Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Bill Murphy's LiveJournal:

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Friday, June 26th, 2009
11:02 am	Trail update Hi all! First and foremost; all the friends sending email, boxes, or positive thoughts; it is _so_ appreciated. Time on computers is very limited; to an hour every two weeks recently; so this blanket "thanks!" and "I miss you too" must do. Secondly; I'm over 1k trail miles from the Mexican border where I started! I'm nearly 1200 miles walked since April 6. Feels good. Also surprising to note that there are over 1600 left to go! I'm at about trail mile 1020; in a town called Bridgeport, CA. On the negative side? One hiking pole decided to lose its tip. At a most inconvenient time. I have a minor scuff on my shin to remember the moment by. I also caught the same stomach bug that many in Mammoth, CA have experienced. Didn't have it anywhere near as bad as another hiker friend who got so dehydrated as to need a IV. Back to the positive? Great to live in a time of modern medicine! (Though I got better by just taking it very easy for a few days.) Hopefully over the next hundred miles or so the trail will moderate some (not be over 10k feet and on steep snow; alternated with mosquitoes so bad you consider malaria even though you're in the US...) and that will mean a return to postcard writing! --Bill (1 Comment |Comment on this)
10:24 am	Snow hints Things I wished I knew about snow travel before I came out here... 1) Even if steep; if there's fresh snow on top, there's little danger from sliding. Even a little fresh snow will "plow up" and make a wall stopping you if you slide. 2) If you can kick steps, it must be very steep before it's going to make you slide. Going down, heavy in your heels is quite safe. 3) Rocks make "traps" by melting snow nearby. It's easy to crunch through into a knee (or deeper) hole with a rock right by your leg. This makes getting a skinned knee too easy to accomplish. (Hop from the snow to the rocks.) 4) Pine trees can also be "traps" if they're spring-loaded by the snow. Don't accidentally release one! 5) Avoid flat-spaces. They might be snow-covered lakes. 6) Listen every once in a while; most creeks that are more than ankle deep make noise even when under a snow bridge. 7) Check the head of your ice-axe. If it's not comfortable to grip tightly, wrap with some tape before you get blisters. 8) Just like "boat-legs" you can get snow legs. Makes walking on dry ground interesting for the first few strides after a snow field. 9) Snow reflects. You'll get sun burn in new places. Be sure to save your ear lobes, nose bottom, etc... No kidding, burn can be so bad you bleed. 10) It's easier to just step down into the last persons' post-holes than to make your own. 11) Sun cups look exactly like foot steps. Do not follow. They are not trail. 12) I learned a lot about snow travel! (If you have actual mountaineering training / more snow experience / or know better than me, feel free to correct or expand upon these points.) (Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
1:13 pm	SpringCM supplier of content management on demand breaks agreement with a dissatisfied ex-employee. Hi All, It is only after going to great pains to try to resolve this through more orthodox means; but at this point, I think only the shame of pointing out that "someone is wrong on the internet" is left as an option to me... Sadly, my conclusion is that SpringCM breaks contracts and their word. (Whenever it suits them; even for matters of under 2k dollars; and even when the agreements were with ex-employees who might someday wish to return to work with SpringCM.) SpringCM quoted to me in writing and verbally confirmed (multiple times) what my health insurance costs would be while I would be hiking. Two months into cashing my checks, after my optional COBRA enrollment period was exhausted and I had taken to living in the woods, they asked for (demanded?) three times the money. With negotiation, I could only budge them down to slightly over 2.5x the cost over the 6 months I'll be hiking. This wasn't agreeable to me; and now they refuse to return my first two months checks. Their claim is that coverage was provided. My claim is that it was coverage at a cost I would not have accepted, that I would have used the optional enrollment period as if it were catastrophic coverage of last resort. I say since I didn't get what I asked for, I should be refunded the money. I say I shouldn't pay for their mistakes. They say they "subsidized" my insurance during the first two months of my hike. While it is true; they've paid part of the costs of their mistake; they've left me with a large portion of these costs too. When I make a mistake I try to make sure it doesn't impact others negatively, even if that means it costs me a little bit more... This has been a huge pain to resolve from the trail. Instead of using my internet time to post updates on how my hike has been going, or research water availability in the desert, I've wasted it in correspondence with them. I've told them my side of this too many times. I've said my only recourse left are letters to the BBB and the internet, so here they go... Sadly SpringCM is not a place I think I will return to work at now. I would advise you to avoid entering into contracts with SpringCM. SpringCM does not follow the letter or the spirit of agreements when it is not to their benefit to do so. If you must enter into contracts with SpringCM, I advise waiting till the end of quarter or financial year, as they're sure to give huge incentives to close the deal to make their numbers. I know it reflects poorly on me to have posted such negative words about the company I worked with and for over a period of two years. I am sad that this (poor opinion) is my honest assessment of SpringCM and that we could not come to a better resolution. I will follow up with a letter of complaint to the BBB and possibly a small claims suit to attempt to recover my money, but it seems good relations with SpringCM are unsalvageable. Should you wish to see the overly long exchange I've had with them on this subject to judge who has been unreasonable, contact me. MyJournalName-at-gmail.com will reach me. As I'm hiking, responses can take upwards of two weeks. I can also provide insight into where I feel the problems in the corporate culture are if you happen to be a member of the SpringCM board and are reading this... Maybe there can still be some positives leveraged out of this gone-sour business relationship. COBRA; remember, it's not just the worlds 7th most deadly snake, it's also a big snafu provided by corporate snakes sometimes. --Bill (Comment on this)
1:07 pm	Sierras! Hi all! I'm having a wonderful time. Latest news includes: 1) Crossing several mountain passes above 11k feet, using an ice axe. Sometimes more tricky than I wanted, but mostly just more tiring as knee deep snow/slushie is tough to walk through for miles. 2) Two weeks without seeing a single car! Or road! Not even lights of "city" at night! Knowing I can carry enough on my own back to survive for 2 weeks is liberating. 3) Burgers in town! The Mammoth Burger at a place called "Burgers" was very nice today. 4) Marmots! They're little panhandlers, yet still cute. 5) Books! Having stuff to read is sooo nice. 6) Friends! Sharing the difficulty of navigating on snow with others makes it lots easier. 7) Off trail detours! When picked ahead of time (Thanks to CropDuster for advice!) one can make it into Mammoth by way of hot springs. They overlook a valley that points west and one could watch teh sun set from the warm water. Very nice. 8) Re-Gearing when stuff wears out! Having a rain jacket that zips up is a luxury. There's lots more news, but very little internet time, and sadly I've a rant yet to post... Off to do that next; instead of posting fun stuff. --Pi (From Mammoth, about mile 906 of the PCT) (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 23rd, 2009
4:25 pm	Tehachapi! Hi from the trail! I'm up to about mile 560. I've been hiking with a great crew for the last week, but now all our plans diverge. Town has drawn me in. Two movies yesterday, StarTrek (not very good) and Terminator (better, yet still mediocre). Tons of big meals. Hoping to keep the little fat I've got till I get to the High Sierra in a week. Next computer might be 200 miles or more from here; we'll see. Hope all is good "in the regular world". (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, May 16th, 2009
7:27 pm	Robert Service... There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; So they break the hearts of kith and kin, And they roam the world at will. They range the field and they rove the flood, And they climb the mountain's crest; Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood, And they don't know how to rest. (Comment on this)
Friday, May 15th, 2009
2:28 pm	Saufley's! I'm as far as the Saufley's. They're an incredibly wonderful couple who take all the hikers into their own home. A group of us is watching TV (the strange box of lights) and another group is enjoying the fire pit. Some recent highlights? 1) A rattlesnake 2" from the trail that I noticed just as I was passing it... 2) The red rocks just between the freeway and this house. 3) Knowing the desert is almost done. It has hottened up. It is with great anticipation I head into the high country and in a week will move out of Southern CA into Central CA. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, May 11th, 2009
12:55 pm	Wrightwood! Still moving north; some highlights recently... 1) Trail passed within .5 of a McD's. I ate two meals in under a half hour there. I heard tales of other hikers eating for 6 hours straight. 2) There are signs saying "An endangered toad lives near here" and I think I took a picture of one! 3) I've fallen into some nice groups of hikers; yet still haven't been with any for more than a few days. Tons of awesome new friends though. 4) Climbing when above 7k feet is hard! My lungs need to grow still... Much more to say, but only moments at hte library. Back onto the trail tonight. Miss you all. --Pi (Comment on this)
Monday, April 20th, 2009
5:14 pm	Northbound and rocking! PCT is excellent. Have made it north to mile 110 / Warner Springs. The hot springs pool is excellent. The trail friends are better. The getting lots of mail care of "general delivery" is best! (Though some letters are missing, oh-well.) The hike over from scissors crossing to barrel spring would've been impossible without the help of the people who so generously cache water out there. (Well, difficult without hitching into Julian, some 13 miles away, and carying gallons...) I'm looking forward to: ADZPCTKO (the big party of hikers), the burger at Paradise Cafe, and hopefully finding fuller ridge / the mountain with snow on it just south of I 10 is actually quite passable a week after reports from some serious-hiker-types saying it wasn't. (I can always turn around, hike back to a road, and road walk around, but going over is the plan.) Hope you all are well. --Pi (Comment on this)
Friday, April 10th, 2009
2:31 pm	On Trail! I'm on the trail now; Tim dropped me on at mile 151 on 4/6. Have made it south to Julian (mile 77) on my way to the border. Hope to tag it and then head northward along with the hord of others. Have been seeing more and more hikers on trail every day since I dropped in. First day there were 2; today there were 6 before lunch. For those who like links: http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/tauntaun.html I don't have all the wires needed to put pictures on; from my limited time at the internet; but rest assured; I'm taking them. Eagle rocks was as awesome as I'd hoped. (Comment on this)
Saturday, April 4th, 2009
6:22 pm	How nice... An afternoon in a park, sun, mountains. Reading the Watchmen comic now that I've seen the movie. I start to see some of the reasons Tim & Meryl like it here. (Comment on this)
Friday, April 3rd, 2009
12:13 pm	Out to California! Things enjoyed so far include: 1) Reunion dinner with Grinnell Friends; Jason & Renee, Dan & Laura, and 5(!) kids! 2) Finding out what a friendly town Lawrence Kansas is. 3) Seeing a Cyote out the Amtrak window 4) Crossing Cajon Pass (by train) only to return there several weeks from now by foot... And people say thru-hiking isn't the easiest way to get to somewhere... Now on to visiting with Tim & Meryl (the second of whom I've enjoyed a very nice brunch with already!) (And to work on using less exclaimation marks. Don't want to wear them out!) (Comment on this)
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
12:01 pm	Places to eat when I return from the trail... I remember how crazy-hungry I was on the AT. Probably I'll feel like that in the high sierra again. I'd suppose that I'll return with a desire for a half gallon of ice cream every week on top of seconds at most meals. In light of that, I'm collecting a list of places to possibly visit when I get back. Places to go have an eating-fest. Places like the breakfast buffet at the Hilton on 95th st, or brunch on the 95th floor in downtown. In considering & researching this, I came across the following <http://www.southtownstar.com/lifestyles/lifefood/1422733,021209chadvsfood.article>... Anyone interested in joining me in October? (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, February 20th, 2009
10:50 am	Gear What gear will I be taking? 9.75lbs in my pack, plus clothes I'll be wearing. I hope to post a gear list and some photos. Till then, rest assured, I'm not taking this sleeping bag... (from <http://www.random-good-stuff.com/2009/02/19/sleeping-bear-pack/>) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 19th, 2009
4:09 pm	I find myself so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement only a free man can feel... I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope. --Red, The Shawshank Redemption (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
5:10 pm	We shall not cease from exploring And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And shall know the place for the very first time. (excerpt'd T. S. Eliot) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
12:40 pm	PCT 09... Remote for detachment, narrow for chosen company, winding for leisure, lonely for contemplation, it beckons not merely north and south but upward to the body, mind and soul of man. - M. Avery Sure; he was talking about the AT, but when I quote him today, I'm thinking of my upcoming PCT hike this year. It's been on my mind for quite some time and it is now time to announce it widely. ( Here are some details for those interested... ) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 12th, 2009
4:22 pm	Firefox and I-E-enstern? Or is it InternetFox and FireExplorer? / Apologies to Rosencrantz, or maybe the other guy. // Can you tell I've been fixing bugs in javascript libraries shipped by microsoft run within Firefox today? /// RandomNumber? 3. RandomNumber? 3. RandomNumber? 3. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009
1:39 pm	WoW! So, I'm playin' Warcraft -- anyone reading this play? I'm Orfal on Misha (Hoard). Post your (screened) character names, and I'll add 'em as friends. I'm only level 10 so far, but might catch up to others someday. ;) (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009
9:35 am	FreeRice.com If you haven't been to FreeRice yet, I suggest you give it a try. Fun vocabulary building game along with lots of other subject-tests and it all helps with a good cause. (1 Comment |Comment on this)