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Reader Profile: The Kain Family—Ain’t no Challenge Great Enough!

“Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough ain’t no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to you babe”-that line from that famous song by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of this amazing family and all they’ve accomplished to get to their goal of hiking a trail in all 50 states which they are set to complete very shortly.

The Kain family has faced some remarkable challenges. Daughter Kellisa was born a micropreemie at 25 weeks and was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. Kellisa has endured 12 brain surgeries, has epilepsy and cerebral palsy but that hasn’t stopped her and her family from their quest to not only visit but hike a trail in all 50 states. The Kain family believes in living life without limits and they are an absolute inspiration. Check out my interview with Chris Kain, Kellisa’s dad …     

Full interview can be read here.

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families on foot

families on foot

Urban Hikes to Backyard Treks and National Park Adventures

Jennifer Pharr Davis and Brew Davis

It didn't seem right to sit back in a chair to read this book, so I found a comfortable rock to read my new favorite book, "families on foot" by Jennifer Pharr Davis and Brew Davis. Kellisa and I have met Jennifer a couple of times over the years from Trail Days in Damascus, VA to a presentation at REI in Jacksonville, FL. Someday we hope to share a trail together.

I didn't hesitate to submit a story with a few pictures when the call went out for submissions. I decided to share the story of Kellisa's first hike on wheels. We were thrilled that Kellisa's story was chosen for the book and honored to discuss some of Kellisa's challenges and medical history to be included in Chapter 9: Health Conditions and Special Concerns. Both Lisa and Cousin Matt (hiking partner on several trails with Kellisa spanning several states) received photo credits as an added bonus.

Jennifer and Brew definitely succeed in providing the blueprint and motivation to get families up and more importantly, out. I especially appreciate that they recognize the need for all children to experience life on the trail. Too often society overlooks the disabled population and I'm beyond proud that Kellisa can represent her "peeps" in this book.

Since I'm probably slightly biased, I will just say, go ahead and buy the book here. 

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Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

February 2017

Dark Embrace

February Moons - 2017

2.11.17

What started out as a casual occurrence in late 2016 has developed into an almost obsession by the second month of 2017. In the beginning, if I happened to see the moon rising behind our house, I would grab the camera and snap a few disappointing pictures. Then one evening, I discovered my camera, a Nikon COOLPIX P530 with 42X Optical Zoom ED VR and 16.1 Megapixels, has a "Moon" setting. After a little trial and error playing with this new found feature, I started taking really clear pictures of the moon.

None of the pictures from this first collection have been edited or photo-shopped in any way, except for an occasional "CROP".  I mentioned this hobby is growing close to an obsession because I find myself watching the evening weather for cloud cover and consulting Moon Rise and Location  in the Night Sky databases. I then wait for the minute the moon appears from the east with my camera ready to snap pictures. For every one picture selected for this post, I have 25 pictures of varying quality not suitable for sharing.

Observations from California Roads

Near Orland, CA

February 2017

Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge

Rio Vista Unit

February 2017

Chris and Laurel Miles Hiked: 2.0

It's hard to believe, but this whole area was flooded with several feet of river water a week before our visit. We found the trail to be a little muddy, but not too bad for our little hike. 

We observed a few birds, although the lighting never really lined up for good photography. The highlight of this trail would be the coyote that darted out of the leafless forest on our right less than 25 feet in front of us. It disappeared into the dense underbrush to our left without making a sound and before we had any chance of taking its picture. We stood still and silent for a few minutes scanning the area, but the coyote was traveling alone. Like most trails in our area, the trailhead had a sign warning about mountain lion sightings and how to stay safe. I used the opportunity to discuss the dangers and precautions with Laurel before we started our hike while gently reminding her along the path as well. I always have mixed feelings, I'd love to spot a mountain lion in the wild, but I'm always relieved when we don't. One question that never gets an answer, did a mountain lion observe us on the trail?

Disney on Ice

Golden 1 Center

Sacramento, CA

February 18, 2017

Yosemite National Park - Part V (January 2017)

All Laurel wanted to do was go sledding in the snow and we were unable to find a suitable spot on Saturday, so that was our main goal for our last day in the park.

For us, we got an early start and were out of the room by 11am. After a short drive, we were at the crowded parking area with the man selling snow chains. We got lucky and didn't have to wait long for a spot to open up. I was very tempted to pay another $40 to have the chains installed, but I knew I had to learn myself. I decided to give it a try. Even though it took far longer than the three minutes it took the professional, I was able to get them on without too much cursing. 

We found the roads to be in a similar condition as the previous day, mostly ice surrounded by high snow drifts. There seemed to be a lot more vehicles on the park roads. Maybe word had gotten out that the roads were open and the waterfalls had very high flow rates. Between the ice and traffic, the pace was frustratingly slow, especially around the more scenic spots.

Yosemite National Park - Part IV (January 2017)

The parking lot where I purchased the snow chains earlier in the day was completely empty...and dark. It wasn't easy, clean, or dry, but I somehow managed to remove the snow chains with the help of a little flashlight I had in the car. It was a minor miracle that the light and batteries actually worked.

The parking lot was surrounded by tall pines, but looking straight up on this clear night revealed many thousands of shining stars. I opened the moon roof so everyone could stargaze for awhile.

Laurel fell asleep on our short drive back to our room. I carried Kellisa while Laurel stumbled to her bed and drifted off for the night. I gave Kellisa her medicine and formula before she joined Laurel in their bed. Lisa watched a little TV while I flipped through my book souvenir, "Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite".

The book shares stories and statistics of all the known deaths in and around Yosemite National Park. I read about falling accidents, people who got lost, BASE jumping mishaps, suicides, and finally the last chapter- murders. It was in this last chapter that I finally realized why the Cedar Lodge seemed so familiar.

Back in February of 1999, shortly after we found out Lisa was pregnant with identical twin girls, a mother and two teenage girls went missing while vacationing in Yosemite. I remember following the story as it was covered regularly in the national news. The three women were staying at the Cedar Lodge at the time of their disappearance. 

Yosemite National Park - Part III (January 2017)

Everyone has seen the pictures of El Capitan, Half Dome, and the many waterfalls plunging thousands of feet to Yosemite Valley, but much like the Grand Canyon and perhaps Crater Lake, nothing can properly prepare you for the majestic beauty unfolding before your own eyes.

The driving was still slow due to snow, ice, and the many curves along our drive. Progress was further slowed by the many cars navigating the same treacherous roadway. It was hard to steal a few views of the landscape with my eyes focused on the ice in front of us, but I managed to quickly match the sights so ingrained in my brain from years of admiring photos of Yosemite. I opened the sunroof to allow my passengers to gaze up past the towering pine trees to the granite walls and waterfalls reaching towards the heavens.

Even though it was cold and windy, the park appeared to have a large number of visitors as every parking spot was taken in the first several pull-offs and lots. Drivers were even blocking the already narrow travel lanes to view the sights and snap their own photographs. I gave Laurel a camera and she was snapping hundreds of pictures from the backseat.