Nikko Lee's Blog, page 27

Great Notch/Long Pond/Perpendicular Trails

[image error]Two weeks ago, the Jax hiking club had their second fall hike. This time we tackled the western mountains. The Long Pond fire road was still open (it wasn't this weekend) so we were able to park at Pine Hill near the trail head of the Great Notch trail.

Despite it being November, this was the first hike were the fall chill was noticeable. It won't be long before the snow will fall in earnest and light hiking jackets will give way to winter jackets. As it was, I had my toque and gloves on and brought a supply of tissues for a persistently running nose courtesy of the office plague.

From the Great Notch trail we headed to Long Pond. This pond is among several fresh water ponds on the island that doubles as town water supplies. The northern most shore does have a boat lauch and small beach while swimming is forbidden at the southern shore where the pump house is located.

As we walked along the shore path, we came across a strategically placed Adirondack chair. I'm not sure who lunged it out there - it was still a mile or more from the nearest parking lot - but it looked like someone wanted to enjoy their view.

Soon we reached the trail head for the Perpendicular Trail. This trail rivals the Ladder trail for number of stone steps. The first time I hiked this trail I felt like I was heading into Mordor. While my dog hopped up the steps, I huffed and puffed my way grudgingly. Needless to say even with a head cold, this time around was a lot easier.

Initially we had planned to proceed from Mansell Mountain to Bernard Mountain before heading down to a waiting car at the Bald Mountain Parking lot. Despite over two months of recovery, my ankle is still not up to full strength. The short half mile between the peak of Mansell Mountain to the Great Notch did me in. I was more than happy to accept a suggesting to head back to the Pine Hill parking lot.

Can you spot the carefully laid trail among the talus field?

Indian Point Blagden Preserve

With so many trails to cover in Acadian National Park, it's easy to overlook some of the other nature preserves on Mount Desert Island. About a month ago, I set out on a bike ride from Seal Cove to the Indian Point Blagden Preserve. The round trip was about 18 miles. Considering I hadn't been on any long bike rides in over a year, this was a bit of an ambitious plan. This was at the beginning of my ankle injury and I though biking would be easier than hiking and a lot more fun than just sitting on the couch.

Fall has got to be my favorite time of the year on the island. No bugs. No tourists. Cool temperatures. Beautiful vistas and lands to explore. The preserve covers 110 acres on land with several short walking paths that skirt along the coast. It's wonderful place to take a seat and enjoy some quiet time.

 

Indian Point Blagden Preserve

Gorham Mountain and Champlain Mountain

The weekend before last marked the official start to the fall/winter hiking schedule for the Jax hiking club. With ever decreasing sunlight, out hikes have been moved to the weekends. This means less hiking in the dark and longer hikes.

For our first hike, we combined two peaks we had already visited in the summer. We started with Gorham mountain. This tail is really a treat. There aren't any tricky climbs. The trail isn't all that long. And the views look out to the west of the island. I swear I can almost see Nova Scotia on a clear day.

On the way down the north ridge of Gorham we headed towards the Bowl pond on the newly re-worked trails. I'm always in awe of the trail crew who sweat and bleed to make the beautiful trails that allow for exploration of Acadia National Park. In a way, this increased access is a double-edged sword. The Bowl trail intersects with Beehive and is only a 5 minute walk from Sand Beach. Great for the tourist. Bad for the Rangers and Rescuers that have to deal with the increased injuries that come from more people have easier access to trail they might not necessarily be ready for. But increased access is good for increased revenue. Maybe it's a triple-edged sword.

The even trails and gradual cribbed steps are pretty and make hiking more like a walk in the park than a death march.

[image error]We stopped at the Bowl pond to enjoy a light lunch. It wasn't until we were part way up Halfway Mountain that you could see the traces of the glacier's work in carving out the Bowl pond and leaving behind the heavy of rocks that is the Beehive.

The park is full of interesting geological features that are a marvel to observe and explore.

Halfway Mountain lies somewhere between the Beehive and the Champlain Mountain ridge. We stopped several times guessing we have found it. I'm still not sure we did. Needless to say the hiking took on a more challenging nature as we headed towards the summit of Champlain. There are some great rock scrambles that could be made harder than they have to be for the more adventurous. For the less adventurous fear not, even with my bunged up ankle I was able to scramble up the trail with only a few breaks (to rest, not of the ankle).

We topped Champlain before long and headed down the easier Bear Brook trail. It took about 4 hours to complete hike with several stops to view the views and take pictures. I spent more time banging on my camera than taking pictures with it. It might be time to retire my Coolpix and upgrade. It's had an intermittent lens error that seems to only respond to violence and is increasing in frequency with time and desire to capture the image.

Bonus sightings: first ice and snow. Not too surprising and only news after the snow storm the following day.

To NaNoWriMo or Not?

That is the question I keep asking myself. Maybe you are asking yourself 'What the heck is NaNoWriMo?'

National Novel Writing Month is a wonderful writing prompt in the form of a contest where all you have to do to win is write 50,000 words. Sound easy? Sound impossible?

The first year, I completed the challenge I wrote a novella in which a young woman learns that the magical powers she has inherited can be used for good or evil. The second year, I wrote most of Shadowfall: Dark Desires. Last year, I wrote the sequel to Between Love and Lust called Between Duty and Desire.

I love the challenge of meeting the word count. I love the comraderie on the local and worldwide boards. I love obsessing about writing and shutting up that internal editor who criticizes everything.

With only 5 more days left until the November 1 start date, I am still on the fence about participating this year. In truth, I am on the fence about the whole writing thing. With my to be revised pile growing, I don't really need yet another thing to revise. With Dark Heritage yet unsold, I wonder if I can produce something worth trying to sell.

Usually when I walk into a book store I think to myself 'If so many people can get published I can too.' A few weekends ago, I walked into a book store and wondered what right I had thinking I can get published with so much already out there and so many authors with better works still fighting for that elusive contract.

None of these doubts are new. I think every author does battle with them on a regular basis. A friend once told me I should only write if I have a story to tell. I'm not sure I do. I love making up stories and exploring characters and plots, but there is no burning desire within me to tell any particular story. Worse yet, I fully realize the limitations of my skills at present.

But there's the rub. If I don't keep writing, my skills won't improve. If I don't keep producing works to sell I might miss an opportunity like the Big Book of Bizarro.

I can't go long without daydreaming a story. I feel the urge to write although it is substantially muted due to other demands on my time and energy. I can just image the advice of some of my favorite podcasters.

So I remain undecided. To write or not to write, that is the question.

Beehive Trail

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Despite the persistence of an ankle injury, I've been eager to get out hiking again. The arrival of rain today lead to a spur of the moment change in the hiking club's plan to hike Beehive. I saw my opportunity and I took it. After all, my ankle is feeling a lot better.

The trail up Beehive rises 520 feet in 0.8 miles. Not a long trail, but certainly a steep one. The views are spectacular. I've climbing Beehive a few times and each time I enjoy it more than the last time. The ledges are relatively narrow and the drop is far. Otherwise it's a dream.

The fall colors are coming to an end and daylight seemed to evaporate with every step. We returned via the Bowl trail. ANP has been doing a lot of trail work at the junction of Bowl and Gorham trails. It's very tourist friendly. Good to improve access. Bad because it means more people on the trail.

I'm definitely paying for the hike today. However, it was great to get out for one last last hike for the Jax hiking club before the fall/winter weekend hikes start.

What's your Bizarro? Book Giveaway

When I first wrote Honey-do, it was as a challenge to myself. I wanted to see if I could find the sexy in zombie. Given the success of Rigor Amortis and how successful I thought Ben Delano was in making zombies sexy in his podcast NaNoWriMo novella Victor Zulu, I knew it was possible. I had not clue about where to submit it. A few weeks later I saw the submission call for The Big Book of Bizarro.

The massive anthology has now been published and is available at Amazon and even my local Mr. Paperback. I had no clue what bizarro was and had to do some research before submitting. A quick net survey and, yes, a trip to Wikipedia gave me some hope that Honey-do was indeed bizarro.

In Honey-do, a husband tries to create the perfect nuclear family in a post-zombie, neo-fascist world at any cost. I wanted to capture the abnormal turned normal and how what society views as normal can be abnormal.

That's what bizarro is to me; the normal (or perceived) world turned upside-down. I love the punk aspect to it. Bizarro is a challenge to the norm, society, and even our own beliefs about what is normal.

The Big Book of Bizarro offers a wide range of norm-challenging stories from circus freaks to zombie lovers. There's horrific, erotic, and sci-fi stories with plenty of squirm worthy words.

Now that I've got a few copies sold and some on the shelves of a book store - that's a big writing goal for me - I'm going to giveaway a copy of the Big Book of Bizarro signed by me.

Here's the deal. Post what bizarro is to you. Once I've got 50 posts, I will randomly select a lucky winner to recieve a copy of the big book. This contest is only open to people (over 18) with US addresses (international postage is a killer).

Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Tell random strangers who need their view of normal challenged. You might not want to tell your parents. But you get the idea. Spread the word.

Good Luck!

Smugglers Notch

It's been a few weeks since I've posted about a new hike with good reason. Just over two weeks ago, my dog decided to chase something small and furry. The only problem was that I was holding onto the other end of the leash. Down I went, and my ankle is still not fully recovered.

Last weekend, I took a trip to Vermont and visited Smugglers Notch. The fall colors were in full swing, and the temperatures were in the 70's. It was beautiful. The windy road from Stowe to Smugglers Notch is enough to give any driver or passenger heart palpitations. A two lane road weaves between impressive boulders. It's no wonder the area attracts bouldering enthusiasts.

Unfortunately, I was only able to hobble around the parking lot. There are plenty of bouldering problems within spitting distance of the road. We ventured a few feet up one of the many trails that left the parking lot and walked out on top of a large boulder that formed a sweet cave beneath.

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I will definitely be back when I can do more exploring. Maybe even a winter snowshoe trip to see the ice cliffs.

 

 

No trip to the area would be complete without a stop by the Ben and Jerry factory. The place was a zoo.

Kids + sugar + tired parents = chaos

The wait was too long for the tour. The line was too long for the ice cream bar. But I did find the flavors graveyard wildly entertaining. Of course I had to get a picture of the flavor grave of a Maine classic.

My ankle is slowly improving. Yesterday I went for a short hike around Great Head. It was a challenge, but each day I can walk a little farther and get a little more stability back. In another two weeks the lab hiking group starts its fall/winter hikes. The first one is supposed to be 6 to 8 miles. With a little care and a little patience, I should be ready to get back to hiking by then.

Morphine: Addiction and neurogenesis

It's been a while since I've attended one of the weekly seminars and wants to write about it. Last week Dr. Wade Berrettini of the University of Pennsylvania presented his work about mu opioid receptor interacting proteins (MORIPs) in addiction and neurogenesis (formation of neurons).

Morphine is a powerful pain-killer. Its use causes dependency and, in many people, addiction. Dr. Berrettini made an important distinction between dependency and addiction. In both cases, a person develops drug tolerance (i.e. increased dosage is required to achieve the same effect) and withdrawal (a set of known  physiological symptoms associated with cessation of usage). However, addiction is further characterized by a compulsive, maladaptive use that has numerous negative consequences.

As screen star Tallulah Bunkhead once said, "Cocaine isn't habit-forming. I should know - I've been using it for years."

I think the distinction between dependency and addiction is an important one. With morphine being one of the most effective pain killers, thousands of people with back problems, cancer, and other chronic pain ailments are often prescribed morphine or other opioid derivatives. Not all of them will become addicted. It is important to understand the factors that lead to addiction, some of which are social but others are genetic. Beyond the factors associated with addiction, it is also important to understand the negative impact chronic opioid usage can produce.

Dr. Berrettini has long researched the effect of chronic opioid usage. In rats, chronic exposure is associated with widespread loss of dendritic arborization (decreased dendritic spines) and inhibition of neurogenesis. As a consequence, the synapses necessary for proper neurological signaling are reduced. This is likely to have an impact of cognitive function in patients who use morphine to relieve chronic pain.

Using a yeast-two hybrid screen (an experiment to identify protein binding partners), Berrettini's lab has identified seveal mu opioid receptor interacting proteins (MORIPs), including Wntless. The main function of Wntless in neurons is to shuttle Wnt3 to the membrane where it is released from the cell in order to stimulate neurogenesis. Mutations in the Wntless gene can lead to a failure of Wnt3 secretion and thereby a decrease in neurogenesis.

So what's the connection between morphine usage, Wntless, and neurogenesis?

Dr. Berrettini hypothesizes that usage of morphine (a non-internalized opioid) recruits Wntless to the opioid receptor locking it at the membrane and prevents it from shuttling Wnt3 out of the cell to promote neurogenesis. The end result is that chronic morphine usage may be blocking neurogenesis by preventing the release of neurogenesis-stimulating proteins like Wnt3.

Genetic studies in people have so far failed to identify SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms - or variations) in the Wntless gene or mu opioid receptor that correlate with addiction. Using a rat model of opioid seeking and craving, Dr. Berrettini continues to search for the genetic basis for addiction in the hopes of identifying small molecules that will counteract the addictive and anti-neurogenic properties of one of the most widely used pain killers for chronic pain.

Baxter State Park

At noon on Friday, I headed out to Baxter state park in order to make the 5PM hiking cut-off from Roaring Brook to Chimney Pond. It's about a 3.5 hr drive from my place, and we made good time. By 3:45PM we were at the Togue Pond visitors center. The above picture was taken out back along Togue Pond looking out on Katahdin.

By the time we got to Roaring Brook and got our gear on, it was 4:15PM. Not bad for a 5PM cut-off, except that the cut-off had been moved back to 4PM. Fortunately, the ranger let us go after we assured him we had headlamps.

The hike up to Chimney Pond from Roaring Brook is 3.3 miles and takes about 2.5 hours. We did it in about two. It was a great warm up after so many hours sitting in the car. We are currently in the middle of a warm and humid air mass. Not quite the crisp fall air I was looking forward to, but I had hopes that the rain would stay to our south.

[image error]About half way up the trail we reached halfway rock. Some twenty feet beyond it, there is a great view point off to the right of the trail. We stopped for a few pictures and to catch our breath.

The fall colors are starting to ramp up with lots of reds, yellows, and oranges peaking through. From the view point, we had a great view of Katahdin. A little further up the trail, there is a basin said to be popular with moose. We didn't see any, but did come across their calling cards (moose piles).

Despite the elevation, there is a substantial bog. A series of strategically placed logs and impressive boardwalks keep the feet dry.

 

 

Before long the trail leveled off and we came to the clearing at Chimney Pond. It's a popular base camp for those going up Katahdin in more than one day.

That was our plan. We were staying the night at the bunkhouse with the intent of starting off the next morning after an early breakfast to climb the Cathedral trail, over the Knife Edge, and finally back along the Helon Taylor trail to Roaring Brook.

Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. We awoke to the sound of rain. Once the ranger posted the weather forecast of 100% rain, we knew climbing Katahdin would have to wait for another weekend. After a leisure breakfast and hanging around the bunkhouse, we made our way back down the Chimney Pond trail. It continued to rain/drizzle all the way back. 

[image error]While we passed several people on their way up, the lack of view and slippery rocks were enough to postpone our ascent. The ranger's forecast summed it up perfectly.

"Rock + lichen + rain = Fall"[image error]

The summit can wait for a sunny day. I will add that if you have a chance to stay in a bunk house that it is well worth it. For only $11 per person, we ended up with the 10 person bunk house all to ourselves.

Next year, Katahdin. Next year.

Bound and determined

So I've been slacking off lately on a few things. I'm behind on hiking posts and headed for Baxter state park this weekend to climb Katahdin. It was my goal to get back there this summer and actually make it to the summit. My previous trips to Baxter were for search and rescue activities. The first time I made it three-quarters of the way to Chimney pond before the group I was with turned around. The second time I got to Chimney pond but had to hang out there because we were actually on call. Needless to say I am excited about this weekend.

I'm also behind on editing a novella that centers around a (male) bisexual awakening in a martial artist. I have been writing a non-fiction study guide about Mendelian genetics. It's been submitted for formatting and editing. Hey, it's almost like writing fiction in the steps involved.

Now that I've submitted my guide, I'm turning my attention back to something else that I've been slacking on.

That's right. I still have four more Big Book of Bizarro books to sell. I've pestered my friends and family enough. My sister even got me a few sales. Now I need to find a way of (preferably) selling the last four books in my possession. In the next few weeks, one will find a new home through a Goodreads giveaway.

But what to do with the other three? I thought about donating one to the Bangor library. They actually have my first book, Between Love and Lust, on the shelves. But I still need to get paid for 2 more books to break even on the set. I thought about trying to see if the local book store would put a copy on their shelves. How cool would it be to see something that I contributed to in an actual book store? However, they take a 60% cut of any sale and that would mean taking a loss if I wanted to keep the price reasonable.
One of my goals is to not loss money on my writing. Time, energy, hours of sleep sure. But not money. If my writing isn't good enough to sell than I obviously need more practice.

I also thought about doing a buddy push. You know, if you get a friend to purchase a book from me for $20, I'll send you one for free. Caveat is that the shipping addresses would have to be in the USA so it doesn't cost me an arm or other appendage to send them.

What do you think? How would you sell/distribute the remaining books? Should I just drop a book in a random washroom with a note to pass it along? I actually came across one such wandering book at a highway rest stop.