Sorted a big box of old pictures. Scanned a few...
Poor as a church mouse, I was paying for graduate school while working as a YMCA program director. Hiked in running clothes. For 1-1/2 years, lived for free on a sailboat at J dock in Seattle's Shilshoe Bay. Rocked to sleep. Sweet.
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Age 27, backpacking on Mt. Townsend in the Olympic Mountains, WA. July 1981
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Sunbathing on the same hike. Obviously no mosquitoes.
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Age 27, backpacking in Olympic National Park. August 1981.
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Sunset on Long Lake, Michigan where I grew up. Our living room view. Ten feet long, this was my favorite sailboat. I could sail it alone. Just me, the wind and water. Blissful.
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Oh to be young and firm again. Lol You looked great then, and I bet your still in great shape. Love the sailboat picture!!!!
Redheadedgammy
Level 9
Mar 11, 2019
1
@Redheaddedgammy
My body has not changed much. At 115, I weigh 3 lbs. more than age 27. Same strong legs, thigh gap, ridiculously long arms, narrow hips and flat stomach.
Sheesh. "I yam what I am," Popeye said.
Varn:
@LiterateHiker ..we’d have produced very similar children 
In your travels, have you seen any Sasquatch?
david75090
Level 7
Mar 11, 2019
1
I don't believe in Sasquatch.
While hiking, I have seen three cougars (yikes!), one black bear (we both turned and ran), and over a dozen Grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park.
Although we made a racket with pots and pans, the grizzlies were busy catching and eating salmon. Whew!
@LiterateHiker I don't think Sasquatch believes in any of us either. 
@LiterateHiker What? Never seen a Sasquatch, so you never had the pleasure of meeting my daughter, Lorrae, her nickname was "Sasquatch" ( lovingly given to her by me) because at the age of 14 she stood at 5' 11" tall and wore men's sized 91/2 shoes, usually mine because she said they were more comfortable.
It's fun to look back! Lookin good too, hon. ?
zeuser
Level 9
Mar 11, 2019
3
Thank you. At 111 lbs., I was carrying a 40 lb. pack. Carried 40 pounds backpacking until age 58. Then I decreased it to 36 lbs.
A four-pound drop means no hip pain when sleeping in the tent.
Nice memories. You have always been lean and fit.
Mitch07102
Level 8
Mar 11, 2019
1
With a family cabin at the Base of Mt. Hood, my dad would study forest service maps prior to hiking into some ‘lost lake’ (I think there were three of those). Late 60’s - early 70’s, we’d have an entire Cascade lake to ourselves!
At age 24 I inherited the family homestead in the eastern foothills of Oregon’s Coast Range, rarely needed to ‘go’ hiking again, we lived in the woods.. Never measured the distance of trails I dug on that land, with bridges, culverts and name signs. My brother & I would always study the forest service footbridges, never realizing some day we’d do our best to replicate them.
Miss the Cascade Mountains … where the Hummingbirds go! We’d walk through cathedrals of Firs ..more breathtaking than any church! A game we 4 siblings would play as we hiked was, ‘what are our friends doing now..?’ Shoplifting, ‘lawn-shopping,’ roof-hopping ..just prior to discovering alcohol, pot, & girls..
Always thought we were missing out, though. Any more, with dad turning ninety in a week, I make the effort to again thank him. Much of the time we hated it, as kids do. Looking back - it was magnificent beyond description - we were on top of the world!
And you’re still there 
Varn
Level 8
Mar 11, 2019
6
Wonderful description of your life on the family homestead. Hummingbirds are my favorite bird.
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