Snapping up the Summer

[sapphiresavvy]

Wow, that looks gorgeos!

Karla, is there a dealine on this?

[Maya]

Sigh...one of these days I'll learn how to swim, fuck in a waterfall and hike to the top of Mount Everest. Knock swimming lessons off this summer's list of to do's. I am so close to learning too.

[karlsie]

Somebody's got to let those snooping, assembly line, sexual harrassment officials know metal detectors are one thing but spilling out your life story on a public table is quite another. I'm not a criminal, for Christ's sake, just because i want to take a vacation. If Grainne keeps talking about mineral pools and warm water beaches, i might brave the Inquisition, but i'm telling you there'll be hell to pay if anyone touches my booty.

Those mountains look rigorous and the sky is fantastic. Better take both a note pad and a sketch book. How much weight will you be carrying for a week long trip? Are you pitching a tent or are there cabins along the way? Will you be using ropes at all?

Savvy, our travel log will be an all summer affair. In fact, we have have created a special travel category. We are promoting the travel aspect now as it's usually associated with summer, but there are absolutely no deadlines for it. All we ask is that you listen to a different drummer when writing your log; the one commercial enterprise doesn't notice or the one that stirs you deep inside.

[stacystec]

national park service won't let us camp above the tree line so we'll be camping off the mountain. One of the nights we'll be able to stay up, there is a hut at the summit of Mt Monroe
I haven't been on a mountain hike this long before so I have no clue how heavy the bag will be yet. Dude I'm going with says it might be a good idea to upgrade my equipment, the 80s hiking gear Im using, state-of-the-art aluminum is now considered a heavy dinosaur.

[Maya]

Karla how do you expect to hit a public mineral pool without having your rear end molested?

Stacy maybe you can buy the updated equipment at a second hand shop or on ebay. Some people buy the goods use it once and never make that type of trip again. Why can't you camp off the tree line?

[stacystec]

I prefer to wheel and deal over craigslist. Especially in these parts, lots of military folks buy mindless stuff and then get deployed before the ink dries on the receipt. Exploiting stupid decisions could be a full time job.

Park service prefers that people use designated camping locations, lowers the human impact on the environment.

[karlsie]

Gee, that photo looks almost like a snapshot of the goldmining town of Cantwell; high up in the Alaska range, a couple of hundred miles from the big boy. You'll get laughed at for using eighties equipment. When i took my kids stateside, we all had eighties back packs. My daughter and i both used soft packs, but my son used an aluminum frame one. When we met with other hikers, they'd give us strange looks for our bulky gear, as everything they had looked so light-weight and stream lined.

The one good thing about living close to a settlement so transient as a military base are the things they toss as they move on. I once picked up a pair of hundred dollar climbing boots for five bucks. The person who owned them last couldn't have used them more than once. They weren't even scuffed. I was delighted. For me, nothing is quite as important as having the right boots for an endurance hike. Once the feet start hurting, everything hurts. I usually tie an extra pair of over the ankle, soft leather, light weight shoes to my back pack in case my feet get hot. Switching out your shoes and your socks, mid way through a hike helps keep the feet happy. Like a lot of long distance hikers, i like to load up on power bars, jerky, raisins and nuts, but i also like to keep a small packet of bee pollen in my pocket for quick energy boosts. I don't load up on energy drinks. They are too heavy and bulky. A water bottle with a built in filter has to do, and some salt tablets in case of depletion.

Okay, i've gotta get my mind off great hiking adventures. I have some friends who have been tossing around the Ressurection Trail for awhile, but nothing has come of it so far. This is a hundred mile hike through the mountain pass between Seward and Hope, a trail built during the 1880's gold rush. It's actually soft time. Lots of deep gullys and valleys carved by the glaciers, with a creek running nearby through most of the hike. Fritz wants to do the runner's sprint; three days to breakneck to the other side. I want the more leisurely stroll; about twenty miles a day, with time out for a little panning and foraging. Even good buddies have different perceptions.

[sapphiresavvy]

Question. My husband is heading across half the country, starting Saturday. Since you seem to want a travel tinge to your summer articles, I thought it would kick ass for him to write a travelogue of some kind, especially as one of his themes is going to be "monster chasing" (Lake Champlain for Champ the lake monster, and New Jersey for the Jersey Devil, if possible). He's interested in emailing me some thoughts, having me edit and submit here. I was wondering if, since this will be long, you'd prefer one long article or several shorter installments. I know you guys don't have "rules;" just looking for a preference.

[grainnerhuad]

I'd say it really depends on how it ends up. Sometimes it makes sense to have a piece be all at once and cohesive and other times it can easily be split up due to changes in the scenery and/or what is being talked about (ie; food vs. sights) So I'd say submit whatever it ends up being and we can make a decision on it then. We are really interested in off the beaten path stories and how-to-make-do on a budjet angles as well as monster/storm/diety chasing. Sounds like a great road trip your husband has planned.

[karlsie]

I'm enthusiastic about the "monster chasing" theme. It seems to me each story would take on a little different color and variation in experience; maybe even a separate reflection. I'm partial to the idea of continuations. It allows readers to anticipate what will happen next in the cross-country travels. It sounds very exciting, Savvy. I'd love to see what you make of the material.

[sapphiresavvy]

Cool, I will sub as a "secretion" when he's done, then.