I have one that I do every couple of years.
I discovered it by accident when I was in high school. I had driven up to a little lake about 14 miles from afton ... Cottonwood lake. I was spotlighting deer in my old 49' Studebaker just to see what was up there for the hunting season that opened the next week. My old car broke down. I started walking home in the dark. Half moon, so there was plenty of light. I realized that by cutting over the mountain and down into the community of Smoot, i could borrow a phone and make it home in no time. I took off over the mountain. The sounds were fantastic. My breathing... the rustling of branches against levi's... night birds, a slight breeze in the trees. I heard several deer. Their hooves make a definite thump, thump as they bound away. I saw a giant white owl... it's wings loud in the night. And the milkey way! So many stars. It has to be seen to be believed.
I enjoyed this night walk so much that in later years I deliberately go out at night. All night. Walking in the high forests. Alone without weapon or light. The nearest person twenty miles away. In lion and bear country. I guarantee you, once you have done it, all other sports fail to give any rush at all.
I introduced my children to this marvelous sport. They both do it whenever they can.
Anyone else have any adventures that are a bit different?
That sounds absolutely like the thing I'd love to do!
The starlit sky is indeed a breathtaking sight on a clear night when you see it somewhere where there is no source of light polution anywhere near - when you are completely in the wilderness. As a city dweller, I've had the pleasure of whitnessing that only twise.
As for adventures, I've travelled quite a bit, and have had my share of those... 🙂
The latest one was less than a month ago, while backpacking through Eastern Europe with a friend. During the trip we ended up hiking from Southern Poland over the Tatra mountains to Slovakia. Not bothering to read the map legend (who needs those things anyway...), we just assumed that the colour of the hiking route marked on the map indicated it's difficulty - kind of like downhill sking routes... so we took the blue route, since we didn't want to face anything insurmountable carrying our 20 kilo backpacks. Needless to say, our assumption about the meaning of colours was wrong - the route we chose was just about the most difficult one on the map.
We ended up having to climb right over a mountain with our backpacks. 2158 meters high, only about 300 meters short of the tallest peak in Poland.
I'm actually glad we went that way, because although it was physically torturous climb, and somewhat dangerous too, the feeling when we got up to the top and saw the view was beyond belief! I will never forget that experience. I believe I got hooked - I'm afraid that that won't be the last mountaneering trip for me... 🙂 I'm already itching to go back to the Tatras.
-Jarno
Originally posted by PyrrhoI don't believe I have the adventure in me.However,I can not go anywhere and not be attracted to get on a bus (all the destinations seem so attractive)and just to see what there is there.It must be worth a bus fare.
That sounds absolutely like the thing I'd love to do!
The starlit sky is indeed a breathtaking sight on a clear night when you see it somewhere where there is no source of light polution anywhere near - when you are completely in the wilderness. As a city dweller, I've had the pleasure of whitnessing that only twise.
As for adventures, I've travelle ...[text shortened]... e last mountaneering trip for me... 🙂 I'm already itching to go back to the Tatras.
-Jarno
Lyn.