tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25731811555361568402024-03-05T15:34:12.273-07:00Amid the Thorns Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-20462082928190422922016-09-12T21:27:00.002-06:002016-09-12T21:35:20.694-06:00BBRSP- Belated reflections from a multi day ride down along the US/Mexico border. Circa Oct. '15<div style="text-align: center;">
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Pit stop in Valentine, TX on a particularly slow drive to Terlingua to meet up with a friend.<br />
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The rear wall of the famed 'Prada' store installation outside Marfa, TX. The front is overrated in its scope and accessibility, bordering on cliche. The back? A beautiful blank canvas. </td></tr>
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Some cheap American branded/Asia manufactured steel 29+ rigs stacked with a healthy stock of water and food for 5 days of riding. No real ambitions for this ride, other than to cross the park, hang out at the Sauceda station in the interior, eat some ice-cream and pound some cokes, then loop back east to Lajitas. I'm a Chihuahuan desert rat, residing in southern NM, but I instantly felt both familiar and at odds with the scenery as we rolled out.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Remnant water flow from some recent rains, despite the warnings from Desert Sports in Terlingua, of near zero availability within the park</span></td></tr>
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Foreboding succulents...</div>
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Crystal Trail</td></tr>
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Intersect signage along the very shreddable Contrabando Loop. </div>
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Abandoned candelilla wax bunkhouse. </div>
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Filtered autumn light. </div>
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So much Stans sealant was shed on this ride. I was bordering on the brink of an anxiety attack wondering if my tires were going to stay inflated and seated for the duration of the trip. Every hiss and pop from an acacia thorn breaking off into the sidewall, or barrel cactus barb disappearing into the tread was stress inducing. Even with a robust repair kit, I was low on sealant with my tubeless setup, which left me nursing a slow leak all the way to Sauceda on the second day. </div>
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Rincon camp with the Flatirons as a backdrop. </div>
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Scouting Fresno Canyon water availability, which was abundant. </div>
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Sawyer squeeze did the trick for two. Chemical treatment as a back up. </div>
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There was of course, some hike a bike, and route finding. </div>
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I managed to pack spare DEAD batteries for this trip, so the remainder of the ride was captured infrequently on an iPhone, and of much poorer quality. </div>
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I fully intend to return to the park on the bike and explore the vast stretch of Chihuahuan desert that is Big Bend Ranch State Park. </div>
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Much credit to Logan of Bikepacking.com for inspiring us to make the drive down south for this ride. We rode a variation of the route in the link below, with some added side trips, but generally stuck to this itinerary: </div>
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<a href="http://www.bikepacking.com/routes/bikepacking-big-bend-side-nowhere/">http://www.bikepacking.com/routes/bikepacking-big-bend-side-nowhere/</a></div>
Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-57163657377380587352014-01-24T20:45:00.002-07:002014-01-24T20:51:04.840-07:00HWY 180 NM <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?'"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Aldo Leopold </span></div>
Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-65148487756504418992013-05-04T17:05:00.002-06:002014-01-24T20:29:23.919-07:00Golden Hour. More often than not it pays to drag feet out the door at the ass crack of dawn. With June heat only weeks away, the hours between 5-8 are going to become my dear friend. I can't complain.<br />
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Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-13175725427371650272013-03-29T02:39:00.001-06:002013-03-29T02:39:01.709-06:00My People. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My People bring me Joy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-CEturLKwUrTlLZKlaJazLMsZ8v8N1OUzQI5eefGt27UsAzBf6oo5F9qMWUBbQ81dStfto1_gZUgUzDpEPPSpWwyYnhR_e9pSM6tT0cFbcgJrB_uawxXNLBxISbalxVBaiK5E3Qxvbji/s1600/DSCF2463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-CEturLKwUrTlLZKlaJazLMsZ8v8N1OUzQI5eefGt27UsAzBf6oo5F9qMWUBbQ81dStfto1_gZUgUzDpEPPSpWwyYnhR_e9pSM6tT0cFbcgJrB_uawxXNLBxISbalxVBaiK5E3Qxvbji/s640/DSCF2463.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwvCBtES4DMZcNE8lP_0Na3sh99R-HvlolpKO8m5IIl0q6ZitOm9wWXziCcJXIjFUiehQwToXKgvZjNtVQgM16te8YH6FtAJ8QI9S5JDLA53vu370hQ1B2IMmavmFZ_Bcvsn296i6rTu4/s1600/DSCF2503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwvCBtES4DMZcNE8lP_0Na3sh99R-HvlolpKO8m5IIl0q6ZitOm9wWXziCcJXIjFUiehQwToXKgvZjNtVQgM16te8YH6FtAJ8QI9S5JDLA53vu370hQ1B2IMmavmFZ_Bcvsn296i6rTu4/s640/DSCF2503.jpg" width="640" /></a>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-57910053877567188312013-03-24T21:38:00.002-06:002013-03-25T23:54:59.547-06:002013 Sierra Vista Trail Runs- Saturday, April 20th. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm excited to be putting on the Sierra Vista Trail runs for a second year. Last year my good friend <a href="http://adifferentkindofparadise.wordpress.com/"target="_blank">Dan Carter</a>
and I were able, thanks to the support and volunteered efforts of many great individuals, put on a grassroots local trail running event. We're hoping to build up on last year's race and improve some areas thanks to the feedback of runners last February. </div>
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Put this event on your calendar for Saturday, April 20th. </div>
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Registration via: <a href="http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=19477" target="_blank">http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=19477</a></div>
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or visit or website: <a href="http://sierravistatrailrun.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://sierravistatrailrun.wordpress.com/</a></div>
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<br />Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-86807164517327174562013-03-24T16:48:00.000-06:002013-03-25T23:41:33.913-06:00Rubbish. <div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Access to public desert land for recreational use is always a double edged sword, in that it positively provides a backdrop for dynamic and exuberant self adventure and discovery, but also draws in every manner of neglectful behavior imaginable. For some the desert is to spoil, for others to cherish. I'm preaching to the choir here and guilty of neglect of the highest degree. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I recall a few evenings in my youth spent around a gasoline doused couch off in the desert doing my best to make a straight face as I threw back cheap domestic beer in my formative years. Foolish! Or that time when we stacked shipping pallets high enough to require a commercial building permit, only to burn it all down to smoldering ash in a drunken angst filled stupor. For some the desert is a wasteland, no more than a rock and sand strewn rubbish heap devoid of life. For others it is a rich and diverse living organism crying out to it's stewards. "Help!" </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I regret the wasteful and apathetic decisions of my youth. Where was my respect for wilderness? My respect for natural life and precious resources? It's never too late to make a change. For years now I have called the Chihuahuan desert that surrounds my community home. This place was once a burden and inconvenience. A means to an end. Harsh. Unforgiving. Biting. Relentless. I loathed the heat and the lack of comfort. Your well will run dry quickly if you hope for such things here. It is a place that you must embrace on it's own terms. It will not bend or waver in our presence. Once you accept those terms- that the sun will not stop pouring down buckets, or that the heat will not waiver, or that the ground will not serve up grace- you will find that it is a truly liberating place of beauty unlike that of any other. I am fortunate to be an inhabitant of the desert. I wish I understood this when I was young. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">A few weeks ago I was wrapping up a short solo ride before work. This was a memorable ride not due to anything on my part, but on account of the low lying cloud layer that engulfed the Mesilla Valley in a veil of condensed moisture. Fog in the desert you ask? Yes. It is an ephemeral miracle, that exits as swiftly as it arrives. The conditions have to be just right in the valley. I've become familiar with these conditions and know the atmospheric ingredients necessary for fog to form in the valley. The previous evening I laid out my items, grabbed my camera, and had my bike ready to go for what I knew would be an exceptional morning ride. It was beautiful. I clenched my cold hands as the cold morning air sliced through my gloves. Tears formed quickly at the sides of my eyes as I gained speed along the faster sections of singletrack. I was thankful.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOq4uZnwiSW1eQ-wdn3YyzuoS5SEUlfAz5d012AonHPKlJxUd6Jsfh_4r2mbJJp0bsGObHGvy4gzRL6fLGOwvw7d0l8dIk8ZBF2COsu2jj3V3kMeojbmJInKI8falDrrNd0g8MVuqMI6P2/s1600/DSCF2091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOq4uZnwiSW1eQ-wdn3YyzuoS5SEUlfAz5d012AonHPKlJxUd6Jsfh_4r2mbJJp0bsGObHGvy4gzRL6fLGOwvw7d0l8dIk8ZBF2COsu2jj3V3kMeojbmJInKI8falDrrNd0g8MVuqMI6P2/s640/DSCF2091.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love riding solo, particularly on mornings such as this one. Where I don't have to wait up for anyone, or have anyone wait on me. There is no air of competition, no room for arrogance, bravado, or self performance. Just me moving along the trail absorbed in that moment. My eyes catch things that I don't typically see when in a group of riders. For whatever reason on this morning I couldn't help but notice the considerable amount of trash at the trailhead.</div>
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<i>Gum.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlNzLRjEIjFkxxxujy8D_Bwmu8F0JdLzLNR5c5FtCrAB8v9qHKfk60r8Md8S-CDaA8_MWkkXUuzb5CAoZKnaIgQTDtc1889FQxioWBU_1UDad3FAAdi5HXZRXU9WGcThqFAqQwSeqgVrh/s1600/Cope..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlNzLRjEIjFkxxxujy8D_Bwmu8F0JdLzLNR5c5FtCrAB8v9qHKfk60r8Md8S-CDaA8_MWkkXUuzb5CAoZKnaIgQTDtc1889FQxioWBU_1UDad3FAAdi5HXZRXU9WGcThqFAqQwSeqgVrh/s640/Cope..jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<i>'Cope'.</i><br />
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<i>Fag.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5v0Uvm1OT00-vjE8hfkPD_gUchOCp7mlje3fxVVMAAoqY9MRpu2d3ihEzibrH5FkPNnR3aVyjA_ZHOGjQ70RlZyd3kHG-NourKJaErP_HPnYPeM9WSBNEY5h8E161whBp3CduRfDRC-5E/s1600/Tag..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5v0Uvm1OT00-vjE8hfkPD_gUchOCp7mlje3fxVVMAAoqY9MRpu2d3ihEzibrH5FkPNnR3aVyjA_ZHOGjQ70RlZyd3kHG-NourKJaErP_HPnYPeM9WSBNEY5h8E161whBp3CduRfDRC-5E/s640/Tag..jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<i>Tag.</i></div>
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<i>Peel.</i></div>
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Cigarettes. Glass. Spent prophylactics. Rotten produce. Cellophane. Metal. Rubber. Polyethylene.<br />
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These are items found within a radius of 50ft. of my vehicle. This is but a small example of the detritus that we encounter before we even access our land. Who shits on the steps of their backdoor? Apparently we do.
I'm making a point this year to be a better steward of the wonderful public land that I have access to. What this will look like is beyond me. It might mean forfeiting a ride or run to clean up a trailhead, or pack out used shotgun shells mid ride if I stumble upon any. I don't know yet. With the 2nd Annual Sierra Vista Trail Race coming up next month and directing duties in full swing, the subject of land stewardship is at the forefront of my mind.
Spring brings with it new life and change. As the weather warms and we get out more, let's all strive to travel lightly on our land this year.</div>
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Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-28240624775551790762012-01-29T01:44:00.000-07:002012-01-29T01:44:48.527-07:00Achenbach/ Soledad Canyon Loop- 01/28/12I understand running fast, extending yourself beyond the 'shuffle', setting PR's, building speed, maintaining exercise and sustaining health and vitality, but what I don't understand is why you would want to achieve all of this by pounding the only body you're going to get in this lifetime running endless miles on pavement? Surely we weren't purposed for this as humans, not for any extended duration. I perceive the road as a last resort in regard to my running, it is hardly an option these days. If I'm in the throws of a running binge then maybe I'll hesitantly lace up the kicks, build a playlist to distract myself, and run a few miles on asphalt. Am I a fool to neglect the benefits of running road, particularly speed development as a runner? Yes, perhaps, but I sure as hell don't give a damn these days when my ability to run uphill is all that concerns me as of late. Vegetation on the couch often sounds more appealing to me than lacing up my shoes and running road. My brain and muscular system are in constant communication, they both concur that running is desirable; naturally this makes sense as a runner. So why does running road somehow shut off that communicative synapse between my brain and body? The only thing that I can think of is the absence of beauty and infinite possibility that is inherent with running in a manmade environment. When constrained to the infrastructure of modern city roads we engage in an activity under a certain set of parameters and rules, many of which we have utterly no control over. The concrete landscape dictates much of the act of running. Stop sign? Stop. Car? Watch out. Cyclist? Step aside. Red light? Look both ways. Dog? Run faster. Exhaust? Hold your breath. Of course there is the track workout. But who really wants to go run a 400m session after work? Not me, sounds too much like work.
Today was one of those evenings where I was reminded why running trails is such a wholly satisfying activity. Before heading out to Achenbach Canyon I threw a few gels into my waist pack, checked the batteries in my headlamp, filled up a bottle, laced my shoes, and grabbed my dinky point and shoot in the event I wedged my leg in between a rock and felt like recording my suffering in the vein of Aaron Ralston. Double checking my headlamp I dropped down onto the trail with only the slightest apprehension as I looked back at a sun sulking below a darkening horizon. Sandstone and granite glowed a fiery red and orange as I ascended up the jagged single track trail winding its' way up towards the saddle. I stopped momentarily to absorb the view at the bottom of trail that ascends up to an unknown peak that I've been frequenting the last few weeks. A few hearty birds darted across the sky; a cricket chirped as if it were spring; a stirring wind calmed as the warmth of a late January day vanished with the Sun. There wasn't a road on the face of this planet that could rival the joy I felt just being out for an evening run along one of my favorite sections of trail.
See, these are not sentiments that I carry for the countless roads that surround my neighborhood. If I'm going to sweat it out and put miles under my feet then I'm going to do it in a setting that inspires, challenges, shapes, and engages me fully. For whatever reason I was reminded of this today on my run and felt like sharing this here. This is no revelation for me, and perhaps for you either, 'we' all know it's better when you get out and get dirty.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3P5mILLjVaup5AteFebghIURxNsy9KqqYQtHBug5E36PTDVyXG8lRf0cVSx2f8Ke2CRKeHrRht1SoYRYC4v8jbGIGL_KvbgP3eMAJBb6gL0UNa39acMx-o_mdNjGWGlRI8qbkzd8iGnHc/s1600/IMG_3209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3P5mILLjVaup5AteFebghIURxNsy9KqqYQtHBug5E36PTDVyXG8lRf0cVSx2f8Ke2CRKeHrRht1SoYRYC4v8jbGIGL_KvbgP3eMAJBb6gL0UNa39acMx-o_mdNjGWGlRI8qbkzd8iGnHc/s400/IMG_3209.jpg" /></a></div>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-55168075540653151862011-12-30T20:05:00.000-07:002011-12-30T20:08:49.028-07:00Modoc Mine/ Needles route - Short and SweetMy brother in law has been in town for the Holiday's with his family. Typically he is the bum I call up when I'm itching to get out for a few bag nights in the Gila Wilderness or the Pecos. Unfortunately for him he's stuck in Missouri which is pretty piss poor country if you're into backpacking, so needless to say he's been hungry for some miles on dry and crusty desert trail. Originally we were going to do an overnight but the wives weren't having that with all the family festivities in store for every waking hour, so we turned our overnight into a day hike up in the Organ Mountains to our east.
I had to hold down the fort at home with the kiddos while my wife recovered from some nagging illness in the morning so didn't get the jump on the trail with the guys. They shot me a text letting me know that they were heading out from the trailhead. I finally made it to the Modoc Mine trailhead over an hour later but planned on running the approach route before the saddle and figured I could catch up with them in short order. Packed 60oz. of water in my Ultimate Direction Wasp, Petzl Tikka xp2, Houdini, arm sleeves, some gels and a Lara Bar and got after it. Warmed up quickly and was glad I only wore short sleeves and my thinner soft shell pants. The climbing was difficult but incredibly enjoyable with the snow lacing much of the trail, plus I hadn't been getting in much running miles the last two weeks. I spotted them heading up to the first saddle a good 800ft. or so above me and I kick stepped up the crusty snow, which made traversing the craggy slope quite easy in comparison to normal dry conditions when cactus and rock dominate footing.
I lost them at some point but was familiar with the route having done the full "Needles" climb two years ago. I converged with them about 1 hour after I left the trailhead and we enjoyed a long sit in the sun about 500' below the second saddle. After a Larabar and some water I threw on my gaiters and windshell and started up the shaded portion of the approach that hugs a long north facing rock face, snow was deep and the footing was spotty in a few sections. Temperatures were only in the low 30's along this short section and the guys weren't up for climbing up to the saddle considering the route was completely blown over and iced and we weren't intending to do anything technical on this occasion. Really they were just looking for an excuse to get to the brewery quicker.
I turned around and ran back down the Modoc Mine trail and scrambled on some erratic boulders in the sun to warm up a bit near the trailhead while I waited for the guys. It was a tremendous pleasure to see the face of my brother in law as he soaked in the beauty of a southern NM afternoon in December. I don't typically do day hikes, usually opt for long trail runs to get in my miles and condition the body, but taking things a bit slower on this day was enjoyable, stopping to relish in the warmth of the sun on a cool December afternoon with my bro in law is pretty hard to beat.
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<a href="http://wenthiking.com/system/images/4913/original/IMG_3085.jpg?1325299592"><img src='http://wenthiking.com/system/images/4913/bpl/IMG_3085.jpg?1325299592' /></a>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-65194849433592642092011-11-01T20:15:00.000-06:002011-11-01T20:15:05.165-06:00Deadman Peaks 50 Ultramarathon (Round 2!)- Continental Divide TrailOn Oct. 22 I toed the line in the early hours of the morning with 46 other runners for the 2nd annual Deadman Peaks 50 (54 actual) mile ultramarathon on the Continental Divide Trail outside Cuba,NM. At 6am, with my toes pointed south towards Cabezon Peak far off into the distance, under a biting cold and star filled sky, I did everything I could to not think about the long day ahead. A siren and the voice of the race director and spectators cheering us on signaled the start to our journey and I quickly settled into a smooth rhythm up in the front end of the pack early in the race, a somewhat costly mistake that would later haunt me for almost 30 miles. I don't care much to give a play by play of the day's events as I've already flushed those out, my day mostly involved ingesting calories, running, consuming Endurolyte tablets in a vain attempt to revive my cramping and seizing leg muscles throughout the day, more running, scrambling, smiling, sweating, running, power hiking, and running.
Ultramarathons kick your ass, especially once you break past the 50K distance. 50 milers are going to be the death of me, ok, maybe not the death, but my mind is now increasingly consumed with "figuring" out this distance in particular. Through trial and error, suffering and jubilation, I believe I'll one day run a 50 mile race where everything comes together like clockwork for me, until then it's continued training and learning through experience as I grow as a newbie ultra runner. This year my fitness was superior to last year, but I was lacking the specificity in my lead up training that would have produced a faster finish time come race day. I have no regrets, nor am I disappointed in any way about my finish this year. I finished 50 miler #2 and was back at work on Monday, I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend than falling face down into a sleeping pad along the Continental Divide Trail after running 54 miles.
Last year I documented periods of the race, this year my game plan was to focus on running so no onboard camera. Here are a few photographs that were taken of the race and a few of me along sections of the course, courtesy of Jeff Edgar the roaming course photographer. The Continental Divide Trail section that skirts the small town of Cuba, NM is an amazing place of beauty, raw and wild. I will be back again next Oct. hopefully a different person and ready for the distance. Running along these ancient mesas and sweeping vistas of sand and sun, I cannot help but recognize how much I am only a visitor on this beautiful Earth and that I must tread lightly.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39696602@N06/6292682029/" title="DP2011 021 by jim_bjim_b, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6225/6292682029_6c97b4e64f_b.jpg" width="1024" height="678" alt="DP2011 021"></a>
<i>Headlamp racestarts are badass.</i>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39696602@N06/6293218726/" title="DP2011 028 by jim_bjim_b, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6098/6293218726_142f9e33f5_b.jpg" width="1024" height="678" alt="DP2011 028"></a>
<i>6am and all the runners are moving.</i>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39696602@N06/6292725489/" title="DP2011 041 by jim_bjim_b, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6059/6292725489_cbff47c3c0_b.jpg" width="678" height="1024" alt="DP2011 041"></a>
<i>Running down from Mesa Portales into the Mile 9 Aid Station.... feeling very fresh and running smoothly at this point, it would not last.</i>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39696602@N06/6295895218/" title="DP2011 337 by jim_bjim_b, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6217/6295895218_fe1e994022_b.jpg" width="1024" height="678" alt="DP2011 337"></a>
<i>Still managing to crack a smile around mile 32 despite suffering from a lengthy bout of cramps from hell.</i>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39696602@N06/6297852018/" title="DP2011 698 by jim_bjim_b, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6233/6297852018_278d967070_b.jpg" width="1024" height="678" alt="DP2011 698"></a>
<i>Running in the last few feet before crossing the finish line a second time. Jim Breyfogle the race director greets me warmly.</i>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-4054594548025151242011-08-13T12:20:00.001-06:002013-03-24T21:19:45.088-06:00Pitching the Mountain Laurel Designs TrailstarI recently took my kids out for a short overnight backpack in the Sacramento Mountains. It was a pleasant night, spent reading books by headlamp, slapping daddy long leg spiders off of us, eating candy, laughing, and enjoying each others company under a cool night high above the warm desert valley below.
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Teaching my kids simple basics of backpacking is rewarding, it's interactive, fun, and they develop a sense of purpose in our outings, instead of me just dragging them along on daddy's adventures. The Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar is arguably the most simple shaped tarp available, so easy my two and three year old children can figure it out, it offers sufficient room for a nasty bivy under wind and rain storms, accommodates 2 adults + gear, and easily could sleep 2 adults and 2 small children (toddlers) if you're careful. The variety of pitches whether setup as a mid type shelter or a sprawling sun canopy is atypical of most catenary shaped tarps, which tend to be "one trick ponies".
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It's amazing how pleasantly simple it is to get a taut pitch with the Trailstar, it borderlines intuition. When I'm out in the mountains, tired after a 25 mile day of hiking, the last thing I want to do is dick around with poles, grommets, rain flys, and floors, the Trailstar is made for individuals like myself. I don't have an exact method i refer to when pitching the Trailstar, it seems every time I pull the tarp out of my pack I set it up with slight deviation in process than the previous outing, nonetheless the shelter is always pitched perfectly with no fuss in a matter of a minute or two. The real test of a mountain worthy shelter, in my opinion, is whether it can be deployed under adverse conditions in an expedited manner, factoring in physical and mental fatigue, the Trailstar has proven in my experience, to be such a worthy shelter.
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This has been my greatest shelter investment, and has replaced all my previous shelters, with the exception of my miniscule MLD Monk. At around 19oz. or so with guylines, the Trailstar isn't the lightest piece of silnylon available, but it might arguably be the slickest piece of UL real estate out there , so slick in fact rain slips off of it with ease and wind can't uproot it.
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Trying to describe to people how to pitch the Trailstar is an exhausting compound exercise of the brain, showing someone how to do it is far easier than juggling words. Below is a video of my kids getting a run down on how to pitch a Trailstar. Enjoy.
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/27652454">Pitching the Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4986833">Eugene Smith</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Shot w/:<br />
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Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-80019873237491643232011-06-11T13:47:00.000-06:002013-03-24T16:58:32.833-06:00Mistaken For StrangersFinal edit of a small videography/photography piece I threw together for an upcoming Backpackinglight.com article. Best viewed cranked up loud, fullscreen. Enjoy.
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/24959020" width="900" height="506" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/24959020">Mistaken For Strangers</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4986833">Eugene Smith</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<br />Here is the link to my Vimeo page, where you can view it larger if you like.<br /><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/24959020 ">http://vimeo.com/24959020 </a>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-5196595965216618242011-05-14T23:20:00.000-06:002011-05-15T15:30:58.084-06:00Planting SeedsWoke atypically early for a Saturday morning, poured us some Cheerios for breakfast, loaded up the Cruiser with Joel's 'Howdah' and some water, and headed for Achenbach Canyon with the intention of enjoying the company of my son on a hike. A dysfunctional ATM machine failed to produce the $5 cash mandatory for the ridiculous parking fee at Dripping Springs Recreation Area, so the steep and rocky ascent up Achenbach Canyon would become the morning's PLAN B. The highlight of my week has shifted as of late, from the solo requisite long trailrun in the cool hours of the morning, to now accompanying my son on local hikes one day of the week. By the time Joel is my age, his generation will be completely detached and unfamiliar with the natural world they inhabit, traded down for a 'whitewashed' childhood existence experienced through every synthetic medium possible. The ultimate goal of our little hikes is to establish a foundation and simply have fun outside, but I firmly believe that planting the seeds of wild places in Joel early on will benefit him in his life later down the road. <br /><br />I can make a killer bowl of cereal. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5719845557/" title="DSC_0221 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/5719845557_1bab322d61.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="DSC_0221"></a><br /><br />Cheerios...of course. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5720403662/" title="DSC_0210 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3485/5720403662_956441c077.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="DSC_0210"></a><br /><br />The pestilent spring winds have somehow managed to extend their stay, and on this particular morning the winds were pouring down off of the Organs Mountains at force from the East, which is fairly abnormal. 102 consecutive day's of no precipitation, wild fires throughout the state, and blowing sand is getting old, but Joel didn't seem to mind on this particular morning. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5720404206/" title="DSC_0225 - Version 3 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3556/5720404206_34e13101f8_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="DSC_0225 - Version 3"></a><br /><br />Pulling sherpa duty. Carrying a 27lb. boy, a 7lb. child carrier, 2L of water, a juice bottle, snacks, and a newly acquired NikonD7000 made for a healthy workout on the climb up Achenbach- a far cry away from trail running with a handheld bottle, gels, and a dinky point and shoot. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5720404528/" title="DSC_0229 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2032/5720404528_7d4f6dd0c1.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC_0229 - Version 2"></a><br /><br />The drought is immediately obvious in the vegetations, paired with the abnormal cold spell we had in February that just about decimated the non-native species plants in the region. Somehow beauty is always found both in death and in life. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5720405042/" title="DSC_0254 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/5720405042_4431ec3c16.jpg" width="500" height="331" alt="DSC_0254"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5724051924/" title="DSC_0249 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2489/5724051924_189ca80b7d_z.jpg" width="640" height="424" alt="DSC_0249"></a><br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=20294f3178&photo_id=5719844757&hd_default=false"></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"></param> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=20294f3178&photo_id=5719844757&hd_default=false" height="360" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br />About 1/3 of the way up the canyon, we stopped to look South towards upper Achenbach Canyon and the fringe southern peaks of the Organ Mountains. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5720405346/" title="DSC_0267 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/5720405346_844923e775_z.jpg" width="640" height="424" alt="DSC_0267"></a><br /><br />Despite the absence of moisture, there is still some evidence of spring and new life in the desert, a testament to the heartiness of nature and the resiliency of native plants in the northern stretches of the Chihuahuan Desert. In a sea of earth tones, it's not difficult to get lost staring into the inner-workings of an <span style="font-style:italic;">Opuntia Robustus</span> bloom trailside. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5719846419/" title="DSC_0243 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3472/5719846419_6ab64352ac_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="DSC_0243 - Version 2"></a><br /><br />I almost ended this dude's life, but caught glimpse of him right before I could plant my footstep- Joel and I watched this winged insect hold out against the winds for a minute or two and moved on. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5719847279/" title="DSC_0276 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/5719847279_037d96e4be_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="DSC_0276"></a><br /><br />Dry scrub grass, mesquite, creosote, and both 'spanish broom' and 'mormom broom' plants fill in the ground nicely above the rocky and sparsely vegetated lower stretches of the canyon. <br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="225" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=5888498c40&photo_id=5719824347"></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"></param> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=5888498c40&photo_id=5719824347" height="225" width="400"></embed></object><br /><br />The sun was rising quickly over our heads, but the easing winds cooled things off significantly for the both of us. Our destination was a large cave that I stumbled upon a few months back on a trail run in the area with some friends. The hideout cave is unique, easily could have housed a small group of bandits or native peoples seeking shelter from the elements in a past life. What is most fascinating are the large cutouts used for building fires and retaining heat, as well as the large grain and maize grinding holes in the foot of the cave. <br /><br />The overhanging mouth of the cave. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5719807585/" title="DSC_0355 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2417/5719807585_2e42293c14_z.jpg" width="424" height="640" alt="DSC_0355"></a><br /><br />Looking North from the interior. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5719806789/" title="DSC_0313 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/5719806789_73e50cf596_z.jpg" width="640" height="424" alt="DSC_0313"></a><br /><br />Joel took a while to warm up to his surroundings, but quickly started climbing up cracks in the wall putting me on edge- I'm learning to let him do his thing and explore places without constantly shadowing him, for one it bugs him and he yells at me, but it also makes me tense and not fully enjoy our times together. Learning to strike a balance. He's a stud.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5719808209/" title="DSC_0365 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2786/5719808209_2b01f86728_z.jpg" width="424" height="640" alt="DSC_0365"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5723994710/" title="DSC_0318 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5264/5723994710_83cf477e82.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="DSC_0318"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5720367816/" title="DSC_0368 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2042/5720367816_5d046d15e9.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="DSC_0368"></a><br /><br />We chilled for about an hour and cooled off in the shade, threw rocks, and explored the nooks and crannies within. Not wanting to leave yet, Joel let me know and appropriately threw his body on the ground and did the limp body trick- after some smooth talking and kind words I reassured him, the best way I know how to a 2yr. old, that we would definitely be going on another hike very soon. We hiked out quickly back to the trailhead where Gatorade and Purple Vines awaited us in the car. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning.Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-80429841825116808482011-05-06T14:24:00.000-06:002011-05-06T16:56:56.915-06:00Farewell run with 'El Cabrio' up Dog CanyonIn early August of 2010, on a long mountain run up in the Sacramento Mountains of NM, my good buddy and running partner Clifton 'El Cabrio' Trujillo shouts out to me nearly breathless as we grinded our way up a long single track climb, that he intended to re-enlist in the US Navy under a reserve status. I didn't think much of it, mostly because the inside of my mouth was tasting like blood and iron and my legs were burning, so I encouraged him in his decision to serve his country and provide for his wife to be how he saw fit- the pros at the time grossly outweighed the cons. Steady income, benefits, retirement potential, career opportunities, these were all the items with stars assigned next to them in the verbal checklist he spouted off as we ran fleet footed among ponderosa, aspen, fir, and spruce tree in the cool air high up near Argentina Peak overlooking the significantly warmer Tularosa Basin below us. The cons, in particular upgraded status to "ACTIVE" duty and "DEPLOYMENT" to (insert middle eastern country here), were not exactly on the radar for him...yet. <br /><br />Fast forward to November, a month after his wedding, and I get a text message from El Cabrio saying: "Hey, dude, I'm being deployed to Afghanistan, leaving in March." Clifton is a full time prankster, keeping people around him frosty at all times, so I didn't wholly believe his message at first, considering he had only just a few weeks prior finalized his Navy Reserve enlistment process. With the sting of military issued vaccinations on the arm and a beautiful new wife, his orders were officially issued, he would be leaving at the end of March 2011 for Afghanistan to provide on-base IT support. <br /><br />Being the stud he is, he didn't become raw about his freshly acquired orders and accepted the terms of his duty with a level head, but in typical dirtbag runner fashion told me, "I intend to run every opportunity I get before I get on that damn base!". <br /><br />These are the few photographs I popped off on our last run together before he had to leave in early April, after his orders were pushed back. We both mutually are more inclined to run hard in the mountains for a few hours than line up at a local road race and bump elbows with a bunch of weekend warriors and receive a complimentary banana and a cheap massage at the finish line, so we chose to head for Dog Canyon as a way to say farewell for the time being- a nice steep, hot, dry, technical trail run up a 15th century Apache route and stronghold, that would later in the 1800's be appropriated by European settlers and used for cattle migration. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5693807137/" title="IMG_2442 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5693807137_cecffe56b4_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_2442"></a><br /><br /><i> Looking out the window from Oliver Lee Memorial Park visitor center right before our run.</i><br /><br />Canon del Perro, aka Dog Canyon, was home to some of the fiercest Apache skirmishes with un-welcomed European settlers migrating in the area during the 1800's. The numerous geological features and breathtaking views of the canyon draw day hikers regularly, retracing the paths of the ancient people that have used Dog Canyon for thousands of years, however the steepness of the trail with it's 3,200+ft. gain in elevation to Joplin Ridge and higher Lookout Mtn. keeps many runners at bay. Bring on the suffer fest!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5693807407/" title="IMG_2445 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3074/5693807407_9d93821980_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_2445"></a><br /><br /><i>Immediately from the parking lot the trail spills out the backside of the visitor center and great views are awarded.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5693807743/" title="IMG_2448 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3007/5693807743_4afb7beb64_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_2448"></a><br /><br /><i>3/4 mile mark, looking down on the Oliver Lee Memorial Park visitor center, 500+ft above in short order.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5694380330/" title="IMG_2451 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3328/5694380330_81ab377cb3_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_2451 - Version 2"></a><br /><br /><i>Our buddy Dan struggling up the early portion of the climb due to an poorly timed green chile cheeseburger meal minutes before our run, he would later blow past me on the downhill run with preserved legs and a full gut.</i> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5694380696/" title="IMG_2454 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3644/5694380696_7cce15da83_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_2454"></a><br /><br /><i>This was an oasis of shade at the mid point in our run. We only stopped for a few seconds to take it in. This box canyon has a tiny exit chute, we would make our way up and out from here. </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5694380976/" title="IMG_2456 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3452/5694380976_345e8197d6_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_2456 - Version 2"></a><br /><br /><i> Mixing running and powerhiking at this point, gradient was over 40%, the worst pitchy sections were like running up massive stairs, not easy running. I looked up at one point to catch 'El Cabrio' doing what he does best... running up anything that doesn't require rope and harness.</i><br /><br />After leaving the brief shaded area in the notch of the box canyon, we headed up the last section of trail that gains altitude at the base of an exposed limestone cliff face. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5693808933/" title="IMG_2459 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/5693808933_d2cf88beac_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_2459"></a><br /><br /><i>Clifton and Dan enjoying a gel, water, and a brief retreat from the sun</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5694381628/" title="IMG_2460 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5068/5694381628_59cc4d19ed_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_2460 - Version 2"></a><br /><br /><i>Hamming it up for the camera, we didn't want to leave this spot, mostly because the views were so killer, but there was still 1,000 ft. of altitude to run and our legs were primed and warm for the last portion of the climb. </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5694382192/" title="IMG_2464 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5181/5694382192_4daeafd64d_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_2464"></a><br /><br /><i>Nearing Joplin Ridge, overlooking the Tularosa Basin to our West, the Franklin Mountains of TX, and the Organ Mountains of NM slice through the upper 1/3rd of the photograph. Wonderfully desolate country.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5693809429/" title="IMG_2463 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5029/5693809429_961415c260_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_2463"></a><br /><br /><i>'El Cabrio' posing next to the trailhead post at the turnaround point of our run, from here it was a 3,200ft. descent on rocky single track back down to the car where melted Clif bars and warm Gatorade awaited us.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5694382668/" title="IMG_2467 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5228/5694382668_5ac11ca214_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_2467 - Version 2"></a><br /><br /><i>Back at the trailhead, we threw some quick fist pumps, and snapped a quick photograph with Dog Canyon behind us as a memento. We drove to El Paso, TX, post run, blazing across the flat sun-scorched desert with A/C cranking with beer and Mexican food on our minds and absent from our stomachs. 2 1/2 lbs. of sirloin and fresh made corn tortillas, salsa, and lime was split up between the three of us and we talked for 2 hrs. about past runs, future run plans and dreams, and the joy of the day in Dog Canyon. It's amazing how much happiness some dirt and two legs can bring a man.</i> <br /><br />Catch you in 11 months vato!Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-18642779751536686482011-04-10T18:38:00.000-06:002011-04-11T06:40:37.215-06:00First Impressions: TrailLite Designs Singletrack Pack<h1> First Impressions: Traillite Designs Single Track pack </h1><br /><br />In the current market of cottage industry UL packs, the low volume multi-sport day pack is often overlooked and underdeveloped- far too often day packs materialize on shelves in the form of oversized floppy stuff sacks with some silly daisy chains tacked on the back and a pair of rudimentary shoulder straps- little if any attention is given to how the contents fit and ride inside the pack. No secret, there is an established heritage of lightweight multisport/adventure based packs from the likes of: Salomon, Inov8, Golite, Nathan, Osprey, Gregory, Ultimate Direction, Terra Nova- these are mainstream companies with years of development and feedback from wearers. What is currently available in the cottage industry for those looking to support the "Made In USA" small guy? Not much...<i>nada</i>. Where does that leave those of us looking for a multi-sport day use pack amongst the cottage industry makers? Seemingly left to Google search and pick your poison amongst the fray in the day pack market, or peruse the REI walls.<br /><br />Enter the Single Track pack (Prototype 1) from Traillite Designs. Contributing Backpacking Light.com member Thom Darrah has been working up ideas for a sub 10oz. UL multisport day pack geared toward day hikers, trailrunners, adventure based outings, and other off pavement pursuits. The multi-sport day pack is a difficult corner of the pack world, unlike a traditional Jardine derived UL backpacking rucksack, the demands and feature requirements of the multisport wearer will vary tremendously for such activities like: trailrunning, day hiking, mountain biking, scrambling, ultramarathons, SUL overnight mountain raids, bc skiing, to name a few- making a single pack that can meet many of the needs of such a wide variety of users is no easy feat.<br /><br />Is the Single Track pack successful? Too soon to tell, but it's looking promising. <br /><br /><br /><b>"Run Report":</b><br /><br />I recently took the Single Track pack through the paces on a short 7 mile early morning trail run along one of my daily trail routes to see how it rode- running is such a repetitive activity and a great revealer- inadequacies and weaknesses in your body's bio-mechanics and in your running kit (shoes, clothing, socks, shells, packs) are brought to light in short order.<br /><br />Typically, for a run shy of 15 miles, a single handheld water bottle or two is sufficient for year round trail running in the desert for me. The Single Track being a 850-1200 ci. pack would likely be a pack that I would save for trail marathons, ultramarathon distance runs, and long day hikes. So for this short initial run I simply loaded up the pack with a typical kit I'd use for a trail race, but for reference, these items could very easily assume the role of items many of us take on a nice day hike. <br /><br />Giddy up.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5609212782/" title="IMG_2714 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5609212782_1030bcd022.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_2714 - Version 2"></a><br /><br /><i> Early morning light breaks over the top of Tortugas Mountain, my local go to run route, a generous title considering Tortugas 'Mountain' only gains just shy of 1K in elevation from the base, however it is prominent and offers great technical trail running within city limits.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5608449425/" title="IMG_2724 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5608449425_7ee2e50aed.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_2724"></a><br /><br /><i> Corridor into a series of switchbacks that gain footing up the West face of Tortugas Mountain, brief but steep, they expedite heart rate elevation off the bat</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5609031594/" title="IMG_2728 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/5609031594_ed0accb1fc.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="IMG_2728 - Version 2"></a><br /><br /><i>The short pitchy climb is rewarded with great views of the Organs- early morning runs are what it's all about.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5609031976/" title="IMG_2731 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5222/5609031976_0e54a7d356.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_2731"></a><br /><br /><i>This is one of those sections of single track that makes running effortless.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5608451219/" title="Pack profile by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5305/5608451219_41cd4e754a.jpg" width="500" height="303" alt="Pack profile"></a><br /><br />In atypical fashion, I stopped mid-run for several minutes to do the Single Track pack justice and share some of the simple but functional features of the pack for this post. Aesthetically speaking, it's one sharp SOB if that's of concern to you, the stealth Xpac cloth making up the entire body of the pack has a nice low key matte finish to it and should provide most importantly, durability! Let it be known, a 7-mile run is obviously to brief a window to really comment on the durability of the pack, <b>but</b> having used other day packs with flimsier materials with no ill effects under normal wear and tear- FWIW I'd have no concern of the longevity of the Single Track pack with it's current Xpac body. <br /><br /><h1> Pack profile</h1><br /><br /><b>Key Features:</b><br /><br />- compact asymmetrical design<br />- dual side bottle pockets with mini-cord locks for retention<br />- internal hydration bladder sleeve and top exiting hose port <br />- genius single pull compression cording<br />- large rear pocket<br />- slender main pack body for load stability<br />- simple webbing belt with quick release buckle<br />- spacer mesh shoulder straps w/ daisy chains to attach accessories<br />- black pack body *for stealth SUL mountain raids or urban graffiti missions<br />- RiRi waterproof zipper<br />- Xpac material for durability and weight savings<br />- sternum strap <br />- haul loop<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5609033526/" title="Shoulder straps by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5024/5609033526_bcc49bf584.jpg" width="500" height="361" alt="Shoulder straps"></a><br /><br /><i>Shoulder straps make a pack</i><br /><br />The shoulder straps are superbly made and comfortable. Christopher Zimmer was the craftsman behind this pack, responsible for formulating Thom's ideas into a tangible object of UL desire... well you know what I mean. 3D spacer mesh lines both sides of the curved shoulder strap, sandwiching a layer of Xpac in between- I think this is generous, perhaps too generous, as some weight could be saved here as well as decreasing material surface contact with the body by only using a single layer of 3D spacer mesh. The shoulder straps attach to the pack body pretty straight forward, however there isn't a flaw in the construction and Chris was diligent in hiding seams and disguising the building process- it's clear that durability was the prevailing goal in the project. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5609032788/" title="Shoulder pocket by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5269/5609032788_0aed096913.jpg" width="500" height="253" alt="Shoulder pocket"></a><br /><br /><i> Cute handy little shoulder accessory pocket...yeah I said cute, what!?</i><br /><br />Simple webbing runs down the middle of the shoulder strap for attaching accessories and pockets, of which are in the works according to Thom. The accessory pocket on the Single Track prototype I received is clever, attached with 2 short runs of cord and a mini-cordlock per cord to cinch up wherever the wearer prefers on the shoulder strap. The accessory pocket has 2 compartments, one front open pocket for gels, phone, compact camera, and the 2nd compartment is a RiRi zippered pocket for ID. I found the design to be slick, however the dimensions were a tad to small, all my items took some effort to get in and out. Accessing items required me to stop which isn't ideal in a "fast and light" pack geared toward forward momentum. This should be addressed, perhaps a stretch mesh outer pocket with a simple cord lock top closure for storing gel wrappers, sunglasses, camera, Clif bars etc. that would accommodate more items on the go with minimal effort while running or hiking. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5608450985/" title="Bottle holsters by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5608450985_7fc3b2524d.jpg" width="500" height="304" alt="Bottle holsters"></a><br /><br />Upright bottle sleeves hug each side of the Single Track pack, accommodating standard 20oz. and 26oz. bottles, 2 standard Aquafina bottles fit as well if you're of that ilk. Mini-Cord locks run through a collar at the top of the sleeves to secure the bottle while moving. I'm a handheld user for trailrunning, this is the easiest way to transition at aid stations and refill bottles quickly and painlessly, hydration bladders suck IMO in most cases, so the option to use both bottles or hydration bladders should make everyone happy. One glaring issue I found was that the construction of the sleeve was so spot on, the tolerances were just too tight and made loading and extracting a bottle a two handed operation that required more effort than my lazy arse cared to expend at the time- this did wonders for my confidence that I wouldn't lose a bottle however.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5609033782/" title="Compression system by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/5609033782_d6b2f0fd0a.jpg" width="500" height="349" alt="Compression system"></a><br /><br /><i>No two compression systems are alike, this is definitely the case with the Single Track- single pull compression held my Houdini in place just fine on the outside</i><br /><br />The compression system on the Single Track is nifty, single pull via the bottom of the pack stabilizes the entire pack load, compresses the items in the rear stuff pocket, as well as providing tension on items lashed on the outside of the cording. It's a fast compression system that doesn't require any thinking. I dig it. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5608451975/" title="Loaded items by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5608451975_960983c434.jpg" width="500" height="221" alt="Loaded items"></a><br /><br /><i>Not items I typically take on a 7 mile run in early spring, but this kit simulates what I take for a longer run upwards of 15 miles in the mountains</i><br /><br />Gear list items in pack on this run:<br /><br />- x2 Ultimate Direction kicker water bottles<br />- Patagonia Houdini windshell<br />- Pata Capilene 3 zip shirt<br />- pair of socks <br />- Defeet gloves<br />- x2 GU gels<br />- electrolytes (in tube)<br />- Canon S21400is compact camera<br />- Petzl Tikka XP2 headlamp<br />- ipod nano + headphones (currently playing the heaviness of the new Mogwai album)<br /><br /><br />I'm not a scientist, in fact I'm horrible at math, so I'm going to spare you the postulating on volume and dimensions. I'll sum it up to this: it's big enough. If you're going out for a short hike or extended run and need to throw in a windshell, lightweight insulation piece, liner gloves, headlamp, carbs, hat, camera, FAK, rattle snake anti-venom, SUL tarp or bivy, 40oz. of Steel Reserve... this pack has you covered for day use and for the savvy kit assemblers, could even do a SUL overnight, perfect for that personal epic.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5609034464/" title="loaded pack triptych by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5609034464_67b45425a7.jpg" width="500" height="226" alt="loaded pack triptych"></a><br /><br /><i> Triptych showing all items loaded up and ready to go</i><br /><br />The pack is clearly compact and svelte, however I had difficulty filling up the entire pack body even with my ample running kit, leaving a small void in the pack that was 'floppy' towards the top, which leads to my biggest issue with the Single Track pack as a trail running pack, the bounce factor. I had to cinch tightly down on the shoulder straps and secure the sternum strap snugly to maintain a smooth ride while running, but this didn't completely address the issue. This is where fully developed running packs shine, in the harness system, and also where the Single Track pack needs to be further fine tuned in the next phase of design. I was able to slip my full hand under the shoulder straps as they bounced on the flat sections of trail- where pack bounce was most pronounced. I find this to be the only real glaring disappointment amongst a stellar piece of kit. I didn't enjoy wearing the webbing belt while running, so I cannot comment on if or how much the belt would improve the pack movement. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5608452211/" title="Pack carry by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5608452211_de9d3c1acc.jpg" width="500" height="460" alt="Pack carry"></a><br /><br /><i> Pack rides nicely high on the back as it should, however accessing bottles while running was impossible for me, this is a stop and go sort of pack in it's current state</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5608450285/" title="IMG_2770 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5608450285_d7a6d1771b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_2770"></a><br /><br /><i> Running along Deer Trail on the E side of Tortugas Mountain, sunlight starting to fill in the creosote, ocotillo, and mesquite bush of the upper stretches of the great Chihuahuan Desert.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5609032588/" title="IMG_2773 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5609032588_f65e265a95.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_2773"></a><br /><br /><i> A super highway for the desert dwellers both two legged and four.</i><br /><br /><b> Thoughts, remarks, suggestions, and feedback: </b><br /><br />- The Single Track pack is veering towards becoming a "Double Track" pack, pun totally intended. The pack is slightly confused on it's intended purpose- Is it a trailrunning dedicated pack or is it a day hiking pack? Is it a multi-sport pack or is it a SUL overnight pack? All of the above? I still don't know, it has potential for all areas and all kinds of users. I think it could serve many purposes with some tweaking.<br /><br />- The shoulder straps are a thing of beauty, but the harness as a whole system needs work if this pack is to be suitable for extended trail running and brisk day hiking. It's all about the ergonomics, which is why many available hydration packs are designed and worn like a 2-point upper body hugging harnesses resembling a brassiere... embrace the support! A heavier load would've easily offset the bounce I noticed, but running with a fully loaded day pack just isn't something I do often. <br /><br />- Accessory shoulder pocket dimensions are a touch too small- increase size and volume<br /><br />- Xpack material is excellent, not the lightest solution, but durable<br /><br />- Some hardware could be pared down to save a minimum amount of weight without compromising durability<br /><br />- Construction is flawless! <br /><br /><br /><br />Fin.Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-1335195090169705572011-03-27T00:28:00.000-06:002011-03-27T00:29:11.773-06:00Quality TImeThe fondest memories of my boyhood consist mostly of joyful mini-adventures outdoors, whether it was a day at a swimming hole in Novato, CA when I was 10, plucking crawfish from the creek, short cutting through the farmer's field to get to the swimming pool on a hot day, yanking king snakes out from under rail ties, or the summer- age 11- when I slept out almost every night under the stars on a tarpaulin stretched out across the thick grassy hillsides beyond our street- these are the memories of my youth that have followed me.<br /><br /> When I was 8 years old my father purchased my first tent, a two-poled primary colored nylon A-Frame pup tent. This was monumental, as I had spent the first years of my life on Governor's Island, NYC on the Hudson River overlooking the Manhattan skyline- camping out just wasn't a thing kids did in the city, rather riding elevators and subways with mom and dad were more the norm. However, with A-frame tent in hand and the will and determination that only an 8 year old boy could possess, I was determined to spend my first night out in a tent a mere 6 ft. from the front door of our house with book in hand, Fischer Price flashlight, Ninja Turtle sleeping bag, and 'Eddy' the bear of whom I was becoming increasingly disinterested with along for the journey.<br /><br /> The rain drops didn't begin to fall right away, it was at some point well after my regularly scheduled bedtime when I heard the first 'pitter patter' of droplets strike my humble little pup tent. At that point my father peeked his head out from behind the screen door and encouraged me to come inside and try again another night, but I knew even at 8 that I had to prove to them both that I would do just fine on my own. Quickly, water began to let loose from the dark sky, the very dark night I was slightly hesitant to peer out into from under my pocket of security. It's still amazing how a little inclement weather can get the best of us sometimes. Waking up the next morning having weathered the "storm", I fondly remember the sun smiling down on my tent walls as I unzipped my sleeping bag, a welcomed presence in the world of a victorious 8 year old boy having just spent an evening convincing himself that every single bump in the night was either a bear or a mountain lion. <br /><br /> All that long winded backstory to simply say I'm fortunate to begin sharing outdoor experiences with my two young children ages 2 and 3, whether this evolves into a multi-day backpacking trip when they're ready, or simply means getting out and scraping my knees with them at the playground, being outdoors extends the baton to them to begin developing their own memories and hopefully I can facilitate their outdoor encounters until they're ready to forge their own. <br /><br /> Two weeks ago I took my kiddos out for their first blustery overnight car camp to Aguirre Springs, waking up with them next to me in their vibrant colored sleeping bags had me grinning from ear to ear for the better half of the morning. I eagerly sought out affirmation from them to gauge if they enjoyed the new experience, the photographs I believe speak volumes. All is well.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5563476620/"><img alt="IMG_2358" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5058/5563476620_d630f23b63.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><i>Grilled fajitas weren't enough to distract Addison from the presence of S'Mores</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5562918627/"><img alt="IMG_2390" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/5562918627_495d5552a7.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><i>Joel slept through every gust of wind that ripped through camp. My champ.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5562906037/"><img alt="IMG_2383" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5269/5562906037_d7810a2c15.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><i> I'm usually the one running in the morning before work watching the sun come up, on this morning I was more enamored with my daughters rising smile.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5559986731/"><img alt="IMG_2398" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5559986731_0282903b44.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5562911143/"><img alt="IMG_2394" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5562911143_a54d9399a1.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><i> "Daddy, I want to go camping and see the moon"</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5560573378/"><img alt="IMG_2408" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5138/5560573378_0c51f79b97.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><i> Typical Joel on an atypical morning for him.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5562920559/"><img alt="IMG_2409" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5562920559_20161ba276.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><i>If Addison had it her way, S'Mores for breakfast would be a regular occasion</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5562926687/"><img alt="IMG_2415" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/5562926687_531430d28c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><i>I learned that a short one mile hike can be quite enjoyable when in good company.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5563499332/"><img alt="IMG_2428" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5260/5563499332_ccde62909d.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><i>Teaching her hands new things.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5562922445/"><img alt="IMG_2423" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5189/5562922445_4219f90944.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5562933633/"><img alt="IMG_2420" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5143/5562933633_c3d5d18905.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><i>The outdoors are rewarding and edifying when it's shared with someone else, when the purpose extends beyond ourselves.</i>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-1191278788677114192011-01-02T08:20:00.001-07:002011-01-02T11:59:58.485-07:00Desert Wasteland? - White Mountain Wilderness, NM, Three Rivers Canyon Trail, 12/30-12/31/10Speeding down HWY US-70 directly into the blast zone of the famed Trinity Site location, my brother in-law <a href="http://runningcookingetc.blogspot.com/">Ben Wood</a> recalls to me a conversation he had with his culinary chef instructor back home in Missouri over a few pints at a Kansas City pub, this fellow whom I know nothing of apparently has it in for New Mexico, referring to our land as a "barren wasteland". I hate this guy's perspective already but I cannot help but see the foolishness in my argument considering my geographical location at this moment in time. My defense dangles by a thread considering the fact that we're literally driving through one of the most desolate and hostile stretches of land in the desert southwest, a swatch of dried up deposited gypsum and massive selenite crystalline dunes that constitute the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm">Tularosa Basin</a>. The seasonal absence of water and any water outlet has left this desolate lowland a dry and barren place at the surface, especially when you're down in the thick of it kicking up dust and choking on your own tongue. However, a traveler wandering through this desert only has to look up against a blazing sun to make out the silhouettes of the mountains stretched out before them in the distance. All too often we're caught with our heads down forgetting to look up. <br /><br />I want to tell Ben's instructor that sand dunes don't need water, in fact it's water that forms the very particles that shape the dunes, that there's nothing 'barren' about them, that cactus make due with what the skies spare them, that the roadrunner runs fast and light because the scorching earth beneath them tells them too. Of course, I only recall to Ben how foolish it is for his instructor to think such a thing, but I'm reminded by my own words that you have to earn the rewards in New Mexico; for some, this is unattainable, for us it's home.<br /><br />With the nod from our wives for all 'the boys' to simultaneously split town right before the new years bell rings, we run to the hills. I threw together a quick route for a pre-holiday overnighter, the only objective to purely hike up and get out in the mess of it. Leading up to (12/30) Thur. forecasters and weather models were calling for a fast moving low pressure system to slam into the Sacramento Mountains right as we would be pulling in to the trailhead. It would not disappoint.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315450210/" title="IMG_1861 - Version 4 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5207/5315450210_7337cca3ab_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1861 - Version 4" /></a><br /><br />Dawn patrol. Blazing east over the Organ Mountain range into the Tularosa Basin. The sun briefly rises up from the horizon to burn off some morning frost, but would later be blocked out by the wake of the encroaching winter storm.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315450358/" title="IMG_1865 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5045/5315450358_06f70614ef_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1865 - Version 2" /></a><br /><br />Sitting in the front seat with half of a green chile, egg, cheese, bacon, and sausage burrito in my gut, prepared with meticulous detail and skill by a former penitentiary resident who insists on calling me "Boss", I welcome the cold weather that's brewing outside the windshield.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314855543/" title="IMG_1869 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5314855543_aaa41c121f_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1869" /></a><br /><br />Forest Rd. 579. Few miles west of the trailhead hopping cattle guards and skidding along an old washboard road. The thermometer shrugs off one degrees Fahrenheit with every yellow dash in the road that slips under our tires.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315451794/" title="IMG_1874 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5315451794_852cbd3e4b_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1874" /></a><br /><br />An enthusiastic and atypically informed and welcoming BLM employee/resident gets the scoop on our intentions as we arrive at the trailhead. At this point I desire to falsify our itinerary for fear he'll scold us for heading up into higher country when a strong low pressure system is about to unload. He only suggests we do an out and back. We'll see.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314857107/" title="IMG_1875 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/5314857107_ba5930d1ee_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1875" /></a><br /><br />I zip up my windshell just as the anemic sun is finally being blotted out by the dense cloud cover. Last minute gear suggestions, eliminations, re-evaluations, additions, adjustments, etc. are made out of the back of the vehicle. We shoulder our packs and hit the trail mid-morning, typical pea-cocking rituals over the title of lightest pack is the last thing on anyone's mind... no one cares. It's all about the joy of the hike now.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315453098/" title="IMG_1896 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5315453098_50cbab2f3d_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1896" /></a><br /><br />Different textures crunch underfoot. Snow fell the night before.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315454736/" title="IMG_1904 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/5315454736_43f0c1e9a1_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1904" /></a><br /><br />For prospective anglers, the Three Rivers Canyon still holds small trout pools, despite the excessive blow down and a massive monsoonal flood that nearly decimated the brook trout population in 2008 ripping down the canyon to the basin below. The week prior to this trip I had every intention of trying my hand at some winter nymphing with my Tenkara Iwana rod and letting my brother in-law check out the setup before purchasing his own, however the weather would dictate otherwise. I've been desiring to get in some quality backcountry time with the clever little <a href="http://www.traillitedesigns.com/products.htm">TrailLite Designs Ebira Rod Quiver</a>, BPL's own Thom Darrah has been developing some unique pieces of UL adventure gear and this item has been one that I've had the pleasure of using at a limited capacity since late summer. I'm anticipating a few fishing specific outings to this area when the weather turns for the better in spring. For now I'm enjoying the wintery transformation this canyon is undergoing. The freeze and thaw cycle is a good thing.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315453664/" title="IMG_1910 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5315453664_637def2e7d_z.jpg" width="360" height="640" alt="IMG_1910" /></a><br /><br />Large slabs of canyon wall are adorned in fresh snow. Further up the Three Rivers Canyon trail the weather conditions continue to become much more pucker inducing for this ragamuffin group of desert rat hikers. The beauty of the muted sky and the roar of the heavy winds swirling through the canyon evoke smiles that only a good day of hiking can bestow.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315454078/" title="IMG_1914 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5044/5315454078_51df29926c_z.jpg" width="360" height="640" alt="IMG_1914" /></a><br /><br />As the light of morning prematurely slips behind a thick veil of gray I'm reminded of one of my favorite songs:<br /><br /> <b>Listen to the silence, let it ring on<br /> Eyes, dark gray lenses frightened of the sun<br /> We would have a fine time living in the night<br /> Left to blind destruction<br /> Waiting for our sight</b><br /><br /> -<b>Joy Division, Transmission</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314861889/" title="IMG_1935 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/5314861889_494c32fdf8_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1935" /></a><br /><br />My typical trail banter is swallowed in the white noise of the day. Our feet move to the natural rhythm of the trail: breathe, hike, look up, look down, rock hop, hike, stop, breathe, hike (repeat).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314861321/" title="IMG_1933 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5248/5314861321_562d672eea_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1933" /></a><br /><br />We hike with a sense of anticipation, for something up ahead, just around the next crook in the trail.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314862305/" title="IMG_1936 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/5314862305_2a4e296d86_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1936" /></a><br /><br />Each individual enjoys the process.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315455764/" title="IMG_1917 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5084/5315455764_cf5e22cac7_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="IMG_1917" /></a><br /><br />Following the impressions of a large male elk left in the snow there's a particular comfort in knowing that we're not the first to break trail this morning. We hardly ever are. In jovial conversation I point down like some fledgling naturalist to the tracks of a male elk, which stirs up an argument over whether the tracks belong to cattle or elk. I insist to my buddy that they are indeed elk and that no cattle in their right mind would wander up this canyon. He's wholly convinced otherwise. I try my best to hold my tongue and let it go. Shortly after, while searching for a suitable camp, I stumble across a frozen corpse lying in the ground, with only the massive creatures fallen crown jutting out of the soil, I cannot help feel a sense of divine intervention. I was one immature response away from saying "Told you so, told you so!".<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314863521/" title="IMG_1945 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5166/5314863521_34711934f3_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1945" /></a><br /><br />We discuss our options at this point as the storm increases. In an instant the cool gray/white sky above us slips away like a phantom and an eery uncharacteristically dark and brown sky casts a shadow over us, transforming the trees into dark figures. I raise my head and immediately recognize the smell that fills my nostrils... dust. The storm had stirred up an enormous all consuming cloud of dust from the Tularosa Basin below us and was now stirring these particles into a wintry slurry. The hour hand said 1pm, but the sky was full of deceit, for it appeared to be closer to sundown.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314864349/" title="IMG_1955 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5126/5314864349_a8b2f7eddb_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1955 - Version 2" /></a><br /><br />Shangri La-2 and Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar respectively. Both shelters held their ground against the wind blown snow of early afternoon, and well into the evening with the constant winds. Big thanks to Dave Chenault over at <a href="http://bedrockandparadox.wordpress.com./">Bedrock and Paradox</a> and Hendrik and his <a href="http://www.hikinginfinland.com/">Hiking in Finland</a> Nordic LightPacking constituents for convincing me with all their great accolades and reviews over the Trailstar.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314863031/" title="IMG_1956 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5089/5314863031_fe5da7f0eb_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1956" /></a><br /><br />Shelters pitched for the night, we rummage about in search of material for fire. Gathered damp wood and frozen blades of grass prove unsuitable for burning. It's going to be a long night. Everyone senses the awkward standstill we've arrived at and we retreat to Kenny's shelter for some honey whiskey, food, boisterous conversation, and good company. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315459932/" title="IMG_1959 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/5315459932_528d6a8721_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1959" /></a><br /><br />By 530 pm we head to our shelters for evening. Kenny and I tank up on water walking down to the stream on fresh powder. The now partially frozen creek is a touch disconcerting. I tuck my container of water under my quilt with me so there's something to cook with come morning. Slam a Snickers bar and flip the lamp off. Night.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314866001/" title="IMG_1974 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5314866001_c7645effe3_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1974" /></a><br /><br />Ice crystals formed on the surface of my newly acquired Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315461924/" title="IMG_1969 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5315461924_e183c45ed5_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1969" /></a><br /><br />3am comes fast and I wake up fresh and ready to go, back at home I never get more than 6 hours rest, I'm already pushing 9hrs. With nothing else to do I stare at the peak of my shelter some more.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314867519/" title="IMG_1980 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/5314867519_83903ddd3b_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1980" /></a><br /><br />Patiently I wait until I hear the stirring of the other guys to fire up my stove. Nothing is worse than sitting around watching other people eat breakfast when you've already had your fill. There's always room for more, especially when it's only a few degrees above 0F. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314868079/" title="IMG_1987 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5314868079_7587cf47f5_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1987" /></a><br /><br />In regular form Ben is first to rise. In regular form my little point and shoot is in everyone's face. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314869559/" title="IMG_1989 - Version 2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/5314869559_7ecee21313_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_1989 - Version 2" /></a><br /><br />The early morning sky ebbs and flows seamlessly from dark to light. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314869891/" title="IMG_1997 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/5314869891_e23f9ebf7a_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="IMG_1997" /></a><br /><br />Morning congregation takes place inside Kenny's REI Quarterdome T3. We pass around a fresh pressed pot of coffee and whiskey of course. Conversation subject matter is sporadic, but mostly focuses on the subject of urinating into bottles in the middle of the night, or avoiding compromise of down loft due to poor technique.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5316020563/" title="IMG_1986 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/5316020563_f9ae926645_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1986" /></a><br /><br />Only had to tap off accumulated snow once in the evening, come morning the few inches of fresh snow on the skirts of my Trailstar were only a welcomed addition.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314870039/" title="IMG_1999 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5314870039_400dbe75de_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="IMG_1999" /></a><br /><br />Microspikes armed, trekking poles unsheathed, ready for the short hike out anticipating beautiful sights with every step. Would we make first tracks?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314873005/" title="First tracks by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5082/5314873005_3f0cb22091_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="First tracks" /></a><br /><br />Nope.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314870583/" title="IMG_2004 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5314870583_e62b15ac4d_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="IMG_2004" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314871249/" title="IMG_2022 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5003/5314871249_fe4737c095_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_2022" /></a><br /><br />The flowing creek took the time to freeze over and rest, making the short crossings easier to avoid wet feet. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315466960/" title="Frozen by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5005/5315466960_4931e9e431_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Frozen " /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315469278/" title="Marty taking it in by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/5315469278_906202293f_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Marty taking it in" /></a><br /><br />Typical hikes for me always have some underlying physical challenge or goal in mind from the start. This morning's hike was about the serenity.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315468518/" title="Blades of Grass by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5201/5315468518_2bfbf5038c_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Blades of Grass" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315466508/" title="IMG_2021 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5315466508_ca74041a99_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_2021" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314872441/" title="Leaves by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5284/5314872441_525a8f89e1_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Leaves" /></a><br /><br />The creek came back to life lower down the canyon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314875811/" title="Looking up towards Crest Trail by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5050/5314875811_7496249bdb_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Looking up towards Crest Trail" /></a><br /><br />About 1/4 mile from the trailhead the Ponderosa and Fir trees are replaced by alligator juniper, yucca, cactus, and mesquite, allowing a first glimpse of the fresh powder dumped on the Sacramento Mountains. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5314874767/" title="Keith stoked by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5129/5314874767_8e564cf3bf_z.jpg" width="360" height="640" alt="Keith stoked" /></a><br /><br />Kenny and Keith arrived a few short minutes behind us, in perfect timing, as I remembered that I had thrown in a 6'er or Guiness Extra Stout, which somehow managed to not explode inside the car. Slushy Guiness overflowing out of a freezing cold bottle is about as good as it gets.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315470242/" title="Group shot at Three Rivers Campground by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5315470242_dc698b570b_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Group shot at Three Rivers Campground" /></a><br /><br />Relishing in the finality of our quick overnight, we're fully aware that all of our family, school, and work schedules won't align like this for another full on group trip like this one until at least spring. For Ben who has been studying to be chef over in Kansas City, MO, the homesick pains for New Mexico were strong, hopefully after this trip he'll be able to get through until spring.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315471160/" title="White Mtn. Wilderness by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5248/5315471160_0423ed80fd_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="White Mtn. Wilderness" /></a><br /><br />Packed up, heater on high, defrost the toes, we head for home with a smile on our faces.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/5315471880/" title="Facing E. towards Sacramentos by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5123/5315471880_d685c98cfd_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="Facing E. towards Sacramentos" /></a><br /><br />It doesn't take long, maybe 10 minutes down Forest Rd. 579 before I realize we're now being swallowed whole by the barren sand of the Tularosa Basin. Some might call this place a "barren wasteland", for some of us who take the time to look up once in a while, it's home.Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-62700258498759758482010-10-31T09:24:00.000-06:002010-11-03T00:48:32.671-06:00Deadman Peaks 50 Ultramarathon on the CDTAfter what has seemed to take far too long I was finally able to finish a 50 mile ultramarathon this past Oct. 23rd. Nagging illiotibial band syndrome thwarted my success at running any ultramarathons last winter/spring so when the opportunity arose to run the inaugural race of the Deadman Peaks 50 this fall I set my eyes on the goal. This race can be described as grassroots and raw as it is still in its infancy, the course was a challenging 27 mile out and back that traversed along the edges of a steep rocky mesas for the duration of the race, interrupted by a few sagebrush choked valleys and sandstone bluffs in the lower elevation sections of the course. The "trail" was faint, leading us along the path of the Continental Divide Trail outside Cuba, NM which sees few thru-hikers annually. Typical trail race markings were present for the early miles of the race, but the majority of the race we relied on the white tipped wooden spires and abundant and large rock cairns that dot the length of the course on the CDT. The finish rate for those that braved the chilly wind and dark sky in the early morning was around 40%, many entrants either dropped out at the turnaround physically beat from the first leg of the race, or dropped out shortly after, some failed to even make it to the turnaround opting out at the 21 mile aid station. I wouldn't say this was successful overall, my training leading up to this race was inconsistent and my time reflected this. It is my intention to shave 2 hours minimum off my time next year, so photographs and video will likely be nonexistent as my focus will not be diverted from my running. For now, I have the memories of a long and rewarding day running 54 miles through beautiful and remote country. To finish to me was a physical achievement in and of itself, but it was the journey leading up to the finish that will stick with me for a while. Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim is in the works for spring if all goes well.<br /><br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/16347820" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Oct. 23rd, 2010 marked the inaugural running of the Deadman Peaks 50 mile ultramarathon held on the Continental Divide Trail southwest of Cuba, NM. The "trail" was a challenging route filled with mesa traverses, sage filled valleys, sandstone climbs, short craggy descents, route finding, and general desert mayhem. This is my account from a long day on the trail running. Looking forward to next year and 2 hrs. shaved off my time. </p>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-56422955362255386652010-10-04T22:13:00.000-06:002010-10-05T00:04:38.850-06:00Best of 2010... so farI haven't posted in ages, really haven't cared to, apparently the cat got my tongue. Looking back at the past couple months I've been blessed to get out for intermittent lengths of time for periods of solitude, adventure, and reflection in the wilderness that surrounds me. The memories of past excursions are fleeting, altered slowly over time, however the one thing that never fails to immortalize and solidify an experience in me is a photograph. These are a few of my greatest hits of the past couple months, igniting that visceral response that is obtained not in reading about the outdoors or pondering the outdoors, but rather purely...getting outdoors. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4757014422/" title="White Horse Mtn. by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4757014422_4b4d4564ba.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="White Horse Mtn." /></a><br /><br /><i> White Horse Hill, Sacramento Mountains, NM, 10,000+ft.</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4756377625/" title="White Horse Saddle by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4756377625_3fede4ae2e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="White Horse Saddle" /></a><br /><br /><i> White Horse Saddle, Sacramento Mountains, NM, 9,000+ft.</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4757014698/" title="Scorched Aspen by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4757014698_46a650d2df.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Scorched Aspen" /></a><br /><br /><i>Scorched Aspen, Mogollon Range, Gila Wilderness, NM</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4757014838/" title="Mayfly by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4757014838_5c3b6087e5.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Mayfly" /></a><br /><br /><i> Mayfly Dun, Gila Wilderness, NM </i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4757014964/" title="Windy Point by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4757014964_ebdd3d4fa1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Windy Point" /></a><br /><br /><i> Windy Point near Big Dry Creek, Gila Wilderness, NM</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4757015080/" title="Bloom #1 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4757015080_e4ddfb481e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Bloom #1" /></a><br /><br /><i> Bloom, South Whitewater Creek, Gila Wilderness, NM</i> <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4757015250/" title="Spanish Moss by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4757015250_e0ec20d28e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Spanish Moss" /></a><br /><br /><i> Spanish Moss, near Redstone Park, Gila Wilderness, NM </i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4757015398/" title="Ponderosa by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4757015398_ac416f9019.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Ponderosa" /></a><br /><br /><i> Ponderosa, Upper Whitewater Creek, Gila Wilderness, NM </i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4756378523/" title="Bloom #2 by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4756378523_c6468bb053.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Bloom #2" /></a><br /><br /><i> Bloom #2, Gila Wilderness, NM</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4756378645/" title="Marty in the zone by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4756378645_3e99da6393.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Marty in the zone" /></a><br /><br /><i> Marty Fording the Middle Fork, Gila Wildnerness, NM</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4756378779/" title="Property of NMSDGF by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4756378779_19584979f1.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Property of NMSDGF" /></a><br /><br /><i>Property of..., Near Woodland Park, Gila Wilderness, NM</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4757015928/" title="Sunset by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4757015928_6a86e2a3e7.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Sunset" /></a><br /><br /><i>Sunset, Gila Wilderness, NM</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4757016096/" title="2-Wheel Drive by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/4757016096_59ff9808f4.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="2-Wheel Drive" /></a><br /><br /><i> 2-Wheel Drive, White Creek, Gila Wilderness, NM</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4756379215/" title="White Creek by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4756379215_f5f9f0b205.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="White Creek" /></a><br /><br /><i> Cascades along White Creek, Gila Wilderness, NM</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4756379357/" title="Yellow Blazing by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4756379357_8ec09d3044.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Yellow Blazing" /></a><br /><br /><i> Yellowblazing, Gila Ranger Station Road, Gila Wilderness, NM</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4756379489/" title="Windblown Camera Misfire by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4756379489_375c8c9976.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Windblown Camera Misfire" /></a><br /><br /><i> 50mph Windblown Misfire, Guadalupe Peak 8,751ft., TX</i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4756379637/" title="Needles Hike-Dawn by ImEugeneius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4756379637_e9b4cd5679.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Needles Hike-Dawn" /></a><br /><br /><br /><i>Organ Needles Dawn Approach Hike, Las Cruces, NM</i>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-24418216610503788512010-08-20T08:21:00.000-06:002010-08-20T08:21:15.644-06:00A-Mountain Figure 8 ( x1 Summit + Deer Trail) by trailrunner365 at Garmin Connect - Details<a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45322099?sms_ss=blogger">A-Mountain Figure 8 ( x1 Summit + Deer Trail) by trailrunner365 at Garmin Connect - Details</a>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-9335136979521209502010-06-12T16:04:00.000-06:002010-06-12T16:06:10.083-06:00Can't Stand the Heat? Run to the Hills!For anyone who resides in the harsh environment of the desert southwest, the seemingly omnipotent and powerful astronomical body of the Sun is a universal force that shapes the land, altering the most simple activities and patterns of our lives. The desert is both beautiful and treacherous, inhabitants must proceed with respect and caution, but when you can't handle the heat it's best to get the hell out of the kitchen! With temperatures consistently hovering around 107F in the Mesilla Valley and no reprieve in sight for the next 7 days, being seared like a pig on a spit wasn't an option I was willing to accept, not when the call of the White Mountain Wilderness of southern New Mexico was beckoning for us to find some refuge in the coolness of it's translucent springs, aspen lined trails, babbling brooks, towering balds and unobstructed vistas.<br /><br />This was truly a spontaneous trip for me, as most trips require me to coordinate with my wife the dates and scheduling weeks in advance. With her and the kids heading up to Albuquerque for a family affair and me attending my good friend's wedding, the opportunity to get up in the high country quickly and with minimal impact on our life was an opportunity I wasn't going to flounder.<br /><br />Saturday felt like a marathon to say the least, I literally sprinted out the back of the chapel throwing my shoulder into the steel double doors after saying my farewells to my workmate and his newly acquired wife. Ripping off my tie and shaking off my dress shoes as I got into my cruiser to pick up my father and sort through his gear and give him the seal of approval. This would be my fathers first backpacking trip with me. Without a doubt my father and I are two of the most hot headed individuals and often the catalyst to our heated exchanges usually is a result of our blatant similarities, what can I say, like father like son! Somehow we managed to get on the road without a hitch. Leaving Las Cruces shortly after 6pm we were making the best of the nearing summer solstice and were hoping to be through the town of Ruidoso, NM by around 8pm with just enough waning light to make our way up Bonito Creek and camp, our jump off point into the White Mountain Wilderness Area in the Sacramento Mountains.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691218151/"><img alt="IMG_0388" height="375" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1304/4691218151_5d280e07ec.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><i> My gear laid out Saturday morning ready to go inside my Burn for the weekend </i><br /><br />My father and I arrived at the Big Bonito trailhead after 8 with few minutes of light left, it was considerably cooler and hard to believe that only 1 1/2 hrs. prior we were wilting away in the 107F heat, the temperature was now a pleasant 74F. We slung on our packs and hiked up trail about 2 miles to the Big Bear Canyon intersect and found a perfect grassy spot along Bonito Creek to settle into for the evening.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691224171/"><img alt="IMG_0396" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4691224171_581f6fa6f6.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691857816/"><img alt="IMG_0398" height="500" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1277/4691857816_9bdb28da04.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> Dad loaded up and happy to have some cool relief </i><br /><br />Arriving at camp shortly after 9 we treated some water for the evening and I began stoking a campfire to start a boil for dinner which would consist of Sweet Corn and Black Bean chowder and Western Style Tamale Pie and Beef, a flask of single malt scotch and a bar of dark chocolate. I think the idea of eating food out of a freezer bag with a long handled spoon struck him as odd, however the look on his face after he began eating was priceless. We sat around the fire for a few and tucked away for the night around 11 with full stomachs and a gentle creek lulling us to sleep with its music. It would be a superb and cool evening under the stars.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691230843/"><img alt="IMG_0405" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4691230843_6122517c95.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> The early light of dawn creeping into our campsite around 630 </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691866824/"><img alt="IMG_0409" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4691866824_57b2c18e9f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> Dad lingering a little too long in the quilt come morning </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691239733/"><img alt="IMG_0414" height="375" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1288/4691239733_04425cbf18.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><i> Our camp. I was very impressed with the MLD Grace tarp, pitches fast and tight, accommodating 2 comfortably. </i><br /><br />Temperatures were quick to warm up and my BPL Beartooth Hoody was all that was necessary for the chill of morning, furthermore, my Caldera TiTri Inferno heated things up around camp as I stoked a blistering fire that roared on through the morning boiling enough water for 2 bloated meals of hot cereal and pressed coffee. I had hot coals that glowed for many minutes after, talk about incineration!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691243247/"><img alt="IMG_0418" height="500" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1287/4691243247_b61d78b181.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> MSR Titan Kettle, my backcountry workhorse </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691876872/"><img alt="IMG_0420" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4691876872_3a420af537.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><i> Blazing hot coals, several minutes after we started eating </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691248027/"><img alt="IMG_0423" height="500" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1281/4691248027_11bb480042.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> My father consumed some odd concoction of hemp seed, flax seed, gluten free, cardboard, fiber twig, sugar free, paper and hot water.... it was surprisingly better than my oatmeal! </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691249567/"><img alt="IMG_0424" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4691249567_4e2f7f6f93.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />With the light of morning quickly filling the canyon, we decided to clean up, wash up and pack up so we could make the best of the cool morning and have plenty of time for a beer in the afternoon in town. We made fast on breaking down camp and packing up; my newly acquired Mountain Laurel Design Burn was the ideal pack for this fast and light weekend excursion. I only had 2 goals, to have fun with my father and get up in the mountains and hopefully snag a trout in the backcountry on my new Tenkara Iwana rod, one of those would happen, one failed to come to fruition.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691886718/"><img alt="IMG_0428" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4691886718_a59bedb2f1.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> MLD Burn pleasantly loaded and rearing to get on the trail.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691257875/"><img alt="IMG_0431" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4691257875_003dec7efd.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />I hiked parallel to the trail up through the stream, eyeballing the pools for small browns to catch, there would be no fishing to be had on this morning. Early on, the scenery was peaceful and invigorating.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691898590/"><img alt="IMG_0439" height="500" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1274/4691898590_440638e89c.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691899852/"><img alt="IMG_0440" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4691899852_ccb3bf0250.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691268939/"><img alt="IMG_0441" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4691268939_fcd55c4691.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Shortly after leaving our campsite (2 miles +/-), we arrived at the next junction and chose to hike up the Aspen Trail to connect with the Crest Trail a brief 2 1/2 miles gaining over 2,300ft. of elevation in the process.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691269935/"><img alt="IMG_0442" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4691269935_a523ffd8b3.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> Dense foliage along the Apsen Trail</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691904100/"><img alt="IMG_0444" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4691904100_c669e965dc.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><i> Small clearing from an old burn area</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691906166/"><img alt="IMG_0446" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4691906166_fdae5926b4.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> Calling all entomologists, can you name the species? </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691909004/"><img alt="IMG_0449" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4691909004_e27e4bef42.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The short hike up through the Aspen Trail brought us quickly up into view of the Crest Trail above us that runs the ridge line of the Sacramentos Mountains. The landscape changed dramatically as we entered this relatively dry and grassy landscape above 9,000ft. A series of steep sided switchbacks leads hikers up to 3 saddles before finally connecting with the Crest Trail, from there the opportunities to connect on both halves of the Sacramento Range open up.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691280175/"><img alt="IMG_0452" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4691280175_027a538db2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><i> The 2nd saddle out of 3 before arriving at the Crest Trail </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691283481/"><img alt="IMG_0455" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4691283481_6e2d54384d.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> Trail </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691290085/"><img alt="IMG_0464" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4691290085_1a89372995.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> Resting in the shade carbing up on some Twizzlers and gummi-bears amongst the Light and Shadow of the mountain</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691292873/"><img alt="IMG_0467" height="500" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1266/4691292873_8dd31b512a.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />We were greeted by a young elk grazing among the grassy flanks of the Sacramentos. This elk let out a few calls and muscled up and out of sight. This was a bonus to a great morning.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691298511/"><img alt="IMG_0476" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4691298511_26992bc595.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i>Coming up over the top of the saddle, making our way up to the Crest Trail</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691304413/"><img alt="IMG_0485" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4691304413_fc901dceb7.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> This spiky little fella kept scurrying underfoot as I hiked for a few yards. There was something weird about being up at 10,000ft, snapping photos of elk and bald summits and one colorful and tough Horny Lizard all within minutes time. The desert southwest is full of dichotomy such as this </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691311159/"><img alt="IMG_0495" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4691311159_f145c1baa6.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />About 15 minutes later we arrived at the Crest Trail and chose to climb up White Horse Mtn. and check out a patch of snow we saw from the saddle below. When you live in New Mexico in June, snow is a rare occasion unless up above 10,000ft.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691945690/"><img alt="IMG_0498" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4691945690_9d389e43fe.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691950970/"><img alt="IMG_0505" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4691950970_3b69ce0006.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><i> Nogal Peak in the far upper right portion of this image </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691944270/"><img alt="IMG_0496" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4691944270_d3c15eba8e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><i> White Sands National Monument, one of the natural wonders of the world as seen from the Crest Trail</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691319801/"><img alt="IMG_0507" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4691319801_9467307f09.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><i> Stoked to not be in the hot desert valley below! </i><br /><br />After our short diversion along the Crest Trail we ran into a small group of dayhikers who had come up the west face of the Sacramento Mountains via the Three Rivers Route, an annually running group of small rivers created from snowmelt and fueled by springs later in the season. I had the opportunity to pull out all of my gear and give them a demonstration and quick tutorial on super ultralight backpacking and the possibilities it opens up for less fatigue and more fulfilling time on the trail. One of the individuals was a former Leadville 100 racer as well as an adventure racer so he was very open and completely understanding of the benefits of going lightweight in the mountains, he was most impressed with the shelter and the Caldera cone. What I think he was most interested in though was how going ultralight would free up weight and room in his pack to carry in the 15 beers he took on his trip! Of course I told him to check out backpackinglight.com as soon as he got home!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691320375/"><img alt="IMG_0508" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4691320375_db095b0e40.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><i> Ominously beautiful clouds starting to float quietly overhead, time to make our way down off the ridge. </i><br /><br />As my father and I hiked quickly down the mountain a large storm cell began to brew above us. At this point I had carried my Tenkara rod on the outside of my pack like some kind of charm and was itching for the opportunity to cast some delicate fly presentations into a pool, even if I didn't catch a single fish!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691326255/"><img alt="IMG_0515" height="375" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1275/4691326255_862bc3ba9d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />2 miles shy of the trail head I was feverishly scouring the small pools and streams of Bonito Creek looking for anything slipping through the currents and finally spotted a few small browns darting in and out of an alcove in the water. I quickly dropped my pack and tied my line on and began casting into the small pool. I had 2 snag ups fishing in the dense and small opening along the creek which is what probably spooked the fish as I had to retrieve my fly. To my dismay, I failed to catch any trout, but it was a relaxing and pleasant experience that simply felt right. I will definitely be bringing my Tenkara rod along trips this summer and into the fall.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691333917/"><img alt="IMG_0522" height="375" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1288/4691333917_5a5a6f6b2b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><i> Clear pools along the trail </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691334991/"><img alt="IMG_0523" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4691334991_0eae884109.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Tenkara style flyfishing is rather simple and intuitive to pick up, it seems ideal for even the most unimpressive sized creeks in the country.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691955130/"><img alt="IMG_0512" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4691955130_f733828256.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />With no success on the fishing front, I packed up my rod and we hiked out before the thunderstorms brewing overhead developed. As we made our way down into the town of Ruidoso, NM with pints of brown and hamburger on the mind seeking to conclude our trip, we relished in the cool mountain air on the drive down knowing the sweet relief we had found in the high country would vanish as quickly as it came. If you can't handle the heat, then run to the hills! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4691339323/"><img alt="IMG_0528" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4691339323_1aa0338a67.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><i> White Mountain Wilderness Sign </i>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-6289895242080412692010-05-22T16:29:00.000-06:002010-05-22T16:30:51.015-06:00Gila West: Seeking Enchantment in the Land of the Mogollon<b> Gila West: Seeking Enchantment in the Land of the Mogollon </b><br /><br /><br /><b> Foreword </b><br /><br />It is inevitable, the evening before a trip always leaves me pining for more rest. Though it is in these sleepless hours that I adapt; fumbling through my pack one last time, double knotting my laces, glazing over the map figuring alternative route options, reviewing the latest weather service data, scribing a small note to my wife and kids. These simple and menial tasks help etch away at the surface of time and ease my excitement of the days ahead. Stepping out into the coolness of early morning under the waning hours of darkness with my pack slung loosely over my shoulder always rekindles memories of past years trips and the jovial bright eyed conversations while loading up gear into the back of the vehicle. I've learned to cherish these seemingly mundane moments, recognizing that every moment spent away from my family is a gift and not a privilege.<br /><br /><b> Destination </b><br /><br />The Gila Wilderness of southern New Mexico lives up to the reputation of enchantment, the potent brew of wild incantations found in the arid mesas, soaring pines, rugged mountains, deep canyons and undulating waters of the Gila River have had a lasting impact on me and has instilled a feverish desire to always return.<br /><br />So we return. For this trip the plan was seemingly simple, we had all agreed to embrace arguably the most beautiful half of the Gila Wilderness in the shadows of the ancient volcanic Mogollons, a range of mountains extending 30 miles north-south in the western borders of the Gila Wilderness. Compared to the larger brethren up north, the Mogollon range has a relatively small footprint, however the intricacies and challenges still warrant great respect and caution.<br /><br /><b> Route </b><br /><br />Trip duration: 3 days<br />Mileage: 36-40 miles<br />Date: 5/14-5/16/2010<br />Route: Whitewater Creek to South Fork Whitewater Creek via #207, #218, Spruce Creek, one or two others I probably forgot<br /><br /><b> Day #1, Catwalk-> Redstone Park, (13 miles) </b> <br /><br />This trip was my brother in-law Ben Woods' brainchild, he is enroute to Kansas City, MO for culinary school and this trip would likely be his last for some unseen time. Joining us was Josh Tamminga, a NASA ballistics engineer and good friend of ours who has a background in alpine climbing, this would be his first backpacking trip in many years. Lastly, myself and my father in-law rounded out the ragtag posse of Gila wanderers, the two of us were still reeling from our last encounter with the Gila back in April on the eastern side of the Wilderness:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=31477">Waist High: Wandering the Deep Canyons and Lonely Mesas of the Gila</a><br /><br /> <br />Vamos amigos! Our tires hit the coolness of I-10 west enroute for Glenwood, NM, the jump off point for our trip, shortly after 5am, the faint tint of blue and gray was beginning to dilute the black void above. The familiar whiteness of our smiles was only outdone by the rising sun outlining the ridge leading up to the famed Cookes Peak to our east as we headed towards Silver City.<br /><br />We arrived at the Catwalk National Recreation Trail shortly after 9am and was quickly greeted by the cool rushing waters of Whitewater Creek.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618040915/"><img alt="IMG_0011" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4618040915_4855cef6b9.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />It didn't take long for us to quickly spill out of the rig and shoulder our packs, even the canine amongst us was ready for some quality time in the Gila.<br /><br /> Ben brought along his newly acquired MLD Superprophet and was thoroughly satisfied with the pack. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618042865/"><img alt="IMG_0013" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4618042865_324155ca22.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Band of ruffians<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618046379/"><img alt="IMG_0017" height="375" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3355/4618046379_9b1508eae6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The Catwalk is a 1 mile section of recreational trail established by the US forest service, it sees quite a bit of visitation in the year due to its accessibility for a diverse group of people and most importantly the beauty and geological wonder of the lower extremities of Whitewater Canyon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618047919/"><img alt="IMG_0019" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4618047919_6312c435b8.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The quality of light was unmatched on this particular morning, I was intimately engaged with every view presented before me as we made our way into the canyon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618055211/"><img alt="IMG_0025" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4618055211_ef4ccdab09.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618058499/"><img alt="IMG_0028" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3386/4618058499_3bf5a47a1d.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />There is an ingenious suspension system that was created to allow visitors to float over the surface of Whitewater Creek.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618673564/"><img alt="IMG_0031" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4618673564_d39e6abac6.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Marty and Ben thread their way along the path through the canyon walls.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618677508/"><img alt="IMG_0035" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3351/4618677508_6c8df34377.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Natures resiliency. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618067715/"><img alt="IMG_0038" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3401/4618067715_67c414a97a.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Josh and Holly make their way down the steps towards the end of the Catwalk.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618070223/"><img alt="IMG_0040" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3389/4618070223_f0c6172201.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />There are several suspension and truss bridges that were built to cross the more tumultuous sections of Whitewater Creek along the Catwalk where large displaced boulders and tight canyon walls are more frequent.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618076221/"><img alt="IMG_0047" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/4618076221_87214be356.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Below our feet.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618072281/"><img alt="IMG_0042" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4618072281_1eb594358f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />We arrived to the terminus of the Catwalk Recreation Trail with our jaws agape in awe of the beauty of the morning. We quickly made our way into the abrupt transition onto trail #207 enroute to Redstone Park, a 12 mile hike up the lichen carpeted volcanic formations carved out by Whitewater Creek, our destination for evening camp.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618074993/"><img alt="IMG_0046" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4618074993_59154bfc1f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The lushness of the vegetation was unlike anything I had seen in the Gila, we had come at the height of flower bloom and the presence of spring reigned supreme over the canyon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618691888/"><img alt="IMG_0049" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3315/4618691888_540eacbc68.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618120923/"><img alt="Bloom" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4618120923_d7cd1dbb3d.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618096321/"><img alt="IMG_0066" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4618096321_4e82d9674c.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Looking East towards the first glimpses of the Mogollons.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618079695/"><img alt="IMG_0050" height="375" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/4618079695_f494cdb12b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The chorus of nature was tickling the hairs of our ears, it is amazing how in the early morning hours that even the rising of the sun emits a sound that can be both felt and heard. Complimenting the chorus was this decorated bird that both pleased the ears and eyes with its' presence.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618694372/"><img alt="IMG_0052" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4618694372_bd3d01a548.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />On numerous occasions I failed to remember that I was hiking in the fringes of the Chihuahuan desert with views like these.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618700222/"><img alt="IMG_0056" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4618700222_45c4584834.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618718170/"><img alt="Ancient Giant" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4618718170_c0b278b70f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />This is the last hot and exposed segement of the day, temps were already into the mid 70's and the increasingly higher arch of the sun managed to wring a little sweat out of us. Shortly after this we made our way back down into Whitewater Creek where we would encounter numerous crossings and cooler temperatures to Redstone Park.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618090615/"><img alt="IMG_0060" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4618090615_c70b0290b7.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />In many cases along trail #207, the trail is made up of several cairns that sporadically leap back and forth across Whitewater creek. Navigation is easy but slow. None of us ever carried more than 1L at a time during the first day. We relied on Micropur tablets for treatment as the clarity and quality of the water was superb.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618720168/"><img alt="IMG_0073" height="375" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3365/4618720168_70c3417e49.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618116459/"><img alt="IMG_0080" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4618116459_41867da441.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618132535/"><img alt="IMG_0094" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4618132535_8bdf2a7ffd.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618735214/"><img alt="IMG_0085" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4618735214_6737231a8b.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Unlike the many beautiful "green tunnel" trails found in much of the eastern portion of the United States, dense sections of trail in the desert southwest can still be interrupted by rock falls and spire formations lined along the waters edge.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618131265/"><img alt="IMG_0093" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/4618131265_27251d4fee.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618754730/"><img alt="IMG_0103" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4618754730_72e2d0cbfd.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Evidence of the abundant snowfall accumulation the Mogollons were adorned with this past winter. Immediately after taking this photograph I was distracted trailside by a four legged reptilian creature darting in and out of a downed Ponderosa. I'm a big kid at heart. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618147477/"><img alt="IMG_0107" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3400/4618147477_e2a4cc4a63.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />We arrived at Redstone in a reasonable amount of time, the sun was still high overhead and we had plenty of time to settle into the evening. Ben made quick use of his new GVP Caldera Cone setup available from the quality crew at Trail Designs to start a boil for his evening meal. Ben debated for a day or two over which Caldera setup to bring for this trip as there was a great chance we would be utilizing camp fires in the evening and morning hours. He opted to tote the feathery GVP Caldera system due to its simplicity, low weight and clean nature. Despite the small amount of soot deposited on the bottom of the Foster can from the esbit tablets the GVP setup shined very well and is a very no frills kit that efficiently aids in getting food in your gullet when UL backpacking.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618156181/"><img alt="IMG_0114" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4618156181_2c7d1609fe.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Ben and Marty shared shelter for the 3 days, using Bens GG Squall Classic.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618770606/"><img alt="IMG_0116" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4618770606_0595186802.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Redstone Park is at an elevation of 7600 ft. so we were expecting temperatures to hover around 35F for the evening, with no chance for precipitation and calm winds. I settled on using my Nunatak Arc Specialist custom inside my Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight bivy and found this combination to shine. The Monk tarp was never once pitched and unfortunately served as a great pillow.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618773086/"><img alt="IMG_0118" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4618773086_23ec4db813.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />With satisfied appetites and a pinch of rum and some smoke to enhance the evening around the fire, we talked and laughed with gusto late into the night finally nodding off around midnight. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618779758/"><img alt="IMG_0124" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4618779758_7222899468.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618780212/"><img alt="IMG_0125" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3303/4618780212_dd104242d1.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618780942/"><img alt="IMG_0126" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4618780942_f377c435b4.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><b> Day #2, Redstone Park -> Spider Creek, (mileage unknown, est. 12-14) </b><br /><br />Morning came quickly. I slept quite warm and had to vent my bivy open twice in the night to let out some heat. Typically we'd be on the trail early to get a start on the day, but we were all slow moving and it was quite nice.<br /><br />Bens countenance in the morning was priceless, it said "I had too much rum and not enough sleep!"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618178855/"><img alt="IMG_0133" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4618178855_31c747f548.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />After fueling up and loading our packs we headed a few hundred yards back down trail to the Holt-Apache trail junction #181 to begin our ascent out of Whitewater Creek to Spider Saddle the next junction about 2500 ft. above us.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618150215/"><img alt="IMG_0109" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4618150215_3455809042.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /> If you are planning on traveling in the Mogollons you should be conditioned for steep climbs in this canyon country. The switchbacks are short and steep and you pick up a tremendous amount of elevation in a short distance. I'm in training mode for some upcoming late summer mountain trail races so I took this opportunity to push the pace early on and get in a run, sans shirt and with my ULA Ohm sitting at 11lbs. of gear/consumables I was able to run much of the climb out of Redstone in short time.<br /><br />Steeps heading out of Redstone.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618201253/"><img alt="IMG_0148" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3313/4618201253_28710b6af8.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Our group hit snow early on around 9000ft. and our pace dropped some. It was relatively easy navigating this section of snow, but we would later be subjected to snow conditions we didn't expect or prepare for in terms of navigation. We hadn't received solid beta regarding snow conditions from the wilderness district in Glenwood, we knew we'd encounter snow, but didn't think we'd lose trail or miss the blazes. Day 2 was in its infancy and would mature into an ugly beast by days end.<br /><br />Every backpacker will find themselves having to make important decisions when out in the backcountry. The photo below marks that very point. Our original plan was to head east and climb up to Black Mtn Spring to connect with trail #218 making a large loop out of the 3 days. Knowing the snow conditions we had already encountered we should have known that there was a high chance for slow snowy miles with more snow and climbing. We decided to press on and stick to the plan, the idea of cutting our trip and taking the easy route to Spider Saddle wasn't one we were willing to accept at the time, in hindsight, I believe there is a small part of each of us that wishes we had.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618836678/"><img alt="IMG_0168" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4618836678_fb80bfdd29.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Josh, being the mellow guy that he is, was along for the ride. Here he is resting immediately before we begin the failed attempt to navigate up and around Black Mountain. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618839432/"><img alt="IMG_0170" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3384/4618839432_a01489481c.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />After long delegation and discussion, locating where we were on the map since we had lost trail in the deep snow, we mutually agreed to abort our plan to navigate around Black Mountain and chose to spill down the NW facing flank of Black into Spruce Creek. Spruce Creek would meet up at our connecting trail, it looked simple enough on the map, but it would be a very slow and difficult few miles down and through Spruce Creek. We descended the steep side of Black via glissade, scrambling and tumbling through snow, saplings and scree. The hairs on my kneck rose on several occasions as we made our way down 3000 ft. of mountain....straight down. Surprisingly I made it down without snapping a single trekking pole, there were some serious close calls and I think this trip can attest to the durability of the Titanium Goat AGP's.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618841862/"><img alt="IMG_0172" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4618841862_15cec032b4.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618844210/"><img alt="IMG_0174" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3402/4618844210_c4b0486445.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />We made it into Spruce Creek and was forced to walk through the waters all the way out due to the steep canyon walls on both sides. Despite how slow the miles were and hard on the feet and legs, the sights and remoteness of Spruce Creek were rivaled by none. We new very few people made their way through this isolated region of the Gila. This was true wilderness we were immersed in and the countless scratches on our bodies are proof of the pudding. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618239461/"><img alt="IMG_0180" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4618239461_e5933bbd72.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618246453/"><img alt="IMG_0186" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4618246453_3de6908b74.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618864656/"><img alt="IMG_0191" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4618864656_e6668f7b1f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />My shoes and legs had taken a serious beating. I took inventory and was glad to find I had all my toes, fingers and appendages, though my NB MT 100's had seen better days.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618896200/"><img alt="IMG_0221" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4618896200_98cf81fc2c.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />New Mexico is steeped in a rich history of mining operations. We were fortunate enough to stumble upon a failed mining operation probably dating back to the late 1800's and ending operation in the 40's. There were several settlements and outposts scattered over a course of 2 miles. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618273591/"><img alt="IMG_0210" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4618273591_5458d78687.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Several arduous hours later we arrived at the junction of Spruce Creek. Fatigue was settling into the core of each of us, and we were faced with a rather large dilemma. We could press on in the early hours of night by headlamp and make our way to Spider Creek which was originally our intended campsite for the night, or we could find the flattest patch of ground next to Spruce for the evening and bivouac. The darkness and subtle eeriness of Spruce was less than inviting so we pressed on.<br /><br />This was the view as we climbed out of Spruce Creek. Windy Point in the background looking SE.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618890184/"><img alt="IMG_0215" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4618890184_0fed0fb8b0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />We ended up hiking until 10pm that evening arriving at our next junction. It had been a physically and emotionally charged day and the mood of our small group was mixed, but far from crushed. We found a small niche along a large slab of rock and settled into a quiet evening under the stars with a small hobo fire to cook on and waste away the evening.<br /><br /><b> Day #3, Spider Creek -> Catwalk, (14 miles) </b><br /><br />Whatever spirit was lost in the final hours of the previous day was quickly reignited with the warming rays of the sun as it split through the leaves and dust scattered outline of the ridge far above us, creeping slowly into our camp bringing well wishes and a new day. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618292643/"><img alt="IMG_0228" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3364/4618292643_c998bf38f4.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />I did a short class 3 scramble up a small cascade and waited patiently on the rocks above the fall. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day and this fine mayfly specimen was my omen of the morning. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618302041/"><img alt="IMG_0239" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4618302041_8533080819.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Dry Creek Canyon had experienced a fire that swept through years back, so it was a rather exposed and hot climb up to Camp Creek Saddle. There was an abundant amount of evidence that life was quickly returning to this region as Aspen patches in their youth permeated the gnarled crust of decaying blow down and scorched earth.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618310663/"><img alt="IMG_0246" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4618310663_36acbe96e6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618314599/"><img alt="IMG_0249" height="375" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3314/4618314599_d9acef8940.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Temperatures were expected to be in the upper 70's for the day, as we ascended up to Camp Creek the mercury rose quickly. My BPL Beartooth Hoody was overqualified for this climb and my pace so I ditched it into my pack and pressed on towards the summit stopping once to snap this photo.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618316687/"><img alt="IMG_0251" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4618316687_1beb7a01b2.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618932964/"><img alt="IMG_0254" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4618932964_39d10d8488.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618946386/"><img alt="IMG_0266" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4618946386_9936188ea0.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Relief came quickly and frequently after Camp Creek Saddle, the last stretch of our trip would take us all the way out through the South Fork of Whitewater Creek, arguably the most beautiful stretch of the Gila. If you find yourself in this canyon, don't forget to pack a rod as I sighted numerous brown, rainbow and perhaps a few endangered Gila trout.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618960744/"><img alt="IMG_0277" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3406/4618960744_14a5f2b516.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618964922/"><img alt="IMG_0280" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4618964922_7f4ce8bda8.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />I hopped from swimming hole to swimming hole eschewing my light pack aside for a quick jump into the refreshing waters of South Whitewater Creek. The warm air was always present post dip. These are the subtle benefits to going super ultra light when backpacking in fair weather, you can afford the time to swim, fish, nap and take a lot of photos but still cover some ground without killing yourself. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618356487/"><img alt="IMG_0283" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4618356487_d6fce0e062.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618970966/"><img alt="IMG_0284" height="375" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3359/4618970966_f3b4c3822d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618978630/"><img alt="IMG_0288" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4618978630_e458bdea3b.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618371601/"><img alt="IMG_0293" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3354/4618371601_7c96854705.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The pace was slow and enjoyable as we rounded out the final miles of our loop. Stellar views and perfect hiking conditions as the ones we were blessed with on Day #3 were not worth rushing and we savored every backcountry morsel we could stomach.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618992872/"><img alt="IMG_0299" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4618992872_d35cb3e4de.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618993794/"><img alt="IMG_0300" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4618993794_045afe6b46.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />This was probably the highlight of the day, the sun had managed to warm the earth considerably and with every crossing the desire to take one last dip before we made it back to the trailhead taunted us. Patience is a virtue and the final swimming hole of the day couldn't have been more perfect. Whitewater Creek had carved out a smooth water slide into a head high pool of pure mountain stream water, this is the stuff kids dream of.<br /><br />Ben makes his way down the long chute.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618400825/"><img alt="IMG_0313" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4618400825_5f67b776e8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Marty was the guinea pig and was the first down the watery chute, he confirmed its user friendliness. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618387143/"><img alt="IMG_0304" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4618387143_8bd73d5457.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Down stream from the water chute we came across the historic site of the Mogollon power source. As the sign describes, this was the origination of power for fueling the operations that existed here beginning in the second half of the 1800's. This was the last trail junction and we hiked out the last 3 miles to the vehicle in quick time to share a few luke warm IPA's and <i> (gulp) </i> Rolling Rock.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618404875/"><img alt="IMG_0316" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4618404875_608de3efb8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4618421845/"><img alt="IMG_0330" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4618421845_f96f8c3c38.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><br />The final bridge crossing as we hiked the final steps out of Whitewater Creek along the Catwalk reminded me of the many transitions we had experienced emotionally, physically and geographically over the past 3 days. 3 days isn't much time in the backcountry when seen in the light of thru-hikers and many of the experienced members and staff that makes up this great community of Backpacking Light, however, for this group of desert rat pack of friends, family, fathers and husbands, it felt quite epic in nature and the lasting impact quick diversions into the backcountry such as this experiential one will linger far into our memory banks. Let it be noted, if you're willing to give completely of yourself then the Gila will undoubtedly give back ten fold. Cheers.<br /><br /><b> Past trip reports/photo essays: </b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=31477">Waist High: Wandering the Deep Canyons and Lonely Mesas of the Gila</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=29573">Guadalupe Mountains National Park \"Fast and Light Overnight in West Texas High Country\"</a>Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-25336396228642877512010-04-14T22:32:00.000-06:002010-04-14T22:33:41.007-06:00Waist High: Wandering the Deep Canyons and Lonely Mesas of the GilaAldo Leopold, the father of environmental ethics and wilderness conservation once said that, "Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land." As a 26yr. old husband and a father of 2 children, I'm not quite sure where I fall in the vast spectrum of contemporary environmental ethics and conservation, in fact I don't even know where I stand on most of the hotbutton issues that encompass the discourse surrounding human impact on nature. Call it youthful ignorance, deem me a fool. But there is absolutely one thing I know to be true, if conservation is harmony between man and the land, then wandering through the waters and tributaries of the Gila Wilderness, soaking in the hot spring gems and cresting the labyrinth of high mesas and snow capped mountains that make up the first nationally recognized wilderness area in the National Forest System is my preferred location for achieving that elusive state of harmony Leopold spoke of.<br /><br />Spring in the Gila is an excellent time of year for the ultralight packer as temperatures are mild and precipitation low. The increasingly devious sun of spring is relentlessly feeding the ravenous thirst of the land east and west of the Mogollons through snow melt so water availability is abundant considering the typically dry environment. Spring backpacking in the Gila Wilderness offers numerous routes for complete self-supported backcountry immersion. <br /><br />There was no real plan or agenda for this trip, simply and purely to move in rhythm and beat with the trail and to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and each others company. The hikers on this trip would consist of: Ryan Bozzell, a BPL member and 2010 PCT attempting thruhiker; my father in-law Marty Miera who is a 54 yr. old pharmacist who has since reduced his pack weight in half since our first trip together; myself, a hardened trail runner fighting a nagging injury just looking to get out. Our feet would find their way up against the cold stream crossings and sharp canyons of the West and Middle Forks of the Gila River.<br /><br /><br />Giddyup!<br /><br />Day 1. TJ Corral--> Hells Hole (12 miles)<br /><br />After departing Las Cruces, NM promptly and cheerfully at 5am we arrived at the TJ Corral parking lot eager to get moving in the brisk but sunny 32F morning. Ceremonial pretrip photo capturing and pack weight discussions ensued but we were quickly off to yellow blaze the 1 mile road walk to the Cliff Dwellings National Park trail head which is the jump off point for the West Fork. Besides the slight chill, the first thing our senses were made well aware of was the sound of the Gila River flowing loud and deep, with a veracity I hadn't seen before. Immediately my mind went to the trail #'s and I was beginning to ruminate an alternative route; apprehension was beginning to rear it's ugly head.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514710426/"><img alt="IMG_1285" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2790/4514710426_6338809225.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />My full ULA Ohm pack weighed 13.44 lbs. with everything I would be carrying for the 4 day trip. The smile you see never faded but the "weight" on my back sure did with every day that passed and every calorie consumed. I was one happy ultralight camper.<br /><br />Here is my gearlist for this trip:<br /><a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkTVWxf41fKodEJnUS1zdV9fVU1hMmVZU1NwdGgtd1E&hl=en">Eugene Smith 4-Day/3-Season Gila Gear List</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514072817/"><img alt="IMG_1286" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4514072817_d3635f1623.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Ryans pack was also nice and feathery upon his shoulders. Ryan Bozzell is attempting Round #2 on the PCT at the end of the month, a rough bout of foot issues sent him home last June. He'll be attending the 2010 PCT Kickoff and heading 2651 miles north alongside the other hardened trail nuts.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514070487/"><img alt="IMG_1284" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/4514070487_7c02e48df5.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Marty making the last adjustments to his pack and clothing, clearly stoked on the blessing it is to backpack in the Gila.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514715988/"><img alt="IMG_1290" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2335/4514715988_891a0d3b3a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Some part of me really enjoys road walks to the trailhead, it somehow adds to the transition of regular life and backcountry life.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514079643/"><img alt="IMG_1292" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2543/4514079643_414a550aa4.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Our first glimpse of the Gila river.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514080589/"><img alt="IMG_1293" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2705/4514080589_b54a9c4b87.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />All parties were happy to be moving but I think in the deep recesses of our gut we were slightly worried the stream crossings were going to be more than we expected.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514720036/"><img alt="IMG_1294" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2714/4514720036_37f6287ef5.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Yellow Blazing<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514083889/"><img alt="IMG_1296" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2250/4514083889_2d75a34648.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />5 minutes into our trip we were presented with the first of countless stream crossings. The morning was still a chilly 35F but the sun was beginning to warm the air. No amount of sun was going to alter the cold temperature of the water, only our dulling nerve endings in the lower extremities of our body would dampen the chill. On we go.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514087143/"><img alt="IMG_1299" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2115/4514087143_8907582de5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />In the center of the photo you can see a large herd of deer scattering from the cottonwood lined waters of the Gila.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514089981/"><img alt="IMG_1301" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2729/4514089981_716a7d274a.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514731496/"><img alt="IMG_1303" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2419/4514731496_e0364245dc.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The views along the early stretches of the West Fork were enticing and elevated our spirits and our body temperature.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514733092/"><img alt="IMG_1304" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4514733092_d3d642f6fc.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The awe factor didn't take very long to flow through our veins.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514098803/"><img alt="IMG_1307" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/4514098803_904ede39b2.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The first major trail junction was a deciding point for us. If we chose to head up stream along the West Fork we would have 10 1/2 additional miles of potentially dangerous stream crossings until we reached Hells Hole, our loose destination for the evening. Passing up the beautiful high walls of the West Fork wasn't one any of us wanted to make so we decided to push on through the river.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514102453/"><img alt="IMG_1310" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4514102453_873469e82f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Temperatures rose quickly and made the cold crossings much more bareable. Here Marty easily makes it across.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514813790/"><img alt="IMG_1322" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4514813790_e3a8348194.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The dark features embedded in the walls of the canyon are remnants dwellings of the Mogollon people who lived in the Gila centuries ago.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514816630/"><img alt="IMG_1325" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4514816630_5bccffa4b9.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The tall features of the West Fork grow with every bend in the river.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514836320/"><img alt="IMG_1340" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/4514836320_f6e2c027e4.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Water clarity was quite good considering the rate of flow, the silt was only a minor issue. The clarity was welcomed as it aided in footing and navigating crossings.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514202347/"><img alt="IMG_1342" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2680/4514202347_338229621c.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Beautiful outlooks over the river were abundant.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514841006/"><img alt="IMG_1343" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4514841006_d25e140aed.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514847822/"><img alt="IMG_1347" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2788/4514847822_c422a614a6.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The lighter skin fella on our trip had a nice rosey hue to his legs due to the cold water.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514850838/"><img alt="IMG_1349" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2775/4514850838_5dae27d2f2.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514226657/"><img alt="IMG_1358" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4514226657_dc3396a207.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />We halted our pace for a brief late afternoon lunch. Marty is notorious for packing delicious trail food and snacks and he lived up to his reputation with a fresh fuji apple and peanut butter and salami. For him the luxury and nourishment is worth the weight; I envy his state of mind.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514228057/"><img alt="IMG_1359" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4514228057_26a3a88aab.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />I took this lunch opportunity to efficiently stoke a small fire for my mashed potatoes in my Trail Designs TiTri Inferno setup I recently acquired for my MSR Titan Kettle. I cannot praise enough the speed and simplicity this little kit provided me in attaining boiling water for my meals. I failed to time the boil as I don't wear a watch but swiftly had 2 cups of cold river water at a rolling boil in about 5 minutes. The small tinder and twigs used to stoke the fire were completely incinerated in a matter of minutes; once cooled I broke down the optional titanium floor and properly deposited the spent ash in a small hole and covered the debris with dirt and pine needle. Only the most keen Leave No Trace observers and CSI watching gurus would've been able to detect the whereabouts of my little rendezvous with the TiTri Inferno. If I'm in the Gila this little stove will be in my pack from here on out.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514869492/"><img alt="IMG_1362" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2677/4514869492_b583c9c840.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Burn baby! Burn!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514247633/"><img alt="IMG_1371" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2065/4514247633_19a8706872.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Serenity and chaos often battled it out like two giant titans, pulling at the yarn of our attention. Quiet sections of trail like this one were frequently interrupted with cold and swift river crossings. We took each dose with care and respect.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514255037/"><img alt="IMG_1376" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2043/4514255037_561312c017.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />This looming giant Ponderosa stood watch like an ancient megalithic creature, walking under the shadow of this remnant tree felt as if we were flirting with the canyons ancestral past.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514258005/"><img alt="IMG_1378" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4514258005_a7ec8cf5e2.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514953322/"><img alt="IMG_1384" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2122/4514953322_60716a3faf.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />There was still ice formed in the dark recesses of the canyon walls. This large crevasse remained untouched from the suns wrath.<br /><br /><br />9 hours and only 12 miles later we arrived slightly weary and tired from the incessant and sometimes arduous stream crossings. We had several close calls towards the end of Day 1 crossing the Gila river. We reached one tenacious section of river that resulted in Marty losing his footing in navel high water and being swept back about 15 ft. or so. Luckily he was able to find his footing and regain an upright position and salvage the crossing, his smart use of a drysac kept all his down gear dry. I was growing tired and didn't have the confidence to safely cross a navel high section of water so I threw my pack across to Ryan, removed my Beartooth hoody and crossed shirtless in my track shorts with only my poles in the event I lost purchase in the water I wouldn't be foolishly trying to dry out any gear in the early hours of the evening. With the aid of my poles and a large branch extended out by Marty I was able to make it across and press on to Hells Hole for the night. What an adventure we were having already.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514955980/"><img alt="IMG_1386" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2319/4514955980_95c8b97a8d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Here is a shot of my shelter setup and gear. I used the MLD Monk Spintex tarp as a wind break in conjunction with my MLD Superlite bivy as the gentle breezes coming off the Gila river in the night were potentially chilling. It would be a warm and comfortable evening.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514326257/"><img alt="IMG_1390" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2757/4514326257_30f7cabc7a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Marty would bivy for the weekend and used a custom made Tyvek groundsheet/flat tarp as a windbreak. He had to supplement his 40F Marmot down bag with a down vest and Patagonia Cap 4 tights to maintain warmth in the evening so unfortunately his sleep was intermittent but he toughed it out and was able to hike briskly and with gusto in the morning. I was quite jealous of his pine needle cushioned, Big Agnes IC mattress and full length Z-Lite setup he devised.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514969236/"><img alt="IMG_1395" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2248/4514969236_37a997d02d.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />We dawned our evening camp insulation and settled in for the evening. Fortune was on our side and there was a nice fire ring and some wood at our campsite. Campfires are atypical fare on backpacking trips for me, however we would enjoy a fire every night of the trip. The warmth and glowing embers of the fire complimented the jovial conversation of the days recollections and highlights. The hot coals and stoked flames would also be our backcountry kitchen for our evening meals.<br /><br />Day 2. Hells Hole---> Prior Creek (15 miles)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514971324/"><img alt="IMG_1397" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4514971324_51a9c8af81.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />I typically wake up at 445am to either hit the gym or get out for an early morning trail run, so I was up quite early and was greeted by the light of dawn and the gradual rustling of the birds in the trees.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514984156/"><img alt="IMG_1406" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4514984156_b09ba0a479.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Once again the Trail Designs TiTri Inferno made quick work getting a boil rolling for my hearty oatmeal in the morning. To further attest to the multipurpose features found in the kit, I stored all my titanium stakes for my shelter in the food grade caddy that stores the Caldera Cone and Inferno insert and optional floor. The smaller half of the caddy would serve as my camp mug and the larger half made a great basin for rinsing out my Buff and socks at the end of the day. The hot embers left behind from the Inferno after my boil was also used to start the fire in the morning. Sweet!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514987602/"><img alt="IMG_1408" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4514987602_f431264082.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />All packed up and ready to hike. There was a little ULA representation on this trip. My stealth black ULA Ohm in the forefront and Ryans ULA Circuit in the rear. Both packs carry like a dream.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514355883/"><img alt="IMG_1411" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2095/4514355883_aa1785408d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The topography of the Gila is a cartographers wet dream! Someone please update the Gila Wilderness map! I'm still dumbfounded why the first nationally established wilderness network isn't offered by Nat Geo.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514995490/"><img alt="IMG_1413" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4514995490_35806f2c31.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />No more than a mile into Day #2 were we greeted by more chilly river crossings. We were much more prepared and seasoned as the previous day expedited our graduation as Gila river navigators. Our selection, approach and technique was up to the task of the days ahead. Though a certain level of caution and respect was maintained.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515005890/"><img alt="IMG_1420" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2725/4515005890_08f76931f3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />I wanted to take Marty to a cascading section of the Gila where the narrowing canyon and massive boulders create an idyllic aquatic playground so we took a short spur off the main trail. Unfortunately this year there would be no swimming and jumping off the rocks into the deep water holes of the river as the record snow fall in the Mogollon Range created a torrent of whitewater unfit for a dip. Nonetheless the display of power was inspiring and enjoyable.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515009888/"><img alt="IMG_1423" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2010/4515009888_b1a47c104c.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />During an average season you can pass the hours swimming and jumping off the rocks. The cold water and the swift currents led to a chute that wasn't worth being obliterated over.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514410841/"><img alt="IMG_1433" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2734/4514410841_eb36b89e98.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515053432/"><img alt="IMG_1439" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2415/4515053432_8a194d8369.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514421193/"><img alt="IMG_1443" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2332/4514421193_9d441a8f9a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />By early noon we were 18 1/4 mile into our trip, doesn't sound like much but with all the water crossings it felt like 40, we were a little mentally taxed and looking forward to dry trail runners and the high mesas. We would head up out of the West Fork and up onto the mesa to make our way to Lily Park for lunch.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515069714/"><img alt="IMG_1451" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2750/4515069714_b40d01d184.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The switchbacks out of the West Fork were quite intense and frequent. The lack of trail work and the west facing side of the canyon made for a hot ascent over the next mile. Marty rested it out occasionally and said he didn't feel prepared for the climbing, I disagree and think he did just fine!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515078204/"><img alt="IMG_1458" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2727/4515078204_480ed2e43f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Once we crested the rim of the West Fork we were afforded great views of the not so distant Mogollons to our SW. You can clearly see the deep snow pack that has many 2010 CDT thruhikers slightly worried as the Mogollons are a common alternative and more scenic route through the Gila Wilderness.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515081422/"><img alt="IMG_1460" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2113/4515081422_3a08338f77.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Ryan hamming it up for the camera doing his victory pose. It was nice to finally move into the faster rolling mesas under the shade of the Ponderosa and Juniper.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514451679/"><img alt="IMG_1464" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2770/4514451679_20d6433153.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Elk are abundant along the mesas. I was unable to snap off a photo in time but a herd of about 16 elk broke through the forest a 100 yards ahead of me. There is no lack of photo opportunities for Ponderosa burn victims that are clinging onto dear life.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514456273/"><img alt="IMG_1467" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4514456273_511919ca13.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />My New Balance MT100's were holding up fairly well considering the trail conditions and they complimented my fast paced style of hiking. However it was clearly evident from the few busted seams that the fluctuation of cold water, parched earth, melted snow and downed trees were taking their toll on the minimalist uppers of the MT100.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514467839/"><img alt="IMG_1475" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2071/4514467839_79b7b074d6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />After a quick lunch under the shade of tree we began the 4 mile hike to the Prior Creek trail junction, it would be another 3 miles after that until we reached camp for the night. I had not received confirmation from the forest service office that there would be water available at Prior Creek so I tanked up on 2L of water in the event we needed to ration out water for the night. I was confident in the above average snowfall providing water for the evening but took the extra measure anyways.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515105706/"><img alt="IMG_1476" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2747/4515105706_642b3fdf83.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The monotony of the high mesas in the Gila are both beautiful and eerie. There is something about the sparseness of vegetation and the stillness in the air that allows my heart and mind to wander. We walked spaced out in isolation so we could enjoy the silence in private. It is amazing how many things come to mind when you zone out on a long hike.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515111434/"><img alt="IMG_1480" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/4515111434_5416c73c15.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />We covered the 4 mile trail from Lily Park to the junction for Prior in about 45 minutes, we were rolling. Only a short 2 3/4 mile jaunt alongside the clean waters of Prior, our decided destination for the evening.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514478879/"><img alt="IMG_1482" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2688/4514478879_f66cd3aafb.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The stream that constitutes Prior Creek would frequently dip below the surface of the ground which was a great sign, filtering would be thoroughly taken care of for us by the natural geological process and water wouldn't be an issue for the evening. This would be the highest water quality we would encounter along our trip and the most refreshing.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514484653/"><img alt="IMG_1486" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2065/4514484653_955e29e2f7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />This hearty Ponderosa wasn't quite adept at handling the saturated soils created by the flow of Prior Creek. Hundreds of years of tree growth were easily uprooted by the gentle but consistent stream of water.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514490259/"><img alt="IMG_1490" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4514490259_03495ea457.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Day #2 was a long day and Ryan took the opportunity to catch some rest before settling in for camp. We would all bivy under the stars to minimize our footprint and make use of the small knoll we called home for the evening.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515133682/"><img alt="IMG_1496" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2799/4515133682_9d9dd2f589.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />I took the opportunity to observe the small details.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514506515/"><img alt="IMG_1506" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4514506515_762f869d51.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Great conversation with exceptional company capped off the night. Day #2 was in the bag and it was a good one.<br /><br />Day #3. Prior Cabin---->Jordan Hot Springs (12 miles)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515144436/"><img alt="IMG_1508" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4515144436_2862debb06.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Ryan awoke early as did I on the morning of Day #3 and began to stoke a small fire for cooking and warmth. The night was quite brisk and temperatures dipped into the low 20's by my guess. I had a solid 1/2" of frozen water in both my Evernew containers. Ryan breathed a little to heavily in the night and created a microclimate inside his Oware bivy, that increase in condensation and ice crystals compromised his loft a tad so the morning hours were chilly.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515153292/"><img alt="IMG_1514" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4515153292_cf3fe6b1c9.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Taking care of the gear before stuffing it back into the bottoms of our packs.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514518091/"><img alt="IMG_1515" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4514518091_c421f0255b.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Drying out the ice crystals in my shoes and boiling water for some coffee. We were in no rush to get on the trail as we had a long day ahead and only about 12 miles to hike.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514526021/"><img alt="IMG_1522" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2710/4514526021_20343060fc.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Cinching up the collar and heading out in the warm morning sun.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514537321/"><img alt="IMG_1531" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2262/4514537321_66f22cc967.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />There are several old establishments within the Gila Wilderness system, Prior Cabin is a popular destination for backpackers venturing into the Gila. Unfortunately it is a padlocked facility so hut style trekking isn't an option.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514538585/"><img alt="IMG_1532" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2734/4514538585_ac6373be17.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514541153/"><img alt="IMG_1534" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2740/4514541153_87e6e40f9a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515179234/"><img alt="IMG_1535" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/4515179234_5a88df7040.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Marty accurately captioned this image. "Life is Good!"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515196344/"><img alt="IMG_1545" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2779/4515196344_edcf6a967e.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />When you head NE out of Prior along Woodland Park you are brought out of the Ponderosa and quickly transition into the low shrubs and Juniper scattered flats of the high mesa. The trail here was mottled and adorned with a nice shoe abusing rock carpet.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515204312/"><img alt="IMG_1550" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/4515204312_d18fbb576d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />We made excellent time and covered the 3 1/2 mile trail segment to the rim of the Middle Fork in less than an hour. From here we would begin the steep descent down into The Meadows then head East along the Middle Fork of the Gila River.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514573755/"><img alt="IMG_1554" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4514573755_0c574940d6.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Along the rim. In the distance is the headwaters of the Middle Fork.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514585085/"><img alt="IMG_1562" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2761/4514585085_054717c803.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Gotta love Ryans SticPic!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514599417/"><img alt="IMG_1573" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2273/4514599417_c8fec1674d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Once we reached the floor of the Middle Fork the continuation of river crossings ensued. We were learning the language of the river quite well and the subtle patterns were becoming easier to decipher, however the Middle Fork of the Gila differed greatly in its clarity. We weren't able to see the river floor so relied heavily on the trekking poles to feel our way across the water. Trekking poles were not so much an option as they were a necessity on this trip.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515237576/"><img alt="IMG_1575" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2386/4515237576_2428852084.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Marty is somewhat of a masochist and he is clearly loving this stream crossing way too much! Excellent!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514609121/"><img alt="IMG_1580" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4514609121_c81b239909.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The Gila is dotted with secret hot springs that pop up along sections of the river, sometimes literally in the river. Tiny and fragile microhabitats exist in these tepid water conditions and organisms abound and wild flowers flourish.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515249826/"><img alt="IMG_1583" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2302/4515249826_c418af437b.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Nature is resourceful. Wildflowers triumphantly cling to the pebble filled cracks of stone.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514615479/"><img alt="IMG_1585" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2309/4514615479_2e1411c46f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Here I desperately cling to the tumbling and shifting stones of the river bottom floor.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514626353/"><img alt="IMG_1594" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/4514626353_b51c336dbb.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Ryan was served a healthy diet of river crossings; I believe he's much more prepared for the Sierras in his upcoming PCT thru.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514628027/"><img alt="IMG_1595" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4514628027_0769ae6117.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Trailblazing through cattail strands was common. I found these segments to be the most taxing on the body as the outside sheath on the plants would slap the insides of our legs and thighs relentlessly. Holding out our trekking poles like a plow helped slightly.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515277956/"><img alt="IMG_1606" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4515277956_b258807976.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Beat up legs and tired feet.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514654319/"><img alt="IMG_1615" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2745/4514654319_8e931074f4.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514649177/"><img alt="IMG_1612" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2679/4514649177_a4c5b8828c.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Serenity.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515288828/"><img alt="IMG_1614" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4515288828_57370f4099.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4514663017/"><img alt="IMG_1621" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2382/4514663017_1ddc3e53de.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />"Trail"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpacking_and_hiking/4515287714/"><img alt="IMG_1613" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2385/4515287714_6a99f44e6f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The photo above concludes the photographic segments of our trip. I think Ryans double thumbs up accurately summarizes the trips entirety. Unfortunately not too long after this photo was taken I dropped down into a hole in the bottom of the river and was immersed mid chest in the rapidly flowing water. Foolishly I failed to place Ryans camera in an Aloksack and the loosely resting camera inside my Ohms hipbelt pocket experienced a chilly Gila River baptism. The battery shorted out and we were left with nothing to document the remaining 2 days of our trip.<br /><br />I'm like a canoe without a paddle with no images to work off of so I'll briefly conclude the remainder of the trip. <br /><br />We finally arrived to Jordan Hot springs and took a 45 minute hot soak in the deep clear pool to ease the tired muscles. The third night was easily our most relaxing evening; mild temperatures; deep black sky and vivid stars; warm food; hot fire; and warm beds dictated the details of the evening. My eyes peered out of the top of my quilt and lingered long into the night.<br /><br />Day #4. Jordan Canyon---> TJ Corral (7 miles)<br /><br />The section of canyon between Jordan hot springs and Little Bear Canyon, our way out, is arguably the most scenic and deep of the Middle Fork. It saddens me that I wasn't able to document the rest of the giant loop I conjured up for our trip. <br /><br />We made quick work on the trail and were back at the vehicle in about 2 1/2 hours. A large group of Boy Scouts of America was also on their way out of the mesa overlooking the Middle Fork a mile shy of the trailhead. The strained faces of the young men carrying packs exceeding 50lbs. was unfortunate. Many of the Scout leaders and volunteers looked curiously at us as we danced along the trail past the blisters and towering packs. I found it to be such a dichotomy to the method of travel and enjoyment we encountered in the Gila over the last 4 days. I asked one brisk footed young fellow (possibly the next Andrew Skurka cause he was well ahead of the pack) if he was enjoying himself, he gave me a cracked smile and nodded his head. Sweet reassurance. There is no doubt, that whatever method of travel you choose, if you're in the Gila Wilderness then you my friend are truly blessed.Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-90421276787401470132009-08-13T21:11:00.000-06:002009-08-14T00:08:44.700-06:00Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6W2W4wSuX57Cw4K-mXxvouofUzGUxze-sRps9miCZf52LvvHkaMY1r7kGir-yO9hRYV9L8_Ptut2qbsY0_JVxk2SlwhMcKrDwLbHiqhOSG4Gqaxwdo8oiinMnQXSdb2RUb6ty-nk3algv/s1600-h/night_of_the_living_dead1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6W2W4wSuX57Cw4K-mXxvouofUzGUxze-sRps9miCZf52LvvHkaMY1r7kGir-yO9hRYV9L8_Ptut2qbsY0_JVxk2SlwhMcKrDwLbHiqhOSG4Gqaxwdo8oiinMnQXSdb2RUb6ty-nk3algv/s320/night_of_the_living_dead1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369696951480084994" /></a><br />One of the first frightening images to shake me to my very bones were the undulating, wretched, and grotesque motions of the mindless corpses from the original Night of the Living Dead dragging their pathetic decaying bodies across my screen. I remember staying up way past my scheduled time for sleep to sneak a peak at Tales from the Crypt and other various scaries and boogies that go bump in the television when mom and pops are asleep. The zoned out countenances of the living dead stayed with me for a couple years, yes, deep in the recesses of my mind I knew such a hellish being didn't exist. However, all matters of nature and logic I haphazardly threw out the window and I pulled at the strings of truth and sanity, did hell run out of room and allow the dead to wander the earth? Come to find out, no. But the boundless imagination of a young boy can be tricked into believing anything for a period of time, even through the power of cheap B-grade cinematic horror.<br /><br />The whole mythology of the zombie returned to me last Sunday morning while running; I was about 10 miles into my 16 mile run when for a split second the activity I was engaged in escaped my mind. The steady release of endorphins, the relentlessly intense focus on the trail ahead, and the tremendous amount of exerted effort to make strategic foot placements amongst the gnarled heaps of sand and stone had quickly sent my mind into an enchanted state of "zombieism". Unlike the late night TV glow induced fears of my childhood, this zombie experience was quite welcomed, I had slipped into a serious groove, where the effort exerted was not perceived as it should have been. I was getting tired and ready to stop running physically, however my mind was quite satisfied with the current situation. Unfortunately this is not a regular occurrence, most of the time I'm convincing myself to "keep moving, don't stop", the incessant dialogue of an endurance participant. When I became aware of what was taking place, I managed to gain composure and perhaps consciousness and finish out the last 6 miles with a smile on my face as usual, for running always brings out this in me, I often throw my hands up with a thankful heart; suffer the joy. <br /><br />The profundity of my "zombie" like behavior was that which is typically a steady laborious undertaking had for a moment become quite simple and effortless. Mind you all the symptoms of the Pain Cave were present; I was still soaked in sweat like a tripped out ruffian on the downside of a massive high, my calves/quads were pulsating with lactic acid and my lungs were working at capacity as I ascended the increasingly steep hill ahead. Was the momentary simplicity and effortless act of running simply a lapse in reality? When was the last time I became so completely absorbed in an activity where the mind persevered over the body? The only increasingly distant memory is the the marathon printing session I ran in the NMSU darkroom for 24 hours straight, however I have to credit my success at that feat to the abundance of harmful chemistry, a steady diet of diluted developer and fix, my crew member Maren supplying Chicken Express #1 and coffee, and the steady drone of Broken Social Scene playing in the background on loop. <br /><br />The point I make, which is a long time coming, is that I want more zombie experiences in this life, where the body simply does what is asked of it without strain or without effort, where the mind says "Everything is all good". The act of being so absorbed in what you are doing to the point of effortlessness and pure simplicity is a sensation that rivals any. I imagine talented musicians experience this every time they are wrapped up in the intricacies of a song; dashing their eyes across the lines of music, triggering impulses in their fingers to the corresponding keys on a piano or guitar, emitting pleasantries to the ears of those in attendance. We see and hear pure harmony. Or perhaps the painter whose strokes come without bridled thought or hesitation, what a sensation that must be. Running is this way for some, I'm far from that group of individuals. Although as I wake up in the morning and throw on my trail shoes and take those first steps out onto the desert I look forward with anticipation for more zombie runner moments however brief and fleeting they may be.Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573181155536156840.post-48277876746310611732009-08-03T21:16:00.000-06:002009-08-03T22:49:03.487-06:00Gus the Bodybuilding Navajo or so I thought.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuobMbm2ej53aVhqh3gQFZu43qtIY0Sg09shJ997w1yHL0ZwpApCdtrLtAJVEwFU9oPs8JT_KtAn6MmUEPEEK4_szllVdb82-ej6Txst0s35_-XlSZIvTfeG8RcNrAw5UkMRE8Z4O3-W-/s1600-h/lou.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuobMbm2ej53aVhqh3gQFZu43qtIY0Sg09shJ997w1yHL0ZwpApCdtrLtAJVEwFU9oPs8JT_KtAn6MmUEPEEK4_szllVdb82-ej6Txst0s35_-XlSZIvTfeG8RcNrAw5UkMRE8Z4O3-W-/s320/lou.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365962603941377602" /></a><br />I promise this one will be short(er). Truly the most profound or rather, abnormal situations occur during the most unexpected of circumstances. I was running down the trail the other morning and hadn't encountered any other individuals enjoying the coolness or the solitude, which is oddly typical. But I couldn't help but see the large Lou Ferrigno looking centaur of a man making his way up trail towards me. Now, you have to understand, when I see people on the trail during my runs, they are usually 'outdoorsy' in appearance, you could go as far to say the average garden variety REI type, not that there is anything wrong with that: cute dogs, Nalgene bottles, oversized hiking boots, nature inspired colors and apparel, you get the drift. But this manbeast was quite the opposite, for starters, he wasn't wearing a shirt, nothing too unusual, I go shirtless when running, it does serve a purpose, however this man had what appeared to be two very large sea turtles strapped to his chest. I was mistaken, it was simply his abnormally overdeveloped chest. He was in fact, a body builder as I would come to discover in our 6 minute conversation.<br /><br />For some reason I stopped, probably cause I needed a quick recovery, and also I wanted to see if his reddish orange skin was in fact a fake tan or if he was a bodybuilding Navajo, honestly I was quite confused. Blast! The tan was fake, not sure if I'm disappointed in that it was fake or he wasn't a body building Navajo, hmm? But what was not fake was this guys' dedication to the "Pools". Now, the "Pools" apparently are the endless number of aquatic lounges that line the Vegas strip, the swim up bars and hangouts for the rich and famous, or people who seek to project the illusion of being of that degree. This juiced up man proceeded to quickly elaborate to me on how he has been training and working out for 9 months for the "Pools of Vegas", so I told him "Right on man! That's awesome" cause to him it was and I was hearing this guy out. <br /><br />My newfound friend proceeded to tell me while looking off in the distance past me somehwhere, and I quote, minus his slight lisp, "This year I'm going shoitless (shirtless), yeah definitely gonna make that happen, shoitless...the Playmate girls don't go for dudes with the big guts (he gestures), they like them tight abs, this year it's shoitless for me not like last year with the shirt on and all." At this point, I about lost it, lotioned up muscle, the gold necklace, the 90's Oakley shades with the leash in the back, the slicked back hair, short work out shorts and white basketball shoes were too much for me. I didn't know people were so serious about their self image, this guy has literally dedicated almost a year of his life with one goal in mind, taking off a 1/16" of an inch piece of polyester fabric so he can reveal to the Playmates of Vegas at the "Pools" his man flesh. <br /><br />Come to find out his name is Gus, not joking, he is from Chicago, hence the accent. He was a really cool guy, worked in insurance and planned on purchasing a condo on the Strip below Leo Di Caprio, but according to Gus, Leo keeps buying up entire floors along the strip as real estate investments while the market is down, very environmentally concious of Leo huh? Gus also shared some investment advice, Vegas is hot right now, get in, so is Mission Beach if I can acquire $300,000 now, cause it's gonna double in 3 years says Gus. I could only muster up "Nah, I'm good man, Vegas isn't my thing" what else was I supposed to say to the Gus, I didn't want him thinking I was total nerd.<br /><br />But I learned a few thing from Gus, if you want to have a good time you gotta hit the "Pools" in Vegas up, and the more virtuous "Gusism" he shared is that anyone can work hard at something and attain it confidently. Gus had more confidence than most individuals I've met, there really was a certain mythical quality about Gus, maybe it was just the timing and circumstance, but Gus seemed sure of himself even when most would quickly assume he was some self absorbed overcompensating muscle head, I didn't see that in him. I'm not really sure where this is going, but I keep thinking about our conversation and the idea of attaining a goal. Our goals differ, the reasons and methods may differ but sacrifice and hard work, confidence are necessary for them all, that is something we can at least relate to and level with. If anything, the run in with Gus reminded me how important listening can be, which is hard for me, just ask my wife. Also, how important good fake tanning products are in achieving that natural look, cause the brother was hurting in that department. Cheers.Eugene Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187831875021772459noreply@blogger.com3