![]() He’s always nipping at hikers’ heels, threatening to overwhelm them and turn them into snowmen. Water is precious and standards are lowered.Īfter the rapidly deteriorating condition of the feet, weather is the main concern. It might be 50 kilometres between cattle troughs or puddles mixed with cow feces. While the Canadian Rockies are water-rich, the Red Dessert of Wyoming isn’t. The challengesĪt times, water becomes a concern. I had to relight his cigarette as his hands were useless in the pouring rain. One time, we came across a hiker smoking and chewing tobacco at the same time. Lard on crackers, lonely ketchup and mustard packages and uncooked muffin mix. After eating 28 pieces, he was asked to leave.Īlthough hikers are fit, their diet is often unconventional. When he ran out of cigarettes, Viking would smoke the map. He had long blond hair and a blond mustache that was stained orange from smoking every five minutes. ![]() One time on the trail, we met a fellow hiker named Viking. You become an expert on buffets, able to out-eat anyone. You dream of all the burgers you’ve ever loved and the tacos that got away. Some are perched between gaping crevasses, others between boulders on top of ridges and some are wedged between highway ditches and a rifle shooting range.įood becomes everything. Most hikers go beyond a marathon in a day, ranging between 40 to 70 kilometres.Ĭampsites vary. Mine was “Muppet” as I apparently had a hair problem. Traditionally, they are named by someone else on the trail. Let the noodles soak for a couple hours during the final 20-kilometre march and viola! A cold, slightly crunchy supper. No stove, just an old plastic peanut butter jar for instant noodles and cold water. Hikers don’t have large bags as they forgo luxuries. It likely makes one very, very late for dinner.Ī major indicator is the size of the backpack. Some more adventurous hikers go into the forest or up mountains and spend a night or two. Hiking is what most people know, such as a nice stroll to a meadow with a day pack carrying a picnic lunch. There is hiking and then there is hiking. The route is roughly 5,500 kilometres-depending on how often you get lost. ![]() The divide cuts through the vast Columbia Icefields, along the cragged peaks of the Wind River Range and circles the windless Red Desert. Water on the west side of the divide goes to the Pacific Ocean and on the east to the Arctic or Atlantic Ocean. Jasper to Puerto Palomas is connected by a thread known as the Great Divide. We’d start skiing, turn to hiking when the snows disappeared, then try snowshoeing when winter returned. The following year we’d go on a self-propelled trip from our doorsteps in Jasper, Alberta to Puerto Palomas, Mexico. While trudging up to the summit of our local ski hill, my best friend and I made a pact. ![]()
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