Monday, June 2, 2008

5 relatively interesting physical accomplishments

in no particular order:

1. Backpacked solo in Alaska for my 30^th birthday – the Stampede Trail. I’d never done a solo trip before, but celebrating with a few friends in a bar wasn’t really appealing. So I packed my gear, flew to Fairbanks, picked up some pepper spray at the local Fred Meyer to discourage the bears, drove to Healy, and started walking. Since the movie came out they're talking about removing the bus; apparently unprepared yahoos keep rushing in to see it and are costing the state a lot of money being rescued.

2. Rode the California AIDS Ride TWICE (because pedaling 570 miles in one week ONCE wasn’t enough). After that I crewed a year, which was actually more physically challenging and way less rewarding than riding. And I ended up being a pouty baby sometimes and not very nice to my friends who were having more fun than I was, and that was the end of my AIDS Ride career. Strangely, right after that ride, the whole thing blew up anyway and its founder, Palotta Team Works, appears to have just dissolved.

3. Jumped out of an airplane, three miles above the earth (although technically this isn’t really a physical accomplishment so much as my brain winning an argument with my body and then deeply regretting it for a very (very) long minute, before enjoying five minutes of totally surreal beauty).

4. Beat the Arkansas State Billiards Champion in a game of 8-ball. There was definitely luck involved, but he (and his cheerleadery girlfriend) were not gracious losers. I love being pretty good at something so random – I remember in college, boys would take their quarters off the table rather than risk being beaten by a girl. Apparently that sentiment doesn’t go away with age, at least in some parts of the country.

5. Hiked Mt. Whitney. Several times. Again, not earth-shattering. Not technical, not dangerous, just a very long hike to the highest point in the contiguous United States. On one trip I met a man in his eighties who hikes it every year. In one day. In Birkenstocks. But it still makes my list.