Lazarow World-Hike-About

Continuing with the theme of heat, I acted in a cowardly manner. A while back, I brazenly stated: 'The next male who tells me temperatures of over 100 degrees may be hot but...but in Arizona and Nevada, it's a dry heat, I will bop'. Sure enough we met people, almost none on the trails although we departed from the trailheads at 5am, who made the statement precisely. I did not take action—I was too hot and dry...and cowardly. (Essay follows at end)   The power of early light. Changing light, not a different mountain. Always searching for bighorn sheep...sometimes even count them in my sleep. Lake Mead under harsh light referred to in the essay below. One of our least favorite cities (Las Vegas) but always attractive from peaks. On our last trip during winter, we stood on the peak in the distance and got a different perspective. In the USA, there's always a golf course somewhere close, Col. Jen led us down Bootleg Canyon trail from Red Mounta...

We're on our way to a celebration of a 70th birthday by none other than Gill Midgen, who obviously looks ten years younger than the records show. It's a surprise party so this blog posting was delayed. We had decided to either return to France or reach Montana for this trip. It took us a while to calculate but in the end we thought Montana and the northern states were probably closer than Europe. Another minor reason for skipping France is that of the uncertainty surrounding the virus still pervades. After returning from a long trip to South Africa recently, we decided perhaps we'll face the bears rather than the virus. Jenni tells me it's easier to spot a bear. We both believe we have a better chance against Covid than a grizzly. As our American friends might say, "Ain't that the truth." The period also opened up for us as a certain procedure one of us was supposed to undergo was postponed due to a favorable turn. Lucky!  Boulder City is another of o...

Mount Woodson soon after sunrise, Poway, CA. Bryce Canyon, Utah. Early morning on the Sentinel, Drakensberg. Cathkin and Monk's Peaks in distance at left. Iceland. A peek at a glacier as we head for a peak. Kelso Dunes, California. Low level flying on Woodson, Poway. About to leave Slovenia and enter Switzerland. (Love crossing international boundaries on foot). Black Mountain, Boulder City, Nevada looking into Arizona. Kenmo Lake, Natal. Mount Ngauruhoe, New Zealand, at sunrise. Bell Rock, Sedona. (The first time we spotted someone in the position, one of us exclaimed, "The person is a moron." Now we wonder about morons.) Perhaps not the wisest of decisions (New Zealand.) Settlement in Peru. National Park in Spain. Autumn back in Colorado, USA. Loved the thick cloud in New Zealand. Mount Olympus, Greece. Maui, Hawaii at sunrise. Iron Mountain, San Diego County—a breakthrough. Sunrise at Valley of Fire Park,...

We remember when we loved going to movies on a Saturday evening in Johannesburg some 50 years ago. What a memory! After intermission but before the main feature, the prime time spot was reserved for the advertisement of the day. A cigarette promotion invariably dominated the screen. Often, it was Rothmans of Pall Mall . The advert promoted the City of London (probably the cigarette, too) and concluded with the words: " When a person is tired of London, one is tired of life. " It was impressive. However, in retrospect, after experiencing the weather, smog, traffic and crowds, I think not to be tired is probably a more serious issue. Rather, we would express it slightly differently: " When a person is tired of nature, one is truly tired of life. " An opinion, of course...(long live the Queen).  Crater Lake, Oregon.     On Mount Hood, Oregon. Approaching top of Tugela Falls, Sentinel, Drakensberg. A view from Indian Venster hike, Cape Town. (Probably...