USA ROAD TRIP

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-firemap,0,6179739.htmlpage

When it comes to the road less traveled, few know more than Tony Huegel. He's traveled an estimated 70,000 miles while writing for various publications and his BackCountry Byways guidebooks, so he knows how to camp out of the back of a car-the right way. Take his advice for the back roads, because when it comes to uncharted territory, the pros know...

1. "Always drive on roads that are established and designated for motor vehicle travel. They might be dirt and gravel, but they are roads. Going off them can have dangerous consequences because you don't know what's ahead of you-or where you're going."

2. "Secure all of your cargo with bungee cords and nets. If you hit a bump, the stuff in the back will go flying, and you'll get hurt."

3. "In national forests, there are plenty of established campsites, so you shouldn't create your own. Make sure you take out of the site what you brought in, because primitive campsites aren't maintained. And don't pitch your tent too close to a stream; it can cause erosion."

4. "Make your campfire at least several yards away from the nearest tree, and bring as much of your own firewood as you can. Oak and pine are the best burning woods. I always bring a small hatchet to chop pieces that are too big, a canvas-handled bag to carry the wood, and a few boxes of strike-anywhere wooden matches."

5. "Each person on your trip needs 1.5 gallons of water per day. I recommend storing it in vertical plastic containers-not the square, squat ones-because it's easier to pack them."

6. "When driving, keep your thumbs on the outside edge of the steering wheel. The spokes can injure your thumbs if the front wheel is pulled in an unexpected direction. And keep your hands loose on the wheel, at 10 and two o'clock, if the steering wheel is being rocked back and forth by the terrain."

7. "You should only freeze what you'll be eating on the third and fourth days of your trip; if you freeze your first night's food, it might not be thawed in time for dinner. When you're ready to go, put your food in an icebox with two large blocks (5 to 6 pounds) of solid ice and fill in the gaps with smaller cubes. Store your quick and simple, minimal clean-up meals first in Tupperware containers, then ziplock bags, before putting them in the cooler. Bottles should be kept at the bottom, and food on top, so the food doesn't get wet."

8. "Beer should be canned only. Changes in elevation, bumpy roads and carbonation will cause bottles to leak."

9. "You should always-always-fill up your gas tank whenever you see a station. These places are pretty remote, and you don't know when you'll have another chance to get gas."

10. "If you get lost or stuck, stay with your vehicle-it's easier for searchers to locate you than if you've wandered off."

Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast
In a field I looked into going past,
And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,
But a few weeds and stubble showing last.

The woods around it have it–it is theirs.
All animals are smothered in their lairs.
I am too absent-spirited to count;
The loneliness includes me unawares.

And lonely as it is that loneliness
Will be more lonely ere it will be less–
A blanker whiteness of benighted snow
With no expression, nothing to express.

They cannot scare me with their empty spaces
Between stars–on stars where no human race is.
I have it in me so much nearer home
To scare myself with my own desert places.