Am I really going to bite off another slab--another website, another activity? Yes. I fly now -- a paraglider. I swim now -- with SCUBA gear. I climb mountains, ski on the frozen Arctic Ocean, squirm through caves. Only in the last few generations have these experiences been available for the common person. A generation ago an Arctic expedition was something like a space shot, requiring a massive inter-agency effort and national support. Today I can fly to the frozen ocean for $1,000 and drag my sled loaded with a month of lightweight supplies. What does all this get us? It gets us closer to the natural worrld we feel so disconnected from-- and not in some virtual reconstruction, but right down on your knees in the snow, examining individual crystals. It strips away our defenses, forcing us to look within. It converts the priceless worlds of the Arctic in Winter -- or the sea floor, or the clouds, or a hundred other places -- from being the exclusive province of a few to places we can all understand and appreciate. Like a plant needs light, I need regular, real-world exposure to environments that check the human ego. Between those exposures, this blog will be my outlet, a place to post ideas, images, writings, and links in a free format. No editors, just one man's mind pouring out ideas generated by fresh air, cold water, stinging snow or springy moss. Is this exploration? I don't know, but I mean to find out.
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