Dude-boy Mike

I trek a lot. And in the course of my many treks in the Sahyadris and the Himalayas, I've met a fair share of characters. Take for instance, the time when I was nearing the Bhimashankar peak on a wet, foggy monsoon evening; and asked a fellow-hiker if he happened to know the way to the top. On receiving precise instructions, I enquired as to whether he had been to Bhimashankar before. His answer - 466 times! Or the time when I was huffing and puffing up the Himalayas when I was overtaken by a cyclist. He was on a 22-day cycle trek in the Himalayas. And all this alone! Anyway, I digress.

This is neither the story of my cyclist-friend nor my Bhimashankar-crazy trekking friend, but that of a certain Mike. This summer, Karthik and I desperately wanted to hike in the Grand Canyon. And to do that, we needed to obtain back-country permits from the National Park Ofice. As we waited in the Park Office, with chewed up fingernails and nervous excitement, we began to sketch out a back-up plan. That's when we met Mike. Tall, bald, tanned, muscular and in his mid-60s. Mike knew the Canyon like the back of his hand. In no time, Karthik was pouring over our map and discussing alternative hiking routes with Mike. As luck would have it, we did finally end up getting our permits. So off we went on what was to be a most amazing 2-day hike.

The following evening, we reached the campground (on the banks of the Colorado river!). While I was taking a quick nap, Karthik went off on a little walk when he bumped into Mike. 20 minutes later, he was excitedly telling me about the conversation that they had had.

M: So you guys finally made it! I'm so happy for you.
K: Yeah yeah. And it was sooo worth it! So what are your plans for the next few days?
M: Ah well, tonight, I spend the night at Bright Angel Campground. Tomorrow, I head out on this trail which leads to one of the most beautiful spots in the Canyon. It's a long, tiring 6-hour trail. But at the end of it, I will earn a good night's sleep on a huge rock that juts out into the canyon. And you know, up there, it will just be me and the mice. [chuckle]
K: Wow! You seem to know a lot about the trails around here. How many times have you been to the Grand Canyon?
M: Thrice this month.
K: What?!
M [pulling on his thick stomach muscles]: Gotta stay in shape you know.
K: Hmm..so do you live around these parts?
M: Naa, I live in a tent. [chuckle]

I live in a tent!

Mike's a bachelor. He dislikes crowds. He likes nature. And he loves to hike. So what does he do? He carries a little bag with a tent and some food. And spends his time going around America's numerous National Parks.

Some people trek for an adventure. Some simply trek.