"Flotsam & Jetsam. pt 2" Maps, maps, maps

Once I've narrowed down the park/wilderness area to a manageable size, I get to my favorite part of planning. That's choosing the actual route, then calculating mileage, elevation gain/loss, and where needed, choosing campsites.

I'll start by looking at the map, or a specific area of the map, not really trying too hard to discern a route. It really is kind of Zen in that you can't force it, and you have relax and let the map reveal itself to you. It's not too long before i start to see possible routes; loops, lollipops, and connecting circuits really just pop out.

Once this happens, I can take out my notebook, and start jotting down some mileage/elevation figures, sketching each day, and seeing what king of terrain i'm likely to encounter. If the trails I'm looking at are described in a guidebook, I'll read that also.

Between reading these descriptions and looking at the maps, i start to get a remarkably good idea of what each day will be like, and i can begin to visualize the hike, which is always exciting.

Finally, I look at my chosen route, and calculate daily mileage as well as elevation gain/loss.

If I'm hiking in a Wilderness area, such as in Weminuche in Colorado or River of No Return in Idaho, I can leave flexibility in my exact daily itinerary, which i like. In these cases, I'll have a general idea of where I'll be each night, but if i feel like spending a day fishing, or i just wake up feeling lazy, i can adjust accordingly.

However, most National Parks don't allow this practice of "at-large" camping; that is you can't just pick your own campsite and bed down. Instead, when you apply for your backcountry permit, you must indicate your choice of designated backcountry campsites for each night. As a result, there is a lot less flexiblity in planning your route. Of course, I understand the need to manage the backcountry in our National Parks, and this practice certainly makes for a safer stay. And these are backcoutry campsites, so it's not like i'll be next to an RV and parking lot, but still...

You do loose a bit of the sense of freedom that comes with an extended backcountry trip; it is ironic that i have no set schedule for the next 2 months, but I can tell you what campsite i'll be sleeping at from 5/28 to 6/24!

This adds a substantial bit of work to the planning; first, you have to ensure that you apply early enough to get your chosen sites. More importantly, though, you must choose your route to ensure that you have campsite option at or near where you'd want to finish your day. This can result in significant changes to your planned route; a good example of this is in Yellowstone, which i'll get into when i post the hike details for that trip.

Nonetheless, when the planning is finished and the backcountry applications are on their way to the parks (2 months before your trip,) you will have an exact mileage and elevation gain/loss profile for each day of the trip!

"Flotsam and Jetsam,"--39 books, 900sq. ft of maps...

Although I've done a lot on planning online, there is no way i can plan these hikes in the necessary detail without getting the actual trail maps out, and reading guides (you can see the crate full of books on the left.)

I'll start with the guidebooks, reading the background info on the area (geology, climate, landforms, etc.) Hopefully, the book is broken into sections with a general description of each; you can glean this information from scanning the trail descriptions, but that can be time consuming.

At this point, I'll also look up any sites/trails that were recommended to me, or that i found in Backpacker. After bringing all of this together, I usually have a pretty good idea of where I'll be hiking, at least geographically. This is still before planning the exact itinerary for this hike; which is the most precise, time consuming and (for me) the most fun part of the planning.

A visit to NC. "Inside Information"

Since I expected my former employer to come and collect the company car soon, I decided to take advantage while I could, and drove to NC to see my friends and their delightful baby boy (and the Tarheels, and the 2$ Pistols.)
So, being on the road cemented the idea for me; i was going to take one colossal road/hiking trip through the American West. But I really had very little idea of how i was going to plan effectively, not having hiked these areas before.
Fortunately, while I was in NC, my buddy Mark gave my a tutorial on Web 2.0. We're both in our early 30's, right on the digital divide (I didn't have an email address or use the internet in college.) However, he's gone on to become the president of a web design company, and i was challenged by iTunes...
But after getting back to b'klyn, i realized how i could apply all of these cool things that i had just learned about (social networking, creating maps online, etc.,) to my trip. So, to bring us up to the (almost) present, I spent the better part of 4 weeks learning by doing with Facebook, Google Maps/Earth, the blog (obv), etc. I've met people on fb from all over the areas that I want to hike, who have set me up with great recommendations, local conditions, and other useful beta. And soon, I had my overall itinerary planned, and was getting into the real details of planning the individual hikes.

"Riddles in the Dark" So now what?

Ok, so I figured, the world is my oyster, at least for a a few months--where to? My first thought was "the more exotic, the better," as i was dreaming of Australia, Southeast Asia, Africa...

To help focus myself, I started to think about what i was trying to accomplish with this time between now and when i got into my next career. Obviously, i wanted adventure, excitement, and the chance to see new and stimulating things. I also wanted an extended trip, and to meet new people--but not just other backpacking tourists and locals with whom i may or may not share a language...

So i started to think seriously about the US. I had just watched 2 NatGeo programs on the Rockies, and i was stunned by the scenery. I pulled out dozens of back issues of Backpacker and started reading, and was blown away by photos and trail descriptions. (there's something about seeing a photo of a craggy, 14,000' peak, and knowing that you could be on top of it...) I thought deeper about what i was trying to accomplish, and i realized that in planning and taking a trip across the National Parks and Wilderness areas of the Western US would not only be a lifetime experience, but would also have me crossing paths with many like minded people. I figure, why not see how other folks blend a passion for the outdoors into a professional life?

So this general concept was just coalescing as i was setting off on a road trip to visit Mark, Katy, Gus and Spot in NC on Valentine's day...

How it all began... "An Unexpected Party"

Towards the end of 2007, i came to the conclusion that i really, really wanted out of the educational publishing business. In a stroke of incredible luck (or providence,) I was laid off in mid-January. While this might not be considered a joyous occasion for most, it certainly was for me.
Don't get me wrong; i wasn't miserable or underpaid, i liked my colleagues and boss, and i had 8 great (and lucrative) years in the biz. There are worse things to do for a living than working with educators, but I had known for a while that this was not my life's calling.
I have to add that the generous severance package softened the blow a bit; after crunching some #s, i realized that I had the luxury contemplating what career would truly be fulfilling and meaningful before jumping into another "job."
I also realized that i had few, if any, commitments in my immediate future; no kids, mortgage, wife (not even a girlfriend!) In short, no responsibilities, other than to myself, friends and family.
I was filled with a sense of boundless freedom, and knew that i had been presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel, explore and interact with the world.
I just needed to make sure that i made the most of it...