tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84469478854301517672024-03-05T16:45:25.853-07:00A Spark of AdventureA site for hiking, backpacking, and general adventuring!
This site is new and under construction, so keep checking back for updates!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-30691712202790995882013-07-12T03:00:00.000-06:002013-07-12T17:30:23.476-06:00The Baddest Land on the Plains<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Cye7IaJFl2SvUFTzDj5eJ3titjmnA0UrNlIZYygapKzR866TG_WSFKUCng2EHAhCzQ2-lgQPQcF8cUDpRBVPoKoCG1f4h5cSsSnY2wRE7gSTPGlG28k2a3QgxtmuEwlFhYHdifOFkg7R/s1600/042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Cye7IaJFl2SvUFTzDj5eJ3titjmnA0UrNlIZYygapKzR866TG_WSFKUCng2EHAhCzQ2-lgQPQcF8cUDpRBVPoKoCG1f4h5cSsSnY2wRE7gSTPGlG28k2a3QgxtmuEwlFhYHdifOFkg7R/s320/042.JPG" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRWPn6c2zIwegnPzG4Z4_zLEDDKjdA8CXI-BOZyXwIuV-p-F7gVmA4ihuJzTWnDdgpXr12Va3er_3mv04CM9qCA7eOWHz7DOOpzn38Vky8AKdV6TTB6DEB8zVDbHf-xoPQPfrSL6NUwFL/s1600/Road+Trip!+with+Nikki+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRWPn6c2zIwegnPzG4Z4_zLEDDKjdA8CXI-BOZyXwIuV-p-F7gVmA4ihuJzTWnDdgpXr12Va3er_3mv04CM9qCA7eOWHz7DOOpzn38Vky8AKdV6TTB6DEB8zVDbHf-xoPQPfrSL6NUwFL/s320/Road+Trip!+with+Nikki+003.jpg" width="228" /></a><br />
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I've visited the Badlands more times than any other park (aside from our nearby Rocky Mountain National Park), and each time I'm amazed by the colors and shapes of the rock formations there. At 244,000 acres, the Badlands includes a lot of varied terrain. 69 million years ago, the area was covered in a massive sea, and sediments that sunk to the bottom created these colorful layers (and also made a great spot for fossils)--then erosion carved out the different formations.<br />
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Badlands is the sort of park that you can just drive through--with a couple photo stops here and there--and still get a great experience. In fact, the road is so winding that it manages to pass by nearly all of the best parts (though nothing can ever really compare to hiking and camping in the backcountry).<br />
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The last time I went was with Andy, and we decided to stay overnight mostly because camping was free (and we had a National Parks Pass so admission was free, too!). We were passing through after a long day of driving (with another one ahead), so backcountry felt like a bigger endeavor than we were up for. Instead we drove down a ridiculously long gravel road, past endless stretches of grass speckled with bison, to arrive here:</div>
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We were far from the famous rock formations, but it was also quiet and there were no bison roaming past. It was also close to a walk up a little grassy hill, which led us high enough to take this photo (click on it to see it bigger):<br />
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And jumping pictures are the best (if you've never done one, you really need to give it a try--they're sort of addictive), so we got some of those in too:<br />
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One of Andy's favorite stories comes from the next morning, when I was driving us back down that long gravel road to the main park. There were bison everywhere, and warning signs like this:<br />
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And I thought out loud, "Man, my worst nightmare right now would be coming across a stupid bison right in the middle of the road!" So of course, we rounded a corner and BAM! There was a gigantic (and not particularly smart looking) bison right in the middle of the gravel road. We were in my dinky 2-door car, and I didn't know what to do. Andy suggested revving the engine (with me all "No! We'll make him mad!"), which caused the bison to turn towards us, dip his head down, and paw the ground with a front hoof.<br />
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I had kind of been joking about the nightmare thing originally, but now there was an angry buffalo putting a macho show on in front of us and I was freaking out. Which Andy thought was hilarious. But he agreed to switch so he could drive (I think I crawled into the passenger seat while he walked around the car). And then an SUV came up on the bison's other side and he moseyed nonchalantly back to his herd. Crisis averted, I say.<br />
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For me I would say that the Badlands makes a great 1-2 day experience, but to make it part of a bigger trip rather than a destination. Though pretty far from Yellowstone (pushing 9 hours on mostly 75 mph roads), the Badlands is only 1-1.5 hours east of Keystone (with <a href="http://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm" target="_blank">Mount Rushmore</a>, <a href="http://crazyhorsememorial.org/" target="_blank">Crazy Horse</a>, and a bunch of toursity things) plus <a href="http://www.nps.gov/wica/index.htm" target="_blank">Wind Cave National Park</a> and <a href="http://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/directory/custer/" target="_blank">Custer State Park</a> a little ways past that. That same area also includes <a href="http://www.visitrapidcity.com/whattodo/parksandmonuments/jewelcavenationalmonument/" target="_blank">Jewel Cave</a> and <a href="http://www.visitrapidcity.com/whattodo/parksandmonuments/devilstowernationalmonument/" target="_blank">Devils Tower</a> National Monuments, though I haven't been to either of those. And around 3 hours west of the Badlands is the <a href="http://www.cornpalace.org/" target="_blank">Mitchell Corn Palace</a> (the world's <u>only</u> corn palace, if you can believe it). Yeah buddy.<br />
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Here are a couple more shots for the road...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-13428954265906366232013-07-11T03:00:00.000-06:002013-07-12T17:28:45.145-06:00The Most Beautiful Buttes You'd Never Expect to SeeIn college my girl friends and I convinced a huge group of people from our dorm to go out to this place called the Pawnee Buttes to watch the sunrise. No one had heard of these buttes (and some seemed a little suspicious of their existence), so it was pretty surprising when we were able to get everyone in the car and on the road well before the (it's the buttes--have to say it!) buttcrack of dawn. I can't blame the skepticism--to get to the buttes from Fort Collins, we had to drive east into the middle of nowhere (if you haven't been to Colorado, much of the eastern half feels like the middle of nowhere) and pull into a grasslands area that was, well, just a whole lot of flat, grassy land. The only reason the girls and I even knew these buttes existed was because our ecology professor offered extra credit for going (and we were a little skeptical ourselves about taking him up on it, to be honest).<br />
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After entering the grasslands, it takes a good bit of driving along gravel roads and past slightly sketchy old buildings amidst seemingly endless stretches of grass and dirt (see the picture above)... but then, out of nowhere, there is this:<br />
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It's hard to express our surprise through photos--but seeing these formations in the middle of those flat grasslands was pretty spectacular. And so we returned on a dark October morning, with a whole troop of dorm friends in tow, to watch the sunrise.</div>
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And after this spectacular display, we of course had to take some pictures jumping over a yucca:</div>
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It might have helped that we were a bunch of nerds from the science dorm. At some point someone even thought to pull the backseat out of our friend's old Suburban.</div>
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So sacrificing some early morning sleep on a college weekend to visit the middle of nowhere... completely worth it.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-91919720094026471702013-07-10T22:09:00.000-06:002013-07-12T17:28:55.200-06:00Calypso Cascades (aka our first hike together)Calypso Cascades is one of many trails leading off of the Wild Basin Trailhead near Allenspark, Colorado. It's pretty easy trail and only 3.6 miles round trip, which is probably why Andy took me there for one of our first dates (to sort of test the hiking waters). It's in Rocky Mountain National Park (so you have to pay admission unless you have a <a href="http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm" target="_blank">parks pass</a>) and can get crowded, but waterfalls in Colorado are pretty special--especially one that's so easy to get to. You can access the ProTrails page <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/rocky-mountain-national-park-calypso-cascades-and-ouzel-falls" target="_blank">here</a> if you want directions, camping info, or just extra detail.<br />
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Here are some photos from our little hiking date (June 2009):<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-21362279518422676012013-07-05T13:24:00.002-06:002013-07-12T20:24:43.010-06:00In the Land of the Kiwis<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNKD-R99M3C58Q2gF0ZK-_SenOsnAmVAanE14ZS1RwDaLbrKXZ8iESX3ixJoKVsOSjlRjrGn-nW9PO6LuL4eobBcse2kdk5GJt9qUi7V0ouC0CEIurVwA1TnbEQxtuCax8SZ-2w1SzfaH/s1600/Moeraki+Boulders+(19).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNKD-R99M3C58Q2gF0ZK-_SenOsnAmVAanE14ZS1RwDaLbrKXZ8iESX3ixJoKVsOSjlRjrGn-nW9PO6LuL4eobBcse2kdk5GJt9qUi7V0ouC0CEIurVwA1TnbEQxtuCax8SZ-2w1SzfaH/s400/Moeraki+Boulders+(19).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Moeraki Boulders on New Zealand's South Island</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxKGU_0JzCo3hwm1wsVZhYgLohFjK5nm4qt37NrQGbbyIz5mmiQ2voICamYn20AYTyXUVQVVUPSYcQrb6FFUi9pYluHDWE5FLVn3wY1jYfcEepEnEmFJ_vlQHtVdJBjSwR02D5Kvm_Pi8/s1600/nz+map.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxKGU_0JzCo3hwm1wsVZhYgLohFjK5nm4qt37NrQGbbyIz5mmiQ2voICamYn20AYTyXUVQVVUPSYcQrb6FFUi9pYluHDWE5FLVn3wY1jYfcEepEnEmFJ_vlQHtVdJBjSwR02D5Kvm_Pi8/s200/nz+map.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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In the five months I lived in New Zealand, I couldn't seem to get over all of the breathtaking landscapes and incredible adventures this country had to offer. I've never been anywhere quite like it; within a couple hours of driving, you can start at tropical coastlines, pass through desert-like sands and snow-capped mountains, and end in the fjords of the western coast. And that's just east to west. The southernmost point of New Zealand is also the southernmost land before you encounter Antarctica, so their beaches contain a wide variety of penguin species and the climate is much more temperate than that of neighboring Australia (but if you visit, remember that their winters are our summers). On the North Island, there is Hot Water Beach along the Coromandel peninsula where you can dig your own hot tub out of the sand (numerous hot water springs flow under the beach, and can be easily accessed at low tide). Not to mention the country is Middle Earth and Narnia rolled into one (there are even signs at some locations stating which Lord of the Rings scene was filmed there).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out in our sandy hot tub</td></tr>
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In the 6 years since visiting New Zealand, I don't think a month has gone by that I haven't thought about going back. Granted, I don't expect to ever be able to stay for such a long span of time (the five months was for a semester of study abroad), so the next time I go I'll being doing some things pretty differently. Here are some things I would change for my next visit:<br />
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<li><b>Clothing: </b>The town I lived in was called Dunedin, located near the southern end of the South Island. And I was there from July to November, meaning I arrived in the dead of winter and left at the start of summer. It was during my stay that a law was passed requiring insulation to be included in new homes... so our (old) little flat was often colder inside than outside, and central heat (at least at the time) was practically unheard of. Even the university's library used only baseboard heating. Our flat, alas, had one little heat pump in the living room/kitchen that we ran only on rare occasion because of astronomical utility costs--and our little personal space heaters that followed the same rule (we also kept a tally for each time we used the dryer and chipped in extra for the bill for every use, it made <i>that</i> big of a difference in the power bill). In any case, an unheated/uninsulated home combined with island humidity made for a very different winter than I had anticipated. I would most definitely pack more layers (including Smartwool shirts, long underwear, and fleece) if I returned in non-summer months.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTzAO9ootS2aVz6j4qS4qd5-3_YZa3gRJqyrn_fMxLJZSOyfNAD4r1dAg4SMJFVNeUUeQi1ckxcqsEAiHSFX6cvVTxOoJ2xTev6bx3QTZRx8A5aumr3aVKQVz8pjPAPdxKZJEKZGlQKP9/s1600/Wanaka-Queenstown+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTzAO9ootS2aVz6j4qS4qd5-3_YZa3gRJqyrn_fMxLJZSOyfNAD4r1dAg4SMJFVNeUUeQi1ckxcqsEAiHSFX6cvVTxOoJ2xTev6bx3QTZRx8A5aumr3aVKQVz8pjPAPdxKZJEKZGlQKP9/s400/Wanaka-Queenstown+049.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of a ski hill in Wanaka</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><b>Toiletries:</b> This is a more widely applicable packing statement, but I definitely did not need to bring full size shampoo, toothpaste, etc. I had read such mixed advice on whether to bring my own that I just decided to go for it... and that was so not necessary for a country like New Zealand. And it would have been way more fun to try out some of their products.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Planning:</b> Before leaving, I did very little research on New Zealand. I had a Lonely Planet guide (provided by AustaLearn, the company I went through to arrange my study abroad), had watched some movies filmed there, and could point to it on a map... and that's about it. Actually, the Lonely Planet guide proved to be an incredible resource and the friends I made did an excellent job of planning and executing adventures. But after living in this little country (though stretched more vertically, the whole country contains about the same land area as the state of Colorado) for 5 months, there are a lot more things I have realized I want to go back and do. Plus the logistics (planning routes, where to stay, what to see, where to keep our stuff) of visiting rather than renting a room in a flat will force a whole different way of travelling.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbWoPyUe7XASlPwLrVZJsDrc88qfXeri0hzlY7RDKPt2Vng6osEpVikwb_n53GGHlt8x0Ws2qQWs5kQHv3RgpxR4JltnheHjBkmJcJAuvkT37s_wrhjv7vB37DqAPapBAShJdUSgFPykM/s1600/Queenstownplusdrive+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbWoPyUe7XASlPwLrVZJsDrc88qfXeri0hzlY7RDKPt2Vng6osEpVikwb_n53GGHlt8x0Ws2qQWs5kQHv3RgpxR4JltnheHjBkmJcJAuvkT37s_wrhjv7vB37DqAPapBAShJdUSgFPykM/s320/Queenstownplusdrive+005.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents came to visit & vacation (great trip planners, also)</td></tr>
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<div>
And here's what I'd like to do again:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Acquire a car (especially if I stay a while):</b> Rules for car ownership (at least in 2007) were much more relaxed in New Zealand than in the US. Two of my friends went in on a car for the months we were there, and to the best of my memory they only needed to have the vehicle checked out by a mechanic to get a Warrent of Fitness (WOF), possibly a registration tax, and it was street-legal. No new license plates, and insurance (though of course a good general idea) is not required. In any case, the convenience of having a car could not be overstated, and it was even better to not pay daily rental fees. So many backpackers visiting the country do this that I've heard it's pretty easy in one of the bigger cities to get a car from someone who's leaving. This site has the info: <a href="http://www.backpackerboard.co.nz/articles/buying-car-new-zealand.php">http://www.backpackerboard.co.nz/articles/buying-car-new-zealand.php</a></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMIJNPXY3P30z_NLUk38Yc70ltTiJ9-KFpwqf2vApuKeWKO9D4o6KIZTOxWQ5nM_K-a-fjNbX-twutIuW4lPFgQ5Tp47YB1HphRahR8YcrKj-999X2BXzht37XIWLcN7uNc6eUdxnby2n/s1600/Bridges'+Pics+(292).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMIJNPXY3P30z_NLUk38Yc70ltTiJ9-KFpwqf2vApuKeWKO9D4o6KIZTOxWQ5nM_K-a-fjNbX-twutIuW4lPFgQ5Tp47YB1HphRahR8YcrKj-999X2BXzht37XIWLcN7uNc6eUdxnby2n/s320/Bridges'+Pics+(292).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stewy may have been a little moody, but we loved him just the same.</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><b>Stay at hostels:</b> Honestly. I loved New Zealand hostels, and they were way more fun and unique than any expensive hotel I've been to. The Lonely Planet guide was an excellent resource for finding these, and if you become a member of YHA (<a href="http://www.yha.co.nz/">http://www.yha.co.nz/</a>) or BBH (<a href="http://www.bbh.co.nz/">http://www.bbh.co.nz</a>) you can get discounts at their network hostels (just be sure to check whether the places you want to stay belong to one of these networks so you get your money's worth).</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfpVOQe1PE6r3k0l1E2PdPEm3x-wYIojl8cP_nd1sYfKHjkOx-XxRGdyfAHrZ5-JKdzB970n-sYA_4K7ujkOEWxReZVlhayClwfRpZAC3R46VAs6zh1iUks5AnQRWK-JwbfD9UynjVFmz/s1600/ChristchurchJailhouseHostel+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfpVOQe1PE6r3k0l1E2PdPEm3x-wYIojl8cP_nd1sYfKHjkOx-XxRGdyfAHrZ5-JKdzB970n-sYA_4K7ujkOEWxReZVlhayClwfRpZAC3R46VAs6zh1iUks5AnQRWK-JwbfD9UynjVFmz/s400/ChristchurchJailhouseHostel+(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jailhouse Hostel in Christchuch (Used to be a... wait for it... jail!)</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><b>Leave time for tangents:</b> One of the most charming aspects of New Zealand was how many unexpectedly awesome things you could find while on your way to something else. Roadside trailheads leading to waterfalls, penguins waddling along the beach, bizarre circular boulders emerging from the ocean... while planning is great for major "I HAVE to do that" things, I can't imagine trying to stick to an overly tight schedule there. There are just too many incredible places to see and things to do to account for them all in a plan.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD8kgUJBIRbBRtJ4e8wHn8RO7imTWZiTt2a2WEnOg30yKzgWFg-EJyRYuwyG1z9u1_3WoNCzLL5HYo23ZyEu6XXNlh4sHIqLf71ooXwhdu4IPimlw3esR2YgYRAVZlCXfVax3TJzGHiiD/s1600/QueenstownWeekend2+154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD8kgUJBIRbBRtJ4e8wHn8RO7imTWZiTt2a2WEnOg30yKzgWFg-EJyRYuwyG1z9u1_3WoNCzLL5HYo23ZyEu6XXNlh4sHIqLf71ooXwhdu4IPimlw3esR2YgYRAVZlCXfVax3TJzGHiiD/s400/QueenstownWeekend2+154.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandfly Bay, Otago Peninsula</td></tr>
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<div>
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</div>
I'll put together another post sometime of the things I did during my New Zealand trip and the things I would like to do the next chance I get to go there... which couldn't be soon enough!<br />
And if you'd like to look at more photos from my trip, here's a link to the blog I kept (picture links are on the right side of the page--warning: there are <i>a lot</i>):<br />
<a href="http://mountainpuppy.blogspot.com/">http://mountainpuppy.blogspot.com/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-66602504496891747552013-06-29T15:37:00.000-06:002013-06-29T16:20:14.881-06:00Why I Love (and sort of hate) My Gigantor Hiking BootsOne of the gear decisions I continued to debate over well into our Appalachian Trail hike was my choice in hiking footwear. You can find people who hike in just about anything, from thick, high ankled leather boots to trail runners (which wear a lot like sneakers), actual sneakers, sandals, crocs (I'll get to that in another post)... to just plain old barefoot (we only saw one barefoot day hiker out there, but <a href="http://www.barefoothikers.org/barefoot-sisters.html" target="_blank">click here</a> for the story of Isis and Jackrabbit, sisters who yo-yo'ed the AT barefoot).<br />
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Before I get into the details of my roller-coaster footwear relationship (oh, the drama!), I should introduce you to the boots in question:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAYr4s7dm9FKDAVQH2lCaLmjuUePDR7zphy1ZOHuORf89nF1BPvec_jLpYAJBMr_s_FfNpS4m9LwGLIunJ_PgH6R6QZDltwoisKAJcpLkg4rEen9961V1LwZfxsgDH9-xRZmtLrs0BtT8/s499/saloman+boots.gif.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAYr4s7dm9FKDAVQH2lCaLmjuUePDR7zphy1ZOHuORf89nF1BPvec_jLpYAJBMr_s_FfNpS4m9LwGLIunJ_PgH6R6QZDltwoisKAJcpLkg4rEen9961V1LwZfxsgDH9-xRZmtLrs0BtT8/s320/saloman+boots.gif.png" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Amazon.com</span></td></tr>
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This is the Salomon Women's Quest 4D GTX Hiking Boot. Weighing in at about 2 pounds 9.5 ounces, these boots have GoreTex membranes, rubber toe caps, heel slings, shock-absorbing midsoles, and bracing ankle height. I chose them mainly for that last quality--I wanted to minimize my chances of ankle sprains (I once sprained an ankle stepping down a curb... how does that happen?). I wasn't so psyched about their weight, but REI (where we buy almost all of our gear) has such an open return policy that I figured I could give 'em some test runs before fully committing. The guy at REI put it this way: either you can have big heavy boots that protect your feet but add strain to your legs, or you can have lightweight trail-runners that are easy on your legs but are likely to strain your feet.</div>
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The second and biggest 'test run' I put them through was a hike in and out of the Grand Canyon (though the word 'test' seems to take away from how crazy intense that hike was). Via Bright Angel Trail, we headed into the canyon and down the river, then hiked up a ridiculous goat trail of scree to reach the plateau top where we camped two nights before hiking back out the same way (to read more about this trip, click <a href="http://appalachiansouthbound.blogspot.com/2012/04/into-abyss-spring-break-pt2.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://appalachiansouthbound.blogspot.com/2012/04/better-than-cabo.html" target="_blank">here</a>). This was, at the time, well beyond the longest hike I had ever done. The return hike took me something like 13 hours... nearly all of which was uphill. BUT! My feet didn't blister or hurt at all. I was totally sold on these boots. (I should also add that I traded out the insoles that came in these boots for Superfeet (the green kind, which provides extra arch support). At about $40/pair full retail, Superfeet can seem awfully expensive, but they really make an incredible difference.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYxYG6DVSTjmQjyraFfHcRY_tx5uYtzCnCM36ibdU6gnoOC45oq8YQYpd2n-MGWCUiK6HcY-E-4pSfFPpPcvc9gUFZoIRBDdO0Dh5-iZDh1wVISR2xWqA2YRdifMyPi7DqyCEAlbZI147/s1600/394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYxYG6DVSTjmQjyraFfHcRY_tx5uYtzCnCM36ibdU6gnoOC45oq8YQYpd2n-MGWCUiK6HcY-E-4pSfFPpPcvc9gUFZoIRBDdO0Dh5-iZDh1wVISR2xWqA2YRdifMyPi7DqyCEAlbZI147/s400/394.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Alas... the love affair was cut short shortly into our AT hike. River crossings were common, so much so that it was a huge time suck to peel off shoes and socks before wading across (northbounders would laugh at newbie southbounders who stopped to do this, then plow through the river as though water wouldn't dare slow them down). We actually got extra crossings thanks to heavy rainfall. The GoreTex waterproofing that I had thought would be awesome for the wet east coast summer worked ridiculously well: after stepping into a river, there would be a wonderful moment of dry before [glug, glug] I felt the boots fill with water from the ankle. This was inevitable, but the problem was that once the water got in the waterproofing did such an excellent job that it never seemed to come out again. I could feel water sloshing from heels to toes as I walked, and ultimately would have to stop and take off my boots anyway to dump the water and wring out my socks.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aRucpwi6qIQQtljOxUohVLaKoeACgf-fjiFOqTyALXqMHzq4kHBwD4tUikJ2RMKZ_KbX8M1iuXxzfhW68cvKeTwqUlj4-Ytj1OLUmpg-W1LlFXH_2f75tXZRLcKQ_jOsVoDnnZQwHJHm/s1600/P6270346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aRucpwi6qIQQtljOxUohVLaKoeACgf-fjiFOqTyALXqMHzq4kHBwD4tUikJ2RMKZ_KbX8M1iuXxzfhW68cvKeTwqUlj4-Ytj1OLUmpg-W1LlFXH_2f75tXZRLcKQ_jOsVoDnnZQwHJHm/s400/P6270346.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me crossing a river in Maine's 100 Mile Wilderness</td></tr>
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I should mention, though, that even with the constant wet (once wet, neither the boots nor socks would dry out without a sunny zero day) I only got a couple of small blisters. Andy's feet, in the same type of trail runners he's wearing in that Grand Canyon photo, dried much more quickly but suffered much more wear and tear. Even still, I envied him. It would only take a short distance for his steps to squeeze the excess water out of his shoes. Sure his feet got wet when it rained, but I started each day with shoes so sopping wet that even dry socks would become damp as I laced my boots in the morning.</div>
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So in conclusion? I still love these boots for our arid Colorado home, but I have a hard time imagining heading into Maine's AT (or anywhere with water submersion) again with them. Trail runners will break down faster, but they're also a fraction of the cost (Andy's were around $70 on sale, whereas my boots were around $180, also on sale). On the other hand, for being on a trail so littered with roots and rocks I never once felt the pain of stubbing my toe thanks to massive rubber reinforcements, whereas Andy's trail runners provided little protection. Of course, our shoes are near the ends of the common hiking footwear spectrum--there are tons of options in between, and one of those is where I would need to fall to balance dry feet and solid support (trail runners just don't offer enough of this for me while carrying long distance gear). And there's really no way to know whether they'll work out aside from a nice solid hike.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A soggy, misty afternoon in Maine</td></tr>
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More info?</div>
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For REI guides on choosing hiking footwear, click <a href="http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/hiking-boots.html" target="_blank">here</a> (hiking boots) and <a href="http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/trail-running-shoes.html" target="_blank">here</a> (trail runners).</div>
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And just to throw it out there, I did not use any sock liners (said to prevent blisters), and my socks were Smartwool PhD (I carried two pairs of these for hiking and a pair of Darn Tough socks for camp). Andy did the same for socks, but wore Brooks Cascadia trail runners.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-73584637652799681072013-06-06T20:14:00.001-06:002013-06-29T15:58:30.642-06:00Everyone PoopsThis is one of those topics that everyone wants to know about, but no one really wants to ask. Almost no one, anyway. This spring I was a substitute teacher, and I always introduced myself with a much abridged story of our Appalachian Trail attempt: "At the end of last school year, I left my position as a science teacher to try to hike the Appalachian Trail. Who knows where the Appalachians are?" (The most common responses to that question were 'Asia' and 'the west coast', by the way...) And then I'd ask how long they think the hike might take, what kinds of things we carried, if they know what a stress fracture is (a stress fracture in Andy's foot is what ultimately doomed our hike)... and move on to whatever we were supposed to do for the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A privy on the Appalachian Trail<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Nicholas A. Tonelli</span></td></tr>
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A few weeks ago, though, I was subbing for a middle school science class that included a girl who knew my AT story from earlier in the semester. She must have put some time into wrapping her mind around the 6-months-of-hiking concept, because she launched straight into the dirty details: Did you smell? [Definitely! Most hikers don't even wear deodorant.] How did you, like... go? [Well, the technique is pretty much the same, except you're outside...] No but like, did you have to go in the woods? Like, near the trail? Did you have to dig a hole?<br />
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I don't know if a class has ever been so intensely quiet, unwilling to ask these questions themselves but itching to see how I would respond (maybe to know the answers, or maybe to see if I would flip out?). But the thing is, these are really important questions to know the answer to before setting out on a longer-than-an-afternoon hike. So in the spirit of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Turtleback-Library-Binding-Edition/dp/0613685725" target="_blank">that famed children's book</a> (minus the illustrations) I'm going to give the answers to you (and ask the questions for you, too). Ready?<br />
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<i>Where do you go to the bathroom?</i><br />
It depends on the trail. On the AT, there were privies (outhouses) pretty frequently, but they almost always smelled awful and were infested with bugs, especially spiders. The trade-off, though, was that most locked from the inside so you could be ensured much greater privacy than being out in the woods. Most of the time, though, you just walk off the trail a little way.<br />
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<i>Can you just go... anywhere?</i><br />
There are definitely more logistics to work out when you go in the woods. You want to be far enough from the trail to not be seen (extra hard when the trail is curvy or vegetation is thin), and not too close to a water source. The rule for solid waste is at least 200 feet from water.<br />
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<i>There are... RULES?</i><br />
Sort of. I mean, no one is watching you do this (hopefully), but everyone--even day hikers--should follow Leave No Trace Principles (click <a href="http://lnt.org/learn/7-principles" target="_blank">here</a> to see the full LNT list).<br />
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<i>Do you have to dig a hole?</i><br />
Just like the title says... everyone needs to dig a hole sometime, right? LNT states that catholes should be 6-8 inches deep and that the hole should be covered when you're done (many hikers use a hiking pole, and many others carry a trowel). Any hiker who has had the misfortune to run across a place where someone didn't do this will never wish it on someone else. Except maybe the person who did it.<br />
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<i>What do you do about toilet paper?</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1364/1163132471_9a6241a9db_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1364/1163132471_9a6241a9db_b.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Similar signs are in most AT privies<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Bill Ruhsam</span></td></tr>
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Most hikers carry re-rolled toilet paper. Re-rolling means you can decide how much TP to carry and that you can ditch the cardboard in the middle. Though most outhouses/port-a-potties at the base of popular trails will have toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and maybe even running water, most privies along the AT had none of these (we did luck out with a couple that had TP, but this is rare--on the chance that someone is thoughtful enough to put it there, odds are other hikers will use it up or take it pretty quickly). Carrying baby wipes is also a really good idea (plus you can use them to 'shower' before bed).<br />
If you read through those LNT principles, though, you know another not-so-lovely truth: if you pack it in, pack it out. That includes toilet paper and tampons. I recommend a zip-sealing bag (a separate one from your general trash bag). I think I made my mom a little queasy when one of our conversations derailed down this question track.<br />
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<i>What if you run out of toilet paper?</i><br />
This had happened to me a couple times. Once Andy gave me some of his and once he left me with his pack and jogged an extra mile or so down a side trail that led to a day hiker parking lot and snagged some TP from the outhouse there (whaddaguy).<br />
There are plenty of hikers that don't carry TP do begin with, though, especially <a href="http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ultralight-backpacking.html" target="_blank">ultralight backpackers</a>. Instead, you can use vegetation (just make sure you know what poison ivy looks like o_0)--and as an added bonus, you don't have to pack any of that out with you.<br />
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<i>What was the worst privy experience you've had while hiking?</i><br />
If you watch The Office, you may have heard the term 'upper decker.' If not, Google it. Or better yet, don't Google it and retain some of your faith in humanity.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbYQf7A4FyoSpUmX2yPNzuVPTnBanAtNRRc6PUKOMkR3Sr1E6GUxDDtAWNZFJAbGKpgfJZNJnWWhzBGBPS4U0Hd9e3chXA8G8Sokok7ZVNl8SzuIutgIK0X8pSH35AJ8CFWQzSjv5D3t_/s1600/P7090467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbYQf7A4FyoSpUmX2yPNzuVPTnBanAtNRRc6PUKOMkR3Sr1E6GUxDDtAWNZFJAbGKpgfJZNJnWWhzBGBPS4U0Hd9e3chXA8G8Sokok7ZVNl8SzuIutgIK0X8pSH35AJ8CFWQzSjv5D3t_/s320/P7090467.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spiders and bugs love the dark, damp interiors of those privies</td></tr>
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<br />
And since it's about time for dinner, I really need to stop writing about this. But I'll leave you with more places to continue your research:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?408-Female-Hiking-forums" target="_blank">WhiteBlaze Female Forums</a>: Ever wonder about tampons vs. Diva Cups? Or whether those devices that are supposed to let women pee like men actually work? There's a discussion thread for everything.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.backpacker.com/gear/ask_kristin/193" target="_blank">Backpacker Magazine: "Going to the Bathroom in the Woods 101"</a>: Step by step instructions.</li>
<li><a href="http://huskyhiker.com/2011/02/28/backcountry-bathroom-breaks-pooping-in-the-woods/" target="_blank">Husky Hiker: "Backcountry Bathroom Breaks - Pooping in the Woods"</a>: If you thought I overshared, don't go here. If you were wishing my post included more illustrations, on the other hand, this is your site.</li>
</ul>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-4885540388186488522013-05-30T15:38:00.000-06:002013-06-11T17:02:02.045-06:00Signed, Sealed, DeliveredOne of the most frequent questions we got from friends and family before setting out on our Appalachian Trail hike was how they could send things to us along the way. Turns out, it's actually pretty easy--and there are lots of post offices close to the trail. And though I'm focusing on the AT (since that's the only place I've done this), similar strategies can also be applied to other trails that cross through or near towns.<br />
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<b><u>How to Fill Out the Address:</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oXUfHNsXYqwsxwPSjhun122KeNJXhNJZ45mG296Ng0nrpXevUCBo6kxP0jIqGpgCKOr1C-FpNr24QuM_0N4a7Me3YxlLLLM9HMlr6F33RLkLOJqDACOuyqv4svyK-eICKD3SuEHRJBIs/s1600/AT+Label.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oXUfHNsXYqwsxwPSjhun122KeNJXhNJZ45mG296Ng0nrpXevUCBo6kxP0jIqGpgCKOr1C-FpNr24QuM_0N4a7Me3YxlLLLM9HMlr6F33RLkLOJqDACOuyqv4svyK-eICKD3SuEHRJBIs/s320/AT+Label.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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A couple pointers for filling in those bold, italicized parts:</div>
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<ol>
<li><u>Name</u>: Make sure this matches your ID... i.e. don't use your <a href="http://www.atmuseum.org/trailnames.htm" target="_blank">trail name</a>!</li>
<li><u>City/State/Zip</u>: Get a guidebook (we used <a href="http://www.theatguide.com/" target="_blank">Awol's The AT Guide</a>)--it'll list this info for you (but be sure of which post offices you'll be visiting before passing addresses along to family/friends).</li>
<li><u>ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)</u>: This made us nervous at first... what if we were way off on our date? But after way too much time spent in post offices (and on the phone with postal workers), I can tell you why there's no point in worrying:</li>
<ul>
<li>As long as your ETA is <b>within a couple of weeks</b> of your arrival, you're ok (when talking to a postal worker near the Whites of New Hampshire, he said his post office will hold packages for about a year)</li>
<li>If your hike is off schedule (or maybe you change your mind about going into town or accidentally get into town Saturday afternoon and don't want to wait around until Monday...) and you need a box re-shipped to a different PO, they'll do this at no extra charge as long as you <b>ship priority mail</b>.</li>
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You may also be wondering why I have the ETA written off in the corner. Our guidebook said to write the ETA underneath 'hold for AT hiker', but a postal worker told us that sometimes the machines that read addresses and send them on various routes interpret the ETA as the zip code (both are often written as 5 digit numbers). Yikes! All of our labels were written with the ETA at the bottom up to that point with no problems, but if she mentioned it I'm guessing it's happened before.</div>
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Also, post offices will not hold any mail shipped by FedEx, UPS, etc... it has to be USPS.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRMpDZUxjAw47i_BNr_7msiHSK-2j1ZEL3JWmkjTttTs7mpVuq42P_miP4R2OvsnXYD6WGt_KMJNFycHs1KUWhpWLkplVn-krNdQZ3wYqOmUlOp-K07X-5Tz2CvMb0UvqaNUOpIj9DrNm/s1600/P1030189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRMpDZUxjAw47i_BNr_7msiHSK-2j1ZEL3JWmkjTttTs7mpVuq42P_miP4R2OvsnXYD6WGt_KMJNFycHs1KUWhpWLkplVn-krNdQZ3wYqOmUlOp-K07X-5Tz2CvMb0UvqaNUOpIj9DrNm/s320/P1030189.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Post Office Closures:</u></b></div>
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Many towns along the trail are so small that if you were just driving through it would probably be surprising that they had their own post office--but for a hiker, traveling a few more miles to pick up mail in a neighboring town can cause all kinds of logistical, time-consuming, frustrating trouble. Luckily for us, there was such an outcry that many of these closure decisions were postponed. But no matter what POs are included in the guidebook, <b>be sure to check for closure updates</b>! You can find them <a href="http://www.savethepostoffice.com/post-topics/post-office-closings" target="_blank">here</a> (USPS link--probably the best to use before starting your hike) or <a href="http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/trail-updates" target="_blank">here</a> (AT Conservancy link--probably best to use during your hike, and includes other types of trail updates).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9KD5WWmvyloXLEo6Ht7ayPDAOc9_UjNb0CEiEZuLxSrFEr7GfdU5J85kHX_rbmVhJiaTcAlGu_MqtPUEriK4nbKUTw7kgeUqsBNU-A9m2uhN4QGEN-Y8w8OnG-to8jMWwc2gdkMYEOf6/s1600/P1030231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9KD5WWmvyloXLEo6Ht7ayPDAOc9_UjNb0CEiEZuLxSrFEr7GfdU5J85kHX_rbmVhJiaTcAlGu_MqtPUEriK4nbKUTw7kgeUqsBNU-A9m2uhN4QGEN-Y8w8OnG-to8jMWwc2gdkMYEOf6/s320/P1030231.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mail from an awesome blog reader!</span></td></tr>
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<b><u>Receiving Mail:</u></b></div>
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It feels pretty awesome to get to a post office and find a box of treats (as in, the kind of awesome that can only come from continuous physical exertion and camp food), so definitely establish some way to keep in touch with people back home so they know where to send things (and if you make a public blog, you may even get some mail from a reader/trail angel you've never even met!). And don't be afraid to tell them what you do and don't want (i.e. A pound of homemade cookies? Heck Yes! A pound of raisins? I don't know, all I can think about is the bag of soft, chocolate chip-packed, homemade cookies my grandma sent us a couple weeks into our hike...yum!).</div>
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As for picking up mail, it's really easy! You just need to make sure you have an ID (a minor thing, considering the piece of mind that comes from knowing no one else will be able to pick up your stuff). Heads up--in our experience, this was <i>not </i>the case when sending mail to hostels. There it's more of a trust deal since often mail was just piled in one area, waiting to be picked up (whether you're concerned about this or not, call a hostel first to make sure they're willing to accept mail drops!).</div>
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<b><u>More Info:</u></b></div>
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We'll be creating another post specifically about food drops (pre-arranging boxes of food to be mailed to you along the trail)--spoiler, we won't be doing them next time we hike the AT!--and bounce boxes. In the meantime, here are some other posts/sites about mail drops and the sending food vs. shopping along the way debate:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://blissfulhiking.blogspot.com/2012/01/postal-advice-on-mail-drops-for-long.html" target="_blank">Blissful Hiking: "Postal Advice on Mail Drops for Long Distance Hiking"</a> (This is just a great hiking blog in general, and she's hike the AT twice--if you're planning an AT hike, be ready to get sucked in.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/archive/index.php/f-353.html" target="_blank">White Blaze Archive: Mail Drops </a> (White Blaze is the source of all hiking--and especially AT--info you could ever want to know. Just be ready for a lot of debating in the comments section.)</li>
<li><a href="http://blog.appalachiantrials.com/how-many-mail-drops-should-you-send-on-the-appalachian-trail/" target="_blank">The Good Badger/Zach Davis: "What You Need to Know About Sending Mail Drops"</a> (This guy also has a site called <a href="http://zrdavis.com/">zrdavis.com</a>. If you like his writing, this is another site that includes practically everything about the AT, but with an extra infusion of humor.)</li>
<li>And, in the interest of having some pages to quickly reference if (when?) we attempt the Pacific Crest Trail: <a href="http://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/long-distance-hiking/resupply/" target="_blank">Pacific Crest Trail Association: "Resupply Strategy"</a> and <a href="http://www.pmags.com/pacific-crest-trail-planning-info" target="_blank">PM</a><a href="http://www.pmags.com/pacific-crest-trail-planning-info" target="_blank">ags: "A Quick and Dirty Guide to the Pacific Crest Trail"</a> (you'll have to scroll down a ways to get to the mail section)</li>
</ul>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-62892867498258190582013-05-29T15:15:00.000-06:002013-06-06T21:43:49.282-06:00Bucket List: Machu Picchu<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20dbpzhvjBVFGUsDTYhAok5zGGj9s-2APIR79MsYW5tLKz5B6NVTIqjas9oW-w70PHIwsC6MhKk1nZGYxCQqm54Ho6r0T5X_7DI0BF0Fjpx-ALD9Q4pJOYoHEzPXiVpJ77QFzHuxsRc9v/s1600/MP+Photo+by+Dan+Merino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20dbpzhvjBVFGUsDTYhAok5zGGj9s-2APIR79MsYW5tLKz5B6NVTIqjas9oW-w70PHIwsC6MhKk1nZGYxCQqm54Ho6r0T5X_7DI0BF0Fjpx-ALD9Q4pJOYoHEzPXiVpJ77QFzHuxsRc9v/s400/MP+Photo+by+Dan+Merino.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Dan Merino</span></td></tr>
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Machu Picchu is the ruins of a 15th century Incan city near the southern end of Peru. The site is well-preserved, large (about 80,000 acres), and is surrounded by stunning mountain peaks. The buildings are made of granite cut with a precision that, even just looking at photos, never ceases to amaze me (much like the <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/chichen-itza/" target="_blank">Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza</a>). It is believed that this city was built at the orders of <a href="http://incaencyclopediag.pbworks.com/w/page/21104969/Pachacuti" target="_blank">Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui</a>, who created an Inca empire across much of the eastern region of South America and wanted Machu Picchu to be constructed as a royal estate. As with so many ancient civilizations, however, the Inca of Machu Picchu were killed by the diseases of European explorers, leaving the city to fall into the ruins we see today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFZPbZEvy4laltkgs91L8narQbPeKT4XSfjHenVOALsD2VlX11ODfGr3wRt-8egTb-0UESpIonpGxY7pLJqEuzhTollkPn1ajCkyya7LJJcyuLBVNBJDh7VsuwPoB0k7roCJED8KyBsNg/s1600/Machu+Pichu+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFZPbZEvy4laltkgs91L8narQbPeKT4XSfjHenVOALsD2VlX11ODfGr3wRt-8egTb-0UESpIonpGxY7pLJqEuzhTollkPn1ajCkyya7LJJcyuLBVNBJDh7VsuwPoB0k7roCJED8KyBsNg/s320/Machu+Pichu+map.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">: <span class="irc_ho" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px;">wwwnc.cdc.gov (Click to enlarge)</span></span></td></tr>
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There are several routes that lead to these ruins (six of them are listed <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/peru/machu-picchu/alternate-trails/" target="_blank">here</a>), but the most frequently used (and surely the most crowded) is the Inca Trail. No one treks alone, as deterioration of the trail led Peru to require all hikers to hire a guide, and it is common to also hire porters and a cook... the porters carry gear and food AND a cook will prepare dinner at the end of the day? I don't even know what to do with that idea, it sounds so cushy.<br />
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A major factor that contributes to hiring these extra helpers, I'm sure, is the battle with high physical exertion while acclimating to altitude. The highest part of the Inca Trail is 13,780 feet, which is almost 6,000 feet higher than where Andy and I lived in the Rocky Mountains (and we were way the heck up there). So while the trail is only 26 miles long, most guidebooks recommend that it be broken into 4 or 5 days to allow your body to adjust to the altitude. If there's one thing you learn quickly in the Colorado Rockies (or in our case, having visitors in the Colorado Rockies), it's that you want to take every precaution to avoid <a href="http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/altitude-sickness-topic-overview" target="_blank">altitude sickness</a>. But it doesn't seem like the sort of trip you'd want to race through, anyhow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKMoeK_ORsUfNOSCJ7RN8qyldCJYSdm6f3iVIyTp-Wlv9Im6Yz5QM6ULNzwQzcM8snzYGc-_6RwTuEe0tOT9siyjAndsyTtioWaoFWOS72BlRtbNnfnoi_-5tDbze4RyqukJAXKZ2LPlq/s1600/incatrail_elevation_map.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKMoeK_ORsUfNOSCJ7RN8qyldCJYSdm6f3iVIyTp-Wlv9Im6Yz5QM6ULNzwQzcM8snzYGc-_6RwTuEe0tOT9siyjAndsyTtioWaoFWOS72BlRtbNnfnoi_-5tDbze4RyqukJAXKZ2LPlq/s400/incatrail_elevation_map.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">: <span class="irc_ho" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px;">http://www.adventure-life.com/articles/inca-trail-59/ (Click to enlarge)</span></span></td></tr>
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And let's just look at some more of those beautiful photographs of the city and the hike to get there...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="265" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4069/4289160988_0907afda14_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Emmanuel Dyan</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="194" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3125/5863498899_0652e83bfa_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Fernando Stankuns</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7162042278_757c99bc8a_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="268" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Hua Lin</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2692/4288459091_166cd94db0_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="265" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Emmanuel Dyan</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4032/4289582264_a0c240c855_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4032/4289582264_a0c240c855_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Emmanuel Dyan</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2745/4288658987_84db7c373b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2745/4288658987_84db7c373b_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Emmanuel Dyan</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="266" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6021/6014433120_83dd1993b9_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Thomas Laufert</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These are some sites I suggest to learn more about Machu Picchu and the trek to get there:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.kimberlygillan.com/node/145">http://www.kimberlygillan.com/node/145</a> (blog)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.backpacker.com/march2009_hiking_peru_inca_trail_to_machu_picchu/destinations/12762" target="_blank">Backpacker Magazine: "Hiking Peru's Inca Trail to Machu Picchu"</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goworldtravel.com/travel-hiking-to-machu-picchu-peru/" target="_blank">Go World Travel: "Machu Picchu: The Adventure is Getting There"</a></li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6006/6014481816_33f66e60ff_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6006/6014481816_33f66e60ff_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Thomas Laufert</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-5494525614480652672013-05-28T12:00:00.000-06:002013-06-06T21:45:31.287-06:00Bucket List: El Camino de SantiagoWhen I was in first grade, a couple of women came to our class to tell us about Australia. They talked about where it is, the climate, history, culture... and passed around Aussie dollars so we could check them out (and also try to tear them, since their money is less paper-like than ours). I still remember sitting on the floor with my classmates, turning the brightly colored bills over in my hands, gazing at the little pictures that were so different very <i>foreign-looking</i> to my six year old self, and thinking... I have to go to this place. This is the same sort of feeling I got after hearing about El Camino de Santiago.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEFMOJD0tGpegUZVfLl4DCKpwX0BZNhNn4gS9sqPlSBPEEHw9qHIYM7iwZ9iB8XyFtul0Kf7npIFfOVjXj2u0qcz_Vd8zTTp5n1-0cmvN3Znz2GPldq_LgL62oLxZMIqVnY4E0h5g1j2V/s1600/Camino+de+Santiago+Routes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEFMOJD0tGpegUZVfLl4DCKpwX0BZNhNn4gS9sqPlSBPEEHw9qHIYM7iwZ9iB8XyFtul0Kf7npIFfOVjXj2u0qcz_Vd8zTTp5n1-0cmvN3Znz2GPldq_LgL62oLxZMIqVnY4E0h5g1j2V/s400/Camino+de+Santiago+Routes.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Camino Routes (click to enlarge)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
El Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James) is term for any route leading to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Of the many ways to get there, the most popular (and so the one with the most services for travellers), is the Camino Frances (the French Way):<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="102" src="http://www.caminodesantiago.me/wp-content/uploads/camino-frances.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Camino Frances (click to enlarge)</td></tr>
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It's about 780 km (484 miles) long, and includes a hike over the Pyrenees Mountains in France (which sound pretty incredible in themselves).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiemD-BHHpBnDofhuJbaEl-aKS9hlvDzN_0naMPNSrrAR0jLML0mIsl-v_FyhVQOo0fjv1c0pDRaTE64yTFUIqvsEXg91PBb1CyzyUDUEiNWx2gf5vNc4qvURpIPXTaFriq2vz2TAVzJ-k/s1600/Camino+Photo+by+Neil+Cummings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiemD-BHHpBnDofhuJbaEl-aKS9hlvDzN_0naMPNSrrAR0jLML0mIsl-v_FyhVQOo0fjv1c0pDRaTE64yTFUIqvsEXg91PBb1CyzyUDUEiNWx2gf5vNc4qvURpIPXTaFriq2vz2TAVzJ-k/s400/Camino+Photo+by+Neil+Cummings.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Pyrenees along El Camino de Santiago<br />
Photo by Neil Cummings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Many walk El Camino for religious or spiritual reasons, and the walk is generally termed a pilgrimage--though not necessarily of any particular faith. I like the way this blogger puts it:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="border: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The trip is meant to follow the footsteps of the Apostle St. James, who made the journey himself with nothing more than the clothes on his back. He preached Christianity in Spain, and eventually was martyred for his actions. After being put to death in Judea, his body was miraculously transported back to Compostela, where he was (and still is) buried and revered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Variations of this pilgrimage have been followed ever since, and especially in the Middle Ages, Santiago de Compostela was considered to be the most famous destination in the world for pilgrims.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But as with all spiritual texts, much is left to interpretation. In fact, many of those who walk the Camino today don’t even do it for religious reasons. The largest demographic of pilgrims that come to Santiago de Compostela now are Japanese Buddhists.</span></div>
<span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Read more at <a href="http://www.vagabondish.com/hiking-camino-de-santiago-de-compostela/#qs2bzyWlsSiekPut.99" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">http://www.vagabondish.com/hiking-camino-de-santiago-de-compostela/#qs2bzyWlsSiekPut.99</a> </span></span></blockquote>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6VWlgk8bz9D4wyNSAPw8V_zhMiiSNi98dfekjpebCqYUTNMxyuf0QRZvgDCeVg0wiMs6y0Frg82iFcOK0hRRKoSsKKA-9nt04E-LBZEI3I5P4bH4Lbq9tV201gVQVtvwsZpygS4GUXa_/s1600/Camino+Photo+by+William+Bereza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6VWlgk8bz9D4wyNSAPw8V_zhMiiSNi98dfekjpebCqYUTNMxyuf0QRZvgDCeVg0wiMs6y0Frg82iFcOK0hRRKoSsKKA-9nt04E-LBZEI3I5P4bH4Lbq9tV201gVQVtvwsZpygS4GUXa_/s200/Camino+Photo+by+William+Bereza.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scallop shell marking the path of El Camino<br />
Photo by William Bereza</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When hiking El Camino, the path is marked by scallop shells (the lines of the shell symbolize the many paths that lead to one destination). It's also a tradition to carry a shell along the trek and leave it at the end. Most of the way is paved, which I think is much harder than walking dirt paths, but it doesn't seem that travellers generally need to carry as much as, say, a hiker in the backcountry. Nights are commonly spent in Albergues (hostels), and meals are bought either through the albergues or elsewhere in the villages (pilgrims are so common that many places seem to offer special deals for them). These places also stamp a sort of passport that travellers of El Camino carry (called a pilgrim credential). These stamps serve to record your path and, if you choose, to get a certificate of completion from the Cathedral de Santiago.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SbXZP7GZBy2JzVrjet__5brk5ZuJf3HVxp5IqWljfigfrC8AtWXHiwxoPB9Gcm2Jwv3X-CEyV4Rhlc5PGrTEXA-n7DG_aT0Tqy5_NJquUSgREVPrQhyP6HiDUitcVydM-nTqCL4l-tyw/s1600/Camino+de+Santiago.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SbXZP7GZBy2JzVrjet__5brk5ZuJf3HVxp5IqWljfigfrC8AtWXHiwxoPB9Gcm2Jwv3X-CEyV4Rhlc5PGrTEXA-n7DG_aT0Tqy5_NJquUSgREVPrQhyP6HiDUitcVydM-nTqCL4l-tyw/s400/Camino+de+Santiago.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pilgrim Credential</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The more I read about El Camino, the more stories I find about incredible international friendships, helpful locals (those that go out of their way to help travelers are often called Camino Angels, much like Trail Angels on the Appalachian Trail), and life-altering experiences. Like Australia, it may stay looming out there, dream-like for a while, but it's just one of those adventure that we can't pass up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JmXdQpUgq2VMlljHE7E0rN612HCi8a-XIQjAqc1WN3rPFA-UG2UaDCDK6nz03vZjRAC8zmDtm6aG7U2Bl9ogz7fo8JBaHJ7mr_lYxkHrf50KRTLup9b6C2O1UrxpglEH5pxGrKe3raoo/s1600/Camino+Photo+by+Johnny+Shaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JmXdQpUgq2VMlljHE7E0rN612HCi8a-XIQjAqc1WN3rPFA-UG2UaDCDK6nz03vZjRAC8zmDtm6aG7U2Bl9ogz7fo8JBaHJ7mr_lYxkHrf50KRTLup9b6C2O1UrxpglEH5pxGrKe3raoo/s400/Camino+Photo+by+Johnny+Shaw.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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To learn more about El Camino de Santiago and get inspired for your own adventure, check out these:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goworldtravel.com/travel-way-st-james-el-camino-de-santiago-spain/" target="_blank">GoWorldTravel.com: "The Way of St. James"</a> (blog)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vagabondish.com/hiking-camino-de-santiago-de-compostela/" target="_blank">"One Hell of a Long Walk: Trekking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela"</a> (blog)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.santiago-compostela.net/">http://www.santiago-compostela.net/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://onthecamino.squarespace.com/">http://onthecamino.squarespace.com/</a> (I haven't looked at this site too extensively, but they do have a downloadable packing list that looks pretty useful)</li>
<li>And most definitely watch Martin Sheen's movie "The Way" (it's on Netflix!). Here's a trailer:</li>
</ul>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-22338467370467376152013-05-27T14:45:00.000-06:002013-06-06T21:46:55.738-06:00Creating a Gear SpreadsheetAs much as I sometimes try to suppress/hide it, I really love planning and organizing. Not that it's a bad thing, it's just that it can get a little intense. And when I start thinking I'm going a little overboard, I always get a mental visual of Monica Gellar from Friends...<br />
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...and remind myself to not be that person. But it turns out some slightly anal tendencies can be surprisingly useful for long-distance backpacking. For instance, one of our most important planning tools turned out to be our gear spreadsheet that I assembled in Xcel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvhh65GWUpzgF-pvpbI7PTEBTGfCcE8PYUpGOUS0h6vXW56H9UGIrT7bVbhI15Ik_-MZuh4QjaqgAbITGqde5n2Y9RU69p9ZlbyyXfP0VAz_KsjmnPRolMSWmGxSI02y1RmxwoiNvnnuV/s1600/Spreadsheet+clip.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvhh65GWUpzgF-pvpbI7PTEBTGfCcE8PYUpGOUS0h6vXW56H9UGIrT7bVbhI15Ik_-MZuh4QjaqgAbITGqde5n2Y9RU69p9ZlbyyXfP0VAz_KsjmnPRolMSWmGxSI02y1RmxwoiNvnnuV/s400/Spreadsheet+clip.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Creating a gear spreadsheet does not need to be suggestive of OCD, of course (though the blank weight spots still sort of bug me), but let me tell you it'll save a ton of time and energy if you download someone else's as your starting point. In fact, if you like this one you can go ahead and download it for yourself. I even made a copy where our own info is deleted (but it'll still add up weights for you!). Note that in the blank copy I put the units for weight in ounces--I did ours in pounds and it was a huge unnecessary pain since nearly every site lists weights in ounces.<br />
<br />
Here are some strategies I used within this spreadsheet to make it less of a list and more of a planning tool:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Color-Coding His/Hers</b>: When I was hunting around online in 2010, I couldn't find any gear lists made for two people. Most were either planning a solo hike or, even if hiking as a couple, kept their lists separate (and often in different formats). But I wanted a format where we could hypothetically shift gear from one of our packs to the other to help decide who should carry what. To make his vs. hers vs. shared gear as obvious as possible, I filled Andy's gear with an orange background, mine with red/pink, and shared gear as blue. Then I typed the weight in under the column of whoever would be carrying that item (we moved these around a lot before and during the hike).</li>
<li><b>Yellow Highlight for 'To Do'</b>: We continued to change/remove/add gear and fill in weights up until a few weeks before starting our Appalachian Trail hike (for which this was originally made) and going back to about a year and a half before (when I first downloaded another hiker's spreadsheet). I highlighted any gear we needed to get, weights we needed to find or measure, or items we needed to reconsider in some way (i.e. Do we need this?/Can we alter this in some way to make it lighter?).</li>
<li><b>Costs</b>: For the first year or so of planning, the spreadsheet included another column showing how much we paid for each item. In the beginning, when I had almost no gear and was working out budget, the cost column felt really useful. But at some point, for reasons I can't fully remember, I deleted it.</li>
<li><b>Hyperlinks</b>: To be honest, I'm not sure if I would have originally done this just for personal, non-blogging use, but most of the 'Items' column is filled with hyperlinks for each gear item (and most of those are to pages on REI's site). But it was actually really useful--since we were (and are) continually revising gear, the hyperlinks make it really easy to look back at the specs and reviews for each item.</li>
</ul>
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Another column I've seen in other people's spreadsheets allows you to basically turn rows on and off. So if you're going on a week-long summer hike and know you won't need your down coat or long underwear, you can turn that column 'off' so that the weights of those items don't factor into the total. Which saves making a new spreadsheet for each hike. However... I'm not Xcel-savvy enough (or maybe patient enough?) to figure that one out yet!<br />
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<div>
On a similar technical-issue-note, blogger doesn't currently allow file users to post downloadable files so I whipped up a Google Site where we can post files for you. Right now there are two files there:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Appalachian Trail Packing List</b>: Our gear spreadsheet pre-Appalachian Trail hike</li>
<li><b>Gear Planning List Template</b>: Same spreadsheet as above, but with our info removed</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
Here's the site:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/asparkofadventure/home/spark-downloads">https://sites.google.com/site/asparkofadventure/home/spark-downloads</a></div>
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If you run into any issues with the file or have questions, enter a comment below and we'll do our best to help you out!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-31584393878795592892013-05-21T12:00:00.000-06:002013-05-21T12:00:03.078-06:00How-to: Dehydrating Fruits and VeggiesI'm not someone who generally likes dehydrated fruit (banana chips--yuck!) or even many fresh vegetables, but after a few days of hiking there are a lot of I-wouldn't-eat-this-in-'real'-life sorts of foods that become surprisingly tasty. (Very tangential nerdy side note: I used to show a video to my Biology students about how the brain changes in response to extreme survival situations. To see a similar, shorter video by HowStuffWorks, click <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/human-brain-videos-playlist.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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No matter your current tastes, dehydrating foods is one of the best ways to reduce pack weight and carry otherwise perishable items. I should mention, though, for future Appalachian Trail hikers (I can't speak to other long distance trails yet) that very few long-distance hikers we met went through the trouble of dehydrating food. Most would just pick up fruits and veggies (and all other food) when they passed through a town, either to eat in town or to carry for a day or two down the trail as an extra treat.<br />
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<i>Below is a slightly edited copy-and-paste of a post I made for our Appalachian Trail blog (the original post can be found <a href="http://appalachiansouthbound.blogspot.com/2012/05/eats.html" target="_blank">here</a>). At the time, we were still a couple of months away from starting our hike.</i><br />
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When we were hiking out of the Grand Canyon, I would say I got hungry about every two hours. Heck, in a regular, non-active day I’ll sometimes eat four meals plus snacks if the food’s around. But I’m a fairly small person, so when I say ‘meal’… well, that’s about a third of what Andy considers a MEAL. So no matter how long I spend thinking through food plans for the trail, I can’t get past one thing—we’re going to need A LOT of food. Gah. Lots. And since neither of us is ready to incorporate Ramen and Little Debbie’s into our menu possibilities just yet, menu planning is taking some deliberation. Consider this: the average thru-hiker burns 6,000 calories per day. That’s over twice as much as most adults… plus you have to carry all of that food on your back and there is no refrigerator. And I’m not entirely sure you understand yet just how much Andy eats.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The best website that I’ve found to help with this, hands down, is <a href="http://www.backpackingchef.com/index.html">http://www.backpackingchef.com/index.html</a>. Between the dehydrator my parents got us last year (thanks, mom! (thanks Amy! ~Andy) and the vacuum sealer we ordered a few months ago, we should be able to prepare some pretty great meals that will be easy & delicious on the trail. Don’t get me wrong, here—we’re not prepping every meal this way, but we are hoping to shake things up from Knorr instant noodles from time to time. And since water is one of the main components of many foods, dehydrating is going to be a huge help. Here are the big items we’ll be dehydrating over the next few weeks:</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Bark (potato bark, bean bark, & pumpkin pie bark… yum!)</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Bark can be eaten (sort of like a chip) or rehydrated</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Pasta sauce leather</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Rehydrate and it’s back to sauce</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Rice</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Rice takes a long time to cook initially, but if you cook it, dehydrate it, and cook it again later it softens up much faster</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Veggies</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I’m planning on making one mix of basic veggies and one mix of peppers</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Fruit</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Just about every type of fruit in the grocery store has or will pass through our dehydrator</span></li>
</ul>
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And if I can get past the fear of spoiling/have time…</div>
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<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Ground beef (low in fat)</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Beef jerky</span></li>
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Without the vacuum sealer, I’d never bother with dehydrating beef, but with it everything is supposed to be able to keep just fine. I don’t think we’ll attempt chicken, though. Poultry kind of freaks me out even in normal kitchen conditions (Google ‘uncooked chicken’ if you’d like to join me in that club), so we’ll probably go with something like canned chicken. I can’t say that idea exactly ignites my salivary glands, either, but Andy’s a big meat-eater, so we’ll need to find alternatives to 6 months of beef jerky and bacon bits.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finding recipes has been somewhat exhausting (probably doesn’t help that I’m not exactly much of a cook even in normal kitchen conditions), so I’m including a link to the document of what I’ve accumulated at the end of this post. Hopefully at least one of you out there will be able to use this, too! Check out the sites in the document for more recipes, too.<o:p></o:p><br />
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We also have been stocking up on some basics that our parents will mail to us with some dehydrated food. Most of these we got at Costco & Walmart in bulk, and even with postage should these end up cheaper to send than to buy in smaller quantities along the way. Some of the things we got: almond snickers, trail mix (we’re adding things like dehydrated fruit to pre-made mixes), Nature Valley protein bars & granola bars, granola cereal, dehydrated milk, Gatorade mix, hot cocoa, ibuprofen, & vitamins. There’s a huge debate out there over mail drops vs. buying food along the way, but I think it’ll work out well for us to do a mix of both.<br />
<i>(UPDATE: After giving both a try, we would definitely avoid the frustration of our own food mail-drops--preparation, the cost of mailing, picking them up, reportioning to fit our needs, resending extras further down the trail--and opt for buying food along the way instead. Plus, your cravings will change. It's always nice, though, to get treats from family and friends!)</i></div>
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Before you go, I want to give you a visual taste of the wonder of dehydration.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Before:</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIL8w57bJ1ivalhPH_F5Jvqhw4lKXa3z-9rr2H7tIkUgn5MtH2fRukM6tH-xdjsvZwcg9ZdaFZ8ALfMARchVWWlu_rl7PXx0Qfma5RhNRLN-m2rEcU_9JZMpMMLXvCQw6fVfZ576s-FrQ6/s1600/60974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIL8w57bJ1ivalhPH_F5Jvqhw4lKXa3z-9rr2H7tIkUgn5MtH2fRukM6tH-xdjsvZwcg9ZdaFZ8ALfMARchVWWlu_rl7PXx0Qfma5RhNRLN-m2rEcU_9JZMpMMLXvCQw6fVfZ576s-FrQ6/s320/60974.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Prepped</i> (in the Rockies dehydration times have been cut almost in half for most things—these only took a few hours):<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01CABIdwGvaHfva8Yjxkj91LmCK-pa6X9TVWpCrsw_9ZR6tmg33WoAlx_mPdZ_93Fkcn74dCs4Cd9iWjCj39FUY_eqzuhg_W9UGoJ4m2RdDwfdQr-XVlaXZK_4pWMlLI9GBTLd4oWn5-w/s1600/244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01CABIdwGvaHfva8Yjxkj91LmCK-pa6X9TVWpCrsw_9ZR6tmg33WoAlx_mPdZ_93Fkcn74dCs4Cd9iWjCj39FUY_eqzuhg_W9UGoJ4m2RdDwfdQr-XVlaXZK_4pWMlLI9GBTLd4oWn5-w/s320/244.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>After: </i>So small!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkN6Sa4qFyNp4jd1yQPi6LFoknXbbHfPo9LvW7A_QUh1fxcWB1STvpgMtXUbSl57EIcxkGfwz2Eeqowe2IWYRIVSHVB27eyStrco1VWo9wKsf19EbWGv2OUdRncOprX__j9RXQRQUAukK/s1600/60975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkN6Sa4qFyNp4jd1yQPi6LFoknXbbHfPo9LvW7A_QUh1fxcWB1STvpgMtXUbSl57EIcxkGfwz2Eeqowe2IWYRIVSHVB27eyStrco1VWo9wKsf19EbWGv2OUdRncOprX__j9RXQRQUAukK/s320/60975.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you haven't had home-made dehydrated fruit before, heads up: the end product has intensely amplified flavor, and isn’t really anything like the sugar-coated dehydrated fruits you get at the grocery store.<br />
<i>UPDATE: Some fruits were so intensely flavored that even though I wanted the nutrition, I didn't like eating them alone. My most frequent lunch on the trail became tortillas with nutella, nuts, and fruit--which helped mix flavors and up the caloric value (nutella & peanut butter = invaluable caloric additions to long-distance hikers). Although if you don't think that sounds terribly delicious right now, my full-stomached, sitting-on-a-comfy-couch self would have to say I'm with you!</i><br />
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/appalachiansouthbound/itinerary">Click here to download my compiled recipes! (This will take you to our Google site)</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-86856968008613421802013-05-20T20:07:00.000-06:002013-06-06T21:47:31.033-06:00Bucket List: Redwood National Park, California<div style="text-align: left;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJZVh69w83EavS7JDl4YCl5fRTcsJr4jUsNVlthbDiIOoSOwwUrZ54dj4iqLT3C3jSOuOMgcj2nKyrAlhGLzvjq0q9fcAg4hiGFOBDlO6XVNgkKE5Ke-hq6o6OJjZd9xfqu3CraWj176l/s1600/Redwood+Photo+by+jdlasica+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJZVh69w83EavS7JDl4YCl5fRTcsJr4jUsNVlthbDiIOoSOwwUrZ54dj4iqLT3C3jSOuOMgcj2nKyrAlhGLzvjq0q9fcAg4hiGFOBDlO6XVNgkKE5Ke-hq6o6OJjZd9xfqu3CraWj176l/s400/Redwood+Photo+by+jdlasica+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by jdlasica</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Long before I pieced the words 'I like' and 'hiking' together in a sentence, I wanted to visit Redwood National Park in northern California. At that time, I guess I didn't envision any kind of camping or hiking as being a part of this trip (or any trip, actually)--and by no means does it need to be. I very nearly drove through it with my aunt on a road trip we took in 2007, though for circumstances I can't really remember we ended up skipping it.* I'm not sure how a backcountry experience here would compare to driving through (in places like the Grand Canyon and Arches the backcountry offers completely new perspectives on the parks... would this be the same?), but there's something very exciting and special about experiencing places that few others are likely to go.<br />
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So why visit Redwoods? Well to start, there are few places I know of where you can drive through a living tree. Redwoods have diameters of 10-15 feet, and grow shockingly tall (as of 2006, the tallest living tree in the world was a 379.1 foot redwood in RNP--read more on that <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/HUMBOLDT-COUNTY-World-s-tallest-tree-a-2550557.php" target="_blank">here</a>). Maybe growing up on an apple orchard or being read books like <u>The Giving Tree</u> have led me to place overly emotive attributes on trees, but it's hard not to feel awed by perspectives like this**:<br />
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Plus, I'm pretty sure I'll one day need to <a href="http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/index.php/2011/10/31/star-wars-halloween-costumes-2011/" target="_blank">dress up my child as an ewok</a>... which will most definitely require a trip to Endor/Redwoods.<br />
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Here are some additional links to inspire your own travels:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm" target="_blank">National Park Service: Redwood National Park</a></li>
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<li>Contains just about all the park info you could ever need.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.treesofmystery.net/sequoia.htm" target="_blank">Trees of Mystery</a></li>
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<li>Background on the trees and their impressive qualities. Also includes a store to buy a seedling of your own.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/redwood-trees-gallery/" target="_blank">National Geographic: Redwood Photo Gallery</a></li>
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<li>See historical and modern photos of redwood forests.</li>
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</ul>
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*For the NPS list of driving route options, click <a href="http://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/drives.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. Or see info on the 31 mile Avenue of Giants <a href="http://www.aveofthegiants.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
**For an awesome interactive timeline by National Geographic, click <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/10/redwoods/redwoods-interactive" target="_blank">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-25352390824359016872013-02-04T13:36:00.002-07:002013-06-06T21:49:21.459-06:00Arches National Park<br />
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<b>Our Arches Story</b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzxIoaeEnMjb1RIqUWEQT3rLqUA2pHurg6VhF_ypKom0GnCmimOQtY1MBLLJ7kgrjgE-43gmmjbWNMqws5kDPT6bMetmqVnTosRI87JeYJ-a3J8u4BUpEPRHfzvg2TR2ijuRpeKUnydxx/s1600/307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzxIoaeEnMjb1RIqUWEQT3rLqUA2pHurg6VhF_ypKom0GnCmimOQtY1MBLLJ7kgrjgE-43gmmjbWNMqws5kDPT6bMetmqVnTosRI87JeYJ-a3J8u4BUpEPRHfzvg2TR2ijuRpeKUnydxx/s200/307.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Look familiar? This is the arch featured<br />
on Utah license plates.</td></tr>
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We overnighted in the backcountry of Arches National Park, Utah in early April 2012. It was our first stop on a week-long trip that included the Grand Canyon, the Four Corners, and Mesa Verde. Getting a permit was easy--unlike the Grand Canyon, for which we had to order a backcountry permit <i>6 months in advance</i>, we just walked into the visitor's center on arrival and picked up a free permit.<br />
By requiring permits, the rangers know how many people are staying in a particular area of the park so it doesn't get too crowded/over-used and in case of emergency they have a general idea where you can be found (we had to show which trailhead we were going to start hiking from). The ranger said she might hike out to see us (scare tactic... or was she being friendly?), but from the moment we started walking away from the road we were completely and awesomely alone. We scaled boulders, rock-hopped, blazed our own trail, and star gazed into a pure black sky... and that's after touring the famous rock arches.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The moon was so bright I thought</div>
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someone was shining a flashlight</div>
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on our tent!</div>
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Want to read more about our trip? <a href="http://appalachiansouthbound.blogspot.com/2012/04/arches-lava-hopping-spring-break-pt1.html" target="_blank">Click here</a><br />
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<b>Want to plan your own Arches adventure?</b><br />
<ul>
<li><u>Cost</u>: Park entrance fee (Tip--get a National Parks Pass! It's only $80 for a year and gets you into any national park--this road trip alone paid for ours)</li>
<li><u>Precautions</u>: (mainly if you're camping in the backcountry)</li>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUTru-UfPwhAIP2rzNDHnXgfNXewaqFpRCi-ZPHo53LNp_6xbfwzAckYZXu21B2kDG2FoOj9k-ON3nkN1FF_dwVz0qFii2pJkisVurFWFm04AAiO_Q5Ye3LggDon2VOfSlPEgP4fEqAEZ/s1600/342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUTru-UfPwhAIP2rzNDHnXgfNXewaqFpRCi-ZPHo53LNp_6xbfwzAckYZXu21B2kDG2FoOj9k-ON3nkN1FF_dwVz0qFii2pJkisVurFWFm04AAiO_Q5Ye3LggDon2VOfSlPEgP4fEqAEZ/s200/342.JPG" width="200" /></a>
<li>Be ready to carry all the water you'll need with you. We had zero water access in our area of backcountry.</li>
<li>Don't expect a trail. We followed a dry stream bed for much of the way, but had to keep an eye on direction and topography.</li>
<li>Consider the season carefully. Flashfloods, lightning storms, and extreme heat are all valid concerns. April was great because the weather was moderate and crowds were minimal.</li>
</ul>
<li><u>When We Go Again:</u> We're not going to miss the Fiery Furnace Tour! They were all booked when we went, so plan ahead. ($10 per person as of 2/2013) Check it out here: http://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/programs.htm</li>
<li>To visit the Arches National Park site (where we got all our planning info), click here: http://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm</li>
</ul>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-4900089365176349742013-01-15T17:40:00.000-07:002013-06-06T21:50:09.812-06:00Just Sit Right Back and You'll Hear the Tale, a Tale of a Fateful TripDon't worry, this is only a 5-minute tour (a five minute tooouuurr). Below is a stop-motion accumulation of photos all along the Appalachian Trail that I found on backpacker.com. For those unfamiliar with the AT, it runs about 2200 miles from Georgia to Maine, and is one of the most visited trails in the US. And watching this video makes me want to drop everything and give the hike a second go, so if you're the impulsive type consider taking a couple deep breaths before clicking play. Ready? Here it is:<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446947885430151767.post-16589283286167349092012-12-21T22:44:00.000-07:002013-06-06T21:52:27.667-06:00Resupply Options in Maine's 100 Mile WildernessThe 100 Mile Wilderness is an area in Maine near the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The section is renowned for its lack of town access (just unfrequented back-roads), meaning that many people enter carrying all of the food they'll need... and the general recommendation is to plan on taking 8-10 days. Even dehydrated food gets awfully heavy when you pack in more than a few days--and even more so when you account for the boost in caloric needs of a hiker. To a northbound thru-hiker with 2000 miles worth of leg muscles built up before reaching the 100 Mile Wilderness, the section probably wouldn't seem very intimidating. But for most everyone else (including southbounders like we were), it's an intimidating prospect. When I was doing my initial research, searching for a way to not start our hike carrying 20lbs of food or to, you know, starve, I found that there is there are some wonderful people near the trail who will (for a fee) bring half of your food to the mid-way point of the Wilderness.<br />
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There may well be more options, but here are the ones I considered (info is from Spring 2012):<br />
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<u style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The AT Lodge</b></u></h3>
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; text-indent: -24px;">-<a href="http://www.appalachiantraillodge.com/index.php">http://www.appalachiantraillodge.com/index.php</a></span><br />
<strong style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-weight: normal;">-Resupply drop-off--56 mi @ Jo-Mary Rd (crosses AT)</span></strong><br />
<strong style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-weight: normal;">-Will pack out your trash</span></strong><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Call Paul (Ole Man) for rates</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>100
Mile Wilderness Adventures & Outfitters</b></span></u></h3>
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-<a href="http://www.100milewilderness.info/Services.html" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">http://www.100milewilderness.info/Services.html</a></div>
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<strong style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-weight: normal;">-Resupply
drop-off--56 mi @ Jo-Mary Rd (crosses AT)</span></strong></div>
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<strong style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-weight: normal;">-Will pack out your trash</span></strong></div>
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<strong style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-weight: normal;">-Mid-Wilderness
Resupply @ $25 (guests) $35 (non-guests)</span></strong></div>
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**The main difference between the two above is their location--which matters if you need to stay somewhere before starting/after ending your hike. We picked the AT Lodge because they're in Millinocket, the closest town to the northern end of the AT, and they could shuttle us into Baxter State Park to start our hike. I was just looking at the 100 MW A&O site, and they've recently moved to Monson, the town at the southern end of the 100 MW (I think they used to be closer to Bangor...). If you're unsure of which to pick, I'd suggest calling/emailing each and seeing who you get along with better. Seriously--hostel owners are pretty involved with the hikers who pass through. Better to start (or end) well!</div>
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<b><u>White House Landing</u></b></h3>
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-<a href="http://www.whitehouselanding.com/rates.html" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">http://www.whitehouselanding.com/rates.html</a></div>
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-Hostel & Store--45.7 mi: 0.9 mi E Mahar Tote Rd</div>
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<strong style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-weight: normal;">-Use air horn to be picked up by boat (before dark)</span></strong></div>
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<strong style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-Bunkhouse: </span></strong><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">$39 per person - includes Breakfast, Shower, Towel and Pillowcase</span></div>
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<strong style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-Semi-Private Room: </span></strong><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">$49 per person - includes Breakfast, Shower, Towel and Pillowcase</span></div>
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<strong style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">-Private Cabin</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">(</span><em style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">by reservation - 2 days/2 person minimum</em><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">): $45 per person - includes Shower, Towel & Linens (Meals Extra)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">-Accept cash, Visa and Mastercard</span></div>
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<i>**White House Landing SHOULD NOT be counted on as a true resupply as much as an emergency resupply. Unless, of course, you're ok with spending $5 on a pop-tart (I'm exaggerating... sort of).**</i></div>
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To read a professional point of view of how best to approach the 100 Mile Wilderness click <a href="http://www.100milewilderness.info/The_100_Mile_Wilderness.html" target="_blank">here</a>, or for our on-the-trail accounts click <a href="http://appalachiansouthbound.blogspot.com/2012/06/almost-to-middle.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://appalachiansouthbound.blogspot.com/2012/07/first-days.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://appalachiansouthbound.blogspot.com/2012/07/rain-pain-serendipity.html" target="_blank">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04569283838928607095noreply@blogger.com2