Clean Slate

Here we go into another brand-spanking New Year! Resolutions wait in the wings as we stare at the clean slate, trying to decide which ones will play a role in this year’s ambitions. What an exciting time to renew our convictions and determine to discover hidden abilities and desires within ourselves!

Many of us will resurrect previous resolutions that expired before becoming full-fledged habits in our lives, such as exercising or dieting. While exercise and health are certainly great aspects to improve upon, I have found that focusing on an event rather than a concept is much more effective. For example, rather than say, “I’m going to lose 400 pounds this year” say, “I’m going to run that marathon in September.” If my goal is to be prepared for an event, with a very definite “deadline,” I will work toward that; if my goal is to simply begin running, chances are slim that I will have enough motivation to continue running through the whole year. We all want a reward for our efforts, no matter what we do, and even finishing an arduous race is reward enough for exercising. Remember to reward yourself for achieving success, whether you run a race or finally clean out that cluttered garage.

Some of us will, at this point, have realized that every previous year’s resolutions came to naught, and therefore refuse to engage in the New Year’s tradition. Should you find yourself looking at resolutions negatively, pick something that you wouldn’t normally view as a resolution. Something as simple as visiting all the National Parks in Utah in 2011 could be considered a resolution. Or consider an “If – Then” resolution: “If I visit Arches, then I’ll visit Zion next; and if I visit Zion, then I’ll visit Bryce…” A lot of the time we need to break up resolutions in order to make them easier to accomplish. We often feel like failures if we endeavor to do some great thing, get halfway there and then either quit or we are forced to abandon the goal. Looking back, though, we will typically find that we were quite successful in one aspect or another, or that we learned some valuable information during our journey toward that resolution. Cherish that new information and apply it, otherwise the experience truly is in danger of becoming a complete failure.

Still others of us will build upon a resolution from last year that was successful and create a bigger and better resolution for this year. First, let me congratulate you if you did indeed follow through with any of your 2010 resolutions. The human experience would not be much of an experience if the concept of progress were not an integral part of it all. Perhaps your resolution last New Year’s was to learn to ski; this year’s resolution should build upon that: learn to snowboard, or pick up cross-country skiing, or even enter a local ski competition. Remember, life is a downward moving escalator: if you’re not working hard to reach the top, the escalator is taking you back down to the bottom.

I hope you are as enthusiastic about setting new goals for 2011 as I am. Though life is one continuous flow of time, and we’ll never get the chance to be 20 again, the New Year gives us all a chance to reflect on the last 365 days and resolve to expand our knowledge, abilities or experiences in the next 365 days. Happy New Year and best of success in your 2011 ventures!

Combating Litter

Close your eyes while you read this first paragraph. Imagine yourself alone in a serene forest, near a small stream. The cool, pristine water flows by, gurgling and lapping at your submerged toes. You lean back and place your hands on the soft moss that is everywhere, cushioning you as you enjoy the scenery. A small bird lights in the tree branch above your head and serenades you with a tune that could pass as Beethoven’s 9^th: “The Ode to Joy.” Sunlight filters down through the bright green foliage and dances above the stream, producing better entertainment than any Hollywood studio ever could. In an instant the sunlight disappears, the whole forest darkens and a flash of lightning strikes nearby. The bird’s song is off key and it begins to sound like a dirge. The moss you are resting on has lost its softness and sharp rocks seem to be pushing themselves up through the moss. And in the previously pure water a milk jug floats along, passes you by, bobbing as it goes. As the jug rounds a bend in the stream and vanishes from your view, the sunlight returns, but it’s not playful like it was. The bird continues to sing, but the song is now an ordinary tune with no composition. After moving your backside and hands, the moss is still soft, but you’ve got sharp little indentations in your palms. The stream endlessly babbles along, however you can see a slightly discolored path in the middle of the stream where the jug traveled. Okay, open your eyes.

How did this scene go from idyllic to unpleasant so quickly? I’m no expert in these matters, but I would argue that the jug in the water elicited the less than peaceful responses of nature. Litter tends to do that. Ruins beauty and tranquility within seconds. Think about it. How many times have you been out in the woods, wondering if any other human has ever trod the same path as you, and you’re quickly answered with a beer can or sardine tin? Suddenly you’re extremely aware that you’re not the only one that wanders about in the forest. And not only can you not imagine that you’re exploring an undiscovered paradise now, but someone else tainted the purity of that paradise long before you ever arrived.

Believe it or not, there are people in this world, even in your own community, who cannot read. What’s more unbelievable is that there are people in this world who can read but refuse to do so. These people will walk right past a sign stating “Pack Out What You Pack In,” and drop their granola bar wrapper wherever they please. It’s really quite sad that they have so little regard for others who would like to enjoy the uncontaminated version of a trail. Unfortunately these people will have children who will learn from their example and carry on the terrible tradition.

Fortunately there are people in this world who care about such matters, and hopefully you are one of them. Though we cannot always catch the litterbugs in the act, we can take an active role in providing a more beauteous experience for those who come after us by simply picking up the offending bits of trash ourselves and disposing of them properly. Consider carrying an ordinary plastic grocery sack or garbage bag with you next time you take a walk or do anything outdoors. You don’t have to adopt a highway to clean up garbage near a road. Just do it. Perhaps those inconsiderate litterbugs will see you cleaning up the trash they threw out their car window last week and think twice before doing it again.

Chilly Camping

If you’re one of those people who enjoys camping all year round, no matter the weather or temperature, you’re not normal. That being said, I must admit that camping in cold weather can be as fun as camping during warm weather. The fire seems more comforting and magical surrounded by ice and snow, and there is no way that your sleeping bag is going to make you too hot during the night. (By the way, if you sleep in anything other than a tent or lean-to, such as a cabin or RV, you’re a cheater and not allowed to consider yourself a true camper.)

One winter camping trip, my friends and I set up our camp on a frozen lake. Looking back now it still seems like a completely teenage idea. Instead of building a fire right on top of the ice, which created a natural barrier between us and the ice-cold water, we brought along a barrel that was cut in half with 3-foot legs welded to it. It stood high enough that the ice wasn’t affected at all. When we woke up in the morning, though, our body heat had definitely affected the ice. There were clear indentations of where we had slept that were visible after we packed our tents. I often think about how much more exciting the night would have been if one of us had melted his way right on through.

Here’s some sound advice for all those winter campers out there: don’t camp on a frozen lake. Seems logical enough, but trust me, teenage boys aren’t full of logic; they’re full of testosterone and bravado. (All the moms of teenage boys are nodding their heads vigorously right now. The dads are just peering over the newspaper and staring sternly at their boys.) Another piece of advice: bring along your own firewood. It is not so fun to scavenge for dry, unfrozen wood for your winter campfire. Most people freeze to death before finding a sufficient supply of wood to keep them warm. I hope the irony of that statement is not completely lost on you. Just pay the $5 for firewood at the convenience store or take along some from your own woodpile and save yourself the hassle.

Besides a tent that will help cut down on the cold wind at night, a proper sleeping bag is extremely necessary for a winter campout. Don’t plan on using the same sleeping bag you used in the summer. You’ll die. You’ll wake up in the morning and discover that you’ve frozen to death. That’s a surefire way to ruin the camping trip. Take along a sleeping bag that is rated for below-zero temperatures. Mummy bags are great because you can enclose your whole body in the bag, except for your eyes, nose and mouth.

Many of you are still wondering why anyone would willingly camp in the snow. It’s simple, really: the stars are brighter when it’s cold, and as their light enters earth’s atmosphere it actually makes a twinkling sound. If you still don’t understand, it’s a teenage boy thing – something to do with proving that you’re invincible and daring. It’s amazing what humans will do simply to feel a sense of adventure in their lives.

Learning From Nature

We humans are such spoiled creatures. And our pets too. Especially our pets. Well, mine anyway. Here we sit in the comfort of our homes and offices and places of business, the heat is on and we’re wearing layers of warm clothes. We’ve got hot cocoa and fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies to snack on and our dogs and cats are curled up near the fireplace. Most of us don’t spend more than a half an hour each day outside in the winter if we can help it. Without our furnaces and electricity and other amenities, many of us would freeze to death within days of the first snowstorm of the year. So how do animals do it?

I was on my way to Idaho a couple weeks ago when I saw a herd of cattle near the freeway. It was below freezing outside, and the cows acted as if they were all fine. I knew that the temperatures would drop when night fell, and I wondered how those animals would survive without any sort of cover like a barn. As I thought about it and did some research I found that cattle typically huddle together in small groups, even as they’re feeding. As long as they have enough food and water readily available, they can generate enough body heat to keep them warm. In groups, the body heat is more efficient and cows can withstand temperatures that would normally kill humans after prolonged exposure. Those cows gotta watch out for Jack Frost nipping at their nipples, though. Frostbite on udders is supposedly very common. Ouch!

Cattle are hardly the epitome of extreme temperature survivors, so let’s consider animals that are experts at living in the coldest environments: penguins and polar bears. Similar to cattle, penguins bunch up to withstand the cold, and they also have insulating feathers that help considerably against the Antarctic winds. The coolest thing about penguins is they can control blood flow to their wings and flippers. Wouldn’t that be nice to have that type of control over your body? Polar bears use the same tactic penguins do. Besides having copious amounts of blubber, they also have thick fur that traps air and keeps them insulated. Air apparently doesn’t conduct heat, and the polar bears use their thick fur as a buffer zone to keep their skin nice and warm. Humans exploit this concept with goose down parkas. The poofier the coat, the warmer the person.

Polar bears are also smart enough to sit out the coldest parts of the year by hibernating. Several animals use hibernation to survive the cold. Most hibernating animals are mammals, and they stock up on necessary fats and nutrients in the fall to last through the winter. I’ve determined that Thanksgiving is simply a modified version of stocking up for the winter. We gorge ourselves silly in preparation for the frosty months ahead. I would argue that Thanksgiving is an obsolete tradition since we don’t need the extra fat and blubber like other animals, but I’m afraid of getting smacked in the head with peas and mashed potatoes.

Many animals that aren’t furry and aren’t specialized for winter conditions do something that most of us would like to do: go south. Where it’s warm. Birds typically migrate to warmer climes in preparation for winter, but they’re not the only ones. Some insects and even some mammals are known to travel great distances to outrun the freezing temperatures.

So what have animals taught us? Grow thick hair or buy a coat; huddle up if you can; eat, eat, eat; sleep through the toughest cold spells; and buy a winter home in Tucson. Oh, and cover your nipples well. Remember these things and you too can survive extreme temperatures like a wild animal.