Thinking About a Masters

I am one of the few people in the Research and Development Department without an advanced degree. I don't really mind as continuing in school has not really appealed to me until the past few weeks. My current degree is in Electrical and Computer Engineering. While in school I had the option of focusing on analog or digital. Naturally I chose the digital option as I really wanted to do stuff with computers and not radios. Now that I have an interest in ham radio, I see the benefits of the analog option but am glad that I chose the digital route.

A natural extension for me would be to go back to school and get a Masters in Computer Science or further my Electrical Engineering degree. I could also try for a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). Unfortunately that sounds really boring. When I got my university diploma it never listed anything other than I have a Bachelor of Science degree. I felt cheated. I could have the same piece of paper even if I spent my time playing in college and got a much simpler degree. So now I am thinking about focusing on Outdoor Leadership or Recreational Management.

Follow my logic. My experience vastly outweighs any accolades I would receive from continuing with a technical degree. At this point in my career, a Masters is merely a checklist item on someone's list. Why not focus on fun? I am already spending a lot of time doing things like SCUBA diving, backcountry skiing, and mountain climbing. Should I want to retire from video games or the tech industry, I could switch careers and become a backpacking or heli-skiing guide.

For those of you looking to do the opposite or to go from a non-technical degree and trying to get a Masters in Computer Science, I don't recommend it. There are some fundamental Math and Physics that you will have to review or learn. I would hate to have to go back and learn to do integration by parts, which is something I did frequently in my electronic circuits classes.

Now if I can only convince my company that an advanced degree in Outdoor Leadership is worth our tuition reimbursement program. I doubt it but it is worth a shot.

You Can't Rely on Phone Service

I spent this past weekend on a backpacking trip in the Uinta Mountains. Before heading out, my son sent me a map that he created from CalTopo.com and I printed it on waterproof paper. Actually I printed 3 copies of the map: one for me, one for my son, and another for someone else on the trip. As my son and I have been to the exact same place before, the maps really were not that necessary, or so I thought.

Our group started the hike and everyone sped down the trail to our scenic destination while I pulled up the rear and enjoyed the journey. The first time I hiked this trail, I made a mistake on one section and left the trail because a lot of hikers before me had made a wrong turn at the exact same spot. This time I remembered the error and patiently waited on the correct trail while yelling ahead to the group to turn around and follow me. At that point several of the millennials in the group pulled out their phones and tried to use their map application. We were out in the middle of nowhere with no possibility of mobile phone service. Guess what? Maps don't work on your smartphone unless you have downloaded the maps before leaving mobile phone coverage. I just had to chuckle to myself as I watched this group of kids trying to figure out what to do without their smartphones.

There is a saying that "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king." In my case, it is the dude with the paper map. Our hike continued uneventfully until we came to the area where we had to leave the trail and do a meadow walk to get to our destination.

For those that are not familiar with a meadow walk, it is a hiking technique to minimize damage to delicate alpine meadows. Creating a trail in such an area enables devastatingly destructive erosion so it is better for everyone to spread out, walk delicately, and take care not to trample the spectacular mountain flowers. We had three such meadows to cross before arriving at our campsite. Once again, the map proved its worth.

Our hike back to the car followed a different path around various picturesque alpine lakes and completed a loop as opposed to going back down the same trail we used to the previous day. We chose this path because neither my son nor I had traveled it and we wanted to see new places. The trail did not disappoint us and once again the paper map proved its worth.

The United States has great mobile phone coverage and sometimes we take it for granted. Unfortunately it is not everywhere and there is a good chance that it won't work when you are in the wilderness. Should you find yourself heading to camp in a remote area, be sure to print up a paper map before leaving home (or at least download the area to your phone). While it may not necessarily save your life, it may save countless miles of unnecessary detours.

Two Weeks Backpacking

My sons and I just completed a 2-week backpacking trip at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. It was one of those character-building experiences that I think every young man should have the opportunity to experience. Every day you hike to a new campsite where they have various programs in which you can participate. Some of our activities included shotgun shooting, touring a mine tunnel 500 feet into the side of a mountain, rock climbing, repelling, and various campfire programs.

The only technology we took on the trip was our mobile phones in case of an emergency. While most of the time, they would not work, we could climb to the top of a mountain and get a signal and call home. One of the other boys on the trip brought a Goal Zero solar panel to charge his camera and it worked very well. All he did was hang it off his backpack while hiking and at the end of the trail, he had a fully charged camera. My oldest son was also able to use it to charge his mobile phone after discovering he had an Internet signal at one of our camps. After a couple of hours of Internet surfing and reading e-mail, his phone was almost dead.

I have to admit that it was good to get away from technology for a while. The only downside was that I had over 600 personal e-mail messages and 350 work-related ones when I returned. It took me a long time to get through all of my mail. Now I need another 2 weeks off. I just don't want to have to deal with that much e-mail again.