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seeking-sanity · 1 year

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Climbing Mountains

I never imagined myself hiking a mountain. 4,802ft at that... I never had a desire to spend time walking up a hill to walk back down, just to say I did it.

What I also never knew, was how much that hike would change my self reflection.

I have struggled with so many esteem issues. Weight being my "best handled", self-acceptance, self-worth, personal value, capability... being fully transparent, I didn't think I would ACTUALLY do it. I've never done more than hills, and really avoided those at most costs. I wanted to do this, because I was challenged. I wanted to do this because I said I could... to someone willing to hold me accountable.

I woke up far too early on a Saturday, completely ill-prepared... Ate the wrong breakfast [and regretted it for the rest of the day], drank too much water too fast, and wanted to quit on myself more times than I would ever admit...

I heard a man that has patiently showed me a kind love, a caring compassion, a friendly banter; tell me I could do it. Over and over. "just keep taking the next step, you got this." he was probably sick of saying it... I heard the sincerity in his voice at the trail head as he promised me we could turn back at any point...

we had driven 4 hours in moderately annoying traffic. I insisted on blasting a mystery playlist a zune I had incidently recently found and charged. I sang in my out of tune, doesn't really know all the proper lyrics and makes em up as I go, top of my lungs, 2000s angst voice.

He laughed at me and gently persuaded the skip button through the most annoying songs of our youth. Limewire downloads that digitally decayed over time, only one skip away from finding a vintage CD collection and a discman with the OG skull candy...

I insisted on bug spray, pushing the "i got this" confidence to the max with the deet 40 and fly spray... he spent the entire day helping me acheive goals I didn't know I had...

We got to the top of the moutain in 5 hours, the goal was 4 up 4 down. We made our day in 8. With breaks, and pictures, and a backpackers lunch at the summit. We shared a few moments with other hikers along the way... but what I didn't realize, until now- weeks later... we shared something more- trust.

I trusted this man with my life. Literally. I trusted him to accept my limits, push my boundaries, and accepted his encouragement when I had nothing left in me. We stood together on a 4802ft mountain, but it was the absolute top of the world.

It has been my experience, that people don't invest in people like me. People don't put effort into climbing walls, breaking gates, tending gardens filled with every sign of neglect. It would have been easy for him to quit on me too. To turn back, to act in any manner other than the gentle strength he shared to get me there.

It has been my experience that people I would do anything for, will do so little in return. I have raised children I didn't bear, paid bills that were not my own, funded vacations to places I didn't want to see. I have always only ever gotten what was easy. Effort, rarely at best.

This man... this kind, sweet man- has only ever gotten the most authentic me. the "take me as I am", the hardened shell after abusive heartbreak. He has gotten the reaction to assumed intention, the lash out of familiar behaviors even though he didn't follow the trend, he has gotten the "i'm not running, but I'm not trying either" version of me most of the time...

Not to say I'm reckless. Or that I disregard his feelings. I just- was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for him to fall into fitting the same mold...

This man proves daily, in a thousand consistent ways, he is different.

I don't beg for attention, I don't lack it either. I don't exhaust myself looking for activities, he makes an effort to plan dates too. I don't search for a connection constantly, insecure that it will cease to exist at any time... it just blooms. Like mountain laurel on the appalachain, beautiful. simple. strong, well rooted.

I climbed a mountain, with a man I wanted to spend time with. What I found on top of that mountain, was the insight to a man that was finding ways to show me everything beautiful. To share the moment with me.

The top of that mountain was a moment I hadn't even thought about, taking credit for the work it took to get there. The "don't quit" that was said so gently, screaming echos in my soul... he believed in me, for what seemed impossible to me.

We hiked back down that mountain, my whole body felt different. I appreciated it more. I was capable. I am strong. I walked beside the man that is making me believe I am as beautiful as the sun rising over the peaks... I hiked down that mountain with a confidence, a feeling of overwhelming success. Everyone else has quit on me, fell short of being willing to cheer me on for one more step... I conquer a mountain with a man that didn't quit for either of us. He never lost patience, never lost confidence in making it to the top- and back down- and out. My steps were so much lighter. Recognizing the gift that hike was. For me, believing I could do it. For me, excited to take on more. For me, seeing a man stand beyond every trauma response pre-determined thought process... For me, making it beyond the self imposed limits, walls- that I had so carefully lived behind...

I walked down that mountain leaving behind every insecurity I had let the past burden me with. I walked down the mountain next to a man willing to stand beside me for ALL the mountains, all the ups and downs. A man willing to believe in me, even when it is hard. That keeps rooting for us, when I'm letting me drag us down. That is willing to take ONE.MORE.STEP with me.

We left that trail head, and sat in the car... exhausted. 11.41 miles of pushing my body and mind to its self imposed limits. I looked at him, smiling a big goofy smile. He laughed a little, and asked me what mountain I wanted to do tomorrow.

Do the thing you didn't think you'd ever do. Believe you can do it. Go for the one you always wondered about...

Climb the mountain.

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foulserpent · 3 years

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Gear lists for your hikes?

i dont have any like brands or anything particular and idk if you mean for the mojave or just in general but ill go with the former:

camelbak type drinking device in your backpack

extra liter of water in your pack as a backup. gallon of water in your car

trail mix or nuts or some other high energy salty snack

map

sunscreen

hat, sunglasses, neck cover

loose fitting breathable clothing

some kind of walking stick or hiking poles. even on easy hikes its helpful

first aid basics

toilet paper

plastic bag you can use to carry garbage

portable phone battery charger thing

windbreaker if youre going to a high altitude

thats all i can think of for day hikes but id recommend asking like a ranger or smth im not like an expert hiker

#anon

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pcttrailsidereader · 4 years

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The Scariest Encounters Women Have on the Trail are with Men

One of the more chilling episodes in Wild was when Cheryl Strayed encountered two hunters in Central Oregon, one of whom made her rightfully uncomfortable . . . “She’s got a really nice figure, don’t she?” the sandy-haired man said. “Healthy, with some soft curves. Just the kind I like.” And it got worse. In the end, she was able to extricate herself but not without considerable anxiety.

Natasha Carver in “Walking Down a Dream” from The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader: California shares a story of camping near a road. A car stops late at night. Natasha and her hiking partner feel very exposed and very vulnerable. Indeed, the scariest encounters women have on the trail are with men.

This article, taken from the Daily Beast, focuses on the AT . . . but, in general, the issues are . . . sadly . . . the same.

By Melanie Hamlett, the Daily Beast

As a 30-year-old nurse who works with terminally ill patients, Julia (who prefers to remain anonymous) asked herself one day what she would be proud of doing if she too were given a diagnosis of only six months to live. Shortly after, she left Pittsburgh to start hiking the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail—a highly coveted peacock feather in the cap of outdoor adventurers. But this epic odyssey from Georgia to Maine proved to be far more challenging for Julia and over a dozen women interviewed for this piece because of one factor.

Their being female.

It’s no surprise women experience annoyances like casual or even outright sexism in the outdoor adventure world, but on the Appalachian Trail some are facing more traumatizing problems like stalking, sexual harassment, and even assault. Last May, the unthinkable happened—a brutal murder.

People had been warning local officials for six weeks about James Jordan, a violent “fight angel” who is currently being tried for murder in Virginia. In April numerous hikers reported disturbing behavior, including being verbally assaulted by Jordan and even threatened with a machete. He was later arrested on multiple charges, including possession of weed, and was ordered to stay off the trail. In May he returned anyway and allegedly threatened to pour gasoline on four campers and burn them alive in their tents.

He later chased two of them down the trail before finally giving up. When he returned, he allegedly stabbed Richard S. Sanchez Jr. to death, then chased Sanchez’s female hiking partner down the trail and stabbed her. She only survived because she played dead, then ran down the trail for help once he left. Jordan was found and taken into custody early the next morning. This tragedy became a traumatizing reminder that even in a majestic wilderness sanctuary like the Appalachian Trail, America is a violent, scary country, especially for women.

As a frequent solo traveler and former professional wilderness guide, I’m a huge advocate of women exploring the world, especially alone. It’s empowering as hell. I’ve never let fear (or too many episodes of Law and Order SVU) deter me from solo adventures. The point of telling the following stories isn’t to scare anyone off the trail but rather to educate women on how to protect themselves and to ask should-be male allies to stop turning a blind eye. Until the outdoor industry, which prides itself on being quite woke-ish, is ready for its own #MeToo reckoning, women won’t feel safe.

“Women have no way of knowing who will be the next James Jordan versus who’s just an awkward dude or entitled asshole.”

The Appalachian Trail is a microcosm of American culture but with far higher stakes. Statistically, women are way safer on the trail than on college campuses or in even their own homes. There’s only one rape reported (....reported) every few years on the trail and the chance of getting murdered there is 1,000 times less than in America as a whole. And yet, the absence of deadbolts to lock oneself behind or of multiple witnesses around to deter violent men from attacking us means the occasional trail creeper can be a million times scarier and more dangerous. The only thing protecting a woman alone in a tent from that sketchy stranger she previously encountered on the trail or the seemingly cool one she’s been hiking with for weeks is a thin piece of nylon. “I physically ran into a bear,” says Julia, “and I’d take that over running into a crazy drunk dude any day.”

Despite having overwhelmingly great experiences with trail men, all of the women I spoke with encountered men, especially older white ones, who either made sexist, condescending comments or made them feel unsafe. “I even got ‘smile more,’” Julia says. “It’s exhausting.”

Surprisingly, even woke-ish/feminist-type men creeped many of these women out. Julia said one of her first hiking partners, who seemed progressive, asked to rub her legs. Later, another one repeatedly hit on her and made her feel unsafe. The other guys in her group eventually sided with her and ditched him, but only after she showed enough evidence, like his unnerving texts. The men just didn’t see it, she says. “I’m thinking, how the fuck do you not see this guy is a creep?” Later, while hiking alone, a random guy aggressively probed her about where she was going and who she was with, then found her 200 miles down the trail and threatened to come into the women’s tents while they slept.

Hilary York, a 30-year-old piano technician from Denver, felt a bit gaslit by should-be allies. There were only three men who made her really uncomfortable during her 2,190 mile trek, two of them sketchy enough to scare even the men away. But the third was “your standard hippie type” who undressed her with his eyes and was clearly looking to hook up. When she told her guy friends he made her uncomfortable, they thought she was being dramatic and overly sensitive. Her female friends, on the contrary, unanimously agreed he was creepy. “I think the most frustrating thing is having your intuition downplayed,” says York. Which is why she turned to Facebook.

Most people go into the woods hoping to escape the traps of modern life, especially social media, yet women on the trail don’t always have that luxury. York says an Appalachian Trail group for women on Facebook has become a priceless space that helps women feel as comfortable, safe, and empowered as possible. The moderators are careful not to allow any man-bashing or vague accusations.

As a woman who’s worked almost exclusively in male-dominated industries, namely the outdoors, comedy, and film, I too have relied on whisper networks to feel safe, which is what this women’s FB group does. York says this group was quite critical in getting important information out about James Jordan when rangers couldn't. Oddly enough, the FBI is in charge of crimes committed on the AT because it’s administered by the National Park Service. Some hikershave criticized the FBI for failing to warn or protect everyone from a man they knew was dangerous.

There are a lot of men out there scaring the shit out of women in other ways, which is why we need men to be more thoughtful, pay attention, and be better allies. The stakes are too high in the woods. Women have no way of knowing who will be the next James Jordan versus who’s just an awkward dude or entitled asshole and relatively harmless. Women have to assume the worst.

Since York hiked with a man and has a solid poker face, she felt lucky compared to the “kinder-faced, solo female hikes.” Kristin Forster, a 28-year-old pastry chef living in Hamburg, Germany, had previous experiences with a stalker on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), so she knew how to handle sketchy dudes—be nice and calm but don’t answer their questions. But stranger danger wasn’t her problem in the end.

“Other hikers along the way also promised to back Cowan up and help her. But when it came to actually doing anything, none stepped up.”

For eight weeks Forster hiked with a trail partner who seemed chill and supportive. Being on the trail, she says, means you get closer to people faster, especially during extreme weather situations. Like me and my coworkers when I guided on the trail, Forster and her hiking partner would have to snuggle to warm up on brutally cold, rainy days. During one of these times, she felt his dick in her back. “That’s when it got weird.” She doesn’t blame him for getting a boner at all. But when she casually reminded him that she had a boyfriend back home, he flipped a switch and started mocking her and being super mean. She eventually left him because he made the trail so intolerable for her.

Beth, a 39-year-old consultant who’d rather remain anonymous to protect her safety, hiked with a seemingly cool guy for 10 days before he started to attach himself to her “like glue,” hovering over her constantly, even when she needed alone time. She tried to hike ahead several times, but he’d always catch up. After Beth reminded him she was in a committed relationship with a guy back home, he started making comments on her appearance and how attractive she was.

One day he walked up on her changing clothes in one of the shelters, despite her warning him, saw her full frontal naked, then got defensive that she was upset. “I was completely humiliated yet I convinced myself it wasn’t a big deal,” she says. She eventually decided to ditch him for good. Afraid of his reaction to feeling rejected, Beth waited until they were at a hostel in town with the safety of people around to break the news. “His face literally blackened.”

She felt safe once the trail logs were showing him 2-3 days ahead of her. Then she ran into him. He admitted he’d seen her name registered at a hostel and had taken a “zero” day (zero miles) to wait for her. Panicked, she ran after another guy hiking by, told him she was being stalked, and asked if he’d let her hike with him for a bit. Her stalker passed them shortly thereafter and was never seen again. Beth and her new hiking partner, who became a dear friend, hiked all the way to Maine together.

“As women we are programmed to be nice and polite,” she says, “and I actually found it harder to advocate for myself because I had gotten to know this guy.” Other men have since tried to attach themselves to her on long-distance hikes, but she’s learned how to protect herself sooner. “A lot of men on the trail are desperately lonely and will prey on women who come across as sweet and compliant,” she says. Especially if you don’t set firm boundaries out of the gate.

Jessica Cowan, a 38-year-old freelancer from Ohio, set out on the AT alone, assuming she’d find a “tramily” (trail family) like everyone talks about. But she never quite fell in with a group hiking her pace. When she met her stalker, who we’ll call Doc, he seemed charming, generous, and cool. Although she made it clear she had a boyfriend and wasn’t looking for a trail fling or a relationship change, he eventually started to express interest and asked about her relationship. “I found his behaviors really, really creepy, but when I talk about it, nothing I say sounds incredibly creepy,” she says. “I don’t know if it's an overreaction on my part… or if I’m gaslighting myself.” She was even hesitant to use the word stalking when telling this horrific story.

When crashing in shelters, he’d try to scoot his mat next to hers to sleep, wouldn’t avert his eyes when she announced she was changing, and even got caught staring at her when she was using a privy one day. After seeing Doc go on some hostile rants over the smallest things, she knew he was truly unstable. It was another woman briefly hiking with them, a psychologist, who helped her realize he was obsessed with her and that she needed to get a lot of miles ahead of him.

After that, Cowan tried everything to keep distance from Doc. She “slack-packed” (paying someone to drive her gear up the road), pushed her body to the limit, day after day, and even bought a new tent with wildly different colors to camouflage herself. Whenever she thought she was far enough ahead of him, another hiker would say he was nearby. Doc eventually caught up to her at a hostel after paying someone to drive him up the road.

Cowan finally filed a police report so they’d at least have him on their radar. Hostel workers promised her not to welcome him, but in the end, only one kept his word. The rest gave him the benefit of the doubt. Cowan thinks it was just easier to take his money. Other hikers along the way also promised to back Cowan up and help her. But when it came to actually doing anything, none stepped up. Despite her having mostly pleasant encounters with men on the trail, their blind-eye approach was disappointing. “I think a lot of men are guilty of taking that path of least resistance.”

Cowan did keep her boyfriend, Cowboy Knueve, apprised of the situation the whole time. “You have no idea how much sleep I lost,” he says. “I was sitting home worrying about her and this asshat.” Right after Cowboy dropped her off at the beginning of her hike, James Jordan murdered one hiker and wounded another on the trail in Virginia. “I knew how important this whole thing was for her,” he says. “It just pissed me off that he ruined her trip.” Even though Cowan told him she had it handled, Knueve finally drove 700 miles to make sure.

Knueve stayed with Cowan at night and ran shuttles for fellow hikers during the day while she hiked. He says he met at least a half a dozen women who’d done a lot of night hiking and “busted their ass” to get away from this same guy. Cowan and Kneuve tried to warn everyone about Doc.

One day they actually saw him at a campsite, so Knueve decided to confront him. Having googled the guy, he knew he was a multiple felon and had been charged for unlawful imprisonment of a woman. “I wanted to spray the man and kick him until he’s tired…. but I didn’t want to go to jail.” Instead he told Doc he knew he was stalking women and harshly warned him to stay away.

“If anyone fucks with me on the trail this year, I’m gonna punch you in the fucking face and carry the fuck on.”

Before leaving to go home, Kneuve drove Cowan 200 miles up the road to give her a safe distance from Doc. Shortly after, though, they picked up another hitchhiker and she was running away from Doc. That’s when Cowan realized this just wasn’t fun anymore. “I should only have to worry about where I’m getting water and where I’m gonna sleep,” she says. “Not if he’s gonna turn up.” She made it a few hundred miles farther, but finally gave up. Instead of enjoying any hard-earned sense of accomplishment or pride for hiking one thousand miles, Cowan couldn't feel excited about her milestones. It all seemed pointless. “I felt like I was running for my life every day.”

“I encountered a lot of promises of support that didn’t really hold up. Except for my boyfriend, I didn’t see anyone else confronting him or calling him on his bullshit. I think they all just wanted to stay away,” she says. “Especially after the murder.” She’s still amazed that one man could affect hundreds of miles of hiking for so many people. More than anything, Cowan hopes this story will lead to men stepping up. Or at the very least, believing women.

Having solo hiked the Appalachian Trail before, Missy Barger went into her 2019 hike already prepared to play by different rules than men have to. “We have to be hyper aware, but also not jump to any conclusions,” says the 49-year-old photographer from Boston. She watches men closely but plays it cool, never giving them hugs or smiling too much. “And men?” she laughs “Well, they... just get to hike!” Being older, more experienced on the AT and more confident than a lot of her twentysomething female peers, she knows she’s regarded as “one tough motherfucker.” That usually “keeps guys off” her. And yet, despite all this, even Barger ended up with a stalker.

She’d been camping right down the road when the murder happened, so she was even more careful this year. “An odd person doesn’t strike me as different. We’re all odd… cuz we’re out here,” Barger says. But when a guy, who we’ll call Bear, started going on aggressive political rants and undressing in front of her, she knew it was time to bounce. The next day he popped up on her path and wouldn’t let her through. When he appeared a third time and started to verbally assault her, she and her “tramily” hiked four hours in the middle of the night in the pouring rain to get away. They later reported him to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC).

In the end, Barger had to skip the whole state of New Jersey and half of New York to get away from Bear, but she went back and completed that section later. This detour and return trip cost her nearly $600. Whether it’s the actual price of shuttles, extra nights in hostels, a new tent to camouflage yourself or the emotional burden of fearing for your life, the “female tax” is a hefty one, even in the woods.

Luckily, Barger found great male allies, like Eric Bellavance. This 51-year-old heavy equipment mechanic from Boston and trail vet waited to pursue a romantic relationship with Barger until after they completed the trail. One way he believes men can be supportive of women is to use more self-restraint than they might back home. “You want to be extra aware of being creepy. It’s that simple,” he says. “If they’re whipping off their clothes, just turn away and start doing stuff,” he says. Give them their privacy and space when they need it, keep your distance, and don’t touch them, he says. While Bellavance thinks most thru-hikers, by a certain point, become acclimated on how to interact with women and not freak them out, there are still those who do whatever they want because “it’s kinda lawless” on the trail. “They’re out here because society won’t tolerate their behavior back home,” he says. “We’re all out here because we don’t fit in society.” But this lack of social codes and rules is exactly why women need men to be more careful and step up.

Bellavance says some day-hikers and locals will hang out on the trail and wait for solo women to pass by, just to prey on them. Warning others or reporting them to authorities is one thing men can do. Sometimes he says hikers have to take trail justice into their own hands, though. Last year a section-hiker touched a woman in her sleep at one of the backpacker hostels, so Bellavance and his friend tracked him down and threatened to kick his ass if he did it again. When another male hiker exposed himself to a woman on the trail, Bellavance welcomed her to hike with them.

“We are asking men in the outdoor industry to listen, believe us, step up, and use your privilege to call out other men.”

“I look at it this way—it’s already hard enough, women don’t need any shit from men.” Bellavance lets spooked women latch onto him when they need to since women are way less likely to be approached by a guy when they’re already with one. He never asks women for their phone numbers, real names (most go by a trail name), or social media handles because he knows men are harassing and stalking women online too. When Barger hikes solo, a lot of men ask to be snapchat friends. “Fuck, I just want to hike,” she says. “I have to have extra guardrails up when I post on social media.”

In general, Barger has run out of patience for men’s bullshit. “If anyone fucks with me on the trail this year, I’m gonna punch you in the fucking face and carry the fuck on.” She refuses to be scared off by men and encourages other women not to be either. To help protect current and future female hikers, Barger is very active on FB groups.

Unfortunately, those groups aren’t always safe either.

Shilletha Curtis, a writer from Newark, New Jersey, plans to hike the entire Appalachian in 2021. As a Black woman and a lesbian, though, she’s not sure who will have her back out there, as she’s already faced harassment on her trail day hikes. In a co-ed AT Facebook group, white men have already been harassing her about her recent publication, some posting “Hikers Lives Matter.” The male FB administrators have accused her of race baiting when she talks about racism on the trail. “We need to make these groups a safe space for everyone, not just white members, as Black people do hike.” Latrina Graham’s powerful essay about being a Black woman just trying to hike goes even deeper into this huge problem.

Until white hikers, particularly white men, do more to make the trail safer for everyone, what do the rest of us do? Not hiking isn’t an option, nor should it be. Most women I spoke with agreed that the best way to stay safe is to trust your intuition and to avoid gaslighting yourself or being too “nice.” Always sign guest books as two people or use a male/ambiguous name, invent a “dude backstory” about a “friend” that’s nearby, and never post photos at recognizable spots on social media. Obviously it’s #notallATmen making women’s lives hard... but it only takes one.

We are asking men in the outdoor industry to listen, believe us, step up, and use your privilege to call out other men. That’s what will help us feel safe. We are tired. We need your help.

Because we belong here, too.

#male predators #females on the trail #safety

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moxy-fruitbat · 5 years

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I am back from the forest! - Muriel Reflections (long post w/ pics)

I'm home! I got to spend a week living the Muriel Life© and let me tell you

I LOVED IT.

I usually go backpacking every year, but this is the first time I went alone and there really was a lot of good time on reflection, especially now that I've started playing the Arcana. It was a real immersive experience and really got me thinking about what Muriel must feel living out there full time.

So welcome to Mountain Man Reflections - things the forest taught me

For context, I spent a week backpacking through Michigan's National Parks that I hadn't already been to. I visited Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore, Manistee National Forest, Father Marquette Memorial, Keewenaw Heritage Area, and Isle Royale National Park. That last one is the most remote park in the continental US.

1. I knew this before from other experiences, but the forest lets you be free with your emotions. You can cry in the woods. The trees don't care. You can literally scream into the void and nothing will answer back, but feeling the breeze in your face and the sun on your skin makes you realize that the earth still spins and nature continues to live on. And so will you. You will survive.

Muriel: you will survive. I can imagine that when he first left Vesuvia and went into the forest, there was a lot of raw emotion. I've survived trauma, but never anything like how he has. It was probably very healing to get away from everything and start over in a world that doesn't judge you for your past.

2. Being alone is lonely. Now, I'm an introvert. But having no one to share thoughts or ideas or moments with is hard. Everything emotion stews around in your head and builds and gets stronger. There were times I said something that may have been slightly embarrassing to the only other person in the area, and it just built and built to the point where I was isolating myself even more because "no one wants to listen to you anyway. You only say stupid things that you should just always keep to yourself." Nature can be healing when you need it, but isolation can be painful when you don't.

Now, imagine Muriel in the first year of freedom. He may or may not have Inanna, I'm not sure when she comes into play. He has Asra, but Asra is always gone and is busy trying to reconstruct MC.

He's overcome the first wave of pain. He knows he will get through this. But isolation breeds isolation and the longer he's alone the more alone he feels and the more he feels like he deserves this isolation and that no one wants him. There's no one there to try and convince him otherwise. He builds up more and more walls because all he has is his own thoughts, and that's honestly all he's had entire life. He is a product of his situation. He needs love.

3. You learn to appreciate the little things. A pretty view. The deep blue of the water. The crinkling of the leaf litter as you walk through the trees. How good food tastes after a hard day or a cold night. You can't take things for granted when all of your belongings are what's strapped to your back.

The forest is alive. The planet is alive. It makes you feel so small and connected to everything else around you. It isn't yours to claim amd train to do what you want. You live within your means only use what you need because everything else isn't yours to take.

Muriel lives in his tiny hut. He could probably build a wooden cabin that has more space and is taller so he doesn't have to worry about brushing his head on the tree root ceiling, but why? He would need to chop down trees and change the landscape. He could build a coop and have his chickens actually live with him so he has easier access to his food, but why? Instead he forages for food and lets the chickens roam free. They have their own life to live, and it isn't his to control. Muriel is definitely a huge environmentalist.

4. The world is beautiful, but it feels better to share it with someone. I took so many pictures of those little things. And granted, it was great hiking alone. I didn't have to change my plans for anyone, I could do whatever I wanted to do and go where I wanted to go. But watching the sunrise is better with someone else, so you can be flooded with emotions next to someone else doing the exact same thing.

Muriel would probably love having the tender moments alone with his LI. Watching them gasp at their first beautiful sunset through the trees, or smile sleepily as they watch the summer fireflies together. Making flower crowns for someone, since he probably feels like he can't make them for himself ("he doesn't deserve that level of softness").

4. I need to go back. There's a reason I go on a big hiking trip every year. I can't go back into the "real world" for too long without feeling like I'm stifled and crowded and breathing in bad air. It's a type of escapisim, and while I don't know what exactly I'm escaping, I know I feel more at home in nature, where I can put my hands on a tree and thank them for letting me into their home.

"The mountains are calling and I must go" - John Muir

If you romance Muriel and have the spring wedding, be prepared to live in the forest and move into the hut. You can pull the man put of the forest, have him live in Vesuvia in the magic shop with you. But you can never pull the forest out of the man. It changes you, and once you spend enough time in the wilderness, it's really hard to go back to urban life. (Ask anyone who hiked the Appalachian Trail. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.)

(Especially because Muriel probably only has negative memories of Vesuvia - growing up on the streets, being in the colosseum, partaking in the ritual. And all those people make him claustrophobic. It doesn't matter how much he loves you, it would be very hard for him to be happy here. You can't love someone out of their mental illness, in this case PTSD.)

Thank you for reading that whole thing. My modern Muriel Hiker headcanons will be coming soon. Here are some forest pictures that I'd like to share with you :)

(That's the hut that I stayed in for a night, plus me and the hut lol. I'm gross in that picture and hadn't showered for like five days. The forest doesn't care how nasty you are. You learn to accept being gross. Everyone permanently smells bad after long distance hiking.)

Beautiful places like this still exist. I encourage everyone to go out and experience it while they still can.

With love,

Moxy

#the arcana #the arcana game #the arcana mystic romance #the arcana nix hydra #the arcana visual novel #the arcana muriel #the arcana reflections #the arcana thoughts #moxy ink blot #i am muriel #i am the mountain man #i always have been #backpacking thoughts #hiking thoughts #moxy speaks

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roversbook · 3 years

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Hiking Gear for Women : Do’s and Don’ts

Hiking is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the outdoors. Transported by your own two feet and carrying only what you need for the day on your back, you can discover the beauty of nature at whatever pace you’re comfortable with. And, with a little planning and preparation, it’s an activity that almost anyone can do.

So Ladies, one of the wonderful things about hiking is that you don’t need a bunch of high-tech gear to get out there. With a few essential items for the trail and a sense of adventure, you’re ready to head into the wilderness.

What should Female Hikers wear?

A great hiking outfit for women is all about what makes you comfortable in the great outdoors. Hiking clothes that are practical, lightweight, and durable can make the difference between a great day out and an okay day out. Here are the few things-

Hiking Pants or leggings

Not only are leggings a comfortable and multi-functional piece of clothing, but they’re also super flattering and work well for almost every activity. Hiking Pants or Leggings are a must for your trip. Make sure these are not too loose or tight!

Base Layer

A base layer is needed when you hike in a cold conditions. This piece of clothing covers your neck and chest and protects you from falling ill.

Mid Layer or Down Jacket

Mid-layer or Down Jacket is only needed if you hike in snow or freezing zone. Down jackets pack up light and small, so there is no reason NOT to have one in your bag. Seriously it could save your life in a bad situation.

Hiking Shell Jacket

If you are camping during your hike, these shell jackets will help you to have a good night’s sleep. Avoid these jackets if the area’s condition is not that freezing.

Woolen Socks

Yes, the best hiking clothes for women involve socks. Wool socks helps you to keep your feet nice and dry while you walk around. Most importantly, wool socks stay fresh for several days as they have natural antimicrobial properties.

Sports Bra

A good sports bra is pretty much an essential hiking gear for women. Of course, it’s completely up to you, but you’ll want something light, nonconstricting, moisture-wicking, and will hold your breasts in when you’re hiking.

Hiking Underwear

Good underwear is a women’s hiking apparel staple. Women have specific hygiene needs in the backcountry. To prevent bacterial infections, it’s important to avoid wearing cotton underwear. In general, you have two synthetic options or wool.

Hat for Sun Protection

A hat is key for being comfortable when hiking on sunny days. It will also prevent your face from tanning.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses always protect your eyes from the sun or heavy reflections. Also, it looks good during a photo sessions!

Trail Runners or Hiking Boots

Hiking boots give your ankle support. As hiking means traveling through rough roads, therefore, a good pair of boots are extremely necessary.

Warm Gloves

Gloves help to keep your hands warm during the cold session. So if your plan is to hike in the snow don’t forget your gloves

Hiking Shorts

If you’re looking for women’s summer hiking clothes, you have to consider shorts

What You Should Not Wear While Hiking

Women make some common mistakes while packing their hiking clothes. These clothing choice mistakes can either add discomfort or can even be potentially dangerous. Here are the top 10 wrong choices-

Denim Clothing

The reason denim is not ideal for hiking is that it absorbs moisture really easily. This means sweat, rain, or even river water will be soaked up. Having a material that collects water versus wicking water can be potentially dangerous, depending on the area’s current weather.

Cotton Clothing

Cotton is an absorbent material, so if you get wet from sweat or rain, it will soak it all up and won’t dry very fast, either. In hot weather, cotton will leave you feeling sweaty all day, and in cold weather, it will make you cold quite quickly.

Silk Clothing

So, silk isn’t as bad as cotton or denim, but it generally doesn’t do well during strenuous hiking. Basically, if you plan to sweat a lot, avoid silk! It has a modest amount of moisture-wicking ability, but unless it is chemically treated, it will usually hold on to moisture.

No-Show Socks

No-show or ankle socks may work for some folks, but the type of socks you wear is a big deal when you hike. You want a sock that will not work its way down and bunch up in your shoe. This leaves the back of your foot exposed and rubbing against the inside of your shoe as you walk.

Flimsy Shoes or Heels

Since hiking is essentially walking in the woods or on a trail in the wilderness, you want a shoe that will support you all the way. Most hiking trails have a fair share of rocks, river crossings, or sharp plants like cacti. In those conditions, you need a shoe that can protect you from the elements around you during the entirety of your hike.

Bras with Claps

Appropriate bras should be worn while hiking. It is best to avoid cotton bras, but you should also avoid bras with clasps. These could be metal or plastic clasps, but either way, you don’t want them. It can cause irritation to your skin out of sweat and heat.

Brunchy or Bulky Clothes

Clothing that is too heavy or too loose can be potentially problematic on a hike. Try to avoid clothes that are too loose or too heavy. All in all, you want clothing that fits you properly. Avoid anything too heavy or clothes that shift around too much.

Stiff or Too Thin Fabric

Having clothing materials that move with your body is all about comfort and functionality. There have been so many instances on hikes where you have to scramble over rocks, maneuver through a tight canyon, or do a high step-up over a fallen tree. All of these movements require clothing that will move with the flexibility of your body. Having materials that are too stiff will impede your movement. While on the other hand, materials that are too thin and stretchy can easily rip.

Body Sprays or Floral Perfumes

Some perfumes also don’t mix well with sweat and can cause skin irritations, especially in hot weather or with extensive sun exposure. Perhaps it is best to leave the body sprays for a night out on the town, and leave them off the trail.

Only One Layer of Clothing

Layering depends upon the area’s climate. If you are hiking in an extreme cold situation, one layer can be dangerous. It is a good rule of thumb to keep up with current weather conditions, and then you can gauge your clothes off of that.

Women’s Backpacking Gear List

Women have different needs than men when it comes to backpacking and hiking gear. They have different hygiene habits, may run colder (or hotter) than their male counterparts, and obviously have very different body types. It’s important that you find great women’s hiking gear that works best for you. So here is the list-

Tent- In case you want to do outdoor camping rather than lodging in.

Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Mat- Necessary for the tent.

Hiking Clothes- List of all the necessary hiking clothes are cited above.

Hiking Footwear- Don’t forget your boots!

Sunglasses

Sun Hates- This Will save you from face tanning.

Water Bottles- Make sure your water bottle has a carrying capacity for almost 2 liters of water

Light Snacks- A light snack of some chocolate or brownies might help you in case of emergency!

Raincoat or an Umbrella- You never know when a storm or a light drizzle will knock in. Be prepared!

Trekking Poles- This will add years to the life of your knees.

Period Kit: Tampons, ibuprofen, menstrual cup, baby wipes, extra zip lock for trash. Pack this trash out in a separate trash bag; don’t bury it!

Sandals: nice to give your feet a break from those hiking boots

Toothbrush, Toothpaste (travel-sized), Floss

A very small amount of soap for washing hands. 3 oz is plenty.

Toilet Papers- Make sure you have enough of this for your entire journey.

Tissues and Wet Towels

Sanitizers- Extremely necessary to clean your hiking hands!

Mug for coffee or warm drinks

Headlamp (w/extra batteries.) or a Torch

Medication and an emergency first aid tool kit.

Map and Compass- When your GPS battery dies, this will help you to find your way!

Hairbrush, Sunscreen, and other essentials

Cellphone and the adapter. Although laptop and Ipads are not recommendable, you can carry if you wish.

Passport, Identity card, or any other valid document

A small notebook and a pen

A Bluetooth Speaker or a guitar for some entertainment. Novels and Magazines can also be included.

Gear Recommendations

Hiking Gears are very difficult to choose from one brand. Amazon USA provides you the best product for your adventure. Here is the list-

Best Reviewed Hiking Gear for Women

ProductDescriptionLearn More on Amazon

18 in 1 Emergency Survival KitCheck on Amazon

Pee Funnel for WomenCheck on Amazon

Lightweight Trekking PolesCheck on Amazon

Pee rag for WomenCheck on Amazon

Mini Compact First Aid KitCheck on Amazon

K2-Peak – Survival Bracelets with Embedded Compass, Fire Starter, Emergency Knife & Whistle Check on Amazon

The post Hiking Gear for Women : Do’s and Don’ts appeared first on Rover's Book.

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#travelguide #bestdestinations #acrossglobe #digitalnomad #travelguides #well-researched #offbeatloca

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girishprb · 7 years

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Montana 8: A walk to remember

Early next morning, I woke up to sounds of footsteps and rustling of leaves nearby. I was curious as to who might it be but was lazy to check it out. Only later, we got to know that our big friend - Moose was in the area! We freshened up, packed the tents (we were pros at it by now) and headed to the food area around 8 am. On the way, we realized that most of the campers had already left and we were one of the last ones left! At the cooking site, there were two awesome guys who worked at Facebook but were on a sabbatical. They were doing a 5-day backpacking and had lost track of dates and days of the week! Both were from New York and Manasi was excited for a brief while before they revealed that they were happily married(separately) :P

Have you ever heard of the story of 'Akash Nanda'? Well, according to my dad, there was this mythological character who always used to gaze at the sky (Akash) and walk. He always dropped stuff because he kept stumbling on things on the ground! That was my nickname during my childhood because I kept dropping things once in a while :) It's been years since I dropped something precious until that ill-fated morning. When Shruti asked me to pour water out of my Osprey 2.5-liter bladder into the saucepan, I lost control of the lid and splashed water all around the stove. I blame the Osprey design, and one of the Facebook guys agreed with me too :P

For breakfast, we made Quaker oats with a bunch of dry fruits and nuts, and of course Girnar Tea! While I got busy finishing everything, Shruti and Manasi packed rest of the stuff, refilled my water bladder and got ready for an 11-mile hike with 3700 ft elevation gain and loss (with a heavy backpack)! Our first target was to reach Dawson Pass, the second part was pretty flat along the Continental divide and last was descent on the Pitamakan pass to read old Man's lake where we planned to camp for the night.

During the first part, we were all pumped up, I and Shruti sang Bollywood classics to our heart's content. Manasi has a ‘no talking while hiking’ policy and kept some distance behind us - I am sure she could not tolerate our crappy voices! While writing this, I think I now know why we didn't see any grizzly bears during the whole trip either! At first, the songs were situational, later we started choosing a random word and sang songs about it! I still can't believe that somewhere in my mind, I had stored the lyrics of soo many songs! For parts where neither of us knew the lyrics, we just hummed along until we got to the part where we knew it again!

We came across twin waterfalls and no name lake along the way that were hardly 0.5 miles from the actual trail. I and Shruti went exploring while Manasi happily took these breaks to catch her breath and relax while guarding our bags. After a couple of miles, the elevation gain was steeper and we started slowing down considerably. At one point Manasi almost lost it and actually was thinking of going back but then she convinced herself that this is what she came for and continued climbing. We met several day hikers who probably started very early in the morning, everyone was courteous as one might expect, and everyone greeted "good morning/Hi/Hey/How's it going?". Some were just going to Dawson pass and going back whereas some did the entire loop in a day! One old man stood out because we met him the following day at the other side of the trail and Manasi actually remembered this old dude!

After 3 or 4 miles, the next mile and a half was at it's steepest, and we took plenty of breaks to stabilize our heart rate and sipped water once in a while. The tree covers were gone and although it wasn't a hot day, Sun still sapped our energy nonetheless. Some day hikers on their way back were very encouraging and they said the views were amazing, the wind was terrible and that we were very close! This really helps because similar to a marathon running, in hiking, it's all about the mind. If we think that we can do it, the body follows. The moment we lose faith or confidence and give up, the body gives up too!

We knew we are near the top when the winds picked up and I had to store my Cricket hat (White, round umpire's hat) because it did not have a strap and I was afraid it would fly away. Shruti was prepared for this as well - she had what looked like a fishing cap with straps. Manasi probably doesn't believe in caps or hats, I have never seen her wear one :) At around 1 pm, we made it to the top of Dawson pass and indeed the views would have been spectacular, if not for the cursed smoke! Winds were definitely above 40 miles an hour and for the first time, I was glad that my backpack was heavy! Else, I probably would have been blown away! We stopped here for a while, ate granola bars(pseudo lunch), and Manasi to her dismay realized that she had finished all of her 3-liter water!!!! I had around 1.5 liters still left, so I transferred 1 liter to Manasi's bladder for time being.

Next 3 odd miles were along the backbone of the mountain ranges that followed the continental divide. It was pretty flat but the drop on our left was significant and each glace reminded us of the elevation we were in, the winds luckily were pushing us towards the mountain and not away from it. At that moment, I was glad Shruti and Manasi pushed me to buy walking poles in Missoula. They were indeed a life-saver. There were some patches where we were exposed on either side and we literally had to dig the walking poles to support ourselves from the ‘@%$#$#@#$” high-speed winds. Manasi was unusually quiet in this stretch and when asked something, she was using sign language to respond. Only later she told us that she has fear of heights and that this was possibly her toughest test ever!

I was the first to reach the turnaround after which it was all downhill and was waiting for Manasi and Shruti when 2 Indian origin dudes and a girl of some other ethnicity came from the other side and asked how far were the upper two Medicine campsites and how was the trek. I gave them info, but was really surprised at their casualness of this whole situation. It was 5.30 pm, they had to cover at least 7-8 miles, there was no source of water anywhere, they did not have walking poles, the route was windy and pretty dangerous after dark. I really hope they had torch lights and they made it safely!

The descent was pretty steep and had plenty of switch-backs, but the good thing was that we could see the destination (Old man lake) all along. After some time, both me and Manasi were out of water and a big shout out to Shruti - she had anticipated that this would happen after realizing Manasi was out of water about halfway. She hardly drank water after that and conserved as much as she could. At the end, she had a mild headache due to dehydration! I went ahead for the last 2 miles stretch because it was getting dark and I had to pump water and get things ready when there was some light left. Shruti came with Manasi not too far behind as we finally reached our destination for the day - Old Man Lake!

#hiking #Dawson #Montana #Adventure #backpacking #Camping

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thehikingnerd · 5 years

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Day 98.

I woke up with an extra sense of excitement and urgency this morning. I was looking forward to meeting back up with Dixie and rest of the 24-hour challenge people, but that wasn’t why I was excited today. In fact, I knew that I would only see them for a short time as I had already decided that Burney would be where I exited the trail for a bit. I had been making plans with Angie for quite a while and would be meeting her up in Portland for about a week. We already arranged for an Airbnb from a lady from KY oddly enough, and even though I wished I could have hiked for another day or so before leaving this was the most convenient place to exit and make my way north to Portland. We headed out and rolled through an interesting area with small unusual buildings and dams and lakes and even passed by a small trout hatchery and noticing a large number deer in a person’s yard that didn’t seem worried about humans. Despite the interesting surroundings, it was all a bit of a blur as we soon came to the highway where we would be hitching into town. The hitch didn’t take very long and we were dropped of directly at the diner in town. Butt’rs and I had an amazing ribeye and eggs breakfast here and drank several cups of coffee. Burney seemed like a pretty nice little town. We walked up the street to a church that was supposed to welcome hikers and offered them a place to shower and a free coffee at their in-church coffee shop. Since I was going to be travelling and didn’t want to offend fellow passengers, I thought I should take advantage of the free shower. When we entered, there was a huge hiker table covered with all kinds of good things hikers might want to take with them when they head back out to the trail. The shower was a part of their gym and they had to turn on the lights for me and it was a little odd in design with nowhere to sit or hang clothing or racks/shelves to hold soap, but I managed to grab some soap and shampoo off the table and used it to get myself clean and smelling like I was a part of civilization. I even snagged a normal cotton-ish tee shirt from the table to change into. I went into the coffee shop and sat down with butt’rs and got a free ice latte and charged my batteries while I sat and started to figure out the details of how I would get to Portland. It looked like my best bet was to take the noon bus to Redding, CA for only like $5 and then from there take the Amtrak to Portland. The train didn’t leave until like 2am, but I was confident I could kill time in Redding without much trouble. Besides, I really needed some time to at least do laundry before heading to Portland. At this point we had gotten word from Dixie and that she was chilling at the McDonald’s in town and walked that way. We talked and caught up a bit and we told her about the free (good) coffee at the church and I grabbed a quick extra burger or two to eat before my bus trip to Redding, which was conveniently picking everyone up about 100 yards from there. I was just saying my goodbye’s to everyone when Dan and Mark rolled up and I just waved and yelled a few things before walking to the bus stop. The bus was a little late, but I had so much time to kill, it didn’t much matter to me. It did finally come and I settled in for the ride to Redding. Given the time constraints and my desire to hike with my friends, this break was going to give me some problems in terms of the rest of the trail. Despite how well I had done to catch them all after a 3-day sabbatical to deal with my tail bone issue… it was pretty obvious that if I left the trail here in Burney, CA, that I wouldn’t realistically be able to catch them if I had come back here to pick back up. I would be like 12 days behind them and would had to push hard for like 3-4 weeks to catch them and then probably just to hike for a relatively short time together before finishing… and… I wasn’t sure I could handle that kind of pushing to catch up anyway. So I ultimately decided that I would just meet back up with them wherever they were when my Portland vacation was over and proceed with them from there, leaving a gap that I would have to come back and fill in after Canada. This wasn’t in my original plan, but I did want to take a break and see Angie, and given that we would already be cutting it short making it to the border before the snowfall would close the trail for the year… it was the best compromise I could make and still cover all of my bases. I made it Redding. Did laundry. Contacted Martin (a friend I had met only once in Texas, but who had been following my hike on FB) and made plans to meet up with him and he was even going to give me a place to stay while I waited on Angie to arrive a day or two later and stay in our Airbnb. It was super nice of him, especially when having barely known me and when others I knew better in the area were less hospitable than I expected them to be. I went around to a few places including a burger restaurant for dinner. I thought I would hang out at a bar until time to catch the train but to my surprise, most all the bars closed at 11pm. So, with literally nothing else to do, I reached levels of hobo that I, quite frankly, never thought I would reach. After some wandering around with nothing to do, I mean nothing open at all, I found one convenient store near enough to walk to, and bought a big glass bottled beer. I left with it in a paper sack and thought I’d just drink this at the train station while I waited. But there was some seriously crazy people there and police cars were rolling past all the time. Wasn’t long before I found myself hiding behind a dumpster (both from cops and crazies) as the only place I could find to safely drink my beer from its paper sack. With my worn hiker clothes, beard, a free tee shirt I had gotten from a church that didn’t quite fit me, drinking booze from a paper bag behind a dumpster, all while waiting to hop a train… I figure a can of beans was the only thing that could have been added to this to complete the image. After the beer I went back around to the front of the train station and sat on a bench at the platform and called Angie for a while. The train delayed once, then twice, then I fell asleep on the concrete of the train platform once the new arrival time had been moved forward to 5am, news that was ill-received by all those there in waiting.

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seashelbytravel · 5 years

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Khao Sok National Park & Father’s Day

Date of post: June 19, 2019

Location of post: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Date of venture: June 14-16, 2019

Location of venture: Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani, Thailand

From Krabi, we took a bus to the village right outside of the enterance the Khao Sok National Park.

One of the oldest remaining parts of the natural rainforest, dating back hundreds of millions of years. Preserved by a terrible small pox outbreak that killed 80% of the village population in the 1940’s, and then protected by a rouge group of communists during the 70’s who practiced geurilla warfare tactics warding off colonialism.

We didn’t know where we were going to stay so we hopped in that back bed of a locals truck and headed into town center.

We were dropped at the Green Mountain guest house, where we ate the best food we’ve experienced in Thailand yet. We’ve hit close to 8 towns before arriving here.

John asked to meet the chef and, our waitress got a look on her face, I think she assumed we were going to complain. We told her that her cooking was the best we’ve had yet. We told her about all of the towns we’d dined in before hers. She was so happy, but more surprised that we wanted so badly to tell her how wonderful her crafted cooking was. And it was artiful.

I love Tom Yum Goong. It’s my favorite dish I’ve had here, but I’m making it a point to eat something different as much as I can. And that’s been a pretty easy feat. So. Much. Delicious. Food. And I LOVE the Thai spice. It’s not debilitating and all encompassing like in Texas. Although, don’t get me wrong, I love our TexMex. Thai spice has so many other flavors that compliment the fire you’re eating.

We ended up staying at the guesthouse where the restraraunt resided. Our room was very nice and tucked away. When we first arrived, I walked up to the super sweet pupper of the guesthouse. I said “Hi baby” and without looking, his tail started thumping.

His name was “Coffee” and he looked like a little adorable hybrid dog bear. So sweet. When we left, John threw him some chicken. He slept outside of our room the two nights we stayed.

We scheduled our “jungle trek”. Two days, one night on Cheow Lan Lake. Sleeping on floating bungalo’s in the middle of the lake.

The next morning the van picked us up, and we immediately met a couple from Colorado. They were my age, and traveling for two weeks. Julie and Joe. Easy to remember all the “J’s”. I thought we were going to be alone, and honestly I was glad to meet other people our age.

We picked up two 18-something British couples who were only a few days into their trip, and obviously processing that they weren’t in Kansas anymore.

We picked up one more French couple, and they became our travel buddies after we emerged from the jungle. Emma and Jordan. Not “Jor-Dan”. Say it with the French accent and the name sounds so much more beautiful beacause, duh. French vs. English in terms of diction, French will always be the more beautiful of the languages, in my opioln.

Okay. We took an hour long, long boat ride to our bungalows. John and I sat in the front. About halfway through the boat ride, we noticed a heavy mist setting in, blurring our sight. Not mist. Rain. You like pina coladas? I do. And getting caught in the rain? I definitely do. We were soaked in 30 seconds. I loved it.

We got to our bungalow and had lunch prepared by the family who lived and hosted these tours with our companions. Then, jungle hike time.

Okay. I wore leggings, a white t, and my trail shoes. We pulled up the the trail on longboat and the first thing we see is a sign that read “DANGER Trail Closed”.

Okiiiiiiii... trusting. Trust is paramount here.

We started anyway. So beautiful. The air smelled healthy. Like it was hosting millions of happy flora. And it was. We hiked for 30 min before our guide stopped us for a “leech check”. Now, I imagine leeches as the big fat black buggies we see in the movies. Nope. The suckers (haha) looks like desperate little earth worms, sprouting out of the ground, clinging to the first bit of your they could. I didn’t have any! Yay! Neither did John. We kept going.

We got to a part in our hike where I guided turned to us and said “Okay, very steep. We climb like monkeys”. Cool. We both (Johnny and I) have our own natural rock climbing experiences (it’s been a while for me, but it really is like riding a bike and my confidence came back quickly) but I was worried about our fellow hikers. Especially the young British ones. Said a quick lil prayer that no one would be harmed. Glad I did because we were literally climbing what John and I think to be a 5.4 on the climbing scale. A legitimate climb. But no one was hurt, not even a scrape (I think). John and I headed the group right behind our guide. Mind you, this man was climbing in FLIP FLOPS. His confidence gave my own a boost. John watched where the guide placed his feet, and I John, and so on. We would call down the line when something was extra slippery or more tough than normal. We were all responsible for each other’s. That’s a uniting feeling.

We finally reached the top. It’s the 6th picture in this post. John was on a perch and looked down to a 200 ft drop. Straight down. He is terrified of free heights and there he was. I was very proud of him. But, his face changed when he realized where he was sitting. We look to our right, and the biggest rainbow took form. Y’all. If you don’t believe in God, spend some time in nature. I’m a very faithful person. I love God more than anything. God has shown itself to me in the most divine ways. This rainbow being one instance, amoung a plethora of divinity. It wasn’t there when we reached the top. But felt like a “You made it!” gift.

Ok, LEECH CHECK. Guess what. I had those sons of beaches all under the tounge of my shoe. Just, enjoying my blood. I was so skeeved out. I don’t have many specific fears. Grasshoppers and crickets gross me out, but I’m no baby when it comes to bugs. These really freaked me out. We all had them. They are sneaky. And pulling them off actually hurts, and you bleed a lot more than if you let them do their business and fall off. Our guides called them “vampires”.

From the mountain, we went to a smaller waterfall (not pictured) and our guide went first to make sure it was safe. He gave the thumbs up and all the guys got up to explore. I thought “uh, I didn’t come to Thailand to sit in a boat” so Julie (our American friend) and I both followed. I stood under that waterfall and it washed away all of the sweat from the jungle. Julie and I both. The guys returned to the boat and Julie and I finally headed back. You ever hear of quick sand? Ha. I was wading in the water back to the boat when all of a sudden, my left leg sank down so fast, all the way up to my hip. But, my right was on firm ground. For real, thank God because I feel like that could’ve been a very bad situation. I’m so proud of my body and its ability. Thankful for it. Grateful to it.

We went back and swam in the lake. We drank rum with our new friends and ate dinner that was caught in the lake. We stayed up late playing “Rummi”. Mom and I used to play it all the time, and it felt like another sign that we were right where we were supposed to be.

Back to the mainland. Our new friends Emma and Jordan, from France, hadn’t decided on a place to stay, so we suggested ours. They booked a room, and it was right next to ours. Yay! We decided to hike more of the park together. I love Emma and Jordan.

You know, with all the bad politics happening everywhere, we are all the same. Emma and I spoke openly about the political turmoil in France and America. We are the same. Emma and me, and France and America. Don’t judge. Just read and absorb.

My fearless sweet heart. We found the waterfall! The big one. We all waded and swam past currents. I probably wouldn’t have been so adventurous in getting to them (and I’m not sure Jordan or Emma wolves been, but they were adventurous in those own lovely way) if my monkey man wasn’t jumping into random pools, jumping from rock to rock. I was a good jumper too, and so were Emma and Jordan! I felt confident. Our waterfall is pictured below.

I love Emma and Jordan. And I cherish our time together. Too short. That’s the crux of traveling. You meet wonderful (again, that word doesn’t even come close to fully encompassing how I feel about the people we meet) people who become in stand “best friends”. And then you have to say “goodbye”. That’s the hardest part.

Walking back from the national park, Emma and I walked together and John and Jordan ahead.

After our honest conversation about politics in the place we love and call home, the conversation turned to family. Emma’s parents run a farm in France, and she helps them. She’s also an occupational therapist for the mantally ill. At a psychiatric hospital. Amazing. She’s 24. I told her about how my mom lived across the country, and when I told her it would take me 3 days to drive (if I sped) or $300 round trip to fly, and that I got to see her once a year, if I was lucky, she was shocked.

I told her I had no brothers or sisters, and inevitably the dad question was answered. She lovingly (without my saying) validated how lonley I must feel. That loneliness. Errrgg. I keep packed down. For lots of reasons. I’ve been shamed for it, inadvertently, and truthfully, sometimes people don’t know how to precieve it. And sometimes, I have such a bleeding heart about it that the last thing I want to do is make someone uncomfortable. And I definitely never want to be a “Debby Downer”. But we were speaking truthfully about our home situations. She was empathetic, kind, and so loving. I told her about my own trip and my father’s own travels. She said “it sounds like a sign to me”. And we exchanged French and English meanings for “goosebumps”. I love her for that conversation. And for many other connections we shared.

We walked the rest of the way home together. Then we had dinner and drinks on our shared porch.

She wrote in my journal and I’ll remember her forever. Hopefully, I’ll get out to northern France for a visit one day.

I didn’t mention I pulled 5 more microscopic leeches off of myself over the next 12 hours. 4, I found in the shower AFTER John, Emma, Jordan and I finished our own trek and... the nasty one. It had lodged itself in my leg. And I found it while still on the bungalows. Our guide poured alcohol on it and popped it out like a pimple. Gross. You’re welcome for that visual.

Not poisoness and I’m not dead so, yay.

Father’s Day was the best I’ve had since my dad died. He is my greatest guide, and will continue to be until I meet him again in heaven.

He was the greatest. Ever. I’m so lucky he created 50% of me. And I’m so much more like him than I ever thought I’d be. I posted about the significance of my trip and him on Facebook and Instagram. I never felt like crying. That’s new to me and I’m totally into it. Grieving, in the sorrowful way, is draining and I never let myself experience otherwise. But this felt like a gift.

This was long. Thank you for reading.

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dbontheat · 7 years

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The day I should've gotten Giardia

June 29, 2017

Everything is broken. I’m not complaining; I think it’s hilarious. I’m more than halfway done with this trail. I’m already nostalgic for the first half of the trail, and I really can’t believe that I’m in Pennsylvania. Just sounds so Northern.

So anyway, everything is broken. The sternum strap on my backpack snapped. There’s a hole in the outside pocket of my backpack where mice decided to snack on the crackers I left overnight in a shelter in the Shenandoahs. My sleeping pad has at least five holes in it and won’t stay inflated during the night. The sole of my boots want to come off. I lost my good sunglasses in the ocean (but that’s on me). The plastic bags used to gather water has holes in it. And finally, my water filter that saves me from bacteria and illness finally bit the dust the other day. Here’s how I should’ve gotten Giardia (an intestinal infection from drinking contaminated water).

I broke away from my tramily only a few days ago because I knew I would have to get off trail to go to my cousin’s wedding back in North Carolina. So I’ve been solo for a couple days until my dad picks me up from the trail and we drive down to North Carolina. The day before he was set to pick me up was when my water bag sprung a leak. I decided since I only had one more day to go until I reached a town, I’d use my clean water bottle to gather dirty water and just screw my Sawyer Squeeze filter on top of that. It worked that day and night, so I thought I was in the clear.

On the day my dad was set to pick me up, I had a choice: I could either walk 13 miles and get picked up at a random parking lot along a random state road, or I could walk more than 28 miles to get to an actual highway by an actual city. The most I have hiked in a day before was 25 miles, and I knew I’d have to make lots of stops along the way since I only had one water bottle to fill and carry. A hiker named Yahtzee gave me the idea to push for 28, a little more than a marathon. At first I thought he was crazy, but then it made more and more sense. I’d rather wake up early and walk all day than only walk to the 13-mile parking lot and wait around for the rest of the day in the heat.

So I did it. I couldn’t really sleep the night before. It was a mixture of excitement and nervousness for my marathon day ahead. But at 5:30 AM, I “woke up,” and hit the trail. I booked the first 10 miles in three hours, a really really good pace. I filled up at a water source, filtered it straight into my mouth, then filled it up again. I put the full bottle is in my side pocket and headed away from the stream. I heard a crash. The duct tape that was holding that side pocket together completely failed and set my bottle and the attached filter crashing on the rocks infamous rocks of Pennsylvania. My filter was shattered. I still had 18 miles to go in the hottest part of the day. I weighed my options. I could ask another hiker to use their filter, but with no clean water bottles to put them in to put it in, it was basically pointless. I’d be drinking unfiltered water for the rest of the day.

Just like the masochistic excitement of hiking nearly 30 miles in a day, I was interested to see how my body would handle unfiltered water. Worst case scenario, I get Giardia and I’m doubled over in a hotel room in the Outer Banks. Could be worse. At least I was going into town.

So I finished up my record miles in great time, downed about three or four liters of unadulterated spring and stream water, and reached US 61 by about 4:30 PM. The highway was unhitchable, with only a shoulder for hikers to walk on the 2 miles into town. To my surprise, someone pulled over behind me and told me to hop in. It turns out Doreen’s daughter is currently thru-hiking the PCT and told her mom to pick up any hitchhikers she sees. I was her first.

The rest of the day continued to be trail magical. I met up with Snapchat, my first friend on the trail, bought a new water filter at the largest Cabela’s in the country, and had the best burger and fries in days at Five Guys. All went as planned with my dad picking me up from Hamburg, and I went on to have a memorable mini vacation from funemployment. And best of all, I have no bowel problems to report. Yet.

Quick actual update: I wrote this a few days ago, so I’m happy to report that I’m almost out of PA! The state has been challenging and rough on my feet. Tomorrow I’ll cross into New Jersey, hit 1300 miles, and get my third pair of (kind of overdue) boots.

#appalachiantrail #appalachain trail #at2017 #thruhike #pennsylvania #rocksylvania

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fadingfartconnoisseur · 7 years

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Exploring the South Shore of Issyk Kul Lake

One of the many highlights of my second trip back to Kyrgyzstan was spending 3 days living the yurt life on the southern shores of Issyk Kul Lake. I had just come off a 3-day horse trek so I was pretty content to just chill out at camp, feast on delicious Kyrgyz food in the communal tent, and enjoy a little walk along the lake, but it wasn’t long before I was lured away to go sightseeing; it turns out there are some pretty cool half-day trips that take you through forests, valleys and canyons!! The following is my mini travel guide to Issyk Kul’s south shore with a bit of adventuring and a bit of chilling on the itinerary.

Stay at a lakeside yurt camp

One of my favourite things about visiting Issyk Kul’s south shore was staying at the Bel Tam Yurt Camp. Their yurts were set right on the lakeside, which meant that every night we would fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves.

When it’s windy out, Issyk Kul sounds a lot more like an ocean than a lake, so it was super soothing going to sleep at night. Add the fact that there was no electricity in the yurt, and I was out within minutes!

Another bonus is that the weather was a lot more temperate by the lake, so it wasn’t quite as cold at night as some of the other places we visited – one duvet during the summer months was more than enough.

However, the highlight at Bel Tam Yurt Camp was the communal feel. Every night at dinnertime, all the guests would gather in the main yurt where there were tables set up in a horseshoe formation.

Here, we would all dine together while swapping stories about where we had been in Kyrgyzstan and where we were going next. There was always an international crowd that ranged from backpackers in their late twenties to lifelong hikers in their seventies, so we would all hang out long after dinner.

You can find the Bel Tam Yurt Camp listed on AirBnB. If this is your first time making a booking on the website, you can use my $40 discount here.

Visit the Fairy Tale Canyon

One of the excursions we took from Bel Tam Yurt Camp, was a half-day visit to Skazka, also known as the Fairy Tale Canyon.

The canyon is home to a red sandstone landscape, where wind and water have carved bizarre sculptures and rock formations.

There is one area where it looks like a carpet has been rolled out over the Earth and you get these rich red, ochre, and brown strips of colour running across the hills. It’s a mystical landscape and it’s a fairly easy hike, where you decide how far and how high you want to climb.

Hike to the Seven Springs at Manjaly-Ata

On that same day, we visited Manjaly-Ata, a sacred site for Muslims that is home to a series of springs which are believed to cure illnesses. There is a path that winds through the valley taking you up, down, and around the hills, sometimes through lush stretches of greenery and other times through arid, cracked earth – the landscape changes so quickly!

Along the way, small trails break away from the main path, leading down to springs that are said to cure everything from poor eyesight to digestive issues, however, our guide explained that the most famed spring of them all is one for couples who can’t have children. At each of these springs, we found cups for pilgrims to drink from.

All that being said, this site is open to both pilgrims and visitors, so don’t let that keep you away. On our visit, we met a family of hikers and a group of scholars visiting religious sites across Central Asia, so it’s worth a visit even if you’re not planning to drink from any springs.

Learn how to build a yurt from the pros

This being my second trip to Kyrgyzstan and having stayed in plenty of yurts, it was time to see what goes into building one!

For this, we made our way to Kyzyl-Tuu, a small village that is renowned for its high-quality hand-crafted yurts. These yurts are created by one single family from start to finish, and they have such a high reputation in the business that they get orders from all over the world, with each yurt taking one full month to complete.

At the workshop, we learned about the whole yurt-building process, from steaming the wood to give it its bend, to the handmade felt patterns designed by the matriarch of the family.

We even got involved in the yurt decorating process towards the end, because it’s not just about functionality – your yurt’s got to look good as well! And in true Kyrgyz fashion, at the end of the workshop, we were invited to have tea with the family.

Go on an easy day trek

Having just completed a 3-day horse trek from Bokonbayevo, we weren’t looking to do anything too strenuous, so we signed up for the Shatyly day trek. We met up with our guide in town, drove out to the Bozsalkyn Jailoo, and picked up our horses from one of the yurt camps in the valley.

We were lucky enough to get the same guide we’d had on our previous horse trek, so we were glad to see him again, and even more thrilled when we discovered he had packed a picnic for this outing.

Once we were all saddled up, we trekked to the first lookout point where we had views of Issyk Kul Lake and Bokonbayevo, and then we came back down and trekked through the forest and up another mountain to a different lookout point where we spread out a picnic consisting of cherries, bread, juice, cookies and more. Even the horses got a snack with all the wildflowers in bloom.

Learn about the tradition of eagle hunting

Salbuurun is the word used to describe traditional Kyrgyz hunting culture, a practice that encompasses hunting on horseback with the use of golden eagles, taigans (a Kyrgyz hunting dog), and bows and arrows. This is a tradition that was nearly wiped out during the Soviet era, when nomadic practices were suppressed, but it’s slowly making a comeback as people are looking to reconnect with and celebrate their culture.

If you’re not travelling in Kyrgyzstan during the World Nomad Games or one of the smaller regional festivals, it can be tricky to see some of the nomadic traditions the country is known for, but this is where The Salbuurun Foundation comes in. While hunters would typically be looking for foxes and hares, the Salbuurun Foundation puts on demonstrations using furs and stuffed animals, so no live animals are hunted.

I know this will be a sensitive subject for many people, but hunting with golden eagles is a Central Asian tradition that dates back millennia, and the foundation tries to teach visitors about its culture and explain the bond between a hunter and his eagle (a hunter will typically only have 2 eagles in his lifetime, raising them from the time they’re a young chick and eventually releasing them back into the wild), so if this is something you’re interested in learning more about, you can attend one of their demonstrations.

Go in search of ancient petroglyphs

So this excursion kind of tanked when it started pouring buckets, so while there are lots of ancient petroglyphs you can hike to, we had to readjust our plans.

Rather than continuing on the grand petroglyph walk we had planned, we ended up at the Jaichy Yurt Camp, where you can see balbals, carved stone heads used to remember ancestors by.

The man who runs this yurt camp also happened to be an artist, so aside from the balbals in his backyard, he also showed us some of the modern petroglyphs he had created as well as some cool wood carvings and handmade furniture he’d designed himself.

It may not have been what we had in mind when we left camp for the day, but it turned out to be a really fun outing and at the end, he invited us in for tea and bread, as you do! Oh, and we learned that he organizes hikes to a glacier lake not far from his camp, so if you somehow end up there, it’s worth inquiring about that.

Chill out on the shores of Issyk Kul

And then, there was plenty of chilling on the shores of Issyk Kul Lake…quite literally! I think it was a bit too early in the summer season to go for a swim – Sam, who doesn’t mind the cold, only made it up to his knees! – so I was perfectly happy to just enjoy some quiet sunset walks along the shore. The yurt camp we were staying at also had kayaks available for guests, so that’s another option.

Additional information

If you’re planning to travel along Issyk Kul Lake’s south shore, you’re going to pass through the town of Bokonbayevo, which is the gateway to many of the tours and activities in this area. You can visit the CBT Bokonbaevo offices for suggestions of things to do or help arranging tours and drivers.

Alternatively, you can also message Destination South Shore on Facebook to get travel information and arrange activities. (I know it sounds a bit strange to organize things via Facebook, but this is pretty standard practice in Kyrgyzstan.)

Regarding accommodations, I stayed at the Bel Tam Yurt Camp just 15 minutes outside of Bokonbayevo, which I would highly recommend as it was an amazing spot with a great vibe, however, if you’d prefer a bit more comfort, there are hotels and guesthouses in the town.

There aren’t very many restaurants in Bokonbayevo, so for convenience sake, we often ate at our yurt camp. Most guesthouses also offer a meal service, so it’s just a matter of letting them know the day before. Alternatively, you can purchase snacks and fresh produce from the local market for some easy do it yourself meals.

Travel insurance should always be a must, but even more so when you’re going to be travelling so remotely and taking part in adventure and outdoor activities, so don’t leave home without it!

This trip was made possible in partnership with Discover Kyrgyzstan. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

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