Miles Barger

Getting Lost

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:51:05 -0800

Last week, a dayhiker in Denali got caught in a hailstorm, couldn’t see through the clouds and fog, descended the wrong side of a ridge, and was lost for four days. Dozens of people with aircraft and a search dog failed to find him. Luckily, he had some wits about him, ran into friendly backpackers, and was able to walk himself out on Wednesday.

While he was missing, I had conversations with quite a few friends and co-workers that boiled down to: how do you get lost like that? The answer: by forgetting just a few small things.

Problems: Getting caught in bad weather makes it hard if not impossible to see, and a maze of brush and creeks with no trails can be very disorienting.
Solution: Have a map and compass and know how to use them.
Problems: It gets cold and dark at night, and it’s hard to signal planes and other hikers that are far away.
Solution: Have a firestarter and tinder and know how to use them.

Rather than criticize this hiker for being less than perfect, I just take this as a reminder that any hiker should always, always, always carry a map, compass, and firestarter with good tinder and be very proficient with all of them. These small, light, inexpensive tools combined with basic skills mean that you’ll probably never get lost, and if you do, you’ll be able to stay warm and send a large, visible smoke signal.

I prefer:

That Roundhouse

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:00:57 -0800

That Roundhouse

Domo Genesis — “Rolling Papers” feat. Tyler,...

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:00:00 -0800

Domo Genesis — “Rolling Papers”
feat. Tyler, The Creator

The Dolomites

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:32:24 -0800

The Dolomites

Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. (via...

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:25:00 -0800

Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. (via Glynnis)

Katy Perry - “California Gurls (Majestyy Remix)”

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:00:00 -0800

Katy Perry - “California Gurls (Majestyy Remix)”

Four People (and a Dog) Living in 180 Square Feet

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:26:00 -0800

Four People (and a Dog) Living in 180 Square Feet

Pie Town, New Mexico, September 1940. (via Zach Klein)

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:27:00 -0800

Pie Town, New Mexico, September 1940. (via Zach Klein)

R. Kelly — “Pregnant” feat. The-Dream, Tyrese,...

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:04:54 -0800

R. Kelly — “Pregnant”
feat. The-Dream, Tyrese, and Robin Thicke

The Making of Steely Dan’s “Peg”

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:18:56 -0800

The Making of Steely Dan’s “Peg”

Steely Dan — “Peg”

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:11:00 -0800

Steely Dan — “Peg”

Lindstrøm & Christabelle — “Baby Can’t...

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:31:00 -0800

Lindstrøm & Christabelle — “Baby Can’t Stop”

Eugene to Denali — June 4-6, 2010 2636 miles (48 hours of...

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:22:19 -0800

Eugene to Denali — June 4-6, 2010

2636 miles (48 hours of driving) in 60 hours.

Day 1: Drive 9a-12a. Sleep 12a-6a.
Day 2: Drive 6a-11p. Sleep 11p-5a.
Day 3: Drive 5a-9p.

I very much do not recommended driving it this fast. (I had to because of the squeeze between leaving school early and getting to my summer job.) I was so glazed over and road-crazy by the end, and repeatedly passing the constant stream of “oh wow this is so amazing I wish I could stop here for a few days” places made me feel like someone was ripping out my soul. It didn’t help that I was missing Zoe terribly and had nothing but the sound of my own voice singing songs like Jamiroquai’s “Cosmic Girl” for hours on end (not lots of different pop songs sung one after another, but one song at a time) and salty snack food to comfort me as I drove through such lonely country.

Seems the best way to see the North would be to grab a friend or two and make a summer of it. Drive up through Rainier, Olympic, North Cascades; take your time exploring the Cassiar; cruise the roads to the middle of nowhere in the Yukon; then hop from park to range to river to valley throughout Alaska, camping/hiking/backpacking everywhere you go and making as many friends and as few plans as possible. On the way back, take your time following Fall as it cascades down the Rockies.

That’s my plan, anyway.

Good Pants

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:32:07 -0800

I’ve been looking for pants that would work well while walking/biking somewhere and look good once I got there—well-fitted, classically-styled slacks made out of softshell fabric.¹

Just when I was resigned to learning how to sew, I came across Outlier, who make exactly what I’m looking for. From their “Our Philosophy” page:

Your clothing should work as well on a bicycle as it does on the subway or in a car, without shouting to the world “I’m a cyclist.” We are a clothing company first, not a cycling company. But we’re a clothing company that designs simple, good looking and hard wearing garments for a world where bikes are a part of your daily life.

Softshell fabrics are the best. They have a nice hand, stretch in all the right places, repel rain and dirt, block wind, are very durable, and keep you comfy over a wide range of temperatures. ↩

The Books — “All You Need Is a Wall”

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:41:25 -0800

The Books — “All You Need Is a Wall”

Seals & Crofts — “Sweet Green Fields”

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0800

Seals & Crofts — “Sweet Green Fields”

Breakbot (feat. Irfane) — Baby I’m Yours

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:59:38 -0800

Breakbot (feat. Irfane) — Baby I’m Yours

Oval — Kastell

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:50:27 -0800

Oval — Kastell

Keane and Laura / Smokie Mountains NP When I’m done theming, I’ll be catching up on...

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:43:00 -0800

Keane and Laura / Smokie Mountains NP

When I’m done theming, I’ll be catching up on memories and photos I’ve taken over the past year or so.

Pardon My Mess

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:20:45 -0800

I decided it’d be fun to re-theme this blog, so I got started last night. I’ll be fiddling around and cleaning up bugs for awhile.