The solace of the ocean
Inside the Mountain's Skin
by Mary
1y ago
Dawn came in slowly in the redwoods, the soft light filtered by the big trees. I had to be at work early, so I ventured out for a run. Here at Big Sur, in the state park, the trails were soft and easy to follow, unlike the rock-strewn climbs I endure at home. I ran a loop past Pfeiffer Falls and the Valley View trails and then along the still-sleeping campground and the river path. A few people jonesing for coffee hung around the still-closed lodge, but other than that, I had the place to myself. Despite how crowded it is, Big Sur is a stunning place. My co-workers and I had returned for a se ..read more
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Trail lessons
Inside the Mountain's Skin
by Mary
2y ago
 I texted Wild Thing: "I'm not into this." It was the Monday after our AZT hike. "Dude, Preach!" she texted back. It's always hard to come back after a week in the wilderness. You just get your trail legs, are used to waking up early, packing all of your stuff up, hiking all day, and then sitting at camp with your meal in a bag, The world both narrows and widens: it narrows to where you will find water, how much you are climbing and descending, and where you will camp. It also widens to endless possibilities, following a ribbon of dirt through forest and desert, where it feels like you co ..read more
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Hiking the Arizona Trail, Passages 8-11: Snow and Sun
Inside the Mountain's Skin
by Mary
2y ago
 We huddled in a remote outhouse, brewing a hot drink. Outside the wind howled. As I prepared my lunch, we decided on a new rule: "no tuna in an outhouse". The combined smells were disgusting, and this was a new low in my hiking career, but it was necessary; a winter storm had turned the sky island into a snow globe. My hiking partner, Wild Thing, hovered on the verge on hypothermia. Unlike myself, she had not stopped to put on a coat, and the heavy snow had soaked our feet. It was hard to believe that just a day before we had flopped in the meager shade of a cactus, rationing our water ..read more
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Miracle march, maybe
Inside the Mountain's Skin
by Mary
2y ago
 Suddenly, strangely, it began to snow. Those of us who like winter had resigned ourselves to crust cruising: skiing across hard snow at a rapid pace, which isn't all bad, but dreams of powder had long since gone. Historically, March is when the biggest snow dumps occur, but all we had were days and days of sunshine. I awoke to so much snow that I knew I had to ski. Looking at my outlook calendar, I also knew that if I didn't get out early, I would never get to go: meetings upon meetings awaited. So at 6:30 am, I hit the road outside the house. It hadn't been plowed, and my skis disappea ..read more
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Just call me scout
Inside the Mountain's Skin
by Mary
2y ago
 I don't know why this is, but people in my town seem to think I've been everywhere. People I rarely cross paths with will ask what the skiing is like at an obscure location, or how much snow there is on a trail, or if the bugs are bad at a random lake in summer. If I know, I'm usually happy to say, but there's a fine line between being helpful and becoming a guidebook. I think the requests are more numerous now because we are all so used to googling anything we want to know. Remember card catalogs? No?  Sometimes, though, a question will pique my interest and I'll decide to go scout ..read more
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Backpacking Rim to (Almost) Rim to Rim, Grand Canyon
Inside the Mountain's Skin
by Mary
2y ago
 "You know that's a bad idea, right?" the ranger at Phantom Ranch said when we told him our hiking plans to reach the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. He went on to count the ways: thigh deep snow! Rockfall! No chance of rescue because of staffing shortages! Good Stuff, Camel and I looked at each other and shrugged. We knew the rangers had to say this. They had to speak to the lowest denominators. We met two of these later, a group of earnest youngsters who planned to get up at three to "summit" the North Rim, but who admitted they had "never done anything like this before, but had been Boy ..read more
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Type 2 Fun in the Grand Canyon
Inside the Mountain's Skin
by Mary
2y ago
 "I'm unpacking my sunscreen," I text Camel. Good Stuff is stranded in Flagstaff and must take a shuttle. I stare at the weather forecast as if it might change. Rain in the inner canyon, for at least three days. Temperatures in the 40s. My least favorite kind of backpacking weather. Of course, the forecast improves the day we are supposed to hike out. I'm annoyed by this, even if it's unreasonable. After the expense of getting here and one precious week of time off, it's hard not to be annoyed. But it is what it is.  I panic buy a fleecy headband and waterproof socks, since I've le ..read more
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The tyranny of packing (a first world problem)
Inside the Mountain's Skin
by Mary
2y ago
 "My pack without water and the first day's lunch is 33 pounds," Camel reported. Good Stuff did not say, but said he was "going light". I hurried to weigh mine. 27 pounds with one liter of water and four days of food.  But I fretted. On this trip we have a whole gamut of possibilities. It could be sixty degrees, or it could be in the teens. We will be in ice and snow, and also not. The forecast holds a foreboding chance of rain (or snow). One day is an 18 mile day, some of others not so much. The nights are long, so reading is essential. Tights or pants? A pack cover, or hope for the ..read more
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Heart of winter
Inside the Mountain's Skin
by Mary
2y ago
 We approached the small lake on foot, armed with shovels and skates. To my delight, the lake had frozen smoothly, unlike the bumpy ice of years past. My skates cut cleanly through the light snow. We were the only people around.  The thrill of skating on a backcountry lake was measured by the fact that this is a really short season. A huge snow dump was predicted, and nobody wants to labor for hours to shovel over a foot of snow each time they want to skate. There are no backcountry Zambonis!  Still, you take what you can get, so we had two great days of skating. The next day I ..read more
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Signs of winter + poison ivy avoidance tips
Inside the Mountain's Skin
by Mary
2y ago
 I bought a new tent. It's a one person, to replace the one I gave away this summer. Tents to me represent possibility and adventure. I only spent 37 nights (so far) backpacking this winter, but someday I will spend many more. I love tents! I set it up indoors, making sure the cat wasn't around. He likes to attack tents. By now, my neighbor Mike has learned to see many tents set up outside. He generally wanders over to inspect the tent. However, the weather has not been great--icy and cold. Indoors it was. Tents to me represent possibility. Where will I go? There are so many trails, but ..read more
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