Beyond Sea Level will offer posts of an environmental nature that range in scope from observational to contemplative, personal to philosophical, humorous to serious. We aim to visit and experience both the literal and metaphorical at and beyond sea level. At sea level it is easy to breathe and easy to see to the horizon - at least in one direction. Beyond sea level the elevation can prove challenging, forests can close in on all sides, and your focus may narrow to only the trail ahead. Sea level also represents our comfort zone – where routine dictates our thoughts and guides our behaviors. Beyond Sea Level we may be challenged, and while simultaneously curious and uneasy, find understanding and satisfaction in altered perceptions.
We continue our personal journey beyond sea level with a three-month backpacking adventure from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean along the Pacific Northwest Trail (see Trekking the Pacific Northwest Trail).
Blogs on Delay
When we’re out in the backcountry, or otherwise travelling out of range of internet access, blogs will be posted on delay. You may not have any new posts for weeks at a time and then the blog will receive a sudden, multiple-post influx. Unlike the instant gratification of today’s electronic world, our blogging will follow the slower, (perhaps more rewarding) pattern of letter-writing from yesteryear. While we’re off in the wild, you’ll have a sense of eager anticipation, wondering what new challenges we’ve faced and triumphs we’ve experienced. You might wonder what kind of habitats we’ve walked through or how many bears, wolverine, or elk we’ve encountered. Then, just when you can’t hardly stand the tension of not knowing, voila!, the blog will receive a plethora of reading material which you can leisurely ingest while awaiting the next installment.
Of course the lack of immediate internet access (and sometime complete disappearance of wifi for weeks at a time) will hamper our ability to read and respond to your comments and emails. Please do not take it personally if you do not have a (or any) immediate response from us. We value your reactions and insights and encourage conversation between readers via the comments page. Enjoy!
June 26, 2009
Review our PNT Route and Timeline
[Click on image above for larger picture]
Projected start date: 12 July 2009
Updated: July 21, 2009 - Polebridge update.
Updated: July 21, 2009 - Polebridge update.
Updated: July 28, 2009 - Eurkea update.
Updated: August 10, 2009 - Porthill update.
Updated: August 21, 2009 - Northport update.
Updated: September 3, 2009 -Waunconda update.
Updated: September 8, 2009 - Loomis update.
Updated: September 21, 2009 - Concrete update.
Updated: September 27, 2009 - Bow update.
Updated: October 3, 2009 - Port Townsend update.
Updated: October 16th, 2009 - Forks update.
Final Map Update: October 25th, 2009 - Forks update.
Original map & trail image: Jon Knetchel, PNT Association (http://www.pnt.org/)
Many thanks to Alan Frazier for helping keep the blog and our progress map updated!
June 25, 2009
Trekking the Pacific Northwest Trail
On July 12th we will begin our next adventure together, the Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT). One of our nation's newest National Scenic Trails (March 2009), the PNT travels 1200 miles from the continental divide in Montana to the Pacific Ocean in Washington State. Check out the trail association website at www.pnt.org for maps and info. The route includes three national parks and many national forests and wilderness areas, while roughly following our northern border with Canada through alpine, montane, and coastal rainforests.
Our timetable is loose - the trail, weather, and serendipity will determine our completion date.
Why embark on such a journey? "Because it is there" hardly seems sufficient. Instead we are taking advantage of the natural transition in our lives following Callae's completion of her MFA. Additionally, the PNT will provide perspectives unseen in urban settings - changing landscapes, diverse characters with whom to interact, and time to reflect. Through diverse ecosystems that exhibit unique flora and fauna, varying levels of human development, and correspondingly distinct management principles and practices, issues of biological diversity, coexistence of species and the role of humans within the broader natural system will arise. Meeting backpackers and car-campers, shopkeepers and land managers, will spur discussions of environmental values, both economic and personal. And within the daily routine of breaking camp and continuing farther west, we will have time to ponder our role within each system we encounter, whether it be natural, economic or social.
Our timetable is loose - the trail, weather, and serendipity will determine our completion date.
Why embark on such a journey? "Because it is there" hardly seems sufficient. Instead we are taking advantage of the natural transition in our lives following Callae's completion of her MFA. Additionally, the PNT will provide perspectives unseen in urban settings - changing landscapes, diverse characters with whom to interact, and time to reflect. Through diverse ecosystems that exhibit unique flora and fauna, varying levels of human development, and correspondingly distinct management principles and practices, issues of biological diversity, coexistence of species and the role of humans within the broader natural system will arise. Meeting backpackers and car-campers, shopkeepers and land managers, will spur discussions of environmental values, both economic and personal. And within the daily routine of breaking camp and continuing farther west, we will have time to ponder our role within each system we encounter, whether it be natural, economic or social.
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