Today is
John Muir's birthday, and what better day to begin the blog about hiking and backpacking that I've planned for so long? My goal is to share my love of the outdoors that I experience through hiking and backpacking. I starting backpacking when I was ten years old and joined the Boy Scouts. Our troop wasn't much on uniforms, merit badges, and attaining ranks (at least at first), but our troop leaders planned and took us on the most amazing backpacking trips. We hiked to San Jacinto, Arroyo Seco, and once a year the highlight of my year, the 9 day Sierra Trek. The Sierra Trek was a voyage into John Muir's wilderness. Every year was different, but we always backpacked about fifty miles beginning in the High Sierra, and usually ending up in Yosemite Valley. These were the best days of my life, and imprinted me with a love for the unspoiled wilderness, which I would like to share with you.
John Muir wrote, "You may be a little cold some nights, on mountain tops above the timber-line, but you will see the stars, and by and by you can sleep enough in your town bed, or at least in your grave." I agree with him completely, but with the equipment available today, it is possible to enjoy the great outdoors and remain mostly comfortable. :)
I will use this blog to write about and share pictures of my experiences, but also to share knowledge about how to plan and prepare for a trip. I will tell you what equipment you need, and recommend books that you can read to prepare and inspire you. I hope that you find this blog so interesting and useful that you bookmark it, and come back often.
In January, I quit my job. :) Boy did that feel great! I have always "worked" for a living, but I have heard it time and again, do what you love, and the money will come. I love hiking and backpacking, so I'm going to try to blog about it, and see if they money does come. To help it along, here and there, you will see ads. They should be relevant to what I'm writing about, so hopefully, you'll be curious, and click on them to support my sponsors. I will also recommend books and equipment, the purchase of which will earn me a small percentage. I will only recommend books and equipment that are excellent, and you need a good sleeping bag, tent and stove to go backpacking. If enough people find it convenient to buy these things through the product links on my blog, then I may get to keep doing this.
I also love sea kayaking, and I have a blog called
Dipping and Tipping (get it?). Sea kayaking is another great way, like hiking and backpacking, to see the natural world. It is even more amazing in that the trail vanishes behind you, and you don't leave a trace. Sea kayak touring is like backpacking except that your camping equipment goes into the holds of your kayak. You can travel with a lot more, but the skills you need and the risks you take are greater. Backpacking is easier to get started, but it is not without risks. The unprepared still risk getting lost and succumbing to hypothermia, so prepare.
I will leave you with the a quote from the man of the hour. From it you may get an idea of the reason why you should try backpacking. Now, backpacking is just hiking where you stay one or more nights out in the land, but only by backpacking can you get in far enough to achieve the truly transcendent experience. When I was boy, I did not enjoy the first couple of days of a backpacking trip, mostly because my body was soft, and it was hard work to carry that heavy pack down the trail. But by the time the trip was over, I didn't want to go back! Perhaps you can relate to the similar effect experienced when you go on vacation. It takes a few days before you start to unwind.
"Fear not, therefore, to try the mountain-passes. They will kill care, save you from deadly apathy, set you free, and call forth every faculty into vigorous, enthusiastic action. Even the sick should try these so-called dangerous passes, because for every unfortunate they kill, they cure a thousand."
John Muir
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Since I live within 16 miles of John Muir's home in Martinez, California, I decided to pay it a visit on his birthday. I could have driven, but in the spirit of preserving the Earth, I rode a bike. It wasn't an easy ride. It was a beautiful sunny day, though windy, but the best bike available to me is heavy with no low end gears. That's it in the picture. Easy on the eyes, not on the hills. Not the kind of bike that you want to ride up steep hills that lie between my home in Vallejo and Martinez. There was some walking of the bike up some hills. On my way, I imagined that I would be welcomed to an ongoing party in John Muir's honor. I imagined lectures about John Muir's achievements, tours of his home and orchards, inspirational talks about the importance of protecting our public lands from exploitation and destruction. Maybe there would be cake?
Very nice scene, isn't it? The California Poppies are in bloom on the landscaping planted with natives. It is a beautiful sunny day with just a few clouds in the sky. The air is cool and the breeze is perfect for a hike in John Muir's own backyard. But wait.
Yes, that's right. The park was closed on John Muir's birthday. :)
