Ultralighting!

Alright so apologies for the late blog, no excuses!

I decided to elaborate on some of my motives for being an avid ultralight backpacker as well as some of the equipment I use to keep my treks enjoyable and hassle-free.

Ultralight packing embodies one of the fundamental concepts of nature-focused hikes: leaving nothing behind on a trek as well as striving for the most minimal impact upon your environment around you. Ultralighting can be as simple or in-depth as you want it to be. It's not for everybody though, it demands meticulously stripping your essentials to the most minimum you can go out with, assuming your doing it within your comfort zone. [i.e. some tramps go without the most basis medical supplies, I think that's crazy]

I find the most pleasure in ultralighting when I'm scaling hills or bouldering and I'm not caught up trying to maneuver pounds upon pounds of equipment around. It leaves you with much more energy to expend on getting your fullest experience out of the nature around you.

And my basic setup [very basic, not including initial foods or some miscellaneous items]:

Atmos 35 liter pack, my baby. :B

DIY soda can stove, powered with 50 mL of SLX denatured alcohol.

MSR water pump and filter

Sleeping bivy!

Call of the Wild

This video was shown at the Nebraska Agri/Eco-tourism Conference this past January by our keynote speaker Dr. Kelly Bricker. It's captivating to say the least. The video and images speak for themselves.

Fishing Nebraska (and some classic TV)

On of the my favorite memories of my childhood was waking up and watching the Andy Griffith Show. Time after time I would wake up to that iconic whistling them song and black and white sene of Andy and his kid going fishing. My dad always said "If their is a lesson to be learned in life, you will learn it form Andy Griffith." Well the first lesson of every episode is a dad and his boy going fishing. Fishing is something that is rooted deep in our culture and continues to be popular today. Lucky for us Nebraska has some great fishing.

The first lake that comes to mind in Nebraska for fishing is lake McConaughy. Big Mac (as its called, I think) is 22 miles long and 4 miles wide. It is located on the Platte river and has a Hydroelectric power plant in Kingsley dam. As breathtaking as the lake is itself the fishing might be better. Each year massive walleyes are caught in the lake that make me jealous.

Big Mac in the Summer 

A large fish caught next to the dam. 

Lake McConaguhy Is on of may fishing destinations in Nebraska. Fishing is a rewarding hobby that is cheap and easy to get started in. Nebraska has many fishing holes to have an Andy Griffith moment of your own!

(sorry for the terrible spelling and grammar.)

Adam  

The Leopold Education Project

After watching Green Fire today, I realize more that our society is split into paradigms regarding ecology and conservation. Like Aldo Leopold's daughter, Nina, in this video mentions, much of us our ecologically illiterate. I've taken classes like Ecology and Environmental Law; but it really hasn't come full circle until now. This semester I'm taking Environmental Leadership and it's about people like Aldo Leopold who was a thought leader. He lived his passion in sharing his knowledge about the wilderness, ecology, and conservation.
There are times I feel that no one cares, but then there are times I feel people really do care about our environment. Think of one great memory you've had spending time out in nature. Do we really want to slowly destroy the natural creations that have engaged us intellectually, physically, and in many other dimensions in life. It's like a nightmare coming to life when I realize we are greedy and we are slowly killing ourselves and the earth. However, there are leaders out there, much like Aldo Leopold, much like Muir, Pinchot, and Carson who see us headed on a downward spiral and make it a mission to take action. A healthy economy's integrity is rattled if people must put greed and consumption before the earth as a whole and neglect the ethics of all living things.

Paradigm Shifts

This image was found on a website about urban planning, but with a more environmental theme, kind of like enabling nature to blend with the urban community.

http://beatricebenne.com/2011/01/06/a-living-systems-approach-to-urban-planning/

This image is related to the paradigm shifts that we discussed in class on Monday. Depending on how you look at the image it may be two lovers drinking away the night, but at a different perspective you can see the skull. This way that this image relates to ecotourism is that sometimes a shift in the way things are perceived is necessary for people to understand and appreciate the environment.

"L'Amour de Pierrot" obtained from: http://www.planetperplex.com/en/item/a-pierrots-love/

Canoeing or Kayaking!

Something cheap that I love to do in the summers is canoeing and kayaking. There are places you can rent and buy a canoe or kayak for pretty cheap. I know that a lot of us college students don’t have a lot of money to spend so this is a cheap fun way to get out in nature. There are many different rivers and creeks in Nebraska that you can go canoeing down in the summer. You don’t need deep water to go down so even Little Salt Creek here in Lincoln is a candidate to go down. I go canoeing about 5 times a summer in different places like the Platte River, Loup River, Cedar River, Niobrara River, and Beaver Creek. If you are looking for some obstacles and thrill Beaver Creek is a good choice. All these rivers offer solitude and allow you to bond with nature.

So if your not looking to spend to much and want to do something fun and exhilarating try going canoeing or kayaking!

If you really want some thrill check out this video forextreme kayaking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmHByYdKlOU

I love bicycles!

So I love to ride my bike.  My first bike, however, I hated.  It was purchased at Walmart at a very low price and was nothing compared to the bike I have now.  I have had a lot of car problems in the last three years so in a pit of frustration, I decided that I would buy a bike and be done with my car.  BEST DECISION I EVER MADE!!! Of course, I still use my car.  I work 3 jobs right now and tend to have a tight schedule, but on the days that I don't I try to ride my bike wherever I need to go.  The picture posted is a picture I took on my bike ride to work at the beginning of January.  It was such a beautiful bike ride.  I love bike riding because I get a chance to really get away from the real world and think.  Yes, I have to be in around people using the trails but it is a great sense of "me" time.  Especially, on my way to and from work.  I really enjoy it.  The only problem I have with riding my bike is that people in vehicles do not care and do not look.  I have had numerous times when I've had to tap on the hood of someone's car to get the to fully stop at a stop light.  It is frustrating but I hope that bike riding keeps catching on in Lincoln and the roads become more bike friendly.  I have attached a link that speaks on the advantages of riding a bicycle to show you some of its benefits.

http://linuxandfriends.com/2008/11/18/10-advantages-of-riding-a-bicycle/