Backpacking

I love backpacking. There is something elemental about it, and it draws me in.
I love the simplicity of backpacking. A person lives off what he or she carries in a pack on his or her back. That's it.
I love the self-sufficiency style of backpacking and backpackers. Ben and I carved a fork out of a stick we found because we forgot ours. They worked like a charm. After we were done, we threw them into the fire. Simple.

Jess, Ben, and I are planning a backpacking trip to King's Peak, the highest peak in Utah during the summer, tentatively for the first week of August. We'll plan it for four days, plus driving. One day to hike in and set up base camp, two days to summit (in case one day is rainy and it is dangerous to summit), and then one day to leave. We are going to invite several people from school to do it. We thought about making an announcement in school, but then we open the door for some of the less-desirables to join. Much better to be hand picked and invited, so we know the reliability of the people we will be spending a week away from any civilization with. We can't have any girls, not because they wouldn't be able, but because there might be problems on a weeklong campout with girls and guys together. We'll have a meeting or two to educate people on the dangers of the Unitahs and just about backpacking in general. We'll have to have lists of food possibilities and packing lists. It will be fun, though, I hope.

I'm excited.