June 10, 2008

• A Couple of Givens

  There's a couple things about camping that are givens:

  1- bugs.
  2- dampness.

  Although it's easy to forget, since most of us in the US live and work in climate controlled buildings, nature is both buggy and damp.  Much of home ownership, too, is about keeping the buggy dampness (as well as other natural flora and fauna) outside where it belongs and not inside where we are living in relative comfort.

  It's also easy to forget that until the last 50-100 years, humans didn't have that comfort.  For hundreds of thousands of years, humans lived 24/7 in the big buggy damp outdoors, even when they were indoors.  No one had air conditioning units to filter out the humidity, and most people from all stratas of civilization were buggy - lice, fleas, and worms were just three of the most common companions.

  So, why give up modern creature comforts to go hike or live in the buggy, damp woods?

  That's a good question.  I don't know if I can explain why I like being in the woods so much.  It's quiet, peaceful, and it's one of the few places I feel completely at ease.  Completely myself.  And free.

  You may remember that I got bit by the Appalachian Trail bug last year (which is a whole different kind of bug than that usual type mentioned above ).  The whole trail is over 2000 miles long and runs from Georgia to Maine.  I'm not going to be doing the whole thing this year.  But I have committed myself - mostly by spending a hefty sum on ultralight gear - to walk an impressive chunk of it.

  100 miles, to be exact, the length of the AT through Shenandoah National Park here in Virginia.  I've given myself 12 days to walk that 100 miles.... from July 13 to July 25.

  If it doesn't kill me, it will make me stronger.    Also if it doesn't kill me, maybe I'll give myself 6 months to do the whole 2000+ miles next year. 

  • 2:04 pm
  • 2 Comments