Various Ramblings
Michael Nowak
Cha-cha-changes!
Cha-cha-changes!
Various Ramblings
Michael Nowak
Seeing can mean believing.
Seeing can mean believing.

trees

#ForestFriday - Up North Minnesota

I’ve got Minnesota on the brain right now because I’m planning my trek there for Labor Day weekend. I am so excited to get up there for a while (I took several days off) and it’s going to be good to see my people. I’m excited to see the forests and the big lake (Lake Superior) as well as the small lakes. I’m hoping for good weather, but will take anything we get. I’m ready for Leinenkugel's and bonfires. Superior National Forest makes up most of the woods around where I’ll be, so I’m sharing some photos from previous trips for this Forest Friday. I hope you get to the forest and have a great weekend!

#ForestFriday - Looking Up

When I find myself under some trees, I always look up. There’s something magical about looking up at the canopy and seeing the sky through the branches or between the treetops. I like to gaze in wonder at the living organism that can grow so tall and broad. Take a look at some of my favorite canopies and go find your forest this weekend!

Thursday Thoughts

Feeling small under giant trees in the Hoh Rainforest - Olympic National Park

This week I was feeling small, but not in a bad way, and thinking about my existence in this world. I was feeling so small because I thought of myself, in my tiny apartment, in a single building, on a city block, on the city layout, and eventually zoomed out like I was looking down into my living room window from space. It is a feeling that washes over me on occasion, but more so lately since the world is so weird.

I usually get the “small” feeling when I’m standing beneath some trees - especially redwoods. When I’m on the shores of the Great Lakes or the Pacific Ocean, I also feel small and insignificant. I love the feeling - it grounds me. When people say water grounds them, this is what I assume they mean.

I think it’s important to find the “thing” that makes you feel this way. I like to use these moments to contemplate everything in life from my purpose to how everything interacts out there. My thoughts drift through all the beautiful places I’ve seen and the ones I have yet to see.

Big trees, big lakes, oceans, sand dunes… They keep putting me in place and bringing me back to reality while simultaneously fueling my hopes and dreams. What is something like this that keeps you going?

Me feeling small at Delicate Arch - Arches National Park - Moab, UT

Feeling small standing alongside Lake Superior - Duluth, MN

#ForestFriday - Oregon Caves NM

Back in 2016 I visited Oregon Caves National Monument while on a trip to Northern California to see the Redwoods. The drive up from the Redwoods is fantastic and follows the wild and scenic Smith River as you drive up US-199.

The actual road to the caves is lined with trees and the whole places is forested. Enjoy a few photos of the outside on a sunny day!

And here’s some from inside the cave! Not quite a forest, but such a cool place that I can’t wait to go back to now that I live close by.

#ForestFriday - Umpqua National Forest

I visited Crater Lake National Park back in October but a secondary highlight was spending time in the Umpqua National Forest. Oregon forests are spectacular with huge trees, waterfalls, and plenty of trails. Enjoy a few photos including Whitehorse Falls, Salt Creek Falls, and Clearwater Falls. Happy Friday and have a great weekend.

#WBW - The joy of snow

Look at the line where the snow is falling!!

Visiting Portland, OR in November 2021 was a whirly-swirly dream. NO, there wasn’t snow in Portland, but there was snow up towards Mt. Hood. I had met up with my dear friend on the first day of my adventure and they decided to go along on the second and third days with me and suggested Trillium Lake. I was driving up, up, up the mountain toward the lake and had to stop at the rest area where the snow started to take it all in. It was SNOWING the big magical flakes! From there up, it was MORE snow and beautiful foggy/snowy views of the trees. Eventually, we got to the lake. It was a mix of snow and clouds, so no view of Mt. Hood but who cares? The trees were heavy with wet snow, and it felt magical walking through the woods with my friend. We were in our own world of laughing, snapping photos, and being free.

The conclusions drawn from this adventure are that snow is magical and with the right person, life is whimsical. Find the friends, lovers, whomever who bring out the magic and whimsy in you.

#ForestFriday - Lincoln National Forest

Some days I miss the life I had (briefly) in New Mexico back in 2021. I lived near the best of friends, worked with the coolest people, and went to the National Forest all the time. I’ve been missing the familiar lately, so here’s to the good people and the good times in the Lincoln National Forest.

Views of the sky, camping with my dog, and everything in between. 2021 was a great year. I miss my old Outback and I miss my friends real bad but that’s what new Outbacks and visits are for!

#ForestFriday - Mt. Walker Viewpoint

One of my favorite places to go take a break, take a guest, or just stop for a minute is the Mt. Walker Viewpoint in the Olympic National Forest. It was suggested by a friend a while ago, and I’ve gone there for years.

The road up to the viewpoints is a winding, dirt road that pushes through the forest. I recently visited early in the morning to catch the sunrise, and it was spectacular to come around the corners and see the sun rising. VIDEO HERE.

Most of the time you can see Mt. Rainier in the distance from the Southern Viewpoint and sometimes you can see Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams. From the Southern Viewpoint, you can see the Olympics and Mt. Baker.

Enjoy some photos from over the years.

#ForestFriday - Montana!

Back in May I had friend over in Montana and we went on adventure through places like the Kootenai National Forest and a little bit into Glacier National Park before it was all open. Enjoy some photos from the various forests along the way through Big Sky Country.

It’s a happy looking Outback (she’s happiest in the forest)

Lake Koocanusa

Maple leaves!

A little trail at Glacier National Park

The Swinging Suspension Bridge of the Kootenai River

Scarlet red and with an adventurous spirit - the Outback looks good against Lake Koocanusa

View from the trail - in Glacier National Park

#WayBackWednesday - N. Minnesota

September in Northern Minnesota can be completely magical. Back in 2020, I visited my buddy’s cabin and it was a relaxing weekend filled with good times, great weather, and tasty beers. I can’t wait to be closer to the cabin, so I can visit more frequently. (Read more about my love for Minnesota HERE!)

A Wisconsin staple in the Midwest beer world. PLUS, hammock time!

The sun was setting and pastels were popping.

The colors were starting to change - the green to yellow on these birch trees around the cabin

A little humor in the outhouse - we do use the outhouse sometimes (LOL)

Another angle - the sun setting on the lake, but a view from the boat

A lovely sour ale from one of my favorite breweries in Duluth, MN (a true delight on a mild late-September afternoon)

Some cool fungi on a log in the woods near the cabin

You may have to adjust your brightness, but it’s a night shot from the an iPhone 11 Pro Max. The stars over the lake and through the trees at the cabin are spectacular.

Dreaming of the Northwest

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If you’d like to listen to me read this vs. actually reading it, play this video.

I’ve had the Pacific Northwest on my brain every day for the past month, at least. Living in the desert has me thinking more and more of the places with trees and water.

My favorite band is playing in Portland, Oregon on the first Wednesday in November so I bought a ticket to the show. I then found myself looking at plane tickets and rental cars, booking each one of those as well. I haven’t requested the days off of work yet, but I have a nonrefundable rental car so I’m going.

I will fly in to Portland in the early afternoon before the show and then go see some music and then I’ll vanish from the city for a while. I love the food, the beer, and the people I know in Portland, but I don’t usually fly to the PNW to see people… I fly there to go hide out in the trees.

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I plan to visit family for holidays this year, so i figure this could be my last quick long weekend out west for the year. It’s proving to be more difficult to take a “quick” weekend to Seattle or Portland from here in New Mexico versus when I lived in DFW. I used to grab a Friday evening flight and then catch a Sunday night/Monday morning flight so I had a full two days and didn’t miss any work.

I hope to be back near a major airport or closer to nature sooner than later. I’m not far, here, but I’d like to be even closer as in living among it or within an hours drive of some treelined water.

Ever since first visiting the Pacific Northwest in 2008, I’ve been hooked. I felt home, I felt safe, and I vowed to live there someday. Now, the world is ending and I’m wondering if I should make that someday more sooner than later.

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Life has me torn right now. I have family who I’d love to be close to, but I have dreams of living in the cool, green woods of the northwest. If I moved to to a city near Seattle or Portland, I could easily fly back to Detroit like I did when I lived in Dallas/Fort Worth. It would be a bit more difficult to drive there, but it would be living the dream. If I moved back to Michigan, or nearby, I would still have great trees and water to play around in and be close to family and friends whom I miss dearly.

I realize the privilege I have even debating this. If I find a remote job, I could visit my family for weeks at a time without even using PTO. I could easily navigate between the two and still live both dreams. I’m often caught in a daydream. I want the ease and convenience of living near family, but I want the adventure of living somewhere I have only visited. I’ve got some time to figure this out, thankfully.

*the future is all hypothetical, if anyone from work reads this*

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#ForestFriday - Cascade Pass Trail

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Today I’m looking back at my brief day trip to visit North Cascades National Park. I’ve created a post on it already, found here. Today I’m going to highlight some of the plants and fungi I found along the Cascade Pass Trail. The clouds may have prevented me from seeing the views, but my I was able to focus on the ground a little more.

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The trail climbed steadily, and I was continuously blown away by the lush greenery through the mist. The Pacific Northwest is truly magical and it’s easy to see why my heart can’t rest until I make a return.

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The trail had huge drop offs and that may make some nervous. I took it as motivation to slow down, pay attention, and enjoy the moment.

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Lincoln National Forest

I figured National Forest Week was still going on so why not share a little from one of my most frequented forests - Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. I work so close to the this one, at a field office, so I’ve been visiting it more often when I have some down time. Even before I worked near it on occasion, my aunt and I had made a trip to escape the heat of September in Texas. The fresh scent of pine makes us happy.

Lincoln NF has a variety of landscapes, from caves to tree lined trails. I camped, in the summer, comfortably at a place with small trees and walked a snow covered trail in the spring at 9000 ft just a couple of hours away. Such a fun, dynamic national forest. Enjoy some photos from the varying places within the Lincoln National Forest.

#NationalForestWeek continues! #ThrowbackThursday

I want to share a few more photos from my adventures in the forest - this time, the ones I’ve shared with some of my good friends. The forest can be the most amazing experience alone, but every now and then you want that adventure pal or pals with you along the way.

Kayaking down the Salt River (Tonto NF)

I had made the journey out to Phoenix to meet up with a longtime online acquaintance for a backpacking trip in a special canyon. The fear of a flash flood kept us out of the area, and we made a backup attempt in the Superstition Mountains within the Tonto National Forest. The whole thing didn’t work - rain, illness, etc - so we trekked back out and had pizza and beer. The silver lining of all of this was that a day was freed and the Salt River was calling. I had never kayaked. The adventure was fun, I tipped, which felt wonderful, and got to meet another longtime online acquaintance.

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Lazy Days at Blanchard Springs (Ozark/St. Francis NF)

The pandemic was raging and I was in a cabin on the White River near Mountain View, Arkansas with one of my dearest friends. Life was good. We had drinks, we had a campfire, and we had a grill daddy. That’s as funny as it sounds. Nicknames. HA! Anyway, it was great, but only got better with a day trip to Blanchard Springs. The water was turquoise, the trees extra shade, and the streams cold as ice. It was a casual, lighthearted day of no agenda or plans.

Hammock Beers in the most Superior NF

A trip to the cabin rarely involves hiking - unless it’s across the frozen lake. This time, it was late summer, and we took the boat from the cabin to the landing to go for a little hike on the nearby Border Route Trail in Northern Minnesota. We packed our backpacks with beers, our hammocks, snacks, and headed out. There was NO ONE on the trail, so we strung our hammocks across it and had a little break.

A little Minnesota for this #ForestFriday

I’ve got Minnesota on my brain. I have a lot of things on my brain, but Minnesota is sticking out. I’m returning to the land in the Great North mi- August to go to the cabin off the grid and check out of society for a while. My friend’s cabin is one of my favorite places to be because it makes me slow down and take in every minute of daylight. There’s always some work to do, always a trip to the Boundary Waters, and usually a lot of beer and cards by lantern into the night. Northern Minnesota is truly dark at night, silent in terms of the modern world for the most part, and completely refreshing.

Here are some photos from over the past 15 years of visits to the cabin for your viewing pleasure.

#ForestFriday - Arizona

In honor of being in Arizona this weekend…

I haven’t been to many places within Arizona, but I do recall the trees lining the Grand Canyon and think of them as a highlight for my trips there. Here are a few photos from those trips, either in Grand Canyon National Park or Kaibab National Forest. I’m not sure, nor does it matter because the trees are all beautiful. Happy Forest Friday — go find a tree!

#ForestFriday - Northern Sunshine

I recently flew up to Michigan to visit my family over a VERY quick weekend… we’re talking, I got in Saturday at 1AM and left Monday at 5AM. Crazy quick, but I did get some quality walks in that included being between some trees. The wind through the trees was a welcomed replacement for the CONSTANT traffic noise I live near here in Texas. Enjoy these beautiful, northern trees. Happy Forest Friday!

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