Summertime Drifting
Saturday July 9, 2011
Yet another date with my good friends Old Rag and its denizens.
Just a long slow hazy summertime drift.
Had a very friendly Towhee fly inches past my left knee and land four feet ahead of me on a rock. It did not say anything but it did stay there looking at me for about 20 seconds. Reminded me of a Chickadee that followed me around one cold sub-zero winter day in my early teens in the State Forest near my parents except that my Chickadee friend would sometimes land as close as a foot from my head and sang to me a lot. I am sure it had something to do with the GORP I was sharing before I knew better.
My paternal grandfather had backyard birds that would feed out of his hands and on more than one cold winter he was willing to share his home, hearth, and some food with a field mouse of two.
WATER
Hey folks it is hot and steamy out. Bring lots of water and it would not hurt to load up with electrolytes calcium, potassium, etc. before you start. I am beginning to run into lots of folks with cramping and no water. I can only carry so much extra water and maybe a banana or two. I do carry water treatment tablets but if you have already thrown away your one 16 once sports drink bottle (you should be carrying closer to 100 ounces not 16 ounces per person) then you will have nothing to fill and add my treatment tablet to when you get to an open water source. You have also been the most RUDE of hikers by trashing what should be a pristine natural area.
Start of Sarcasm:
By the way, blaming the Rangers(whom I think the world of) for not telling you how hard the hike would be or how much water you would need will probably only make me laugh, think you were not listening to the Ranger, or not telling the truth. I will probably ask if the Ranger forgot to put out matching socks or double tie your footware for you this morning?
End of Sarcasm:
Putting sarcasm to the side for a moment, no person or organization is perfect and I always carry complaints or suggestions back to the Rangers when I check in with them before my next hike day on the mountain.
PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE
THERE ARE TONS OF GOOD INFO RESOURCES FOR THIS HIKE
YOUR BRAIN AND ETHICS
PLEASE USE BOTH
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