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Dear Perimeter Hiker,
You've been a little light on the blog. What gives?
Surfing for Blog Posts
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Dear SfBP,
I apologize to you and the other faithful readers who have had to get by on the 140-character tweets that fly from my phone on occasion. I don't carry a laptop and have had to make due with whatever computer time I get, whether in public libraries or at a friend's home.
I also have to obey various restrictions from place to place. In many instances, this has meant that I can't upload photos or files of any kind. This should explain the many picture-less posts I've put up.
I am currently at the Muleshoe Library, and the entire Facebook site is blocked. Imagine Facebook being blocked! That's like punching in google.com and being denied. What is this, China?
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Dear Perimeter Hiker,
How have you handled the panhandle winds?
Please Take Them with You
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Dear PTTwY,
I'm from Corpus Christi, and the winds can get pretty nasty there. There's a big windsurfing competition every year to give you an idea. Down in Corpus, I've probably walked or rollerbladed at most a few miles in the wind, and I mean that for my entire life.
The winds in the Texas Panhandle are an altogether different beast. They come in through New Mexico or down hard from the northern plains. They have nothing to buffer their intensity for hundreds of miles in all directions.
There were several places I had to endure the wind. Walking into Canadian, while doable, was an exhausting affair. The wind plowed into me for hours, perhaps 30 to 40 mph with occasional big gusts. Hiking from Texhoma to Stratford proved to be doubly difficult because it was windy AND snowy. The weather stayed warmish (as warm as wet snow can get at any rate), but the moment I felt the temperature drop, I had to break for camp. By the time I got my sleeping bag out, my fingers had become numb. And in Dalhart, I just plain lucked out. It was windy when I walked into town, but nothing compared to what struck a couple of days later. While I was staying with my couchsurfing host, the wind was around 50 mph in town with gusts even faster!
While I can't take the winds with me, I promise put up some resistance with "winds" of my own. Not sure if that will help or not...
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Dear Perimeter Hiker,
Are you nervous about hiking the border?
Concerned about You Vato Loco Perimeter Hiker
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Dear CaYVLPH,
Yes, I'm nervous.
I was just told that Fort Hancock, Texas got taken over by a Mexican cartel. In case your geography's not that great, Fort Hancock is smack on I-10.
This is just a rumor, mind you. Something like that is likely to be all over the news. However, I don't really want to know what part of the rumor comes from fact and what part comes from fiction.
I'll be introducing myself to the law enforcement agencies that govern the border region when I reach El Paso. That may take a while, as several government agencies and homegrown agencies have stepped up in recent years to patrol the area. I hope to get some good advice from these folks.
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Dear Perimeter Hiker,
When do you expect to finish?
Waiting in Corpus Christi
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Dear WiCC,
I'd like to finish by July, August at the latest. I pitched both my columns as a year-long, twelve-part run (with an introductory column), so that's part of what's guiding me in.
If the walk takes longer, though, I'm committed to taking as long as I need to take. I'm especially sensitive to safety concerns and will be taking every precaution.
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Until next time, folks...
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* * *
Dear Perimeter Hiker,
You've been a little light on the blog. What gives?
Surfing for Blog Posts
* * *
Dear SfBP,
I apologize to you and the other faithful readers who have had to get by on the 140-character tweets that fly from my phone on occasion. I don't carry a laptop and have had to make due with whatever computer time I get, whether in public libraries or at a friend's home.
I also have to obey various restrictions from place to place. In many instances, this has meant that I can't upload photos or files of any kind. This should explain the many picture-less posts I've put up.
I am currently at the Muleshoe Library, and the entire Facebook site is blocked. Imagine Facebook being blocked! That's like punching in google.com and being denied. What is this, China?
* * *
* * *
* * *
Dear Perimeter Hiker,
How have you handled the panhandle winds?
Please Take Them with You
* * *
Dear PTTwY,
I'm from Corpus Christi, and the winds can get pretty nasty there. There's a big windsurfing competition every year to give you an idea. Down in Corpus, I've probably walked or rollerbladed at most a few miles in the wind, and I mean that for my entire life.
The winds in the Texas Panhandle are an altogether different beast. They come in through New Mexico or down hard from the northern plains. They have nothing to buffer their intensity for hundreds of miles in all directions.
There were several places I had to endure the wind. Walking into Canadian, while doable, was an exhausting affair. The wind plowed into me for hours, perhaps 30 to 40 mph with occasional big gusts. Hiking from Texhoma to Stratford proved to be doubly difficult because it was windy AND snowy. The weather stayed warmish (as warm as wet snow can get at any rate), but the moment I felt the temperature drop, I had to break for camp. By the time I got my sleeping bag out, my fingers had become numb. And in Dalhart, I just plain lucked out. It was windy when I walked into town, but nothing compared to what struck a couple of days later. While I was staying with my couchsurfing host, the wind was around 50 mph in town with gusts even faster!
While I can't take the winds with me, I promise put up some resistance with "winds" of my own. Not sure if that will help or not...
* * *
* * *
* * *
Dear Perimeter Hiker,
Are you nervous about hiking the border?
Concerned about You Vato Loco Perimeter Hiker
* * *
Dear CaYVLPH,
Yes, I'm nervous.
I was just told that Fort Hancock, Texas got taken over by a Mexican cartel. In case your geography's not that great, Fort Hancock is smack on I-10.
This is just a rumor, mind you. Something like that is likely to be all over the news. However, I don't really want to know what part of the rumor comes from fact and what part comes from fiction.
I'll be introducing myself to the law enforcement agencies that govern the border region when I reach El Paso. That may take a while, as several government agencies and homegrown agencies have stepped up in recent years to patrol the area. I hope to get some good advice from these folks.
* * *
* * *
* * *
Dear Perimeter Hiker,
When do you expect to finish?
Waiting in Corpus Christi
* * *
Dear WiCC,
I'd like to finish by July, August at the latest. I pitched both my columns as a year-long, twelve-part run (with an introductory column), so that's part of what's guiding me in.
If the walk takes longer, though, I'm committed to taking as long as I need to take. I'm especially sensitive to safety concerns and will be taking every precaution.
* * *
* * *
* * *
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