London Aboveground

After nearly a week in Birmingham, I am spending 3 days in London. The last time I was here was in 2004 and the British Museum was closed for a 1 day work stoppage. I made it a personal requirement to see it this time. I also wanted to see the Science and Natural History Museums. More on those later (along with some pictures).

My goal was to spend the time walking about London and not taking the Tube (Underground subway). I'm not a big fan of crowds to begin with and I think you miss a lot zipping along under the streets. Several guidebooks recommend using the bus system as you can see what you are passing. After spending most of the week sitting, eating and drinking, I decided I would rather walk where I wanted to go. The weather was not totally cooperative, but an umbrella and rain jacket kept me fairly warm and dry.

At the street level, the international flavor of London really comes out. All the different languages and accents! I heard more non-English words than English! It is wonderful. London also reminds me more of Kathmandu than New York (before you think I have lost my mind...read on). In America, so many stores are chains. The stores and restaurants you see in Manhattan, New York are the same ones you see in Manhattan, Kansas. In London, as in Kathmandu, you see a lot of smaller stores, likely owned by a single person, family or partnership.

The area I was in (Kensington, Westminster) does not feel like a big city (except for a couple of roads). Most of the buildings are less than 6 stories, so you don't feel closed in. You can see the sky around you. The variety of building styles, colors, sizes also makes it feel more 'villagey'.

The next time you are in a big city, do yourself a favor. Bring along your walking shoes (and rain gear) and see the city from street level.

Renting Snowshoes

I have been doing quite a bit of snowshoeing this winter (getting ready for a tough snowshoe trip in April). There seems to be a lot of interest within my social circle among people who have never tried snowshoeing, so I thought I would write up some tips and guidelines to get "newbies" started.

The first topic is renting snowshoes (or borrowing from a friend...many of the principles are the same). In Colorado, where snowshoeing is very popular, there are many places to rent snowshoes (REI, Breeze Ski Rentals, Sports Authority). Of course, because it is so popular, it is not unusual for a store to run out of rentals well before the weekend.

• It is a good idea to call ahead and reserve snowshoes for an upcoming trip.

SO how do you know what kind to rent? All snowshoes are not made equally. There are sport versions for trail running, heavy duty ones for back country expeditions and all sorts in between. I won't get into technical details about flotation (the ability of the snowshoe to keep you on the surface of the snow) as the place you rent should be able to determine your need. If they seem clueless, then go somewhere else or have an experienced snowshoer go with you.

The type of shoe to rent is based on two factors. Trail conditions and your size. A large person going into the back country needs pretty large snowshoes. A small person going along a well traveled trail can get away with snowshoes that are not much larger than their boots.

• Is the trail well used and the snow packed down? (The more packed down the snow, the smaller the snowshoe needed)
  
• How much will you weigh? (Including gear, clothes, pack, etc.)
  

When you go to rent the snowshoes, take your boots along with you. Some people snowshoe using snowboots (like Sorrels), while others use their regular hiking boots. Your boot should fit snugly in the binding so that the shoes don't slip as you walk.

That's snowshoe rental in a nutshell.

Happy Trails!

Snowshoeing

Over the past few weeks, I have gone on several snowshoe trips (including one to see the "Everest" Imax movie...right, Michelle?). I really love the peace and quiet that you find in the back country when the snows hit. As a friend recently said, it feels "innocent". That is not a description that I would have thought of, but there is a lyrical beauty to it.

Snowshoe Site

A friend has started a new website as a resource for snowshoers. Snowshoeconditions is just getting started, as is the snow shoe season. Look for more content each weekend as some of us get out and enjoy the snow.

Back on the Trail

As I look over my blog, I see that my last post was in May...MAY! There is a very good reason for this as I have not been hiking/backpacking this summer.

Last year, I pinched a nerve in my foot and it took a long, long time to heal. While it was healing, I had to stay off it as much as possible, so hiking was out (I did a lot of cycling however).

Yesterday, I decided to take a little hike (about an hour) to test out the foot. It has been feeling pretty good for a while, but hiking and walking are not quite the same. I definitely need to take a close look at some good footwear (the boots were a little tight...which contributes to the problem), but the foot feels pretty good. Just in time for snowshoe season!

White Rabbit Hiking

One of the classic images in popular literature is the White Rabbit running through the forest, saying "I'm Late! I'm Late!" as he is pursued by Alice. While we see quite a few wild animals in our hikes in the mountains, I have yet to see the White Rabbit...but I have hiked with people like this, always on a schedule, rushing along the trail, still part of the hectic and hurried world.

An easy hike in the woods is meant to be enjoyed...not endured.

Nepal

There is a darkness shadowing my heart. The country of such profound beauty is being torn apart. A people of such care and love have to risk their lives to live.

I am deeply sad.