Wow some great pictures and places. Looking at them is making my list of places to go larger. Mine is from a climbing trip in Nepal - a picture of Everest from the summit of Kala Pattar (about 18,000 ft). Hiked a little over 200 miles and climbed Mira and Island Peak.

It's interesting how avatars have developed and mutated into web use and in such various forms.

"An avatar (abbreviations include AV, ava, avv and avvy) is an Internet user's representation of himself or herself, whether in the form of a three-dimensional model used in computer games, a two-dimensional icon used on Internet forums and other communities, or a text construct found on early systems such as MUDs. The term "avatar" can also refer to the personality connected with the screen name, or handle, of an Internet user.
The "avatar" derives from the Sanskrit word Avatāra, meaning "incarnation" and usually implying a deliberate descent into mortal realms for special purposes. The term is used primarily in Hindu texts. For example, Krishna is the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu the Preserver, whom many Hindus worship as God..."

I think I'll change my avatar from time to time---currently it's me on the summit ridge of a peak in the N. Cascades (Eldorado--a classic) once upon a time.

I dig Greg's avatar, above, and I know just how he feels.

Edited by kdesign on 05/16/2007 18:03:34 MDT.

Yosemite Sam, partner!
Just found him heating a cup of something holding it with bare hands over a campfire funny. No special meaning attached except it sort of reminds me of Blazing Saddles for some reason. He has always been one of my favorite cartoon characters. I'll probably rotate him out with an actual one of me at some point.

Taken last fall on a fire road somewhere near White Oak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park. The foliage color peaked over the week we spent in the park and every color in the rainbow was on display. At times, it looked like a Crayola truck had crashed on the trail!

Edited by rswanson on 04/11/2007 14:16:25 MDT.

No great story behind mine. It's the Buddhisht/Hindu "OM" symbol and represents the 3 levels of consciousness.

An explanation of the above:

Traditional weight backpacking is the realm of the unthinking, the un-consciousness. The three levels of consciousness mentioned above involve:

LW.
UL.
SUL.

When all three levels of consciousness are transcended, then Backpacking Nirvana is attained.

Edited by ben2world on 04/11/2007 22:42:02 MDT.

Barnett Newman painting.
I feel like this sometimes.

- k

Cool Thread!!

This is me on a beautiful Thanksgiving Day hike at Pinnacles National Monument in California. The pic was taken by my wife.

Mine is the sign at the top of Aspen Highlands ski area right before you go out of bounds. A buddy of mine Patrols there and explained that the managemnet wanted a sign that was clear and concise. I think they hit it with this one and I found it a little funny too (in a morbid sort of way).

I took it the day after new years of this year before we hiked about 4 miles out the ridge to find some fresh powder. A great day.

This is me on the bamboo grass stretch near the summit of Echizen Peak (the profanity meter won't allow me to write the name of the mountain itself!!!) huddled at the south base of Mt. Fuji. It was the first mountain where I began mountain walking in earnest. I must have climbed it over fifty times. I was so happy to be alive and be in the mountains and to reach the wonderful stretch of bamboo grass... the sound of the leaves against your legs and clothes, the wetness of the dew on the leaves, the movement of the wind over the tops of the bamboo grass, and so forth...that I set up the camera and did this handstand.

Edited by butuki on 04/11/2007 23:43:23 MDT.

This is a fun thread - think about it translated to that trip report feature that was bandied about awhile back. So many mountains, so little time.

Mine was taken while listening to the Greybull River in the Washakie Wilderness, Wyoming.

Good idea for a thread. Reminds me of all the places I hope to see before the old ticket is punched.

<-- This one is me and my girlfriend a little below Nambe Lake in the beutiful Pecos Wilderness above Santa Fe, NM. We started the trail at ~90 degrees and sunny. Then the clouds came in... Then the rain started... then it turned to hail... Then my GF related that she didn't actually bring a jacket like I had "suggested" (notice the one she's wearing is a little large on her...) Long story short, had to hike 4 miles in pounding, stinging hail, wearing nothing but a short sleeve cotton T and shorts. Got back to the truck soaking wet, air temperature of ~40 degrees F, mildly hypothermic, and with frost nip on my right index finger and thumb...

When we got back to Albuquerque (one hour south) it was 100 degrees F and sunny, and I was still cold. Only time I've ever gotten into a black car that's been sitting in blistering sun all day, and said "ahhhh... that's nice". I use it to remind me to always go prepared. Well, that and the annoying numbness in my hand anytime it gets a little cold...

Mine is Tehipite Dome in Tehipite valley in Kings Canyon National park. The relative isolation of the spot intrigued me, so I'd planned on going there 2 years ago on a loop hike around Sierra National Forest, but we bailed early because the mosquitos were so bad. I made a special one week trip in September last year doing a loop from SNF through Tehipite to the JMT and then back into SNF just so I could say I'd finally made it into the valley. All the bears were coming down to lower altitudes, and I ran into 9 (adults and cubs) in a 48 hour period. One encounter ended with me dropping my map and losing it, causing me to lose a full day bushwacking my way up to the head of the valley because I didn't realise the trail had crossed the river.

This photo serves as both a memento and a reminder to hang onto my map and not get tunnel vision about where trails might lead.

That's my frozen mug on an overnight training run through the Snowy Range in SE Wyoming. -20(f) that morning when I crawled out of the bivy.

Changed my avatar again. This one was in Slovenia hiking up to a 6000 foot pass.

Eins

Edited by EinsteinX on 11/30/2007 11:33:00 MST.

That's me on top of Half Dome, with the camera looking toward the northeast. It was during an August 2005 trip with friends and family. We had gotten up to the top ~ 6 pm, and shared it with only ~2-4 people which is a very different experience than you have during the typical summer rush. Echo Unicorn, and Cathedral Peaks are behind me, but I can't recal now which is which.

We camped on Quater Dome, which is the highest you can legally camp, and had it all to ourselves. There was a full moon, making the granite glow blueish at night. I was awoken at 3 am by a group of people hiking up to Half Dome for some star gazing and to watch the sunrise.

The killer hike up and lack of water along the last part made me further appreciated the lightweight learnings from BPL, as well as my Mariposa backpack and tarp.

Me at Trail Crest just below Mt. Whitney. Summited and had a fine 3 days with many close friends. Highlight of the trip was at Trail Camp. Having my Tarptent turn into a glorious bivy at 3am. I had wondeful views of the stars and watching hikers going up the famed 99 switchbacks.

Mine, which may soon change, is a picture of me wearing my wonderful, homemade nose cozy. I used to wake up many times a night with an uncomfortably cold nose...no longer! Sometimes its the smallest things that make the biggest differences! by the way, it's REALLY light! LOL...

This is on day 5 of my 8 day trip on Steve Roper's Sierra High Route just above Catherine's Lake below Mt. Banner. It is a self photo with my camera sitting on a rock.

Self portraits can be dangerous: I almost lost my camera setting it on the railing of a bridge for one once. The wind blew it over but it landed with only about 1/2 inch sticking over the flat metal railing.

Very cool thread! I've enjoyed reading the posts and geting a glimpse of all the places I haven't yet been. And I had really wondered about Miguel's upsidedownness when reading his posts on other threads... :-)

Mine is of me (duh) on one of my finest hiking days so far - Sept 2006 on Mt. Katahdin. This was taken by a newly met friend near the bottom of the Gateway section on the way DOWN, so I knew without a doubt I was going to make it on my first try. It was a huge milestone for me, proving to myself that I can tackle the AT in sections at least. I remember the thrill every time I see the pic!