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My 2013 Top Ten List of Adventurers Doing Things Outdoors (*usually with a backpack on)


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Home Forums General Forums General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion My 2013 Top Ten List of Adventurers Doing Things Outdoors (*usually with a backpack on)

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  • #1311431
    Eugene Smith
    BPL Member

    @eugeneius

    Locale: Nuevo Mexico

    #1. Brendan Swihart, http://outlivingblog.wordpress.com

    What else is there to say about Brendan? There is an honesty to his photographs that resonate with me, particularly of the beauty and challenges of living and wandering in the high deserts of UT and CO. He stops to examine the sights and sounds that many of us fail to see. Check out his travels from the past year over at his blog.

    #2. Cass Gilbert, "While Out Riding",http://www.whileoutriding.com/blog

    Cass is a vagabond, who happens to reside in my great state of NM intermittently, when he's not traveling the world on his two wheeled steed documenting the life and cultures of the colorful people he meets along the way. Few will fuel the stoke to get out and do something, anything. There is a heap of information in his blog on going light by bike. His bikepacking and photography gear fluctuates quite a bit, but the core items of his kit list can be adapted for your own travels on bike and on foot.

    #3. Craig Wisner, "Sweeping the Garden", http://sweepingthegarden.wordpress.com

    Surfer. Father/Husband. Backpacker. Freediver/Spearfisher. Potter. Teacher. Mentor. Dirtbag. Runner.

    Need I say more?

    #4. Anton Krupicka, "Riding the Wind", http://antonkrupicka.blogspot.com/

    Few travel as light, fast, and efficiently through the mountains as Anton Krupicka. He runs multi-day routes in the Rockies before most of us have a morning pot of coffee made. "Done in a day" takes on a whole new meaning with him and it's unbelievably motivating. This year he released a film project titled "Into the High Country" that will blow your mind.

    #5. Steve Fassbinder, aka Dr. Doom, http://therepublicofdoom.blogspot.com/

    Adventure in the post apocalypse, or whatever… If Cormac McCarthy wrote a novel about: bikepacking, packrafting, hike a biking, climbing, canyoneering, and general desert rat debauchery of the highest order, then the story would look something like this.

    #6. Ike Jutkowitz, http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/traversing-adirondacks-foot-and-packraft-jutkowitz.html

    Ike is a BPL staple, for good reason. I've enjoyed seeing his evolution as an outdoorsman as he raises the personal bar with each and every adventure he conceives and executes (*or fails to execute).

    #7. Dan Carter, "A Different Kind of Paradise", http://adifferentkindofparadise.wordpress.com/

    Dan Carter is my good friend and a fellow partner in crime out on the trails when he's "home" in the valley. Dan is an old soul and his outlook at the world is contagious, always positive and encouraging. Over the last two years he has traveled all across the US in his vehicle, thru-hiking the JMT, climbing routes in: Yosemite Valley, Indian Creek, Black Hills, ND, NM, volunteering at the Hardrock 100, running ultramarathons, surveying and data collecting in the Four Corners region, race directing, etc…..

    #8. Casey Greene, http://greenecasey.blogspot.com/2013/06/tobacco-root-packbike.html

    Badassery abounds.

    #9. Nicholas and Lael, "Gypsy By Trade", http://gypsybytrade.wordpress.com/

    #10. Luke DeMuth and Junaid Dawud, 14'ers Thru Hike, http://14ersthruhike.com/photos/

    These two guys put together a route and thru hiked all of CO's 14ers over the course of 71 days. Beasts.

    I know I'm missing some, but these are the individuals and adventures that stuck with me the most over the past year.

    #2057906
    Ike Jutkowitz
    BPL Member

    @ike

    Locale: Central Michigan

    Cool idea. Some old favorites, and some new inspirations to be sure. I'm humbled to have made your list.

    I'd add Hig and Erin, who continue to set the bar for the parent-adventurer

    #2057914
    Ian
    BPL Member

    @10-7

    Kristen Gates' Thru-Hiking Alaska’s Arctic: A 1,000 Mile Solo Traverse
    was my personal favorite for 2013. She's mentioned spending next summer on the Yukon which would make for an exciting adventure as well.

    #2057916
    Greg Mihalik
    Spectator

    @greg23

    Locale: Colorado

    Kristen Gates

    +1

    Best of year, and maybe best of decade. Outstanding trip and excellent article.

    #2057920
    Link .
    BPL Member

    @annapurna

    +2 on Kristen's, well done fantastic trip and read !

    #2057935
    Misfit Mystic
    Member

    @cooldrip

    Locale: "Grand Canyon of the East"

    Thanks for this list Eugene; there are several folks here whose exploits I wasn't aware of. Seeing great folks living the dream, living their dream, really stokes the fires of the soul.

    And a special shout-out to my friend Ike! I met him a few years ago when he was starting a backpacking trip in my home range; I'm amazed to see his exploits these days. He's just an ordinary guy/gal like the rest of us, and like the rest of us, he dreams big. Ike and his adventures are a terrific reminder for me of a simple fact: that person next door, who everyone sees as just an ordinary veterinarian, or accountant, or software designer, or whatever, is probably pretty extraordinary if you take the time to look.

    And even though I know you won't toot your own horn Eugene, I will throw your blog into the mix as well. Your photos always inspire me to look closer at the little things around me, and remind me that there is some pretty good stuff right outside the back door.

    If you'll excuse me, I've got some reading to do…

    #2057947
    Dave T
    Member

    @davet

    Big thumbs up to this list. Lots of folks getting out and getting after it.

    Inspiring.

    #2057960
    HkNewman
    BPL Member

    @hknewman

    Locale: The West is (still) the Best

    Another plus to Kristin Gates article and linked blog – certainly inspiring but Christine on the Big Trip is incomparable when it comes to simply traveling and thru-hiking. To put belongings in storage (plus relationships when you think about it) and just take off for a good chunk of a year (or more) is true commitment.

    #2057974
    William Chilton
    BPL Member

    @williamc3

    Locale: Antakya

    +1 on German Tourist and the Big Trip. I'm enjoying her current southern Europe hike.
    I've also enjoyed Walking with Wired. While she may "only" be doing standard thru hikes, she has an engaging openness in her writing.

    #2058009
    Peter Bakwin
    BPL Member

    @pbakwin

    I've added some more detail & photos to my list of the Top 10 FKTs (Fastest Known Times) of 2013, and posted it here:
    http://blog.ultimatedirection.com/top-ten-fkts-of-2013/#more-1273

    #2059247
    Steven McAllister
    BPL Member

    @brooklynkayak

    Locale: Arizona, US

    One of my favorites:
    desertpaincave.blogspot.com

    #2059273
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Thank you Eugene for compiling this list.

    Will also say +1 to Kristin G.

    And plus +100 for using the term old soul–never thought i would see this term here for trend of left brain dominance here, but yeah once in a great while when i meet someone new there is something about them, that this term really goes along with—a certain depth, maturity, positivity, kindness–well in those cases it's an apt description.

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