On Wed, 26 May 2004 13:33:56 -0700, Ken Barber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I ain't no damn hippie (used to be, though) and their idea of > "communing with nature" ain't exactly the same as mine. playing with birds == hippy > I'm not a City Person either, and I really don't understand you > athletic types who go hiking in the mountains just to put a notch > on your belt. As long as you're up there, why not take the time > to enjoy the stuff you'll never see in a city? I didn't know I was one of "those athletic types", but yes, I enjoy the physical and mental challenges. It's one of the main reasons I do it, in addition to getting away from the city and seeing the sites. My grandmother was a rugged hiker, and we frequently took trips into the mountains when I was a small boy. > I co-captained an Altair [altairsports.org] backpacking trip up to > Obsidian Falls (foot of the Middle Sister) a couple of years ago. > There was only one other person in that group who was actually > there to enjoy & experience the place. Everyone else was there > to prove how much trail mileage they could cover in how short a > time. Yeah, one of them brought a cell phone too. Nice area. The entire Three Sisters area is my favorite area of Oregon, I think. Looking at the Altair website, it seems they're geared towards promoting recreational sports, so I can understand why the others there were there just to prove their trail mileage. > "City people," I thought. "They can't wait to get out of their > cages, and then when they do come up here, they bring their cages > with 'em." *cough* wasn't this a line in Point Break? Besides, we're all "caged", even you. If you want to be uncaged, toss out your computer, throw away your clothes and go live in the woods and get harrassed by "Freddies". I did it for a month, and it was certainly a learning lesson. You go back to your heated apartment and your plush couch with heated appreciation. > I got my head bit off for going too slow and "holding the group > back" because I kept wanting to stop to examine wildflowers, > interesting rocks, etc. and play with the birds. Doesn't make your reasons right, and theirs wrong. People enjoy things in different ways. Me, I don't find wildflowers or birds interesting. I like going places a lot of people don't or can't go. I like the intense pain in my quadraceps and my lungs hungry sucking air. I like altitude. I like looking down 5...10 k feet below me into a valley. I like mountain geology. I enjoy taking in the volcanic geology. I like glaciers. Hell, I even like scree. > I go to the mountains because that's my home, and it's nice to go > home for a visit now and then. Like about every weekend. It's > senseless to me to bring the City with me. You're acting like everyone brings DVD players and a Mr Coffee with them. A cellphone != the city. per _______________________________________________ EUGLUG mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.euglug.org/mailman/listinfo/euglug
