Three More Days!

I probably will not post again until I am in Colorado, so I wanted to get a quick update out. things have really fallen into place and the weather outlook is rather rosey, with the exception of a couple days. My hiking plans have become more firm, thanks in part to the help of Rob Wilson from Back to the Parks.

A lot of people have asked about my safety while hiking alone. Let me put a few concerns to rest.

First, there are no documented sightings Grizzly Bears in Colorado. They live mostly in regions further north. the black bears that live in Colorado will more often than not leave you alone unless you have food. I plan on leaving my peanut butter & jelly at home.

Second, people are concerned about me getting lost. Me? Lost? Truthfully, I ordinarily have a decent since of direction. My family used to drive me around when I was very young and see if they could confuse my sense of direction. I mostly succeeded in keeping my sense of direction. apart from navigating Pittsburgh, which is a bit of a Herculean task, I have only been lost twice in my life. Once was in downtown Chester, PA on a Saturday night and the other was while following what turned out to be a pretty obscure trail in Mingo Creek County Park. However, you only need to get lost once for things to go very badly. I will be, for the most part, following heavily traveled trails.  I have also signed up for a Ranger-led hike at a particularly confusing section of  fins at Arches National Park, the Fiery Furnace. I have also signed up for a private jeep tour in the San Juan Mountains. I would not want to navigate some of those roads in a passenger rental car. But, there are at least a couple of hikes that are not really so well marked. One in particular is a Class II archaeological site, False Kiva.  The National Park Service does not publish those sites or directions to the site, but will provide directions upon request at the Ranger station. I have directions and plan on checking in with the Ranger before embarking. I will also track my hike with live updates via my Android phone. Lastly, I am hoping to use a GPS tracking device, the Spot Persona Tracker (not a phone) which will transmit check-ins and send an SOS signal for help if needed. I also have loaded off-line maps of the parks onto my phone and carry an extra battery for my phone, plus the 10 hiking essentials.

Lastly, if you have known me for any real length of time, you know I am excessively prone to ankle injuries. since going through physical therapy a couple of years ago, I have noticed significant improvements in ankle strength. Also, I always wear my Montrail hiking boots, which provide excellent support.

Like last year, you can connect via Facebook, Twitter, Ustream, Flickr, and Youtube.