Greetings Friends,
It's been awhile. I thought it appropriate, however, given how I've spent the past week, to do a blog entry.
Last Sunday morning I embarked on a new experience. Backpacking. Sure, I've stayed in a tent before, but never to the extent of spending 4 nights away from home with all of life's necessities on my back.
The destination was a 17 hour car drive away which wasn't as bad as it sounds with 4 friends to share the drive. From the moment we arrived, we began moving into the mountains, an area well trodden by horses and perfect for long walks with lots to see.
Rather than retell the events from my experience, which I think will read better with pictures, I'd like to share a few things I've learned.
1) A tight pack is a light pack -- One thing I underestimated was the difficulty and process of gathering everything one would need in a week's time and organizing that into a pack. If I went on another trip, I think I would be more regimental about my intake of food by relying on a single, easily packable staple. This trip, I had more than enough to eat which I believe weighed down my pack more than necessary. I would also repack anything prepackaged into large zip lock backs -- the less trash one can bring with, the better.
2) Footcare -- Traveling by foot is more involved than it sounds, especially with a pack. My feet are the only thing, though, that held me back significantly. As I write this, I have welts on both of my big toes that make walking still quite difficult. If I were to go on another trip, I would have a sock technique figured out before hand and make sure my boots fit properly. I also would bring band aids and things that help with the unavoidable blister so that I don't have to mooch off of others.
3) Bring a positive attitude -- At times, things can get rough and unpredictable when hiking long distances. With this in mind, all roads lead to a restful night under the stars and any time spent being pessimistic or arguing or anything negative is a detriment to the trip overall. This wasn't a huge burden this trip, but just something to keep in mind in general.
That's my takeaway for the moment. In general, it was a phenomenal getaway. I don't see enough of my high school buddies as it is, and getting together for a week away from the grind was something precious. I learned a lot about them, and a lot about myself as the things we think are necessary back home are too heavy to carry for a trip like this. There's something philosophical there, I think. Something something life without attachments. Perhaps as the week continues I will have more to share.
Drew
