John Muir, Clarence King, Royal Robbins. The history of Sierra Nevada mountaineering and rock climbing is filled with legendary names and legendary feats. But when stories get passed around a campfire on cold nights at high elevations, one name towers above them all: Norman Clyde. Simply put, anyone who stands atop a Sierra peak is … Continue reading
Author Archives: Justin
The Maidu
For those of you that don’t know, the Maidu were a Native American tribe that once occupied an area encompassing Oregon House… Maidu communities varied with the topography. In the foothills, the Feather, American, Yuba and other smaller streams flow through deep narrow canyons. Permanent settlements were usually on the ridges that separate the parallel … Continue reading
Universal Truths
Why is it that the winner of the Miss Universe contest always comes from Earth? Continue reading
Miss Teen South Carolina
“I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and, uh, I believe our educations such as South Africa and the Iraq everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help … Continue reading
The War In Chechnya: Diary of a Killer
Every so often a lengthy newspaper or magazine article arrives that all but demands a fuller and even longer treatment. Such was the case in the Oct. 31 issue of The Sunday Times magazine in London, which published translated excerpts from the diary of a Russian Spetsnaz officer who served for more than a decade … Continue reading
The Wettest Place On Earth
Actually, I suppose the wettest place on the planet would probably be somewhere at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean… However, in this post I am referring to the place with the highest amount of rainfall. Thus, the wettest place on Earth is in the Khasi hills formed by the Meghalaya Plateau. Officially, the Meghalaya … Continue reading
The Living Bridges Of Meghalaya
At the base of the Meghalaya Plateau are a series of bridges unlike any I have seen or heard about elsewhere in the world. The Khasi tribe in the valleys leading to Bangladesh have trained the roots and branches of banyan trees to create living bridges spanning the rivers that separate their villages. These bridges … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 