For all you bikers...err bicyclers?? mountain bikers?

Since my DS....and the massive weight loss...I want to do "crazy" things...like sky dive and such...those things never interested me before..even when I was "thinner."..ok 300 lbs isn't thin...but it is thinner then 500 lbs...lol.  My wife things i'm in a mid life crisis...i just want to experience all life has to offer. Anyone want to do a wilderness hike in alaska?????  I just saw Into the Wild..and besides dying....(not good)..the whole being out in the middle of no where for a few weeks sounds cool. Scott

I hear you on the "bucket list" mid-life crisis thing, Scott. Sure beats the heck out of just sitting in front of the boob tube munching on a bag of chips though.  When I was in Moab last week, my buddy and I looked up the local skydiving outfit and we were ready to "do the deed." Unfortunately, they had a 200 pound weight restriction so we be nuked since I weigh in at a "hefty 215."   I understand the need for safety but 200 pounds? If only they could have seen me when I weighed nearly 500 big ones. Would have taken 3 chutes for me to "be safe." I just have to smile and figure out a way to get under 200 cause I be wantin' to "free-fall." Another bummer is they won't let you solo so you have to have an instructor strapped to your arse. On the positive side, they had a couple cute female instructors.  Carpe diem, boys!!! Boner

There used to be a type of jump that had you hooked to a 'line' in the plane and when you jumped it automatically pulled the chute for you.  It would be the same as free fall but it'd get the instructor off you back. I'm sure 215 lbs wouldn't be a problem then either. 

Unfortunately. most (if not all) skydiving places don't allow the "zip line" type of jump anymore is what they told me.

Well dam! They just have to ruin everything!  The guy who did the cross country ride also recently went skydiving. He and his girlfriend did the tandem jump (instructor on back) and they said they really liked it.  I suppose there's something to be said about just going for the ride and not having to remember to pull the cord. :P

I'm not skinny yet but I, too, share those same desires.  At this current size though I feel like those things aren't exactly achievable. I keep finding myself saying, "When I get skinny". I don't think it's a mid life crisis at all..I think it's the man coming out in us.  I asked my wife if she'd be interested in doing something like that and she just couldn't understand me either.  I'd love to go speed a week in the wild!  Alaska might be a bit cold, unless we go in the summer, but hell I'm up for it!

I love the great outdoors  and always have.   My idea of a great time is loading up the 4WD, heading down a long dirt road to a secluded beach, making camp, cracking a beer, wetting a line, and stoking up a rip-roaring fire!  Sounds like good, clean simple fun, eh?  But try that here in the OC and you will be spending time in the slammer post-haste   And this is why I am  "Baja Addict".  Traveling down there is like getting in a time machine and setting the dial for 1950.  As long as you are respectful and considerate...  no problemo, amigo. Plus, the long dirt road seems to act as an "asshole filter", keeping most of the dirtbags from LA out. Recently, the wife and I made a fire at night in one of the few fire rings available at our local beach here in So. Cal.  There was a group of high school kids next to us.  Can you believe that the guys came over, without a lick of shame, and asked for my help... as they couldn't even make a fire    how ******g lame is that?  One of the first skills I learned as a young man was how to set something ablaze... kids these days, ******g *******! 

Hey Baja, Before we got married back in the early 80's, my wife and I spent a week camping on the beaches  in Baja. I picked her up in San Diego and we drove down, found a secluded spot on the beach and would set up camp and like you did, crack a beer and start a rip-roaring fire. Next morning, we would pack up and head further south. Made it about half the way down the coast. Cool stuff.   The scenery was amazing and the people were extremely friendly. We had a great time. I fell in love with Mexico so after we got married, we spent another 6 weeks on our honeymoon touring the mainland. Great people, culture and history down there. Boner 

Hell yeah! Nothing better than hopping in the 4WD and headed off for unpaved roads!  Man all this talk has me itching to go!  Wish some of you guys were closer or vice versa. It'd be awesome to get a group together for a weekend expedition. I've noticed that too. A lot of the kids nowadays have no clue about the outdoors.  **** I was setting everything on fire when I was a kid.  Got my ass tore up on MANY occasions for burning various things. I got a 3rd degree burn on my leg when I was 12 years old from "stoking" the fire after my dad went inside for a bit. Didn't go to the hospital either. I wore that wound proudly!  My mom used to fight with me for hours to get me inside too. I was always outside.  Somehow I've switched to spending most of my time indoors. Damn shame.  Glad I'm starting to come alive again though. Time to get back to my childhood roots and get outdoors.