Hey markskor!

Grab your bear can or camp chair, kick your feet up and chew the fat about anything Sierra Nevada related that doesn't quite fit in any of the other forums. Within reason, (and the HST rules and guidelines) this is also an anything goes forum. Tell stories, discuss wilderness issues, music, or whatever else the High Sierra stirs up in your mind.
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hikerchick395
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Hey markskor!

Post by hikerchick395 »

First time here. Finally got around to reading the summer Eastside mag and you were quoted from this site.
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markskor
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Re: Hey markskor!

Post by markskor »

Hikerchick-395!
First off - welcome to HST! Read your stuff all the time on the Portal board...(or maybe on Backpacker) - whatever, always good stuff offered.
and, Hey back...where/when was this particular quote again?...link?
Did I happen to say anything intelligent?...(if so, I was most probably misquoted.)
Mark
Mountainman who swims with trout
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hikerchick395
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Re: Hey markskor!

Post by hikerchick395 »

Quite the brilliant quote actually...

"My motto;
Buy the best gear,
Take what pleases you,
Hike safe,
Eat well,
It weighs what it weighs-
Nobody is asking you to carry it."

Stacy Corless, editor, adds "Norman Clyde would certainly agree."

It is in an article "Odyssey vs. Marathon," Eastside Magazine, Summer 2009. Stacy seems to have my philosophy...better to carry more and be prepared, as compared to ultalighters. Of course, I may lean too much the other way.

http://www.TheEastsideMag.com
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markskor
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Re: Hey markskor!

Post by markskor »

(Eastside Magazine) article
24Jun2009
Odyssey vs. Marathon
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
FREQUENT SIERRA TREKKERS CONSIDER THE CONTENTS OF THEIR BACKPACKS an extension of their very beings. The most famous pack identity is that of early twentieth century Sierra mountaineering legend Norman Clyde. “He carried huge packs that usually included large books of classical literature, cast iron cookware, an anvil and hammer for boot repair, multiple cameras, and guns—at least a couple of sidearms. He did not like to go hungry either, so he carried a lot of food, and he often took on extra food from others in the backcountry. All of this stuff he wrapped in a duffle and strapped onto a classic old pack frame, which is basically a board with shoulder straps,” said author and photographer Andy Selters, who curated an exhibit on Clyde for the Eastern California Museum.
For this magazine’s editor and her heeler, reading material (unlike Clyde, she leaves Homer at home and takes the latest New Yorker), two sleeping pads (closed cell foam for canine, and Therm-A-Rest ProLite short for human), a bottle of Côtes du Rhône decanted in a one-liter Platypus bladder and dehydrated, organic dog kibble are essential components of the perfect weekend trip.
Other hikers, taking advantage of the generally good California summer weather, make it a personal mission to shave needless ounces off their FSO (from skin out) weight. “There were hikers who didn’t carry a stove and only ate rehydrated hummus,” said Andrew Schurr, a Bishop resident, of his 2007 Pacific Crest Trail through-hike. Schurr was able to maintain a marathon-a-day average pace on his trek by going light: tarp instead of tent, low-top hiking shoes instead of leather boots. Still, he figured he had a couple pounds of frills, including a frisbee, a pirate flag and nip of whiskey.
Virtual hikers at http://www.highsierratopix.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, a backpacking discussion board, debated the matter of pack weight and contents all winter and spring. Forum users’ pack weights range from nine to 85 pounds, depending on fishing apparatus, camera equipment and budget (an example: the old standby bear-resistant food canister can be rented for as little as five dollars a week, while a lighter model might cost over $200 to purchase).
Longtime Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park wilderness ranger and frequent High Sierra Topix contributor George Durkee offered the online backpackers this advice:
“Whatever happens, don’t abandon the Peet’s coffee or the french press! A man’s gotta have priorities—also, an encouraging number of outbound hikers will cheerfully offload their fresh(er) coffee with the kindly ranger.
“So my only thought here is to look at two things that people tend to carry that they can really save some pounds on. [First is] the empty pack weight—I think nowadays anything over three pounds is too much. Lots of good choices out there. Check out the Ice Sack by Wild Things Gear (http://www.wildthingsgear.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). I’ve had one for about 10 years of fairly heavy use. Second is water. Almost everyone carries too much. A quart, at most, is all you really need. There’s very few places on the John Muir Trail you go for more that two hours without crossing water. Also take a look at the UV light pens for water treatment versus a filter...
I’d set a goal of keeping it under 40 pounds for a week of travel. (I’m a little leery of the super-light weight philosophy. I don’t think there’s enough margin of safety for a bad storm or other emergency.)”
The simplest wisdom came from a poster with the handle of “Markskor”:
My motto:
Buy the best gear;
Take what pleases you,
Hike safe,
Eat well.
It weighs what it weighs -
Nobody is asking you to carry it.
Norman Clyde would certainly agree.
–S.C.
Mountainman who swims with trout
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Re: Hey markskor!

Post by giantbrookie »

A very hearty, right on! Welcome, hikerchick 395. I am a second-generation big pack carrier and I may be that 85lb representative in that quote, although that comes with a bit of an asterisk. My wife and I were taking our two kids (then 2.5 and 6 yrs old) on their first backpacking trip. Pack weight is certainly a matter of personal preference, but I'd sure don't want to cut corners on safety and comforts in camp in return for pack weight. Mountain porters in many places of the world routinely carry loads of 100lbs or more and their gear is nowhere near as comfortable and well balanced as our loads. I figure that compared to the international standard, 50-60 lbs (my standard packweight on longer trips w/o the little ones) for someone who is well conditioned and well fed is child's play. My dad weighed about 135-138lbs (I weigh about 165lbs) and he routinely carried 65-70 lbs before I became strong enough to shift most of the load to my back (the crossover occurred when I turned 20 and he turned 51).
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Hey markskor!

Post by rlown »

um, nice that you got published, Markskor. very nice. :thumbsup: and George as well.
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Re: Hey markskor!

Post by ERIC »

Nice work, Mark and George. :thumbsup:
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markskor
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Re: Hey markskor!

Post by markskor »

Thanks all but...
Even nicer though that our own HST got a nice prominent mention, great plug...we all came off sounding intelligent too, and with a published link.
Way to go Eric!
Mark
Mountainman who swims with trout
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