Yessi in the USA ~~~ 在美國yessi

No matter how big the sea may be, sometimes two ships meet.
不管有多大，他海浪，有時兩艘船滿足。
  Chinese Proverb

Yessi came to live with me this summer for 4 months.  Time went fast, too fast, and has now returned to China.  Our plan was that I would return home to China with her, but this dream was contingent on us both getting jobs for Tutwo which didn't happen unfortunately.

Christ Church Earthquake
Damage from Demolition, first at the hand of God, then at that of an excavator operator.

We had a wonderful summer hiking, camping, traveling, spending time in our little cabin in the woods, visiting with family and friends, seeing the sights, and just being together.

Yessi Ye and dbBrad in Hong Kong.
As of this point, we'd spend less than a week actually together, but almost a year since we'd met.

We met in the spring of 1012 in New Zealand, just before I was finishing the Te Araroa trail.  She followed me on my adventures on the PCT as I hiked from Mexico to Canada and then when I was done, I decided to go visit her.  This was prompted by the need for a root canal.  Such circumstance that we met in NZ at McDonald's of all places, spent one week together hitching to the other side of NZ, one day walking Crist Church and then said good by, only to meet again over a tooth ache.

Hong Kong from the water.  A magnificent city.

Somehow I have a knack for adventure and Yessi seems to like this.  She is caught between two cultures, the traditional stereotypical Chinese patriarchal family she was raised in, and one of travel, democracy, equal rights and opportunity she has glimpsed in her extensive traveling.  Adventure is within her grasp and she's ready and willing for anything.

Yessi (Chan Ye) and her family under the covered porch
that serves as entrance and outdoor living on the top floor of their building.

So we turned our quick trip to China into a quick trip to Nepal where we headed into the Himalayas and hiked the Annapurna Circuit (December 2012).  This was wonderful, with ups and downs, but we are a good pair.  Since I was to be hiking all summer for Green Trails, I suggested she come and hike with me.   A good deal, to be together, to travel hike ad adventure, and to get paid for it!  And so we spent the summer of 2013 together in the U.S.

Chan Ye, Yessi or Lil'Sherpa at 3000m elevation along the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal.

My relationship with someone from another country on the other side of the planet has taught me to make the most out of the time you have.  We don't know our future, but we had 4 months together and we wanted to make the most of it.

Freestyle and Lil'Sherpa spinning prayer wheels.
At this point, she was 4 days into her first backpack trip ever and I was at 4850 miles into my year of hiking.

I think a person would be hard pressed to get more adventure, more sight seeing, more experiences and more love into 4 months. Here's a quick synopsis of our summer together ~~~

Yessi and Freestyle at PCT kickoff 2013.

Yessi and I did a lot of traveling this summer.  We also did a lot of hiking.  We hiked near the Mexican border in the desert; along the Pacific Ocean in California at Big Sur; in the Olympic mountains; in the Cascades;  and at Mt. Rainier.

Yessi in Glacier Peak Wilderness

We went up and down the pacific coast from Mexico to Canada and were able to intersect the PCT in many places.  Yessi has now hiked on the PCT many miles and is interested in doing the whole trail, inspired by my hiking the trial in 2012, and our visits to some of it's most beautiful places along the trail.

Yessi along the PCT at Lake Campo, about 25 miles from the Mexican Border.  This photo was used in the
 TuTwo Magazine that  is seen all over China.

All totaled we hiked over 650  miles this summer.  She says she still loves it and wants to do more in fact she keeps talking about hiking the PCT.  Perhaps I'll be on that trail 4 years in a row!

Yessi on the PCT at Chinook Pass, about 2200 miles from Mexico

Besides hiking, Yessi seemed very interested in a variety of activities.  She took well to glacier travel and desires to climb mountains and to learn rock climbing.  She was an outstanding cycle passenger, our mode of transportation from one end of the West Coast to the other.

Brad & Yessi in the faithful BMW.  We put 3000 miles on loaded with backpacks and camping gear on our road trip to PCT Kick off and then all around the Ventana wilderness up and down Hwy 101 and the surrounding roads between Big Sur and King City then back up the coast to Washington.

Yessi at REI, Seattle

She has my fascination for tractors, cars, motorcycles and all things that go.  Yessi wanted to drive everything from tractors to lawnmowers.

Yessi driving a tractor at North Bend at my dad's home

Yessi mowing the lawn at our cabin on Whidbey Island

Family time included a camping trip at Hamma Hamma Campground in the Olympics together with the celebration of my birthday. 

Ed, Benton, Brad & Yessi

A very, very happy birthday spent with Yessi

Somehow, we were also able to squeeze in a TuTwo tour of Langley, Seattle and many outdoor shops, including Wander on Whidbey on Whidbey Island
.  

TuTwo visitors at Langley's Second Street Market

And with the spirit and freedom only afforded in America, she wanted to go shooting.  So during our last visit to my dad's, we got out some guns and went shooting.  She did amazing well, never flinching, unafraid, confident and she hit the target every time.

Yessi giving target practice a whirl

We managed to squeeze in lots of other fun activities, like lily fighting, a game of wit and strategy with a face eating flower!

Yessi's face lost the battle

Swimming in the lake and catching crawdads in a home made trap which I can't take credit for but wish I could.  Pretty ingenuous and made by a guy that didn't finish middle school.

A tour of Boeing's Museum of History and Flight and how they make the airplanes that got her from China to Seattle, and took her away again.

.

Brad & Yessi at Boeing in front of GE's largest turbine which utilizes carbon fibre blades.  Hard to believe plastic can be used in a jet engine, but this is some of the finest most reliable and efficient engineering in the world.

Meeting the man behind Hong Kong's number one coffee chain, Pacific Coffee.  Gary's home and business are located right here on Whidbey Island.  There are about 1200 Pacific Coffees, almost 400 just in Hong Kong alone.  Several 40' containers a month get filled with coffee roasted and packed right here and sent oversees. 

Brad, Yessi & Gary at Mukilteo Coffee

We visited one of the tallest falls in Washington, 270 feet in Snoqualmie, a town I grew up in.  She didn't believe the Salmon can jump that high!

Yessi at Snoqualmie Falls

We took  ferry rides where we could see Puget Sound, the Cascade Mountians including Glacier Peak, Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker, two volcanoes, and the Olympic Mountiains where we spent several weeks hiking.  On the evening of the 4th of July we took the Edmonds Ferry to Kingston and on the way were rewarded with spectacular fireworks displays from Seattle to Edmonds, to Everett, to Kingston.

Yessi, Ed and Fran on the Mukilteo ferry.

Yessi & Brad arriving in Clinton on the Mukilteo Ferry

We went to Ibex at University Village in Seattle to shop for the best outdoor clothing you can get, made from Merino Wool, right here in the USA.  Yessi  returned to China with some fashionable new clothing, made in America!!

Yessi at the Ibex Store

We had a picnic with lots of Whidbey Island locals at the Maxwelton Beach, and enjoyed beautiful views watching the sun set as a variety of local musicians filled the air with their music.  Our feelings were warm and magical as one can only get at a gathering of friends and family.

Maxwelton Beach picnic

She even got to see 'the bear'!!  Quite a coincidence to see a brown black bear with a view of Mt. Rainier, wildflowers and beautiful Yessi all together!

Mt. Rainier in all its glory

All in all, we had an amazing summer.  I sure do miss her, but we will be together soon, either here or there, but we are committed to finding a way to make it happen.

Incongruous as this seems -- sweet Yessi with a fierce weapon.
Probably very few Chinese not in the military have ever even seen a gun, let alone held one and fired it.
If this doesn't assist her visa approval, I don't know what will!!

~~~

It is by chance that we met, by choice that we became friends.

它是由我們見面的機會，通過選擇，我們成了朋友。

 Author unknown

dbBrad poses with another Heart drawn this summer hiking for Green Trails.
Heart On The Trail has a whole new meaning now, thanks to Yessi!

Too many shops to tour with TuTwo

Wednesday and Thursday nights were busy for Yessi and I as we made plans for a visit from TuTwo 图途（厦门）户外用品有限公司, one of China's largest outdoor gear retailers.  We had stayed up late working on a presentation getting up at 6:30 am with only 4 hours sleep to head to Seattle to pick up a 12 passenger van before meeting the TuTwo visitors.

The TuTwo team (图途团队) in Langley at the starting line for the Langley Second Street market.

It was a fast paced weekend right from the start, but the TuTwo folks were energetic, motivated and a lot of fun.  Yessi and I really enjoyed our visitors, even if we were totally exhausted by Sunday afternoon.

The TuTwo crew (图途成员) in front of their model and inspiration, REI Flagship, Seattle WA.

Our first stop was to head back north passing Boeing and then to  have a ferry ride to Whidbey Island where we visited Langley, Mukilteo Coffee, Wander on Whidbey.  Yessi and I thought a ride on the water was the best way to quickly show off our beautiful mountains.

 dbBrad (户外体验及拓展训练顾问), Hammer (图途企划总监林章锋） and Steve (图途总经理黄承辉),  the two owners of TuTwo.

From the Mukilteo/Clinton ferry, one can catch views of Mt. Rainier, Mt Baker, the Cascade mountains including Glacier Peak and the Olympic Mountains.  Unfortunately the clouds limited visibility to about 5 miles and no mountains were to be seen.  It just goes to show that you can plan, but you can't predict, hence the advantages of traveling 'freestyle'!!  Of coarse traveling freestyle is much more difficult with a group of 9, hence the planning we did.

The TuTwo crew (图途团队) taking a break at my favorite little park on Lake Union.  From L2R, YY歪歪 (Adventure developer旅游部经理), Susan李珊 (Retail零售部经理), Emma刘丽华 (Product Manager产品部经理), Steve黄承辉 (Owner总经理), Cony俞汀涛 (Purchasing Director产品部总监), Yessi, Naige王乃峰 (Designer and Superintendent of Construction设计装修监督) and Hammer林章峰 (owner企划部总监)

One week previous we had made plans to meet official representatives from Cascade Designs, Outdoor Research, REI, GreenTrails Maps, and Feathered friends which would have included a tour of their factory right here in Seattle.

Enjoying the bridge at the Fredley home on Whidbey Island

TuTwo had to postpone their trip to Seattle due to issues with their Visas forcing abandoning the original plans.  Unfortunately, we were unable to reschedule any of these tours since all my contacts were in Salt Lake City this entire week for the Outdoor Gear Show Expo.

TuTwo was very excited to see an old truck at Mukilteo Coffee
 and to find out that Pacific Coffee in Hong Kong
 gets all their coffee from this quality roaster on Whidbey Island.
 We were given a great tour and coffee for the road!

In a conversation with REI's Director of Public Relations regarding scheduling a tour of corporate headquarters for TuTwo, I was informed that the three most popular stops in Seattle, in order, are the Pike Place Market, REI Flagship and the Space Needle.  It was our intent to deliver all three!

The TwoTeam with Sarah at Wander on Whidbey.  For two of the members of the tour, this was
 their favorite shop.  Small, merchandise well displayed, simple and
only fine-quality gear with a complete selection.
图途团队漫步惠得比岛海边小镇兰格里，参观镇上的户外店

When confirmation arrived just a few days ago, that TuTwo was arriving in Seattle on the 8th and departing on the 11th, we scrambled to put together new plans which included visiting:       

• REI Tukwila (1/129  in USA 美国有129家REI)
• Wander on Whidbey
• Eddie Bauer Prototype (1/6 special shops in USA，美国6个特别店之一)
• REI Alderwood
• REI Flagship Store
• Feathered Friends
• Play it Again Sports
• Pro Mountain sports
• R&E Cycles
• Eddie Bauer standard (370 in USA美国有370家店)
• Yoga Shop
• Ibex
• North Face
• Patagonia
• Columbia Prototype (1/5 special shops in USA美国6个特别店之一)
• Mountain Hardware
• OR, Outdoor Research
• Outdoor Emporium
• Filsons (1/2 in USA美国有2家店)
• Cascade Design Headquarters

dbBrad (户外体验及拓展训练顾问) and Steve Huang (图途总经理黄承辉)
 forming an alliance in front of REI.

We also felt fortunate to get reservations at The Wild Ginger, where we planned to have dinner in the Dragon room to be followed with a presentation by Yessi and I of our amazing solo journeys last year, our meeting, and our fabulous adventures together this summer.

What would a visit to Seattle be without the Pike Place Public Market.  I'll bet the TuTwo
 crew devoured 5 lbs of crab!

To follow dinner we had planned a twilight ride on the Monorail to watch darkness set over beautiful Seattle. Unfortunately, this too had to be canceled.  Instead we had the good fortune to meet and spend the evening with the owner of a large importer of outdoor gear in China responsible for $5 million of Osprey packs a year and growing rapidly.

TuTwo in front of the Origional Starbucks Store, which opened in 1971.  

We did get to quickly see many of the great companies of Seattle.  Seattle is home to much innovation, evidenced by companies like Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, MSR, Cascade Designs, Outdoor Research and Amazon and of coarse, dbBrad (Design Build Brad)!

Seattle in Twilight with Mr. Rainier in background.  Photo courtesy of Google image search.

WELCOME TO TUTWO, TWO DAYS OF TOURS

YESSI and I are very excited to be hosting seven owners and managers from TuTwo this weekend. Tutwo is the name of an outdoor gear retail chain in China.

Yessi with the TuTwo flag on the PCT at White Pass near Glacier Mountain.

Before Yessi and I left for Nepal, we visited many shops in her home town of Xiamen, and TuTwo had the best selection of real outdoor gear and accessories we were able to find.

dbBrad with the TuTwo flag in the Olympics

While we were in China, TuTwo gave us a pair of boots each as well as a TuTwo flag. We've worn out the boots but the flag still travels with us on each hike.

Both Yessi and I find that our time in the wilderness is inspirational.  Every journey brings new challenges, beauty, adventure,  and a renewed sense of accomplishment.

While I was hiking the PCT last summer, Yessi was working as assistant to the purchasing director at TuTwo. When I finished the trail, she took a leave of absence and came to visit for the summer where we have had one adventure after another hiking lost trails and marking trail features for Green Trails Maps.

TuTwo flag in Nepal

We have carried this flag hundreds of miles in Nepal, along the PCT near Mexico and Canada both, in the Olympic Mountains, along the California coast near Big Sur, and in the Cascades near Glacier Peak.

Yessi in Nepal

Getting paid to hike is a great thing and we look forward to having this same opportunity in China. TuTwo has asked us if we'd like to come teach outdoor skills to their employees.

This weekend will be all about outdoor activities in the Seattle area.  Though we won't be hiking, we'll certainly be putting on the miles as we tramp all over the city, and visit Whidbey Island as well, looking at some of the great outdoor gear retails shops.   We have including Patagonia, Ibex, Feathered Friends, Wander on Whidbey, and of coarse, papa bear, REI, on our list of favorites.

If you see us flying away on our flag. turned to kite, it probably has something to do with TuTwo!