A strong appetite, average palate, and weak writing, mixed with outdoor adventure.

A strong appetite, average palate, and weak writing, mixed with outdoor adventure.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Bringing it Outdoors

This summer has featured several full weekends in the mountains. Objectives have varied from easy walk ups to snow climbs, and accommodations have ranged from a bivy sack in a truck bed to a 4-Star hotel in Vail. All of this means every weekend features a wide variety of gear, all of which is packed and unpacked in a myriad of ways. Alan, Jen and I would all agree that a good portion of our trips are spent shuffling gear.

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Remove from car and place in truck.

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Done!

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Dinner in Aspen? Put it all in the cab!

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Staying in a hotel? Put it in the cab.

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Surprise hike we decided to do on the way home? Unpack and gear up in the parking lot.

I have always experienced pangs of jealousy whenever I would see the beater truck or Subaru wagon with someone’s entire belongings featured in the latest Patagonia catalog or climbing magazine. The allure of an open itinerary and the ability to roll up anywhere and hike, climb, surf or whatever the chosen sport may be, seems irresistible. Now that a portion of my weekends have me feeling like a mover the romanticism of those pictures has faded, even if only slightly.

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