High Sierra Topix

rlown wrote:ok.. so, i'm thinking none of us got a neo air, stuffed in a bearikade, wrapped in a WM vest, stuffed in a WM sleeping bag for Christmas..

Just sitting here reminiscing... thankful that I actually own that wish list above, (all except the questionable NeoAir), and content in that nothing in the way of gear is necessary. Sometimes we "Oldsters" do not realize how lucky we are: Living within a day's drive of our Sierra, having the years and experience, accumulating the best and lightest of equipment over time, and not having to start up from ground zero.

Imagine trying to build your kit now...Add up the WM's, the Tarptent, that backpack, Bearikade, stove, vest, fishing gear...probably/certainly thousands of dollars spent. Most of us Old Farts have it all.

Agree with Mike though, would trade it all in for another 20 years of great backpacking adventures. Thus my wish list is simple: Another great season of continued health and hiking.

See you all on the trail next season and hopefully for many more seasons after...
Sigh, even Mike too.

Merry X-mas
Mark

Just like Mark wrote, I feel like a pretty lucky guy. Friday a couple buddies and myself were able to make a day run to Bishop just for the road trip. Recon'd a group site for next summer, bought some bread, bought some jerky, and even had time to throw a few flys on the Lower owens. Beautiful weather, good friends and home by 6:30 makes for a wonderful late December day.

I need new body parts. I woke up xmas morning with lower back pain. I haven't had that in almost 2 yrs. :-( I went snowboarding anyway, and caught an edge which tweaked my knee so now I'm hobbling around. Seeing a chiro in 1/2 hr, so maybe he can fix me for the new year.

I have all the gear I need, but when I get home I'm replacing my ancient ice axe with the lighter Black Diamond Raven Pro. I have a gift certificate for REI from Scott.

Snow Nymph wrote:I need new body parts.

On a recent backpack I was rocking (as the kids say) plantar's fasciitis, tennis elbow in both elbows (from using hiking poles), my usual creaky knees and a scratched cornea (from crap blowing in the gale force winds). But the good thing is I know this is all a complete coincidence and has nothing to do with age. (well, at least I'm on good grounds when it comes to the cornea).
Best of all, I'm ready to go out and do it all over again starting tomorrow.

hmm.. no one mentioned fishing tackle.. On a lunch break a couple months ago, I went to drool over rods and reels at Sportman's Warehouse. I think I know what I want, but told no one.. Probably wouldn't have mattered, but the rods and reels will be in my possession before the next backpacking trip.

Body parts: acquired as required.. but, hopefully not.

Santa put a Bearikade Expedition under the tree after I went to sleep. Woke up Christmas morning and there it was.

Some Santa's are AWSOME. congrats! Now you need some stickers for the can..

My Santa belongs to the awesome type - he spoiled me with a near new (he does shop for deals, too, I think) pair of alpine touring and winter mountaineering boots, and he even got the size right. What he forgot was to bring some snow, not just in the Sierra, but where I live, too. It has been a ridiculously warm December here and it will continue as far as I can tell from the forecast. The ski hills barely manage to maintain a layer of slush in a place that should have been on average 5F colder over the last 30 days, and 10F colder over the last 7 days.... There were two days with about 1" of snow this year, and that evaporated in a day.

I also got a new foul weather gore tex shell for myself from ebay - down 330 grams from my old ebay jacket. The "alien gekko" color may have been why Santa didn't want to touch it, or why the previous owner let it go unused. It's called the "Beryllium" jacket for a reason, I guess - toxic to the touch