Hiking with Windows Mobile

I’m an avid hiker. I also happen to live, lucky me, in the Pacific Northwest (a.k.a. the PNW), a hiker’s paradise. I’ve trod cool forest paths and rugged ocean beaches from Vancouver, B.C. to Northern California.

This past weekend I took my first hike of the season. A friend and I wandered through the conifer forests of Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula, ostensibly on a hunt for wild mushrooms. (Really, we just wanted an excuse to get out into the woods.) It was also my first excursion since getting my Windows Mobile phone last fall.

Amazing how integral a part of my life my phone has become. I used it often on the hike, to record highlights and share them with those that would appreciate them. I even used Windows Live Search Mobile to figure out if those really were chanterelles I found, or poisonous look-alikes.

My phone’s video and still camera features proved invaluable on the hike. Unlike my digital camera, which I may or may not remember to grab on the way out the door, I always have my phone with me. With just a bit of practice, I’ve developed the speed necessary to pull out my phone, activate the video or still camera, and quickly capture my subject before it’s lost.

Thanks to my phone’s multi-functionality, I’m now in the habit of not only taking pictures of memory-worthy events, but also recording a short intro video to set the context and remind my failing memory of salient information.

The steps described in this article are based on the HTC 621S Windows Mobile 6 Standard phone from T-Mobile. Depending on your phone, the version of Windows Mobile software it runs, and your carrier, the steps may differ slightly.

To record a video intro using your phone’s video camera:

Select the desired icon and click Enter. If you do nothing, the device saves the video and returns to record mode.

To take a picture with your phone:

After cresting a particularly steep hill, we decided to take a moment to catch our breath. I reviewed the pictures I’d taken thus far—not too shabby. Since it’s early spring on the peninsula, I snapped some wild trillium and dogwood images, as well as a nice shot of Mt. Rainier!

Being one to share the joy, I decided to send a few pictures to a friend stuck at work. Give them a peek at nature from inside their cubicle walls. Sending the images via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) let me include photos, and a bit of explanatory text.

To send a multimedia message:

Mild temperatures and spring rains had worked their magic—a multitude of mushrooms spotted the trails. Most of them were unrecognizable, and therefore, not to be eaten. Then, several hundred feet up an old logging road, we discovered what we thought might actually be chanterelles.

My friend looked to me as the expert, demanding confirmation before we harvested our prize. Not being entirely certain, I hesitated. They looked like chanterelles, and I know chanterelles are a common wild mushroom in the PNW. Still though, was I certain enough to risk illness (or worse) by eating them? If only I had thought to bring my wild mushroom book—but that would have made too much sense, remembering a mushroom guide on a mushroom hunting expedition.

Aha! I had my phone with me; and with it, the power of the Internet! If I could get a signal up here on the mountain side, I could use Windows Live Search to help me identify said mushrooms. First try, no signal. So I moved further up the road, around a bend that looked out toward civilization and tried again. This time I got a signal! Really quite impressive, considering just how far from the wired grid we were.

I made a Live Search query and quickly located some tips on identifying wild chanterelles, complete with pictures.

To use Live Search to identify flora and fauna:

Since returning from that hike, I’ve used the video and images I captured to share the experience with several folks. All are awed, not only by my powers over the wild, but also my powers to create digital content with Windows Mobile.

Become a digital guru yourself! You always have your phone handy, so get in the habit of using its other features, like video and image recording to capture your experiences for posterity. Windows Mobile makes recording memorable hikes a breeze and sharing those memories makes your friends feel like they were there with you (even if they did miss out on the mushroom pasta).