Journal of an Odd Vagrant

My first time in Nepal! I wrote this post for people who are likewise planning their first trip to this beautiful country and are trying to decide what to start with. I believe Mardi Himal Trek is a great first adventure, because It is a short-ish, five day trek - me and my partner were not sure how fit we really are and how well we are going to handle altitude. The trek tops at 4500m which is decent but not very high. It is (still?) less crowded than Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Base Camp (aka ABC) treks while being in the same general area with ABC. In fact a lot of people bundle ABC and Mardi Himal together. You can do Mardi Himal with no guide which makes it less expensive and somewhat more immersive (now you need to look for lodging yourself). Prices I share are as they were in October 2026. ...

Hello, friends and welcome back! Finally found some time to spare and write about Chamisal Mountain W6/NC-187 activation and my trip along the Lost Coast 4x4 trail. The King Range Conservation Area in Northern California had been on my radar for what felt like forever. Here, Highway 1 veers away from the ocean, leaving the rugged shoreline to hikers and the occasional black bear. Other than some logging operations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this remote area remains largely undeveloped. The jewel crown of the King Range is the Lost Coast hike - two-to-four days track along the shore. For detailed preparation tips, I recommend checking out HikingGuy blog post. Personally, I’ve always struggled with permits: only 60 hikers are allowed on the trail daily during the peak season (May 15–September 15), and just 30 in the off-season. Being a busy (and quite spontaneous) person I never managed to get the permit. ...

This is the Field Day time of the year and as it is customary already, I present you with a new SOTA activation report. My quest for the mountain goat brings us to Oregon, to the foothills of the Mt. Hood. Hiking to the summit of Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain, also known as W7O/CN-032, is a nice half-day activity, and the vistas of Hood are probably the best one can get (given you chance upon a clear day) . ...

Hello friends, It’s Field Day time of the year, providing a good excuse to venture deeper into the Sierras. So, here’s my SOTA activation report for the North Sierra Buttes, also known as W6/NS-139. The weather was fantastic, with clear skies in the morning and a few clouds appearing in the afternoon. Despite the end of June shaded areas in the forest still had a decent layer of snow. I can’t say everything went according to plan, but despite some hiccups, I managed to activate the summit and gained a few valuable insights about my antenna setup along the way. ...

Today’s post is about Bay Hill, aka W6/NC-434 SOTA activation. I can’t say that the summit is of any particular interest to me on its own. It’s just me trying to hit two birds with one stone: I’ve never been to Bodega Bay before, and Bay Hill is the closest SOTA hump. ...