I have more fun shopping for gifts than the enjoyment the recipients receive from their gifts. I only give gifts to those who are important in my life, which means just a handful. This year during my gift search I ran across MountainGoat Hats, or more precisely I kept reading great reviews.
If you have my email address, and if you send me an email, most of the time you will get an “Out of Office” reply.
That is because I am often traveling for business, backpacking, or camping with Joyce.
Most of my family and friends really don’t understand the importance of these messages. Because I work in the corporate world email is important. Also, since I work from my home office instead of a cubicle in the Mother-ship in Warren, MI, people in my company often don’t know where I am. In addition, the good folks who work for me are often traveling too. The ability to automatically inform people I am not available and when I will be back is important. This also is important to all our clients.
No, this isn’t about gear. A while back I wrote an article about backpacking gear getting boring. So is camping gear.
It is time to talk about getting out into the wilderness and actually using your gear.
Sometimes I am amazed by the amount of time so many folks spend on the Internet talking about camping or backpacking, but not really going out and actually doing it. So many people talk about not having the time to camp or hike. Here is a little secret, you can go camping and/or backpacking over 100 days per year and work full time!
Before you say, “But I don’t live close to wild areas,” consider doing this: MOVE
If getting outdoors is important, which I assume is true for most people who spend days on end on Internet forums talking about it, then move if you live far from recreational opportunities.
You may wonder why we camp in deserts so often and why I prefer to backpack in them too.
You may deduce that since we live in the desert, it is close and easy to pursue outdoor activities there. That is partially correct – but the desert destinations are by design. Back in 1977 I moved to Palm Springs because I wanted to camp and hike in the desert, along with several other reasons. So I thought I would pontificate On Deserts.
Over the past few months I have hiked in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and of course California among other places.
Other than California I found most trails to be in dense forests and most travel confined to trails, as cross country travel is difficult at best. These places are often confining, the sky is often hidden by a canopy of trees, and views are only possible by climbing up to a peak. Instead of forest duff, one deals with rocks and roots.
In spite of these obstacles, those places I traveled are beautiful in their own right and highly recommended.
But I prefer open spaces. Spaces where I can at almost any time position myself to see for miles and miles. The open spaces I am referring to are deserts.
Been wandering around the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. A few pictures before the rains came. Still a couple weeks away from the full color of autumn. By then I will be walking in the deserts at home.
Recently a woman hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail (over 2,600 miles) in 61 days. The average hiker who completes this trail usually takes 6 months to do it.
Recently a couple men completed the 211 mile John Muir Trail in something like 5 days. A hike most people do in a couple weeks.
These are just two examples of the quest for the Fastest Known Time.
A little over a week ago some poor chap, posted on BackpackingLight.com that his “wife isn’t exactly warm to the idea of me going out alone.” Seems he couldn’t find anyone to go on a trip with him.
Continue reading My Wife Won’t “Let” Me Go Backpacking (solo)
This week I have been working in my home office. Outside my window, the mountains are calling to me, but I can’t go. There have been phone calls to make, reports to read, and emails to send. It is like a prison cell; only I can see the real world outside my prison window.
During the week the trails are empty, waiting for the onslaught of weekend hikers. They beckon me to come up and visit, but I can’t. A rational person would go up during the week and come back to work on the weekend, but I can’t. All I can do is go outside my door and take a picture.
So where shall I go this weekend to get my fix? Decisions, decisions.
There was a time when most people mostly drank water. Oh, such things as sodas, milkshakes, coffee, and tea were consumed; but they were special treats. This has changed.
All around me I see fat people. Obese kids. Obese adults. It is disgusting. It is so bad, Mayor Boomerang in New York City tried to regulate soft drinks. I don’t agree that the government should regulate our purchase decisions. People have quit drinking water and replaced it with soft drinks and the ilk. It is time to take care of ourselves and not rely on the Government to do it. It all starts with water!