As promised, photos of our adventure to the abandoned air force base on Mount Laguna.
Archive for the ‘Outdoor Adventures’ Category
20
Sep
A Grand Day Out
I’ve often found that Adventure is where you find it. The LGA proved that in spades a few weekends ago when we went in search of a tiki-related event ostensibly taking place in a part of San Diego called Shelter Island. Shelter Island is a man-made peninsula consisting largely of hotels, piers and seafood restaurants. Although we didn’t know much about this tiki-centric celebration beyond its rumored existence, with Shelter Island measuring just over half-a-square-mile in area, we were confident (overconfident as we would find out) of our ability to find it.
As we promised during our podcast about the trip to the Mt Laguna Air Force Base, here’s an aerial photo of the area we were in. We came up along the road next to the Enlisted Quarters and explored the buildings along that main road up to somewhere around the Dining Hall. Appropriately enough, that’s where we stopped and had our amazing lunch that our Chief Epicurian, Gentleman Lee, so kindly prepared for us. Having now seen this overhead map, it would appear we missed several of the buildings and may need to go back out to properly explore the remaining sites.
http://wikimapia.org/5329703/Mount-Laguna-AFS-site
I have realized that this has been the most civilized method of backpacking I had ever engaged in. It was still a true outdoor adventure; I covered 41 miles of the County Kerry’s Dingle Way on foot over the course of three days, from Dingle town to Cloghane, over hills, across fields, along beaches, and between brambly hedgerows, in fair weather and foul. On my first day I was completely soaked by a downpour, trudging through muddy bogs that, more than once, almost stole a boot from me.
I’ve done a bit of hiking, backpacking, and camping around the States, and, after this trip, I have realized what all of my previous expeditions were lacking: Pubs. Unlike in the wild backcountry that’s on the doorstep of so many major American cities, in Ireland, you’re rarely ever more than a day’s walk from a village with a public house in it, and in that pub you’ll find a hot meal and a cold pint of Guinness – something that’s hard to come by on the Pacific Crest Trail. The village will also provide a real bed and a warm stove to dry your soggy boots by.
I also want to make a brief mention of the great value on such a hike of a small flask of fortifying spirits. I brought with me a flask of Powers Irish Whiskey, and I have to say that it proved invaluable when the weather was cold, damp, and blustery, and I still had six miles to go. A sip or two is all that’s necessary – probably not even a full shot’s worth, certainly not enough to feel the slightest intoxication. But a small drop of the pure (The Rocky Road To Dublin, q.v.) is just the thing to warm you up a bit, make your feet hurt a little less, and make whatever endeavor you’re about to undertake seem like just a little bit better of an idea.
Wherein the Gents discuss their recent expedition to the abandoned Mount Laguna Airforce station, and how cocktails were made, and how Mr. Lee prepared a version of military food that is fit for gentlemanly consumption. Also, in this meeting, two new Gents are welcomed to the podcast.
On the Agenda:
- Opening Toast, by Gregory
- Open Discussion on the subject of The Expedition to Mt. Laguna Air Force Station.
- Closing Toast, lead by Lee
