mountain and Mount Defiance countless times since I was a kid, I decided to finally check out this easier segment to complete my familiarity with Triple D.  The actual date of the hike was February 27, 2015.

Wally, Shaun, Garth, Glenn, Francois, and Lou at the Wahkeena Falls trailhead

Clouds and drizzle greeted us at the Wahkeena Falls trailhead.  The weather didn’t brighten up until later on, but our ascent was anything but gloomy.

Wahkeena Falls

Francois makes the creek crossing below

Shaun and Glenn continue up

Cutoff to the Devil's Rest summit

The anticlimactic summit of Devil's Rest

Sadly, the heavy camera gear that poor Francois had schlepped from the trailhead was only brought out once.

In the summit photo above, he is snapping a single picture of... wait, what are you taking a picture of, Francois?

Returning down to the main loop, via the user-maintained Foxglove trail

Back in familiar territory

The sun almost peeked out for our descent as we returned to the Wahkeena Falls trail.  It was the icing on the cake.

Here are our stats (see notes on my event page for explanations of the discrepancies):

Distance: 8+ miles
Total ascent: 2,761 feet
Moving time: 2:14
Avg speed: 2.6 mph
Max speed 10.2 mph (Shaun and I got a little carried away on the descent)

Check back soon for a family update, travel stories, and the types of outdoor adventures that we USUALLY lead!

Survey SAYS.... (Pew Research study on American religion)

Until the next travel/ outdoor adventure post drops next week, I'm sharing the front page article that I contributed to our June newsletter for Aloha Church of God.  My original piece was much longer.

Last month, I also shared the condensed version of my similarly-themed book review of The None Zone: Religion and Public Life in the Pacific Northwest.  But normally, personal and faith-oriented posts like this week's would be featured on my other blog.

This past month, a Pew Research Center study found that the number of Americans who identified themselves as Christians declined by 8% from 2007-2014. Non-Christian religious groups saw a decline as well.  The only group who saw a significant increase was the nones, those who checked “none of the above” on the survey.

Some are rushing to defend the church from potentially misleading survey results, especially from the Evangelical camp.  After all, among the respondents who claimed to be Christians, the group who labeled themselves as Evangelicals actually saw an increase from 59.8 million to 62.2 million.  Though we as the Church of God (Anderson, IN) are not Evangelical, it is admittedly encouraging to read that any segment of the Christian church is experiencing an increase in numbers.  However, it’s still difficult to ignore the overall drop in respondents affiliated with Christianity.

Many people interpret these results as a clarification, rather than a decline, of Christian identity in America.  In this interpretation, “nominals” who have in the past been Christians “in name only” are finally being upfront and honest about their lack of Christian affiliation.  In other words, the number of Christians who are genuine and committed to following Christ has more or less remained steady.

However one reads these results, our mission as Aloha Church of God remains the same.  We are called to love, serve, and be a light in our local community.   We do not exist as the church to defend the institution of religion.  We do not exist to keep our numbers up, or to put a spin on the statistics.  And we certainly don’t exist to classify spiritual seekers with convenient labels such as “nominals” and “nones.”

We simply exist to love people, just as Christ loves us.

Posts about last month's Mount Hood climbs, recent hikes, overseas trips, and family happenings are all on the way!

On the summit of Mount Hood last month

The Netherlands: Zuid-Kennemerland hiking and Haarlem biking

This is Part 2 of 2 of my mini-mini-travelogue from Europe last month.  Check out the link to Part 1 of my story.

Stories and photos from other recent overseas trips and hiking/mountain climbing adventures are on the way!

Setting off from Haarlem on my bicycle to Zuid-Kennemerland last month. #travel

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on May 19, 2015 at 5:20pm PDT

From my new Instagram page: Bicycling from Haarlem to Zuid-Kennemerland, the nature reserve suggested by my Twitter friends Martijn and Antonette from we12travel travel/outdoor adventure blog.

The title of last month's on-location post (drafted on the plane ride over the ocean and uploaded in the  Amsterdam airport), The Netherlands: Bicycling to Haarlem, was a bit off the mark.  Turns out that "Bicycling FROM Haarlem" would've been more accurate.  Chalk that up to optimism and an unrealistically ambitious itinerary.

The bicycle rental didn't actually happen until Haarlem, where I began my ride.  This was because back in Amsterdam, a couple of delays had forced me to tweak my plans to maximize my daylight.  And nothing would deter me from bicycling to my destination: Nationaal Park de Zuid-Kennemerland.



To make up for lost time, I hopped a train from Amsterdam to Haarlem instead.  This quick European daytrip would be over before I knew it.

Jetlagged train ride from Amsterdam to Haarlem (I changed my mind after telling a friend I wouldn't share this photo-- You know who you are!)

Haarlem train station, inside and out

It didn't take long to spot a bicycle rental shop near the Haarlem train station.  Friendly owner Mustafo only spoke about 20 words of English, but he helpfully walked me through the quirks of his of his prized storefront model.

Mustafo draws up the paperwork

Navigating my bicycle across town to check in at the hostel was pretty easy once I got my bearings.  Learning to keep that fixed gear bike stable while balancing a luggage bag on my back... well, that wasn't exactly among my most graceful moments.

A new set of wheels

Two-wheeled rush hour traffic in Haarlem

The Gravestenbrug over the River Spaarne

The Corrie ten Boom Museum

Vine video of the Gravestenbrug:  Snipe the "unmute" button above to hear the sound of those church bells ringing out over the River Spaarne

The clean and stylish Local Botique Hostel was still, for a few more hours, a ghost town when I rode up and parked my bicycle.  There was already a full house booked for that night, but I had checked in too early in the day to round up new friends (my typical routine when I arrive at an overseas hostel) for the day's adventure.

The Local Botique Hostel-  Love the friendly staff!

After dropping off my bag in my dorm room, I climbed back onto my bicycle for the ride out of town.  Some residential navigation was necessary to locate the highway.  Curse those confusing roundabouts!



Once on the highway, the route to Nationaal Park de Zuid-Kennemerland was an easy ride.  And as Anto had told me the day before, the park itself was wonderful.  The wild animals were out playing, though I missed the "Scottish cattle with the big horns" that she said I should've been watching out for.

From my new Instagram:

Beautiful Dutch #hiking. The Netherlands could use a few more hills, though. #travel

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on Apr 18, 2015 at 6:56pm PDT

The Netherlands- Bicycling to the shoreline of Oosterplas last month

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on May 18, 2015 at 12:13am PDT

Alarmingly, time quickly got away from me.  I'd been frequently hopping off my bicycle to hike trails that were too rough for my tires.  All of that extra hiking time added up, and I found myself at the far end of Kennemerland park with less than an hour before the bike rental shop closed.

I raced down the highway, back to Haarlem, and returned my rental bicycle just as Mustafo was closing up shop at the dinner hour.  We bid each other "vaarwel" as I walked outside to continue my sightseeing on foot.

Later that evening, I met some friends who were in town at Tapas Bar El Pincho to wind down for the day.  The staff was kind enough to let us enjoy their cushy, open-air patio seating until long after the sun went down.

**********

The following morning's sunrise was beautiful as I checked out of the Local Boutique Hostel.  I took time to enjoy the quiet walk back to the Haarlem train station.  For once, there would be no rushing to catch my mid-morning plane back to the States.

Yesterday's morning run from @helloimlocal Boutique Hostel to catch the train. #travel

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on Apr 19, 2015 at 7:12pm PDT

Back at the Amsterdam airport, a single Business Elite seat remained open for the flight home to Portland.  I was flying standby.  Despite a couple of extraordinary circumstances that should've sent me to the back of the plane (but hopefully not stranded in Europe), I was awarded that seat up front.

Variations of "You're extremely lucky" were echoed by several of the flight attendants and one of the gate agents as I was assigned my seat.

Alternately, the head purser serving my side of the cabin walked past my seat and whispered, "It's a miracle,"


I prefer to think that it was the latter.

Beginning next weekend on Garth's Blog...

Recent hikes in the U.S. and abroad...

Visiting family and climbing in Bend this weekend...

...And last month's climbs on Mount Hood!

Just read: Mount Hood- South Side Route

Since climbing Mount Hood myself a few days ago (photos and stories from recent hikes/climbs are coming soon), I decided to finally review "Mount Hood- South Side Route" on my flight home from the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon.

Katya and I on the summit of Mount Hood a few days ago, squinting into the sun.

This book review will also be posted on my Goodreads page.

This first entry in the “Cascade Climbs” series was written by Paul Wellner, a Northwest local who has climbed Hood several times.  Wellner shares his mountaineering preferences and experience based on his previous climbs.

A good portion of this book is dedicated to basic preparedness for climbing, information which most climbers would either already know from experience or from books which serve this purpose.  For example, “Mountaineering:  Freedom of the Hills” is an excellent resource that I’m reading right now for general instruction on preparation and climbing techniques.

Wellner’s advice runs the gamut from the helpful (“pay attention to the debris on the slopes which indicate that you are in the fall line of Crater Rock”) to the occasionally comical (his list of essential climbing items includes a candle... perhaps so we can gear up for the night cap/Charles Dickens summit approach?).

As much as I appreciated the detail and effort put into the first volume of this “Cascade Climbs” series, there was one concern as I read this Kindle edition:  Based on some of Wellner’s wording, it’s unclear whether he has personally climbed anywhere other than the Old Chute route.  For example, he recommends the Old Chute route instead of the Pearly Gates seemingly based on a single third-party trail report.  He also determines that the Pearly Gates route “doesn’t get much use these days,” although many of my friends prefer that route (and my good friend Katya and I rather enjoyed climbing through the Pearly Gates a few days ago).  His descriptions of the Pearly Gates passage are accurate, however, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he’s speaking firsthand.  Either way, he has vastly more mountaineering experience than I.

Helmets off to Wellner for providing this brief resource for those unfamiliar with the terrain of Mount Hood’s south climbing routes.  I read it twice.  It’s opinionated, and not all climbers will agree with his opinions.  Such is the nature of any sport instructional book.

Most peculiar (though entertaining) were Wellner’s repeated recommendations to shell out the cash to rent a snow cat and ride to the top of the Palmer snowfield.  Apparently, skipping this part of the hike “can make the difference between a successful climb versus an attempt” and “adds a bit more to the experience” of climbing Hood for him, personally.  To each his own.

But what if there is a catastrophic dome-light failure inside the snow cat?  You’ll be glad you packed that candle.

Breaking overnight news: Videos of Levi's first steps, and more!!

We interrupt my 2-part biking/hiking European mini-travelogue (link) to bring you this important announcement...

Baby Levi took his first steps last night!

Vine video: Click "unmute" to hear Levi's (and Daddy's) screams of joy... or just enjoy the silence

Readers may remember Garth's Blog celebrating the day that Lena took her first steps a couple years ago, and this day is every bit as exciting!  At 15 months old, we expected that Levi would've been walking already.  But better late than never!  Levi was so proud of himself, right along with Daddy, Mommy, and big sister.

While Kathy and the grandparents keep shopping for Levi's baby clothes, I'll start tracking down deals on mountaineering crampons for his baby shoes.  There are some thrilling outdoor adventures in store for this one.



So what happened next?


Levi fell down...

... Then Levi got back up onto the step, and then he took another step or two.


There was plenty of cheering and applause...

...And then Levi finally psyched himself for his next trick:  Standing up on his own, without using the step!

Vine video: You'll definitely want to hit "unmute" for this clip.  For whatever reason, Lena is congratulating HERSELF for this accomplishment.  It's all just too adorable.

We have a baby hiker on our hands!!

The Netherlands: Bicycling to Haarlem

Updated pic from Haarlem this morning; I ended up bicycling FROM Haarlem instead

Seoul, South Korea was once again the goal for this overseas day trip (our kids had been out of town for a couple days). Had the Seoul flights been too full to fly standby on like last month--and they were-- the alternate plan was to visit a few friends in Singapore for the day.

But prior to yesterday morning, I hadn't even CONSIDERED coming back here to the Netherlands again until sometime next month. Yet here I am.

Plan C it is, and I'm solo on this one. My Dutch friends are currently scattered around visiting the coast, the U.K., and Germany. And a couple of my Twitter friends in Arnhem have work/travel schedules that keep them hopping.

Business Elite cabin view of the Netherlands this morning

If it's convenient to rent a bicycle here in Amsterdam, I'll soon be on my way to Haarlem to drop off my backpack at a hostel. From there, I'll ride to Nationaal Park de Zuid-Kennemerland in search of a bike lock and some hiking trails.

My new ride. #netherlands #travel

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on Apr 17, 2015 at 2:50pm PDT

4/20- Thought I'd drop a pic from my new Instagram page that I created last week, too.

Thanks to Martijn and Antonette from the we12travel outdoor adventure blog (link also on the sidebar of Garth's Blog) for the suggestion for today's upcoming adventure!  I'll add links and maybe another photo or two to this post when I'm not limited to mobile phone blogging. [4/18- Links and pics added]

I plan to continue today's story from the Netherlands before featuring other recent travel/outdoor adventure outings on Garth's Blog.  But either way...

...More to come, when I get back to the States!

Just read: The Garden of Stones, by Mark T. Barnes

This book review will also be shared to my new Goodreads page.

Disclosure: This book was a free selection from the Samsung Book Deals monthly offerings for my Note 4 phone.

Consider this review the Conan O'Brien's Clueless Gamer segment of fantasy book reviews.  The sci-fi/fantasy literature genre is foreign to me.  My only exposure to this genre since high school has been limited to the Dune series and multiple rereads of the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, and Chronicles of Narnia.  The Harry Potter series is still on my list.  With those exceptions, I'm a newbie.

Fantasy readers will presumably enjoy the “Echoes of Empires” trilogy, but opening book The Garden of Stones is not the best jumping off point for readers who are still trying to get into the genre.  Well written for what it is, author Mark T. Barnes drops you right in the middle of a complex, unfamiliar world with no introduction or context within reality.  In a recent interview, George Lucas described dropping this exact same tactic onto “Star Wars” audiences back in 1977 (and I use a sci-fi analogy only to the extent that Lucas’ universe building is reminiscent of that of fantasy literature).  In those films, or at least in the original trilogy, any viewer could enjoy the adventure regardless of the depth of their engagement with the Star Wars universe.

The difference is that the Star Wars universe was populated with characters who were both human and relatable to non-genre fans.   In contrast, while reading “The Garden of Stones” I found myself racing to the helpful Cast of Characters appendix quite frequently just to distinguish the names, races, political feuds, wars, and confusing historical eras that were essential to following the narrative.

On that note, it IS possible to enjoy this book without a full grasp of its complex backstory, political intrigue, and small army of oddly-named characters.  The action is thrilling (if a bit gory), the pacing is reasonably brisk, and… as morbid as this sounds… it eventually becomes easier to keep everything straight when major characters begin to get killed off to simplify the “cast.”

Barnes is a talented and creative story teller for fantasy genre fans to enjoy.  But I will probably not be continuing the “Echoes of Empire” saga with Book 2: The Obsidian Heart.  If I DO decide in the future to download Books 2 and 3 for Kindle, it would only be because of the hard work I put into sorting out many of the saga’s complexities.   Some payoff for my efforts is at least little tempting.

Although, if I EVER read another one of those endless references to a fantasy character taking a drink from his or her “bowl of wine...”

Bonus for Garth's Blog readers:

Kathy encouraged me to reveal the real reason that I picked out "Garden of Stones":  As a sleep aid, to incorporate into my bedtime routine.  I didn't have the heart to mention this in my Goodreads review, for fear of crushing Mark T. Barnes' spirit.  But it worked.