January 27, 2012, Lakewood, CO

08:21:19, hours MST

...continued hiker’s journal… 

Reading list:

• Roald Amundsen - My Life as an Explorer; Roald Amundsen.
• Mountaineers: Great Tales of Bravery and Conquest; written by Ed Douglas; additional writing, Richard Gilbert, Philip Parker, Alasdair Macleod].
• Conquering The Impossible: My 12,000-mile Journey Around the Arctic Circle; Mike Horn, with Jean-Philippe Chatrier; translated by Antony Shugaar.
• The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World; Daniel Yergin.
• Interlock Enhancement Counseling:  A Provider’s Guide; Timken, David S., Anjali Nandi, Paul Marquez.
• Meditations from the Mat; Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison.

I share this with the long- distance hiker in mind, the two books by Farley Mowat pertaining to the demise of the Inuit Culture of the inland Eskimos of the Barrens of Canada are recommended as well as Mike Horn’s translated narrative.

Some explorers have the drive and tenacity to experience survival at its human limit. This limit is starvation, loss of survival gear, fire in the tent, frost bite leading to amputation and witnessing the starvation of a Culture. Mowat traveled to the Barrens in the 1940’s and 1950’s and Horn more recent from the 2000’s to present period. Both bring alive the fabric of clinging to life in a manner that is both visceral, regular and consciousness raising.

See:

• The Desperate People / Farley Mowat, with woodcuts by Rosemary Kilbourn.
• People of the Deer: / Farley Mowat; with drawings by Samuel Bryant.

January 23, 2012

The dawn highlighted two cloud formations in the near northwestern sky. Both— until the sun alighted upon them were of lenticular shape. When this type of cloud structure occurs and I notice it, it makes me feel/ sense that something inside of me wants to grow again.

Again, I recommend three books for all hikers particularly the through- hiker who has sensed the need for individualized survival gear that just can not be bought retail at the choice of outlets that they have made available to us.

Current reading list:

·         The Desperate People, Farley Mowat, with woodcuts by Rosemary Kilbourn.

·         Conquering the Impossible, My 12,000 Mile Journey Around The Arctic Ocean/ Mike Horn

·         South with the Sun, Roald Amundsen, his polar explorations, & the quest for discovery [sound recording]: / Lynne Cox.

Following is a link sent to me via email. I trust you do find it engaging.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eXS0o6r-Wk&feature=plcp&context=C3f231d4UDOEgsToPDskIHY8LyoTksKYMTNJCTA2KB

This book should be on every thru- hiker's agenda.

 Conquering the Impossible, My 12,000 Mile Journey Around The Arctic Ocean/ Mike Horn

January 13, 2012, Lakewood, CO

09:29:53, hours MST

...continued hiker’s journal… 

 Current reading list:

• The Desperate People / Farley Mowat, with woodcuts by Rosemary Kilbourn.
• Conquering the Impossible, My 12,000 Mile Journey Around The Arctic Ocean/ Mike Horn
• South With the Sun [sound recording]: [Roald Amundsen, his polar explorations, & the quest for discovery] / Lynne Cox.

I enjoy reading, one of the given pleasures in my living. See link below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbjTIj94qP8&feature=related

   the alternative is what?

January 7, 2012

I’ve experienced points of clarity and the washing- away of the media’s dull blaring around DAY 11.  

I felt much like the returning military members from IRAQ in that coming back into society with the over-fed population becoming still more gluttonous over all the consumer- goods made me WANT to go on another back- to- back 13 Day out and back.

Something about sleeping outside— and off the civilian tourist track, that helps to make one more heightened in the senses.

Have you noticed the same?

January 6, 2012

The hiker intuits and senses the surroundings evermore so when DAY 8 turns into DAY 9.

me

January 4, 2012, Lakewood, CO

10:19:17, hours MST

...continued hiker’s journal… 

                                        The Present Moment

Well, how are we doing NOW?

Seems to me the Christmastime Shopping Depression season is one for the books as they say.

Now we have the Shameless arbiters of Grover Norquist’s dictum to hold the line and avow allegiance to the evangelizing bosses— that seem hell- bent— to sink the nation into ever deeper divisiveness.

Was not the brief emotional frenzy of shopping for consumer goods a welcomed distraction from the deadly serious pontificators who would sooner follow their “vows” than actually represent the voting electorate?

All hiker’s must REMEMBER that even when favoring the sore muscle or the tight hamstring that even these favored parts of the body do need attention and will serve much better when time and effort is given to these tight places. Time— making the time to have the time and then given time and effort to elongate and stretch the fascia and underlying webs of muscle tissue always has benefit.

A vow to keep the body/ metabolism at status quo or business as usual is a sure road into inactivity and the aging process can only accelerate.  [No benefit]

Similar the do nothing electorate taking Mr. Norquist’s vow as heavenly sent and divined by the born again faithful can only make us all less than the beings that we have been destined to be. [Again- no benefit]

Is this congressional vow valid? Will it stand the test of time?

Well, how are we doing NOW?  

...Two images from the archives...

January 2, 2012