I realize I have not posted in a while and there are some good reasons for that. Well for one, after not paying bills for 3 months my brother finally moved out and left me with the storm surge. So I have been trying to keep up with the doubled rent, power and water bills, forget the cable/internet. But some good things have happened in the world of bRiaN. I have been trying to ride my bicycle more, mostly for the training aspect, but I have been commuting to school at least one day a week since the begining of the year. Another nifty thing, I have obtained a backpack, an Osprey Kestrel 48, and I am planning on doing some hiking. I know this seems like a bit of a departure from the bicycle touring I have been doing, and your right it is, but it is completely different. On the bike you see roadways and towns and all that goes with travelling some 60-100 miles a day. With backpacking you are going much slower, you are typically as far away from any town or roadway as you can possibly be, and your chances for experience with wildlife are much greater. One thing that I realized though by packing my back pack with my camping gear is that I can fit everything I really need for a bicycle tour into a much smaller bag. With all the added space of the pannier bags I felt obligated to fill that space. It was rather enlightening to see how much i could get away with cutting out of my supply. Between the two the only difference now is the tools and spare tubes I would need for touring, and even then I was able to determine there were certain tools I didnt really need. But as it stands, since I got the Kestrel, the idea of being on foot and not having to rely on a bicycle is a bit freeing. I know that I am a mechanic and repairs are not really a big deal but the fact that I wont have to do repairs, and the fact that I am not worrying about where my next flat will come from... its a sigh of relief. Also the idea that I am not tied down to the big steel contraption opens me up to several new angles I had not considered with the bike. With the bike I have to lock it up where ever I go.. grocery stores, diners, camp.. and I am thinking about how long I can stay in the store without someone seeing my bags and deciding I wont be around long enough for them to go rummaging around through my bags, or to just take the bike entirely. I hate to think in such caloused terms, i hate to have such a distrust for man kind... but I have had things like this happen as well as having heard the stories from some of my friends who have lost bikes and gear to would be good people gone thief. I cannot imagine I would ever cut out cycle touring exclusively, as backpacking does not lend itself to highway travel like riding does, and the length of trip by hoofin' it would be much longer. But the pack opens me up to getting lost in the woods and seeing the beauty of nature. I am thinking about planning a trip to Asheville this spring break to go hike through the mountains of Pisgah, or perhaps even spend some time on the AT. There are several hiking trails in Florida as well and I certainly wont be too snobby to explore my own state.
