Conversation With A Pine

"I haven't seen you in a year and you are still standing right where I left you. Honestly, I didn't expect you to go anywhere, but I'm happy to see you again.

"How was your summer? I bet it was hot up on this ridge line. You are so exposed here. The winds are so strong from the west but I see you have known that for years. That side of you is all beat up. Your branches are broken on that windward side and all of your needles are on the east side. Maybe that is your style though, but hey, you look good.

"It is quiet today. How do you pass the time up here?

"You know, some people like to say that bears are the symbol of the wilderness. Strong and resourceful. They are a good one, but I think trees are better. Trees are a real symbol of strength. How does that make you feel? Lets think about it. When the weather gets bad a bear can den up, but you have to stay here. You are stuck here, wind, fire, or drought. You have to endure. Whatever nature brings you have to take. Trees are the wilderness symbol of stoic resolve. Don't you think?"

The wind blew hard and the pine swayed. The air rushing through the needles whispered something soft and faint and the tree waved. And then, silence.

"Yeah, I thought so."

-MG


*I wrote this in my pocket book the other day and thought it was a but amusing.

Frozen Ravioli

It was just a matter of getting over the texture. The cheese that was mixed in the red gravy had frozen and made it gritty. That was acceptable though, considering the beef inside the pasta pockets was frozen.  It was like beef ice cubes in an overly thick, frozen, bloddy mary. They only half promised a view at the ranger station and especially did not promise accommodations.

I was at 8,300' on the ridge line to Guadalupe Peak. My entertainment for this too solid dinner was the lifting storm in the high country of this little range.  It was a great show of the "sea of clouds" and slowly, emerging from the void were the distant ridge lines of the other scattered peaks. You could have given me a private jet back to New Orleans and a fully paid dinner at Emrils and I would have turned it down. My view was better.

My dirtbag attitude towards vacation can come off a bit bizarre to traditionalists. These days, people love to spend money on vacation. How can you blame them? You work all year for your two weeks off. Why not indulge? Order the finest liquor and cocktails, room service, that suite in the hotel, and don't skimp out on the entertainment. It's a good bit different from the way I approach vacation but if that's what people want, then let them have it. What we all value as a rewarding experience differs and I am not here to argue about how to achieve a satisfied life. However you want to spend your vacation go for it, climb your mountain.

I really don't believe that everyone could enjoy my dining experience, I bet some of you out there are saying "bless your heart". But I don't want you to do the same and I really don't expect everyone to find fulfillment in that kind of experience. I want to see more people happy about the person they are and where they are in life, regardless if it is eating sub par frozen pasta dishes on a mountain side. 

-MG


*For full sizes of the panoramas:

http://imgur.com/Fdx2eeO

http://imgur.com/GJ2pc8d

I Went Hiking With My Cell Phone

At Delphi, the historical residence of the oracle of Apollo, there is an inscription: "Moderation in all things." With that in mind, I went hiking today with my cell phone and it wasn't that bad.

The trail was icy from the past week of snow and ice storms. Snow patches were rarely deeper then a foot and it was nice to see the white stuff again. Yesterday's storm was still lingering in the high peaks. An alchemy of cloud, light, and stone.  I was using my phone as my camera and still had a signal. I cant do it often, so I shared the moments with friends as I saved them for myself.  I even made a few jokes, about the frost being "Hoar"ifing, and the worst:

The short hike ended in a small slot up Pine Canyon called Devils Hall. Taking a picture of the geology I noticed my signal was gone. Briefly, I regretted not being able to share it, but instead I stopped to hear the silence. A gust of wind rushed through the narrow passage and then it was still again. I was alone. There was no one else in the park and I felt it. It was a good feeling to have again. Shared experience means something but there is beauty in isolation.  I brewed a cup of tea.

 

I back tracked to the trailhead and to camp. Eventually my signal returned and, again, on my photo breaks I shared my fun, in snapchats, instagram posts and facebook. 

It was a tasteful use, a "moderation" of the technology. I wasn't stumbling over rocks sending text messages while eagles soared above, and alpen glow danced on the mountain peaks. I was not aloof to my surroundings. I pretended to be the water in the dry canyon wash, rushing ever downward. I stopped for a while to watch a robin in the brush.

Rarely, do I have a signal that far in the backcountry. I was able to have my wilderness experience and to also share it for once. I enjoy the use of technology in the outdoors*, but I'm also an outdoorsman. At base, I value the experience of the natural world over the digital world. Technology augments reality, it does not make it.

You just gotta get yer head up every once in a while.

-MG





*This entire post has been done in the field. My cell phone has acted as a router connected to the computer and all of my electronics are being charged via a Goal Zero solar setup.

Life On The Edge

It was 78 degrees today.

New Orleans, you are my home and I love you, but you have a bunk winter and I need to get out.

Winter can not be experienced in this city. I'll buy into the New Orleans conventional wisdom that humidity makes it feel colder, sure. I have spent Mardi Gras week freezing on St. Charles, camped out, waiting. I've had my old shotgun house with no insulation and a broke heater, but the winter here is still bunk. Rarely can you feel the crisp bite to the air as you breathe. The tingle on your cheeks and ears. And the wind. The wind. The sharpness of it's edge as it cuts through any break in your layers. The cold nor the wind, though, say winter more than snow, and NOLA is in a lack of this standard. We get a fine sleet and people call it snow. I need more y'all, ya herd?

Its starting to dump out west brah'! The pow is coming. I'm coming.

Two years ago I started this writing project. It was in anticipation of an extended road trip out west in the summer of 2013. That trip met limited success. Now, I'm headed back for a second take. This time during my favorite season: winter.

Real winter and winter in New Orleans are not the same. NOLA might get enough days below freezing to count on one hand. In true winter the cold becomes omnipresent and inescapable. The accumulating snow creates barriers impeding progress. Everything requires extra time, care, and attention. Little problems quickly become big problems.Lips crack, hands dry out, extremities become numb and you can never find enough warmth.

The endurance of these winter hardships is rewarded in beauty and lessons in virtue. A frozen alpine lake. Pines weighted in snow. The first light of the morning sun behind floating ice crystals in the air. The small prints of a hare. The cold enforces fortitude and self control. There is glory and insight in winter for those willing to pay the price. It's like a hero of mine, Jim Whittater, said, "if you are not living life on the edge, you are taking up too much space."

I'll see y'all dere'. The adventure begins January 5th.

-MG

Maybe I Should Have Bought A Van

In recent posts I dropped a few hints that I am planning a big trip. I have been working through the logistics and finances of spending a few months on the road. The plan is to follow the spine of the Rockies through New Mexico and up to the central ski areas of Colorado. After I have sufficiently froze myself, I am planing to head west to Utah for canyon country. The time frame for this trip is open. I am not expecting to return to the Gulf Coast until March at the earliest. I will be departing on Monday January 5th.

Endeavor, my Jeep, has proved to be a great ally in my adventures. Over the past year I gained some experience in living out of the Jeep. In the process, I figured out, and fixed, many of the problems with the cramped quarters. In time I have learned to be a high class dirtbag.

The Cockpit:

My passenger seat acts as my kitchen:

The rear passenger seat folds down to accommodate my bed. The cargo space behind the rear driver works as my closet and gear shed.

 Rear driver side serves as my library and office, complete with solar power:

Oh, and my bathroom...








Catch me on the road guys!

-MG

Saturday Night Movie: Rock Of Refuge

Over the years I have watched more than my fair share of outdoor videos. The short ones and the long ones. The ones that are epics of storytelling and the ones that are someones vacation footage. You can find some truly interesting insights into the lives of people. Sometimes you learn something subtly or by inference alone. In the case of tonight's feature the lesson is a bit explicit.

Of all the videos I have seen none have frightened me as much as this one. The personal GoPro footage is difficult to watch if you can read the signs that they miss. Give it a watch, but you might want to skip the first three min of time lapse though, the music blows.



Zion: Rock of Refuge from Eric Hanson on Vimeo.

-MG

She Fell For the Lumbersexual

I got to the bar a quarter of an hour after our predetermined time. She was sitting on the far end of the bar in a cute red and black dress. Her dark hair had been straightened and the dress artfully exhibited her tasteful tattoos.

My approach was noticed and I was welcomed with open arms and a hug. We had met once before in a brief exchange, but this friendly reintroduction was nice. As we took our place at the bar we ordered drinks and started a conversation.

"So you are also from New Orleans?" I asked.

She proudly answered, "Sure am, Cabrini, class of 2009!" She took a shot of chilled Jameson and added, "But what are you doing here?"

"Oh, that question...", I murmured. "It's temporary right now." I assured while leaning back, stretching my arms and placing my hands behind my head. "I'm just waiting for my time to be back in the mountains! I have a big winter trip planned and I'm hoping to guide again for rafting season."I continued as to not have a lull in the conversation.

She looked genuinely interested, "That's so awesome that you are living the life you want. Camping is really cool, I wish I could go more often but no one wants to take me." Her eyes became glassy and focused on a point not in this room. She was dreaming, "I would love to do Machu Picchu one day or see Grand Canyon. Nature is so beautiful sometimes!"

I wanted to keep on that topic, but before I could add something a gentleman approached. The same greeting I received was also given to him. He had a well manicured beard, a beanie cap, and was wearing a nice classic flannel. His pants were heavy canvas and a warm beige color. He looked like my buddies out in Colorado, or me if I ever trimmed my beard and had clean clothes. I entertained a short conversation with him. He was from Los Angeles and working here in New Orleans as a manager for a Starbucks.

I looked at him and was puzzled about his choice of clothes and stated occupation. I asked "So do you do any outdoor recreation?"

He looked at me with the same puzzled look.

He finally responded, "Not really, I went camping once out in Big Sur, and that was awesome, and I used to hike around the Hollywood sign."

I cut him off, "Bourbon." I said to the bartender. "Turkey, 101"

We all took shots, or I should say I took a shot and they sipped. My fleece smelled of campfire from the other night's backyard fire and it complimented the whiskey well.

My two companions were now in a simple conversation. They were talking about new movies and music; all things I've never heard or seen before. Then they began to share videos on their phones, and show off pictures from their trips to Seattle, New York City and Miami.

I removed the battery from my phone, and found a way in the two sided conversation, "It really pisses me off to have people show photos on their phone. I mean, seriously, you are undermining yourself." My voice grew louder and I threw my hands towards the ceiling, "If this is a treasured memory, why trivialize it on a 3.5inch screen? Hell, I would feel my efforts wasted if the only way I could communicate my last backpacking trip was through my phone. I value the experience for what I learned about the world and myself. I can never convey that in a picture on a cell phone."

"Well, you know they make tablets!", he quickly joked. The two laughed. 

I was defeated. Their minds were in the pop, technophilic, culture of distractions and fallacies. They went back to talking and their phones. Shortly after I grabbed my fleece, it was covered with ember burns from countless nights by a fire, and said good evening to my new acquaintances. There were better things to entertain. I needed to find out how to take a shit in sub zero temperatures.

-MG