Tuesday, August 19, 1975
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Eleven
MAN AGAINST THE WILDERNESS
Backpacking in the Rockies
By BRIAN DEMING But we kept our illusions. I was prepared at any thin air and constant incline forced us to stop almost
Somnewl-re between the cradle and the grave there moment to wrestle a grizzly bear or to stomp a rattle every hundred yards for a rest.
. . .snake to death. The bears. and snakes, however, avoid-
is a period in everyone's life 'when one asks for more snktodahTebaradaaehwvrvi-
than just a civilized existence. One trys to get away ed me the whole trip - fortunately for them! OUR MORALE was not helped much by seeing one
from the world that's familiar and safe. One eeky fellow in shorts (it was quite cold at that elevation),
aneaefrom th i rdhs worl ad and ave.ntue sin s a OUR BIGGEST confrontation with wild beasts came carrying two backpacks (his own and his limping
an escape from this world and an adventure nto a when we were attacked by a fat chipmunk while companion's), walking briskly past us, never breaking
It was this restlessness one year ago that persuaded sitting on the shore of a mountain pond eating lunch. stride or resting.
myself and four fellow frontiersmen, erstwhile college This rodent made his livelihood by working his way When we finally reached the top of the mountain
roommates, to follow Horace Greeley's oft repeated into knapsacks and tents for food, expecting to be alone at a cold, windy peak, we found
command and "Go West". In the spirit of Lewis and ?: h . ?::.:: ?? :r . :r ;;.EE : ;.ts :>:; # , : a substantial crowd who had made a short day-hike
Clark, Zebulon Pike, and Fess Parker, we prepared from the other side. Imagine Hillary being greeted by
to backpack in the Rocky Mountains. Our biggest confrontation with wild a troop of boy scouts at the top of Mount Everest. But
We drove out to Rocky Mountain National Park in we consoled ourselves with the view and some lunch
Colorado and began a hike into the wildnerness that beasts came when we were attacked and then continued our hike.
lasted five days and covered nearly 30 rugged miles. by a fat chipmunk while sitting on the NEITHER PICTURE post cards, nor travelogues, nor
DANGERS OF the unknown, traveling where no man shore of a mountain ' eating descriptive columns on the sports page do justice to the
hadr eve se footai havin toin cul ratruhteuch works of nature we witnessed. After living in the
forest and mountains. These no doubt, were some of - , - a, . s ,,,, . -. ,.. , s Midwest all my life it was easy to be impressed if
not overwhelmed by the mountains, mountains every-
the things that our predecessors were confronted with. We also came across some deer at one campsite where, to be awed by the sight of two granite peaks
But, fortunately or unfortunately, -our adventure was where we found that all our preconceived images of like spires of a cathedral touching the sky and pro-
not so exciting or hazardous. We had to report an deer as timid, graceful creatures were false. We saw tecting the isolation of a lonely mountain lake.
itinerary of our trip to the park office outlining the them during the daylight and heard them moving
campsites we expected to be as each night. about the camp at night. There was enough stomping To see this was enough of a reason to trudge up the
We might have gone cross-country but chose to fol- and tripping noises to keep us awake and at times we mountains.
low the marked and well-worn trails. There were a suspected one would walk right through our tent. So we conquered the Rockies and proved our worth
good many people along the way so in reality we were Our longest stretch of hiking was nine miles one day, as frontiersmen and settled back into the security of
not very much alone or immersed in the wilderness. a thousand miles of which was uphill to the top of
lorse manure along the trail, even in the most out venerable Mount Flattop. The summit of this "peak" college life. But, of course, while our memories of the
of the way places, persistently reminded us that we should have been the climax of our adventure. It trip fade, the legend of our venture still lives in the
indeed were not the first to pass this way. seemed an endless struggle to reach the top and the Rocky Mountain lore.
Darden sidelined
CLEVELAND (P) -- Cleveland Browns and former Wol-
verine defensive back Thom Darden will undergo surgery
today for torn ligaments in his left knee, the team an-
nounced yesterday.
Darden was injured Saturday when tackled on a punt
return during the Brown's 14-6 victory over Philadelphia in
a National Football League exhibition.
Major League Leaders
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Player Club G AB R H Pet.
Carew Min 113 424 75 155 .366
Lynn Bsn 112 405 76 134 .331
Munson NY 118 444 63 142 .320
ltargrove Tex 110 388 67 121 .312
Singleton Bl" 112 438 72 136 .311
Powetl Cle 96 355 46 97 .308
Washington Oak 113 449 62 138 .307
;McRae KC 112 428 52 131 .306
kraun Min 107 362 52 110 .304
Bice Bsn 112 443 75 133 .300
Home Ru~ns
Mayberry, Kansas City 29; R.
J.ckson, Oakland, 28; G. Scott, Mil-
waukee, 27; Bonds, New York, 22;
Burroughs, Texas, 21.
Runs Blatted In
Lynn, Boston, 86; Bayberry, Kan-
sas City, 84; L. May, Baltimore, 83;
lice, Boston, 82; G. Scott, Milwau-
kee, 81.
'Pithing (11 "ecisions)
'doret, Hoston, 9-2, .8118; Palmer,
Batvtimore, 19-7, .731; M. Torez,
!Ialtimore, 14-6, .700; Wise, Hoston,
16-7, .696; Eckersley, Clevelanld, 9-4,
.692; $. Lee, Boston, 15-7, .682; Bly-
leven, Minnesota, 12-6, .667; Bos-
nan, Oakland, 8-4, .667.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
.Player Club SP R H Pet.
Madiock Chi 106 424 60 153 .361
T.simmons StL 117 422 60 143 .339
watson Htn 108 401 55 132 .329
Sanguillen Pgh 104 382 43 125 .327
Joshua SF 100 389 60 126 .324
Rose Cin 121 504 82 163 .323
Morgan Cin 113 387 83 124 .320
D.Parker Pgh 11 412 58 132 320
Bowa Phi 95 411 53 129 .314
Brock StL 98 377 61 118 .313
Garvey LA 123 508 66 159 .313
Home Runs
' Luzinski, Philadelphia, 31; Sch-
midt, Philadelphia 26; Kingman,
New York, 24; Hench, Cincinnati,
23; G.Yo ste, Cincinnati, 21.
Rons Batted In
Luzinski, Philadelphia, 98; Bench,
Cincinnati, 95; Staub, New York,
82; T. Perez, Cincinnati, 80; wat-
son, Houston, 78.
Pitching (11 necisions)
Ileakosky, St. Louis, 10-3, .769;
tbnllett, Cincinnati, 9-3, .750; Bil-
lingham, Cincinnati, 14-5, .737,
.Denny, St. Louis, 8-3, .727; Noeman,
Cincinnati, 8-3, .727; .eaver, Now
York, 17-7, .708; E. Jones, San
Diego, 16-7, .696; Kirby, Cincinnati,
8-4, .668.
' :
'-
1.
,{
r
i
;'
' !;.
.:y:..
.: vy
Y "
'r"
. !
ManEDICAL -DENTAL -NURSING
and other Health Science Students
Overbeck Bookstore offers you the same old thing
Poo 5% discount on Required or Recom-
mended coursebooks.
t Best and most informed service. in
town.
' Microscope rentals & supplies.
ol As many good used books as we can
get.
The largest selection of Health Sci-
ence Reference Books in Michigan.
PLUS ONE NEW THING:
MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS
x/'check us out
(k7elr6eckj ~R
Professional books are our business-
not our sideline
NEW RESTAURANT NOW
HIRING COMPLETE CREW
* WAITRESSES
* WAITERS
* COOKS
" DISH MEN
* HOSTESSES
Apply in Person 2 to 6 Daily
COTTAGE INN
512 E. WILLIAMS
1216 S. University
Phone 663-9333