Monthly Archives: September 2021

Inn Way to the Yorkshire Dales

To Popa on his 100th Birthday

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Lex Nason in Vermont reading a birthday greeting today, his 100th birthday.

My mom’s dad turned 100 today. I want to give him a shout-out here because, along with both my parents, Popa had no small part in turning me into an outdoors-loving, adventure-loving person. No coincidence I just happen to be departing in the morning on a 6-day trek around the Yorkshire Dales!

Popa was, among other things, a wooden canoe builder. (Other things included his day job as a continent-hopping geologist, and in his retirement, a volunteer restorer of the paddlewheel steamboat Ticonderoga and supermodel for a garden supply company.)

You could sell me anything.

I have fond memories of hiking with Pop up Mount Wantastiquet overlooking Brattleboro, Vermont, or paddling down the Connecticut River in one of his canoes. On one of our adventures circa 1985 I gave him a minute-by-minute recounting of the plot of Back to the Future. It’s crazy to think that the +/- 30 year jumps back to 1955 or forward to 2015 don’t even begin to cover my grandfather’s experience on this green and blue planet. Who needs a DeLorean with a flux capacitor when you’ve got a Volvo and above-average health?

As Seth and I set out hiking in Grassington tomorrow morning, I’ll try to imagine what life might be like in the year 2075, and whether in the meantime I might have a chance to inspire someone’s lifetime love for the great outdoors. Happy 100th, Popa. This hike’s for you. ❤️

Inn Way to the Yorkshire Dales

My Triumphant Return

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If all goes well, I’ll be on a plane to London end of next week. I’ll visit dear friends in Cornwall, do a short test hike along the South West Coast Path, visit London (West End and more dear friends), and head up to Yorkshire for yet more more dear friends and the main event: a 6-day, 26 pub, 76 mile, pub-to-pub loop hike through the Yorkshire Dales.

I included Jessica in the photo just because I know it’ll get me more readers. Maybe I can photoshop her into the entire trip? But sadly, she’ll not be joining me on this excursion. We’ve completely failed to synchronize our retirements, and she’s just too important to spare back home. Not to mention, she’s neither fond of beer nor climbing through dales. More for the rest of us?

In other news, here’s a test link to a random VR180 YouTube video just to see what happens. Try it out in your VR headset if you have one! For no particular reason… 😏  [Note: Oculus Quest users will want to launch the YouTube VR app, click on the magnifying glass then the microphone, and say the name of the video to find it on there! That seems to be the only way to get the true VR180 3D experience.  Just watching in the browser, even in full-screen VR180 mode, looks like crap!]

Okay.  So I’m vaccinated, have 3 COVID tests (before/during/after) arranged, and plenty of KN95 masks packed. Now fingers crossed UK doesn’t change their travel rules before I get there!  🤞😬