the down low

FPN

2009-11-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

for the most current blog posts, please continue to www.fleshprofitsnothing.com.

the craziness.

2009-09-21T13:53:00.004-04:00

Jacksonville. Des Moines. Denver. Calgary. New York. Scranton. Newark. Jacksonville. Toronto. New York. Chicago. Denver. New York. Harrisburg. New York. Charlotte. Security checkpoints. Exit rows. Cameras. Film. Hotel rooms. Taxis. Per dium. Beverage carts. Rental cars. Surfboards. Subways.

I just moved in to a new place and got my room all set up. Good thing I'm home two days in the next month and a half.

meet margo.

2009-09-10T21:18:00.007-04:00

Margo feels trapped.

I sat next to her early today on my flight from D.C. to Jacksonville. Rarely do I talk to the people I sit next to. I usually am too busy falling asleep. Today however I had already got some needed rest on the first leg of my flight and decided to strike up a conversation.

It began with the usual, "Are you heading home?" Some small talk about where we lived and what not. Margo lives in Fairfax, Virginia. She doesn't really like it there and wants to move down to Amelia Island, where she is originally from. The major thing keeping her from moving is her stuff.

The thought of having to move all her stuff is so daunting that she has determined to stay where she is.

She is always buying things. Furniture. Clothes. Nic-naks. She likes the buzz it gives her. She knows that it is just a temporary fix, but she keeps buying things. Now she has so much stuff that she can't go where she really wants to go.

She feels trapped.

By stuff.

I told her to have a yard sale.

the little bro.

2009-09-06T15:23:00.004-04:00

I cruised down to The Social in Orlando last night to see this guy Matt play some music and thought I'd bring along a camera. Here are some frame grabs.

As you can tell, he was getting into it.

more amazingness from fanfarlo

2009-08-26T01:00:00.004-04:00

This band is brilliant.

In other news, a different version of the video Dustin and I made is up Surfline.

ESPN 8: the Ocho!

2009-08-24T15:55:00.008-04:00

I surfed all morning Friday as the swell from ole' Bill started to fill in. My plans were to surf my brains out all weekend, but at noon on Friday I got the call. It was Dustin saying that we were leaving in a hour to go shoot some video with some really, really good surfers. I was equally as stoked.

Here is what came out of it:

peru montage

2009-08-19T09:22:00.002-04:00

Peru Montage from Eric Hires on Vimeo.

the boys are back

2009-08-10T15:51:00.005-04:00

Check out this trailer...not so much for the movie as for the Matt Hires song that was used in it.

Cheers!

m a c h u p i c c h u

2009-08-05T03:32:00.004-04:00

On sunday we took the train out of Cusco (picture 1) down into the "Sacred Valley" to check out the ancient city of Machu Picchu. It was absolutely incredible. Mind blowing. The way this civilization shaped and stacked rocks, with no mortar or cement and using only simple machines, is hard to imagine. They had a system of fresh water fountains, irregation, and sundials.

The city is much bigger than it looks from the pictures. It is about 1/2 of a mile long and 1/4 mile wide, and shaped to look like a Condor from above.

I am back in Chicama now and a big south swell is filling in! Going to shoot a lot of surfing the last two days of the trip.

Check out the band "Radical Face".

Paz!

c u s c o

2009-08-01T11:43:00.002-04:00

I think Cusco is the coolest city I have ever been to. It's beauty is awe inspiring. Sitting up in the Andes at 10,912 feet it takes your breath away, literally. The streets are cobblestone and barely wide enough for a vehicle and the architecture is absolutely stunning. I will have pictures soon.

Being here makes me appreciate being able to travel so much. Sitting out on the stoop of the hotel drinking coffee this morning and watching people from all over the world pass by puts a smile on my face. I am going to have to make some sacrifices to be on the road for so long, but mornings like this make me realize it is all worth it.

"I couldn't have found G-d in the Seminary, he thought, and he looked at the sunrise."

Rejoice in the L-rd always!

p e r u : d a y t e n

2009-07-29T13:01:00.004-04:00

1. Where we are staying in Chicama. Ridiculous.
2. Me and Julio down by the schoolyard.
3. Rickshaw!
4. Rockstars.

Heading to Cusco and Machu Picchu today...

c h i c a m a

2009-07-25T22:45:00.003-04:00

p e r u : d a y ?

2009-07-24T20:46:00.002-04:00

Where we are staying in Chicama is ridiculous. It may be the coolest hotel I've ever stayed at, no, it definitely is. You can sit in hot tub on the deck and watch the entire wave break down the point. The atmosphere, style, and people here are superb. I feel kind of out of place staying in such luxury in this dusty, small, middle of nowhere town.

I surfed for a few hours yesterday, this wave is fantastic! It needs a good size swell to break right, but was working well yesterday...today, not so much. And a good thing because I was in bed most of the day making frequent trips to el bano. Both ends. My theory of brushing my teeth with the local water to build up immunity just bit the dust. Actually, it is working. I bet I don't get this bug again while I am here. Best to get it out of the way early.

We will stay here for a couple more days before heading back south and to Machu Pichu.

Vaya con Dios!

p e r u : d a y f i v e

2009-07-22T16:13:00.004-04:00

p e r u : d a y t h r e e

2009-07-20T21:08:00.002-04:00

My boards arrived at one o'clock on the second day and we went directly to the "best break in Lima", Herradora. It was overcast, cold, huge, and rocky. I didn't realize how big it actually was and paddled out on my 5'10. Not enough board for the macking double overhead plus sets that were pushing through. I was either not making it into the wave or trying to airdrop backside. I pulled off a couple drops for some super fun rides, but more often than not I ended up getting pummeled.

Today we headed south on the Pan American highway to a surf camp run by this rad dude, Oscar. Oscar gave us a ride to a left hand point known as Puerto Viejo (Old Point). Here I broke out the camera gear and filmed these big rollers filling the foggy sky.

p e r u : d a y o n e

2009-07-19T02:39:00.002-04:00

The security line at the Orlando airport was horrendous. It made me despise Disney. Kids with Mickey Mouse ears getting yelled at by their parents on their way home from the "happiest place on earth". Yeah right.

I had the middle seat on my first flight. It has been awhile since I've had to sit in the middle but it wasn't so bad. I checked three bags and my surfboards did not make it. I have to pick them up tomorrow. The camera gear is all here safely though. If I had to pick one bag to get lost, it would have been my board bag. I just pray they make it here safely tomorrow. The swell is supposed to be pumping.

Jesus picked me up from the airport. That was pretty cool. He couldn't walk on water, but he could talk on two cell phones and navigate the Lima traffic simultaneously. That is pretty miraculous. It is late here but the Miraflores district of Lima is bustling. I'm off to bed, hoping to get up early and start capturing gold.

Adios!

s. america and other endevours

2009-07-17T10:21:00.003-04:00

Hello friends. I am preparing to head south to the ancient Incan kingdom of Peru. It can be argued that the Peruvians are actually the founding fathers of surfing and not the ancient Polynesians. I will be starting work on a surf based documentary and surfing my brains out.

The documentary is going to explore the world's best waves through the eyes of the people who live on their shores and show how these local surfers revolve their lives around the wind and the tides. This will be the first trip of what may be a year and a half long project journeying through 25+ countries.

On this first trip down south we hope to score some heavers like this:

And find some endless points like this super long slider:

Gracias por leer! Vaya con Dios.

demo reel 09

2009-07-04T18:52:00.003-04:00

So, here is my first reel:

DEMO REEL 09 from Eric Hires on Vimeo.

I love what I do. I am so stoked to have found something that I really enjoy and super blessed to have Dustin teaching me the ropes.

fanfarlo

2009-07-01T20:30:00.004-04:00

if you have something to do, just blow it off and watch this:

Fanfarlo - Harold T. Wilkins by Stachemou HD from Stachemou on Vimeo.

Secret Garden Video Series: Fanfarlo (SXSW Edition) from hoovesontheturf on Vimeo.

it's in a camera's lens.

2009-06-24T09:31:00.004-04:00

It's in the air, it's everywhere
It's in the air, it's everywhere
It's in the air, it's everywhere
It's in the air

It ain't down her dress
It ain't up her blouse
It ain't in a bottle
It ain't in a powder
It ain't down her dress
It ain't up her blouse
It's everywhere else
It's everywhere else

It's in a baseball glove
It's in a wild flower
It's in a peace dove
It's a nice hot shower

It's in the camera's lens
It's a head high wave
It's in the laying hens
It's a Shark's Cove cave

It's on a sailboats bow
It's in a slice of homemade pie
It's in a wedding vow
It's in her big brown eyes

It's in a real good book
It's in a nice long talk
It's in her sideways look
It's on a midnight walk

It's in an airplane trip
It's in a sweet mustache
It's on a mountains tip
You can't buy it with cash

It's in a home cooked meal
It's in a long bike ride
It's the way you make me feel
When our worlds collide

It's in the air, it's everywhere
It's in the air, it's everywhere
It's in the air, it's everywhere
It's everywhere

bullet points.

2009-06-22T11:33:00.004-04:00

I don't write on here enough. I need to write more to keep all five of you interested and entertained. Here are some sentences of what has been happening:

I went to Tampa and surprised Pop's for Pop's day.

The surf was super fun on Friday!

More waves on the way?

I am going to shoot a surf project in Peru and Brazil in July.

Then hopefully Indo in September.

And France, Spain, Portugal after that.

Heading to OK City Sunday for another "Get Motivated" seminar.

The Gaslight Anthem is a rad band.

So is Radical Face.

I love summer in Florida. So good.

Sweaty days.

Cool evenings.

Sweet tea and watermelon.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

life is happening.

2009-06-11T00:23:00.006-04:00

I just rolled back into good ole' St. Augustine after a four day trip to Alaska. I have been working for a business seminar called "Get Motivated Seminars". We just put one on in Anchorage. I may have a different outlook on a lot of what is taught at the seminars, mostly in regards to money, but it is a super fun job. I get to hang out in cool cities with great people. Off to Philly on Monday to do one there.

I am not working on the fishing boat anymore due to some pretty amazing video opportunities that have come up. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I will hopefully be traveling to 20+ countries over the next two years working on a surf documentary project.

Tomorrow I will be shooting a music video with The Dustin Miller. Good times.

Also, check out this band called Fanfarlo. You can download their album for one dollar.
http://fanfarlo.com/?utm_source=sigur-ros&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=060909_sigur-ros_email

Rejoice in the Lord always.

discover the journey.

2009-06-04T09:42:00.002-04:00

"Who wants death prepares for war, who wants peace offers forgiveness."

the PAIX Shirt [VIDEO] from Discover The Journey on Vimeo.

it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! it's alright.

2009-05-18T17:10:00.006-04:00

It feels great to be back in Saint Augustine...even if it is only for a week. I love this sleepy little town. I am the studio with Dustin going through footage from The Thumbs Up Project. He is editing film from his trip to Mexico with Dane. It looks amazing as usual.

I have been feeling a little extra gusto in my life the last couple weeks, which is totally unrelated to my job working for Get Motivated Seminars. My great friend Andy Luce and I have been encouraging each other to "step it up" in many aspects of life. It is crucial to have friends like that. As much as it is possible, surround yourself with people who are pushing you forward, not pulling you backwards.

An Andy Luce original.

P.S. The new mewithoutYou album, "it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! it's alright" came out today. You should go buy it.

i did it.

2009-05-11T23:02:00.005-04:00

I ordered an iPhone.

Dang it.

I am excited to have so much information at my beck and call, yet hesitant for the very same reason.

gnarliness...

2009-05-04T01:57:00.006-04:00

I think that blog posts without pictures can be rather boring. This post will not have any pictures, so if you want to stop reading now I will understand and will not be offended.

For those of you who read posts without pictures, this post is a general update on what is going on in my life. If you don't care about what is going on in my life, then you can stop reading now too.

Now, the first phase of "The Thumbs Up Project" has come to an end. It was a good and successful journey, just successful in different ways than I had pictured in my preconceived ideas, which is often times how success works. We did not pick up many hitchhikers. Two and a half to be exact. However, we met tons of fascinating, inspiring, weird, and talented people with many interesting stories. The Thumbs Up Project will be a work in progress. I am going to have do some hitchhiking of my own for phase two.

I am currently hanging out in beautiful Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA. Surfing everyday with Russell Browndogger and staying with my buddy Chris Christenson. I want to move here. I love this part of California.

But...I have to leave on Tuesday. Flying to Maine. I've never been to Maine. I am working for a cheesy motivational seminar, but will get to hang out with some great people and hopefully do some fun Maine things, like eat lobster.

I am going fishing in Alaska again. I didn't think that I was going to, but was made an offer that I could not refuse. I only have to go from June 15 - July 15. A month of gnarliness. Yes, that is a word.

If you care about me enough to have read all of this, thanks and I love you.

God is not a white man.

2009-04-20T20:07:00.003-04:00

A sweet video my friend Mayumi from Japan sent me:

Also, check out the new post on The Thumbs Up Project.

because it is there.

2009-04-15T17:18:00.005-04:00

I appreciate life more today than I did a few days ago.

Two years ago Winston and I attempted to climb a 2000 foot rock face called "Solar Slab" in the Red Rock Canyon, just west of Las Vegas. The mountain denied us the summit and sent us rappelling down in darkness...without headlamps.

We have been talking about that piece of rock ever since. How we wanted to go back and take it down.
The Slab fell before us yesterday, but not without a fight. We started our climb at the crack of 10. We moved fast, but were held up by a father and son team climbing ahead of us. The mountain pelted us with violent winds once we reached the exposed upper 1500 feet. We reached the summit but our joy was put on hold. The winds continued to grow stronger, sustaining 25-30 knots with gusts well over gale force. Dark clouds lingered, snow began to fall, and night was fast approaching.

The rappel anchors (hardware drilled into the rock) at the top were impossible to find. We had to down climb a 5.6 crack to search for the anchors at the top of the 11th pitch. Super sketchy. We considered bivouacking on the mountain, but it was getting COLD.

Joy filled my heart when Winston located the anchors. Hope! For the next five hours or so we battled the wind, cold, and snow as we rappelled pitch after pitch. It seemed never ending. We checked and re-checked everything we did, knowing that our senses were dulled due to dehydration, hunger, frustration, and cold.

The ground never felt so good.

We arrived back at the truck at 3 a.m., only to find shattered glass where the passengers side window used to be. Seriously? Both of our laptops and our camera gear was sitting in the cab.

Somebody had been doing donuts in the gravel lot and sprayed Eleanor, busting out two windows on her starboard side, but leaving all our belongings. We taped up the windows and passed out. We would deal with them in the morning.

My sleeping bag never felt so good.

2009-04-07T22:23:00.001-04:00

new post on The Thumbs Up Project

2009-03-28T19:27:00.000-04:00

The Thumbs Up Project Video Blog # 1 from Eric Hires on Vimeo.

New website for my current adventure!

2009-03-19T16:18:00.002-04:00

www.thethumbsupproject.org

Falling Whistles

2009-03-19T03:07:00.001-04:00

Falling Whistles Bike Tour from Eric Hires on Vimeo.

rant.

2009-03-17T03:11:00.003-04:00

Take the words "I can't" our of your vocabulary.

When thoughts of overwhelming doubt threaten to storm your mind you must beat them back with Spartan force and intensity.

Don't give them an inch.

If you put your mind to something, and then work and work and work at it, there is nothing that you cannot do.

Don't even begin to let money stop you. That is an excuse.

If you don't create what you want to create, or do what you want to do, or travel where you want to go, it's not because you can't....it is because you don't.

horse manure and table saws.

2009-03-13T01:47:00.003-04:00

Today was a beautiful, chilly day in Denver. We were up at the crack of eight to go load the truck up with horse manure to deliver to some of Winston's friends who are getting their gardening soil ready for planting. After scrubbing the bedliner for an hour trying to get the veggie oil/horse crap out of the grooves, we began to build a drawer system for the bed of the truck. Something that will allow easy access to all of our gear. We came up with a bomber system, it is just taking awhile to complete. We worked by light of headlamp until 10 tonight.

The plan for tomorrow is to finish the drawers, take some of Winston's stuff to storage,organize our gear, pack the truck, and be ready to hit the road on saturday. A rather ambitious goal, but we like to aim high.

300 nights.

2009-03-10T00:43:00.004-04:00

I am preparing to embark on the next stage of the adventure. Tomorrow I fly to The Mile High City where my good buddy Winston and his ultimate veggie oil powered truck await. We will spend the next month + driving around the western U.S. of A. making a film about hitchhikers and traveling kids.

There will be more to come on this, but as I was reflecting on the past ten months of my life since graduating from college I realized that where I have slept has sort of defined this stage. I have not had my own living space since last April, but I haven't paid rent either. Here is the breakdown of where I have spent my resting hours over the past 300 nights:

Inside on the floor: 89 nights

On a boat: 69 nights

On a couch: 40 nights

Outside on the ground: 39 nights

In a bed: 38 nights

Inside on an air mattress: 25 nights

skydive!

2009-02-25T23:19:00.000-05:00

Skydive! from Eric Hires on Vimeo.

simple machine.

2009-02-15T23:22:00.002-05:00

Here is my latest project:

Simple Machine from Eric Hires on Vimeo.

Costa Reeker

2009-02-11T10:07:00.007-05:00

This spot was epic.

Scotty and the White Rhino.

Michelle DeTemple and The Dustin Miller.

Yeah.

Miguel. We took him surfing for his first time.

"Film rules!"

Despite three days of howling 40 knots offshore winds we were able to find some great waves and get the footage we needed. We had a great crew and the laughs never stopped flowing.

My 25th birthday was one of the best ever: fun waves, dude time, seared Ahi, baile, pretty girls from Argentina, and a bonfire on the beach.

Next up: Make a short film for my friends Tony and Ben Sasso as they prepare to bicycle across the country to raise support for Falling Whistles.

the least of these and costa rica.

2009-02-01T09:40:00.007-05:00

The hungry.

Those without clean water.

Complete strangers.

The naked and cold.

The sick and diseased.

The incarcerated.

Jesus said that if we neglect these people we neglect him.

____________________

I leave for Costa Rica in the morning to do some filming for this movie:

So stoked.

visual armory.

2009-01-27T18:49:00.006-05:00

My great friend Andy Luce is a brilliant artist, photographer, and graphic designer. Check out his new portfolio site.

i went sky jumpin'.

2009-01-27T00:55:00.004-05:00

Video is coming.

i love Sigur Ros.

2009-01-20T19:09:00.001-05:00

amen brother King.

2009-01-19T18:25:00.004-05:00

Thank you Dr. King for your sacrifice and your example of non-violent resistance.

Godspeed President Obama.

What a great and historic day.

my december.

2009-01-15T15:43:00.003-05:00

Here is a little montage of my sailing adventure.

my december from Eric Hires on Vimeo.

guava

2009-01-09T17:57:00.002-05:00

This is my first film of many. Enjoy!

guava from Eric Hires on Vimeo.

merry 2009!

2009-01-02T15:10:00.005-05:00

Thanks to my good friends Angie and Megan for not leaving me hanging at the stroke of twelve.

ten degrees starboard.

2008-12-28T23:31:00.010-05:00

What was supposed to be a two week sailing trip from Wilmington, North Cakalacky to Saint Martin turned into three weeks at sea with stops in The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and Puerto Rico. The purpose of the trip was to deliver a 38 Leopard Catamaran for a wealthy British fellow. It was rather arduous, but a great adventure.

THE UNPLEASANT: Not being home on Christmas Day. Trying to sleep when it sounds like your boat will tear apart at any second. Pounding into 15 foot seas for four days straight. Puking my guts out. Breaking every coffee cup on the boat. Cruise ships. Feeling completely wet, greasy, and salty and not being able to get dry because everything else is wet, greasy, and salty. Being completely exhausted simply from the never ending work of keeping yourself from falling over. Feeling really small.

THE ENJOYABLE: Catching 10 Mahi-Mahi. Getting paid to be on the water. Seeing some of the most beautiful water in the world. Putting a reef in the Main in 35 knots of wind. Seeing four new islands. Practicing my Spanish with pretty Puerto Rican girls. Diving for Conch. Fresh Conch salad. Lobster. Empanadas and Medalla's. Playing dominoes with the locals. Seeing every star in the sky. Feeling really small.

The open road

2008-12-02T10:24:00.006-05:00

A song I wrote:

The open road it calls my name
It's not fortune, or power, nor is it fame
But blacktop and freedom and some new place
The open road it calls my name

My good gal she is left behind
At times I think I've lost my mind
To leave a girl as fair as she
But the open road can be unkind

The open road it calls my name
My heart it cannot yet be tamed
For the unknown and unseen haunt me still
The open road it calls my name

My addiction is not to whiskey or dice
About hookers and cocaine I don't think twice
Just waves and cultures and people I'll meet
The open road it is my vice

And I'll travel this road until I die
And then I'll go up into the sky
And when I pass through those pearly gates
Down that open road I will fly

NYC

2008-09-29T22:33:00.006-04:00

I went to New York to see Matt play at the Fillmore. Sadly, I don't have any pictures from that event. However, I was able to document the rest of my week in the living, breathing organism that is New York.

Brooklyn Bridge.

My bicycle at the Brooklyn Banks (a famous skate spot).

American Museum of Natural History.

A Rothko piece at the Museum of Modern Art. Probably my favorite thing that I did. The Van Gogh exhibit was awesome. Not to mention Picasso, Pollock, Gustav Klimt, Max Beckman, Andrew Wyeth, and many others.

Trinity Episcopal.

The Financial District was a little uneasy. I came upon a protest of the bailout on Wall Street.

I'm not one for big cities, but NYC is different. It is huge. I like huge cities. I had a blast.

six billion.

2008-09-04T11:53:00.004-04:00

Six billion human beings on the earth; all created in God's image. Six billion noses, twelve billion eyes, sixty billion toes. All six billion of us need oxygen, water, and food to sustain us. We all bleed when we are cut. Every one of us, the terrorist, the mom, the rapist, the head of state, the tribesman, the homosexual, the CEO, the sixth grader, has felt. Felt love, anger, hurt, and hope. We all have so much in common, for we are all made in the image of God.

Yet, all six billion of us are beautifully unique and diverse. Six billion different fingerprints. Six billion sets of dreams, hopes, ambitions, fears. Six billion different outlooks on the world.
This diversity points us to the Great Artist of the universe who cares so incredibly deeply about each part of his creation. Who loves the terrorist, the mom, the rapist, the head of state, the tribesman, the homosexual, the CEO, the sixth grader, all the same. All six billion of us have come up short of his perfect glory. Yet He loves his creation nonetheless. He taught us how to live and showed us how to care for each other. How we treat our six billion brothers and sisters reflects how we feel about Him, our life giving Creator.

Katmai

2008-08-08T10:07:00.007-04:00

Katmai National Park and Brook's falls was mindblowing good. I flew out on a float plane through the misty morning to land on a glassy Naknek lake. When I arrived at Brook's falls I couldn't stop smiling for half an hour. A dozen brown bears sitting in the river, moving about, catching salmon, fighting over salmon, the salmon attempting (mostly in vain) to jump up the falls. It was insane! Possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen. Park ranger Kate gave me lots of interesting info about the bears. They eat about 90 pounds salmon a day and gain 5-6 pounds a day to prepare for the long winter hibernation.

I climbed up Dumping mountain and got completely drenched from the waist down by the tall, wet grass. I was wearing jeans and a pair of thermal underwear. My wool socks and Gore-Tex shoes got soaked too. The hike was three miles round trip and I was alone in bear country the whole way. I sang songs I knew and made up songs to warn the big fellas of my approach.

"Sometimes you gotta get wet
sometimes you gotta get wet
if you're gonna see the valley, from the mountain's top
sometimes you gotta get wet."

The view was well worth the drenching as you could see out across the park in three directions.

Here Fish!

2008-07-31T16:03:00.000-04:00

An adventure is interesting enough in retrospect, especially to the person who didn't have it; at the time it happens it usually constitutes an exceedingly disagreeable experience.

- Vilhjalmur Stefansson

Aggresive. Grueling. Tough. Sleepless. Fast. These are some words that somewhat describe fishing in Bristol Bay. Imagine 250 boats, 32 feet long, all trying to set 1500 feet of gillnet as close as possible to an imaginary GPS line that is guarded by Fish and Game. All USCG rules of the road go out the window. Tempers flare. Middle fingers fly.

Once your skipper feels that the net is suffieciently full of fish, you begin to reel it in on a hydraulic powered drum. As each section of net comes in you have to "pick" each fish out of the net. Sliding your fingers up under the gills and popping out $4.50 (only $.45 was mine). Sometimes the net would have three or four thousand pounds of fish in it. They would pile up a foot high on the deck. Other times there would be only two or three. We did this routine of setting and picking hundreds of times. The first week your hands swell and go numb. The second week they just go numb. By the third week they feel fine.

Fishing was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Would I go back again? Absolutely.

There were many good times too. I met some cool people, saw a unique kind of beauty, and became stronger in many different ways.

I am back in Somerset, KY right now. I hope to add a couple more posts soon with pictures of bears from Katmai National Park and the Kenai peninsula.

Peace.

Post #6: Naknek, AK

2008-07-31T15:09:00.000-04:00

Everything is old in Naknek. It is like going back in time...or maybe like visiting Cuba. There has been hardly any construction since the mid 1900's. Everything is faded. Old rusted machinery- gears, engines, boilers, containers - lying around sinking into the tundra. Naknek is a unique place. Once something goes there, it stays there. It is an island on land. Isolated from the mainland by rugged mountains and soggy tundra.

Post #5: Naknek, Alaska

2008-07-16T02:34:00.000-04:00

My feet are on dry land for the first time in nearly a month...and it has been one of the most difficult months of my life. The sleep comes in one or two hour intevals, often choosing between staying up and eating or catching precious minutes of shut eye. We hit the dock for a night, but still have four of five more days on the water before we throw in the towel for the year. So far we have caught 119,000 pounds of Sockeye salmon, a respectcable number, but not great by any means. We are hoping to scrap another 10 or 15 K out of the next few days.

This has been a great experience, but I look forward to its end and to warm weather. Pictures will be coming soon.

Viva la Revolucion,
Eric T.

Post #4: Anchorage, Alaska

2008-06-04T14:41:00.000-04:00

I arrived in Anchorage yesterday after spending a relaxing couple days rock climbing in the Red River Gorge of Eastern Kentucky. I head out to the small town of Naknek, on Bristol Bay today. I'm not sure if I will have internet access for the next six weeks, but I will try to put some pictures up of the boat and some Salmon! I will also try to put up an address so you can send me packages : )

Until next time, Love and Peace!

Eric T.

Post #3: Somerset, Kentucky

2008-05-27T23:09:00.000-04:00

The sleepy little town of Somerset in south central Kentucky has been my home for the last week and half. Winston's (my great friend and fellow adventurer) family is here and has been treating us right. I can honestly say that I have eaten more food in the last week than any other week period in my entire life. I am trying to fatten up before I go to Alaska. We have been doing work around Winton's Grandparent's property and eating 'till our bellies are bulging every dinner and supper (that's how they say lunch and dinner around here). Winston's Grandfather, Ward Correll, is a very wise man and has taken it upon himself to spend time with us and impart us with some of his wisdom. Most of the time the wisdom is imparted on the Croquet court, a game that the Correll's take very seriously. Needless to say, the Correll family has taken me in as their own.

Another reason for the stop-over in Kentucky is that Winston's Grandmother, Mrs. Regina Correll, is very sick. Please keep her and their family in your prayers.

I leave for Alaska one week from today. I am a little nervous, but mostly excited. Once I am there communication will be limited. I will post the address soon so y'all can send me care packages!

Vaya con Dios,

Eric T.

Post #2: Climbing and Turtle Island

2008-05-18T16:16:00.000-04:00

My girl not lovin' Sweet and Low.

Mmm, horse manure (and Mike from Idaho).

Our home on Turtle Island. A simple and efficient structure with two beds, a desk, and a wood stove.

We put the roof on the lower portion of this barn.

This is the horse drawn mower with some of the Turtle Island horses in the background.

Car camping off the Blue Ridge.

Climbing at Table Rock, in Linville Gorge, NC.

Winston after the first pitch of "Boardwalk" (5.8) at Shiprock, NC.

Check out those handmade shingles!

Thursday May 15th:

"The first full day of work is done on Turtle Island. It was a long day. Started at seven a.m. and ended with supper at eight p.m. We put the whole roof on a barn/carriage house and did a number of other random jobs. There are chores to be done both morning and evening that include moving the goats, feeding the animals, letting the horses to pasture and mucking the horse stalls."

We spent the first part of this week camping and climbing up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It felt great to get back on some rock. The first route we climbed (my first route since last May) was super exposed and sent adrenaline pumping through my body. For a few seconds I wondered why I even liked climbing. Once I pulled through the crux roof and stood on the top all those thoughts got swept away and I couldn't wait to do the next route.

The latter part of the week was spent transported back into the 1800's at Turtle Island Preserve. Working from sun-up to sun-down, cutting firewood, roofing a barn, and shoveling thousands of pounds of horse manure. It was an inspiring experience to work beside Eustace Conway, the "modern Daniel Boone" and also a really solid guy from Idaho named Mike Preston.

Made it to Kentucky this morning where I will be working for the next couple of weeks before heading to Alaska on June 3rd.

Experiences make life rich. People make life rich. You make my life rich. Thanks for caring enough to read this.

Much Love,
Eric T.

Post #1: Turtle Island Preserve

2008-05-12T12:02:00.000-04:00

So, I'm gonna try and keep everyone posted with where I am at and what is going on with this thing. We've been on the road for about 5 days now. Here is what I wrote in my journal last night:

"Well, right now I am at Turtle Island Preserve, the 1000 acre spread of Mr. Eustace Conway himself. Winston called today to see if we could come out. They called back a couple hours later and said it was cool, but be ready to work. We finally made it after about six turns on backcountry roads southeast of Boone, NC. You can't drive onto the land, you have to park and walk up. We crossed a covered bridge over a little mountain creek, walked through some woods, then started to see rustic wooden buildings with homemade shingles pop up. Some guys were working on a barn nearby so we walked over that way. A man put his hammer down and introduced himself to us as Eustace in a very soft, slow, Appalachian accent. His hair was in long, grey, Willy Nelson braids, and he was wearing dirty jeans, an old flannel, and a toolbelt. Winson and I jumped right in and went to work for the next three hours until dark. Moving logs for the sawmill was the best. After the work was done, the animals fed (horses, mules, goats, chickens, turkies, trout), and the horses let out to pasture, it was time for supper.

A bunch of cast iron pots sat over a fire in the "dining hall". Eustace said grace and we chowed down on fresh greens picked from the garden that day, bar-b-que chicken from the farm, homemade bread, and corn pudding from corn they grew. We sat around the fire eating and talking with Eustace, Desere, Mike (who rode his bike to the preserve from Idaho), and Woodward from Nashville. It was refreshing. They invited us to stay the night and gave us directions to a little cabin right on a creek. I am listening to that creek as I write to the light of a gas lamp.

Everything here get used, there is no waste. Mike's job for an hour today was to hammer bent nails straight so they could be reused. So far, I am very impressed with Mr. Conway."

At Turtle Island they work Thursday-Sunday, then take three days off. When they work, they work from about seven a.m. to eight p.m. Since it is their weekend no one was really doing anything, so we are going to do some climbing around Boone for a few days and go back to work/learn on Thursday. If everything stays cool with Winston's Grandma, we will work/learn Thursday to Sunday then head to Kentucky.

I had leave Erika yesterday as well. It was sad, but we are going to do just fine.