Work Life Thoeries

Every Sunday, I turn introspective. Don't want to get into "whether it's for the good or bad" discussion but this is a mere remark.

As I was wrapping up some mundane tasks, { office/home/life }, a thought struck me. An individual's work can be put into three different buckets:

schedule:

The task at hand might be simple enough to execute, but circumstances change. Given a screw-driver you can effortlessly un-screw a nut, but think about doing that in outer space with limited time left on your oxygen supply from the space suit. Now you are challenged ! Our actions are susceptible to error, heart-beats soar and we end up making some fundamental mistakes. 

pressure:

we may have ample time to do something with all the resources at our disposal, but if our every move is watched, every step is publicly discussed we immediately feel the pressure. An over-ambitious boss, urgency to deliver and deliver right gets us a stage-fright-attack.

responsibility:

When we sit on the decision-maker's chair, the power is in our hands. One sentence, could change the fate of the team/company/industry, affect several co-workers make/mar the organization from a long-term perspective. 

So, which factor do you deal with the most ?

Tillamook Head Traverse Hike

Remember how I described all my previous trails being muddy and a little slushy ? Well, guess what, I was clearly ignorant. A novice hiker so to say. This particular trail was all about the mud and the distance.

I was driving to this one. So all senses were on high alert from the word go. Driving west on US-26 is a pleasure. And if good weather were to accompany, nothing like it ! It took us about 85 mins to get to Tillamook Head Trailhead in Seaside. A beautiful house faced a not so full parking lot. Alas ! no restrooms. The next 25 minutes were spent in finding a public restroom in a near ghost town and then we began our modest hike.

The trail goes through dense forest with fresh greenery. It had rained a while ago and things were nature-fresh ! Our finger tips reminded us that the temperature was slightly on the lower side, but the ascent compensated it. Belonging to the less confident hiker class, we watched our every step, protecting us and the shoes. At times, your feet would easily dive 2 inches inside the mud. Pieces of wood were a double edged sword, useful but slippery. At certain locations, you could easily spot a small detour trail created by fellow hikers that avoided the original muddy trail.

All of a sudden technique became important. Trust thy step and don't be afraid of the mud were my new slogans. At times, one would need to run/jog, the foot landing with the toe pointing inwards pushing the mud behind you. If you slow down, the foot starts sinking. Too fast and you may not be best prepared for the next step. Support on some bushes and plants came with thorns. Hard solid wood was the best bet, but not as easy to find.

The trail climbed a modest 1350 ft to reach the highest point. Pacific waves dashing the rocky terrain hundreds of feet below was nothing short of amazing. Water always calms me down, it's a relaxant ! Walking further, we became a little unsure of the trail. When will we see the Hiker's camp ? Where are the bunkers ? Is there an Indian beach trail  head on the other side ? Walking another 1-2 miles was the only solution.

We met fellow hikers at the camp which had wooden enclosures to spend the night. They gave us a copy of the trail map and things were now clear.

The trail was about 5.5 miles from the Tillamook trail head to the Indian Beach trail head. And you gain and descend 1350 feet in one direction. Yippee ! it was going to be my longest hike so far. Descending about 1.4 miles we reached the windy Indian beach trail head. The ocean was beautiful. It was not an ideal day at the beach. Apart from a few surfers we were the only ones there that day.

After filling our stomach and re-hydrating the body, we began our return journey at around 230pm. We had started the hike at 10.30am. Yes, we are slow and take too many pictures ! The return path however seemed quite easy to begin. All the while i was thinking about what added to the difficulty initially ? It was surely the unstable ground below me. But after about 4 miles, my knees began to do some weird things. They were refusing to co-operate for the last mile. I tried stretching a little, took a few breaks and earned the 'slowest member of the group' title. I had to drive back, so let me take it a little easy i thought.

We came to the car at 5pm. A banana awaited us. We were all tired, drained, our bodies sore. The hike strengthened my confidence in me. I realized proper shoes are what i need to ease things on my knees. After the hike, my agenda for the next week is to buy a pair of nice hiking shoes.

Hamilton Mountain Hike, Washington

This was a pretty awesome hike to begin with. Why ? Because this was going to be the longest i've ever walked. It was a 7.5 mile loop, of which the first 3.2 miles gained 2100 ft to the summit of Hamilton Mountain. [2438 ft].

It all began with a screeching alarm breaking my Sunday morning sleep. I could barely get "hmmms" and "ahmmms" answering my friend's phone call. I'll get ready dude, but just let me sleep for now ! My body probably already burnt 200 calories trying to get out of bed. And then there was this hike.

The drive to Beacon State Park was a mere 1.5 hours. It is in Washington state on the other side of the Columbia river.  The views were going to be the same as Angel's Rest i thought. Columbia river, greenery and some snowy mountain tops. After paying the $10 parking fee, we began climbing at 10am.

The trail greeted us with a steady climb. Felt like i was on a treadmill. Just that the view was way better in comparison. Twisting and climbing, the trail cut through the forest as the Columbia river kept appearing intermittently. At about 0.6 miles, we reach the soothing Hardy Falls. The marshy climb down to the falls was a bit on the rough side. It was slippery and collected enough sticky mud on the shoes. Wiping it off we continued,   this was going to be a long trail.

The trail has a fork at about a mile, where we chose to travel the "more difficult" route to the summit. It turned out to be a very good choice for the awesome views ! Yes, i didn't get fed up of the Columbia river at all ! As we climbed, the view became more breath-taking by the minute. It was so much fun i thought ! Bright sunshine shimmering on the waters of the Columbia, gushing waters of the Bonneville Dam, tall robust cliffs and the greenery ! What a beauty :)

Several short breaks and 3 hours later we reached the summit. Mt. Adams immediately caught my eye. A flat, wide snowy incline, it almost resembled a piece of chocolate. Table mountain was soaring a couple thousand feet above us. To the right, was the same view we had been seeing all along the trail. But just that on this occasion, they seemed better than ever. Sweet smell of sweat and the feeling of climbing a mountain (however small/short it may be) added to the glory of the scenery before us.

A couple granola bars and water sips later, we began the descent. And mind you, this for me, was the hardest part of the journey. Since this was a loop, the return path was supposed to be different. It was stony, stony and just more stony. Several stones of different shapes and sizes constantly jerked the knees and shin as we tried to control our downward pace. About an hour later we joined in with the original trail. This time we took a small diversion to see the 'Pool of the Winds'. A ton of water, constantly falling 50 feet, in a rocky room with open doors, created a rainbow, gushing sound and a spectacular scene. A mere presence at the sight can recharge a person. After all, what better than nature can heal us ?

Overall an awesome hike. The scenic views and short enough drive time make this a must visit for anyone in Portland, Oregon.

Hiking: Mirror Lake Trail, Mt Hood

Alright, so this one was completely unplanned, undecided and the best so far ! Mirror Lake boasts the reflection of Oregon's highest peak, Mt Hood. The trial is barely a 3 mile journey with a modest elevation of 780 feet. Not much,i thought. The highest point of the trail is at 4100 feet from where you can see Mt Hood and enjoy the serene waters of Mirror Lake.

But, since we came here in late April, everything was covered with snow. Pardon me, ice ! The trail was slippery and at times too narrow for comfort !

Armed with wooden sticks and a hesitant attitude we survived the first half a mile or so. But then the trail seemed to disappear ! We couldn't figure out a way to proceed until a fellow Taiwanese hiker pointed us to the right way. He was of course carrying a GPS, hiking poles, wearing cramp ons and a backpack filled with stuff for survival. And yes, we were as usual half as prepared.

The key to walking on such a surface was to follow the footsteps of previous hikers, avoid glossy surfaces and take one step at a time. Some paths were so narrow, walking a couple of feet took ages. The climb probably lasted an hour and we reached the Mirror Lake to find it completely frozen ! The view was comforting and nothing short of breathless !

Walking on the lake was a bit scary. It didnt seem like a designated trail. As we walked and created footprints, the bluish ice sent chills down the spine ! A photo session later we began the descend. It was tricky and we took some time at specific points.

The feeling upon reaching back was a mixed bag of satisfaction and hunger {for food!}.

Hiking: Angel's Rest, Columbia Gorge

Well, i know we had decided to get up early in the morning and go for hikes. That resolution went down the drain a little too soon ! Never mind, i'll make another one :).

So this was a fine saturday afternoon and we decided to hike the Angel's Rest near Multnomah Falls at the very scenic Columbia Gorge. The drive is as beautiful as the destination once you leave behind the city traffic. Speed limits increase, winds get a little chilly and the beautiful Mt. Hood is a pleasure to the eyes. The hike is listed as "moderate" with a 2.3 mile climb to an elevation of 1450 feet. Of course the downward 2.3 mile journey is pretty easy.

The journey began after we found a rather "off the road" parking spot. Yes, the place was filled with people and their dogs. The trail was muddy, soggy and slightly slippery. As usual, tall green trees filtered the sunshine creating a nice ambiance. A beautiful waterfall added rhythm to our initial ascent. The climb simulated a cardio session that was interspersed with breaks for water.

After about 50 to 60 minutes, the trail is full of stones and grassy bushes. The view of the Columbia river is simply put "majestic".

I saw a couple of people just hanging out here and thought this to be the end of the climb. But upon asking realized that there were a few more steps to go. Marching forward i couldn't really figure out where this trail is going to end. There were rocks of all shapes and sizes blocking the view ahead. Only after a pretty lady told me that a few more steps would lead to a better view did i take the effort to do so !!

And she was so true. The entire stretch of the Columbia Gorge was now before me. On the other side of the river were snowy mountains and grassy plateaus. Time spent up there was totally worth it ! After the usual photo session, granola bar chewing ceremony and some sips of water, we began the descent. In about 45 mins we were back to our car.

Since Multnomah Falls and the Vista View Point were within driving distance, we had to visit them. Multnomah was charming as ever but with plenty more water as commented by an experienced fellow visitor. The sunset at Vista Point got the day to a logical conclusion. Nature's Bliss !

Hiking: Drift Creek Falls, Oregon

It was a sunny Sunday and the plan was to start asap, i.e. the 8am goal stretched itself to 9.30am. The drive was a bit too long, but then since i was a mere passenger, the irritation was some what reduced. But still. Couldn't wait to reach this place.

The hike was about 3 miles. Ya, what a joke ! i thought so too ! But then it was a good one to begin the season. Tall trees, dense greenery and a muddy trail. Lucky it was not my car that would have to bear all these mud stains later ! The trail alternates between descending and being flat. Several small bridges help us cross the little stream. The typical moss growing on trees reminded me of an alien planet from some movie i had seen. Well i see so many crappy movies that my mind plays these tricks quite easily !

The trail culminates in a long suspension bridge that overlooks the "Drift Creek Falls". Those rocks were strong and mean contrasting the sympathetic greenery. From the bridge the trail goes downward to the very base of the falls. A couple with a couple of kids and about 4 (was it 4 or 5 ?) dogs gave us company at the cold water banks. We ate some granola bars hoping that the dogs wouldn't pounce for it ! But they were quite well behaved.

If the trail takes you down, you hike back up. The return path was a steady climb. Not too tiring and the slew of people walking kept us company. A slight detour on a trail called the "Northern Loop" helped burn some extra calories.

All in all, nice !

Blog-Journey begins

A hello to myself, and everyone else who stumbles upon this piece of text that I send out to cyberspace. Its midnight and I maybe a little hung over. No I'm not drunk, I never am, but the point is I question myself, "why I started this blog after so much time ?". I should have probably done this a while ago. But its better late than never. I knew this phrase was expected. How typical ! Never mind, I'll try to write something better next time. A baseless assurance, I am warning :)