I Want to Live

December 10, 2023

Flashbacks

A low-flying helicopter was zipping back and forth all afternoon while a friend and I were backpacking in Death Valley National Park. We were slightly pissed off that the loud engine and rotors were encroaching on what should have been a quiet desert experience. We were sure Death Valley was supposed to be a protected wilderness area. Yet, we were also fascinated by the activities of that flying machine.

After reaching the summit of Telescope Peak, we hiked back down a thousand feet or so and set up camp. We celebrated with a few warm-- almost HOT--beers that we hauled up there on our backs in 100-degree heat. We hadn't seen the helicopter for a while but, sure enough, it reappeared. There was something different this time. A long cable extended below the helicopter, and at the end of the cable was a large box. It looked like something I'd seen on M*A*S*H*.

This is a phone picture of a picture I took from the top of Telescope Peak. In the foreground is a big chunk of white marble. I applaud the tough guy who hauled that thing up there. I estimated its weight at 150 pounds. Eleven thousand three hundred twenty-five feet below is the hazy 120-degree heat of Badwater Basin.

This is a picture of a picture of me when I was still a young tough guy in my 40's. Looking west beyond me was the view from our campsite.

The next morning, as we hiked back to the vehicle we rented at the Las Vegas airport, we came upon a couple of park rangers who were hiking up the same trail. We asked what the helicopter activity was all about.

At this point, I could have tried to re-create that encounter with the rangers by memory. Instead, I dug out the journal I wrote about that trip in the year 2000. Then (as now) I wrote journals using paper and pen and typed up a more coherent version of my notes later.

Anyway, I took a picture of the relevant page so I wouldn't have to type it all again today. If you want to read the rest of my story, you'll have to zoom in on the following photo.

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So, aside from bragging, what does a 23-year-old story about backpacking in one of the hottest places in the U.S. have to do with cycling in one of the coldest places in the U.S.? My answer to that question is this: Sure, bragging is important to me, but even more important than the bragging is that I want to assure you that, despite all appearances, my January bike trip is NOT a suicide mission. I WANT TO LIVE! And to me, living isn't just surviving. Living also includes such things as hiking in 100-degree temperatures and cycling in minus-30-degrees.

I don't know how cold it was when I took this picture in 2022. It probably wasn't 30-degrees below zero, but it must have been pretty darn cold.

Blizzards can be fun to ride in too. (For about three blocks.)

The next page will focus on how a doofus like me could possibly survive this kind of bike tour. [Hint: SAFETY MEASURES]

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Bill ShaneyfeltReally enjoying your entertainment as I sit in the basement, almost immobile because of my back for the past week and a half. Thanks for the fun!
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11 months ago

Gregory GarceauTo Bill ShaneyfeltThanks for the fact check, Bill. I'll make the correction.
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11 months ago

Bill ShaneyfeltHa! Yeah, sometimes I can get detail oriented, but like I said, close enough! Really! What's a few hundred feet in thousands? I do like the shot. Only a tough guy would make that trek!
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11 months ago