Patagonia!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

I'm in Patagonia! And how delightful it is to be here. Mostly because of the endless refills on coffee I get at this coffee shop(somehow I'm on my 5th cup. Hehe). Its called Gathering Grounds, if you ever pass through. Great sandwiches too. I recommend the BLT.

Anyways, I'm gonna break each day into a separate post so to avoid massive block of text that would be difficult to navigate.

Trail day 1 comin' riiiiiigggghht up!

Day 1- Delays

Monday, December 12, 2011

Rain. A backpackers worst enemy. Today was the big day. I was going to be at the trailhead and had all the gear set and ready to roll, but now, rain.

I went out this morning with Skyler, the son of the family I'm staying with, to get food and ship my care packages, and it was raining the whole time. Not bad rain, but enough to get you drenched if you're outside for more than 10 minutes. It's tapered off, but it fades in for brief showers every so often.

On top of it raining, I was waiting for a package with my power bars and crampons that I'd just bought. Also, tomorrow, I'll be able to catch a ride to the trailhead rather than pay for a very expensive shuttle service. Overall, better decision to wait. I did buy a bit too much food though. Munchies time.

It's very pretty out here though. Arizona has some very striking terrain, which I'm sure I'll be talking about in my trip report to come. Stay tuned!

Catch up

Been a while since I've posted anything on my winter trip. To update you, I am now going on a 24-hike on the Arizona trail. I met with two Irish foreign exchange representatives at my school and they encouraged me to come to Ireland in the summer rather than winter.

So, I was shopping around for other overseas options and I kept over exceeding my budget on airfare. I began to look at domestic options and thought about the PCT's John Muir trail. Since I didn't know much about the JMT I posted in an online forum asking about winter conditions. It was quickly obvious that I was not prepared for the JMT and needed milder weather options. In the same conversation concerning the JMT I was recommended by a Arizona native to look at the new 800-mile thru hike trail in Arizona. A little conversation and I was set on the AZT. Many hours of planning and research went into making the trip possible and you can read all about it in the forum. Here's a link. http://www.backpacking.net/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=156990&page=1

Upcoming: Summating Mount Mitchell

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Despite the very small number on my bank statement, I've decided to head to North Carolina again to summit Mount Mitchell. Mount Mitchell is the highest peak in the South East and hopefully a fun challenge. It is a parking lot summit, which has pushed me away from getting it under my belt, but I've finally decided to go for it. Keep an eye out for pictures and a trip report coming soon!


In the meantime, check out this video! It's low quality in the link, but you can find it in 1080p on iTunes for download. Certainly worth the few megabytes of space on your hard-drive. 

Thoughts on Into the Wild

I recently finished reading Jon Krakauer's novel, Into the Wild. Let me just take a quick moment to say that if you have ever been interested in adventuring, then this is a great book to read. It displays the glory of a non-traditional adventure filled lifestyle whilst showing the repercussion that sometimes go along with it. Perspective is the biggest thing that I gained from reading the book, and it's much different than the movie counter part. It doesn't focus just on McCandless's life, but also the lives of other solitary adventurers. Don't just take my word for it thought, read it for yourself!


Despite my lovely PR-ish intro to this post, it is not the purpose of this post. There was a line in the book that I wanted to share on here because I was able to relate very closely in to what he was talking about. 

At that stage of my youth, death remained as abstract a concept as non-Euclidean geometry or marriage. I didn't yet appreciate its terrible finality or the havoc it could wreak on thos who'd entrusted the deceased with their hearts. I was stirred by the dark mystery of mortality. I couldn't resist stealing up to the edge of doom and peering over the edge. The hint of what was concealed in those shadows terrified me, but I caught sight of something in the glimpse, some forbidden and elemental riddle that was no less compelling than the sweet, hidden petals of woman's sex. 
                                                                               -Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild 
This is a beautiful description of the exact stage of life that I am in. I want adventure and intrigue. To "suck from the pap of life and gulp down the milk of incomparable wonder" as Fitzgerald puts it in The Great Gatsby. Krakauer compares it to the mystery of woman's sex, but in my own mind I see it as an infection. An infection that has to be bleed out on the razor peaks of mountains, drip into a glassine lake, splash onto nomadic desert dunes, fall into the Earth fully and unhindered in places where life is thick. 


The discussion of death is interesting. I recognize death. I know it, respect it, and am often fearful of it, but I don't really think it will happen to me. I don't fully understand how detrimental it would be to my family if I never came back from the Woods. I can't mesh the consequence with the action. It just doesn't click. I have not arrived at the end yet, but I've been thinking about this passage lately and am slowly learning what it means to me. It does not take away my Adventurous infection(I'm not sure if there is anything that can do that to me right now), but it has broadened my gaze to see that it is not just in Adventure that I should seek happiness. Happiness can reside with those that love me and that I love in return. One of McCandless's final lines in his journal was "Happiness only real when shared." Some think this is a testament to the futility of a solitary life of Adventure, but I view it as a testament to the necessity a dichotomous life. One must have adventure as well as love. One must know that it is not just on the tops of peaks that life is real, but also in the presence of the ones who receive the letters about the tops of the peaks. I still firmly believe in a life of solitude and self-reliance. I pity those that fear to truly live by them selves. This passage has only adjusted my feelings in a way that I recognize better the value and meaning of true friends and family.


Perhaps this is too much for a simple journal of my adventures, but when I read this passage I was struck by how much it related to me, and how it opened my eyes to the potential consequences of my actions. Not just that death is, of course, real, but what death will kill once I am gone. I write this because, perhaps, you are in the same stage that I am. Perhaps it will save you from an unknown hurt you will cause those who have entrusted you with their hearts, or perhaps it will help you widen your gaze to notice the life you have around you.


I will end with this. Remember that the life on the road is rewarding, and should always be on the mind, for that is what you live for. But do not be blinded by these thoughts and miss the life that flows out of the select loved ones that surround you when the road is cold. I speak as though talking to my self, but perhaps this speaks to you as well. I wish you the best, in all that you do. 

Planning my Winter trip

Saturday, October 15, 2011

I've decided to travel to Ireland this Winter!

We have just under a month in between Fall and Spring semester, and I'm in the beginning processes of planning a 26 day expedition through the ever majestic Ireland. For me, it's a slow process. I'd like to have a combination of backcountry hiking and exposure to the local culture. I don't really have anything definite right now, so I can't give much detail besides the dates(12/11/11-1/6/12). I'll provide a full trip itinerary when it is developed.

Just a few websites that I have found useful in the planning process already are Lonely Planet and Fodors. They provide excellent information of weather, locale, culture, and spots to visit for the people who want to hike their way through as well as those who wish to take more of a touristy trip. Both are backed by a great community that is responsive to questions. If you're looking into a trip, no matter the kind, check those websites out.

A weekend of Solo-backpacking in Linville Gorge

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Here's to the beginning of a great adventure, cataloguing my adventures! I get very caught up in planning, going, and doing adventures that I neglect to record them. I'll start of with my most recent trip two weekends ago.

It was a solo backpacking trip in Linville Gorge where I planned to hike in 7 miles to the cliffs of Shortoff Mountain and then back out again.. Getting there is always a Journey in it self(Ho ho, notice my clever wordplay). No matter the time that I leave to go Adventuring, whether it be from Milledgeville or any where for that matter, I always end up rolling into my campsite after dark, around 12. Which is exactly how it happened, but I did take a great shot of some nearby houses and lighting.
A surprisingly exposed turn...
A quick note on "my" camera. This was taken with a Canon Rebel T1i, that my sister and her husband let me borrow for a little while. 5.4 aperture I think, a 20 second exposure, and ISO at 1600 is what got me this shot. At least to the best of my memory. 

So, got it very late that evening to the Little Table Rock parking area, set up my tent, despite the raging winds that fought me at every turn, and slept peacefully, happy to be back in the woods. I forced my self to wake up early the next day to take a few pictures of the sunrise. Part of the view from the top of The Chimneys. 
If you didn't know, the Chimneys is actually a climbing hotspot offering some great top ropes. Climbed there a few times and it's a great place to take friends and beginners who have never climbed before. Short hike in, great views, and great routes. For the more advanced climbers, there is Table Rock and the Amphitheater, both of which I've heard great stories about from those that have climbed them, but have never actually climbed them myself.

After grabbing some more shots, I hustled back to break down camp and have a quick oatmeal breakfast. Packed up and headed off. I was taking a section of the Mountains to the Sea trail and it's right around seven miles from the parking area. The trail is pretty well maintained and if you only want a short hike it's an easy two to three miles to another great view of both Table Rock and The Chimneys. It will be a distinct clearing, but be warned anything past that is WICKED, LONG, GRUELING DOWNHILL. Apologies for the caps, but I want to make sure it's understood that the next section of trail is very very hard. Long downhill that includes big step downs and log hurdles. Definitely the hardest part of the trail.
How dreamy...

So after enduring the burning in the front of my thighs for so long I thought my skin would be ripe for Bar-B-Que any minute now, I discovered I had taken a wrong turn and started to descend into Linvill Gorge rather than head towards Shortoff. I spent nearly two and a half hours analyzing my map, walking this way then walking back again before I ran into some fellow hikers that pointed me in the right direction. I was ready to just drop my pack at the nearest campsite and call it a day. Shortoff nothing, the camera bag that I will never again take on the trail was beginning to do a bit more than bug me and I was ready for a nice long sit down. The one thing that kept pushing me onwards was that I knew there would be some incredible campsites once I made it to Shortoff, so I pressed on.




My hard work paid off as I stayed at the most incredible campsite I've ever been to. I was something like ten feet from the edge of a sheer 100 foot dropoff. This was it. What I'd hiked for.      So worth it.
 I made lunch with a packet of food that I'd actually found of the trail. Someone had left quite a few provisions lying in a pile in the middle of the trail, I grabbed up a small packet of oxygenized beans and veggies to add to my rice. A bit unethical, but there wasn't any one else on the mountain whose it could have been. I checked.



 After that delicious incredibly satisfying meal, I laid down to read and enjoy the view I had made for myself. All was well until a few dark clouds rolled in. I didn't think much of it, but threw my rain fly on made dinner of rice and laid back into my sleeping bag for more reading. I did jump out to grab a picture of the sunset, and when I say jump I mean I couldn't be out in the wind for more than a few minutes before my hands couldn't operate the camera. Pretty chilly. That about sums it up. The next day I packed up and hiked back without getting lost and yes, I conquered the massive hill that I talked about earlier. Plucked the banjo in the parking lot for a little while, packed up the car, and went home!

 But not before I snagged a shot of this little guy!