Friday, February 10, 2012

Dream Time 2012

Every new year, before its warm enough to actually get on a plane and go do something, the maps come out, the guide books are spread on the table, and I begin asking myself, where to now?

We ponder not whether to wander, but where.

While I do have a great job lined up in Yellowstone this summer, the early spring calls for action. Maybe not enough time to check out Alaska, right up at the top of my bucket list, but maybe enough time for the Georgia AT, reliving some cool memories, meeting some early backpackers heading for Katahdin.

A person has to want it, want it more than a soft pillow at night or variety of foods, more than hot showers and Internet. We get our gear to the summit, the will deep inside that laughs off aches and pains like a bad cup of coffee.

In all my travels, there's nothing, no one thing, like the comradeship of hikers on a trail, enjoying life, chucking all the fo-fo competitions instilled from kindergarten up.

In the end you find, no one wins, and the race is only with yourself. I've got a new camera, and it needs some trail time.

5 comments:

  1. ~Sigh~ I wanna go.... hoping like everything to start at PGFSP in May and go to Katahdin.

    That's a great shadow photo. Is it a self-portrait? That's tricky to do!

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  2. Yes, I have a desire to do some serious hiking this Spring. What do you recommend in June for Alpine weather. We have fleece and rainjackets. Should I pack some down too? I went ahead and ordered a down sweater vest on ebay. It pack real small and only weights about 9 oz. My orginal vest was stolen when I left it behind in my class in college. I have an older down jacket that will fit my daughter, I had it for over 25 years and it is still in good shape. It's a small and I am not a small anymore!

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  3. Yes, Ellie, it is a self portrait. I went to the river to get some footage, and the shadow appeared, demanding equal time. SO, I did several takes, playing with colors when I uploaded them.

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  4. Hi Flo, yes, I love fleece, even when damp, it dries fast and you can layer it in so many ways. Down is definitly packable, if you have it, but having washed my Marmot power fill, and feeling that I absolutely wrecked it, I know what a wet down thing would be like on the trail. It takes a seriously long time to dry it.

    so, if you have down, be prepared to protect it. The normal protection of down sleeping bags is 4 layers: Plastic bag in stuff sack, inside pack, pack cover.

    Not sure how that would translate to outter wear. Don't wear it in a drizzle unprotected!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks I will definitely do all I can to keep it dry!

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