“Gordon Hempton. Fort Warden, Washington 2012. ‘For my most important work and the best times of my life, I take the VW bus. The journey is not just about getting there. The trip starts now. Slow down and enjoy what’s going on immediately around you. I didn’t want to start my journey to success in life with the suspicions of others, so I ripped out the key and put in a push button starter. Just push that button and off you go. It begins with trust, it begins with happiness, and what you get back is joy.'”

Photo: Andrew Waits

https://www.hcn.org/articles/boondocks

Sent in by Anonymous

I’ve done 2 posts on him in previous years,  and was reminded of him again by an article in the New York Times recently listing his book Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes.

https://www.alastairhumphreys.com/adventures/

This is a steep, rugged section of land at the end of the road on the north shore of Kauai. I hiked in 2 miles to Hanakapiai Beach and it was tough! This is a mother of a trail, steep and slippery in parts. When I got to the beach, the surf was (sorry to use the word) awesome. 15’+ shore break. Anyone in the water would be more or less instantly killed, if not by the bonecruncher waves, by the rocky (no sand this time of year) shore.

A few observations:

1. There were just too many people on the trail.

2. I couldn’t believe how many overweight people were making this trek.

3. There were also runners — running no less.

At left, part of the trail going up…

This day’s adventure to be continued…

I realize that I am afflicted with over-enthusiasm, especially when it comes to communicating my experiences as i move through life. That said, this was just about the most perfect day I’ve ever had.

I was a water person in earlier years, starting at 4 years of age when I fell in a lake and while underwater until my dad fished me out, enjoyed the experience. In high school I swam competitively and one day after a swimming meet at the great Fleishacker salt water pool out at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, a swimmer named Jim Fisher and I went out across the Great Highway to swim in the ocean. I couldn’t believe it. The waves, blue water, invigoration. I was hooked.

Had my first surfboard ride at age 18, then changed my major at Stanford so I was through every Thursday at noon and able to head to Santa Cruz until Sunday night. I was a lifeguard, taught swimming, and then somehow over  the years, drifted away from the beach in comparison with my serious surfer friends.

WELL — I’ve come to this small island of Kauai to get back in the water. Today I was in the ocean 3 times — a little bodysurfing, mostly swimming (the last time in the rain tonight) and in a fresh water pool 3 times..

A barista coffee shop on wheels with wonderful coffee, muffins, and vibes. A hostel on the beach with rates (in this expensive resort area — Kapaa –) of  $40/$80 per night for shared/solo rooms. A guy in the country with about 300 beautiful roosters and tangerine, grapefruit, macadamia and lychee nut trees.  A day of clouds and sun and clouds and rain. This island like a large boat in the Pacific Ocean. A Mexican restaurant that feels like you’re in Mexico with delicious food and 3 TVs with Mexican soccer games.

I’ll try to get around to writing it up (with photos) before long…

So much is going on in my life right now, I haven’t got around to many posts of late. I need a clone (or maybe an apprentice), then I could keep the pub biz running, go fishing/clamming/crabbing, surf and paddle, hunt mushrooms, make knives (with Russell made-in America carbon steel blades and madrone handles, do the maintenance around the homestead, go on a kayak adventure I’ve got planned, walk the 10-mile sandy beach in Pt. Reyes, spend a week in Santa Cruz…it goes on…

Monday night on the way home I bought a bottle of Germain-Robin made-in-Ukiah brandy, then stopped off at the Sweetwater nightclub. It was local musicians night and there was a couple on the stage, a guy with acoustic guitar and a curly-haired girl, singing a duet. Jeez, did they sound good. They were doing “Let’s Stay Together,” one of my all-time faves, by Al Green, and they had it right. They were at the same time both channelling Al and giving it their own beautiful interpretation. The guy hit Al’s high note “I just cain’t see-ee-ee…,” the girl sang beautiful harmony. They were called Come Around Babe. I think they’re a brand new group, can’t find this song anywhere online. Here’s Al:

Let's Stay Together by Al Green on Grooveshark

It was around 10 when I started home and I went to my magic waterfall, took a couple shots of brandy, clothes off, and ducked under it. What’s usually a trickle was a pounding torrent, the full power of the mountain. It’s such a simple thing to do, the cold shock gives way to elation as soon as you’re out…oh boy am I glad I did this…I didn’t even play the radio on the way home, as “Let’s Stay Together” played over and over in my head…