Hiking buddies

It's been a rough year with the divorce, the move and all that. The two things this blog is about -- hiking and beer -- have helped get me through. My love for both have given me something to concentrate on when everything else has fallen apart.

But, as is the case in most things, it's the people associated with the activities that are most special. So here's a roll call of folks who have helped me get through. They're chiefly my hiking but also my drinking buddies.

I've known Leif Sidwell since I was 4. We've been fast friends ever since. He's always there for me -- no matter the problem or time. I've probably spent more time hiking with him than anyone else. The best trip was last summer when we spent seven days in the wild near Gunnison, Colo. It was awesome -- not nearly as awesome as Leif's beard at the time. After I move to Colorado this summer, I'm sure we'll be hauling each other around the backcountry and up 14ers. Can't wait.

Chuck Rowling has been one of my best friends since middle school. When I separated from my wife and quit my job in January, Chuck insisted I come spend a month with him in Tacoma, Wash. We went on some epic hikes -- on the Olympic Peninsula, in the caves of Mount St. Helens, on the Oregon Coast, on the flanks of Mt. Rainier. Like Leif, he's been a steadfast friend through the bad times, and I'm extremely thankful for it. I've vowed to climb Rainier, and I hope to haul Chuck up with me.

Dustin Stover -- along with Leif and Chuck -- has been a best friend since high school. Our hiking stretches back to high school excursions on the South Loup River north of Kearney. We were able to trudge around together again in Los Angeles this spring when we hiked in the hills of northwest L.A. It was an odd but cool experience. I wouldn't expect anything less from Dusty.

Josh Nichols and I have been on some epic hiking experiences. We went to college together and worked at the Daily Nebraskan student newspaper, but our friendship blossomed when I convinced him to take a reporting gig at the Grand Junction Free Press. There, we climbed our first -- and second -- 14ers together, we endured a waterless hike to see the arches near Grand Junction and we scaled Crags Crest on the Grand Mesa. I spent two weeks with him and his awesome wife KP in Montana on my road trip this winter. They showed me some cool spots up there, too.

I met Cullen Purser by chance. I'd been assigned to write a story about his furniture-making prowess. We quickly became friends, and Cullen graciously showed me many of the off-the-path spots in western Colorado. My favorite excursion with him was last fall when we backpacked on the flanks of Mount Sneffels near Ouray, Colo. I took the usual backpacking stuff. He took a coat and an umbrella. That's hardcore. He's been a great friend beyond that, always willing to listen and give honest advice. Plus he's let me sleep in his shed many nights.

(Special thanks to Jennifer Conner, Katie Perkins Nichols and Jeannine Purser for putting up with me and letting me abduct their husbands for adventures in the wild over the years. Your patience -- and friendship -- is much appreciated.)

Urban exploring

I gotta admit part of me dreaded visiting LA. I don't really like big cities. I certainly don't like plastic people. I absolutely hate gridlock traffic.

I encountered all that. But my friend Dustin, a larder manager at the swank Tavern, showed me a cool oasis of nature in the urban jungle.

We hiked a couple trails at Will Rogers State Historical Park . The trail begins just off Sunset Boulevard near Santa Monica. Many parts of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" have been filmed in the area. But those scenes focus on the restaurants and multimillion-dollar houses in the area.

The trail itself is a very easy walk, culminating at Inspiration Point. The view is inspiring, with nice looks at Malibu, Santa Monica, the Pacific Ocean, downtown LA and the mountains in the distance.

To extend the trip, we meandered on a more secluded path for what seemed like hours. It wound near a creek and through suburban neighborhoods. It was odd being in such a huge city but walking on a border with nature.

I guess that's the beauty of the West. Civilization connects with still-wild lands. I never thought I'd see that dichotomy in LA.

The details:
Inspiration Point
Location: Will Rogers State Historical Park, near Sunset and Evans in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Length: 2 miles (can be extended with other trails)
Beginning elevation: 350 feet
Peak elevation: 750 feet
Difficulty (out of 5): 1

Best bars in the West

Every major town has at least one beer lover's bar. I hit up quite a few of them on my swing through the West. Here are the best six:

6. Father's Office, Los Angeles.
Huge selection in a very small space. Pricey, as is expected in LA, but you can get almost any style of beer you want.

5. Brouwer's, Seattle.
Sixty-four beers on tap. A faux-Belgian layout. This is probably the haven for Seattle-area brew lovers. The downside is it has a bit of pretension because of it.

4. Bottleworks, Seattle.
Technically, this is a beer store. But they have three to five beers on tap everyday. It's very low-key and often features hard-to-find beers.

3. Horse Brass, Portland.
An English-style pub, but this one is actually very authentic. The beer list is staggeringly long. This is the perfect place to drink after a long day snowshoeing on Mt. Hood. Getting so hammered you sleep in your car is completely optional. But likely.

2. Toronado, San Francisco.
Located in the famous Haight district, this bar is a must-visit in SF. Huge beer list, very cheap happy hour prices and an awesome sausage joint next door.

1. The Dray, Seattle.
A small, clean spot with just a few beers on tap. But, man, those beers are awesome. The owner has agreements with Belgian breweries. Often, The Dray will have the only keg of a Belgian beer sent abroad. The bartenders are awesome and friendly. Their music selections are killer.

Three Seattle honorable mentions: Uber, Naked City and Hopvine