June 2020 – Matt Corpos

A Year of Running

June 6, 2020 Adventure Fun

I’ve gotten into and back into running many times over the years. I ran cross country and track in high school, and sporadically ever since. Starting in May 2019, I began running again and it’s now been a whole year of consistent running for the first time in my life. It wasn’t always fun. I had to force myself out of the house on numerous occasions. Nowadays in the COVID-19 pandemic it is even harder…

Villa de Branciforte

June 6, 2020 History

Established in 1797, the Villa de Branciforte – located in the modern city of Santa Cruz, CA (across the river from the mission) – was supposed to be a retirement town for the Catalan Volunteers. The plans were quite ambitious – utopian even (according to some historians). Following decades of military service on the edge of the known world, these service men would be rewarded with everything that they and their families needed. They would…

Catalan Volunteers

June 6, 2020 Adventure History

“It is no exaggeration to claim that the Catalan Volunteers deserve credit for the success of the first forays into California”. (1) The Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia, Compañía Franca de Voluntarios de Cataluña (Spanish) or simply Catalan Volunteers were military volunteers serving the Spanish crown in the “New World” colonies in New Spain (which later became Mexico and parts of the Southwest United States) from 1767-1815. King Carlos III recruited volunteers to deal…

Spanish-Era Settlements in California

June 6, 2020 History

The Spanish explorers first arrived in the modern-day US State of California (then called Alta California) by land in 1540 (Hernando de Alarcón ascended the Colorado River). A few years later they came by sea – Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo explored the coast in 1542. After that not a lot happened, in terms of the migration of Spanish people (or subjects of the empire) for a few hundred years. In 1769 the Sacred Expedition was launched,…

Arlene Blum

June 6, 2020 Adventure Fun History

Arlene Blum is a truly inspiring mountain climber, scientist and environmental health advocate. She has climbed the hardest peaks all over the globe, including in a tour she called the “Endless Winter” (1). Breaking expectations as a pioneer for women in science (she has a PhD in chemistry from UC Berkeley and also attended MIT) and climbing, she dealt with unfair sexist treatment by colleagues, the media and others in the climbing community. Persevering, Arlene…

“Breaking Trail – A Climbing Life”

June 6, 2020 Adventure Books

As I detail in another post, Arlene Blum has climbed to great heights as a mountain climber, pioneered the way for women in male-dominated environments (climbing and academia) and brought change and awareness regarding harmful chemicals in our everyday life. Her book Breaking Trail – A Climbing Life is a deeply personal narrative of her adventures around the globe, her time at colleges and universities studying chemistry (she received a PhD), and of her life…