Places

All aspects of trip preparation and planning. Wondering thorough Europe. Biking and Hiking.Sights and sounds. Travel journal.

Sunday, May 28 – Relax to Unknown Pond

2017/06/07
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Modified: 2017/07/07
05-28 13;17 Through a beaver pond

This was the only sunny and even hot day of this trip. Wake up at 7AM.  As today will be rain-free, I will put on old boots and leave new boots to dry out on sticks all day in the camp. Large new back pack all this time just having a vacation in the tent.  No action for new backpack, but old small day backpack everyday see food, water, dry socks and photo-camera with fresh battery loaded.  Today, additionally I am loading all the tools – this is the first load that destined to go back to the car permanently. 07:35 – 07:49 – I am building a bridge that will…

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02 Trip to Austria and Italy – August 13-14 – First Steps in Wien

2017/06/04
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Modified: 2017/04/30
02 Trip to Austria and Italy – August 13-14 – First Steps in Wien

Wednesday, August 13 – Flight to Vienna and Our First Steps On Wednesday, August 13 we took taxi to airport (about $53) and we are on the plane to Delta hub – Atlanta (3 hour flight).  Then, we flew from Atlanta over Boston, over Canada, over Greenland, through Iceland to continental Europe and to Vienna (9 hour flight).  By 10 in the morning on Thursday, August 14 we are in Vienna Airport. Vienna Walks Thursday, August 14 – Wien Lira discovered that there are two train options to go from the airport to the city.  We took a slower version for 3.40€.  There is also a 16 minute direct CAT train…

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01 European Trip 2008 to Austria and Italy – Preparations

2017/05/31
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Modified: 2017/04/30
01 European Trip 2008 to Austria and Italy – Preparations

Some time in July 2008 we narrowed down myriad of travel choices to Vienna (Wien in German). Vienna Walks - Salzburg - Linz - Cortina'd Ampezzio - Molveno - Verona -Padua - Venezia - Vienna

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Saturday, May 27 – Visibly Invisible Trail (Hunters Pass) to Ice Gulch

2017/05/27
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Modified: 2017/07/17
05-27 12;17 Not a porcelain

07:20 wake up and put on dry socks and dry boots. Second breakfast of fallen birches – cantaloupe from Walmart cut by machete. 08:55 depart of an “excursion” number 2.  I did not even take paper map with me – there is everything on iPhone GPS topo maps. Today’s trip is much more interesting because every step is a discovery.   09:45 Get lost in beaver ponds.  No wonder my feet are wet.  Mt. Crescent (most likely) is visible on the background. 09:46 Somewhere here used to be a path or even a road       10:30 Something like a former road visible. Take a little break.  Instead of going…

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Friday, May 26 – Remarkably Unremarkable Bunnell Notch Tr. to Mt. Cabot

2017/05/23
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Modified: 2017/07/11
05-26 York Pond Rd

Rain all night, but I am dry in the tent.  Raindrops from the trees still pounding on the tarp, but earplugs softening the noise. 05:55 Awake, but it is raining. Decided to continue to sleep Very slow morning – no reason to venture out while it is raining. 07:55 Wake up, but it is till raining. Decision is to wake up anyway and eat cantaloupe. Melon stated behind in the car.  I know, I am roughing it in the wild. My tarp is leaking and water was accumulating all night on the lower good tarp that serves as a floor in front of the tent. It is very unpleasant to put…

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Thursday, May 25 – Drive, Search, Camp and Rain – Perfect!

2017/05/22
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Modified: 2017/06/23
05-25 04 04;58 First miles on the road

04:06 Wake up without an alarm – new record.  Last record was 04:39 AM several years ago.   04:46 Depart from home. No breakfast, no bath. Just 4 operations: print latest weather forecast, attach bike to car, pickup plastic connectors and tubes for water filter, load tarps, extra blanket, hot tea.  It was still dark outside. I took route 95/128 to 95 North to NH route 4 towards Conway.  I was listening French audio lessons while driving. +12.5°C = 55°F   07:30 Arrive to Glen Junction restaurant, but there is no appetite for breakfast yet.  Continue on route 16. 08:00 Morning routine, first taste of bugs.  They are menacing.   08:20…

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NH Trip May 2017 – Preparations for the trip to Bog Dam Road

2017/05/22
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Modified: 2017/06/22
Vargo Decagon Alcohol Stove

  Create a vacation – What happens when you add 3 days to a long weekend? A mini-vacation happens!  It is hard to escape a fast-passed project, but there are only 3 long weekends in American summer (Memorial, Independence and Labor days), so you must use them to the fullest.  The hardest part is asking for days off for consultants.  You are there to perform a very focused task, and every day you are not there is an opportunity for competitors to swoop in.  But you must, anyway. Plan – head away from the crowds It is not enough to have a vague desire to get out and spend some time…

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How to enter GPS coordinates into Google Maps

2017/05/21
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Modified: 2017/07/09
How to enter GPS coordinates into Google Maps

Let’s say you moved pictures  from your smart phone to a PC, but you want to know, where this picture was taken.  Most likely picture would have a GPS information attached to it (unless you explicitly disabled that feature on your phone).  Open picture properties (Alt + Enter) and check the GPS section of the picture’s properties (see image). You can enter this information into Google maps search box to get an exact location, where this picture was taken.  Enter the information you see as: 44 12' 35.2" +1 51' 12.64" Please note that “plus” sign is optional.  However, most locations in Americas will have a negative sign in front of…

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05 Third day – 2014-05-25 SUN – Back to the car and comfort (II)

2017/05/20
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Modified: 2017/04/30
2014-05-25 SU 21;26 Horsefeathers North Conway NH

The walking stage of the hike was closing to an end, and bike portion was fast approaching. Crossing Saco river took about 15 minutes.  First, a test cross with only valuables, and then second crossing with 2 sticks in both hands and a backpack. Rain started again, I did not know what to cover – myself, or the bike, or the backpack.  I did not take a picture with backpack mounted on the bike, but it was an impressive site. The only technical glitch that I encounter was the situation with the pump.  I was not able to fit the pump to the socket properly, and as a result back tire had relatively…

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04 Third day – 2014-05-25 SUN – Back to the car and comfort (I)

2017/05/16
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Modified: 2017/04/30
2014-05-25 SU 09;57 Forest Road

Rephrasing the famous song, in the wild you acutely responsible for . . . Every move you make, Every step you take. If you slip and fell – it is your responsibility.  If you forget to pack something – it is your responsibility.  There is no way of escaping this simple fact. The night in the wild was quiet and uneventful.  I do not know, if it was raining during the night, because I put on earplugs.  I always bring them along to sleep better and ignore all the noises outside. However, tarp was very wet in the morning.  I was strangely cold during the night, despite all the warm clothes…

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03 Second day – 2014-05-24 SAT – Into the wild with a plan

2017/05/12
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Modified: 2017/04/30
2014-05-24 SA 07;37 Basin Pond

I never carried the “full house” on my shoulders before.  This time, with introduction of an old professional-grade KELTY backpack I would carry a tent, and sleeping bag, and warm clothes, and food, and tarp, and poncho and dozens of other small, but very necessary things. I woke up around 6AM, and I was folding the tent and gathering my things until I was finally ready.  At 07:38, I started to walk on Basin Trail.  First thought was that no way on earth I can carry this beast of a backpack.  On the second thought, how other people carry all their hiking possessions and do not complain? Almost immediately off the parking…

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