My dad’s life is outlined by onerous work—an intense blue-collar, long-haul supply job that calls for bodily energy and endurance in any respect hours, typically from midnight to 3pm on weekdays. He’s the epitome of reliability, typically taken with no consideration by those that rely on him, however he simply calls himself a daily man. (If solely he knew.)
With solely seven days of trip annually, my dad chooses to spend each single one in every of them backpacking. This custom started lengthy earlier than I used to be born. He hiked the Pacific Crest Path in sections over 32 years as he solely had the seven-day window every time. I began becoming a member of him 21 years in the past, once I was solely 6 and he typically carried me on his shoulders. Extra not too long ago my older brother has come alongside too.
Paper maps
After I was youthful, I all the time knew our journey was quickly when my dad unfold his favourite backpacking books and paper maps throughout our 12-foot eating room desk. He’s all the time carried out this, from the time I might learn “OREGON ROAD MAP” to now, attempting to assist resolve the place we go based mostly on the descriptions written. Regardless of the expertise accessible for locating trails and navigating journeys, he prefers to notice the proper routes with paper and pencil.
Reasonably than downloading maps and descriptions of the path onto his cellphone, he prints them out and brings them in a plastic baggie to guard them from rain.
He reads the guidebooks aloud each time we’re ready for our dinner to rehydrate. He likes to learn the outline of the subsequent day’s path: its problem, the terrain, or the crops we’re prone to encounter.
Our journeys are stuffed with nonstop laughter, deep conversations and telling one another which Mountain Home meal we’re gonna have for dinner that evening. On our final seven-day journey to the Wallowa Mountains in japanese Oregon, we dove into the mysteries of the universe and its vastness.
Silence of the outside
My father thrives within the silence of the outside. He cherishes it, really., whether or not he’s quietly observing the world round him or listening to the earth shift beneath our boots as we trek up a switchback.
On the final evening of the Wallowa journey, I caught him standing alone, gazing up in silent contemplation and awe. He was soaking in the great thing about the Wallowas one final time earlier than we needed to trek to the automobile the subsequent morning. It made my coronary heart ache. Within the numerous occasions he has checked out stunning views, huge deserts, craters, forests, mountains of sheet rock and wildflowers, he by no means can get sufficient. He’s all the time simply as grateful as he was when he had began backpacking.
Final fall, as we wrapped up our journey, I observed one thing that I wasn’t anticipating. My dad’s beard, as soon as sandy blonde, has now turned grey and white. This delicate change instantly made my coronary heart damage. It’s straightforward to neglect that our mother and father are navigating life, similar to we’re. Rising up, we regularly see them as superhero figures. But they too are experiencing, studying and discovering alongside us. Simply as I discover pleasure in exploring new issues with my mates, they’re nonetheless discovering issues, however sharing these experiences with us, their youngsters.
Seeing his white beard now could be a stark reminder of how rapidly time passes. As my dad has gotten older, I’ve realized how valuable the time I’ve with him is. Every summer season spent backpacking with my dad is a valuable present, one which I treasure deeply.
No rationalization wanted
Earlier this week, I bought a textual content from him. No emojis, no context—simply: “August 11-17, 2025!”
No rationalization was wanted. I saved the dates in my busy calendar and began counting down the times till our subsequent switchback collectively.
Gear Up Like Greg
Identify: Greg Wayt
REI Co-op Member since: 1999
Residence retailer: Eugene, Oregon
My dad is a creature of behavior, hardly ever deviating from his routine except REI introduces a brand new ultralight tent or anti-gravity water filtration system. Listed here are three items of substances he all the time brings with him.
Therm-a-Relaxation (3/4 size) sleeping pad: He has had this since his first backpacking journey in 1996. My brother and I each have newer ones, however it doesn’t matter what he LOVES his Therm-a-Relaxation.
White waffle REI model light-weight lengthy sleeve: He additionally bought this for his first journey ever and has by no means as soon as gone on a visit with out it. It’s a bit greyish now, however he has by no means changed it.
REI insulated mug (here’s a hyperlink as a result of I discover it amusing that it’s now categorized as “classic.”)
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