We arrive at our campsite in late afternoon to discover one of creation’s more enchanting settings. Around a dreamy lake pierced by a pair of craggy islands rise rocky snow-encrusted mountains skirted by dark evergreens and framed by a wide expanse of blue sky. National Geographic would be hard pressed to find a more pristine cliché of Technicolor western beauty.

After dinner we lie under a panoramic firmament unobstructed by clouds and unblemished by manmade light. If it’s been awhile since you’ve lingered beneath the intense blanket of stars that were a regular night feature of all human life prior to the invention of the lightbulb a mere 122 years ago, you are missing one of nature’s more sublime treats.

If, like me, your daily life is largely estranged from the natural world, it is a dramatic reintroduction to Creation 101. Suddenly the magic words of a nineteenth century hymn come alive as nature sings and round us ring the music of the spheres. Alternatively, we are looking at Van Gogh’s starry night from the inside out. Whatever the metaphor, we are lost in a universe of unimaginable, indescribable dimension.

To nature’s singing I add the English Suites of Bach, which brings me perilously close to an overdose of nirvana. If it all seems a little too perfect, here’s the catch: The whole world will change on the morrow – though we will be among the last on earth to learn of it – and yet some things, despite man’s worst efforts, really are enduring. Music, the stars, friendship, the natural world.

Tuesday, September 11: We ease out of our tents about the time the sun starts warming the ground and crank up our stoves. What I like about hot chocolate is this: With each sip that sweet old irrational feeling called hope comes stumbling back to life.

 

Outfitters Advice: How to choose Hydration Systems - 
Or - Hauling Water the easy way!

There are many hydration options; a water bottle, hydration bag, hydration pack, collapsible bottle, even a canteen (but lets leave those antique aluminum things at home!).

 For a casual hike, a water bottle keeps things simple. If the hike goes on for more than a couple hours, study your water system . There are hip belts that carry 1, 2, or 3 bottles. If your hike is strenuous, consider a hydration pack. Water is carried inside the backpack in a collapsible reservoir with a hose to the front. Drink your water using a simple-hands-free-suction valve. When planning an extended backpacking trip, make sure that you have the capacity to carry at least four liters of water. Many of the newer backpacks and daypacks are "hydration compatible." 

Most of the daypacks are designed to carry a 1-liter reservoir; most backpacks will accept a two or three liter reservoir. Backpackers should consider some type of collapsible "bucket" for hauling water to a campsite. Most can be used as a field shower too.

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