Chat
Well, I'm not dead yet... thinking of going for a walk.
My neighbor has a few donkeys and wants to buy my saddlebags. I am not sure I am done done yet.
Yeah, it's a pain to walk, and I can't breathe without oxygen sometimes, and I sure can't sleep without it. I can carry a small bottle on a day hike. I miss getting out. And I have so much cool stuff.
I bought a bear-proof tent. My daughter-in-law is afraid of camping for fear of bears, so what does that do for my grandkids? So I got the tent. It is 7'x7'x16' and fits nicely on my flatbed trailer. It's open air with heavy steel rod mesh. I have an oil tarp to cover it. you can hang a whole lot of hammocks from the walls or roof. It makes me look like some kind of character out of a fairytale when I drive down the street towing it behind my truck. Especially if the chained kids inside are wailing.
I can do some crazy car camping with it. I am tempted to get one of the Hobie sailing canoes. i like the water. But I am not sure that i don't want to go out hiking anymore. There's just something about aching legs, burning lungs, and blisters on your hands and arm pits from your hiking crutches that just makes you feel alive.
I used to tell people who hiked with me and the goats that if I died on the trail, they should not pack me on a goat to get me out because i was too heavy. Instead they should quarter me first and split me between four goats. If I go on hospice before going hiking, they won't even investigate my death.
The thing now is that I might still be alive when I collapse on the trail, and the thought of being quartered to get me out no longer sounds like a viable option.
We have finally reached the point where we have more money in the bank than we owe on the house, so a helicopter rescue is out. Wouldn't want to mess that up.
I have often thought a single wheel goat cart would be nice on the trail. it would have a bicycle seat and some foot rests, but be easy to stand and hop off to get over trail obstacles. But in many areas they don't allow wheels. I'm not sure if the Wilderness Act, or the ADA takes precedence. Finding out would probably have the same downside as a helicopter rescue. I thought of making a wheel with spoke mounted tennis shoes so that it leaves footprints rather than wheel marks.
Two goats or not two goats.. that is the question. Maybe two goats and a rescue donkey. If my wife hears that I may not live to get to the trailhead.
I have recommended to others wanting pack goats that they get them early enough to bottle feed them and have them bonded. But I know others successfully use older goats. I learned a lot working with Diego (aka Diablo) who had been in two herds before I got him. I learned why they tossed him out of two herds.
So I am literally on the fence about selling my saddlebags. Even if I don't get goats, maybe they will inspire my kids or grand kids. I think I will try Mill Creek to Dog Lake this weekend. Hannah, the goats and I used to go two or three times a week. We could almost run up after a while. We had a lot of fun training the goats to avoid bicycles and face dogs. Maybe I'll take some grand kids. I wonder if they can carry me out if quartered.
My neighbor has a few donkeys and wants to buy my saddlebags. I am not sure I am done done yet.
Yeah, it's a pain to walk, and I can't breathe without oxygen sometimes, and I sure can't sleep without it. I can carry a small bottle on a day hike. I miss getting out. And I have so much cool stuff.
I bought a bear-proof tent. My daughter-in-law is afraid of camping for fear of bears, so what does that do for my grandkids? So I got the tent. It is 7'x7'x16' and fits nicely on my flatbed trailer. It's open air with heavy steel rod mesh. I have an oil tarp to cover it. you can hang a whole lot of hammocks from the walls or roof. It makes me look like some kind of character out of a fairytale when I drive down the street towing it behind my truck. Especially if the chained kids inside are wailing.
I can do some crazy car camping with it. I am tempted to get one of the Hobie sailing canoes. i like the water. But I am not sure that i don't want to go out hiking anymore. There's just something about aching legs, burning lungs, and blisters on your hands and arm pits from your hiking crutches that just makes you feel alive.
I used to tell people who hiked with me and the goats that if I died on the trail, they should not pack me on a goat to get me out because i was too heavy. Instead they should quarter me first and split me between four goats. If I go on hospice before going hiking, they won't even investigate my death.
The thing now is that I might still be alive when I collapse on the trail, and the thought of being quartered to get me out no longer sounds like a viable option.
We have finally reached the point where we have more money in the bank than we owe on the house, so a helicopter rescue is out. Wouldn't want to mess that up.
I have often thought a single wheel goat cart would be nice on the trail. it would have a bicycle seat and some foot rests, but be easy to stand and hop off to get over trail obstacles. But in many areas they don't allow wheels. I'm not sure if the Wilderness Act, or the ADA takes precedence. Finding out would probably have the same downside as a helicopter rescue. I thought of making a wheel with spoke mounted tennis shoes so that it leaves footprints rather than wheel marks.
Two goats or not two goats.. that is the question. Maybe two goats and a rescue donkey. If my wife hears that I may not live to get to the trailhead.
I have recommended to others wanting pack goats that they get them early enough to bottle feed them and have them bonded. But I know others successfully use older goats. I learned a lot working with Diego (aka Diablo) who had been in two herds before I got him. I learned why they tossed him out of two herds.
So I am literally on the fence about selling my saddlebags. Even if I don't get goats, maybe they will inspire my kids or grand kids. I think I will try Mill Creek to Dog Lake this weekend. Hannah, the goats and I used to go two or three times a week. We could almost run up after a while. We had a lot of fun training the goats to avoid bicycles and face dogs. Maybe I'll take some grand kids. I wonder if they can carry me out if quartered.
