Survivorman

I used to hike quite often, well one serious trip a year anyway. Usually it was among the 46 high peaks of the Adirondacks, near Lake Placid in Upstate New York.

It is a great way to give yourself a personal brain-wash. When you spend 3 days only thinking of your next step, and the greasy burger you'll enjoy when you get back to civilization, you're bound to gain a little perspective.

Relevance?

The Discovery Channel had a Survivorman marathon all day yesterday with a running of the 3rd season in this ultimate survivor series. If you haven't seen the show, it's a hiking adventure on steroids. One man, two camera's and seven lonely days in some of the most remote locations on the planet. The goal, find a way to survive with little food, water, or supplies.

The host, cameraman, and editor (also a singer-songwriter) is Canadian Les Stroud, an expert adventurer who puts you in the middle of nightmare scenarios in remote locations and educates you on surviving the wild.

From eating grubs (remove the 'bum' before you do), to building shelters, to starting a fire using grass-eating animal dung, and protecting yourself from lions using thorn bush, Stroud films his every move. There's no backup crew protecting him, one false move could be fatal.

The chances you'll need to utilize any of these skills is minute, but as a hiking enthusiast the tips could come in handy.

*****
Speaking of survival. I've taken a well-deserved break from news scanning and commentary to enjoy the kids for a few days during the holidays. Last night, the family took in Marley and Me - now that's survival.

It's a cheesy chick-flick eerily similar in every way to the experience my wife and I had with our own black Labrador, Harley. I miss that dog, especially during hikes.