Some of us have been talking about the need for more frequent and varied
opportunities for extropians to get together in person. Toward that end, I'm
seriously considering an "extropian" backpacking trip over the July 4 holiday
in 1997. I have a specific trip in mind:
Dates: 3-7 July, 1997
Place: Pecos Wilderness, near Santa Fe, New Mexico
I choose this because (1) rendezvous at the Albuquerque airport would be
roughly equally convenient/inconvenient for folks in many regions of the
country, (2) for the Left and Right Coasters, this area might present a
chance to see some back country with which you're not familiar and (3) I know
the area pretty well.
I am *not* married to this specific trip, and would be more than open to
suggestions for alternative places. I personally probably don't have much
flexibility on dates, i.e. while I might be able to shift things a day or so
one way or the other, other obvious holiday weekends are already pretty much
committed for me in ‘97.
The trip I have in mind would be a relatively easy one, with no more than six
to eight miles per full-pack day and the possibilities of some lightly-loaded
day hikes from a selection of good base camp sites, including the possibility
of a peak-bagging run. Weather conditions should be quite mild, so we
wouldn't need a lot of heavy gear. On the downside, this area is very close
to Santa Fe and will probably have a relatively large human population over
the 4 July holiday. While I prefer more remote areas, those expeditions
require a full week of time.
Also, because my schedule is sometimes unavoidably interrupted due to work,
I'll be looking for an alternate "guide" in case some curmudgeon judge sets
me for trial on short notice -- any volunteers? (This trip is so
non-technical and the route is so easy that no previous familiarity with the
trail system would be required: All you'd have to be able to do is read a
map.)
Max and Natasha have already expressed strong interest in this trip and are
probable EXpedition members. Novices will be more than welcome and I'll be
happy to do a little pre-trip "coaching" on training and gear. You do *not*
need to be in top condition for this trip; only reasonably fit. In fact, if
you've been considering a push on your fitness program, shooting for the trip
will be a good and achievable goal.
I have created a web page for this trip:
http://users.aol.com/gburch2/exp97
If you've never been backpacking before and/or are even remotely interested
in this trip, stop by my backpacking page:
http://users.aol.com/gburch1/bpack01.html
(Don't be put off by the title of my page -- it's an inside joke that grew
out of a *much* tougher trip than the one I'm planning.)
If you're interested in the trip, please send me an e-mail. PLEASE put the
term "EXP97" at the beginning of the subject line. As the group for this
trip firms up, I'll circulate private e-mail to the individuals who sign up
or just want to stay up to date for the possibility of going. I'd like to
shoot for firm commitments by late March or early April so I can engage in
technical and logistics planning.
Hope to see you on "Expedition 97"!
Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com> <burchg@liddellsapp.com>
http://users.aol.com/gburch1 or http://members.aol.com/gburch1
"Travel is broadening.
It's time to hit the road again."
-- Carl Sagan (Reflecting on the 25th anniversary of Apollo 11)