"Humor brings insight and tolerance. Irony brings a deeper and less friendly understanding."Agnes Repplier
|
| |
All you could ever know about original reality series
We all know what they mean but we don't know whether we should like them or hate them. I recall an Original Reality Series named 'Candid Camera' few years ago. Some persons on the street(who had no idea there was a camera waiting to film them) were caught ...
Exercise, fitness and improving your metabolism to lose weight
Losing weight can sometimes seem like a daunting task. It’s so easy to think “I can’t do it”. But you can. But in order to lose weight you need to increase your metabolism. So just how can you boost your metabolism? It is relatively simple to do. To ...
Why Do People Skydive?
Skydivers - Most people say we're crazy. Some say we have a death wish. Psychologists say people with an inclination to take high risks are a necessary part of the continuation of our species. We are people from all walks of life. Students, blue-collar ...
|
|
|
| |
I was in the Weminuche Wilderness Area when the snow came. It was my second day out of Silverton, where the locals told me it rains or snows every day in August. I made a note to myself to do some research next time. Then I made a note to myself to find the trail. I was lost again.
Lightweight Backpacking
I came to the San Juan Mountains in Colorado to try my new gear. I used a tarp shelter, and a light down sleeping bag. The first rainy night I stayed dry. A good start, but now above the trees, I was lost in rolling tundra, unable to find the trail under several inches of snow. I had my ultralight rainsuit on, though, and I was fine.
It was beautiful, with mountains appearing all around at every break in the weather. Eventually I found myself on the map. The sun came out, and there were white mountain tops rising out of the green forests everywhere. Mountain goats played on the cliffs with me.
The fourth morning, I was on my way up Mount Eolus. In Colorado you can go up 14,000-foot mountains without climbing gear. They call them "Walk-ups," but some require more than hiking. The "catwalk" on Eolus, for example, is easy, but only if it's easy for you to walk a three-foot-wide edge, with a drop to your death on either side. I made it to the top.
Sunlight Peak, a couple hours later, required a leap across a thousand foot drop to reach the summit. At least it was an easy jump. Chased off by a thunderstorm, I
didn't get to go up nearby Windom Peak.
There were no roads, but the next day I found the Silverton-Durango line, and flagged down the train to Silverton. I bought food and headed out for three more days of rainy hiking. Lightning chased me at 13,000 feet, I slept in an old ghost town building, climbed three more "fourteeners," and I'd do it all again in a second. Backpacking in Colorado is spectacular, and going lightweight made it even more so.
Why Lightweight?
I carried my backpack easily up mountains, with better balance. One day I hiked 22 miles and bagged three fourteeners. I went 110 miles in seven days, without one blister. That's what running shoes and a 12 to 16 pound packweight does for you.
Staying dry was as much technique as it was good equipment. It rained every day, and I was under a tarp, in a one-pound sleeping bag, but I stayed dry and warm. I found lightweight backpacking to be safer than hiking with a heavy load, contrary to what many say.
This first lightweight backpacking trip was years ago. When I remember running up those mountains, I know I'll never go back to a heavy load.
About the author:
Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of lightweight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Price tag climbing for infrastructureBoston.comBy Deirdre Fernandes Two months after Mayor Setti Warren presented his $241 million roadmap for updating Newton's deteriorating infrastructure, the costs of some building projects have already grown while others on the horizon could push the total ...and more » |
|
Climbing the MountainBobcats AthleticsWith just three weekends left to earn their marks, Montana State Track and Field kept up the momentum at the Mountain States Games, hosted by Idaho State in Pocatello. They picked up nine more qualified individuals for the Big Sky Conference Indoor ...and more » |
|
Gasoline Prices Climbing AgainWLKY LouisvillePrices have climbed to $3.50 and higher by Saturday. "This is all a market reaction to troubles in the Middle East. Good economic reports and the Euro being stronger against the dollar," AAA of Central Kentucky spokesman Roger Boyd said.and more » |
|
