Maddog Murph - Great Himalaya Trail Journal - 2015

Walking the Path

Today I'm nearly completely prepared for my trip to Mt. Rainier in January, one of my training trips for Nepal. Hyperlite's (hyperlitemountaingear.com) Ice Pack is going, I'm very impressed with the quality and feel, Hamockgear's (hammockgear.com) burrow 0 is going into testing as well assuming it gets to me on time, and I'm taking Mountain Laurel Designs (mountainlaureldesigns.com) Cuben Duomid.

I've encountered another person who is preparing for Nepal, a through hiker. This is quite exciting both as a backup prospect and as an additional party member. It could potentially bring the number up to (4) travelers for the first month at least, which would be very welcome, I feel there is safety, companionship, and knowledge pooling with numbers. It can also be a setback with things like altitude sickness, but I feel slowing down is a small price to pay for increased safety.

As I prepare my passport, and immunizations for the trek, I'm both nervous and excited. I'm not actually nervous about the trek, or being there, I'm most nervous about my apartment, and possessions. That seems ironic to me, and is precisely the reason I need to leave, I'm getting too attached to possessions I don't need, and that carry little actual value. But part of me loves where I live, the creature comforts and the life I have here in the bay area. The truth is I'm afraid to come back with less. But the higher truth is, I cannot leave and come back with less, I can only come back with more spiritual energy than I've ever had before. Therefore the cost benefit analysis so common in my analytic mind needs to weigh into the equation intangible assets like experiences, dreams, love, passion, exploration, and looking back with no regrets. When put into this context it makes the potentially career and possession damaging choice of leaving so much easier to make. On one side are the most valuable possessions in life that nothing can ever take, and on the other side of the scale are four walls containing dance shoes, computer parts, space foam, ceramic, body wash, strobe flashes, pillows, fashionable clean clothes, and material possessions that can be acquired again.

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