What’s Up With That?
Apparently there is a “new” fitness trend called Rucking. Funny how age-old things are re-discovered and given new names.
Just in case you are wondering — I think Rucking is a good thing.
Rucking? The New is the Old
Category Archives: Hiking
Palm Oases
In case you think I misspelled the title, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Oases, is the plural of Oasis. But on to the story.
Yesterday morning, when I awoke, it somehow occurred to me that it would be a good day to hike to a Palm Oasis.
I didn’t have any specific oasis in mind. Continue reading Palm Oases
Seventy
Some Thoughts on Aging and Petroglyphs
Last Sunday I turned 70 years old.
My son, Joe, called the day before and suggested we go for a hike together, which was an excellent idea. No better way to celebrate any milestone of holiday than going for a walk out into the desert.
Joyce’s ankle is healing. Although she can’t walk on it, she has a scooter and a wheeled walker enabling her to get around without any assistance. So no problem for me to take off from home for a day. Continue reading Seventy
Repairing Gear with Tenacious Tape
Overall I am pretty careful with my gear. Most of my repairs are due to age — things that have just plain worn out — such as my Chouinard Pyramid Tent. Once in a great while, I do damage something due to carelessness or unavoidable situations, such as traveling cross country in deserts through area lush in such wonderful environments that can be packed full of cacti or catclaw. Continue reading Repairing Gear with Tenacious Tape
The “Top Ten Lists” – Can You Trust Them?
It sounds counter intuitive, but I spend much less time on the Internet since I retired, even though all my time is free time, that is, I can do whatever I like, as long as Joyce is happy. I keep myself busy around the house with many tasks, plus we camp more often, not to mention my time spent backpacking.
One thing I am seeing more and more on the Internet are Top Ten Lists for all kinds of consumer goods. Given a good portion of my readers are backpackers, this begs the question, “Can you trust these reviews?” The short, quick answer is, “No.” If it is, “No,” then where can one find good quality trusted reviews?
Continue reading The “Top Ten Lists” – Can You Trust Them?Preventing Blisters with Leukotape: a 10+ year review
A common ailment for hikers are foot blisters, and I would imagine more backpacking trips are cut short due to blisters than any other cause.
Typically I want to use a product for at least 10 years before recommending it. Leukotape not only meets this standard but it is an amazing product – the best I have ever used for preventing and treating blisters.
Continue reading Preventing Blisters with Leukotape: a 10+ year reviewFuroshiki Shoes: 1 Year Review
A year ago I introduced these shoes in this post. I really wanted to “love” them. Continue reading Furoshiki Shoes: 1 Year Review
Long Term (10 year) Product Review: Salomon XA Pro 3D Trail Running Shoes
Well, it’s just a product review. And these just happen to be the best damn lightweight backpacking shoes on the planet. How can I make such a claim? Continue reading Long Term (10 year) Product Review: Salomon XA Pro 3D Trail Running Shoes
How to Orient Your Map Quickly With a Compass
For most people, myself included, the primary function of a compass is a simple “field check,” which is orienting the map to North using your compass and then visually associating the terrain to the map. Basically you know where you are, but you need to check details for such things as deciding if is best to hike to the left of a large rock outcropping or right when you are off trail or the trail has become too faint to follow.
Continue reading How to Orient Your Map Quickly With a Compass
Mt. San Jacinto Cheat Sheet
Confession Time
I’ve been cheating. Actually I’ve been cheating for a long time. You see, for decades I’ve been taking the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up to the mountains; mostly in the summer and winter. I do it so often; I have an annual pass, which currently costs $160 per year.
San Jacinto Mountains
This mountain range is about 30 miles long and is in close proximity to the San Bernardino Mountains and Santa Rosa Mountains (a.k.a. you can walk to either range from the San Jacinto’s). Much of the area is designated State and Federal Wilderness Areas.
The crown jewel of this range is Mt. San Jacinto, which rises more than 10,000 feet from the desert floor making it one of (if not the most) steepest escarpments in the continental United States.