The Story Behind the Name

The name of this blog was inspired by a poem that I had wrote this year.

Enjoy.

The Bird, The Bauer, The Bum

Poetry hides amongst the grinder

Of dirt and souls.

Pitches off the ground

From a firm handshake,

To a blank, barely passable, face.

It hides in the dusty chalk,

And burning sweat filled eyes.

It hides in the elegance of

A dynamic leap of faith.

Camelot uncovers

The hidden,

As the wild country calls us

Ever higher.

The ancient bird, Mr. Bauer, and

The ski Bum billionaires provide

The tools to find the hidden, the hidden path up the

North face of the mountain.

The Italians providing helping hands and feet,

The Swiss remind us that

Time is of the essence.

Every member taking turns

With the sharp end of the rope.

To go where others are afraid to venture.

To find the hidden gem

In the cold alpine snow

The prompt was to describe where poetry hides. While poetry can be anywhere, I tend to stumble over it most often when I am in the mountains. The poem is laced with mountaineering lore about both the mountains and the pioneers of some of the gear and equipment that we have come to love. References to trad climbing gear and outdoor companies can be found within the poem; Camelot, the ancient bird, and Mr Bauer, just to name a few. See how many references you can find, there are 8 total.

For a while now I have wanted to share my experiences that I have while in the mountains and poetry wasn't cutting it. I felt that people couldn’t access my work. I also know that when I click on an article the title is normally a good indication as to the quality of the site, so it was essential to get it right.

With this blog I hope to share my thoughts, feelings, emotions, frustrations, and overall learning journey that I am on as my time in the hills increases. It would be a great pleasure for me to share that with you.

To do that I will have a new post for you each Monday, either about a recent trip, or a piece of my gear that I would like to review for you.

I would also be willing to answer your outdoor questions to the best of my abilities, I will be most helpful when it comes to gear and layering. Please feel free to ask about a specific post or give feedback on the blog itself.

If there is an outdoor topic that you would like me to address please do not hesitate to make that request.

The mountains are where I find peace, and I love when I can share what I have learned with others.

I hope I can provide you a pleasant distraction sometime during your Monday.

Another Distraction if you need one.

K

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