Stupid Hiking Story #1

After two hours wandering the hills trying to find a dirt road clearly marked on the map, I stumble upon it. Too late to turn around for Plan B, I forge ahead on the overgrown track, thrashing through deeper and deeper green stuff that I don't recognize.

Cue ominous music.

500 miles on the PCT – Training Trips

In August 2003, I tried to hike 500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail through the High Sierra in California – in 30 days.

The best way to get into shape for backpacking is ... to go backpacking. I wanted to backpack 500 miles in several shorter training trips before the big trip.

Here's what I did ...

500 miles on the PCT – Getting Into Shape

In August 2003, I tried to hike 500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail through the High Sierra in California – in 30 days.

Here's how I got into shape for the hike.

500 miles on the PCT – A Crazy Idea

In August 2003, I tried to hike 500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail through the High Sierra in California – in 30 days.

Why?

Mac mini in a data center

Mac Mini 2018 (Credit: Apple)

Apple dropped the Xserve, pushing the Mac Pro and Mac mini as server alternatives. We need to run many Mac-based applications in our data center, and we've chosen Mac minis.

How do you rack mount a Mac mini? How do you provide IEC C14 or 208V power to a Mac mini?  How do you add an Ethernet management port to a Mac mini? How do you control a Mac mini through a KVM switch?

Rocky's Hardtack Recipe

I really miss a bread-like food while backpacking, especially on longer trips. I tried many off-the-shelf bread, cracker, and tortilla variations, but they either tasted terrible or didn't last long in my pack or in storage.

Sometimes I would see references to hardtack, but hardtack is hard to find in local stores. I found a few recipes online, tried them, changed them, and came up with mine.

Don't let the name scare you, these aren't that hard (more like hard cookies), they taste pretty good, and they are easy to make for baking novices like me.

Lightweight backpacking in the early 1980s

Some people write as if the lightweight backpacking movement that started in the late 1990s was never tried before, and that all backpacking before that focused on comfort at the expense of weight.

Wrong.