Smelly Swiss Dilettante

[Jean]

rysy was good. I wanted to go hike in the sumava next, but i'm already wet and it's going to rain, so i'm going home if i can catch my 4 minutes connexion in bratislava. otherwise, i'll take any train that will leave Vienna toward the southern half of germany, and sleep in it.

@guitarplayer
good to know, i think we might need some static vacation with my girlfriend.

[Jean]

i stayed two night in a hostel in bratislava. I don't miss being young

[2Birds1Stone]

We missed each other in the Tatras by a week. I'll be back at the end of August.

[Jean]

would have been fun to meet.
my quads are still hurting from the 6000 meter elevation i did during those days.
I don't know if i'll come back to the polish tatra. It's nearly as expensive as switzerland, and even if parts are gorgeous, the range is relatively small, so even if it's not always crowded, it's much easier to be alone by a lake in switzerland.
But i enjoyed crossing them, and i always enjoy being in poland.

[chenda]

You might enjoy the Welsh mountains Jean, or the Isle of Skye.

[Jean]

I spent 517.- on a flight to las vegas to attend ere fest.

edit: i'm fcking dumb, I have a non missable course i need (if I don't wan't to delay my hunting license by one year) to attend during the time i planned to be in the us, fortunately, i booked directly with British airways and should still be able to get a free cancelation.
I was realy excited about going. I'de have just under a month if i take acount for this course i forgot. which is a bit short for flying.

[Jean]

i booked another flight after getting money from the first booking back, so i'll be going. i also got my esta and rented a car. Price got down a lot, flight is about 3 times cheaper, and car twice cheaper than form my first trip to the us in 2008.

I'm also pondering doing an apprenticeship.
Pro are : learning new skill
easier to get lucrative interesting short term employment.
some money during the apprenticeship

cons are: being full time employed, especially if gf get pregnant (which i hope to happen soon, but i might take enough time to finish the appenticeship) Kids would get first priority, and i'de choose to pause the apprenticeship.

my likings are beetween cheesemaker and grid electrician.

[chenda]

my likings are beetween cheesemaker and grid electrician.

Have you considered historic building trades, if they are established trades in Switzerland ? Thatchers and flint workers for example are always in demand. Maybe you should delay the pregnancy until you are fully qualified ?

[Jean]

the risk of getting no pregnancy at all is high enough to make delaying it (thus losing many chances) out of the question.
The demand for historic trade is low enough to make it unviable unless one is passionate about it.

[chenda]

I see. Well good luck with both anyway.

[sodatrain]

Just read most of your journal Jean... See you in a couple hours!

[Jean]

i am a consultant

[Jean]

Erefest was awesome. I hope i'll get more times like that.
Now i'm travelling the southwest. Finding spots to sleep for free is getting relatively easier.
I visited a few national parks, only time i got in a crowd was at zion. Bryce canyon was busy too, but i did a hike where i only saw 6 persons during it.
Tomorow, i'll visit places that the animal recomanded me. I just need infos on road condition.
I'm surprised at how good i now sleep in the car. I only have problem sleeping when it gets bellow 50F.
I should have washed my dawn before leaving, it would be probably better at keeping me warm.

[mountainFrugal]

i am a consultant

What are you a consultant in?

Thank you for bringing and cooking the Raclette Cheese on the fire. It was delicious!

[Jean]

Difficult engineering problems.
Usually, i take customers for a hike, because it helps a lot with talking through the problem, and knowing what you already tryed, lunch break, half-day, or day. I can also take your team.
Rates are 200 for lunch break, 500 for half day.

Then, if needed, i can ve very efficient on site.

On a completly different note, i wonder why very busy national parks (arches, bryce,canyonlands) have so little people on day hike looops, i usually meet 4 to 6 people during the hikes i did.
On the other hand, i met 11 people on my hike to weeler peak in great bassin.
My theory is that people who like hiking will avoid the popular parks, which results in popular parks ending up with actually less hikers.

[Slevin]

On a completly different note, i wonder why very busy national parks (arches, bryce,canyonlands) have so little people on day hike looops, i usually meet 4 to 6 people during the hikes i did.
On the other hand, i met 11 people on my hike to weeler peak in great bassin.
My theory is that people who like hiking will avoid the popular parks, which results in popular parks ending up with actually less hikers.

Depends on the park and the loop. Arches pretty much everyone is going to go check out delicate arch and double arch. Canyonlands everyone basically just drives through for the view. In the summer its a bit brutally hot for too much hiking. Basically for the parks in the high desert, nobody really wants to be out hiking in the high desert for too long when it is hot.

But take Zion, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yosemite, or Yellowstone and all the actual hiking trails are heavily traveled, and some of them feel like a Disney World line.

[Jean]

even in zion, i was alone in kolob canyon, i also remember hiking very lonely in yosemite an yellowstone in 2009.
I especially remember the contrast beetween the parking lot at mariposa grove, and the trail 10 minutes away from it.

[Jean]

i noticed a change.
people used to (10+ years ago) great me with a how r u doin, and don't answer to my fine and you.
At the time i adapted.
But know most people actually answer, or even insist if i don't answer the first time.
Was there a cultural shift in the usa?

[AxelHeyst]

I'm not sure... possibly lots of people are so burnt out on being mad at each other on the internet that they're compensating towards nicer irl in nature? I haven't noticed a change but I've operationalized avoiding crowds outdoors so I might not have enough data.

[Jean]

i was at a more crowded place and time this morning, and it was more like before.
It might just be that i target less crowded place than before.