{"id":7607,"date":"2019-05-27T08:50:35","date_gmt":"2019-05-27T14:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maxcarmichael.com\/blog\/?p=7607"},"modified":"2020-07-01T14:24:57","modified_gmt":"2020-07-01T20:24:57","slug":"spring-trip-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maxcarmichael.com\/blog\/?p=7607","title":{"rendered":"Spring Trip 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Test<\/h1>\n

During the past five years, my body seemed to be failing and accumulating injuries and disabilities. I could’ve easily assumed this was irreversible – the new normal.<\/p>\n

But I was lucky in that I’d stopped pursuing a career and had few responsibilities except to myself. I had as much time as I needed. I kept experimenting and working harder and harder to stay in shape. I’d spent the past six months in training, working on my strength and flexibility to get around the rotator cuff tears in both shoulders, very gradually increasing my hiking distance and elevation until I even passed the point I was at when things started falling apart. The only question was, could I hike off-trail in the desert mountains I loved, with all the steep slopes of loose rock? I’d already learned that loose rock was the ultimate challenge for my chronically injured foot.<\/p>\n

So in addition to the meeting, this trip was a test for my body. And ironically, after more than 15 years, I’d finally acquired a 4wd vehicle, and this would be the first test of that, too.<\/p>\n

The first thing I discovered was that I had to re-learn hiking out there. Since my foot injury, I’d lost my confidence and had to regain it, going slower and more deliberately, more mindfully, especially downhill. But I did OK, doing rugged hikes easily and even some construction work that required moves I couldn’t have done a few months ago.<\/p>\n

And so did my vehicle. I ended up on old abandoned mine roads, where the Sidekick kept crawling through deep sandy washes, rocking back and forth 60+ degrees between deep ruts on its truck frame, and climbing straight up loose shaley slopes, to many places my 2wd, low-clearance truck would never have reached. The Sidekick never had a problem, nor did my body. We both passed the test.<\/p>\n

Hitting the Road<\/h1>\n
\"Raining <\/a>
Raining as I left home <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"In <\/a>
In a resort village high in the mountains, a cafe flies a Trump flag. Remember this before you say “We have to solve climate change,” gun violence, immigration, overpopulation, etc. In the real world, there are countless “we’s” and the institutions of our society, from government to media, education, commerce and technology, are not furthering consensus between them <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Arrival<\/h1>\n

The main reason for this trip was a long-planned meeting between those who love our mountains. But the hot days of summer were coming, and since there’s no natural shade at our campsite, I’d designed a shade canopy that I hauled out, in pieces, on top of my new vehicle to assemble onsite.<\/p>\n

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\"IMG_2242\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The waxing moon rises in the east as the sun sets in the west <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Second Day<\/h1>\n
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\"IMG_2250\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"IMG_2253\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"IMG_2254\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Salvia <\/a>
Salvia in bloom <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Red <\/a>
Red racer or coachwhip <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Using <\/a>
Using sage as deodorant! <\/div> <\/div>
\"IMG_2265\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"IMG_2267\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"IMG_2268\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Western <\/a>
Western tanager <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Father <\/a>
Father and daughter climb the peak behind camp <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"IMG_2273\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"IMG_2276\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"IMG_2277\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n