Stories From the Field

[lightningTodd]

I think this is another sub-forum that probably just needs one thread so I'll go ahead and get it going.

I worked a mammal job in southern California which was on the same property as where The Biggest Loser was being filmed. We shared a kitchen with the losers and used to just see them walking around. I wasn't going out of my way to tempt them with my sumptuous cooking but it seemed liked sometimes they were jealous of my bountiful feasts I wolfed down after crashing around outside all day while they nibbled on their rice cakes and kale or whatever it was.

[socalsmooth]

Apparently there was a show on MTV called "G's to Gents" or something like that where they took some thuggy hip-hop people and transformed them into refined society gentlemen. Got them all dressed up formally and taught them how to order at fancy restaurants and whatever else. I did a volunteer gig in the winter and this guy was on the show (he had pics and stuff to prove it). Problem is he was too fat to really do anything so he got assigned tasks that mostly involved standing still and walking short distances, but he wasn't especially good at that either. It seemed that his gents training didn't really take. I didn't ask for much detail about how real this stuff actually is. Who knows. I assume all "reality" shows are scripted or at least manipulated by the producers in some way.

[aldiquarter]

Once upon a time, I encountered, or more accurately was stumbled upon by a feral hog sow and her piglet. Man that was weird. I was just sitting on a log at the edge of a forested area. I heard some stomping coming up from behind me. I got up, walked off a bit and turned around. I saw the shape coming through the brush, I couldn't see what it was. But I could tell from the height that it wasn't a deer or a bear, but it was also too tall to be a skunk, or raccoon. What the hell is that? I thought and then they came out. holy shit, those are big animals! So now they come out, I'm thinking "uh..should I be afraid of this thing?" they're big and menacing Not little and cute like javelinas (I've seen those in the field too). I just froze and stared at them. I tried not to think of all the pork products I've consumed in my life. Well we had our staring contest for a bit and then they just went back to where they came from. Yeah, feral animals are weird. Probably unpredictable. I thought "well that was weird" and then finished my survey.

[ScurvyBrother]

I have something similar although it was just on a hike, not during a field season. It was in Colorado in the western slope (near Fraser or Granby or something). There's a big wetland area by the parking lot and when I got there I saw a bunch of people gawking - there were 2 bull moose on the other side of the swamp. They were pretty far away, at least a quarter mile but it's unmistakable - the body is just SO high off the ground. Their enormous. I stood there and watched them for a bit. I thought oh that's cool and then I started on my hike. la la la, just walking through the woods, I get to a little clearing where it opened up pretty abruptly and what do I see there? You guessed. The two moose, just munch munching on some grasses.

I froze. I mean like I snapped into a freeze like I'd been zapped with a freeze ray. They didn't react at all. I stood there and just started at them, thinking about how unpredictable moose are. And big! They couldn't have been less interested. I did this for about five minutes and I thought uh am I just going to stand here all day. I was trying to be cautious but it didn't seem like there was any point to it. Also this was in June or something. Much different if it were October, I might not be hear writing this. So I went on and they didn't do anything.

So I went out for awhile, this was like an all day thing. Five hours later I got back to the same clearing, it opens up just as abruptly from the other side and what do I see? Munch, munch. They literally hadn't moved an inch in five hours. This time I just kept walking right by them. I may have paused just from being startled for like 10 seconds.

Also I almost forgot I went to take a picture the first time but my camera batteries were dead. Good lesson. I've never been so close to a moose before and probably don't need to be.

[smokeygreens]

So I went out for awhile, this was like an all day thing. Five hours later I got back to the same clearing

You couldn't find a loop to do bro?

[ScurvyBrother]

So I went out for awhile, this was like an all day thing. Five hours later I got back to the same clearing

You couldn't find a loop to do bro?

What's wrong with it out and back? Don't tell me you're one of those "only do loop" types

[socalsmooth]

You couldn't find a loop to do bro?

What's wrong with it out and back? Don't tell me you're one of those "only do loop" types

Yeah Smokes, that seems a bit amateur-ish.

And is your birthday really 4/20?

[smokeygreens]

You couldn't find a loop to do bro?

What's wrong with it out and back? Don't tell me you're one of those "only do loop" types

Yeah Smokes, that seems a bit amateur-ish.

And is your birthday really 4/20?

Amateur? Quite the opposite my bruh - out and backs is for chumps. Walking down the same way you came, seeing all the same stuff and same two moose standing there. No way.

And very good observation - if only Jah imparted more fairness and order to the universe I would have been born on the 20th of April, but alas it is not so.

[omsweetom]

You couldn't find a loop to do bro?

What's wrong with it out and back? Don't tell me you're one of those "only do loop" types

Yeah Smokes, that seems a bit amateur-ish.

And is your birthday really 4/20?

Amateur? Quite the opposite my bruh - out and backs is for chumps. Walking down the same way you came, seeing all the same stuff and same two moose standing there. No way.

And very good observation - if only Jah imparted more fairness and order to the universe I would have been born on the 20th of April, but alas it is not so.

This is a viewpoint I struggle with. For me, the purpose of hiking is enjoying the feeling of being outdoors, being alone in a beautiful place. Sure it's nice to see nice things, but what does it matter if I go back the way I came out?

Not to say there's anything wrong with your viewpoint - I know lots of people feel the same way, but all I can say is that people who subscribe to it aren't out there for the same reason I am.

I think if you truly enjoy hiking for its own sake and the way it makes you feel, it shouldn't matter and you could even walk back and forth along the same mile stretch.

[socalsmooth]

This is a viewpoint I struggle with. For me, the purpose of hiking is enjoying the feeling of being outdoors, being alone in a beautiful place. Sure it's nice to see nice things, but what does it matter if I go back the way I came out?

Not to say there's anything wrong with your viewpoint - I know lots of people feel the same way, but all I can say is that people who subscribe to it aren't out there for the same reason I am.

I think if you truly enjoy hiking for its own sake and the way it makes you feel, it shouldn't matter and you could even walk back and forth along the same mile stretch.

Ah but by that logic why do you need to hike or go outside at all? Shouldn't you be able to achieve enlightenment just by sitting in a white room and staring at the walls? If its all in the mind or whatever

[omsweetom]

This is a viewpoint I struggle with. For me, the purpose of hiking is enjoying the feeling of being outdoors, being alone in a beautiful place. Sure it's nice to see nice things, but what does it matter if I go back the way I came out?

Not to say there's anything wrong with your viewpoint - I know lots of people feel the same way, but all I can say is that people who subscribe to it aren't out there for the same reason I am.

I think if you truly enjoy hiking for its own sake and the way it makes you feel, it shouldn't matter and you could even walk back and forth along the same mile stretch.

Ah but by that logic why do you need to hike or go outside at all? Shouldn't you be able to achieve enlightenment just by sitting in a white room and staring at the walls? If its all in the mind or whatever

To answer the question in your post...yes. I should and I commend your extending the point to its most logical conclusion. With that said, achieving that extreme degree of enlightenment isn't easy if possible at all.

I recall reading a story about one of the great and venerated Buddhist monks. He sat in a room with a white wall (apt if not entirely intentional choice of words on your part) and vowed to clear his mind of all thoughts. Part of the practice was to make a black mark on the wall every time he failed. It was only a matter of time before the entire wall was filled in black. As the story goes. All of this is to say it's not as easy as the short sentence would imply.

So I guess somewhere in between sitting in the white room and not being able to do an out and back is where we should strive to find ourselves.

[aldiquarter]

Seems like a weird thing to argue about. If you can't hike without its being a loop then that's especially extreme. Sometimes you only have a certain amount of time where you are and the choice of trials is limited. So what else can you do? Loops are fun if you can do them. Most mountain climbs are out and back, like there's only one way up. Seems like more trouble than it's worth