"Words are often seen hunting for an idea, but ideas are never seen hunting for words."Josh Billings
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I was in the Weminuche Wilderness Area when the snow came.
It was my second day out of Silverton, where the locals told
me it rains or snows every day in August. I made a note to
myself to do some research next time. Then I made a note to
myself to find the trail. I was lost again.
Lightweight Backpacking
I came to the San Juan Mountains in Colorado to try my new
gear. I used a tarp shelter, and a light down sleeping bag.
The first rainy night I stayed dry. A good start, but now
above the trees, I was lost in rolling tundra, unable to
find the trail under several inches of snow. I had my
ultralight rainsuit on, though, and I was fine.
It was beautiful, with mountains appearing all around at
every break in the weather. Eventually I found myself on the
map. The sun came out, and there were white mountain tops
rising out of the green forests everywhere. Mountain goats
played on the cliffs with me.
The fourth morning, I was on my way up Mount Eolus. In
Colorado you can go up 14,000-foot mountains without
climbing gear. They call them "Walk-ups," but some require
more than hiking. The "catwalk" on Eolus, for example, is
easy, but only if it's easy for you to walk a
three-foot-wide edge, with a drop to your death on either
side. I made it to the top.
Sunlight Peak, a couple hours later, required a leap across
a thousand foot drop to reach the summit. At least it was an
easy
jump. Chased off by a thunderstorm, I didn't get to go
up nearby Windom Peak.
There were no roads, but the next day I found the
Silverton-Durango line, and flagged down the train to
Silverton. I bought food and headed out for three more days
of rainy hiking. Lightning chased me at 13,000 feet, I slept
in an old ghost town building, climbed three more
"fourteeners," and I'd do it all again in a second.
Backpacking in Colorado is spectacular, and going
lightweight made it even more so.
Why Lightweight?
I carried my backpack easily up mountains, with better
balance. One day I hiked 22 miles and bagged three
fourteeners. I went 110 miles in seven days, without one
blister. That's what running shoes and a 12 to 16 pound
packweight does for you.
Staying dry was as much technique as it was good equipment.
It rained every day, and I was under a tarp, in a one-pound
sleeping bag, but I stayed dry and warm. I found lightweight
backpacking to be safer than hiking with a heavy load,
contrary to what many say.
This first lightweight backpacking trip was years ago. When
I remember running up those mountains, I know I'll never go
back to a heavy load.
About the Author
Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of
lightweight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found
at http://www.TheUltralightBackpackingSite.com
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