What I Learned From Wee Willie Keeler

August 12, 2014CampingLake Mead, Wee Willie KeelerNick Gatel

HIT ‘EM WHERE THEY AIN’T

Keeler was a Major League Baseball player from 1892-1910. More than 100 years after he retired, his lifetime batting average of .341 is 14^th of all time.

Keeler’s is known for his advice to batters, “Keep your eye clear, and hit ’em where they ain’t.” “They” being the fielders for the opposing team.

Good advice for backpackers and campers. “They” being other hikers and campers, “where they ain’t” being trails and campsites — that is, go where there are no other backpackers, hikers, or campers (e.g., people). With this grand advice in mind, we headed out towards Lake Mead for a few days.

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I’m a Criminal

August 1, 2014General Talk, Travel TrailerCity of Palm Springs, Palm Springs Police Department, RV OrdinancesNick Gatel

Yep. I broke the law. And the heavy hand of law enforcement reached out and slapped me.

I am a public nuisance. I parked by camper in my drive way. God grant me forgiveness.

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Is Backpacking Dying?

July 31, 2014BackpackingBackpacking, The Death of BackpackingNick Gatel

Got back from a trip yesterday and checked a couple blogs. There’s a buzz in the online backpacking community about this article, The Death of Backpacking, in something called the High Country News.

It seems that most people who come up with statistical shit generally agree that visitation to our national parks and backcountry use is in decline, and has been for several decades. Many backpackers see this as a disturbing trend and think encouraging more and more people to backpack is a grand idea. The Gen Y’s and Gen Z’s are the targeted recipients of disdain as the root cause of this decline, and because of their lack of enthusiasm for all things outdoors in the wilderness, the wilderness will be looted and destroyed by corporate America because they can’t or won’t be in the wilderness to become the next generations to defend and advocate for wilderness and the 1964 Wilderness Act, which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year.

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Colorado River Camp

July 22, 2014CampingColin Fletcher, Colorado River, Edward Abbey, Salton SeaNick Gatel

Yeah, I know. Another camping trip. Ho hum.

Well, not for us. We enjoy everyone of them. After our Eastern Sierra vacation, we decided we need to start using our boat more often. The problem with a boat, especially if you live in southern California and the boat has a motor, is the fact you aren’t going to find many remote, quiet, and uninhabited places close by to camp and boat.

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Rocks ‘n Boulders

July 18, 2014Backpacking, Camping, HikingBoulders, Landscapes, RocksNick Gatel

Just a few days after returning home from our eastern Sierra vacation we headed out for another short trip. This time Joshua Tree National Park. I know, we go there a lot. Good news is that it is summer and the park is just about empty.