Month: February 2009

Last weekend Avagdu, HatterOfMaddnesz, and I loaded up our packs and went for a jaunt in the Chuckanuts. The hike in was about 6 miles, with an elevation gain of something on the order of 1,600 feet. (In the planning stage, I had told them to expect 7 miles and 500 feet. I suppose next time I should look at the map, rather than relying on memory.)

Avagdu and HatterOfMaddnesz claimed that this was the longest hike that they had done in a while, but they both pulled through. Avagdu used the opportunity to field-test his INCH Bag, which was quite heavy. It gave him a hard time. I think he’ll be shedding some of the redundancy the next time around. Certainly, we all learned something.

We spent two nights at a lake and took a hike up to a ridge that gave views of Mt. Baker to the east and the San Juan Islands to the west. (I took a nap.) My camera battery died soon after setting up camp the first night, so pictures are sparse.

(Avagdu has recently released his video of this event.)

When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last February I began a training ritual in preparation for my anticipated journey to Spain. Every weekend that I could, up to the very time of my departure, I would load up my Kifaru ZXR with the heaviest books I owned till it reached something in the range of 70-80 lbs, then head out the door and hike 15-20 miles. In reality, this is far more weight than I usually carry while traveling and I tend not to walk much more than 15 miles a day. But by pushing my body and mind further than where I actually require it to go, the pleasure, serenity, and ease of travel is heightened.

I find that no amount of running, biking, or light-weight day hiking adequately prepares the body for the weight of the ruck and life on The Road. So, this year, I’m continuing the training. Yesterday was day one. I hadn’t walked under my heavy rucksack for a couple of months, so I started out with something probably closer to 50 lbs and did a 15 mile trip that lacked much elevation change.

It felt good to dust off the rucksack and move around some. At the end of the day, I could feel the strain in my gluteal muscles. Today I’m only a little bit sore. The exercise works and I’m glad of my starting weight and mileage.

In the coming weeks, I’ll increase the weight and mileage until I reach stability. At that point, I’ll keep things interesting by using my GPS to clock my speed and see what I can do about cutting down on time.

I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least — and it is commonly more than that — sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements. You may safely say, A penny for your thoughts, or a thousand pounds. When sometimes I am reminded that the mechanics and shopkeepers stay in their shops not only all the forenoon, but all the afternoon too, sitting with crossed legs, so many of them — as if the legs were made to sit upon, and not to stand or walk upon — I think that they deserve some credit for not having all committed suicide long ago. Henry David Thoreau

Last Saturday, I took a train into Seattle to meet up with some of the members of RantMedia’s Washington cell. In attendance were OneeyedElf1, SideSlide, HatterOfMaddnesz, Avagdu, myself, and another who I will dub PlantGirl.

OneeyedElf1 was the first to arrive at Bauhaus Books & Coffee. I got in a bit past noon, after walking the few blocks from the train station. Neither of us had seen or met SideSlide yet, but, soon thereafter, a fellow walked in with a Maxpedition Versipack and we figured that must be him. OneeyedElf1 and I were both sporting our Rant 10th Anniversary shirts, which attracted SideSlide to our place at the bar. He introduced us to PlantGirl, who was not familiar with RantMedia but had consented to joining us on our exploits, and we moved to a table upstairs.

We talked about the various things that people like us talk about and SideSlide prepared for the day’s main activity: geocaching. SideSlide was the most experienced geocacher in our group — and the most prepared — so he took the lead.

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