Hey Alec:

You don't look too shabby. I am new to Wyoming and have started to do some packing over in the Sierra Madre Mountains near Encampment. I am looking to head into the Wilderness areas and was wondering if you have done any hiking over there?

Just found this thread, which died down a couple of weeks ago.

My picture is my daughter (now 23) and me in the Hoh Valley at Olympic National Park in June 2006. It was the first time in several years that our whole family--with the two older kids now grownups--got to vacation together. Since my daughter is waaaay cuter than me, I figured she'd dress up the picture nicely.

What's an avatar?

I couldn't find any hiking/backpacking pics, so I was forced to use one from Lakefest 2007 on Lake Texoma, Texas.

Edit - changed the sailing avatar to last weekends hiking in Guadelupe National Park avatar.

Edited by skinewmexico on 05/15/2007 14:18:31 MDT.

Mine is from day two of the Palisades Traverse in the Sierra Nevada from Sept. '06. I don't think it's a foot fetish (?) but I love taking pictures of feet. Every trip I take, I take a photo of my feet -- usually bare and happy in the Sierra sun, but this time was booted and cramponed on the glacier.

The latest is of Susan's Vasque Sundowners, after I spent a few hours cleaning and waxing them. She's into shoes and the Marin County Fashion Police now has a Point Reyes Wilderness K9 unit. I didn't want her to get busted for having dirty boots. The new laces accesorize nicely with her favorite wind shell.

Edited by redleader on 05/10/2007 15:13:01 MDT.

I've updated my avatar, so this is my second post on this thread.

This time, the photo is myself and my daughter Megan, now 17, on the Koyukuk River in Gates of the Arctic Natl Park, AK. This was about day 6 on the river, with just 4 of us in a single raft. Earlier that day a trio of moose had swam across the river right in front of our raft during a violent rainstorm. This campsite was loaded with hundreds of wolf tracks, but alas, we did not see any wolves that day.

No one interested in wilderness should miss going to northern AK, a truly mind blowing experience. Alaska is a treasure.

Somehow I started out with a nice climbing picture moved on to some gorgeous wilderness shots,one of dawg and me, and have de-evolved to a cartoon image of Crusader Rabbit. Since someone must really want to know, Crusader was the first animated show produced for television. This was done by Jay Ward of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame and featured said rabbit, his sidekick,Ragland T.Tiger [Rags], Deadly Niteshade, Ill-regard Beauregard. The first episode was Crusader Rabbit vs. the State of Texas aired in 1950. I don't know why this seems appropriate but it just does.
Ya know sometimes ya get the bear,sometimes it gets you.
Peace you bunch of vibram heads.

Edited by pyeyo on 05/27/2007 11:19:33 MDT.

My 2nd trip overseas way back in 1980 to India and Nepal. Photo was taken near Periche (spelling?) with Everest over my right shoulder and Ama Dablam out of picture to my left.

Everest is actually the smaller peak between the two more obvious peaks. Smaller from this angle of course !

Edited by ianwright on 05/30/2007 02:58:09 MDT.

Wrestling a rock out of the Little Cataloochee trail in Smoky Mountain National Park. The rock won this round.

The Little Cataloochee has got to be the ugliest, muddiest, hiking trail in the Smokeys (it's the horses that do it). On a thirty day hitch, two of our crewmembers actually got full-blown trenchfoot from working in the ankle-deep mud. They say it was worth it, one section of trail looks alot better.

Church Mt. in Washington for two days, sort winter trip on the weekend. I hate getting old, having a 'real' job and college debt!

Posting a new avatar changes all the avatars under my name, so the former description doesn't apply anymore. The current avatar is me having a great time on the summit of Mt. St. Helens on June 29. Of the 100 who paid the fee, we saw only 16, and half turned back before summiting. I'm modeling my ID eVent rain jacket and ULA Relay pack. Of course, starting the next day the weather was fabulous for the next 2 weeks.

Edited by rosierabbit on 08/14/2007 17:03:21 MDT.

I also changed mine, yet again.
It is me, lounging in my AGG tent at Lillian River, Elwha Valley, Olympics this past weekend.

Mine is a Chukar Partridge. They are gorgeous little birds that haunt the cliffs and talus/scree slopes of the desert canyons in Idaho, including the river canyons of the Snake, Lower Salmon, Owyhee, Bruneau, and tributaries. Sadly they are not native to the United States, but an early Asian import like their cousin the Ringneck Pheasant. For me, their wild and beautiful call invokes wonderful feelings of awe for our awesome desert canyons that are largely unknown, unseen, rugged, and remote. My favorite place to be is the mountainous alpine zone, but these canyons are a close second.

Maybe now that I'm getting my load down into the UL range I'll consider changing to a backpacking self portrait. Prior to finding this site, my avatar would have been an Ostridge with it's head in the sand (over the embarrassment of a crushing 45 pound pack!).

Mine is a picture from Observation Point looking down into Zion Canyon. The circle embedded into the rock is the USGS marker.

EDIT - new pic, see later post

Edited by pedro87 on 12/08/2007 08:48:23 MST.

the mountain in my avatr is Ama Dablam.

I have no real connection with the mountain, Ive just always considered it the most spectacular and beautiful mountain I have seen

This is a pic of my son and me on a Boy Scout troop float trip. It is on the Jacks Fork river near Eminence in southeast Missouri.

My avatar is from Mossbrae Falls in Dunsmuir, CA. It was taken in early 2007. Great spot to stop if you are driving on I-5 in Northern CA. Very easy hike. It takes maybe 20 minutes each way. Killer fly-fishing spot too! (Fred Gordon's amber-wing prince and Mike Mercer's micro mayflies in black!) But dont tell anyone, lol.

didnt have any hiking pics of me, but I will take some this weekend. This one I am using is of me after 4 days in the smokeys backpacking we decided to go see some of the Gatlinburg sights on the way home. Can't go wrong with The General Lee :)

Italy Pass with the upper part of Granite Park and the notch over to the Royce Lakes behind me - my best friend asked me to arrange for his bachelor party a trans sierra backpack trip. Only had 5 days, so we went from Bear Creek trailhead on the West slope to Pine Creek Pass on the East slope by way of beautiful Hilgard Branch, Bear Lakes & Italy Pass. Was a great trip.

My wife and I just moved from Arkansas to Seattle at the end of April. My avatar is a shot from the Little Si trail, which was our first hike together after we moved out here.

Very nice short little hike on a day with absolutely beautiful weather.