2024 Year in Review
This week we will take a break from my series on the Camino de Santiago with a look back at my year in 2024. The following events are in no particular order.
My biggest event was traveling 500 miles by bicycle on the Camino de Santiago, in two sections from Le Puy en Valey, France to Santiago, Spain. My newsletter readers know I have already written ten newsletters about it and have about five more to go. The picture above was taken in Astorga, Spain.
It was a quiet year for me in terms of gambling. I am proud to say I was finally readmitted to the Blackjack Ball, after being kicked out about ten years ago. Sadly, I didn’t make even the first cut in the Worlds Greatest Blackjack Player, which is a test on blackjack and gambling knowledge.
I would like to show you a picture from the event with Dr. Ed Thorp, but they are very serious about secrecy.
One short trip I did was a return to the Trans Catalina Trail. We got together the same group of seven that did the whole thing last year. This time, we did a loop on the eastern side of the island. The picture above was taken at Starlight Beach, which used to be the eastern terminus of the trail, but it has since been rerouted and going to this quiet beach is no longer required.
Another short trip was to Death Valley to visit a temporary lake formed by an unusually high level of rain. This lake was only navigable for about a week. The water was so salty one could float in it.
Most summers, including this one, the Wizard family visits the Family Vacation Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara, where I went to college. The building behind me is my freshman year dorm. I lived on the fifth floor, room 5417. The most memorable event of the week was getting stung by a sting ray, which was VERY painful.
Another short trip was to the Grand Canyon, where I have been many times. This time I only made it from the South Rim to the river and back up to the South Rim. I’ve crossed it five times in the past, but felt I wasn’t in good enough shape this time.
Speaking of the Grand Canyon, I also made it down to the Havasu waterfall on a separate trip. We were there right after a norovirus outbreak in the campground. Fortunately, the place was cleaned up and nobody got sick.
Just upstream of the Grand Canyon is Horseshoe Bend, where I enjoyed a two-day kayaking trip going down the river. We combined this with visits to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, the Sand Caves and yet a third trip to the Grand Canyon.
Another fun trip was a three-day trip down the Colorado River, which I organized and lead. I like to do a multi-day kayak trip once a year. I’m overdue to do another one.
I did two half marathons in 2024 – one in Las Vegas and the other in Huntington Beach. My time at about 2.5 hours isn’t what it used to be in my younger days.
A major adventure was to climb the highest mountain in Mexico – Pico de Orizaba. Sadly, I didn’t quite make it but got to within about 200 vertical feet of the 18,491-foot summit. This is the highest elevation picture ever taken of me, when we reached the glacier. I can say I climbed Malinche two days before, the sixth-highest mountain Mexico. I am percolating on the idea of a return to Mexico to climb some other volcanos and maybe give Orizaba another try.
Sadly, we lost our beloved dog Oliver early in the year. Here he is as a puppy in 2009.
2024 included some experimenting with psychedelic medicine. In the most memorable experience, I traveled to northern California for an experience with Ayahuasca. It’s hard to convey that with a picture, but here I am the day before in San Francisco. I may write more about my journey with psychedelics in a future newsletter.
On April 8, 2024 I traveled with family and friends to Waco, Texas, for the total eclipse of the sun. It was spectacular. Don’t forget about the one on August 12, 2045, which will cut right over northern Nevada.
Finally, the summer brought me back to Washington state for a wedding in Olympia. As long aswe were up there, Mrs. Wizard and I visited Roslyn, Leavenworth, Seattle and Orcas Island.
This newsletter doesn’t cover family events, which I leave out to protect the privacy of my wife and children.
Overall, 2024 was a good year. I am thankful for the many adventures and vacation I enjoyed. This report does not include the many day trips I did hiking and climbing around Las Vegas. I am already percolating on various adventures for 2025, but no firm plans yet. Most of my traveling is done in the summer, but it would be nice to escape somewhere this winter.
In closing, I hope you had an equally adventurous 2024 and wish you good health and good times in 2025.