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Erryday is Earth DayGlacier Grey | Torres Del Paine Patagonia, Chile
https://medium.com/@brettcameronsmith/erryday-is-earth-day-e5250dbc40c7#.l3rt52bz7 Have you ever read a book that changed your will to be curious? For me it was, Bill Bryson’s, A Short History of Nearly Everything. It widened my comprehension for how rare life, earth and evolution is. It also inspired me to continue learning through exploring, building off the foundation my parents set for myself and my brother (more so my brother — Bear Grylls of Tahoe). Thanks to my parents, a lot of my childhood was spent fishing, camping and being outdoors in Tahoe and Montana. After returning back to California from college in Kentucky, I decided to take that up a notch. My friends and I have made an effort to compulsively plan backpacking trips throughout the year across Northern California. Yearning to explore beyond, the past year I went as far north as Iceland, Nootka Sound / Vancouver Island and as far South as Patagonia. Kayaking, diving, fishing in wildlife rich oceans and trekking amidst giant calving glaciers. I knew there would be a positive personal gain on the other end of these trips, but I couldn’t grasp how real and at what magnitude. It’s an investment in myself that will hopefully come full circle to benefit our planet through my daily decisions. The more we understand the ecosystem, the more we respect its delicacy. Nootka Sound Fishing in Kayak (Vancouver Island BC, Canada) Earth Day is ErrydayEarth Day is everyday. To cooperate, not compete (as the Natives did). Past generations decisions have caused ‘irreversible’ systemic damage to the longevity of this planet for economical gain. However, there are opportunities left for us to decide the outcome. These are the ‘reversible’ opportunities and we are making optimistic progress to reverse the reversible damages. Its a “moral imperative”. Intelligence is IronicalFor being the most intelligent life on Earth, we are inversely the most unintelligent at the other end of the spectrum. We are selfishly short-sided and often so radically blinded by the belief of a higher being that we lose sight of morality and decisions effecting the now. On a path to self-destruction. No other organism, virus or living being exists to self-destruct. Sorry, that was depressing. There have been incredible efforts to re-spark hope and optimism on the climate front (I’ve included a few examples below). “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” — Stephen Hawking Colonizing other planets is more than a moon shot and I’d be surprised if humanity was able to survive long enough to have that be a viable option. Have you seen The Martian with Matt Damon? It’s like being stuck in Black Rock City wearing a meth cooking suit with no water, no oxygen and 100x the frequency and power of the dust storms. That looks like a real fun Plan B. Plan A sounds much nicer. Raising a healthy family only to grow up hiking along side glacial lakes/rivers, eating fresh trout and looking up at a star filled sky (while you subconsciously breath oxygen). I choose Plan A for myself and for the generations behind us. Let’s do our part. Tangible HopeI’m hoping for a future where we sensibly use technology (bio, energy, etc), intelligence, and empathy to sustain a world full of mutual respect for each other human and the planet. Energy Wise — Global leaders like Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Taylor Wilson, etc. give me more hope. Today it makes financial sense for governments and corporations to migrate to renewable forms of energy. This is due to the fact that we have grid parity (Renewable energy costs are cheaper than those of fossil fuels). Fusion R&D efforts by the 17 year old Reno phenom Taylor Wilson also paint a clearer picture of the future of energy…Yup, I built a Nuclear Reactor — Taylor Wilson Where to start? I would say with curiosity. That will hopefully lead to appreciation, awareness and understanding. The action to make an impact will come where and when it makes sense for you. “When any great moral challenge is ultimately resolved into a binary choice between what is right and what is wrong, the outcome is fore-ordained because of who we are as human beings. Ninety-nine percent of us, that is where we are now and it is why we’re going to win this. We have everything we need. Some still doubt that we have the will to act, but I say the will to act is itself a renewable resource” — Al Gore | Ted Talk, April 2016 Some amazing thought provoking media to enter the weekend
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Thank you everyone who came out and supported, especially on a Monday night! Special thanks to all the contributors for donating their time, printing costs and creative energy to a great cause! Featured contributors: Chris Cook, Heather Kunheim, Behzad Larry, Tim Gatto, Eric Eisher, George Baker, Tom Suiter, Brittany Hedin, Colin Leiker, Emilio Domingo, Andy Suiter, Brett Smith, Scott Suiter, Vince Lindeman, Kevin Prentice, Dean Bradshaw, Dave Siddoway, Sandra Cifo, Fernando Segura and many more... We raised a total of $3,600 (after Salesforce matching), which translates to 60 people getting access to clean water. Let's push this campaign across the line! HERES HOW before the campaign closes out Tuesday Nov 29th! Partners: 1. Salesforce will be matching the amount raised (http://www.salesforce.org/about-us/) 2. Marine Layer has donated Ka Wai branded t shirts for sale at the event (AKA the softest t-shirts on Earth) (https://www.marinelayer.com/) --------------- Background on the collective & future events In the past 5 years, we've been reminded how limited and precious our finite amount of water is to our lives and our world. We have accessible, clean water and don't have to think about attaining it daily. For most of us, our leisure time is spent seeking adventure centered around water (backpacking, skiing, fly fishing, diving, boating, etc) yet we don't stop and think about those that don't even have access clean drinking water. It is a moral imperative and a human right to have access and Charitywater.org is making strides to accomplish that. "633 Million people live without clean water. That’s nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide. Or, twice the population of the United States." -Charitywater.org Fact: Every $66 raised provides clean, drinkable and accessible water to one person in need. What Can You Do to Support? 1. Stop by for a drink, tunes and art created by a collection of friends (ranging from professionals to hobbiests) *All proceeds go to Charitywater.org 2. Donate online to our campaign - https://my.charitywater.org/brett-223/ka-wai-kalifornia-kreators 3. Share this post to extend to your network Featured contributors: Behzad Larry, Tim Gatto, Eric Eisher, George Baker, Tom Suiter, Brittany Hedin, Colin Leiker, Emilio Domingo, Andy Suiter, Brett Smith, Scott Suiter, Vince Lindeman, Kevin Prentice, Dean Bradshaw, Dave Siddoway, Sandra Cifo, Fernando Segura and many more... Event background: Ka Wai. Hawaiian for Water (Fresh and Sea Water). Like life on earth, Hawaii’s lifeblood is centered around water. Salesforce culture is built around Hawaiian culture...Ohana (family). More on the Collective: http://behzadlarry.com/ http://www.tomsuiter.com/ http://www.timgatto.com/ http://www.emiliodomingo.com/ http://buenojugo.com/ http://www.goldenstatephotographic.com/ http://colinleiker.com/ http://www.scottsuiter.com/ http://brettcameronsmith.com/ http://www.vincelindeman.com/       Puerto Arenas > Puerto Natales > Torres Del Paine I arrive at Puerto Natales Hostel Last Hope around 10pm just when Diego was about to close up…Got a key to a room with 4 shared bunks in great shape and nice bathrooms/showers. Diego just opened his business in September and is full every night, until he finishes the expansion on the 2nd floor. Seems like a great business to be in during their summer's high tourism season (not sure about the winter?). Our hostel had a mix of Germans, Japanese, Chileans and a couple Scottish all within the ages of 20-35’ish. The first night I met some folks that had just finished the trail and were headed north to El Calafate (seems like a popular combination to do with Torres Del Paine). Puerto Natales, the gate to Patagonia. Half locals, half backpackers coming and going. Every street has a hostel, outdoor store center, souvenir shop. Great vibe in this town. The night before heading into the park, I grabbed dinner with Paola from the hostel. She is Chilean, but lived in Michigan the last 15 years. She is waiting to get accepted into Doctorate program in the US and is passing the time here being a trek guide in the park. It reminds me of some of the summer/winter jobs in Lake Tahoe. Got some good advice for the trek and then much needed some rest for the 7am bus departure into the park. ___ Arrived at Torres Del Paine and the Camp Torres around 11am. Began hiking up to Camp Chileano about 2000m uphill. Felt like freedom. Finally not on a bus schedule. Waiting for someone. Someone waiting for me to sidetrack and take a photo. Someone to expect something and me to help them get through their missed expectations. Just me. Me and the trail. Well, not just the trail. Hundreds of other hikers from around the world. W Trek is about 50miles, with lots of elevation up/down People I mentioned Diego in the hostel. I am making his website for his new company. Preview here. Paola, who has exciting things ahead. Mattias, Dutch. The others I would meet once I landed in the park and beyond. I met some great people along the trail as you would expect in a place 1,000miles from Antarctica. First there was New Zealand Steve. Then Thomas from Holland. 24 student just finished teaching English in Cordoba, Argentina. Thomas had never camped by himself. Very cool guy. Curious gentleman, but also very wise about the world and what was to come about his walk about this planet. He had a positive outlook about everything and really was excited to learn about everything. We planned our treks and hiked for 2 nights 3 days. It was good to have a consistent conversation that you know was going to be a lasting friendship. One that was mutually beneficial. We both learned about each other's cultures and what was ahead. Offered 3rd party advice to our each next steps based on our own non-biased opinions. Thomas, Holland, 24 Last Meal: "Pancakes w/ Syrup. If no Syrup...then lots of sugar brown..white I don't care. If there is syrup then sugar and butter too." Bengts & Joni, Holland I'll get into their story later. They made most of my trip....a trip. Emma & Lolita - French travelers we shared a day with __________________________________________ CLICK TO VIEW IMAGES IN FULL RESOLUTION The Views Food
Torres Del Paine to Coyhaique
Puerto Natales again. (2) Middle Aged Czechs looking to reboot after 2 weeks of hiking/climbing before the trip back across the world. We arrived late (again) and lucked out on a hostel nearby the main square after a beer and a meal. Whats Next 27 hour bus ride to Coyhaique to volunteer at Workaway.com @ Coyhaique, Patagonia - Tourism/Agriculture/Activity Startup "sustainable development tourism startup that's dedicated to bringing adventure tourists to Coyhaique and providing local children with leadership, teamwork, sports and outdoor activities. We're partnered with a beautiful fishing lodge, where our headquarters are located." *Caution - lots of selfie's when traveling alone* I arrived in Santiago @ 3:50am and to Darren’s 9th story apartment by 5am. I woke up to fresh squeezed juice and a steaming cup of Brazilian coffee. What a way to start the trip. Darren, Manuela and I took a Sunday stroll tasting Pisco Sour, gnawing on divine Pulpo and then washed it all down with an Austral (cerveza de Patagonia) as we watched NFL playoffs. Santaigo is a very European looking city. Clean. Modern architecture. One of the below photos is the line for a skin cancer screening. Valuable free public service they offered for their citizens given the UV intensity in Chile.     A minor 'shake' accompanied our dinner one night while we enjoyed crab empanadas and Sauv B. As we ate on the balcony, we each thought we were twitching our leg on the table. Turns out the table next to us thought we were twitching their table too. A casual laugh followed, then back to enjoying the empanada's. In Chile, earthquakes happen frequently and aren't called 'earthquakes' unless they cross the 7.0 richter scale. If under, they are called 'shakes'. Darren and Manuela were fantastic hosts! In the limited time we had together, they taught me a lot about the Chilean/Brazilian culture, cuisine, customs, Samba and must know Chilean slang, cachai. The most impressive thing was hearing about Darren’s career in renewable energy in LatAm. A lot of exciting projects ahead for him here. Very motivating to see the niche he carved for himself in the LatAm market and industry.     Darren arranged for a ride with his neighbor, Felipe, who has his own transportation company. We had a mutually beneficial conversation on the way to the airport talking about fishing and Punta Arenas. Sky Airline was very nice, despite the playground in the isle^^^^ I shared a cab from the airport to the Punta Arenas center with Estevan and his friend. They were looking forward to seeing whales and penguins in Punta Arenas.   I need a haircut Long overdue post, but consistent wifi has been tough. Here is the tentative travel. Costa Rica, Dominical Beach January 15-23 Santiago, Chile January 23-26 Santiago > Punta Arenas January 27 3:35pm Arrive Punta Arenas > Punta Natales (Torres del Paine entrance) January 28 Torres Del Paine “W” & “O” Circuit Exit Feb 6th Workaway.com @ Coyhaique, Patagonia - Tourism/Agriculture/Activity Startup "sustainable development tourism startup that's dedicated to bringing adventure tourists to Coyhaique and providing local children with leadership, teamwork, sports and outdoor activities. We're partnered with a beautiful fishing lodge, where our headquarters are located." I’m finishing this in Santiago, Chile from my good friend Darren Hammond’s 9th story apartment. More on Santiago later. Back to Costa Rica. Our Group - 2 weeks ago, 6 people had never shared a moment in a single room together. Saturday, we each part ways, traveling 6,900 miles in exactly opposite directions of the world. After building such tight bonds 24 hours a day for 7 days then going ‘cold turkey’, its a tough feeling. Major withdrawls. Trips like these really build a good relationship into a great, long term one. We organized the trip to a 5,000 sqft house in the Domincalito Hills late in December. From the first airport drinks, I knew we had a cohesive group! It reminded me of the 2007 Europe trip, 2013 Colombia trip (photos here) and the 2014 Croatia trip (photos here). Those groups were comprised of my childhood friends, college friends and some of their friend's. We emerged out of those as very close friends. Exploring together, growing together and looking after eachother. Things pick right back up whenever these groups get back together and this group will be no different when we have a reunion back in SF to eat Empanadas and drink Ron Colas. A typical day Planned activity (hike/beach/zipline/snorkel/scuba) then return to watch the sunset at our house, listen to music, make drinks and cook a family meal. One night, we opted to watch the sunset at Playa Tortuga (more on that beach below).  Croatia Yacht Week | Corinne Pinjuv, Dave Erb, Grahame Skytte, Alicia Naylor, Ryan Pinjuv, Justine Cade  Colombia y Panama 2013 | Tom Flynn, Matt Gosnel, Dr Josh Bently, Caroline Winebrenner, Meghan Fanclar, Christian Aranda          Costa Rica - Dominical (South Pacific) In recent years, Costa Rica’s tourism industry has grown to around $2.6B annually up ~9% from 2013. 67.5% of international arrivals came from North American countries, followed by Europe at 16.5% and South America at 6.9%. Their steady surf, remote beaches, scuba/snorkeling, jungle activities, wildlife and world renown fishing are amongst the main attractions. The Costa Rican’s personality is as welcoming as their untouched beaches. This place defies most stereotypes of tropical places with stubborn locals treating tourists negatively. Here, they welcome you with open arms. Practice their English, while you practice your Spanish. Beaches - We recommend beach hopping and discover the many untouched beaches without agenda... Playa Dominical - street vendors line are the last defense to the active beach ahead. Certainly the most active and a launch pad for activities around Domincal and Uvita. We decided to just drive and pull of on smaller beaches heading south toward Uvita and found our favorite after a couple, Playa Tortuga. Playa Tortuga - Not for its surf - but for its untouched sands, fresh coconuts and shallow water lounge for sunset watching (or photo shoots ;). I would later meet the paraglider in the airport bar after they saw me editing photos and recognized their parachute. Nice pair of paragliding pilots! Here is a gallery, click to expand to full screen ----- The Costa Rican people - The Costa Rican’s personality is as welcoming as their empty beaches. Them and Colombians have to be the most friendly foreigner's I’ve ever met in their home country. This excites me for the rest of this journey through South America. One of my closest buddies, Matt Gosnell, said it best “…This is very exciting. The world is your oyster. Take it a day at a time, meet as many people as you can, and don’t be inhibited. As you know people in LatAm are incredibly inviting and will have you in their home. Put yourself out there as much as possible. Skype with me along the way, its going to be one hell of a journey...” Matt received his International Relations Masters in Bogota, Colombia and was the lynchpin to the 2013 Colombia trip. There is no fear of too much tourism and it doesn’t alter their approach to interactions with visitors. They thrive off it in order to welcome us, educate us on their culture and learn from us as well. Their children are some of the most joyful, playful and curious as well. I'm not sure why the average age is one of the lowest in the world (maybe Baby Boomer generation). You always get your mix of tourists. Those who take…and then those who give twice as a way of showing thank you for being a part of the land/experience and their culture. In Los Suenos you have about 90% takers. In Dominical, and the smaller towns you have a majority of givers (from what we saw). One example of this: Our group was conscious of the caretakers of our house (Jose his wife and their two daughters). The past renters of Mar y Luna would wake them up at 1am if they needed something. One of the perks of the Mar y Luna is that for a small amount of $, you can have a home cooked local meal prepared by Jose and his wife. We decided to invite them over as their 6 and 9 year old daughters for dinner and post dinner games. It was apparent to us (and Jose confirmed) that no other guests had invited the caretakers over to join them for dinner. It was very apparent they enjoyed the invite as you will see from the photos. Dice games, El Wire jump roping, shake faces and gifts to end the evening. The power went out later that night and Jose was able to use the new headlamp I gave him. After dinner they gave us a tour of their home. Quality of Life - Pura Vida- In Costa Rica it is "live to work" vs "work to live". The ongoing question of balance. [another entry will be dedicated to just this and will have a few stories from these folks we met]. Pura Vida is on buildings and spoken in every casual greeting. Literal meaning is “Pure Life” or slang for “Everything’s cool". Other Travelers - Meeting others along your trip and keep in touch usually is everyone’s secret passion for traveling. If people from 2 sides of the world find themselves at a small beach in a foreign country because they’ve done their research and they value travel…..well they are bound to have a mutual respect for one another. From there its curiosity and learning of eachothers cultures. Language barrier aside, each party is usually as curious and motivated to bridge that gap. It never impedes on the success of the interaction and long term contact. Whats next? The solo journey has begun and will be certainly more challenging, but more rewarding and self-building in the end. It is the isolation from the routine I need in this introspective transition. I’ve got a mix of planned and unplanned itinerary starting in Santiago with my good friend Darren Hammond, then make my way to southern Chile to Patagonia (Torres Del Paine). I hope to get some quality time fly-fishing, taking photos and meeting other travelers. “You do not grow on a secure path. All of us should conquer something in life. It needs a lot of work, it needs a lot of risk. To grow and improve you need to be there at the edge of uncertainty.” -? Also a side note. I created a calendar for some family members over the holidays and others expressed interest to purchase. I've included the purchase information on the About page. Ciao   Kayaking & Jigging | Nootka Sound | Vancouver Island, BC |         Preface I want to preface the first volume of my blog by explaining why I’m doing it. Coming back from 3 weeks off from work, my mind is clearer than it’s ever been. That’s a naturally euphoric feeling. These are my thoughts, so take them with a grain of sea salt. What is the goal of this blog? To be short, it’s to have the faintest hope that reading this might open the minds of those who don’t take time to travel, to be uncomfortable, to get out of their element, to open themselves up to other cultures, values, or morals. It’s the hope to inspire you to take a trip and experience for yourself that indescribable feeling that I get when I travel. Traveling leads to experiencing places on this beautiful, sensitive ecosystem of earth. Experience personalities, cultures and lifestyles you never knew were there. And experience a part of yourself you never knew existed until you packed your pack and took a journey. I’ve been lucky to have shared trips around the world with my closest friends and family. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch _______________ Nootka Sound - 50th parallel north | Chapter 1 | Once ruled by the Nuu-chah-nulth Natives, this harsh yet bountiful sea and land were the center of the world for 20 years around 1774 during the Maritime Fur Trade. Today…it was the center of my world. The center of my mind reset before starting the next career chapter in my life. (Blue Jeans Network -> Wizeline). World-renowned Salmon, Halibut and Lingcod fishing with frequent encounters with whales, dolphins, seals, bald eagles diving for fish, otters and friendly Canadians, even some natives. Walking the shores, there is an abundance of seaweed, oysters, clams and mussels if you indulge. Lots to live off the land here. That's probably why they filmed the new History Channel show Alone 40km north of where our campsite was. What makes that show interesting are the harsh conditions of the region. There's an exorbitant amount of mosquitoes, wolves, bears and cougars — one of the highest concentrations in the world, home to 1/4 of cougar-on-human attacks in North America. Out there, we are not at the top of the food chain. Arriving back in San Francisco into full service (@Joey), I immediately got the feeling that I was on the grid and behind for some reason. So, "like a mosquito buzzing around a nudist camp, I have a lot to do"… But do I?* Spending a lot of time with your best friend, new friends and alone, you dig into your thoughts. You look back at where you have come from, you look forward at what challenges are next. More importantly, you look at the now. Nature forces that on you because of its beauty. Many times I tried to capture the moment and just ended up putting my camera(s) down, taking it in for my own mind to experience. One moment in particular sticks out in my mind. Paddling back after that sunset kayak, nite-bite jigging, the sun dropped fast. The waters were glass reflecting the faint mirror of the glowing sky. Riley and I had to make it back to camp given the moon was a sliver and we had minimal light, but time didn't exist. A long segment of paddle rhythm later, I looked up to find the Milky Way emerging across the sky accompanied by all the other pulsating stars. I stopped paddling, leaned back and stared up for some time to soak it in. When I returned to paddling I noticed the V-shaped wake from my canoe was glowing phosphorescent blue. Every paddle caused a blue hurricane swirl of phosphorus phytoplankton to beam, slowly dimming as my kayak passed by the thousands of glowing friends beneath me. I was passing by their space and it was as if they were just all waving hello in the form of an enchanted pulse of light. Almost as if it was a reflection of the night sky above. “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” ― Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything It’s moments like that, when you begin to look inside and appreciate those things you have around you and those things close to you at home (friends and family). You marvel at the beauty of this planet, Mother Nature and all of its creatures (including us). You also realize how small and insignificant we all are in the scheme of things. How fragile Mother Nature really is. So please, pack a bag of the basics, and hit the road. Alone or with someone. Make sure that someone is the type of person you can sit with in complete silence and not have that silence evoke feelings of obligation or awkwardness. Someone who can roll with all that can go awry during the journey. That is a true friend...and a great travel companion. Nothing is ever going to happen according to plan, but its how you both deal with those events (similar to events in life). I view those events as positive regardless of what goes wrong. It strengthens the friendship, makes the path more uncertain and morphs wandering into the journey. At the end of the journey you will be a better person. ________________ *Sources:
Special thanks to Riley, Dafni my new Canadian friends (Capt Ron, Helen, Greg, Ed)  |
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