Malibu and Rabbit Creek.

They're both creek areas, and I visited them.

First, the Malibu Creek Portion:   July 18-27

As expected it sits in the Wilderness Area outside of Malibu, California.  I coaxed my brother Todd into joining us for a few days of beach/canyon camping along the Pacific Coast Highway near his home in Eagle Rock. 

The hiking is quite different and spectacular.  I only wish that I had a mountain bike as this is a mecca for those activities.  We walked the trails surrounding the canyon during the day when we weren't lounging at the beach along the Pacific ocean.  The water was too cold for most but not me.  I will admit that the sea lions were much more comfortable in that frigid water than humans sans wetsuits.  But it still felt incredible after walking these desert hills.

After a couple of days there we returned to Marina Del Ray for our usual bout of sport fishing in which I beat my brother (standing sheepishly in the background) resoundingly by capturing the boat record ling cod for the day.  This five pounder actually was eating the little fish that my sardine had caught.  So I brought three fish on board with that drag.  Soon afterwards, Todd was forced into a time out in the Women's restroom behind me until he could earn his keep on the boat later.

But I eventually let him out to enjoy some more ocean time.

Los Angeles is never dull and Todd is a great tour guide.  That trip involved motorcycle riding, a free Greg Allman concert outside in downtown, culinary treats beyond compare, hiking, jogging, a visit to the Peterson Auto Museum and much, much more.

Part 2:  Rabbit Creek  8/03/14

Will Howe and R Bobby joined us at cs #14, one of my personal favs.  Will was fresh off a summit of Mt. Whitney and completion of the Tahoe Rim trail.  He is good on those rim jobs, and so is Ricky Bobby who is headed out West himself within a week for the Wind River Range.  All in all the SouthernHighlander Contingency has made quite an impressive showing in the Western lands this summer.  With Will and Jenny's two month trips to my Colorado and California excursions to Slapnuts present go on the Colorado Trail.  He embarked last week upon a 500 mile trek across the state to make some high passes and big desert swoops.  This will be his first experience with altitude and I'm sure he will be fine.  We are an adventurous group that loves to walk across public lands since we pay dearly for them in taxes.

It was a delightful and restful trip last weekend as we caught up on our respective journeys.  Will had quite a few stories from his jaunt as I'm sure Bobby and Slap will discover themselves soon enough.

On another note, my friend (well, we are sort of friends.  He and I have corresponded over the years with regard to climbs etc.  Alan actually cautioned me about using the services of Field Touring on my Broad Peak trip and his words were quite prophetic.)  Alan Arnette is a mountaineer who climbs for a great cause, Alzheimer's research.  After losing his Mom and two aunts to the disease, he devoted all of his expeditions to raising awareness and money.   Last week, on his 58th birthday, nonetheless, he summited the second highest and second hardest 8000 meter mountain on earth, the elusive K2.  His climb is remarkable on many levels, especially considering his age (he may have just become the oldest person to ascend that peak) and climbing resume.  Alan is a fully guided climber who took three attempts to successfully summit Everest.  His Broad Peak attempt was much like mine, minus the tragic loss of teammates.  I have donated to his cause and suggest you take a look at what he has done and is doing.  Alzheimer's research is a great cause to get behind because as Alan says, "Memories are Everything".   Here is a link to his recent summit blog, it is a great read.  You may also donate on that page.  http://www.alanarnette.com/index.php

And finally, you didn't think I was going to let you get away without a Fee Fighting Update, did you?   Myers crafted the most beautiful response to the Government asking them to vacate the fee a couple of weeks ago.  If you haven't taken the time to read this, you are denying yourself the privilege of witnessing what your efforts have produced.  I can say it is a darn well crafted argument that articulates why all of us are standing up to the feds.  You owe it to yourself to read this response.  It is something that is going to get this fee gone in some way, shape or form.  I am very proud of Myers diligence.  And I am proud of those of you who read these weekly Hikumentaries.  I feel as if the Fee fight is nearing some sort of concluding point, one way or another and to be quite honest, I am anxiously anticipating that time.

It has been an undertaking that usurps all the mountaineering/hiking/climbing trips I've ever taken combined.  Myers and I have worked daily on some facet of this thing since we joined forced in 2011.  Gregg Bostick got us to the official non profit level a couple of weeks ago so we(the Southern Forest Watch, not this site, the SouthernHighlanders) are an official 501 c 3 tax exempt organization.  I feel the need to differentiate the two entities.  Although the ranks of SFW were birthed here, the Highlanders are not a non profit group.  We are outlaw hikers to the core.  It is a group of Smokies lovers from all over the country that have given it back to the NPS and their sycophants.  When the park sends folks to the internet it attempts to discredit the cause, you know we are striking nerves to the very core of a corrupt agency.  I am not denigrating the boots on the ground in the NPS.  Many are fine folks.  But many of the upper echelon people are corrupt, as is the case in many large organizations.  An example is how they used Melissa Cobern to bring her fee implementation to the Smokies, then promoted her to a superintendent position out West.  As a matter of fact, all the players in the Smokies fee are now gone.   They have no roots here, just like the select few carpetbaggers that came to the Smokies to make money off these mountains and promote the fee.  There is little difference between those folks like the concessionaires and guide services and the people who came to the South during Reconstruction.  Many are vultures who see the Smokies as a cash cow.  There is one particular poster who gets paid as a Smokies employee and puts down the SFW on company time.  I suppose the NPS encourages that kind of goldbricking when it suits their cause. 

Again, I thank everyone for their donations and diligence to this cause.  There will be other issues that require  SFW attention in the future and we built the charter to accommodate future oversight of public land managers.  If nothing else, they will know that YOU are a force with which to be dealt next time someone tries to ram some tax or ignore user input with regard to public lands management.  Continue to follow daily events with SFW on our blog, here:  http://gotsmokies.ning.com/    You can also check out our website and Facebook/twitter links here:  http://www.southernforestwatch.org