Duke City Fit 2015 Autumn

Autumn 2015

Free, Take Me Home

t o h S r u o Y Take

Duke City Fit Stormy Sunset at White Mesa Autumn 2015

Autumn 2015

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From the Publisher

Take Your Shot Ken Orth

It was a sunny morning in July, destined to be another hot New Mexico day. I was faced with a most unusual decision. I was loading up my little Eclipse convertible, sitting out there in the sun in the driveway, and the question I faced was whether to put in my guitar. Or not.

There was more to it than you might think.

First, I most definitely had room for it. This was not necessarily a good thing. I was taking this trip, of about three weeks, by myself. For a change. It was not my preferred way to travel… alone… but it was what had presented itself. So the fact that I actually had room to spare was a bit of a novel concept. It caught me a little off guard.

Next… the guitar is kind of a noisy thing. I don’t really like to inflict it upon other people. Trouble is, there are typically people around the places I frequent on my trips, campgrounds and National Parks and the like. How often would I be alone enough to get to bang away on it?

And by the way, if it is sitting there in the back seat in its black case, just how much sun is it going to get baked with? (As am I.) Can it take it? And what are the chances that it gets grabbed and taken in a grocery store parking lot? I don’t want to have to put up the top whenever I hit a coffee shop WIFI spot.

Soooo, I tossed it around, the question and the guitar.

It was in. It was out. Finally, on my last trip out to the car after locking everything up, I had it in my hand. It made it in and I drove off down the street with it poking up out of the back seat. I imagined I heard a muffled voice from within the case, like one of ventriloquist Jeff Dunham’s dummies, Walter maybe, saying something like “Good choice. Just remember to get me outta here once in a while.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I mumbled. “We’ll see.”

I was headed, in general, toward California. San Francisco. I was to meet up with an old buddy there in a week’s time. Then I had to be back to Albuquerque after about three weeks. I had my camping stuff, my backpacking stuff, a spray bottle for misting my face, a gallon of sunscreen, and a guitar. Oh, and a map of the Western United States. I don’t have a smart phone. I’m not too keen on a machine telling me where to turn, or when.

I prefer to make those decisions more spontaneously, if possible.

Which last second decision making can get you into some interesting places… predicaments even. Like when you’re heading vaguely west across the desert wastelands of Arizona and Nevada. In July. Isn’t Death Valley out there somewhere?

Did you know that there is a marina… a recreation area with a marina… out there in the middle of the darn desert that is western Arizona? It is called “Willow Beach”. No kidding. It is along the Colorado River a few dozens of miles below the Hoover Dam. Neither did I. But the name called to me, and there it was, about 10 miles off the main highway down a very winding, beat-up old road. And it was HOT down there.

They had a campground up on a little mesa, and it was a place only a Bedouin nomad could love. A caravan of camels would have fit in nicely.

There were very few people. A lot of boats, all tied up to the docks, but not too much activity. I put on my swimsuit, grabbed a towel, the cooler, and the guitar, and I hiked along a fisherman’s trail away from the marina. Ten minutes and a couple of coves later, I had found the most perfect little cove. It had a swimming hole surrounded by rocky shelves. It also had a spectacular view out across the vast expanse of the Colorado River to the canyon

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American walls on the far side, a quarter mile away.

I was totally alone except for an occasional pontoon boat going by WAY out there.

The water was clear and cold. The acoustics were like nothing I’d ever experienced. The guitar and I reverberated off of the rocky walls of the cove like a little amphitheater.

The sound would then come bouncing back over the glassy water from those distant canyon walls, a second later. A delayed reverb effect.

The guitar sang like it was meant to sing. I sang like I always hoped to sing, but rarely do. John Fogerty in his wildest dreams never looked out his back door on such as this. The sunshine on my shoulders would have made John Denver proud. Mary was Proud, for sure.

Between songs I would jump in the river. The Colorado River. The river of legends. Of The Grand Canyon and Lake Powell and the Hoover Dam. I’d climb back out onto my rocky stage and bang out another one, loud and joyful, dripping river water and sweat. The guitar seemed to revel in it, even the drops of river water. “This is what I’m talkin’ about.”

A couple kayakers paddled into my cove and sat there placidly during one of my songs. They slapped the water with their paddles afterward and gave me a thumbs-up as they disappeared around the point. They were too far out to throw money.

Do kayakers carry money?

The Colorado River Concert was not the only event of the trip in which the guitar played a part, so to speak. The drive across Death Valley a day later was a notable one, if for no other reason than the overall image the guitar helped present to my fellow travelers as we crossed the 115 degree wasteland. With the top down.

They all, every one, had their windows rolled up, tinted and air-conditioned. They’d point and laugh, some. Honk their horn or thumbs-up or shake their head and roll their eyes and emanate something like “What an idiot.”

I’d make a show, then, of spraying myself with the mister, while smiling big and stupid. The guitar sticking up behind me would add a certain amount of credibility to the insanity. “Ah, he’s a musician. That explains it.”

None of them knew, or could possibly imagine, that the water in the spray bottle, which vaporized about as quickly as it hit the skin on my face, was water straight out of the Colorado River. I don’t know that it made it sacred or anything, but it certainly added to the psychic cooling impact, at least from my point of view.

You know, I think the guitar snickered a little bit back there behind me every time I got a response from another car. After all, that’s what guitars are all about, I guess… making a show. And we made a show, did the convertible, the mister, and the guitar and me… across the Valley of Death on a hot day in July. We laughed and sang and burned ourselves in a remarkable sojourn that I will never, ever forget. I daresay, too, that there may have been a few others who won’t forget the sight anytime soon.

Finally, I must recall one other episode with the old guitar. It came on the way back. I was headed east across eastern California, toward Lake Tahoe. I found myself entering the Eldorado National Forest.

Eldorado? Cool.

The name Eldorado has certainly played an important part in my New Mexico life for the last couple of decades.

Both of my boys grew up and flourished in the Eldorado School district, in the shadow of the high school. Indeed, eventually both graduated from Eldorado. It is a name that

has no small amount of significance.

So, there was naught that I could do upon finding myself in such well-named forest, but to spend my night camping there. It is how I work. Names mean a lot. Some of them. It is why I would make a side trip to Broken Bow, or Thunder Bay. How could I not? Eldorado National Forest, indeed.

There is a river running through that forest. You can camp by that river, in isolated solitude and listen to it gurgle through the night beneath a million stars. And in the tent, with a little flashlight and a forest map you can discover the name of that river.

The American River.

Oh, come on. That’s a pretty bodacious name for a river.

The. American. River. How cocky can you get? The river that is singing you to sleep.

You know, of course, what had to happen the next day.

The guitar demanded it. If you can do the Colorado, don’t you have to do the American? I wandered along the river until I found a big, ol flat rock in the very middle of the maelstrom. I plopped down on that rock, guitar on my lap, in the middle of a hundred little waterfalls gurgling and dancing all around us, and I gave it a shot, noisy though it was.

I discovered something that day. It was not that rivers can be loud, I already knew that. It was that river may be singing in a certain key. At least, the American River might be. And was. It seemed to be in the key of ‘C’. I kid you not. It baffled me for a while. Certain chords just didn’t sound right. A ‘D’ chord grated like fingernails on a chalkboard, and a ‘D minor’ stood the hairs up on the back of my neck. But go with the key of ‘C’, and it was smooth sailing.

I ended up singing “Bye, bye Miss American Pie” on the American River. It was sweet. The river sang with me.

In harmony. It was the best version of that song I’ve ever heard… what I could hear of it.

The episode reinforced to me something that I’ve known, down deep, for a long time, but kind of just gave lip service to prior to this, and it is this… everything has a frequency to it. Everything. It just isn’t usually as apparent as it was with the American River that day. In order to “go with the flow” of life, as I call it, I have to find the frequency of whatever it is I am doing, or trying to do, and then harmonize with it. Listen for it. Hear it. Feel it. Match it.

Only then will my song be what it can be. Or should be.

I eventually made it back to Albuquerque, refreshed and renewed. And sunburned. I had gotten a message from my journey…

Of course you take the darn guitar. Whatsamattayou?

Well, more than that, a message really came clear to me when I decided upon the photograph for the cover of this issue. It’s a hockey player. And he’s taking a shot.

That is the message. Take Your Shot.

He has a hockey stick in his hands, but it may as well be a guitar. He’s taking his shot. He’s singing his song. When the opportunity presents itself, he is taking it.

Take your shot. When you get the chance, take the shot.

Sing your song. Sing it loud and sing it strong. No one else can do it. Nor should they. It is your shot, your time, your life. Sing it in the right key, shoot it the way you know you should.

And don’t dawdle. The opportunities may not come that often. Know it when it happens and jump on it. Just do it.

Wayne Gretzky, the hockey player, the Great One, said it this way, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

I like that.

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Y E K C O H O B O L Y R G N U H S I THE PACK

UNM Lobo Hockey Schedule 2015-16 September 18,19

at Colorado School of Mines

October 30, 31 November 7, 8 November 13, 14

at Northern Arizona (Flagstaff ) at UTEP (El Paso) at Metro State (Denver)

September 25, 26 Northern Arizona Colorado Christian October 2, 3 Metro State University October 10, 11

Lobo Home Games (in red) are played at The Outpost Ice Arena at 8:00pm Entrance Fee is $5.00. Please call the Outpost for schedule changes.

856-7595

Autumn 2015

November 20, 21 Colorado School of Mines UTEP December 4, 5 Colorado State University February 7

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Isabel Bearman Bucher

On the Up and UP Stewart Lake and Winsor Creek Trail

It’s one of those magnificent fall days in New Mexico - the feet are on the trail, the yellow of the Aspen are reaching into the blue, and amidst their ever green companions, they’re doing their one last hurrah before the big white sleep in the Pecos Wilderness. How many thousands of years have they done this ... this letting go, this rest, then comes forth renewal ... I’ve done it many times in my life.

I fade into the stats: it’s going to be 2, 090 feet up, and a ten miler. No flats, no downs. Just up. That’s 5,280 x 10 = 52,800 steps, mas o menos - on the up and up to Stewart Lake. So, this writer does take liberty to go off into her metaphor forest, to ease the first 15 minutes of P.A.T. - pain, agony and torture, when the body yells “noooooooooo. Not!” The oxygen level finally adjusts, the muscles get drunk with the O2, and things settle in. Lungs fill with the scent of the season; eyes receive the beauty which wanders down to the heart, then soul, and the eyes become moist with the thanks of a person who celebrates each and every breath; each and every step, at home in the wilderness.

Years back, this writer, maybe early ‘80’s, and her longtime pal of the trail, Mikey, decided to do this hike in mid-October. It was my birthday celebration request. We’d never done this trail and were always open to an adventure.

“Why not lunch?” some may ask.

There had been a light snow the day before, but this day, the sky dawned that tetra blue, all storms blown away. With extraordinary intelligence, close to 10:30 AM, we decided to follow some footprints on the trail, which were coming down, not going up. After hours, we reached the ghost hiker’s end point, and a depression of a tent remained in the snow by Stewart Lake. The sun was going down, and so, Mikey and I began the long return, ending up on another trail because the other with the footprints disappeared in the forest maze of spruce and waning light. This was going down, sort of, so we took it. The sun went away, and the lights of small towns began to twinkle in the far distance.

I remember thinking that instead of this being of comfort,

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it was frightening because, we seemed to be lost wayfarers on this sea of wilderness. This trail was unfamiliar, getting more so in the advancing dark. The moon did rise, giving some light, now illuminating animal tracks. Stars filled the black quilt above and Mikey, now in back of me, put her hand on my shoulder, as we made our way down the steeps with feet and legs that had grown tired of picking themselves up and putting themselves down. It was a misstep here, a recoup there, a trip on a hidden rock, a steep ridge that suddenly showed itself in that dark night right in front of our boots. It was a grope and stumble in the now fallen black of a wilderness New Mexico night. The only thing that saved us was the white of that trail. When we emerged, hours later, onto the road, and tramped down a half mile or so to the remembered parking place, we hooted and hugged each other, done, at last - we thought.

Down at the outside pay phone booth at the ranger station, no cells then, we had folded bills, and by some miracle, we found some coins in our pockets. When Mikey reached her husband, collect, she began projecting in her operatic vocal soprano -”NO! YOU ARE NOT COMING TO PICK US UP! We are going out to have enchiladas at Tomacitas! NO! Call Robert! We’re OK. We’ll call when we’re leaving!”

Warm and washed up, courtesy of the restaurant toidy, Mikey and I ate; toasted our adventure with a good red wine, as we have done for many others for almost 50 years now, feasted on that fine fare, and began to turn this experience into friendship mythology.

When we got back to Albuquerque, the two families spilled out my front door and gatecrashed the car.

The moral of this story is never follow footprints that are going in the opposite direction. Never start a long hike later than 9 in the morning. Late October for high altitude treks?

It’s always a roll of the dice with weather then. So, will all of you readers give me a promise now to refrain from doing the three things stated above? Please? I can’t hear you ...

That day, we had the luck of the draw when we accomplished the ultimate meaning of “ditzology,” to a

good end. It helped that since we were out of water, we had snow to eat, flat raisins and old apple cores stashed in our lunch. It was then, I made a new, never-to-beforgotten acquaintance. Death came sit on my shoulder and whispered, “Comeon’sucker.”

Enough story telling; onto the long history of this beautiful place.

The story of Jemez Mountains begins 290 million years ago, when a sea relentlessly came and went over the southwestern tip of the 1.6 million acres of the Rockies that stretch 2,000 miles to Canada. Two huge eruptive blows occurred beginning 12 million years ago, which created one of the world’s largest volcanos - the Valles Caldera, a 13 mile -diameter hole, which caused the 11,000 foot Redondo Peak to lift up in protest. A great corridor opened, into which spilled the 74 mile-long Jemez River. There is always talk among the geology wizards that another eruption is just waiting to happen.

Human habitation began in 2,500 BC. At some point there is thought to have been 20 pueblos, the largest of which was named Guisewa,, meaning “place of boiling water” in the Tanoan language, a four-story high stone structure with 3,000 rooms. We know that the area was visited by migrating prehistoric hunters because the flint of their spear points has been identified as coming from all around the US and Mexico. Later, the Spaniards came in 1540 - way before the Puritans and Pilgrims. Catholic priests arrived; the pueblos had a revolt to throw the Spaniards out, and life went along.

By 1880, huge mining efforts removing zinc and numerous other minerals began leaving abandoned sites with tailings. At one point, the Jemez Valley celebrated August 15th with fiestas, bulls running in the streets as men and boys chased after. Telephone service was provided in 1964.

Today, the Jemez mountains, its many hiking trails

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296 • 4 080 • MOMENTUMSTUDIO.COM amongst fields of green, cascading streams, alpine lakes, and wildflowers, make it a gently traveled wilderness. This hike, millions of aspen are giving into their destiny - letting go of their need for more sun to manufacture green leaves. As the rays leave, the leaves give it one last great cry, holding their arms to the blue, with blazes of yellow that stretch for miles and miles up mountain sweeps, draws and crevices.

But everybody in ear shot looks up and down the hillsides, with eyes darting. Sweeps of Aspen continue to blaze in and out of the view, like a slow frame movie; vistas for miles and miles stretch like a lavender canvas.

The green of the forest is singing because of this year’s gifted rain.

We wander through entire groves of gilt amber, and the human Thoughts on the trail mood is instantly painted happier because of the perfume of fall In the deepness of this aspen-gold and floating amidst this warm shawl. profound green forest, the blue of the sky disappears, then returns when the great father Breezes dance and the ducats of spruce part their tall pointed tops. The thread gold quiver and flutter. A little swampy body of water appears of hikers walk on up adding the music of struck with struggling pines laughter, serious conversation, moments attempting life in such muck. of pause to soak up the beauty, to catch a “Immigrants,” I think. “Hard breath, to celebrate life, the trail, this one and adjustments.” only moment in time, when there is no time.

“Somebody thought this was Cameras focus, shutter clicks come as small Stewart,” comments a hiker. sounds in this immense place. On and on we “Isn’t it?” a tired voice rejoins. go, the strand of people pulling farther and “Nope, gotta go on up the farther apart, as the unrelenting and persistent trail.”

2,090 foot-by-foot trek becomes slower for “Thank God it’s sorta some. There are some flatter places, which flat!”warbles another. are a gift. There is the sweep person, the last Then it appears - Stewart Lake - and a one, who shepherds and watches over ones at the back. There are calls for water breaks, and quietness descends on the hikers, who take in the beautiful scene - 12,632 foot Santa Fe then, the ever-up and up and up. Someone’s pack left on the trail alerts us that someone is Baldy holds court above. Hikers find their places, stretching out, leaning on backpacks off in the boonies. TGFAB - thank-God-fora-break, we sit gratefully, some munching on against rocks.

“Got brown trout and big mouth bass,” a homemade macaroons, bananas, peanuts and guy comments. “Gotta get a license.” fruit. Butterflies make a last stand, landing on some interesting scat - no berries, no fur, Then clouds gather. Lunch leftovers are seeds - maybe a baby bear? Someone begins crammed into packs that are quickly hefted a story about a wild meat-eateing ...

“Oh, the altitude is just taking your mind!” on shoulders, because, now on the down of Winsor, the rain starts. Rain ponchos howls somebody.

Autumn 2015

cover heads now trickling with water. At the bottom, dripping and muddy, we load up in the van; half the hikers take shelter under a metal structure. At the Cowles trailhead, the second driver loads into the second van and picks up the other batch of hikers. Then it hits full force - hail, grapple - rain - wind - thunder and lightning. Two vans wander down the slick, winding road, its passengers intent on watching the curves, leaving all the beauty behind. Everyone is grateful to be together, safe.

“Come on’sucker,” whispers into my ear.

My left shoulder twitches.

GETTING THERE: • Two cars - this is a long, hard hike • You will walk up the Cowles Trailhead and come down the Winsor Trailhead • I-25 North from Albuquerque take exit 299 to Glorieta • Cross the highway & turn right onto NM 50 • Go 6 miles to Pecos to the junction with NM 63 • Left 20.2 miles to Cowles • Drop hikers at the Cowels FR 121 intersection.

• Drive car 1 and 2 about 1.5 miles to the Winsor Creek Trailhead.

Leave car 2 there.

• Drive car 1 back down to the FR 121 intersection and leave it there.

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Get It Where You Can ?

Ken Orth with Dr Michael James “Sulphur,” he said in the midst of a discussion we were having.

Sulphur? I don’t know about you, but when the topic of sulphur comes up, which it very rarely does, my mind seems to go into some kind of automatic recall mode. I can almost smell the sulphur. The rotten egg smell.

The fireworks… a cloud of evil smelling orange smoke from a smoke bomb.

Or… a hot springs. San Antonio Hot Springs. The fumes hanging over it while I lay back in the luxurious warmth.

My eyes glaze over, I think, when my mind wanders like that. To his credit, Dr James, who had brought the topic up, is well acquainted with my occasional mental diversions and he pauses for a moment until I come back. He assumes, I think, that I am trying to assimilate something, or that I am formulating a question of some kind.

Sulphur. As much as its smell makes you want to avoid it, it is actually one of the major elements contained within your body… in both mass and function. It is hugely important, in a number of ways.

And that smell, by the way, that smell you associate with sulphur, it is actually not the sulphur itself, but the gas that is released when sulphur is oxidized (burned). Sulphur dioxide, that’s what you smell.

Speaking of which… bad smells, that is… you’ve undoubtably noticed how bad it smells when when you burn some hair. You know why that is?

Uhhhh… don’t tell me, let me guess.

Sulphur?

Yes! Sulphur. Your hair contains a high concentration of sulphur. It is a key component of the “hard” keratin protein structure from which your hair is made. In fact, it is a sulfide bond that gives your hair its strength, its durability, and its resistance to degradation. Sulphur.

Which brings us back around to the reason this came up in the first place.

We were talking about problems with the immune system. Problems, which by the way, are getting pretty darn prevalent these days. In particular, the malady called “autoimmune disease” is popping up more and more.

Autoimmune disease (AD) describes a situation within the body where the body’s own immune system, which is designed to attack and fight foreign substances, somehow that immune system starts screwing up and attacks its own self. It starts attacking and breaking down what seem to be normal healthy parts of its own body.

This is not good. There are a whole host of afflictions that are categorized under the name AD. The most commonly known of these are: multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and alopecia… among MANY others. Though they may affect very different parts of the body, what they all have in common is that the body’s own immune system is doing the damage.

Hold on just a minute. What was that last one you said? Allo-whatzit?

Never heard of it.

Alopecia. Al-low-pee-shee-ah. The sudden loss of hair, in patches, usually on the scalp. The immune system is attacking and dismantling the hair follicles. There are estimates that it afflicts upwards of a million people in the US.

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But why? Why is the system dismantling part of its own?

No one knows why. There have been studies and studies of studies. As yet, there is no answer. No reason. And too, there are so many different variations of AD, of the system attacking different organs and tissues, it is an overwhelming task, so far, to figure out causation.

Dr James, though, as a naturopath and a firm believer in nutrition and the “you are what you eat” doctrine, has a theory about it. It has to do with nutritional deficiency. Massive nutritional deficiency.

In the case of alopecia, the body is deficient in… sulphur.

Sulphur? This is where my noticeable lapse in mental processing occurred.

Sulphur is a critical element in MANY of your bodily functions….

Enzyme reactions that are used to break down proteins. It is a building block of insulin, hair, cartilage, skin. It is used in bile acids for digestion.

It is in heparin as an anti-coagulant. It is big in oxidation reactions which allow your cells to use oxygen. All your cells. Including your brain cells.

In short it is a very necessary element.

Strangely, it is overlooked as a nutrient. There isn’t even a “minimum daily requirement” established for it. This may well be because it has always been so ubiquitous. It was everywhere. We got plenty of it.

But that was before we came into the 21st century with its refined, processed, filtered world of “foods”.

Eggs, for example. Eggs are high in sulphur. They are, in fact, a major source of sulphur. My grandma ate eggs nearly every day of her life, and she lived to 95. But, we all know what happened to eggs in years past.

They fell into disfavor with the cholesterol scare.. wrongly so, we are now learning… and they all but disappeared from many people’s diets.

Or were severely reduced, at least. How many eggs are you eating these days?

Sea salt has sulphur. But it, too, has been completely cast aside for table salt, which does not.

Many fresh vegetables could have sulphur in them, but not only has the consumption of fresh, raw vegetables declined (“fresh” and “raw” are critical here as the sulphur in vegetables degrades with time or cooking), but the vegetables can only contain as many nutrients as the soil in which they are grown. Over-farming and mass-farming have depleted the nutrients., sulphur included. These ain’t your granny’s veggies anymore.

There are other examples. An interesting one to me is the well water grandma used to use out on the farm. It actually used to smell a little like sulphur, and my grandma used to push us to drink it because “it’s good for you, and it’ll keep you healthy.” But now, we don’t drink that water.

We have filtered water and bottled water. No sulphur.

But… what we’re trying to talk about here is not really sulphur. It is just an example. It is an example of a critical nutrient that you might be missing. As in the case of alopecia. What happens when your body isn’t getting something, or enough of something that it deems to be critical?

Like sulphur.

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Well, since it needs it and it isn’t getting it, the body kicks into survival mode and goes to get it, internally, from where it can. Hopefully, from a non-critical place. Or less critical. Like your hair. Let’s just dismantle some hair follicles and free up that sulphur there so it can get into the system and be used in a more important place.

Like… like to help oxygenate your brain cells maybe. Is that important enough? Or to do some repair work on your decaying knee cartilage.

Who knows?

What we do know is that the successful treatment for alopecia quite often includes an increase in dietary sulphur. But you won’t find this in the annals of western medicine. They are searching for a drug of some kind. They are, as per usual, attempting to treat the symptoms rather than the cause. It is an autoimmune disease, they declare. Inhibit the immune response, that is the tactic.

Now, the thing is, that is the same tactic you’ll find with pretty much every AD that you may encounter. Drug it. Stop the immune system from dismantling whatever it is it’s attacking. Don’t let it do what it is so desperately trying to do… which may well be a last ditch effort to get some critical nutrients for some organ or tissue. And it probably doesn’t have anything at all to do with what is being attacked, other than it and some other organ share a common need for a nutrient or nutrients of some kind.

Perhaps many of the ADs can be successfully treated from a nutritional standpoint. From a nutrient deficiency standpoint. By finding the nutrient deficiency and correcting it. Dietarily.

“Drugs never supply nutrients,” Dr James tells me.

Again.

You are what you eat. It really is that simple.

Postscript - While I am led to believe that it is not likely that any one individual is suffering from a sulphur deficiency, it does happen. It is more likely if you do not eat much in the way of eggs. Or meats and fish.

Dr James has an herbal supplement “Herbal MSM” which supplies plenty of sulphur.

Since sulphur deficiency is related to joint pain and I have not been eating as much eggs or meat of late, about two weeks ago I started up a daily capsule of MSM. Just to see. It’s probably a little early to notice much about the joint pain (ask me after a couple weeks into the new soccer season), but I have noticed something already... my mustache, which was pretty much all grey/white for 10 years or more, has suddenly started coming in much darker. A cursory search of internet articles confirms that stopping or reversing greying hair is a supposed effect of increased dietary sulphur.

It is anecdotal evidence, I know, and not much of it at that. But it does fit very well into the storyline about hair follicles. So, there it is. I’m shaving the ‘stache off now to see how it grows back from scratch. I’m just a darn guinea pig. You’re welcome.

Autumn 2015

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Running Through Plateaus

Dr Jason Karp

Plateaus are boring. They are flat, unchanging, predictable. If you’ve been running for a while, you may have experienced a plateau, during which your performances have remained stable. What does it take to bust through your plateau to reach a higher level of fitness and run a new personal best?

Understand Adaptation & Add Training Stress Gradually, Systematically, & Progressively How much you adapt to a training stimulus ultimately depends on how responsive your cells are to signals. Muscle cells are able to detect all kinds of signals— mechanical, metabolic, neural, and hormonal, which are amplified and transmitted via signaling cascades and lead to the events involved in gene expression. This signaling is fast, occurring within minutes of completing a workout. Signaling results in the activation of transcription factors, which are proteins that bind to a specific part of DNA and control the transfer of genetic information from DNA to RNA. Many of the physiological and biochemical adaptations to training begin with your DNA, with the copying of one of its double helical strands (a process called replication).

The replicated DNA strand, under the action of transcription factors, is then transcribed into messenger RNA (a process called transcription), and the messenger RNA is then translated into a protein (a process called translation). Finally, the protein is transported from the nucleus of the cell where transcription and translation occur to the place where it will function.

While a single workout alone, especially if it is new, introduces a specific signal and activation of transcription factors, repeated workouts lead to a concerted accumulation of messenger RNAs that can be translated into a host of structural and functional proteins. In the case of endurance training, the accumulation of proteins is manifested, for example, as an increase in the number of mitochondria, the microscopic aerobic factories responsible for aerobic metabolism.

When you begin a training program, you’ll experience many signaling responses and subsequent adaptations. However, continual training at the same level decreases the training-specific signaling responses involved in the adaptations to training. In other words, if your training stays the same, you can expect your race performances to stay the same. For example, if you run 15 miles on Sunday morning when you’re used to running only 12, you will send a strong signal to make specific adaptations (e.g., increase in mitochondria, muscle glycogen content, etc.). If you continue to run 15 miles every Sunday for a period of time, you’ll continue to send signals to make adaptations until those adaptations are fully realized. After you have run 15 miles so many times that you have become habituated to it, a 15-mile run will no longer be enough of a stimulus to initiate any further adaptations. Therefore, if you want to force more adaptations, you must run longer than 15 miles (or run the miles faster). To become a faster runner, you must gradually, systematically, and progressively increase the amount of stress so that you increase the signaling response and subsequent adaptations.

The more fit you become, the harder it is to improve fitness, despite a lot more training. Therefore, all runners eventually reach a plateau; the goal is to delay when that plateau occurs.

Periodize Training Programs Periodization is a method of maximizing fitness and performance by structuring training programs into periods or phases using programmed variation of training loads and recovery in a cyclic fashion. It involves focusing the training stimulus to one or two variables at a time and manipulating and systematically changing those training variables over the course of the training program. By varying the training, you change the stimulus so you continue to adapt. While variation is vital to preventing plateaus, you should make all changes to your program with concrete training goals in mind and never on a strictly random basis for the sheer sake of variety. When designing periodized programs, the training emphases and sequencing should be guided by your strengths and weaknesses, spending more time on aspects of fitness that attend to your strengths.

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There are a few different ways to schedule and organize the variation of training stimuli. The traditional way is called linear periodization, during which the training program initially builds in volume before decreasing in volume and increasing in intensity. The opposite structure, reverse linear periodization, begins with higher intensity and progresses to lower intensity and higher volume. Finally, with non-linear, or undulating, periodization, the volume and intensity change from week to week or even from day to day throughout the program. Which method is best is hard to say. Studies have shown mixed results. Some research has found that linear periodization increases muscular strength more than does reverse linear periodization, while other research has found that undulating periodization increases strength more than does linear periodization. For muscular endurance, research has found that reverse linear periodization is better than linear and undulating periodization. Thus, it seems that, to increase muscular strength, undulating or linear periodization are most effective, while reverse linear periodization is most effective to increase muscular endurance.

Allow for Adequate Recovery Recovery may be the most overlooked aspect of training. Most runners focus on the components of the workouts— distance, time, and reps. Improvements in fitness, however, occur during the recovery period between workouts, not during the workout itself. When you finish a workout, you are weaker, not stronger. How much weaker depends on the severity of the training stress.

Positive physiological adaptations to training occur with a correctly-timed alternation between stress and recovery. Following a training stress, you adapt and physiologically overcompensate so that when the same stress is encountered again, it does not cause the same degree of physiological disruption. If recovery is not adequate between workouts, you will become fatigued and your ability to adapt to subsequent workouts will decline. You will adapt most to your training when you are recovered from previous training and fully prepared to tolerate a new training stimulus.

There are a number of factors that affect how quickly and completely you recover from your workouts, including age, training intensity, nutrition, stress, and level of cardiovascular fitness. The most significant of these factors is age, as younger runners recover faster between workouts, enabling them to perform intense workouts more often. Workout intensity is the next biggest factor, with higher intensity workouts requiring longer recovery time. Nutrition also influences recovery, with a lack of nutrients and the delay of consuming nutrients following a workout slowing recovery. Since recovery is an aerobic process, a high level of cardiovascular fitness speeds recovery due to the quicker delivery of nutrients and removal of metabolites by the circulatory system.

The next time you reach a plateau, make sure you gradually, systematically, and progressively add training stress, periodize your training program, and adequately recover. And if you train smart, not only will you avoid a boring plateau, you may even run a new personal best.

Program Design for Plateau Busting Phase 1: Aerobic Capacity

High volume/low intensity Increase number of minutes or miles run per week

Phase 2: Aerobic Strength

High volume/low to moderate intensity Tempo workouts: 15-20 minutes @ 80-85% max heart rate

Phase 3: Aerobic Power

Moderate volume/high intensity Interval training: 4-5 x 3-5 minutes (800 to 1,000 meters) @ ≥ 90% max heart rate (about 1.5- to 2-mile race pace) with 3 minutes recovery

Phase 4: Anaerobic Capacity

Low volume/very high intensity Interval training: 8-10 x 60 seconds fast (about mile race pace) with 2-3 minutes recovery

Jason Karp, PhD, is the 2011 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, 2014 recipient of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition Community Leadership award, and creator of the Run-Fit Specialist™ certification. He has more than 200 published articles in international running, coaching, and fitness magazines, is the author of Running a Marathon For Dummies, and speaks around the world. His sixth book, The Inner Runner, comes out in April, 2016.

Find out more at:

Autumn 2015

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The skink that lived in our backyard had been around for several years. He’d grown to about 14 inches in length and was like one of the family. We saw him often. I came home one day and was horrified to discover that a Road Runner had invaded the yard and caught the skink. He slammed the skink on the cement patio repeatedly until still. Then made his getaway with the skink up onto the hot tub (here) and from there onto the roof.

A chair fashioned out of an old sheet on the squared rocks alongside BlueJay Creek in the wilderness of Yosemite National Park. The pool at the bottom was about 5 feet deep and you could stand in it with the waterfall pounding your head. But not for long. It was pretty darn cold. But the sun and the rocks were warm. A wondrous afternoon in an angelic water park. Story on Page 18.

Angry looking hummingbird on my clothesline. Don’t even think about hanging clothes here. He’s keeping an eye on the feeder nearby.

I believe it is a rufous hummingbird although it is much smaller than the rufous we had around in previous years. Still very feisty, though.

Coming down onto and looking out across the floor of Death Valley. In July. In a convertible.

It was 115 degrees. A remarkable journey.

Story Page 4.

A “secret” waterfall just outside of Silverton, Colorado. I schmoozed with the ladies in the visitor center, telling them I wanted a waterfall hike, but without any people. One of them obliged me and drew out a map. This is the place. It was less than a mile back on a no-name little trail. Fifty feet high and I have no idea how deep the pool was. I wasn’t brave enough to find out.

An unidentified flower along the trail in Yosemite.It was less than two inches across on a long horizontal stalk. All by itself. I didn’t see any others.

d i D t a Wh t s a L You See ?

r e m Sum

Bath time for a Coopers Hawk in our backyard fountain. I’d seen him drinking out of the fountain several times, but this was the first time I actually saw him get into it. He just climbed out for the photo. Fresh as a daisy. Now where can I find a pigeon?

A quiet lagoon along Yosemite Creek in the back-country of Yosemite National Park.

There were several “monuments” like this rock tower in the middle of the creek Someone spent some time on this.

Ancient Tibet, Buddhist Monks, and That Old Zing Dr Elaine Adams, DC Sketches of the five rites by Ruth Campbell

So,

you’re getting older. Things don’t move quite like they used to, and when they do move they don’t recover quite as quickly. You still want to run and play and climb the mountains, but somehow you still haven’t got quite what you used to have.

What can you do to get back that old zing? Check out the fountain of youth that comes out of ancient Tibet. There, the Tibetan monks created a ritual of exercise, which they practiced for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. These were said to have been discovered by the western world in the early 1900’s by a British army colonel, Bradford, who was living in a Himalayan monastery.

In 1939, Peter Kelder published his first book describing the rituals. The book was republished in 1985 under the name Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth and again in 1990 as The Eye of Revelation - The Original Five Rites of Rejuvenation. The books describe five simple exercises that have been credited with bringing back the vitality and the life force that many of us have begun to miss.

The Tibetan lamas have performed these five rites for centuries and their longevity and vitality are legendary. The rites are believed to stimulate the energy centers, or chakras, within your body. These chakras are believed to be spinning vortexes of energy within your body. . The theory is that as you age, the spinning of these chakras begins to slow down and they begin to spin in a manner that is out of sync with the other energy centers in your body. This creates the patterns that we regard as normal aging.

The Five Rites are designed to stimulate these centers and create a revitalized energy flow throughout the body. With patience and practice, anyone should be able to perform these exercises in such a way that they receive the health benefits that have been demonstrated throughout the years.

An important aspect of these rites, besides the positioning, is the breathing techniques.

There are four breathing steps that should always be consciously synchronized with the rites. The breathing steps are: inhale, hold, exhale, and hold empty lungs.

When performing the rites, start slowly. The main emphasis should be on breathing and fluid movements, not speed and or number of repetitions.

Obviously, before you attempt this program of exercise consult your physician to see if there are any contraindications for you. These are the five rites as have been practiced throughout the ages:

Rite Number One

Starting Position *Stand erect with arms outstretched, horizontal to the floor, palms facing down. Shoulders should not be hunched or tense, and your arms should be in line with your shoulders. *Picture a clock on the floor, under your feet, face up. When you begin to spin, turn in the same direction as the hands of the clock.

Action *Turn from left to right, spinning around in a complete circle.

Begin and end slowly, building up speed and decelerating gradually. This prevents undue stress on the body. Breathe slowly and evenly as you spin. *You may become slightly dizzy. To alleviate this, focus your vision on a single point straight ahead of you before you begin spinning. As you turn, keep your eyes on that point as long as possible. When this point enters your field of vision again, refocus on it.

When you are finished spinning, take a few deep breaths, breathing in and out through the nose. Relax your body. Lie down in preparation for Rite Number Two. Wait for any lingering dizziness to disappear. Do not begin the next rite until you feel completely back in balance.

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Rite Number Two

Starting Position *Lie flat on the floor, face up, legs extended. It’s best to do this on a thick carpet, an exercise mat, or some sort of padded surface to cushion the spine and avoid contact with a cold floor. *Place your arms close to your sides, parallel to your body, palms against the floor, fingers together.

Action *Breathe in through your nose as you raise your head off the floor, tucking your chin against your chest. At the same time, lift both legs up together, bringing them as close to vertical as you can.

It is important to keep your legs as straight as possible. If you are unable to keep your legs perfectly straight, let your knees bend only as much as is absolutely necessary. Work towards being able to raise your legs without bending your knees. *Slowly lower your head and your legs back to the floor at the same time, still trying to keep your legs as straight as possible.

Breathe out gently through your nose as you do this.

Allow all your muscles to relax for a moment and then repeat this movement.

Rite Number Three

Starting Position *Kneel on the floor with your lower legs extended behind you, toes curled under, and the rest of your body erect. *Grasp your thighs with your hands, thumbs facing forward, and breathe in through your nose.

Action *Breathe out through your nose as you gently roll your head and neck forward, tucking your chin against your chest. *Breathe in slowly and deeply as you lean backward, angling your torso over your lower legs. As your spine arches, your head follows, bending back gently as far as it can go. *Breathe out and return to your starting position. Breathe in and repeat.

Rite Number Four

Starting Position *Sit on the floor, spine straight, legs fully extended in front of you, feet apart about the width of your shoulders. *Place the palms of your hands down on the floor, alongside your buttocks, arms straight, and fingers pointing toward your toes. Breathe in.

Action *Breathe out and tuck your chin down against your chest. Breathe in again slowly as you let your head sink back as far as it will go naturally. Raise your torso up as you continue this slow, deep inhalation. Your arms and lower legs will support your torso. Your knees should be bent, positioned over your ankles, your arms straight, and perpendicular to the floor. Your chest, abdomen, and upper legs should form a bridge or an arch. Your feet should be flat on the floor. *In this position, tense every muscle in your body and hold your breath. Then breathe out, gradually and thoroughly emptying your lungs as you relax every muscle and return to the original starting position. *Rest a moment, breathe in, and then repeat.

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898-3562 SW Corner of 4th & Alameda Enter on 4th, Across from the Church Rite Number Five

Starting Position *Begin by lying face down with your legs extended and your toes curled under. Your hands should be placed directly under your shoulders with your palms down. Your feet should be spaced apart more or less the width of your shoulders, in line with your hands, so as to give you a solid base. *Lift your body, including your legs, by fully extending your arms perpendicular to the floor and flexing your toes. This position resembles a modified push-up; your spine should be arched, your chest raised, and your lower back in a sagging position.

Action *Slowly breathe in through your nose as you gently move your head as far back as possible. *Continue breathing in as you bend at the hips, bringing your body up into an inverted V. As you move into this position, your head will naturally come forward. Tuck your chin against your chest so you can see your feet, which are now almost flat on the floor with only your heels slightly raised. *Breath out, thoroughly emptying your lungs as you return to the arched position with your arms and legs straight. Breathe in and repeat.

The testimonials that patients and others have shared with me regarding their experiences with these rites are truly amazing. People who had given up activities that they loved had returned to those activities. Weight loss and pain relief is almost universally reported. The rites take only a few minutes a day. I use them in my practice daily. We give the rites to patients who want to Increase their vitality and help control their health Issues on their own. Consistency is the key. You should perform these exercises morning and evening on a daily basis and watch as the benefits for your health multiply.

Lifetime Chiropractic Our offices offer - Full Exercise Rehabilitation Programs, Nutritional Counseling, Massage Therapy, and Homeopathic Trigger-Point Injections.

24 Hour Emergency Care Appointments Available!

Most Insurance Accepted • We do the Paperwork Dr. Elaine Adams

Dr. Lonnie Peets

Serving Albuquerque and Rio Rancho for nearly 25 years!

Dr. Elaine Adams has been practicing in New Mexico for 25+ years. She has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Behavioral Psychology and she spent her early career in the field of autism. She has served on the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Chiropractic Association for most of those years. You can contact her office for a consultation on the services available or for an appointment with Dr. Adams. www.lifetimechiropractic.com

Autumn 2015

Lifetime Chiropractic (505) 822-0306 Albuquerque (505) 891-3111 Rio Rancho www.lifetimechiropractic.com

The Lifetime TEAM of Professionals are ready to help you feel great again!

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Dynamic Fitness Lifestyle Protein… The Muscle Building Superfood!!!

Protein in general is a topic I get questions about more often than any other nutritional topic. With the popularity of high protein diets today, I feel it is important to have a solid understanding of what protein is, and what it does in your body.

In this article I will break down the science of proteins into easy to understand analogies to help you get a grasp on what it is, where it should come from, and how it can fit into your personal diet.

The word protein comes from the Greek word proteios. Proteins were first discovered and named by the Swedish chemist Jons Jakob Berzelius in 1838.

If you are serious about gaining muscle, losing body fat, or just being healthy then you need to understand the important role that protein plays in our bodies.

Nutrition plays a vital role in all fitness/health related goals and protein is the building block of nutrition that should be included in everyone’s daily meal plan.

You can eat protein without carbs in your diet and survive but you should never eat carbs without protein.

If there was only one nutrient you should focus on getting, it is protein.

Protein is used to build and repair muscle tissue after workouts that breakdown our muscle fibers. Protein is the foundation for recuperation.

Protein Basics

Protein is arguably the most important nutrient for the human body aside from water. Protein is found everywhere in our bodies… muscle tissue, in the enzymes that digest our food, in our skin cells and even in our blood.

When we consume protein via the foods we eat, it gets broken down into smaller compounds called amino acids. There are 20 total amino acids, 9 are essential amino acids, meaning they must be provided through our diet. And the other 11 are nonessential amino acids meaning that our bodies can manufacture them. Failing to obtain enough of even 1 of the 9 essential amino acids can result in the breaking down of our own muscle mass to obtain that one amino acid that is needed. This is a no-no! So it is imperative to eat properly to prepare for exercise and eat properly to recover from exercise while integrating your overall nutritional approach for everyday well-being.

Essential Amino Acids: •Histidine •Isoleucine •Leucine •Valine •Lysine •Methionine •Phenylalanine •Threonine •Tryptophan

Non-Essential Amino Acids: •Alanine •Arginine •Asparagine •Aspartic Acid •Cysteine •Glutamic Acid •Glutamine •Glycine •Proline •Serine •Tyrosine

Quality Protein Sources

Protein derived from nonanimal sources might not be the best at creating or supporting protein synthesis. That’s because they are not complete proteins; they don’t contain all the essential amino acids the body needs to build muscle mass. The entire spectrum of amino acids, including all of the essential amino acids, can be found only in foods that are animal based. Poultry, fish, beef, bison, cow’s milk and eggs are essentially best because they are complete proteins and that means they contain all of the amino acids the body needs to grow healthy and strong. The protein found in nonanimal sources are incomplete proteins; they lack sufficient essential amino acids that are ideal for creating an anabolic (Muscle Building) environment within the body.

How Much Protein Does One Need?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently recommend that protein make up 10 percent of the total calories you consume each day. Since protein has 4 calories per gram, a 2,000-calorie diet would allow for 50 grams of protein.

Meanwhile, the national average is about 90 grams daily. However, athletes need more than the average human. Scientist have determined that an athlete (depending on the sport) needs about 1 gram per pound of body weight. (2.2 grams per kg of body weight).

Protein digestibility and the amount your body can absorb per meal are really tied to how much you weigh and how hard you train. The more you weigh, the more you need; the harder you train, the more you need. In turn, the more you need, the more you’ll be able to digest, absorb and assimilate. A 200-pound male will, in general, need more protein than a 160-pound male and should be able to digest more per meal. Digestibility is also linked to the amount of protein you consume on a regular basis. The more protein you eat regularly, the better your body becomes at digesting larger protein meals.

There is an old wives tale about protein that I need to squash right here and now… “Our bodies can only digest 30 grams of protein at any one given time.”

That’s like assuming that all automobiles need the same amount of gasoline to drive 1 mile.

Autumn 2015

How Proteins Are Rated

I am not talking about how some supplement company’s use slick marketing ads to says they have the best protein or some ridiculous made-up protein score, rather I am talking about real science and testing as outlined by the FDA. Here are the most commonly used protein testing categories: A). Biological Value (BV) Measures the amount of nitrogen retained in comparison to the amount of nitrogen absorbed.

B). Net Protein Utilization (NPU) The ratio of the nitrogen used for tissue formation versus the amount of nitrogen digested.

C). Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) Measures the ability of a protein to support growth by representing the ratio of weight gain to the amount of protein consumed.

D). Amino Acid Scores (AAS) A chemical technique that measures the indispensable amino acids present in protein and compares the values with a reference protein. The protein is rated based upon the most limiting indispensable amino acid.

E). Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) The amino acid score with an added digestibility component.

F). Protein Digestibility (PD) A test to measure how well protein is digested.

Biological Value of Protein

The most common and easy to understand grading system is what is known as the Biological Value of a protein. This simply means that the higher a protein’s biological value (BV), the more nitrogen your body can absorb, use, and retain.

As a result, proteins with the highest BV promote the most lean muscle gains.

But who needs lean muscle? If you don’t, just close up the article and return to the couch. If you do, check out this chart listing the biological values of common foods.

Biological Value of Some Common Foods and Protein Powders: Whey Protein Isolate 159 Whey Concentrate 104 Whole Egg 100 Cow’s Milk 91 Egg White 88 Fish 83 Beef 80 Chicken 79 Casein Protein 77 Rice 70 Wheat 54 Beans 49 Peanuts 43 Note: The biological value does not represent a percentage. Egg protein is given a biological value of 100 however only approximately 94% is digested and absorbed for use by the body. Because this is the highest percent from natural food sources it is given the reference biological value of 100 and every other food is rated in comparison. As a result, some protein supplements may have a higher biological value than 100.

Dwain Kindelberger has been a Personal Trainer since 1981. He is a graduate of The National Academy of Sports Medicine, and is the owner of Designer Bodies Exclusive Personal Training and Nutrition Management Center.

Visit us on the web at

www.designerbodies.net

How Can We Use This Information In Your Everyday Diet?

The higher biological value proteins will be better absorbed and provide more amino acids which can be used for the body’s various needs. With that being said, it is important to consume a variety of protein sources in your diet. Consume food sources when possible while supplementing protein/meal replacement shakes when you are unable to eat whole foods. I advocate 3 food meals and 2 nutritional supplement shakes per day with an optional shake in the evening after dinner for many of my clients. That works out really well for most of them.

There is a science to protein consumption and protein timing is goal and individual specific. The key is to find what sources and amount of protein is right for your body while also fitting your lifestyle. It is very important to work through different scenarios on a trial and error basis to determine proper protocol. If you are finding it difficult to determine personal protein/nutritional specifics you can contact a professional to set you on the right path without all of the trial and error. I am available for consultations/coaching at Designer Bodies “World Class Gym” if you’d like to contact me.

Until next time… May your protein be fresh and highly bioavailable!

The information contained in this article is not meant to treat, diagnose or cure any ailments or diseases. Please consult your physician before starting any exercise or nutrition program.

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Ken Orth

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BackPack Yosemite

“You have to have a bear canister,” she said, rather casually, as she stared at her computer screen. She was a young woman, tall and sturdy and athletic. She had a Smokey Bear hat on, and a dark green uniform with the lone pine in a shield logo on her sleeve. She was a forest ranger.

She was ostensibly getting me a permit to go backpacking.

“Pardon me?” I asked. “A bare what?”

“A bear canister. A bear resistant canister. Anybody staying overnight in the back-country of Yosemite must have one.

And you must store your food in it at all times except when you are actively cooking or eating it.”

“What, the bear?”

She looked up at me, the briefest little trace of a smile on her lips.

“You can rent the canister for $5 with a $95 deposit in cash or on your credit card. The deposit will be returned to you when you return the canister. Do not eat the bears.”

She looked back at her screen, but the youngish couple who had just wandered in while she was talking and were standing down at the end of the counter… they stared at her and then at me as if they couldn’t believe what they’d just heard. I stood there, bedraggled, a sunburned face and wildly ragged hair from the countless miles I’d spent in the convertible. I guess I might have looked like someone who might eat a bear.

I glanced over at them and shrugged my shoulders, looking a little embarrassed… “What can I say? They taste good.”

The ranger glanced up again. She had green eyes and they twinkled. She winked at me.

as it does with optical illusions… it makes things up. It translates and compensates. It changes the scene into a black and white two-dimensional mural, like a John Muir photograph. You are face to face with the power and the glory of Gaia, and your mind must yield.

Imagine, then, if you could see this spectacle from above it… rather than down there in the valley with the ten thousand tourists and the buses and the jostling for elbow room in which to snap an iPhone photo. Imagine say, that you could be up there on a nearby cliff somewhere as the early rays of dawn are coming up behind The Half Dome.

Blinded by the light. Alone.

Eating a bear.

Metaphorically speaking.

My thought was, back there in the wilderness permit station, that I might, indeed, be able to stand in such a place at such a time. That was the reason for the permit. There is a trail that runs from the north for 6+ miles down to the northern edge of the canyon that is Yosemite Valley. One can, it seems, maybe, stand up there above it all.

But it ain’t easy.

I am going to backpack into the wilderness backcountry of Yosemite National Park. By myself.

With a bear-resistant canister. (For some reason, bearresistant sounds more ominous to me than bear-proof. I know it is just legal jargon, but it makes it sound like the bear may actually TRY. And may succeed. And that sounds like a large carnivore with way too much ingenuity to me. Or too much hunger. I will not use the bear canister as a pillow.)

Yosemite National Park is the mecca of American National Parks, at least in the lower 48. It is spectacularly beautiful.

It has been carved by glaciers, built up by volcanoes, and battered by earthquakes.

The majestic monolith, Half Dome, is a huge rounded mountain of solid granite that had half of itself chopped off by an unbelievably massive sheet of ice. That was before my time. The ice sheered off the front of that mountain like it was a wheel of jack cheese.

To see Half Dome in the crystalline light of dawn is to hallucinate. It does things to your brain, your visual receptors, that they simply cannot handle. It is outside the boundaries of what they think can be real. So, your brain,

I set out on the trail alongside Yosemite Creek on a Tuesday morning in July. I have a FULLY LOADED pack on my back. Actually, it is beyond fully loaded. The bear canister takes up an inordinate amount of room inside… so many things that would normally be in there, inside the pack, they now dangle from various spots outside. Cups and pots and towels. Even my little backpacking French Press coffee maker hangs from a piece of twine. They clang and tinkle as I walk, and I am reminded of the image of an old gypsy’s wagon, loaded for bear.

Continued on Page 20

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Autumn 2015

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BackPack Yosemite A shiver runs up my spine. I realize… acknowledge… that I have butterflies in my belly. I am nervous.

I don’t get nervous. Not backpacking. I am an Eagle Scout and I have backpacked in a LOT of places. From Canada to Texas. From California to Appalachia. I know what I’m doing. But doing it in Yosemite is giving me butterflies.

That makes me smile. Cool. This is special. I stare up at the ragged granite peaks and I slowly do a backward circle.

They are all around me, these Sierra Nevada Mountains, snowy pockets here and there. They are so big… so old… so grand. I’m a lucky man.

It is just as well that I have cups and pots clanging from my backpack. When you are walking into bear country, it is best that you make noise as you walk. You don’t want to startle a bear. Or worse yet, be startled by a startled bear.

They don’t like that. Neither do I. So I sing and I clang and I talk to myself. I remember a story from up in Canada where they have grizzlies. The old ranger was telling me that they used to recommend that you put little bells on your backpack and carry bear spray.

Then they did a study of the grizzly bear scat to determine what the bears were eating. What did they find in the scat?

Little bells and bear spray cans. I smile at the memory and think maybe the forest ranger lady would, too. Hell, she might still tell that story now and again.

I lean against it and spread my arms as if to hug it, but one cannot hug a deity. One cannot embrace millennia.

This is something far bigger than me, in more than size.

It is bigger. Better. Wiser.

All I can do, I think, is strive to emulate its strength. Its fortitude. It has carried more than a little pack up a little hill. Embarrassed, I pat it gently. “I’ll grumble no more.”

In some places, Yosemite Creek descends down along incredibly long stretches of solid granite. It has carved its way deep into that granite, forming pools and falls and slides… of crystal clear, cold water and shiny, speckled, polished granite. It is a waterpark out of my wildest imagination. Maybe out of the

The trail along the creek is deserted, which surprises me a bit. I know that they strictly limit the number of overnight permits for each trailhead, but come on… this is one of the most visited National Parks in the country. I did not think to achieve much solitude here. But I am alone.

Life is verdant and green and abundant all around me.

I was told that it had been raining nearly every afternoon, and it looks like it. Considering the state of California is in a serious drought, this takes me a little by surprise.

The creek descends. Ever descends. But the trail does not. It goes around, over, up, and down. There are times, more than a few, when I am struggling up another steep, rocky hill, stumbling for footing, sweaty and hot, when I hear myself grumbling, “this is supposed to be fun?”

Then, minutes later, I find myself standing face to face with a gigantic tree. The diameter of the tree, here at its base, is bigger than my bedroom. It would take, I don’t know, maybe ten of me stretching fingertip to fingertip to encircle it.

I stand under it and slowly tip my head back scanning up, up, up. Its lowest branches are WAY up there. Its top… its top is tickling the belly of heaven. I cannot fathom its age. Or its life.

imagination of a funky-feelin angel.

But there are no crowds in this waterpark. There is me and the giant tree, and a white-tailed deer who bounds up and out of the gurgling canyon with a gentle clattering of hooves.

Be still, my heart. Lay in the sun on the warm rock, your feet dangling in the chill of a perfectly round, deep pool. Work up the courage to jump in there. To put your head neath the pounding of the little falls that feeds into it. Feel the shiver again. Be alive. Go ahead and sing.

About 4 miles in, after much dawdling and detouring, toward late afternoon, I find a side creek feeding down into the Yosemite.

I had sussed this creek out on the map before I left, hoping there would be water in it, which there is. “Thank you,” I mutter to no one.

I leave the trail and bushwhack my way up along what looks to be the easiest side of the creek. I am hoping to find a campsite up here somewhere, isolated and off of the highway that is the trail. But which has turned out NOT to be a highway after all, as I have seen but a single person on the trail this entire day… a park ranger who checked my permit and then left with an apology for disturbing my solitude.

20

Continued From Page 18

There is, indeed, a campsite. Several, in fact. I set up my tent in a sandy depression, that looks like it was put here for that very purpose. There is a fire ring and a few pieces of wood stacked up underneath a nearby tree.

Bluejay Creek gurgles down over yonder in a shorter but steeper version of the waterpark of Yosemite Creek. The water is tumbling faster and harder. And noisier. There is an unmistakable bass line to this creek’s melody where the water drops into the deep curved pools. They are apparently acoustically well made, for there is a reverberating low undertone like the menacing growl of a big dog in some of them. A chorus of growls… faint, but loud enough to notice and to make me stop now and again to wonder just what that was.

There is magic in the wilderness as the sun goes down. It begins almost imperceptibly. The dominance of the blue sky fades, and the other colors around deepen. Oranges and reds stand out. The Indian Paintbrushes glow in a heavy red, like droplets of blood in a a meadow. Rust orange streaks run through the alligator-skin bark of some big, old trees. Streaks of color that I swear were not there in the daylight.

The creek, that crystalline, gurgling creek that sparkled and danced in the sunlight, it goes dark. Slightly ominous. The granite is slick and dangerous. The pools are now black holes, unfathomable, home to creatures of the dark unknown.

It is a transformation zone, the twilight. It pulls me more completely into this wild and unknown place by taking away the security of what I can see. Of what I think I see. Of what I saw.

It is scary. It is awe-inspiring. It titillates the edges of my senses and tricks me. As my vision fails my other senses are forced to step up. I smell things and I hear things.

What was that?

I wander around in the dusky dusk, but not too far… from my little tent and my little fire. This, I think, is the reason.

This is why I carry that damn pack into the boonies… to stay the night. My emotions, my fears, my dreams… they are all changing even as the colors are changing. As this place is changing. This living, vibrant, ancient place pulls me into its embrace and folds me into its ever-darkening arms. “Be at peace,” it says. I am home, in a place I’ve never been before.

Morning at Bluejay Creek arrives with the blaring of a million trumpets, or so it seems. The lights go on high, and the avian opera is in full throat. Particularly the crows. Or are they ravens? Raucous and screechy they announce their displeasure at my presence… like that old battle-ax English teacher, Miss Bergt, horrifyingly loud and full of retribution first thing in the school morning. Be at peace, my butt.

It is then a surprisingly short hike, sans backpack, down the remaining mile or so of Yosemite Creek to its termination point. Its Grand Finale. The place where it tumbles over the edge of the sheer granite cliff and plummets down nearly 2,500 feet to the floor of the valley so very far below.

I stand at the top of Yosemite Falls, one of the most photographed, gazed upon, spectacularly scenic waterfalls in the entire US of A. I cannot see much of the falls from this place, but that does not lessen the impact…

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I can hear the thunder. No, I can feel the thunder. It is the subwoofer of the Gods. I can feel the mists, and I breathe it. Yosemite Creek seeps into my lungs and curls my hair. It puts a sheen of glory upon my sunburned face.

Looking down upon the people in the valley, like ants, I wonder if they can see me up here… a spot of color perhaps on a gray granite cliff. A blemish in the picture to be photoshopped out, like red eyes and dust specks.

The creek here as it heads for the edge is different from its earlier self further up. It is like it knows that it is in the home stretch. The water seems to have more energy… it is more vibrant and alive.

There are pools here, too, up at the top, carved into the granite, each with their own little funneling falls. But they exist in a different plane, these pools. There is a nervous, eager anticipation about them. When I swim in one, it is like I am back in the green room before the first show of a play. It is about to happen, in all of its spectacular glory. All of the work, all of the trials and tribulations, it is about to come to a crashing crescendo. The curtain is going up and the show is about to begin.

The butterflies return in the rushing cold water. The shiver. This, I realize, is what it feels like to be really alive. To feel the energy. The drive. It is an ending of sorts, mixed into a beginning. And isn’t that the way of things?

Looking out over the edge. The last pool at the top of Yosemite Falls.

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Events in Red Require Registration Ongoing Farmers Markets: Downtown Growers Market, (thru Nov 7) Saturdays 8am-noon, Robinson Park 8th & Central, Gina Meyers 243-2230 Lobo Growers Market, Wednesdays 10am-2pm, Cornell Mall UNM Main Campus (thru October 14) Jessica Rowland 277-3431 Nob Hill Growers Market, Thursdays 3pm-dusk, Morningside Park at Lead & Morningside SE (thru November 19) Catherine Gordon, 934-8960

Parch, Free, 9am-5pm everyday, Open Space Visitor Center 6500 Coors NW, group art exhibition exploring the nature of water Noel Chilton 897-8831 (Starts Oct 3) Qigong in the Park, Free, Saturdays 9-10am: Altura Park at Hannett and Morningside NE, Qigong practice for all, Loretta 681-1924 www.qigonginthepark.com New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors, Save trails, learn new skills with cool tools, and “rub shoulders� with forest rangers helping to build

and maintain a wide variety of trails.

884-1991 www.nmvfo.org Water Exercise Classes, Weekdays, $2.50, City of Albuquerque Indoor Pools at Los Altos Pool 291-6291; Valley Pool 761-4086; West Mesa Aquatic Center 836-8718, Morning & evening classes Rio Grande Nature Center Bird Walks, $3 parking, 8:30am, Saturdays & Sundays, join a naturalist for a quiet bird walk, preregister, 344-7240

ABQ Uptown Growers Market, Saturdays 7am-noon at Louisiana & Indian School (NE parking lot) (thru October) Victor Lewis 720-7757

September 24 Twilight Hike on a Full Moon Night, $3 Parking fee, dusk, Pre-register required, RioGrande Nature Center 2901 Candelaria NW, Call for exact start time, 344-7240

Presbyterian Growers Market, Tuesdays, 7am-noon , at Presbyterian Hospital parking lot at 1300 Central SE (thru October) Victor Lewis 720-7757

Gifting Time 5K and Rememberance Walk, 8am, 5K Walk/Run with a remembrance walk in honor of babies that are gone too soon, 1 in 4 women experience Pregnancy or Infant Loss, help to break the silence, active.com 505-990-9408

Corrales Growers Market, Sundays 9am-noon , Wednesdays 3-6pm, Recreation Center 500 Jones Rd & Corrales Rd, Al Gonzales 898-6336

September 26-27 Corrales Harvest Festival, 9am-5pm, Kids $2 Adults $5, throughout the Village of Corrales A beautiful fall weekend full of activities, art, food, shopping, pets and tractor rides! info: 349-3809 www.corr

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September 20 Tour De Acoma Bicycle Race, Pre-Register, 100-50-25 mile race, unique chance to bike on the beautiful pueblo lands, See Ad page 10 Melvin 505-552-7869 www.tourdeacoma.com Santa Fe to Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon, 8am, Pre-registration required, from the heart of Santa Fe down old Taos Highway to Buffalo Thunder Resort www.santafethunder.com

Northeast Farmers & Artisans Market, Tuesdays, 3-6 pm , West side of ABQ Academy, 6400 Wyoming Blvd. Enter campus at Burlison go right (south) and the market will be on the right hand side (thru September) Joshua Shelburne 369-6549

On-going Bosque, Free, 9am-5pm everyday, Open Space Visitor Center 6500 Coors NW, amulti-media group exhibition that invites people to interpret their relationship with the Albuquerque riverside forest Kim Selving 897-8831 (thru September)

September 13 Chips n Salsa Half Marathon, 7am, Pre-registration required, Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute, ww.IRUNFIT. org

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September 26 National Public Lands Day, Cache In Trash Out, Free, 8am-noon, Central Avenue Bridge, Annual trash cleanup for the Geocaching community. Registration required, 505-452-5208

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Mt Taylor 50K, forested trails & trails through open high mountain meadows and the 360 degree view from the summit of Mt Taylor, www.mttaylor50k.com T-Wolf Trail Run/Walk, East Mountain High School, 8am, run will be held on the cross country course built by students in 2005, proceeds from the event will go to support the athletics program at East Mountain High School.

Philip Keller, 505-220-6321 September 27 Corrida de Corrales 2015, 30th annual, run the flat, shady, dirt trail along the tree-lined acequia through the heart of beautiful Corrales, Joe Romero 505-440-2983 racesonline. com 5th annual Cross Country Courage Classic, 7:30am, on a designated cross country course with the beautiful Sandia Mountains as the backdrop, Pre-registration required, active.com Kelly Dunbar 505-797-4729 Full Moon Concert, Free, 5pm, Open Space Visitor Center 6500 Coors NW, A full moon concert with flutist Bonnie Schmader & friends Kim Selving 897-8831 Full Moon Run by Heart n Sole Sports, Free, 7:30pm, Kit Carson Park, 1744 Kit Carson NW HnS info: 884-7653

October 3 - 4 Maze in the Maize, $6 kids / $8 adults, 10am-5pm weekends thru Nov 1, Los Poblanos Fields Open Space 1701 Montaño Road NW, The iconic annual cornfield maze returns for 2015!, Info: 505-916-1078

October 10-11 Maze in the Maize, $6 kids / $8 adults, 10am-5pm weekends thru Nov 1, Los Poblanos Fields Open Space 1701 Montaño Road NW, The iconic annual cornfield maze returns for 2015!, Info: 505-916-1078 October 17 Día del Río: A Celebration of the Rio Grande, Free, 8:30am-1pm, Rio Grande Valley State Park, Shining River Access, variety of conservation activities such as revegetation, trail work, and trash pickup Call REI at 247-1191 to register Kent Swanson 452-5216 October 17-18 Maze in the Maize, $6 kids / $8 adults, 10am-5pm weekends thru Nov 1, Los Poblanos Fields Open Space 1701 Montaño Road NW, The iconic annual cornfield maze returns for 2015!, Info: 505-916-1078 October 18 32nd Annual Duke City Marathon, Downtown - 3rd & Tijeras, 7am, 505-880-1414 dukecitymarathon.com October 23-25 NM Ski Swap, $2, presented by Sandia Peak Ski Patrol at Expo New Mexico, Saturday 9am-4pm, Sunday 11am-4pm, the REAL, the ORIGINAL, the LARGEST winter sports sale in New Mexico since 1967, info about selling & buying gear: www.nmskiswap.org October 24 Make a Difference Day, Free, 9am-1pm, Rio Piedra Lisa Open Space Area (end of www.monstersonthemesa.com Candelaria Rd) ,a national day of community service October 31- November 1 held annually, J Sattler 452-5213 Maze in the Maize, $6 kids / $8 adults, 10am-5pm weekends thru Nov 1, Los October 24-25 Poblanos Fields Open Space 1701 Maze in the Maize, $6 kids / $8 adults, Montaño Road NW, The iconic annual 10am-5pm weekends thru Nov 1, Los cornfield maze returns for 2015!, Info: Poblanos Fields Open Space 1701 505-916-1078 Montaño Road NW, The iconic annual cornfield maze returns for 2015!, Info: 505-916-1078

October 25 First Responders 5k run/walk, 7:30am, Hartnett Park in Los Ranchos, intended to strengthen the relationships between October 3-11 Albuquerque International Balloon Fi- first responders and the communities esta, Balloon Fiesta Park, ride your bike they serve... police officers, firefighters, & paramedics will all participate active.

- free valet parking www.balloonfiesta. com 505-503-8076 com 1-888-422-7277 November 1 Daylight Saving Time Ends, set your October 27 October 4 clock back 1 hour Sandia Shadows Trail Run, 8am, Piedra Twilight Hike on a Full Moon Night, $3 Parking fee, dusk, Pre-register required, Lisa Park just east of Tramway and 2015 Doggie Dash and Dawdle, 8amRioGrande Nature Center 2901 CandeMenaul and heads into the Sandia Foot2pm, Balloon Fiesta Park, NM Humane laria NW, Call for exact start time, 344hill (Open Space) trails and finishes at Society fundraiser to benefit homeless the Piedra Lisa Park next to the Foothill’s 7240 (tentative date) pets, 5K run or 2 mile dawdle, rent a dog Dam , Pre-registration required, for $10 if you don’t have one of your Full Moon Run by Heart n Sole Sports, own, www.animalhumanenm.org www.IRUNFIT.org Free, 7pm, Kit Carson Park, 1744 Kit Carson NW October 10 Training for Trail Watch and Adopt-an- HnS info: 884-7653 November 8 Open Space, Free, 10am-12:30pm, Open 3rd Annual Rebel Run, 10am, run will October 31 Space Visitor Center, 6500 Coors NW, support Great Pumpkin Chase, 8am, ABQ volunteers patrol areas of their choice the UNM Children’s Hospital’s Cancer Country Club, www.IRUNFIT.org and record observations, report probUnit. Pre-registration required, 505lems and needs, and educate the public 301-9052 Monsters on the Mesa 1K/5K/10K, Pre-register required Jolynn Maestas www.riogranderebels4-hclub.com 7am, at Mesa Del Sol, Pre-registration 452-5207 required,

Autumn 2015

November 14 LUNG FORCE Walk, 9am, Hoffmantown Church, now is the time to raise our voices against lung cancer—and for lung health Terry Huertaz 505-814-7550 November 17-22 Festival of the Cranes, Free, Bosque Del Apache Visitor Center, San Antonio NM, Cranes!, All day everyday 575-838-2120 www.festivalofthecranes.com November 24 Twilight Hike on a Full Moon Night, $3 Parking fee, dusk, Pre-register required, RioGrande Nature Center 2901 Candelaria NW, Call for exact start time, 3447240 (tentative date) Full Moon Run by Heart n Sole Sports, Free, TENTATIVE DATE - Call HnS first 7:45pm, Kit Carson Park 1744 Kit Carson NW HnS info: 884-7653 November 27 Hobbler Gobbler Thanksgiving Day Run, 9am, Rio Rancho Aquatic Center, www.IRUNFIT.org December 5 NM Kringle Jingle Run, 9am, set in the beautiful Four Hills Neighborhood, www.IRUNFIT.org

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