Got a ride from UCSB to Santa Cruz a week ago and saw the coast range fire going by. Yesterday, looked like there was still smoke in that direction. Then, HW and I were moving HD out of UC Santa Cruz and as we were leaving there was a fire that seemed very close. We went and camped for 5 days at Mineral King part of Sequoia National park...computers stayed in storage, no cell coverage, no electricity (although we did car-camp). Snow in next campsite was useful for our tiny cooler. I was really cold at night (7500' elevation at campsite). After 3 days of warmup hikes, HD and HW made it to 10,500' above a lake....and I could not resist and kept going to the pass at 11,600'...and really had to cruise because I was late for when I said I would meet them back. This hike would have been no problem 3 years ago when I was playing a lot of ice hockey and was in shape, but I am really out of shape and even going up a couple flights of stairs exhausts me...so was pleased that I could still make it up a mountain....very slow and steady, but persistent...kind of like my career....
Computers will kill you...leave them alone a couple weeks a year and go outside.
Chris