Boots on Your Feet and a Pack on Your Back...
The most wonderful places on this beautiful planet are often the
hardest to get to, and that is why we hike. Backpacking and hiking
hearken to the way humankind used to travel, with our own two feet
and our loads on our backs, and everyone should give it a go. It
brings the immense feeling of having earned one's passage to the end
of the day. One of life's greatest pleasures is chilling the sweat
on your back with the wind while having lunch on a mountaintop.
Common Hiking Destinations
Common or close (<5 hours) places to hike or backpack include:
Hiking Gear
The Explorers Club can provide the following backpacking/hiking
gear for club trips (see our
Storeroom page for more information):
- Backpacks/daypacks
- Trekking Poles
- Rain Jackets
- Backpacking tents
- Sleeping bags
- Sleeping pads
- Backpacking stoves
- Cooking Gear
- Headlamps
If you'd like to get your own gear, you can check out these local
stores:
- REI (South Side
Works)
- Exkursion
(Monroeville) - more technical gear, more knowledgeable staff,
and a 10% discount with Explorers Club membership card
Explorers Club Hiking Chairs
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Elias Fatsi (esf@andrew.cmu.edu)
I've been hiking for as long as I
can remember with my family, but started backpacking and
camping at the start of middle school through a summer camp
I went to. I then grew up to work at the camp and would try
and go on as many trips as they would let me on. I've been
all over the western side of Virginia and am getting
familiar with the land surrounding Pittsburgh.
I'm a big advocate of getting as
many people outside and into the woods as possible as I'm
pretty sure everyone loves it and definitely needs it from
time to time. I should be going on as many trips as I can
this year rain or shine (or snow), hopefully I get to share
the experience with as many people as possible. |
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Ethan Goldblum (egoldblum@cmu.edu)
The southwestern Pennsylvania region has a surprising amount
of natural beauty, and I try to spend as much time outside
exploring it as I can. I enjoy hiking and camping
throughout the year despite the best efforts of the
Pittsburgh weather. I also attend many of the orienteering
meets sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania Orienteering
Club during the fall and the spring. Orienteering is an
fun, easy-to-learn sport which combines cross-country
running and map/compass navigation. It's a good skill to
have, and a fine way to spend a sunny afternoon.
Hope to see you all on the trail someday soon! |
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Tamar Melman (tmelman@cmu.edu)
I've been hiking with my family since I could walk. We would
do day hikes in New England mostly, and once in the Israeli
desert, up Messadah. I got into backpacking through my camp,
when we would do multi-day wilderness expeditions. The
summer I turned 16 changed my life, when I went to Colorado
with my camp to backpack through the Weminuche Wilderness.
The expedition took 16 days, and the scenery was absolutely
the most breathtaking I've ever seen. Since then, I have
done several shorter trips with the Explorers Club, all of
them memorable: for example, backpacking in December through
Dolly Sods with three-season tents and sleeping bags. I will
always have homework to do, but I can never turn down a good
hike; so if you ever want to take a trip, email me. |
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