Tag Archives: Aging Hikers

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

In the midst of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. Albert Camus Like many of you I wrote that essay every year after returning to school in September: How I Spent My Summer Vacation. It was an easy task for me because it was always the same. Of courseContinue reading “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”

This Land is My Land

I usually try to keep politics out of my posts, but a recent decision by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee should send chills into every aching bone of a hiker’s body. The bill forces the sale of more than 250 million acres of public land, including Forest Service and Bureau of Land ManagementContinue reading “This Land is My Land”

Hiking Through the Pain

You must remember that no one lives a life free from pain and suffering. Sophocles Thru hikers and other long distance adventurers all know what it is like to be injured on the trail. In fact, anyone who has carried a pack and set off to explore a mountain trail has experienced discomfort. Even withContinue reading “Hiking Through the Pain”

A Cabin in the Woods

Dwell in peace in the home of your own being. Nanak When I lived in western Washington I used to regularly go on an early season hike, usually April or May, when the high country was still covered in snow, but the beautiful low elevation river valleys of the Olympics offered many miles of solitaryContinue reading “A Cabin in the Woods”

Drinking Straight from the Source

The doors to the world of the wild self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door. If you have an old old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it that is a door. If youContinue reading “Drinking Straight from the Source”

With Thanks to Outer Space

Older hikers and backpackers like myself may remember a time when convenient and lightweight food was hard to find. Oatmeal and cocoa were not available in packets. Freeze dried food could be purchased at outdoor stores like REI but was expensive and offered limited choices. Fortunately there was the space program. NASA and the PillsburyContinue reading “With Thanks to Outer Space”

Sign Sign, Everywhere a Sign. . .

Breakin’ out the scenery Breakin’ my mind Do this, don’t do that Can’t you read the sign? Five Man Electric Band If you are a Baby Boomer like myself you may remember that song by an obscure Canadian band that had one hit, but it was a good one, and memorable. While having lunch inContinue reading “Sign Sign, Everywhere a Sign. . .”

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

I am a part of all that I have seen. James Joyce in Ulysses No, I will not be singing the praises of “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” today, though these things are worthy of celebration. My favorite things are what you see in the photo above: a bear canister filled with freezeContinue reading “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things”