wildsouthland: Year in Review

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Escape: Scenes from 2016

2016 is in the books. Looking back, and with a few notable exceptions, it seems like I explored closer to home this last year than I have in the past. I was also a bit more social in my explorations as I had a number of outings with family and friends. Another memorable year. Can't wait to see what 2017 has in store for us all. Happy New Year everyone. Get outside and get some.

Apology: I lost some image quality in the upload so the images are not as crisp as they should be. Apologies for my technical ineptitude.

Copyright Disclaimer: The pictures here are mine. The accompanying music and lyrics are not and I claim no right, title, or interest to them. Instead, they are the intellectual property of the band Radiohead and/or its members and/or their label and/or ASCAP.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

2015 Year in Review

Reflecting back on 2015, it seems I spent a bit more time than in previous years wandering around in my own backyard than traipsing off to the San Gabriels or the Sierra. I still got a couple of those trips in, but my agenda was more heavily tilted toward the Los Padres, the Santa Monicas, and the Santa Susanas. That wasn't necessarily a conscience thing. As Robbie Robertson said, "the wind just kind of pushed me this way." So I went. And took a couple of pics along the way. Here are some of them. Hope you like.

Have an adventurous 2016 everyone. See you on the trail

I have a friend who is fond of saying that I'm so cautious I probably wear multiple condoms while having sex. In a nod to that friend, I give you the following obligatory copyright disclaimer: This slide show is solely for the private enjoyment of my friends and me. When you watch, you are stopping by my virtual living room to see my pictures while simultaneously listening to music written by Oasis which is playing in the background on my virtual stereo system (does referencing a "stereo system" date me?). I gain no monetary benefit from this (I get no ad revenue from this blog) and want none. I do not possess, and claim no right, title, or interest in the music or lyrics that accompany this slide show. Those rights are the exclusive intellectual property of the Beatles of my generation, the band Oasis, and/or its members and/or their label and/or ASCAP.

About wildsouthland

wildsouthland, or at least the name, was inspired by the writings of John Muir. In 1877, Muir visited the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California and then wrote about his experience. In Steep Trails, a collection of Muir's letters, articles, and musing spanning a 29-year period, Muir speaks almost reverentially of the San Gabriels. Introducing unfamiliar readers to this iconic transverse range, Muir requests permission to "be allowed a word for wildness -- the wildness of this southland, pure and untamable as the sea." I don't profess to be a John Muir. I lack his eloquence, his colorful and evocative vocabulary, and his unique way of seeing the ordinary as sublime. But my goal, like Muir's, is to be allowed a word for wildness - the wildness of the southland and beyond. That may not always mean what you may immediately think it might. Sometimes it might mean a straight-up trail report. Other times, it might involve recounting an outdoor adventure. Still other times, it may mean wandering off path and simply using "wildness" as a platform for introspection and/or other ruminations. Whatever it means, I appreciate you visiting and hope that you find Wild Southland entertaining, informative, thought-provoking, unique, beautiful, and distinctive.