Spring break 2012!!

Recently, I was explaining to a group of 20-somethings why the 30s are so much better than the previous decade.  They were skeptical.  The full exposition is for a later post, but here’s a teaser: one reason that your 30s are so much better than your 20s is that you have the money to do more things that you want, like take sweet vacations.  And speaking of sweet vacations, I’ve been spending a lot of time these days thinking about my sweet “Spring Break” plans.  I’m not headed to Panama City to get wasted with some 20 year olds.  It’s not that kind of spring break (although I may or may not have just added that to my bucket list).  Instead, I’m taking advantage of a window of opportunity in mid-April and heading to Arizona for a 4-day solo jaunt in Saguaro National Park.

For those of you who have never carried everything you need for four days on your back while you walk across 8,000 foot mountains, this might not sound like a vacation.  But I assure you, there are strong motivations and great rewards.

I pride myself on a combination of minimalism and comfort.  For example, I paid almost $400 for a one-pound sleeping bag (saving 2 pounds from the current bag!) that can still keep me cozy at 20-degrees.  I go cowboy style, sleeping under a tarp instead of a tent, but only if there’s wind or rain.  Otherwise who would want to obscure the cosmos?  I take electrolyte pills instead of Gatorade.  They’re lighter and more effective and they don’t have any high fructose corn syrup.  Food is dehydrated but plentiful; camping meals have come a LONG way in the last 20 years, but trust me, after hiking all day, it would probably be delicious if it was cardboard.  I carry only enough clothes to keep me warm during the coldest moments; luxury is a clean pair of socks at night and a change of clothes when we arrive back at the truck.

Then there’s the incredible solitude of the trail.  I work in downtown Chicago and, though I work for a non-profit, I usually clock billable hours like a lawyer.  So for part of my vacation time each year, I love getting off the grid.  Way off the grid.  It can take me a day or two to stop craving the endorphin rush that comes with getting a text message or checking Facebook, but on the trail, there are no cell towers nearby, so the iPhone is about as functional as a brick.  (FWIW, I don’t think my perspective is unique at all; there are lots of articles out there about the value of disconnecting in this flat world, even to shut off social networking for two weeks.  There’s even a drama/thriller movie starring Jason Bateman due out in 2012 about the same thing.)  But I’ve stepped into the wilderness enough that I’ve gotten pretty good at it and I look forward to the amazing and simple joys that flood in soon after I insist on peace and quiet.  Like a cooling breeze in the afternoon; the 1,000 different looks of a sunset; a panorama of horizons that do not show the scars of human development; the sense of the infinite, particularly the millions of stars that are visible without smog or the not knowing who was the last person to walk where you’ve just walked.

But enough of the philosophical.  How about the excitement of exploring natural wonders?  Granted, I grew up in a very different terrain than the uber flat Midwest.  (Quick aside–When I moved to Illinois, I thought it was ridiculous that Mount Prospect where my parents live was named “Mount” because it was the highest point in the surrounding area at 665 feet above sea level; if there are any hills in the township, they’re artificial.  Also ridiculous are Mt. Prospect’s mottoes: “Be a part of it!” and “Experience Mt. Prospect!”  Might as well be “Mt. Prospect.  You’re here!”–End aside.)  I get excited by hills and psyched by mountains.  And almost every backpacking trip I take, I am a little more excited by the incredible scenery that you can only see on foot.  Mountain passes, canyon streams, peaks, meadows that are only accessible if you hike 12 miles (or much further!) from the nearest parking lot.  Sure, there are mountains and canyons and peaks and meadows that you CAN see from the car, or on a 1/2 mile nature hike from a plush cabin, but those don’t feel as much like treasures or rewards the ones that require some work to enjoy.

What about bears, rattlesnakes, scorpions, or mountain lions?  Well, they’re out there. I’ve encountered bears and rattlers before.  I’ll be careful.  I know what I should and shouldn’t do if I run into them.  But otherwise, you can’t dwell on it too long.  You might miss seeing a beautiful wildflower or two.