|
||||
TIM'S CORNER
 |
 |
 |
 |
HIKER TECH I've been thinking a lot about tech stuff lately. Just think of the number of people that would not even hike at all if rain gear was still heavy plastic like stuff, Or before GPS or Spots were not invented. The numbers of AT hikes would be down; No cell phones, no pizza delivery at RPH cabin. What are we to do! The number of hikers that seem to rely on GPS instead of being able to read a map is quite interesting. On the AT map and compass are not needed at all now-a- days. Back in 1948 that may not have been the situation. During my hike in 1997 rain gear had come a long way; No more flying ponchos and wet leg; Although many AT hikers including my self mailed home our rain pants due to lack of use. That of course depended on what year you were on the trail. In 2003 it rained 25 days straight; No rain gear or any thing stays dry in that kind of weather. There is no question that good quality rain gear has keep large numbers of hikers on the trail that would have otherwise turned tail and left. One of the thing about tech stuff clothes is the number of people that seem to think that the clothing is the answer to all of their out door problems. This jacket is water proof,so Will It work in cold wind driven rain? Well that's what the tag says! I remember bicycling in the high planes of KS/NM in 1983 during such a raging storm.The jacket I was wearing came from the North Face one of our tour sponsors. I was so damn cold I was pulling hair out of my mustache with my teeth for another pain sensation.The jacket held up, if it had been a poncho it my have been over. So tech stuff does push you into the next realm. - MORE COMING SOON! |
TRAIL WORK THAT ENDURES During trail work I try and think of work that will last a life time. Stone work that we do should fall in this category. Too often trail work get "Done for the short term". Oh what the hell that should be enough. Bull shit do it over! If the CCC did it, we can to. All the work that RPHCV does on the trail is damn good. Take a look around at the Junk tools that Home Depot
and Lowe's sells for trail work. 90 percent of them are not USA made.
Buy a sledged hammer at Home Depot if the handle breaks, return
it for a new one of similar junk. Club member's buy thier own
tools from yard sales, junk shops, and other American made
manufactures. I've spent close to $2000.00 on tools in the
last two years alone. I cant understand why anyone would want to
buy a tool that is going to break.
The club has had a great number of thru hikers help us with trail work over the last ten years or so. I have noticed that people will come out of the wood work to help build bridges. Other trail work like making gravel by hand ,building water bars,installing stone steps seems to be left to the MIGHTY FEW - That's just the way it is..\ |
RPH SHELTER LOGS '84 to 2009 On our clubs web site you can find 25 years of RPHCabin Shelter Logs. Before the books went to storage I had them copied on to dvd-r .Looking back always reminds me of the freedom I had on the trail. Please feel free to get the word out, copy at will .For more info about trail work or the shelter logs please contact me or look at our web site. See you on the trail. |
These opinions are Tims and do not necccessarily reflect the clubs views or it members, or even civil society at large.