Rochester

Out Of The Loop

Imagine a world after cars, after trucks, after petroleum. Imagine walking through the snow, following the track of a guardrail along the ghost of what was once a highway, and now carries only the prints of a few snowshoes. This could be all of us someday. For now, it's just one little piece of the Inner Loop, but it's still a sign of progress. With an intermediate stage as some sort of accidental park, the former freeway will soon be a city street, filling in the moat that separates downtown from the rest of Rochester. Obviously I wasn't the first…

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Because It’s There

I've always had a bit of an attachment to Pinnacle Hill. It's not much of a mountain... just enough to notice you're getting up there, before the top appears. Then another 300 feet if you feel like climbing a TV tower. Which I've only done once, back in freshman year. But between that climb, and the mushroom summer last year, not to mention the inkling I had ever since 2007 that I'd live within sight of the blinking towers when I could; it's a place to go when I feel like I'm fucking everything up and I just want to…

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Occupy Lives On

It was just the kind of dark and stormy night we remembered, gathered in the October rains at Washington Square, helping set up tents with a crowd gathered around a cooking fire and huddled in the kitchen tent while stump speeches emanated from the statue, free to all with the passion. It's been two years since I've even protested, three since I was here last, but the same scene we knew so well was about to play out - and this time we'd seen the show before, and had some idea what was headed our way. This time the conflict…

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The Fire Remains

I've spent far too long wondering if Gary was meant to be my finale as an explorer after all. It was by far my most successful trip, at a time when everything was slowly starting to fall apart for me, one success nearly swept away by a rising tide of failure. I'd been talking about quitting exploring for months, but I knew it was a lie, and most of the people who actually knew me knew it was a lie, and I didn't care -- it made good marketing. I planned a big meet for the end of it all,…

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Washed Out

Oh, how things can change in two weeks. Yes, I was just here. Yes, it looks exactly the same, from the pictures anyway. But I'm starting over, and I figured the best place to do it was somewhere familiar. Last week, someone probably thought they could stop me from exploring, once and for all. 187 counts of trespass and a year in court would do that. But it seems like I managed to escape, and if not, hell, might as well make it 188. As rainy as it was last week, this time managed to be even worse, and I…

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One Flew Into The Cuckoo’s Nest

Once I heard the front door was open, and it didn't even take climbing, the decision was made for me. I had to go in. I'd only been waiting for this place to come down to my level since I started exploring, and for the first time in at least five years (other than a close call where all I managed was to pick the worst, wrong-est possible day to walk right in the front door, climb to the roof and see a parade of every law enforcement agency in the county!) my fat ass could fit into the Terrence…

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