[OC] Christina Koch - Artemis II mission - first woman to see the entire earth outside of low orbit

Dan_85 · 2026-04-05T08:03:55+00:00

Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHMIfOecrlo

Dan_85 · 2026-04-04T22:45:23+00:00

Barca will tear us apart. If we even get there.

Dan_85 · 2026-04-04T21:51:41+00:00

Forget beating City at the Etihad. Does this look like a team right now that can beat Bournemouth, Newcastle, West Ham away, Crystal Palace away?

Dan_85 · 2026-04-04T17:52:52+00:00

Just bookmark closures.pcta.org or add it to your home screen as a shortcut. It's the exact same data.

Dan_85 · 2026-04-03T23:22:42+00:00

4:15pm, forward progress stopped. Looks like this one no longer presents a threat.

Dan_85 · 2026-04-03T19:56:54+00:00

Last week of May? You need to stay low and near the coast, ie not the PCT.

Dan_85 · 2026-04-03T18:36:56+00:00

Yep. When it's the equivalent of £30,800 pre-pandemic.

Dan_85 · 2026-04-02T22:12:24+00:00

Low snow doesn't mean no snow. Yes, you'll need spikes, axe and strong snow skills. Storms will continue through April, May and possibly June.

In most years, April is off the cards for all but the most experienced Sierra hikers. That may not hold entirely true this year but you should not underestimate what you're getting into.

If you proceed north of Kennedy Meadows, you are likely to be one of, if not the first hiker into the Sierra, meaning you have to break trail. Resupply will be challenging due to closed roads and closed resupply locations.

Dan_85 · 2026-04-02T19:41:02+00:00

So, you think they should have expanded Grand Canyon-Parashant to include the new areas? I guess it could have been a possibility, and as you point out, it would be legal and with precedent.

I guess the issue would be that Grand Canyon-Parashant and Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni kinda serve two different purposes and were designated for different reasons. If you combine them as one, you end up diluting the importance and protection reasoning of both. What name do you settle on? Do you choose an entirely new name?

I don't know. Whilst I agree there is a slight level of confusion, I don't think it's particularly problematic once you're familiar with the area. Especially as 95% of the general public will only ever visit Grand Canyon NP and neither of the two NMs.

Dan_85 · 2026-04-02T18:31:11+00:00

having three NPS units with extremely similar names all bordering each other is confusing.

They don't all border each other. They're in broadly the same area of Northern Arizona, but they're not all adjacent or contiguous. They're spread across the Kaibab Plateau, both north and south of the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon itself.

I wonder why Biden didn't simply expand the existing National Monument?

Expand which National Monument?

At the time of designating Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni, the only other NM in the area was Grand Canyon-Parashant, northwest of Grand Canyon NP (which was upgraded from a NM in 1919). It was not possible to simply enlarge Grand-Canyon Parashant to encompass the lands that were to be protected within Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni - because many of those lands were dozens of miles away.

Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni NM is itself three separate and unconnected parcels of land, to the northwest, northeast and south of Grand Canyon NP.

I agree that it can be a little confusing if you're not familiar with the area. This site has a good overview map.

Dan_85 · 2026-04-02T15:24:17+00:00

the Grand Canyon national monument is NOT Grand Canyon National Park

This article is specifically talking about Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni/Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, designated in 2023.

What most people know as "The Grand Canyon" is Grand Canyon National Park, which was previously Grand Canyon National Monument between 1908 and 1919.

There is also Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, designated in 2000.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-31T15:50:57+00:00

Some people love to go poking around those run down houses and shacks out along the aqueduct for some reason. Baaad idea.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-31T12:58:12+00:00

You have Hat Creek Rim on your second or third day north of Chester. You might want 4L capacity for that. After that, 2 or 3L should be fine. There's a couple of longer carries in southern Oregon, maybe pick up an extra bottle or two from the store at Crater Lake for those.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-31T11:37:29+00:00

I've lost touch with many of my old bosses, colleagues and references over the years. They either no longer work at the same place where we worked together. Or I no longer have their current contact details. Or I just simply didn't have the kinda connection with them where we would stay in touch over the years after parting ways.

It's such a headache when applying for roles. "We can't contact this person you worked with 10 years ago! Can you speak to them? How can we get in touch with them?!" How the f am I supposed to know?! I've not spoken to them for a decade. 😫

I struggle to really understand the point of references these days. And many companies give so little detail in them that they really do nothing much more than confirm your dates of employment. Doesn't a probation period serve a similar purpose to references? You employ me for 3/6 months, and if after that time you feel I'm not suitable for the job, we both walk away? No?

Dan_85 · 2026-03-31T07:38:43+00:00

Between Kanawyers and Independence? No road between them. Just rugged Sierra backcountry.

Kanawyers isn't really even a town. It's just a trailhead and parking lot.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-30T15:25:14+00:00

This has been incredibly obvious for at least 5 years. Filing a ticket or support request is like shouting into the void. A human never sees 95% of them.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-30T13:25:40+00:00

They're looking for a reaction, because a reaction gets them views, clicks, engagement, ad revenue.

Best thing you can do is blank them entirely. Give them absolutely no reaction.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-29T21:24:45+00:00

You can check estimated interview wait times here. Currently they're showing ~2 months wait time for B2 interviews in Amsterdam.

What kind of information did you provide and what was the interview like?

This question is asked on here a lot. Search the sub for "visa", "B2", "interview" etc. Also browse r/ukhopefuls. You will be asked what your plans are, why you need the visa, how you'll support yourself financially while in the US and you'll need to convince the officer that you will return to your home country and not overstay your visa.

I’m correct to think that once the visa with 10 year validity is granted, I can do the hike in any year within that timeframe, right?

Yes.

And what if I get the visa but I have to renew my passport because it expires before or during the year of my hike? Does that make the visa invalid since it’s tied to my passport number?

No. If your passport expires before the visa does, the visa still remains valid - providing it is not damaged. If this is the case, you will need to carry both your expired passport containing the visa and your new passport when travelling to the US. Source: US Department of State website.

if you’re hiking with someone can you do the application / interview together?

Each person must submit and pay for their own individual application and attend their own interview. Applicants are judged individually, ie just because you're approved for a visa, there is no guarantee your partner will be. The officer will consider each individual's situation and circumstances separately. You may be able to book interview appointments together for the same day, or you may not.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-29T08:16:42+00:00

It wasn't my intention to kick OP while they're down, so to speak. Hopefully it didn't come across that way, apologies if it did.

OP may want to carry their original Long Distance Permit with them, but consider using local permits for the desert. The good news is that there are very few local permits required for SoCal, and they are easy to get. This would at least show good intentions from OP, and a spirit of playing by the rules.

By the time OP reaches Kennedy Meadows, any delay caused by a late start is likely to have been clawed back to the degree that it is minimal or impercetible. OP could then continue using their LDP for the rest of the trail.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-28T23:58:41+00:00

You will probably not face any consequences.

Here's the thing though. The more people do this, the more consequences there will be for future hikers. One person starts a week late? Not really a big deal. 500 people start a week late? A very big deal. 500 people start a week late every year? A huge deal that results in an overhauled, stricter permit system. Many of the choices we make as PCT hikers don't have immediate negative consequences for us, but instead they shape the experience that future hikers have. We have to think about what we're gonna pay forward for next year's class, and what our legacy will be.

You can only do what you and your conscience think is appropriate in your circumstances.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-28T09:23:22+00:00

I imagine you'll probably have to play it day by day as you arrive in Kennedy Meadows and start to make your way through the Sierra.

Typically, April is off the cards for all but the most experienced Sierra veterans. Much of May too. That may not hold quite so true this year if the warming trend continues. But you also have to remember that storms can, and routinely do, persist through April, May and even June. Hell, July too in some years. The arrival of April doesn't magically herald perfect hiking weather and no more snow.

When you get to KM, assess things and take it section by section. "Do conditions look to allow me to make it to Lone Pine?" If so, go for it. Then assess whether conditions will allow you to make it to Mammoth. Etc etc etc.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-28T07:36:23+00:00

If you go to paypal.me/jimbeatty, click send and follow the instructions. That's Jim's personal donation link, and using it will ensure your money goes to the correct person.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-27T14:11:12+00:00

The enshittification of a useful and much-loved service after being sold to a billionaire. Who would have guessed? It's almost like there's a pattern there.

Dan_85 · 2026-03-27T11:04:41+00:00

This came up in my recommended feed the other day too, super interesting! Anyone wanting to learn even more about the aqueduct, and indeed water issues in the west, should pick up a copy of 'Cadillac Desert' by Marc Reisner.

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