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What a pretty day outside! The completely gray sky of this morning has turned mostly-blue and sunny. This reminds me of something I'm not going to be able to procrastinate forever:
I am going to need a camping and backpacking buddy.
I am guessing he or she will be hard to find. The requirements list is long. My ideal camping buddy would be physically about as fit as I am, plus or minus a little; local; someone who actually enjoys the activity; someone who has time for it; a friend of mine, or someone who could become a friend; completely unattracted to me; not likely to quit when new lover or baby comes along; fairly self-sufficient and grown-up and ideally somewhat trail-wise.
In other words, most likely a straight married childfree friend of mine who likes camping and whose husband does not.
Somehow I don't think there are large numbers of these running around. I sure would like to find one though.
I am going to need a camping and backpacking buddy.
I am guessing he or she will be hard to find. The requirements list is long. My ideal camping buddy would be physically about as fit as I am, plus or minus a little; local; someone who actually enjoys the activity; someone who has time for it; a friend of mine, or someone who could become a friend; completely unattracted to me; not likely to quit when new lover or baby comes along; fairly self-sufficient and grown-up and ideally somewhat trail-wise.
In other words, most likely a straight married childfree friend of mine who likes camping and whose husband does not.
Somehow I don't think there are large numbers of these running around. I sure would like to find one though.
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If I hear of someone you might like wistfully wishing for a camping and backpacking buddy, shall I hook you up?
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Please, yes, that would be thoughtful and very much appreciated!
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I won't give up camping though. I try to go at least 1-2x every summer. I have since I was tiny. (Used to be 2-4 wks each summer then.) ...granite, alpine waters, lodgepole pine, white fir, few to no people around, wandering through the wilderness. I miss it. At least camping there still recharges my soul.
-- Shadopanther
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I'm sorry to hear about your toe. I've had severe feet problems before -- you just don't realize how much you take basic mobility for granted until every step hurts. I hope it heals, though.
localities and feet
Right, the first leg in a backpacking trip for you & CJ then would probably be by jet.
My urban home (as opposed to my camping "home") is at the southern tip of SF Bay, California. I've met CJ in person a while ago at a Tues night social here in the south bay. How long have you been in Egypt?
I'm sorry to hear about your toe.
Thank you for the sympathy.
I've had severe feet problems before -- you just don't realize how much you take basic mobility for granted until every step hurts. I hope it heals, though.
Exactly! I would not have guessed that a problem with the first joint in my big toe (counting from the foot proper) would cause so much trouble. I would not have thought that it would have a domino affect to cause my knees to be sore and increase the frequency of my back getting out of proper alignment. --- I hope it heals too. I'm not sure it will though. My podiatrist thinks it's the beginning of arthritis and that he can't heal it, he can only try to recommend what to do so it might not get any worse (ie: straight leg calf stretches to strengthen my arch and $500 orthotics).
-- Shadopanther
Re: localities and feet
About six months. We'll stay here at least two years, probably four, and possibly more than that.
I would not have thought that it would have a domino affect to cause my knees to be sore and increase the frequency of my back getting out of proper alignment.
OOoooh yes. I remember. :-P Your feet hurt. So you walk funny 'cause it hurts every time you take a step. So it throws your balance off, and that hurts your knees, your back, and your whole body!! Bleh.
Yeah, orthopedic shoes, if they help, may be worth investing in. Darn that big toe! Too bad they don't know exactly what's going on there. (I've never heard of arthritis confined to a single to or finger, before!)
Re: localities and feet
Exactly that! (Fwiw, it feels good to hear from someone who's been through it.) [I am tempted to ask how your feet are now & what originally happened -- but I think maybe I should email you on that instead of taking more space in CJ's journal. ...Unless of course, CJ is interested too. CJ, your preference?]
Too bad they don't know exactly what's going on there. (I've never heard of arthritis confined to a single to or finger, before!)
My podiatrist's first thought was that it was "just due to the way [my foot] is shaped". I disagreed. I never had any problem with it before April 2002. However, several (7?) years ago I did have a terrible bone bruise on that foot after I slipped off the wooden rolling desk chair I had been sitting cross-legged on. The chair back bars came right down on my foot, the rest of me came right down on top of the chair back bars. I suspect it is possible that the problem metatarsal may have been pushed out of alignment then but was not a problem until now (after very gradual bone spur growth -- that is even now, just the start of a spur at the toe joint end). It's arthritis in terms of being a joint imflamation... but I do not want to believe that there will be no way to fix this. (A shot of cortisone in the joint is not the answer in my case. It didn't help and was extremely painful.)
It is annoying how old injuries can come back to haunt a person. I figure I am fortunate that it is not worse than it is. (Even if it was one of the factors that canceled my summer 2002 backpacking plans with
-- Shadopanther
Re: localities and feet
I'm enjoying reading. If mail is more convenient for you two, go for that, but don't leave this journal space because of me.
Bone alignment issues... hmm... how do you feel about chiropractors?
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Amazing how simple a thing as pain can stop us from doing so much. When I think about that, it's almost mind-boggling.
My limiting factor is my right knee. (ITB and beginnings of arthritis.) Hurts a fair bit on anything downhill. So far, I just kind of grit my teeth.
Where do you camp? Sierras? Sounds lovely!
toes to the Sierras
Amazing how simple a thing as pain can stop us from doing so much.
Very true. Especially with strong sharp pains as opposed to mild dull ones.
Where do you camp? Sierras? Sounds lovely!
Yes, the Sierras and it IS lovely! It sings to my heart. :) I've grown up camping & backpacking around Silver Lake (http://www.kitcarsonlodge.com/img/reflect.jpg), Upper Blue Lake (http://www.virtualparks.org/scenes/Zw5fWUihiuu3Qz5J6JrXFdw.html), and the Mokelumne Wilderness / Eldorado National Forest (http://www.r5.fs.fed.us/eldorado/visitor/moke.htm) -- all are about one mountain south of Tahoe on a topographic map.
<i>Amazing how simple a thing as pain can stop us from doing so much.</i>
Very true. Especially with strong sharp pains as opposed to mild dull ones.
<i>Where do you camp? Sierras? Sounds lovely! </i>
Yes, the Sierras and it IS lovely! It sings to my heart. :) I've grown up camping & backpacking around <a href="http://www.kitcarsonlodge.com/img/reflect.jpg">Silver Lake</a>, <a href="http://www.virtualparks.org/scenes/Zw5fWUihiuu3Qz5J6JrXFdw.html">Upper Blue Lake</a>, and the <a href="http://www.r5.fs.fed.us/eldorado/visitor/moke.htm">Mokelumne Wilderness / Eldorado National Forest</a> -- all are about one mountain south of Tahoe on a topographic map. <a href="http://www.plasses-resort.com/images/Page1_lakescene1.jpg"?>Thunder Mt.</a> presides majestically over Silver Lake (in spite of <a href="http://www.kirkwood.com/index.shtml">Kirkwood</a> Ski Resort slopes being on the other side). [To see pics of Silver, Blue, and Mokelumne, follow the links. Blue's link has an added bonus: it is a VR panorama from the south shore. Ahhhh.... home! *smile*]
-- Shadopanther
knees
I'm curious. If I may ask, what is ITB? Did you injure your knee or did something else cause the problem?
Also, have you tried a hiking stick? I found when my toe was being really bad July 2002 that leaning on a sturdy stick some helped extend the range that I could bear walking. I didn't use it at SF Pride though -- there I managed to walk 1/3 of the distance, ride 1/3, and then bear with it for walking the last 1/3. In 2001, walking the whole thing had been a breeze.
Curiously,
-- Shadopanther
Re: knees
Ilio-tibial band, the long piece of tendon connecting the hip/butt muscles to the knob of leg bone just below the knee on the "outside" side. Mine is way too tight. It rubs on intervening knobs of bone and gets inflamed. It also contributes to pulling the patella out of line, accelerating my development of arthritis behind the kneecap.
Did you injure your knee or did something else cause the problem?
I don't think I've ever had an injury to it. I'm ever so slightly knock-kneed (congenital, apparently, and more prevalent in women than in men), which I am told makes the problem worse.
I didn't realize this at the time, but even way back when I was in the Army, it caused me problems: my knees would hurt after I ran about three miles. Then just a couple years ago I did the Berry Creek Falls hike in Big Basin (~14mi) and the downhills caused sharp, ripping, stabbing pains in my right knee. That never got all the way better.
Mine too. Coming down off Half Dome, for example, was painful. I'm guessing the only reason my knees didn't collapse outright (they've done that once or twice) is the regimen of physical therapy, stretching, and targeted exercise I did as preparation for that hike.
Also, have you tried a hiking stick?
I probably should. Carried one up the Dome and then never used it. (Duh!) Picked up a sturdy branch on the way down from Yosemite Falls last weekend, and maybe it did help. I've had some bad experiences hiking with people who had sticks -- they've waved the sticks around and taken up a lot of room, tripping and poking unwary people ahead and behind -- but if it's what I need, I'll find a way to use one courteously.
In 2001, walking the whole thing had been a breeze.
Wow, sounds like it's gotten markedly more difficult in just the last year. And eavesdropping on your conversation with
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Yes, I can see where getting together with
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Lisa is great! I hope you enjoy her journal.
I fervently hope the surgery goes well... :-/ fingers crossed for you.
Sierra Club?
The Loma Prieta chapter: lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/ (http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/) is the closest one I know about. (My mother's been a member for years.) Information on Loma Prieta's backpacking and other activities are hiding under the Activity Sections (http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/sectionsmain.htm) link. If group hikes are not your style, you could just look at it as a way to meet potential camping & backpacking buddies. (just fyi: GLS now has inclusive language for bis.)
Or there's BiOutdoors: a mailing list for organizing outdoor activities for bi's and bi-friendly others, such as hiking, cycling, camping, etc. To subscribe, go to this url and click Join : groups.yahoo.com/group/BiOutdoors (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BiOutdoors) or send an email to BiOutdoors-subscribe@yahoogropus.com. (However, this weekend's hike, hosted by Raven, has been canceled due a serious leg infection.)
Anyway, good luck on your search for a camping & backpacking buddy.
-- Shadopanther
Re: Sierra Club?
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Re: Sierra Club?
You're welcome.
have taken the Loma Prieta chapter's "backpacking intro" course
How was it? I've never taken a "course" in backpacking. My first trip was with my mother and 2 younger brothers when I was 13 into the Mokelumne Wilderness (Summit City Canyon) for 2 weeks. I remember my brother B (11) and I both carried about 30lbs. The youngest, my brother D (8) carried 15lbs and my mother hefted 75-85lbs. Our progress was slow, but once we made basecamp -- we were free to wander more speedily on various day hikes. We went on a few other 2wk backpacking trips after that, one was during a dry year. Water is heavy.
-- Shadopanther
-- Shadopanther
Re: Sierra Club?
The class discussed gear, wilderness courtesy/conservation, first aid, map reading, that sort of thing. The group went on three trips; as luck would have it I could only attend the first one. Still, it was a great place to find potential backpacking partners.
Yikes, those are big packs. I have so far stuck to thirty pounds myself. (I treat or boil water. Haven't gone anyplace completely dry. Have kept to short trips.) I'm afraid to try more; I'm a little gal with imperfect knees.
Re: Sierra Club?
The class discussed gear, wilderness courtesy/conservation, first aid, map reading,
All good topics. Some parts I'd probably feel I almost take for granted, but that's just due to absorbing it while growing up. I'm glad to see the knowledge spread. :)
Yikes, those are big packs. I have so far stuck to thirty pounds myself.
Yes, they were! ...Which is why we traveled so slowly, taking plenty of time to rest. We only traveled about 1/4 of what we'd hike unburdened the first day. The packs were as heavy as they were because we were 3 kids and 1 adult going into the wilderness for 2wks. Even with trying to make our food as light* as we could, weighing each oz., the food weight still added up. We treated or drank clear running stream** water that trip. The dry year we had to carry water because we couldn't be certain that there would be any to treat or boil once we reached our next camp site.
[* We brought mostly freeze dried foods. Our one weight related error was making and carrying pemmican. An old travel staple, it tasted good & we wrapped it good in foil 'till our cat wasn't interested in sniffing it -- but it would have been lighter to have taken an alternative.]
[** In the 1970s the water in Summit City Creek ran clear and pure. Not many people had gotten into the area... and we were just either lucky or blessed to not have any problem with giardia or other contaminants. We are less sure of the water supply now that the area has become more popular, so we bring a portable filter, just in case. I remember as a kid lying down on my stomach and drinking right from the stream in a pool of clear running water. Water straight from the snow pack further up hill.]
Have kept to short trips.) I'm afraid to try more; I'm a little gal with imperfect knees.
If you'd be interested and our toes, knees, schedules agree I would enjoy taking you on a short trip circa Silver or Blue Lake. I know of some terrain that isn't all that bad, and could be done in a weekend. I don't think I could promise more than 1-2 weekends/yr... but I would enjoy sharing what I know -- even if just to talk about it. :) [And psst, I'm not that "big" either. I'm 5'3". In an earlier journal entry, we talked about if you'd recognize me from the time we met at the Tuesday Coffee Social. I didn't get around to sending you a photo url then... but here's one now: I'm in the middle between
In any case, don't push too hard, take time to soak in the scenery, and enjoy!
-- Shadopanther
Re: Sierra Club?
Makes sense. Perhaps it would be very possible for me to carry a heavier pack, too, if the distances were correspondingly shorter. I have just been too chicken to try :-)
If you'd be interested and our toes, knees, schedules agree I would enjoy taking you on a short trip circa Silver or Blue Lake.
Ooo, I think I'd really enjoy that! They both sound beautiful.
I know of some terrain that isn't all that bad, and could be done in a weekend. I don't think I could promise more than 1-2 weekends/yr... but I would enjoy sharing what I know -- even if just to talk about it. :)
A weekend is all I've ever done, although I'd be open to trying longer ones if (as you so eloquently put it) toes, knees, and schedules agree. And talking about it is half the fun, I think! Well, okay, a third of the fun. :-)
And psst, I'm not that "big" either. I'm 5'3".
I just tend to think of myself as teeny... at 5'4" I know I'm not, really, but I've got it stuck in my mind. Out of curiosity, is your mom (Ms 85 Pound Pack Hauler) any bigger? I'm trying to picture an 85 lb pack on my mom, who's five foot spit, and the image is almost funny.
photo
Thanks! I didn't recognize you until I saw the photo, and (equally important) the names in its title. I have such a time making the mental connection between a face-to-face name and a LJ name! And hey, yeah, nice shirts. :-)