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Tooth Water and Cow Pee
Staying hydrated in the desert A water cache stocked by volunteers in the Great Basin of Wyoming. By Mary Anderson The heaviest thing I carry is water. I can easily drink one gallon, or eight pounds per day, especially in the windy desert. Some water sources are 30-plus miles apart. This is when I have…
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Falling Down on Purpose
By Mary Anderson It has been at least 20 years since I have done a self-arrest with an ice ax. I thought some practice before my hike would be a good idea, so before leaving home, I went to a local ski area in search of snow. I trudged up the slope, aware that I…
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My No. 1 Backpacking Resource
By Mary Anderson Yesterday I wrote about how long-distance hiking has made me more aware of basic human needs, but I left out what I believe to be the most important resource a solo backpacker can have: friends, and the ability to stay in touch with them. I set out on this hike to find…
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The Incredible Lightness of Backpacking
By Mary Anderson As I packed for my hike I thought about the spin it put on my concepts of resources. I was surrounded by all the stuff I would use in the next four months. It looked like a lot. Yet it all fits inside my pack, and except for the food, it weighs…
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In a Few Words
I’m preparing messages to go into my satellite device. Typing on it in the field is cumbersome. I’m allowed twenty messages, 160 characters each. It is making me have to really think about the words I will choose and what it is I will most want to convey with you folks back home. If we…
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Bugs!
By Mary Anderson I’m thrilled. My van windshield is full of dead bugs. Over the last number of years I have noticed I seldom needed to clean my windshield of dead bugs. It has concerned me. I know that many cities spray to kill black flies and mosquitoes. Farmers spray insecticides. And undisturbed natural habitats…
The Mary Badass
A Ruminating Blog About Personal Healing, Adventure and Day to Day Life
The Mary Badass 