One of my favorite hikes is in Zion, Utah. The hike is called The Narrows. It’s a two day trek down a canyon, in the river. The river is literally the trail. Sometimes the water was at our ankles, other times waist high. There were stretches where there wasn’t any dry land to the left … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Ends of the Earth – Lord Huron
Mount Whitney is the highest peak on the continental US. We had been training for a backpacking trip to the summit and back. This would be a pretty big accomplishment for us city boys to tackle. We were looking forward to the challenge. Right before the trip, our friend’s father passed away. The trip automatically … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Fix You – Coldplay
I was skeptical of Michelle Obama at first. Maybe because she was guilty by association. I didn’t know much about her at the time, I admit. I must have had been my political blinders on. I did like her Let’s Move campaign. Childhood obesity is a really big problem. Although obesity rates haven’t decline as … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Sing Our Own Song – UB40
We planned our Europe backpacking trip around the running of the bulls in Pamplona. We arrived in the city without reservations and couldn’t find a place to stay. We found a place a few cities over and then took the train into the city. It was almost midnight when we arrived and we were immediately … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Running on Empty – Jackson Brown
Once I was on a backpacking trip and we set up our tents fairly close to a ledge (no brains there, mind you). As I was entering my tent, I tripped and fell forward, flying head first. Thank goodness I had metal steaks hammered into the ground to keep my tent in place. It had … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Free Falling – Tom Petty
In high school, my track coach once told me to take the team on a two mile run. I competed in the field events and never was a fan of running, but what could I do? We ended up running to the nearest Thrifty’s, sat on the curb and ate ice cream in the hot … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Rocky Mountain High – John Denver
Who are your current most favorite people? Mount Whitney is the highest mountain peak in the lower 48 states. It’s a two day trek and the altitude can get to you as you near the summit. I was trailing the group, they were up ahead, out of sight. At one point I sat down on … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Top of the World – Shonen Knife
What are your favorite animals? We had just backpacked about 15 miles. Our packs were heavy and the last three miles were incredibly painful. The terrain was a bit rocky, so we each set up our tents a short distance apart from each other. We packed our food in a bear canister that was kept … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Lose Yourself – Eminem
Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why? I like both, but in different ways. The beach is for relaxing, the mountains are for moving. I can lay out on a beach for hours and enjoy the sun. I may jump in the water from time to time, enjoy the sound of the waves and … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Alive – Pearl Jam
I typically turn quiet as I trudge along. When I’m quiet, my friends know I’m hurting a bit. Each step is more painful and I wonder how long I can keep going. I look down at my feet and sync my breathing to my pace. I still march on. I’m usually at the back of … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
The first major hiking trip I went on was a four day trek on the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. I remember stopping and taking a number of pictures along the way. One of the members of our group was a seasoned adventurer and gave me some advice. “Pictures are for friends and family back … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Pictures of You – The Cure
The Czech Republic is the furthest place I’ve traveled to. Back in 1991, it was still referred to as Czechoslovakia, had recently become democratic and open to foreign travelers. While backpacking through Europe, we jumped on a train heading east to Prague on a whim. We knew nothing about the country and were greeted with … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Roam – The B-52’s
I used to be more adventurous back in my 20s. Less responsibility. More time. More youth. The perfect recipe for adventure. My first adventure came right after college. I saved enough money to backpack through Europe for a month on a shoe string budget. A friend and I jumped on a plane without an itinerary … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Hotel California – The Eagles
It doesn’t matter what time I go to bed, I’m an early riser. I’m usually up around 6 am – this is now imprinted in my DNA. I do enjoy the quiet of the morning before starting my day. Better still, waking up before sunrise on a camping or backpacking trip. Unzipping my tent to … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Sunrise – Norah Jones
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