Table of Contents
Introduction vii
Preparation 1
Avoiding Trouble 1
Tickling Dragons 3
Thirst! 4
Hydration: It's Everything! 5
Grub 7
Never Too Much Food 9
Wilderness First Aid 9
Ain't Cheap 12
Day Pack 12
Test Drive Packs and Shoes 13
Headlamps 13
Bug Off! 14
Cell Phones 17
Let People Know Where You're Going 17
Day Hiking Checklist 18
Ultralight 18
Essential Gear: The Big Four 19
Layering 21
Get a System 24
Plan a Trip or Adventure 25
Hiking and Trekking Tours 27
Pay Attention and Look Ahead 28
Mistakes and Mishaps 29
Masterpiece 29
Good to Know 31
It's All on Us 32
Process 35
The Fun Scale 35
Pay Attention 38
Learning to Learn 40
Finding It 41
J. B. Mauney 42
Leaders and Decisions 44
Pack Everything You Think You'll Need, Then Dump Half of It 47
Gear Worship 48
Common Mistakes 48
Finish What You Start 49
Have a Target 51
Not Exactly 52
Courage 53
Magic Days 54
Projecting 54
The 24-Hour Challenge 56
Impossible Moments 59
Haunted House 62
Sand 64
Homecoming 66
People 69
The Rabbi 69
El Tiburon 72
Grab Your Stuff 75
Forest Therapy Guides 77
Freja 78
Out-and-Backs 80
Tobin Sorenson 81
Avoid It Altogether 86
Drains Out the Bad 87
No Coming Back 88
Bosom Buddies 93
Beyond Our Differences 94
Clint 97
One of Those Days 98
Likely Suspects 99
Partners 100
Mike Doyle 101
Performance 105
Participants and Performer 105
First Days 108
Love Affair 109
Scorers 110
Orientation 111
Fitness 112
Not Fun 112
Working Our Edges 114
Intensity Breeds Champions 116
Great Performers Are Complete 117
One Thing at a Time 118
Go to Failure 119
Perfect Turns 119
Trying Too Hard 120
Less Is More 121
Curiosity 122
Travels Well 122
Failure 124
Do the Classics 125
Low Roller 125
Crossing the Line 126
Poise 129
Medicine 129
Strength 130
Teaching 130
Sammy Glared 131
Better Be Tough 133
Burnout 134
I Hate This! 135
Don't 135
Always Play for Something 135
Service 136
Breathe! 139
Wind! 140
It's Not Personal 141
Fine Tuning 142
Icarus Syndrome 143
Things They Said 147
Brother Gaines 147
Funky? 148
Out Beyond the Aubade 150
Great Wave 151
We Walk the Coast Together 152
Herb 152
Driven by Phantoms 153
What Religion? 153
Crack in Half 154
House Band for Hell 155
So Much Wonderful 156
The Spire 156
Forget It! 157
I Know that Stream Is Close 157
Fish Stories 159
What I've Learned 161
Nature Writing 165
Epilogue: For All Mankind 179