tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76422851159835859212012-02-11T13:41:43.467-08:00Trying to find out where this guy is? Over the years I've found it increasingly difficult to keep in touch with friends or exchange details with new ones. This blog is dedicated letting people know where I am and what I'm up to.Claytonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-33857056625381896422008-06-29T13:52:00.001-07:002008-06-29T13:52:44.917-07:00

Got the chance to hike Half Dome in Yosemite the other day with my Dad, Andris, and Lucas. It's a pretty burly hike (9 hours) and I haven't decided if a) the Park Service is insane for letting people up there orb) it's natural selection in action.There are currently 1000 fires burning in CA, hence the smoke in the air.

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-6501379114725989702008-06-25T00:16:00.001-07:002008-06-25T00:16:19.396-07:00

Last Friday afternoon I left the office early and hopped on a plane for Portland (I know, not very green of me). I meant to make a quick visit and potentially pick up my truck. I managed to make it to another LatinX Night in Corvallis, where it seemed like people weren't all that surprised to see me (it's only been 3 weeks). But that was a good time, and Saturday we went out in Portland for a

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-13144307414042696522008-06-15T23:40:00.001-07:002008-06-15T23:47:05.105-07:00

Climbing at Castle Rock State Park - June 14, 2008Ok I know, that's a dramatic cut from my last post, but everyone keeps telling me to update my blog. So here it is: the update!I just moved to San Francisco on June 1, 2008. It was a dramatic move, typical Clayton style with getting up at 4 am and having to time everything perfectly to get the rental van back in one day, but I made it. I gave a

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-31332845793826668132008-02-27T21:17:00.000-08:002008-02-27T21:31:12.595-08:00

It´s 3:15A.M., and I´m waiting for my taxi to the airport. Due to a major cluster$%&# of airplane reservations and general bad planning, I´ll be changing planes no less than 6 times over the next 36 hours. Oh well, it will be good to get home.I just finished a Tango lesson and the opportunity to dance at a Milonga in Argentina. Talk about sink or swim, after a one hour lesson we were thrown in

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-86404399606829940532008-02-24T13:31:00.000-08:002008-02-24T13:48:24.814-08:00

These people are insane, and I mean that in the most bittersweet kind of way.Last night we had dinner at 12:45 A.M. (yep, that´s technically breakfast), and the restaurant was packed. At 4 A.M. there were still lines out the door to get in to clubs. Long lines; the kind where you get that sinking feeling that this isn´t going to be your night. But nobody seemed to mind. I asked a cabbie when the

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-30197398180461926692008-02-23T06:38:00.000-08:002008-02-24T13:30:30.272-08:00

Today I´m on my way from Bariloche, Argentina, to Buenos Aires. It´s been hard to keep up with anything here, since 17 of the last 24 days were spent backpacking in the Andes and Patagonia.In short, this trip has consisted of two big hiking trips: one in the Northern Chilean Andes (11 days), and one in Southern Argentina (6 days). Both trips had major highlights and included a lot of walking (

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-86501755088898359172008-01-30T04:48:00.000-08:002008-01-30T18:15:52.381-08:00

Well, I´m not sure how it all worked out, but I made it. No sleep for a few days, a lot of last-minute packing, and 24 hours of travel; somehow everything seemed to fall together.Highlights from Sundance 2008:Meeting one of the two survivors of the ¨Alive" crash who after 62 days walked for 10 more out of the Andes.Meeting Josh Tickell, author of From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank and long-time

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-39674322358219968912008-01-17T19:21:00.000-08:002008-01-17T19:33:08.819-08:00

Yes, that's my dream car...It's been a busy week. I was in Detroit for the auto show and that was, well, awesome. My day on Tuesday consisted of having breakfast with the Chairman and CEO of General Motors, then I had a 30 minute radio interview with Timber Talk, then was interview for a short online video segment, ran around the auto show some more, and then spent the next 10.5 hours traveling

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-91121453630692874832008-01-09T20:14:00.000-08:002008-01-09T20:22:03.666-08:00

The year is off to a busy start. While I recently became unemployed, I've been 'reemployed' as the lead writer for Gas 2.0, which means I've been spending a lot of my time at local Portland Coffee shops. It's harder to work here than you might guess, but I'm managing. Gas 2.0 had a great month in December (the month it launched), with somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 views.On Saturday,

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-84945239909598321632008-01-01T11:51:00.000-08:002008-01-01T11:58:29.116-08:00

It's hard to believe it's 2008 -- we're only 2 years from 2010!I'm back in Portland, and will be staying with Robin for the next 2 weeks, while bouncing back to Corvallis to move out of my place there. Most of my stuff has been consolidated or it will be going to Goodwill, so I'm primed for mobility. On the 16th I'll be heading to the Sundance Film Fest, but before that I'll be flying to

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-87079981241635391942007-12-23T10:42:00.001-08:002007-12-25T11:43:59.389-08:00

Got down to Berkeley last night after 12 hours in an '86 VW bus (oh my god...) and staying with David. He's got a real nice apartment near Cal, and within walking distance to some good bars. Needless to say, we drank too many beers while catching up last night.Off to the higher elevations on Monday at some point.Happy holidays....

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-75364634643598487732007-12-21T12:46:00.000-08:002007-12-21T12:52:08.990-08:00

Well, it's been a fun-filled 2 years here in Corvallis, OR.It finally hit me that I was leaving OSU when I turned in my building keys today. I gained a lot of work experience here, especially in risk communication, toxicology, information acquisition, communication, and education.I also learned how to make biodiesel, convert vehicles to run on vegetable oil, how to surf, how to climb mountains

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-47338765284879156922007-12-06T04:42:00.000-08:002007-12-25T12:31:40.605-08:00

So, you want to hit up Costa Rica for some good surf?Here´s what I learned in 3 weeks in November-December of 2007:1. You have to buy a board.While renting seems like an option to those not packing a board, you will pay more in the long run.Best option is to buy a board ($100-$300) as soon as you get to Costa Rica and then sell it before you leave.Taking your board home is an option too, but if

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-7243080617447398112007-12-06T04:28:00.000-08:002007-12-29T16:23:51.347-08:00

Solo trips begin lonely, and so end... Usually sitting in some noisy, dirty city, waiting to get on the plane.A big group of us left Puerto Viejo yesterday morning, and many goodbyes were made at the bus station. Certainly one of the worst parts about traveling. Achilles went on to the Pacific coast with his friends, where they will head south to Pavones (longest left hand break in America)

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-19736431313829534802007-12-04T10:37:00.000-08:002007-12-25T12:21:00.259-08:00

One last post is I'll I may have time for. Internet is really expensive in Puerto Viejo.The surf isn't great, but the Caribbean has a totally different feel to it. Sort of a little Jamiaca.Sadly, I decided to sell my surfboard yesterday for $100. The decision was based on exorbinent airline fees to the tune of $200 to get the board home. So I let it go to a very eager ozzie, and so ends my

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-23532670814488353312007-11-30T07:38:00.000-08:002007-12-25T12:33:12.550-08:00

Day 11I don´t remember the last time I pursued an activity every day for 10 straight days (except that trans-Sierra Nevada ski trip). But it´s the truth - we´ve surfed every day for 10 days now.Which means I´ve made up for a lot of surfing. Let me explain: if I´m lucky, I only get to surf 1 day a week in Oregon. Here I´ve been surfing twice per day, which means every 2 days I make up for one

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-29253050235159935212007-11-26T09:06:00.000-08:002007-12-25T12:31:18.845-08:00

Day 6Let me quickly sum up the last few days. Achilles and I left to go to Esterillos Este, which is about 20 km down the coast. Unfortunately, the bus driver didnt let us know when we passed it. So we decided to ditch the bus and had our first adventure. We stood on the side of the road for a while, realizing we were in the middle of nowhere, until a 'nice' guy in a truck pulled over and

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-15711248252760406792007-11-23T18:13:00.000-08:002007-11-23T18:29:21.898-08:00

I've had some interesting experiences in Costa Rica so far:1) Meeting a surf instructor from Nicaragua, who was cool as shit and told me repeatedly to buy the surfboard from my roommate: "Buen precio. $85 es un buen precio. Comprala! Si no comprala, voy a comprarla." It was hilarious.2) Acquiring a 3rd generation hostel surfboard (it's been handed down from roommate to roommate).3) Meeting

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-15075518711211116442007-11-22T18:10:00.000-08:002007-11-22T18:17:46.312-08:00

Well, here I am.Today was a big day. Got up and went on a long run down the beach while the sun was out (it's been cloudy here so far). Skipped breakfast except for a powerbar so I could get in the water quickly. The surf was ok, but not spectacular.Good news is, one of my roomates has a surfboard for sale ($85). Perfect size, decent condition, and it shreds pretty well. I was surprised by

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-41476025360311419662007-11-21T16:19:00.000-08:002007-11-21T16:35:40.903-08:00

Thank god I finally got in the water.I'm currently in Jaco, in the central cost of Costa Rica. It took me about 2 days to get from my house to the beach, and I was understandably anxious, especially after spending the night in the Orlando airport (pretty nice airport though). I spent the first night in San Jose, which made me even more anxious since I had a standard case of first-day travel

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-51513879546799963832007-11-18T16:00:00.000-08:002007-11-18T16:03:44.156-08:00

I'll be surfing in Costa Rica for the next 3 weeks. I should have email sporadically, and maybe even a phone connection, and I'll try to post some travel stories here.Pura Vida!

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-4599037187524755942007-11-10T10:33:00.001-08:002007-11-18T15:59:45.298-08:00

Finally got to go climbing at Smith Rock. Actually, it was the first time I've climbed in 2.5 years after blowing out my shoulder in Jan. of '06. Not only that, but it was the first time I cleaned a sport climb as well (don't worry, I had a long time to think about it).You couldn't hope for a better weekend - shorts, t-shirts, and sandals in November. We (Robin, David, Emily) camped out at the

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-81464776783918184092007-10-26T11:32:00.000-07:002007-10-26T11:38:08.322-07:00

Well, it only took about a year, but I finally published something at work. I won't mention too many specifics (for fear of ending up in legitimate search results), but I finished a sort of bulleted literature-review on a very popular chemical, used in termite treatments and flea and tick sprays. Up to this point, there hasn't been a real comprehensive source of information on it, so I've added

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-55756424303804508772007-10-23T16:21:00.000-07:002007-11-10T10:16:56.317-08:00

I finally scanned in the pictures we took earlier this year with a waterproof camera. The shots are from Otter Rock, about 5 miles north of Newport, OR. The break there is somewhat shielded from the wind, and on calm days is fantastic. Last time I went out it was dead calm, with 6-9 foot waves at 11 seconds...This particular day I was out with David Elwood, who was demonstrating superb

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-81336990713247606452007-10-22T16:01:00.000-07:002007-10-23T15:53:24.048-07:00

I'm going to Costa Rica to go Surfing.Since most people I know have already been there, I don't feel particularly bad about taking this trip. I've got to get out of the Oregon rain or I'm going to go crazy.Everyone says Costa Rica is fantastic, and some even say it's their favorite destination. So I'm armed with more information than I probably want. I've got the Lonely Planet guide and the

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-7249610264288903662007-10-11T16:07:00.000-07:002007-10-11T16:18:05.192-07:00

Last weekend, the demographic in Corn-Valley shifted slightly for about 24 hours. Rumbanana hosted a weekend of salsa music, workshops, and partying, that brought in people from all over the west coast, including L.A., Portland, and Vancouver B.C. The band was hot (Afincando from Portland) and the dancing was as per usual... check out Mike and Simona performing after midnight here.

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-78540104490377740772007-10-05T16:02:00.000-07:002007-10-05T16:20:27.436-07:00

2007 has been a big year for many things, including a ridiculous amount of Cuban salsa dancing. I started taking lessons with the local group here, Rumbanana, run by Mike (white shirt) and Simona (far left), back in February. It's been one hell of a party ever since, since I've been taking classes or dancing as much as 3-4 nights a week.This crew throws the best parties in town. Most amazing

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-75788775607215430822007-09-23T08:11:00.000-07:002007-09-23T08:49:13.692-07:00

Check this out: I may have found the only diesel Toyota pickup truck in the U.S.! As if it couldn't get any better, it's already been converted to run on Straight Vegetable Oil!Robin and I flew out to Bozeman, MT for the weekend to take a look. The whole thing was a risky proposition, but the trip turned out to be a total success. Todd (the seller) was extremely helpful and hospitable, and it

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-45389309147830739672007-09-23T08:07:00.000-07:002007-09-23T08:11:01.037-07:00

For more information on the 'green' aspects of this year's Burning Man festival, take a look at my series of posts on the GreenOptions website:Burning Man's Green Aspirations - Part IBurning Man's Green Aspirations - Part IIIf you want to here more about my experiences at the festival, it's going to have to be over a beer.

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-14766605682451894512007-09-08T12:27:00.000-07:002007-09-12T16:15:50.121-07:00

This is an incredible picture (not mine) of a sculpture called Crude Awakenings. I'll tell you what, getting back to work after burning man is a crude awakening. See this thing blow up via youtube:AdblockThat tower is 100 feet tall.Photo Credit: Lane Hartwell

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-61258464500251644202007-08-24T08:01:00.000-07:002007-11-11T19:27:39.397-08:00

Just sent in my 2008 Sundance Film Festival application. As usual, the dates are January 17-27, though I'll probably be there by the 13th.I've been going to the festival now since I was 19! This will be my 6th year, and I finally got a sweet position last year as an assistant manager/coordinator for press screenings.It's a good deal, and the stipend will pay for my ticket to Chile.Quick Trip

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-48317129205326945652007-08-23T13:06:00.000-07:002007-08-24T07:49:36.772-07:00

Going to Burning Man next week. Yep, you heard that right: crazy-hippy-techno-fest in the desert. It should be an interesting anthropological study, to say the least. I'll be driving down toward Gerlach, NV next Monday, to return after the Burn the next Monday.This could be my truck's last voyage, as I'm in the process of trying to sell it to get something newer (more on that later). But it

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-50428459672043676562007-08-17T06:42:00.000-07:002007-08-17T06:57:50.565-07:00

Ok, so moving sucks, but it does have its pluses. For one, a change of scenery can be refreshing, and it's nice to move into a bigger room (as in this case). The best part about moving is the way it forces you to evaluate your possessions. Move that extra pair of skis you never use for the 5th time and see you easy you can finally part with them.Finally, after 2 years of dedicated work, I've

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-21972590445370229952007-08-12T15:34:00.000-07:002007-08-12T16:06:19.294-07:00

I don't want this blog to sound redundant, but Oregon is hard to beat. Last night, David and I met at Otter Rock for a sunset surf and camped on the beach. There wasa) nobody there,b) no wind,c) excellent surf if small (3 ft. swell),d) it was completely clear,e) I was wearing a t-shirt until almost 11 pm.This is all contrary to popular opinion of the Oregon coast, and rightly so, because it

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-29950211083582341102007-08-12T12:47:00.000-07:002007-09-12T10:15:19.097-07:00

Made it up to the Portland brewfest this year. It wasn't what I expected: thousands of people standing in line under tents in a generally grungy atmosphere getting absolutely pissed. The beer was good, but expensive, and nothing I couldn't get from the orange beer store in Corvallis.Afterwards we went and partied down with Robin's friends Erica and Adam. Made me want to move to Portland - that is

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-43204285200084494252007-08-09T06:34:00.000-07:002007-08-09T06:50:50.988-07:00

Yep. I'm moving again. This time it's not a big move, only a few blocks to a new house, and most of my stuff is relatively organized at this point (which means less of a sorting nightmare).What: Clayton MovingWhen: Right now.Timeframe: For the next 5 months.I won't get into why, since I don't intend to use this blog as a platform for rants, so let's focus on the coolness of my new house: It's

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-56466363438311776042007-08-08T11:29:00.000-07:002007-08-09T06:33:56.383-07:00

The Summit to Surf Challenge has three requirements:1. You summit a mountain.2. You go surfing.3. All this happens in 24 hours.The debatable part is what qualifies as a mountain, but I would say it requires at least an ice-axe and crampons and a reasonable possibility that you won't make it to the top.Anyway, since our decent took longer than anticipated (total climbing time = 12 hours) we

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-59371503578903725362007-07-31T06:35:00.001-07:002007-07-31T06:49:02.168-07:00

I watched V for Vendetta for the third time last night, a film that continues to retain its relevancy (will that ever change?). In case you're interested (or are a pseudo-film geek like me), here is the V monologue from one of the opening scenes:Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-73675411593919818322007-07-28T11:27:00.000-07:002007-07-28T11:39:44.933-07:00

So it's been 1.6 years since I could climb due to an A/C separation back in January of '06. I won't go into the excruciating details of my last 9 months of personally-directed physical therapy - let's just say it involved a lot of humbling work with 2 lb. dumbells. But I think they got the job done.On Thursday I hucked two double-dyno's in OSU's climbing gym, which probably should have torn my

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7642285115983585921.post-53727033609920602052007-07-28T07:37:00.000-07:002007-07-28T11:47:24.905-07:00

You have to hand it to Oregon - where else can you climb a mountain and surf in the same day?On July 13, David, Jeff and his friend Todd and I climbed the Sunshine Route on Mt. Hood's North side. This is the most technical climb I've done to date: roped glacier travel, technical routefinding, level 1 ice climbing, down-climbing sketched-out loose glacial debris (you won't see pictures of this),

Claytonnoreply@blogger.com0