Originally Posted By: Dow
Since you live in California and do some hiking, do you know of Norman Clyde?
Well, yes I have heard of Norman Clyde and Clyde's Peak. In this picture I was heading to that general area. We stopped at Mount Goddard. Clyde's Peak was on the other side across a canyon. I used to read a lot in those days looking for documented cross-country routes (without marked trails...just your map, compass and sense of direction) and I ran into your great uncle's name often.

The documentation is important because you spend days getting into an area and often our return trip was dependent on getting over and through a very high sierra pass. I would study a trip for up to six months sometimes (typically topo map reading was my "break" while in school). I would fill my pack with the minimum of required stuff. No tent...I used what's called a bivy sack. Some trips we went ultra light weight...we took no stove and no pots. Backpacking is an art that you perfect with time and experience. Looking at the picture do you see: 1) The water bottle in the pack pouch on the upper right. It was in reach of my left hand. 2) The bandana hanging down from my hat and the extra tied to the pack frame. Bandanas are very versatile. They provide protection from the swarms of mosquitoes (so many you hear a hum in the air), a way to transfer cooling stream water to my neck, and my cleaning rag. 3) The handmade container on the front of my left shoulder than contains my camera in close reach. 4) The headphone cord running into my left shirt pocket where I have my radio. 5) The red pouch hanging on my right that contains food. 6) The plastic pouch hanging on my left just above my hip that contains my map and compass (a little hard to see)...again within reach. 7) My trusty walking stick with a loop of rope at the top that goes around my wrist. I still have that stick. That stick has been to a lot of places with me (in my mental trail mind wandering it was my "staff of power" that energized me over passes...all I had to do was hold on...lol). 8) You can't see it but my telescoping fishing pole is in the top of the pack for easy access if needed.


John