Comfort

Comfort is a relative term. To each individual exists a set of minimum circumstances that has to be met to be comfortable. This may sound like common sense to many; it does make sense. But a slightly harder concept is the idea that in relation to one persons current greatest discomfort to another persons current greatest discomfort, the magnitude of discomfort is the same. For example: the magnitude of grief, discomfort, or hardship is the same for a person that lost a loved one and the person in a state of starvation. The application of this idea is limited in scope and primarily pertains to enduring and lasting discomfort or pain.

It is a human condition and it can be compared to a deck of cards that are stacked on top of one another and the card on top is larger than those behind it. Each card in the stack gets progressively smaller. One card represents a weighing problem. When the largest problem in one individual is resolved and removed, the problem behind it grows to its size replacing it relatively. Each human has the same sized top card. In theory, we all possess the same relative largest enduring issue.

The ability to conquer, or dwarf with confidence, determination, drive, and spirit is a powerful ability that aids us all in the human struggle. This can be directly applied to the discomfort felt when realizing a goal. Assuming this theory of magnitudal relative discomfort holds true, the amount of discomfort a person feels enduring any problem may be harnessed with the ability to appreciate the discomfort. It is often this discomfort that makes the realization of a goal which begets discomfort much more rewarding.

There is another aspect of the previous theory that is described by the ability to manipulate the magnitude of your greatest discomfort. The characteristic that allows someone to enjoy the pain associated with pushing their self forward relentlessly stems from the ability to manipulate the natural magnitude of a series of discomforts. The pain associated with making a gnarly climb up a mountain - a particular discomfort - can be overshadowed by the natural draw to and distraction of the mountains.

Edward Abbey

From Wikipedia:
Edward Paul Abbey (January 29, 1927 – March 14, 1989) was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues and criticism of public land policies. His best-known works include the novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, which has been cited as an inspiration by radical environmental groups, and the non-fiction work Desert Solitaire. Writer Larry McMurtry referred to Abbey as the "Thoreau of the American West".

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I was recently introduced to Edward Abbey by a friend and began some research. He has some resonating quotes that I wanted to share.

He has some pretty radical views that I don't agree with but he seems like an honest writer that finds a similar importance to the natural world. Desert Solitaire has been added to my reading list.

“Love implies anger. The man who is angered by nothing cares about nothing.”

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit”

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.”

"Better a cruel truth than a comfortable delusion."

“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”

“In the modern techno-industrial culture, it is possible to proceed from infancy into senility without ever knowing manhood”

“God still sits on the throne, the devil is a liar. You may be going
through a tough time right now but God is getting ready to bless you
in a way that only He can. Keep the faith. My instructions were to
pick four people that I wanted God to bless, and I picked you. Please
pass this to at least four people you care about”

"One final paragraph of advice: Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am-a reluctant enthusiast... a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards."

“We are kindred all of us, ... killer and victim, predator and prey, me and the sly coyote, the soaring buzzard, the elegant gopher snake, the trembling cottontail, the foul worms that feed on our entrails, all of them, all of us.”

“This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and animals. Stand up for the stupid and crazy. Take your hat off to no man.”

“It seems clear at last that our love for the natural world—Nature—is the only means by which we can requite God’s obvious love for it.”

“A journey into the wilderness is the freest, cheapest, most nonprivileged of pleasures. Anyone with two legs and the price of a pair of army surplus combat boots may enter.”

Buckskin Gulch & Paria Canyon

Awesome trip! It wasn't necessarily a physically difficult hike but the lack of water definitely complicated things. The flash flood covered up most of the springs so the several reliable springs became a few hard-to-find seeps. Ram walked by a rattlesnake when it was coiled ~2ft from his path. I being in the lead got to identify all the drop-offs in the river and locations of quicksand, doing a lot of swimming and quicksand-escaping. Ram fell off a ledge sideways into a pool of cakemix-like mud - the very mud he was trying to circumvent. My dad got buried to his chest in quicksand requiring rescue. We followed some big cat tracks to our campsite one night. We were all forced to ration water - invoking thoughts of the joys of drinking the coolest, most abundant drinks. I believe we experienced a form of divine intervention.

As with any large-scale hike, a lot of lessons were learned. Rationing water, the importance of pack weight, and the importance of navigating and orienting all have been reinforced effectively. With what I know now and the experience I had I would still not be talked out of going when we went.

Total mileage: 50

Day 1: race day!
Distance: 16 miles

There are a few ways you can traverse Paria Canyon and the most popular is a 37 mile hike starting at a trail head called Whitehouse. 7 miles down this trail meets the confluence of Buckskin Gulch and continues on for another 30 miles. The way we took was through the beginning of Buckskin Gulch which meets that same confluence of Paria River 16 miles down. There is no way out of the gulch and there are no sources of water besides acidic, stagnant, swampy puddle water. What this means is you have to do all 16 miles before camping. Otherwise you are in danger of flash flooding and are without water. This was no small task. Along the way were pools of water that spanned the entire width of the gulch so there was no way around them. Some of them were shin deep, some went to our stomachs. It seemed there was an endless amount of these and walking through mud and water is quickly exhausting. Every break we took - which I timed to keep us on pace - was spent wringing the mud and water from our socks and drying feet. We made it to the confluence after a long ten hours and set up camp and ate.

And now, I lay here in the red sand with a small rock for a pillow. The light is quickly fading and the only thing I can see I the silhouette of the ridge of the steep canyon walls towering hundreds of feet over me. Paria river makes no sound. I asked "are those crickets?" and heard my voice following the walls of the canyon before disappearing seconds later. Indeed, they are crickets and that is the only sound I can hear, aside from the occasional rustling my party members make as they shift in their temporary beds.

It is pleasantly cool and the light from our miniature lantern is softly illuminating a part of the canyon wall behind me. Its crazy that it's so dark with the lantern off that I can't see my hand in front of my face. I can still see the outline of the canyon walls. Not many stars tonight, hidden by cloud coverage.

Day 2: flash flood day!
Distance: 12 miles

At about 11oclock last night we heard a loud rumbling sound coming from the gulch and thought - or rather, hoped - that it was a plane flying overhead. About five minutes later the 2 inches of water in the Paria River quickly turned into 12 - instantly. We were concerned as we were not on very high ground and only a tenth of a mile from the confluence we didn't know where high ground was. Plus we weren't packed up or ready at all. The river only rose about 2ft in an hour and it wasn't budging so we decided to sleep. To our dismay the water hadn't receded the next morning. After a bit of debating we decided that it would be best to continue on motivated by the potential of a major flood coming through and making it impossible to move.

For the next nine hours we were forced to cross the river more than fifty times as the banks always seemed to end and shift sides whenever the canyon made a turn. I got quite an unexpected workout on my inner and outer thighs fording the rushing, deep river. We had many encounters with quicksand - at one point my dad had to be pulled out by Ram and I. At places in the river unbeknownst to us were sudden drop offs that plunged us to our chests sometimes forcing us to swim. The water was very muddy and sandy, akin to thick soup. Anytime we stepped in the water thick sand and mud clung to our packs, clothes, and bodies adding pounds of weight. I was regularly wringing the mud out of my socks and emptying my pockets of handfuls of it. The river has since receded but there is still a rushing water sound that can be heard from both directions of the river. Never have I wished to not be able to hear the river.

Perhaps the biggest tragedy of today was the malfunctioning (clogging) of our water filter. We ran out of water last night and had hoped to find the spring marked on the map 5 miles into the hike today. We couldn't find it and out of desperation began to filter water coming from a seep (small outlet from a spring). It was clear but apparently had a lot of sand in it. It stopped pumping after about 9 liters - and we need between the 3 of us 12 liters per day. We rationed what we had and after we cooked tonight we each have about a liter remaining. Our spirits were slightly broken today but there is a silver lining in the fact that we traveled another ten miles. This leaves us with about 20 miles to cover in 3 days.

Day 3: search for water day!
Distance: 14 miles

Starting the day today we had 2-3 liters between the three of us. 12 would have been ideal. We had hopes that we would find the spring on the map 4-5 miles downstream. We never saw the spring and concern was rising quickly. We were short yesterday and today it was starting to look like there would be no water. The side canyon that "has clear water running for most of the year" was either dry or we passed it as well. Last night we filled up 7 liters with river water and hung them upside down hoping the sediment would settle to the bottom by morning. It worked but just moving containers mixed it up again shattering hope. And at one point today we tried filtering the river water (sludge) with a spandex t-shirt and boiling it but it was still too sandy and soupy to drink.

I was almost in complete despair and was walking in a daze after about 4 hours in the sun. I felt like I had been eating sand for two hours. Then the most unbelievable thing happened to us. I said "how awesome would that be if we just came across two gallons of water in the sand" and moments later there appeared two gallon jugs tied together! There was about a half gallon remaining and if miracles or divine intervention is reality, then that is what occurred today. It looked like someone tied the jugs to a branch and the branch broke (still remained tied to the rope) and got swept away by a flash flood. Of course whoever was watching would have to make it appear rational :).

We went on for another hour before ram spotted a spring on the edge of the riverbed. It was flowing extremely slowly and was surrounded by quicksand. Ram dug a hole around it and we found shade and napped while the hole cleared out. We came back to clear spring water. Victory! I detached the hose from my camelbak bladder and filled all of our water containers up including the jugs (20liters!!!) we found by sucking out one hose at a time. The slightest movement in the water - even a drip of water - would stir the sediment up in our small collection area so we had to be very cautious.

Now we are even more grateful that we found those jugs because we aren't sure we will find water in the remaining 10-12 miles.

It was such a strange thing that happened during our parchment today. We were imagining what awesome drinks we would drink when we finally got off the trail. I have never longed for liquid in this way. I have done fasts in the past where I only drank water and I always imagined what I would eat when it was over but never fasted from liquid. It's expected but I have never experienced it. Just another humbling experience that gives me an idea of how much is taken for granted daily. You can't be thankful for every available item daily but it is nice to be faced with something occasionally that makes you appreciate the most simple things in life that we all take for granted. I am curious to know how long these thoughts will linger every time I fill up my Nalgene at the water fountain at work, or have a cold glass of milk, or pick up a chilled gatorade at the gas station... or even a Slurpee from 7-Eleven. Mmmm, all sounds so yummy.

Day 4: victory!
Distance: 8 miles

We weren't sure exactly how far we had gone but we had estimated that we had approximately 12 miles remaining based on previously known landmarks. If the river eased up and we had few to no crossings today we could have pushed on and made it off the trail by nightfall. We would have had to find water somewhere along the way if the 12 miles was split up into two days.

About 30 minutes into the hike I thought I recognized a notated feature on the map with accompanying mileage. Trail leaves river on right bank and comes back to the river after rockslide. I checked the map for confirmation and happily informed ram and my dad that we had 7 miles to the registration box and another mile from there to the parking lot.

Water became an issue very quickly as we were completely exposed to the sun with the canyon opening up completely. The 110* heat and desert sun beating down on us and reflecting off the white sand quickly depleted our already short water supply. The trail kept taking us away from the river so it was hard to find a spring - if there was one. We conserved water efficiently but we quickly became severely dehydrated. In worst shape than yesterday we decided to take no breaks and I traded my dad an empty water jug for as many heavy items from his pack that would fit into mine. This helped our pace tremendously.

We came across another marked feature on the map: abandoned homestead - 4 miles from registration box. I had hoped we were farther but at least we knew exactly how much more we had to go. It was nearing noon and the suns intensity was growing. We marched on. I estimated that we would be to the registration box by 2pm. At 1:45 we came across something that wasn't on the map: another abandoned homestead/horse corral. I mentioned that this may have been the homestead and that our original estimates of remaining mileage was correct. Nobody responded and continued walking. Not even two minutes later ram said "I see a sign". I immediately drew the conclusion that it was actually the registration box and my spirits blindly soared. I was right!

We vigorously hiked the last mile and I drank every bit of my remaining water with overwhelming satisfaction. Rarrrr!!!

We rinsed off and changed at the fish cleaning station, drove straight to Jack In The Box in Page, and was on Lake Powell by 3:30. Laying out, cliff diving, swimming, and relaxing. Couldn't have ended such an intense hike on a better note!

Reflections in the sand

I'm laying down with nothing between myself and the sandy earth. Looking up at the black sky reveals an abundance of stars. The breeze is gentle and slightly warm. The sound of the Colorado river roars from the distance. Tonight is a special night to be watching the stars. There are the remnants of a meteor shower from previous evenings supplying me with a steady show of shooting stars. I have seen more than three dozen, sometimes they will scream across the sky disappearing in a blink of an eye while others float across lazily leaving a bright burning trail that lingers for several seconds. The lack of any city light - or any light for that matter - and the absolute clear sky makes for a rare view of the night sky.

The sky is so clear and the stars so plenty that they appear to form clouds in space. Maybe its the Milky Way. Its the eerie silence and lack of illumination that makes places like this so special. It makes me feel so alone in what is presenting itself as a universe larger than anything I am capable of fathoming. I am such a small part whose existence is as relatively short as the shooting starts painting the skies right now.

I've run out of wishes!

How blessed I am to be able to witness something so wonderful yet so simple. There are faint flashes of lightning so far in the distance that it carries no sound to me. As I lie here thinking about all the obstacles, chaos, and events the next five days will bring I find solace in the fact that my nights will be peaceful, lonely, and calming.

I feel inspired by so many different things but I believe that at the root of my inspiration is love. The universe is so vast yet I feel I like a shining beacon of love that is capable of touching every star and every object in the universe. I can only hope that the ones that love me can feel the touch of my love, even hundreds or thousands of miles away. Love is hardly explainable, or quantifiable. I believe it may go as deep as supernatural, spiritual. Something that is capable of touching your soul and the soul of another simultaneously. The energy for this love may be supplied by the stars in the universe. It may be supplied by God, something that every living thing is capable of experiencing on some level.

The peace brought on by lying under the stars, alone, miles from any city, is somewhat overwhelming. I feel emotions I don't normally feel driving in my car or sitting behind a computer monitor. It has enabled me to connect to myself in ways not possible in a different - more hectic - environment. The time poverty I suffer in our fast moving society makes the reflection out here so rewarding - and likely necessary. We get so caught up in accomplishing the next task that we forget to take a moment for ourselves.

Five-day water fast

There are a lot of forms of fasting. It can be a water fast - where only water is consumed. It can also be a fast from any one substance - be it caffeine, alcohol, meat, etc. Some entertain a fast by eating only fruits and vegetables for a given period. Another fasting method is a juice fast. During this period you drink water and a limited amount of 100% juice. This has the similar effects of a water fast but you are still getting energy to keep going comfortably. So this is just a small sample of fasts but any routine of frequent fasts will have profound effects on the health of your mind and body. Methodizing the refrain from certain elements in your diet and lifestyle will begin to instill strength, humility, will, increased health, prospective, and appreciation that will help keep your spirits lifted and your body healthy.

Fasting has always been included in many major religions worldwide. Orthodox Christians believe that fasting aids in the development of self-restraint, which is the source of all good. Mormons fast one Sunday a month to provide assistance to the needy through the contribution of fast offerings, reap the physical benefits of a fast, and to increase humility and spirituality. Muslims fast during daylight hours through the entire Ramadan to remind themselves of the poor, to cleanse the body, and to foster serenity and spiritual devotion.

People have been known to fast for upwards of 100 days. Now granted something of this caliber requires consistent rest, preparation, knowledge, and meditation and it's not anything I would ever be interested in endeavoring. A five day fast is painful but relatively speaking it is a short fast. However, strength, resolve, and will are all increased and realized when one voluntarily subjects themselves to starvation for 5 days. Relatively large problems are quickly put into perspective. There is also the spiritual satisfaction that comes with making a sacrifice of that magnitude.

Physically speaking there are also many benefits. Detoxification occurs and the toxins that are cached in your digestive system will be cleansed. As fat is metabolized and processed for energy the toxins that were stored are released into the bloodstream and processed out. The palette is also cleared - helping to break the craving for some of these toxins as your body will be weened off of them. It is also believed that as the digestive system shuts down the healing process on your body begins as that energy is diverted to your immune and metabolism systems. Protein synthesis is also proven to increase during a fast - allowing for all protein creation to be directed towards healing.

Personally speaking the first two days are the worst. These are the days where your body hasn't yet began to efficiently metabolize itself for energy. Extremely low energy, nausea, lightheadedness, dull headache, burning eyes, and hunger pangs all persist. After those first 48 hours energy begins - albeit it comes and goes in waves - to return and I feel a rush of resolve about everything come over me. It's a very difficult feeling to explain but it's sort of a complete inner-peace. At this point on the only discomfort is the hunger pangs.

My thoughts are filled with food but I am fairly clear-headed and I can feel the instillation of strength through my will to continue the fast. I try to conserve as much energy as possible however I know the more difficult the fast is the more beneficial and rewarding the completion of the fast will be. It is essential that I stay hydrated! Dehydration AND starvation have tremendous harmful effects on your body. With limited nutrition and energy sources it will be easy to fall into a downward spiral of tissue and cell damage. Cell and tissue damage caused by dehydration takes a lot of energy to repair. However it's not difficult for me though as I keep my stomach full of water at all times to help subside the hunger pangs (full stomach).

After the 2.5 day mark my body begins to supply me with energy from self-metabolization and it is pretty much smooth sailing.

Awesome leisure reading regarding subject:
Religion and Dietary Practices, The Role of Fasting