Since my gear tends to remain the same from one trip to another, I'm finding that my goals are less gear oriented and more focused on ideas and mental challenges. A good example would be this most recent trip in which I documented my daily travels and projects onto video. Yes, to some extent there was a small amount of new gear to get used to, but the largest "thinker" was deciding how to go about doing the actual filming with no one around to help with the camera or even to throw ideas at.
So what made me decide to start "vournaling" (new word here!) my trips? Well at first I thought it would be nice to have some footage of my travels for my own personal enjoyment but as I gave it some more thought I wondered if others may enjoy "traveling" (and learning) through their television sets as well.
I'm humbled by some of the really nice comments I've recieved from people telling me how my on-line journals inspire them to get out there and to try things for themselves and it's a great feeling knowing that in some small way I may be opening a door or two for someone. I'm hoping that the audio/visual benefits of these videos may also add to some of the enjoyment people experience while they're outdoors.
Having only documented one trip thus far I feel the entire process was a complete success and I'm eager to continue filming throughout the summer. It's a sizable project and I'm happy to see that it's off to a good start!
The title of this chapter "A Room in the Rocks" is a large clue as to what a big part of this trip will be about.
The "room" is deep inside a group of large, garage size boulders I found last year while exploring an area for signs of Indian activity. This trip will focus on traveling back to that area and hopefully locating the room again. If you've ever been to the Sierra and witnessed the countless granite formations scattered throughout the unique and rugged landscape you know that without a GPS, it can be quite a task filtering through the mountainside looking into the dark voids hoping to find what you're looking for.
I hope that you enjoy the following write-up of my most recent trip. And in case you're wondering, the rather large photographs you will be viewing are captured directly from the video footage; another experiment and hopefully one that will go well. I plan on reducing their size at a later time.
Friday June 25 , 2004
The steel drum has held up extremely well to the Sierra elements and has provided a very secure, weather-tight way to store my gear. Other than a small amount of chewing (mouse?)to the edges of the label stuck to the top of the drum, there is no evidence of anything (or anyone) tampering with the depot/cache. I'm very pleased with the overall success of the "test" and would not hesitate using this method again.
Dinner that evening was simple. Nothing. I had something to eat on the way up so I didn't feel the need to prepare anything else.
It felt good to be back in the Sierra and I was amazed that I was sitting there watching day transform into night. The coyotes in the nearby meadow were a welcome sound as was the wind whispering through the pine needles high overhead.
Saturday June 26 , 2004
Sunday June 27, 2004
I'm sure for some people, the idea of sleeping alone, miles from anyone, in a pile of rocks is a little too much to handle. I'm thankful that the idea of isolation doesn't seem to effect my daily (or nightly) routine in any major way. In fact I believe the isolation factor of my trips actually helps me feel more at peace with my surroundings which in turn allows me to be more productive.
Speaking of rest, here's an informative section from Mountaineer's excellent book Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills outlining a walking technique called the Rest Step. It's a technique I use while traveling through the wilderness especially when traveling up steep terrain.
Rest Step
If one mountaineering technique had to be singled out as most important of all, honors would go to the rest step. used on snow, rock, brush, and trail whenever expenditure of energy is so great that either the legs or lungs need an interval of recuperation between steps. The pace is slow since for every step there is an alternating rest.
This is the pattern:
1. One foot advances to a new position
2. The *unweighted* advanced leg rests, the body entirely supported on the rear leg.
3. Rear foot advances
When air is thin it is the lungs that need a pause, sometimes for two or three or five breaths to each step. At lower altitude it is leg muscles that need extra time to accumulate energy. An important element of the rest step is mental composure. When the summit seems to remain constantly distant for hours on end the individual must trust the rest step to slowly but steadily chew up the miles. When monotony impairs morale he must draw on his inner resources, his ability to lose time and place in reflection.
---End cited material---
Much of the day was spent hiking over to my base camp, an area that holds many memories. It wasn't my intention to stay at this camp for the remainder of my trip, only to use it as a reference point when searching for the room in the rocks.
Looking over my base camp, I noticed the five gallon plastic pail full of food I had suspended high in the trees the year before had failed to survive the winter. Food wrappers were scattered about the ground and judging from the large tooth marks in various empty containers, some lucky bear had a pretty good meal waiting for him when he woke up from his deep sleep earlier in the year!
Upon closer examination, the cord that was used to suspend my food cache appeared to have been severed near the branch it was tied off to. The cut was clean so it didn't appear to have been chewed through by a bear or other animal.
Interestingly, there were several piles of horse dung nearby so perhaps curiosity got the best of a camper who may have spotted the pail hanging in the tree. Regardless, I was sure to gather up all the trash and pack it out at the end of my stay.
I believe the technique is a good way to cache food or supplies provided the person doing the caching (me!) takes the proper steps to suspend it properly and to locate it where someone won't stumble across it.
Monday June 28, 2004
This would be project day and since I had some leftover metal from my "Spirit Knife" project from last September, I thought I would whip out another blade. Since I've received some nice feedback on that past project, I knew I should try to get the entire knife making process on film.
Later in the day, I observed a hiker passing through in the far distance, checked the zero on my Ruger Mark II (it was way off) and continued filming; this time placing focus on my gear,tools and some other items that go with me into the woods.
Top Row L-R: Gransfors Bruks Hunter's Axe, Svensaw
Bottom Row L-R: Victorinox Outrider, Knipex Cobra pliers, file, Roselli Hunter's-Knife
Tuesday June 29, 2004
Now, with another trip planned in just a few days, I had better shake the dust from my blanket and start thinking about the new places I'd like to explore!
Best wishes from the Sierra,
The Man in the Rocks
Copyright © 2004 by Eric Stoskopf. Last updated 09/02/04
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