Nature Goddess: Lands End Hike

Last weekend, Jade and I braved San Francisco during Fleet Week to do the Lands End hike.  This hike is one of my favorites.  Although there are some stairs, this is a fairly flat and easy hike.  If you go at the right time (i.e., not summer when the fog is the worst in the mornings), you have gorgeous views of the ocean and Golden Gate Bridge for the majority of the time you're on the trail.  And you can hike a mile, or you can wander into the multi-million dollar neighborhoods and continue your exploration.  My ultimate goal is to hike from the Lands End/Sutro Baths point to the Golden Gate Bridge.  My understanding is that you have to walk through neighborhoods, down to the beach, then back up onto the trail, to make it happen, so it will be a little more challenging.  I believe it is about 4.5 miles one way.  

I park at the lot near the Lookout Visitor's Center.  It is right past Ocean Beach (if you're coming from the south), and the former Cliff House restaurant (which closed last year due to lease issues), at the lot that overlooks the Sutro Baths.  I prefer this lot because there have been an increased report of break-ins in the area, and I feel like it's a busy lot with enough people around to (hopefully) deter the criminals.  The lot fills up pretty early, so I would suggest you start your hike by 8 AM (or go in the afternoon when it might be less crowded).  10 AM seems to be the busiest time.

Once you're on the trail, there are so many options.  As discussed above, you can get right on the trail and head out for as far as you'd like.  You can take the stairs down to the Sutro Baths to explore the remains of the buildings.  You can just go chill by the Cliff House and hope for a view of dolphins or whales.  Jade and I got lucky the first time we hiked here and got to see dolphins from the window of the restaurant (we had breakfast before the hike because rain and 50 degree weather was not the biz...).  It's a beautiful place with a mix of ocean and trees against the Golden Gate backdrop.  

This trip, we got right on the trail at 8 AM.  It was Fleet Week and I had looked up the schedule for the Blue Angels, only to find that activities were running 10 AM to 4 PM.  My goal was to see the Blue Angels from the trail.  Technically, the show is on the other side of the Golden Gate in the Marina District, but they fly over the Golden Gate, so I knew we would get to see it as well.  We wandered down the trail, and even into the neighborhood to oooh and ahhh at some of the gorgeous ocean-facing homes.  Eventually, we turned around because my hope was to see the jets flying through the Golden Gate.  As we walked back, we took a side trip to a cliff that overlooks the ocean.  It would have been the perfect place to see the Blue Angels.  Except...their show didn't start until later in the afternoon.  The generic schedule I got didn't tell me exactly when they were flying.  In fact, no one was flying until almost noon.  Since it was only about 10:30 AM, we decided we wouldn't wait another hour or more to see planes.  However, while we were excitedly waiting for the show to start, we got to see whales in the ocean.  At first I thought it was a pack of sea lions, but they had blow holes and they moved more like whales.  It was pretty cool.  I always hope to see something like that on my ocean-front hikes, but it is pretty rare it actually happens.  It definitely made the trip that much more special.

There are a couple of cut-outs with benches along the trail, which are nice for breaks, a snack, or just to take in the views.  The trail is dog-friendly (which has been difficult for me to find lately).  Although, my dog really does better off-leash, so dragging her away from every other dog or awesome smell she needed to check out wasn't all that fun.  Many dogs we ran into were off-leash.  I couldn't trust my dog there since she will chase a squirrel over a cliff without a second thought.  Our hike ended up being about 4.5 miles.  

If you're looking for a San Francisco hike, this is my number one pick.  I had scheduled the Lands End to Golden Gate hike last Thanksgiving then ended up hurting my knee, so I canceled.  Now that my six month long run of injuries are healed, I think maybe it is time to reschedule so I can make it in for this year's 52 hike challenge.  

It was a Timber Brown weekend!

When Robert aka Cowboy Wild decided to make his birthday party a benefit for Timber Brown's organization, Timber's Kids, we thought it would fun to invite him but figured it was a shot in the dark on whether he would have time to come out for it (or even want to...hello, we are virtual strangers asking him to fly out and perform on a promise that we are supporting his cause).  It never hurts to ask and this one paid off big time.

Timber's Kids is a charity that supports children who may have had rough childhoods and allows him to bring circus opportunities to them.  If you would like to support the cause, please donate HERE.  If you work for a school or other organization that would like to have Timber come out, please contact him. 

I first saw Timber perform at California Pole Dance Championships in 2011.  I was mostly only familiar with what I consider "traditional" pole dancers at the time, which consisted of female dancers.  Think Natasha Wang, Phoenix Kazree.  Beautiful dancers and athletic - yes, but they still were not doing anything like Timber was doing at the time.  CPDC was on stage poles that year and Timber blew my mind and probably almost knocked over the poles.  I interviewed him in my blog the same year.  [You can read that post HERE.]  Timber and I spoke on the phone before I sent him my questions and the one thing I took away was how sweet he was. 

Fast forward to Pole Expo 2013.  Timber was in the middle of his America's Got Talent ride and I finally got to meet him in person.  Sometimes I don't like meeting famous people.  I don't like to ruin my vision of them.  But again, I was very taken with what a nice person he was.  So when Robert wanted Timber at his birthday this year, I felt like we had nothing to lose by asking.  Timber not only came through but far-exceeded our expectations. 

Timber flew out last Friday and we went on an adventure in San Francisco.  We rode BART and Muni.  Timber climbed things.  Tall things.  [There was only one rule: he couldn't get arrested...death was fine, but handcuffs were not...until Sunday, that is!]  There were handstands in the Marina overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.  We had cupcakes to celebrate Robert's birthday.  It was really a beautiful day (minus our sunburns).  That evening, Timber taught a private class at Twirly Girls and, after dinner for Robert's birthday, we went back to the studio for more fun on the pole. 

Timber brought a really fun new aparatus with him.  He has fashioned a chair to a spinning pole and the things he can do on it are pretty amazing.  The working title of the chair is Timber Brown's Pole Chair.  There is a patent pending.  Check out some play time at Twirly Girls:



I think one of the things I admire most about Timber is the intensity and the honesty in his performances.  It doesn't matter who is in that chair.  The eye contact is there and that person feels like they are the only person in the room.  I'm not sure Timber meant for his chair to be a lap dance tool but it sure did work out for Robert and his birthday!

Our fun continued on Sunday, as we returned to San Francisco to watch Robert's husband as Holotta Tymes in Sunday's A Drag at the Starlight Room.  We ate a delicious brunch and enjoyed the show from the front row.  We then went back to Walnut Creek, where we held Robert's birthday show to benefit Timber's Kids at Club 1220:  Cowboy Wild's Pole-Tacular Birthday Extravaganza.  You can keep an eye out on my YouTube channel for video of the performances, but I just couldn't wait to get Daisy's lap dance up for everyone to enjoy.  She donated $110 in order to enjoy this special performance up close and personal! 



In the end, over $1,800 was donated to Timber's Kids.  We are so touched that Timber was able to join us for the weekend and I'm so proud of how Robert is flourishing, both as a person and a pole dancer.  Thank you to every single person who made this weekend so amazing.  I can't wait to do it again! 

Check out a few photos from our adventures below:

Kate providing a lovely base for Timber's handstand

I caught him fair and square!!



Timber in SF -- to which a lady screamed: BE CAREFUL!



Timber in front of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel before brunch on Sunday



Hey, you're wearing my shirt!

Getting all up in Cassandra Cass

 

Holotta Tymes, Timber and Donna Sashay at the Starlight Room

Daisy enjoying Timber's awesome pole chair

Cake by Jessica!

Timber doing his thing

Another poletastic weekend.  Thank you to Robert and Dale for including me in the birthday celebrations, thank you to Kate for joining us this weekend, to AJ, Seanmichael, and all of the Twirly Girls.  To 1220.  To everyone who attended the show.  To everyone who participated in the show.  ESPECIALLY TO MY BACK-UP DANCERS!  And to Timber.  What an amazing soul.  I look forward to doing this again!  Until next time...keep twirling!  (Or twisting...that's for you, Steve!)

Volare Variety -- A burlesque show in San Francisco!

A couple of years ago, I noticed a local pole dancer on my social media feeds.  She seemed like a cool chick and she was on a crusade to create a pole venue that could be used for lessons and shows.  I now consider Kate a good friend and one of my favorite polers in the world.  Her routines are always extremely dynamic and interesting to watch. 

Kate has now created a burlesque/variety show and it will be unveiled in San Francisco this January 4, 2014:  "Taking Burlesque to new heights, Volare Variety is San Francisco's brand new variety showcase. Drag Queens, Pole Artists, Boylesque & More! Prepare to be amazed with visions of extreme physical talent and neo-Burlesque set to the sound of classic tunes.
For more information, please visit: www.volarevariety.com."

While I will not be performing at this event, I will be there as an usher and to support Kate in her latest adventure!  Many of my friends are performing in this show.  I am so excited, I could almost pee my pants!  I'll control myself though.  I don't want to make a mess here at the day job. 

Please like the Facebook page HERE.  

The Facebook event page is HERE.

And you can buy your tickets HERE.   

Stage Werx is a very intimate theater, so don't wait until the last minute to get your tickets.  This show will be a sell-out.  Hope to see you there!  In the meantime, enjoy some photos from our awesome photoshoot (with only some of the cast, as a freezing early Sunday morning in San Francisco was not the bees knees for everyone) at a secret location in San Francisco.  Shout out to Jo-Jo Jones Photography! 

Pole Etak's Quest For A Pole Venue in San Francisco!

You are known as Pole Étak on Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook...  Do you have an actual studio location?

 

I call myself "Pole Étak" for a couple reasons, the main one being a type of branding that's in line with my other creative endeavors: Étak Productions which is my film making business and Club Étak which is the name of this upcoming venue (It's pronounced "Attack" and is "Kate" backwards, in case anyone didn't catch that). The other reason the name "Pole Étak" exists is to connect my students that I have privately at my in-home studio and my students from the Crunch gyms in the Bay Area. I don't have a "proper" studio yet, but the intended day use of Club Étak will be to act as my new legit studio (the awkward moment of inviting strangers into my apartment is nearing an end).

 

 

You are trying to get a pole-friendly performance venue in the San Francisco area (I live near SF and am 100% supporting you).  Here is the Kick Starter link, but also tell us in your own words about the venture and what you hope to accomplish.

Please watch the video and DONATE here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/219102719/club-etak-a-performance-venue-and-dance-studio

 

I've been trying to condense the multitude of beautiful reasons why San Francisco should house a pole performance venue, and I think I've narrowed it down to this: The stigma we as pole dancers encounter every day is at times tolerable, but also at times tiring and endless. How are we to show the public our incredible art form when all we have are the bright neon lights of Broadway's topless venues jading their opinions, and the exclusivity of private pole studios unintentionally shying away the average interested patron? If we have a dedicated venue where we can expose the public to pole dancing as we know it, then we will certainly empower our path to a more objectively valued and respectable community, rather than just subjective.

 

Oh, and it's just going to be incredibly kick-ass...

Do you already have a venue/location in mind?

 

There's a couple spaces I'm eyeing - but the main goal is to find a space near to BART/CalTrain so it will be easily accessible by all of the Bay Area. My students aren't just here in the City, so I know they would appreciate easy access (and of course those hailing from the East Bay would like that too!)

Which other local pole celebrities or studio owners have teamed up with you for this project?

 

Besides you my dear Lori?! Unfortunately no one has committed to teaming up with me at the moment. I've had interest from a few studios in the East Bay, but no interest (yet) from the ones currently operating in San Francisco and the South Bay. I'm hoping that my feature in this blog may persuade them that this is a legitimate venture and that I want to team up with literally everyone I can. I love networking and I LOVE pole dancing so I hope this one space can eventually bring us all together.

 

 What is your pole dancing background?  (What brought you to pole and how long have you been poling?)

 

I was a receptionist for Crunch Fitness for many years and really was not the epitome of health for the longest time (University habits got the best of me and stuck). So when they installed the poles upstairs at the Chestnut St. location 2 years ago, I almost was dared to go up and try. I was quite grumpy about it and thought everyone was pretty skanky, but then I had the "moment." I think it was when I did the pretzel spin pretty quickly and nobody else got it, and my instructor complimented me up the wazzoo. I had never been complimented like that, let alone for something athletic (which I never was). The mere dose of instant confidence in my body as a temple (which I previously thought of as a temple's dumpster) encouraged me to practice like crazy. Soon I started subbing classes for Crunch, and last year became a certified X-Pert Pole Instructor (HIGHLY recommend that, by the way). Now I am the regular instructor for Crunch Chestnut & San Mateo and nothing makes me feel more joy than finding girls like me who are starting from scratch and complimenting them just like my first instructor did for me. All about positive reinforcement, in my book. 

Have you participated in any competitions?

 

I have not. Eventually one day I'd like to, but I'm very realistic about my body and my current limits. One has to be in that competitive mind-set in order to push their bodies to greatness, and right now my mind is more set along the lines of playing host to those people who really are interested in going the step above what they thought they could do.

It feels like the pro/competition pole dancers are all going the route of contortion and extreme tricks.  Do you feel like something is lost from pole dancing when it is all tricks and no dance?

 

I think about this a ton actually...but in a way I don't feel comfortable criticizing the way someone wants to perform, whether to impress or to inspire. What I can say is what I feel myself - and I do know that when I'm focused on trying to mimic the Pole Stars' Extreme Tricks I become instantly miserable as a human being. It's frustrating, and I lose that confidence I once gained. The beauty of incorporating "dance" with the pole is that you can have an amazing outlet for all sorts of emotions. It doesn't matter if I dance well or if my split isn't flat or if my "lines are gorgeous" or anything like that - what matters is what is portrayed to the audience and what is felt in myself as a performer. I go at my own pace, and would prefer it if everyone did as well. It's nice to have different tiers and sectors and genres of pole dancing, though, so there is always something to aspire to. To each, her own.

 

 Tell us something that people would be surprised to hear about you?

 

People tend to be surprised by the multitude of things I participate in. I'm really all over the place and it confuses the average friend of mine. I have a habit of learning as many things in this life that I can, but never mastering them. Examples: I can read and write Arabic, speak French, write and produce short films, paint with India Ink, play guitar and piano and sing, and do triathlons and running races - but I've never mastered any of these subjects. I call myself the Jane of All Trades, Master of Some. I find it makes the life way more enriched, and it really tends to confuse and surprise anyone that meets me.

Besides this awesome project, what else does 2012 hold for you?

2012 is really revolving around this project, but the second biggest thing I'm looking forward to is participating in the Olympic Distance London Triathlon in September. I still don't understand how I'm going to ship my bike over to England, let alone myself...

I really understand the need for venues that are pole-friendly and hope that everyone will support Kate in her quest (or maybe you can start one for your area!).  Please join Pole Étak on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter.

Bari-Buddies: Walnut Creek Weight Loss Surgery Support Group

Our little gastric bypass/weight loss surgery support group is really growing!  It is so exciting.  I know a lot of people, like myself, had surgery in San Francisco or other areas far away from their home and can't make it to support group meetings, so it's nice to have a local group of people.  I am also really excited that a couple of people have found the group through my blog.

We meet once a month -- the first Tuesday of each month from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek, California.  We welcome pre- and post-op patients.  We have gastric bypass, lap-band and gastric sleeve patients in attendance.  There is no cost to attend.  You can also bring friends and family for support.  In fact, we encourage it! 

Please join our Bari-Buddies group on Facebook for more info.  Even if you aren't local, we share recipes and other fitness or health related advice for weight loss surgery patients. 

https://www.facebook.com/BariBuddies

http://lolorashel.blogspot.com/2011/04/gastric-bypass-support-group.html

See you next month!

The Lovely Rita's National Kidney Walk in San Francisco

So the day we have been gearing up for finally arrived!  The 5k walk for the National Kidney Foundation -- which is the reason Twirly Girls hosted the fundraiser -- was on Saturday, May 8th.  It was a beautiful clear day in the city (although fairly windy and cold)! 

I joined Rita, her husband (Dave), her daughter (Kate), her mom (Marge), and our friend (Robert), along with other friends (ran into Jim and Mike...hi guys!!!) to walk along the Embarcadero.  We questioned whether it was a full 5k (when we first saw the 2k sign, we thought out loud...no way). 

I'm sure Rita was proud to hand over her large donation of, what I believe was, close to $3,000.  I am touched that so many people came together to make that possible.  We love the Twirly Girls!  Here are some photos of our fun trip to the city!