Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Go away for the weekend


Leaving Purdue for the weekend could be just what you need to get away from all the school work. I am excited to say that one of my teachers pushed back a lab write-up due date, that was going to force me to do it over October break. I was going to have to do it over break because the lab did not take place till Thursday and was due the day we get back. This might not sound like a big deal, but this is no ordinary lab, it is a lab that I have been working on all semester, so there is a lot to write up. Let’s get back on the topic of going away now.

This up coming weekend, I hope to go backpacking. I am looking to go to a place I went this summer again called Porcupine Mountains. I have had to stress and worry a lot about classes lately and this will be just the break I need. It will distract me completely from my work and allow relaxing. I like this park in particular for several reasons. The most important is that it beautiful and awesome. This park is relatively flat, so I do not have to get all worked up while hiking except for a few climbs. I am looking to enjoy myself and relax, not get a workout. I will hike about 10 miles a day, which can be done in about 4-5 hours with a lunch break, so there is plenty of time to relax in the afternoon. This park is located on Lake Superior and has several interior lakes as well. This means that every day when you are done hiking you get to go swimming.

Let me give you a brief out line of what happens when I go backpacking:
8:00AM – Wake up
8:10AM – Eat Breakfast
8:20AM – Pack up tent and other gear
8:30 AM – Head out on the hike
11:30AM – Stop for lunch
2:00PM – Arrive at camp site for night and setup tents
2:30PM – go swimming
3:30PM – Relax, dry off
4:30PM – Gather wood for fire
5:00PM – Relax
6:30PM – Make dinner
7:00PM - Relax
7:30PM – Have campfire, Relax
9:30PM – Go to bed

Backpacking is a lot simpler than everyday living. You just need to get firewood, eat, setup camp, and hike. There is not too much to worry about other than rain and cold temperatures. If either of those are going to happen, I most likely won’t even go because rain and cold does not equal fun when you are outside. My schedule above gives you lots of time to relax and just talk with my friends. Looking at the weather now for this upcoming weekend does not look very good. The chance of rain is 40% and low temperature is 42 degrees, but it is still a log ways off, so the forecasts are not very accurate.

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