Walkabout 2009, Part II

This is the second half of the travel journal. The sketching worked well
because it forced me to slow down, which wasn't a bad thing.
I'm not in as good of shape as 40 years ago
when I started this backpacking thing. There's no hurry. I usually get in trouble when I have flashbacks of the energy levels of youth and try to do it now. Gotta keep grounded and hike smarter, especially since I'm solo. Don't need any overuse injury complicating things. And this trip showed me the enjoyment level is just as high as when I covered twice the distance. Actually more enjoyable because I'm absorbing more of what I see and smell and feel.

In reading what people are posting on the web about solo backpacking, one said that it's not better that going with a group, it's just another form of backpacking. It's still fun to go with a group but it's a totally different experience because you're always interacting with the others. That communication is fun but distracts from experiencing what's around you. I think that says it well. That's also why it blends so well with sketch journaling, which is also about absorbing what's around you. They were made for each other.

One last thing I wanted to note here. When Wilma and I took a week in July '08 to see Glacier National Park I created my first travel journal. It was a combination of pre-trip, trip, and post-trip sketching and photo transfers. I like that approach for big trips. But another approach is to have a goal that when the trip is over, the journal is over. I wanted to try it, so for this trip that was the goal. The sketches you see are done live (one from memory) or not at all. The only exception is the map (which took some post-trip analysis) and a couple factoid inserts. My conclusion: the "sketch now or never" is OK if you're in control of your time, but I don't think it would work for trips with others. That said, it sure is nice to be finished with the journal and not drag it out.

Walkabout 2009, Part I

Last year I took a 2 day/2 night solo bicycle trip to stretch my legs. It was backpacking the two prior years. This year I decided to try backpacking again. I like to have something to plan for and to exercise for. That gives me a chance to be in fair shape one week out of each year. It's a goal. Maybe I'll be in fair shape two week out of a year in the future.

Since I sketch more now, I'll pack my sketch gear. Had to reduce some, though. The graphite pencils and erasers and gel pens didn't make the cut. Only the watercolor pencils and Pitt Artist pens. The journal is the one I just made from Roz's class in Minneapolis. Looking forward to trying the new paper, and to carry my own handmade creation.


This day's post is the first half of my travel journal. The other half will follow. The trip went well. With no long distances planned and only myself to accommodate, I'd stop hiking when something struck my fancy to sketch, and I could hang around camp to get sketching in. Works well. Missouri has some beautiful country out there.

Spring Break '09

The weather's been nice. Spring Break is here and it's time to get out and do some hiking. We headed over to northern Arkansas to the Buffalo National River. It was Amy's idea to see some hiking and backpacking country. I was all too pleased to plan it out. We kept too busy for me to sketch during the trip. Took pictures, though. Got home and figured out what I wanted to show. The country there is so scenic I think we'll be back.

Another Spring Break, Pre-Trip

Time for Spring Break again. We decided to head down south again to pursue warmer weather. Arkansas this time. Wife and I, daughter and boyfriend. We'll catch some day hikes and three of us will do an overnight backpack trip while Wilma lounges in a cabin. Sounds like a plan.

Trip, Part 5

On to Many Glaciers Lodge, on Swiftcurrent Lake. East side of the park. Had to decide what to do on our last full day in the park. I kept the agenda open so we could decide when we got there. Had no idea how we'd feel after climbing up to Sperry Chalet and back.

The last night in the park we're at Glacier Park Lodge in the southeast. Time to close down the vacation (blaaa). We'll catch the train at the East Glacier Amtrak depot.

Trip, Part 4

Well, this was my favorite day! I loved the whole park but this day tops the list. Admittedly Wilma was not as happy about the hike, but was game to try it. We've hiked many trails together over the years and she know's what it will involve. Once there, we were able to relax and enjoy life. The staff at Sperry Chalet are good at making that happen.



Time passes quickly. We could have used more time at all our lodgings, but this one seemed especially short.

Trip, Part 3

This day was short, as the main activity was a white-water trip in the afternoon, which does not lend itself to active sketching (or photography). A short hike in the morning rounded out the day. The view from the motel got me kinda excited and I didn't actively check perspective with my pencil as I sketched. Oops.





This map is an overall map for our time spent in the park. I love maps, so I really was looking forward to doing this sketch. They tell SO much with so few words. Need to learn more about mapping. I fell in love with the Columbian Ground Squirrels, so they had to make an appearance here, too (taking pictures pays off).

Spring Break

We used our daughter's college Spring Break to go down to Oklahoma. The eastern part of the State has plenty of lakes and hills and trees, etc. We wanted to get in some hiking, rapelling and top-roping. Kansas is rather vertically challenged and places to use our ropes and gear are minimal. We don't do anything radical and we don't do technical climbing. We rented a cabin at Lake Eufaula and drove to Robbers Cave State Park for the fun stuff. Never been to either place and I'd go back again.