Cenote diving in Tulum

Going on a Cenote dive was the scariest but most thrilling dive I've ever done. I went with my dive buddy last year after a week on Cozumel and we hired a guide in Tulum, Mexico. Cenotes are freshwater (sometimes mixed with saltwater) limestone caves. We went on cavern dives, where you never get too far from natural light, but some of the spaces we were in did get pretty dark. We did the Gran Cenote and Aktun-Ha/Carwash. Although they were relatively shallow, with maximum depth around 45 feet, they were scary for several reasons. First, being in a cavern meant I had to have perfect neutral buoyancy and gentle finning, so that I didn't stir up any vision-obscuring silt. Second, the dive was essentially a "trust me" dive, where we were dependent on our guide and followed the reel line that he had placed to enter and exit the cavern. Finally, diving in a cavern feels different from being in open water. The lighting is dark, the colors are diffferent, ghostly fish swim by, and you feel as if in another world. This is also one of the loveliest parts of being in a cavern.

Cottonwood Pass

One of the warm-up hikes I did last week was a short, 7 mile round trip hike from Horseshoe Meadows to Cottonwood Pass. This hike starts around 10,000 feet and goes up at a mild incline, to around 11,000 feet. Cottonwood is one of the easier passes to access the backcountry and the trail is quiet and serene--I only ran into three people.

Whitney photos

14,496 feet

Hiking Mount Whitney in a day is both a humbling and empowering experience. I was humbled by my tired legs and the thin air. As others passed me, every step was a struggle.

But I found that by slowing down and taking breaks, I summited. By distracting myself from the pain of my blistered feet, I was able to get down at a reasonable hour. I felt very empowered by completing this long hike.

Despite the physical demands of the hike, I enjoyed it. I was impressed with the sweeping views of the backcountry. I liked crossing the creeks on logs and rocks (and was glad for Goretex boots). Hiking in the dark with a bright LED headlamp was fun but slightly scary, especially when two glowing eyes stared at me from a bush. (Thankfully, the eyes belonged to a deer). Fellow hikers were very helpful and entertaining. While I don't plan to climb those switchbacks again anytime soon, it was a great experience.