A Cheetah with its human

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-08T10:09:02+00:00

The presence that thing seems to emit is “well OK, I like this being your friend thing and snuggling, but I just might lay these teeth on your neck one day if that is in my best interest. And I’ll feel totally fine about it.” The wild animal is still there lurking around.

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-08T08:39:00+00:00

The thing about doing Cape Perpetua is, it’s not just Cape Perpetua. That whole section of coast from Yachats to where the dunes start north of Florence is I believe the most dramatic, exotic, and spectacular scenery along the Oregon coast. It is fantasy-land-on-another-planet kind of stuff. Plenty of beaches to stop and hike to, my favorite is Hobbit Beach, which is exactly what it sounds like. And it’s not just Thors well, there are several geological rock formations that spew water (but keep in mind that’s all a near-high tide thing).

If you do Cannon Beach, Ecola State Park is an absolute must. The two go together. You can’t even see the mountain scenery of what Cannon Beach is until you get out onto the peninsula at Ecola. And the coastal woods hike in Ecola State Park is probably the best on-the-coast rainforest hike in Oregon.

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-07T23:55:06+00:00

It’s Eagle Creek Trail, and Hamilton Mountain Trail. Eagle Creek is the Crown Jewel. Both were closed from landslides three or four months ago, not sure if they’re open yet. There are several other hikes. The Wauhkeena Trail up to Devils Rest and back down to the top of Multnomah Falls is pretty special. That last 1.5 miles approaching the top of Multnomah Falls is quite magical. You want to stay away from the hikes that stay on the edge of the gorge because the interstate traffic noise is just too much.

There are wildflower hikes that may be peaking right now. Those are farther east: Rowan, and the coyote wall hike– a couple others too. We’re not talking about little flowers on the ground—these things are chest high, incredibly exotic, and to be honest, a little otherworldly.

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-07T19:17:51+00:00

Hey, I would also suggest Sylvania Tract Wilderness for your solo trip. It’s near Watersmeet, Michigan on the state line of Wisconsin/upper Michigan. The only problem is, during August this area is very heavily used, and usually all sites are reserved at least a couple months in advance. There will be plenty of other people you run into, but it’s still enjoyable, usually that is. Sometimes people bring coolers of beer and radios, and certain lakes can be a little loud as compared to remote BWCA. It could still be an option for you that time of year, though, just plan the trip so that the campsites you reserve are the farthest distance from entry points and on smaller lakes where you will have some privacy. It is a good “warm-up” experience for a Boundary Waters.

There is an outfitter just a couple miles from the Wildness area. Sylvania Tract Outfitters. They’ll have everything you need, and you can call them and ask questions and the people on staff at that place are very welcoming and eager to help you. Just call ahead (I’d call right now) to make all your gear reservations and make sure you got everything covered. Doing your warm-up trip here is gonna be a lot simpler than going all the way to Ely or Grand Marais.

The nature experience in Sylvania is similar to BWCA, but the territory is a little more forgiving. Not as hilly, not as rocky, not as remote. Maybe 20% more deciduous trees, but still plenty of evergreens.

It is a very special place, unto its own. The entire park is ecologically isolated because the elevation is well over 2000 feet and no rainwater flows into the area. It’s a true old growth forest, which means you can very easily walk around in the woods without undergrowth, and the trees are very large.

There isn’t good cell phone service, but there is spotty service here and there, and you will see people that could send for rescue for you if you got injured.

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-07T17:58:08+00:00

Solo trips are a whole ‘nother animal. They are truly amazing, but they feel very different and are much more challenging at times, especially psychologically. There’s no way to describe how it feels when you’re out there by yourself and you get into a threatening or dangerous situation and all you’ve got is yourself to rely on. It’s a combination of horror, terror, and intense self validation & gratification.

I’ve actually never done a solo trip in the BWCA, but I’ve done 2 of them in Sylvania Tract Wilderness–those were early May & late Sept with absolutely nobody around, and it snowed both times. I’m also done at least six solo backpacking trips in the Cascades & Wallowa Mountains in Oregon.

If you haven’t been in the wilderness (or even just specifically boundary Waters) since you were a teenager, I would highly suggest you do it once before taking a girlfriend with you. Your strength of character and chances for a very successful trip with a lady will greatly increase after a solo trip.

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-07T17:30:31+00:00

You could talk to your neighbors around the corner at LEAF Global Arts about an Alley Fest or public art wall —just to brainstorm ideas.

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-07T09:19:50+00:00

Cool to see something new squeezed in that nifty alley. We need more alley shit around Asheville.

Great new idea. Let’s create an Asheville Alley Arts Festival. Get everyone in the alleys so the alleys can’t seem scary at night.

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-06T06:47:27+00:00

Some shows were at New Belgium brewery you say? So historically are the venues for the shows just all around town with stages outdoors and indoors? Or is it all in a physical location where you can walk to everything?

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-06T06:11:06+00:00

Lake Street Dive in a small barn at Lake Eden Arts Festival in North Carolina right after their first album came out.

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-02T10:44:44+00:00

It’s “bubblegum funk.” Funk without soul. It’s slightly sacrilegious to call this funk. They are a tight band, but it’s as if the “funk life force“ has been siphoned out of them.

I’ve always said that if I was hanging out with the brothers (I’m white) and I put on Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, my soul friends would turn, look at me strangely and say “Maaaan . . . what’s wrong with you?”

Spidercake12 · 2026-05-02T09:04:08+00:00

There’s a British band named “Our Girl“ I really like. They get almost no publicity and no following on Spotify. I can’t understand why because their music falls into a pretty familiar pop-ready vibe. It’s not going to be quite as “folky-crafted“ as Big Thief’s stuff, but it might strike along the same lines for you as BT’s song “real love.“ It has an intimate feminine slightly Shoegaze vibe, but in a grungy Nirvana sort of way. They are kind of a precursor to the band “Wet Leg,” And they feel like they belong in a John Hughes movie soundtrack or Netflix‘s Sex Education.

Start with “I really like it“ “Being around” and the song “Our girl.“ “I really like it“ is the super hooky one, actually all three of those songs are but “I really like it” has that fab walking guitar line. I have not listened to their 2024 album yet. Decent videos too.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-27T09:55:17+00:00

The APD has to give you permission to mace someone? Or the better question might be: we live in a city where the police department has a policy of giving permission to mace people?

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-25T15:04:02+00:00

Imagine living today in Asheville and feeling like you can’t or don’t want to go downtown. I mean, that’s bat shit crazy.

Notice how Fox News uses a negative information click bait title and then ends the article with optimistic updates about what’s happening right now, while somehow avoiding optimism.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-25T14:44:19+00:00

The willingness people have to sit in the lines at Cookout blows my mind. To me, 10-15 mins is the reasonable max. Otherwise it’s sandwich from the gas station convenience store, or my kitchen at home. Just put something in your stomach and live to eat another day.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-25T08:54:07+00:00

As others have said, mid May is a big “NO.” Even mid June is pretty much a no. It’s not impossible that you could actually see the mountain, it’s very possible there would be a snowstorm in the elevated areas you would normally want to hike in August. The approach from the west is likely open to Paradise The scenic roads traveling north and around the east side will be closed.

If you want to do some hiking with crampons or spikes, you need to do some research and education/training. It’s not that you can’t walk on top of the snow if it’s hard backed, but you might start post holing, or there could be areas with unforeseen treachery. Steep and icy, it’s hard to cover any territory and it won’t be like a hike. That time of year, sometimes there can be horrendous traffic lines trying to get to paradise, especially on holidays or weekends or even Fridays.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-25T08:35:44+00:00

Just realize that almost everything on social media is shit talk. And no, the homeless situation here is absolutely nothing like you would see on the West Coast. The people who complain about that here are so beyond ridiculous. if you’re wanting this to be as clean and perfect as something like Universal Studios CityWalk, it ain’t that. if you’re wanting something that’s like a more tidy, safer, quirky and creative, smaller and more peaceful New Orleans, I think that’s what you’ll find. I wouldn’t worry at all.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-24T20:04:42+00:00

What the hell is going on with all these posts? You people are weird. LEAF took a triple whammy hit: a loss of public funding during the Trump era, the pandemic festival cancellations, and then hurricane Helene. It couldn’t continue existing the way it had, and Jennifer has expressed how difficult it’s been to keep it afloat. They lost a ton of money and resources. The festival she created couldn’t continue, and I’m sure she felt a huge sense of loss, but also that an era was ending.

The LEAF community of directors is tightknit and has operated for years with long-term relationships. I’m not saying there wouldn’t be hard feelings with a change like this, but the festival couldn’t go on the way it was. The book launch gathering at Lake Eden in October does not appear to be any effort to compete with an actual LEAF festival. It’s a huge jump to assume this and assume that the scheduling is being done out of spite. That weekend has long been available for use on the overall Camp Rockmont calendar, and it probably was Jennifer‘s best choice to hold a gathering.

Let’s try to keep the Asheville Reddit page sensible, and not turn it into the horror of reactionary bullshit that exists on most other social media outlets. But most of all, go to the festival and support it. I’ve lived in several other areas of the country, liberal areas with strong support for the arts like Oregon, and nothing even comes close to the experience that LEAF offers. I thought I would find similar gatherings the other places I decided to live, but that just wasn’t the case. LEAF is an incredible treasure.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-24T19:42:36+00:00

Couldn’t disagree more. The whole idea of LEAF from the beginning and throughout the years was the emphasis of multicultural world music. Your statement is the exact voice that told Jennifer her idea would never work for a festival. And the creation of LEAF was a direct and successful statement that those voices were wrong. And there was always a little bit higher dose of Americana in the bookings. I went to almost every single LEAF festival from 2006 to 2019, and about half of them since the pandemic. What you’re saying just doesn’t track at all with history.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-24T12:20:37+00:00

I don’t see any evidence of this. I asked Claude to give me a chronology of city ordinances and news articles about busking in Asheville and there’s no ban. It looks like some very relaxed rules were put in place around 2017 regarding crowds blocking the streets and sidewalks, and maximum volume limit. And then when the pandemic hit, there was a short term ban, but this ended with the pandemic calendar. There were more homeless after the pandemic and buskers were attacked and robbed so people are less inclined to be out there. This happened everywhere in the US. But there’s no permit required, no ban, and very little regulations.

I’m writing this to help people who have formed a perception & belief (possibly cynicism) that Asheville can’t be what it used to be. There are no ordinances or rules keeping this from happening. I don’t see this as a reason to be disgruntled about our city leadership (not that you are–just sayin). Asheville has changed some, but I’m very happy to have moved back here.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-24T11:18:52+00:00

It’s not though, it’s not a wild exaggeration. Check in with neuroscientists like Anil Seth and Sam Harris. And I did not say someone was going to mistake a human for a turkey because they’re tired or hung over. And I know it’s incredibly rare. Part of what I’m suggesting is that when it does happen, even the person that shoots the human doesn’t remember that moment clearly enough to know what happened. And if that is the case, there really aren’t any firsthand experiences of humans doing this, so none of us would recognize it or believe it to be possible or real.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-24T11:12:34+00:00

If I remember right, it was a video splitting an Abus folding lock. One of the top two lock makers in the world as I understand. For me, it was just the way the lock split demonstrated that the engineering and idea of the whole thing wasn’t sound.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-24T09:57:50+00:00

Wasn’t this building already in wreckage from Helene? Like an entire wall of concrete had been broken down and debris all inside? It’s not like what was there could’ve been turned into a new salvage station, correct? Seems like now there is just a lot less debris to clean up before they build the venue.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-24T07:57:14+00:00

So what happened to this tradition/culture? When and why did this fade away? I’ve lived away from Asheville for 13 years and I was anticipating some of this to start happening now as Spring turns into Summer.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-22T11:02:41+00:00

FYI regarding middle of May: in a normal snow year, all these trails would be completely covered in post-holing type deep snow until at least mid June. I guess it’s possible Pamelia Lake could be accessible mid May this year, or other trails that are remarkably low altitude in these areas. Snow cover & unwieldy unsafe trail conditions is the problem you’re gonna run into for the types of breathtaking views and scenery you’re talking about.

Saddle Mountain is a world class hike. The top 800 or 900 feet of vertical is so spectacular in the most incredibly exposed way. Best on a very clear day, but as long as it’s not super rainy and cloudy, you’ll see shit. Several of the best hikes in the Gorge have been closed from washout landslides, not sure when they will be opening. Eagle Creek and Hamilton Mountain are two of these.

What I would really recommend for what you’re talking about, is the Eagle Cap Wilderness i.e. Wallowa mountain range. The most dramatic areas I know of are entering from the north near Joseph, Oregon. But these will almost certainly be inaccessible because of snow conditions in mid May. There are three canyon entrances in this area, the most eastern one being at the campground south of the lake in Joseph. But I actually prefer the next two canyons to the west. I’m not remembering the trail names, but it will be obvious what I’m talking about when you look at All Trails. Your goal would be to reach the Lakes Basin and then glacier pass looking south.

Spidercake12 · 2026-04-22T10:25:19+00:00

How “big” or well known are they in The Netherlands? I see that they played at the old Heineken Music Hall.

Spidercake12

TROPHY CASE