Tag: inspiration

Dewey Point Snowshoe – Yosemite

by toastedbunz, posted in beer, exercise, Hikes, information, travel, Uncategorized

Get ready for a round of drool-worthy pics.

I love adventure and when my friend suggested a weekend trip to Yosemite I was all in.

It is rough.. the drive from Oakland to Yosemite Valley took a little less than 3.5 hours and that in itself is exhausting, but since all you have is Saturday and Sunday you are going to make the most of it and pack as much splendor in as you can during that time.

We had to take 140 since 120 and 41 were both closed. The National Park Service keeps an up to date record of road closures for your convenience. Make sure to check out this page before planning your trip as google maps will most likely not be updated.

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A short jaunt to check out Bridalveil Falls… gorge.YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3868

No trip to Yosemite is complete without a stop at Tunnel View… this view really will just stop you in your tracks … no selfie stick toting tourista can take away the magic, try as they might.YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3872YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3784

After our Tunnel View moment, we headed towards Badger Pass ( it has a new name now but I refuse to call it by that ).

Badger Pass has a dope snowshoe/ cross country ski trail. You can take this trail to Dewey Point which on a Saturday was so un-crowded it seemed like we were the only people out and about.

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We left Badger Pass area at noon and got back around 5 pm. We did take ample time, about an hour, at the vista for a summit beer and to enjoy the view.YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3885YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3795YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3878YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3887YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3854YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3861

Brought some Fieldwork cans for enjoying at the top.

This ceramic mug is an AMAZING creation of my friend, Ceramics Life For Me.

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Loved snowshoeing! This was my second time snowshoeing but this was my longest trip at 8 miles and the most in elevation gain, around 2000 feet. Challenging – but so worth it.YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3875YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3853YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3824YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3883YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3826YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3858YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3829YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3830

Don’t forget your gaiters! They will keep your legs nice and dry.YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3849

Went to the Bar at the Majestic Yosemite Lodge ( LOL ) for dinner. We just really needed a hot meal… we were sustaining off protein bars and homemade energy balls.YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3836

Had a Sierra Nevada Beer Camp and bowls of chili. Hit the spot.YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3837

Then on to Curry Village to enjoy one last beer for the night before turning in!YosemiteDeweyPointIMG_3896

Other resources for snowshoeing Dewey Point:

http://californiathroughmylens.com/snowshoeing-dewey-point

https://socalhiker.net/snowshoeing-to-dewey-point-in-yosemite/

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/dewey-point-trail

http://lastingadventures.com/yosemite-day-hikes/snowshoe-badger-pass-dewey-point/

 

(SLO)ME

by toastedbunz, posted in beer, coffee, exercise, Hikes, hobby, information, people, Restaurant, restaurants, travel, Uncategorized

Last weekend my friend and I took a trip from the Bay to the Central Coast. We lived together in SLO during college and were looking forward to a weekend of all our favorite SLO area things.

First stop Firestone, dinner and a flight were a must after nearly three hours in the car. Have really been loving the sours coming out of Firestone. firestoneflight

Next morning up and ready to go early, gotta get our Black Horse and SLO Donut Co. fix.  They even have gluten free donuts these days… so no excuses not to go!blackhorseandslodoco

Chels and I both had work to do in the morning but once the afternoon rolled around we were raring for a hike!  We found the Cuesta Ridge Botanical Hike and couldn’t believe we hadn’t done it before. Equal parts up and downhill but filled with epic views from start to finish!cuestabontanicalgardenimg_3387cuestabontanicalgardenimg_9152

Even waterfalls! cuestbotanicalgardentrail

A well deserved summit Brew! cuestabontanicalgardenimg_9155cuestabontanicalgardencuestridgetrail

Wooooweee does life getter better than these views! So amazing.cuestaridgetrail

What is my favorite thing to after a bunz busting hike? Drink a brew or two of course…

We headed to Bang the Drum Brewery. Great space, indoor and out. Really friendly staff and most importantly great beers!bangthedrumbbangthedrumbbrewingimg_3439

We went back to the hotel to freshen up before heading downtown for the night.

On our way DT we stopped at Central Coast Brewing for a couple baby beers.centralcoastbrewingimg_3444centralcoastbrewingimg_3443centralcoastbrewingimg_3445

Next stop, Barrelhouse Speakeasy. This is one of the coolest spaces I have ever been to. A fully functioning barbershop and then a full on taproom downstairs.

Super crowded on a Friday night but really fun.barrelhousespeakeasyimg_3446barrelhousespeakeasyimg_9202

Looking forward to sharing the rest of our weekend this week!

My top favs in Indonesia

by toastedbunz, posted in beer, coffee, exercise, Hikes, hobby, Holiday, information, people, Restaurant, restaurants, SEASIA, talk, travel, Uncategorized

I am finally getting ready to share my Indonesia and Malaysia trip here and going through the photos and my journal from the trip are really stoking my need for adventure and travel.

Here are a few top memories from the trip…

All packed up and ready to go! One carry on for three weeks. The truth of the matter is I probably had too much.indoorbust-3weeksina-carryon

Our first meal in Indonesia, and quite possibly the best meal of the entire trip. This simple and cheap meal still lingers in my dreams.

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Epic sunset wavesbatubolongbeach

The most amazing iced coffee from Crate Cafe in Canggu.cratecafecanggu

When GoogleMaps takes you to a remote village and an Indonesia man takes you into the rice fields…ricefieldsindo

A cool, not so secret waterfall, Tegenungan Waterfall in Ubud.

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Dicing and Slicing our way to Balinese Cuisine Cooking Professionals!

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We drove all night to see this crater at Sunrise.kawahijenjavaindo

Just a casual gecko joining us for lunch.madenewfriendsongili

Lowest of low tides on Gili Air.lowtideislandlife

Beach art on Gili Air – coral and Bintang bottles.giliairartbintang

You don’t see a goat… or any animal on the back of a motorbike often.justgoatforit

My Birthday! Which included a street side serenade – magical!kutabeachbirthday

A little oasis on the side of the road. kutabeachlombok

A few friends at the beach in Kuta Lombok. bisononthebeachlombok

Sometimes the best views take a few (hundred) wrong turns. Getting to Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep Waterfall was an adventure.

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Drop Inn Cafe … when you are done dropping in on waves you can drop in for a sweet treat. dropinncafelombok

Ratu Boko Temple in Yogya. It was an adventure getting there… but Sunset did not disappoint.yogyakartaindo

At 1/15 coffee I tried an interesting combo of espresso, lime and sparkly water coffewithseltzerandlime-indo

A flip flop hike to watch the sun go down.sflipfliphikelombokindo

A few of my fav moments … get ready for the breakdown in the next couple weeks.

Zion – Angel’s Landing in Winter

by toastedbunz, posted in beer, coffee, Events, exercise, Hikes, hobby, information, people, Restaurant, restaurants, talk, travel, Uncategorized, workout

Our first full day in Zion and we needed some fuel so we stopped at Cafe Soleil .  I ordered the breakfast burrito and dirty soy chai latte ( chai latte with shot of espresso! ). Very filling and great. zionnationalparkimg_2227

Next we headed to Zion Outfitter to inquire about hiking the Narrows the following day. How much for gear rental, weather conditions etc. This place was recommended to us by our bartender the night before as having the best equipment for the Narrows. I don’t have anything to compare it to but I had a great experience with everyone who worked here. I highly suggest purchasing your crampons beforehand ( much cheaper!) but they also had the good crampons not just yak tracks.

Finally headed into the park, lines get longer the later it gets. Loved this ‘RL GOOD’ license plate!  After stopping at the visitor center and getting information about trail closures etc…  we decided to start hiking at Lower Emerald Pool Trail and see how we were feeling. We had NO.. I repeat NO intention of hiking to Angel’s Landing. The park ranger specified how dangerous it was and that if we were to fall there would be no rescue party – yowzaaaa so we decided we would just build our own hike and see where it would take us. zionnationalparkimg_2230

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PC : John Thomas

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From Lower Emerald Pool Trail to The Grotto Trail and Kayenta Trail then finally towards Angel’s Landing Trail itself. Once we were there we decided to just see how far we could go.. we all had crampons and hiking poles which made ALL the difference. People were hiking without but I don’t know why you would.zionnationalparkimg_2243zionnationalparkimg_2249zionnationalparkimg_2254zionnationalparkimg_7679zionnationalparkimg_7681

MADE IT TO THE TOP! WOOHOO – Amazing feeling, can not begin to describe! Don’t think I would do it again but it was invigorating. I almost feel that in the winter it might be better… this is because with the crampon you really dig into the snow instead of just climbing on rock.

I would definelty reccomend Angel’s Landing in winter but you 100% should have crampons and hiking poles! zionnationalparkimg_7682zionnationalparkimg_7686zionnationalparkimg_7689

Someone even took the time to make a snowman!

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PC : Chelsea Thomas
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PC : Chelsea Thomas

Heading back down – on the way up this trail was full of people… now it is deserted.

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SO many switchbacks! I don’t know how I would have survived this without my poles or crampons.. I will keep saying it.. they were lifesavers!! zionnationalparkimg_7698zionnationalparkimg_7703zionnationalparkimg_8293

Felling really amazing after this hike!zionnationalparkimg_8298

Spotted some wildlife!zionnationalparkimg_2255

Now headed to Zion Mountain Ranch… our home for the next two days! Time to relax. zionnationalparkimg_2389

My favorite places to sweat in Oakland

by toastedbunz, posted in east bay, exercise, Uncategorized, workout

Working out daily helps me maintain endurance and strength that allows me to partake in my favorite outdoor activities. Going to fun classes or finding new workouts helps me keep my daily routine anything but stagnant.

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Here are my favorite places to sweat and burn in Oakland :

Hipline – Want to get your groove on? Than this is the place for you! You don’t have to be good to dance here, and you will instantly feel comfortable. Also, the more you go to the same instructors the more you will get to know their routines and feel comfortable!

Ride Oakland – Soul Cycle who?! I love Ride Oakland! You really feel a sense of community among the riders and the music is always on point. They even have a real DJ sometimes… talk about fun!

Burn Oakland – I like Burn because you can really make the workout as hard or as easy as you want to. Although, I don’t know that the leg springs ever get easier!

Truve – At Truve they have basically any class you could want. Suspension, Barre, Spin, HIIT. They have great amenities and you can book a message, organic spray tan etc.

Sweat Strength + Cycling  – Your class will either combine pure HIIT or a combo of HIIT and cycling. You will be dripping sweat and sore for days.

While you may only be able to find these studios in the Bay, use this as inspiration to find classes, you tube videos or a trainer that can help inspire you.

Get after it and be the best you can be!

Links I love : All about balance

by toastedbunz, posted in beer, exercise, Hikes, Uncategorized

My life is ALL about balance. I love the way I feel when I workout and eat clean but I also enjoy a beer or glass of wine and dessert. Here are a few of my favorite links from this week.

I love a big bowl of veggies, but I can often get stuck in a rut. Using the same ingredients over and over again. I love the variation offered in this post from Corepower Yoga. I can’t wait to try out some of these suggestions and get my Power Bowl Party on.

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I am always looking for a quick way to sweat! This 10 minute workout from Self is a great little burner that can be repeated or combined with other workouts. I appreciate something simple that I can remember at the gym so I don’t have to get my phone out every other move.

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All the more reason to go out with friends for a drink after a sweat shesh. After an intense workout we recover better after being in a social environment.  When you are happier you preform better. Now isn’t that reason enough to say yes to that post run beer?!

Maybe you and your friends could try some seasonal pumpkin beers. I tried the Punkin Ale from Dogfish Head Brewery this weekend and it was really good it isn’t super pumpkiny but has a nice spice profile.

Pick a favorite beer and proceed to make a Pumpkin Beer Cheesecake…

I know what I am making for Thanksgiving! This Pumpkin Beer cheesecake is sure to be a winner. ( I will probably have to test out the recipe a few times before then… to make sure it is good… that is.)

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Cotopaxi Quest

by toastedbunz, posted in Events, Uncategorized

img_0110img_0112img_0118A few months ago, 4 friends and I signed up for this crazy 24 hour Adventure Race called Questival!

We have been racing now since 7 pm last night and it has been non stop fun! We did manage to get 4 hours of sleeps…. but we have much to do before we can rest again!

Go team Hamburgalugeruger