Sunrise from Roan Mountain.
New needles forming on a spruce tree.
I don't remember the name of this knob, but it had a pretty good view.
Another view from the knob. I like the lone tree juxtaposed against the mountainous and cloudy skyline.
An old barn that was converted into a shelter for hikers.
Another misty mountain view.
A plaque on the trail.
Yesterday's hike turned out to be a pretty painful hike. I crossed onto a grassy knob just about the time it decided to start raining. So, I spent the next 4 hours hiking in the rain. I got soaked and everything I own got soaked. It finally stopped raining and my jacket and shorts dried out--mostly (they are quick dry material). My shoes and socks, on the other hand, well, let's just say I was still squishing in them when Jeff picked me up at the intersection of the AT and US 19. We got to the camper and I took of my wet shoes, changed into dry clothes and took a very long hot shower. It was much needed! After the shower, Jeff cooked cheeseburgers and we had those with beer for dinner. They were so good, too!
By now you've noticed from the title that I'm coming off of the trail. It was a long thought out decision that I finally made. I was getting frustrated hiking because I didn't get to see anything. To make it to Katahdin before the snow, I have to make a certain number of miles each day. I'm on track with that schedule, but I never got to see anything. I blew by overviews, Cade's Cove, Clingman's Dome, Blood Mountain, and many other historic sights and beautiful sights that I would like to have seen. It started making me very frustrated. Part of why I wanted to go on this trip was to explore and enjoy the nature around me. Instead, it turned into something like my job in the Navy--get up early, get packed, eat quickly then head out. There goes Cade's Cove--sorry, can't stop, gotta make the next milestone if I hope to get to Katahdin before the snow. So, I have changed my mind about the thru hike and have decided that I'm going to section hike, instead. I will still finish the AT, it will just take me longer to do it. I anticipate doing a week to 10 days at a time, depending what is going on, and actually taking time to enjoy the things I see instead of passing them by in an all-out effort to make Katahdin before the snow. It will take me a few years to finish it this way, but at least I'll actually see the trail instead of just blowing by everything and being upset with myself once I'm done.
If this comes as a disappointment to you, I'm sorry. I want the trail to be something I enjoy and not an extension of work. It's supposed to be enjoyable, but I turned it into a job. By deciding to do it this way, I will be able to research each section of the trail, see the history that surrounds it and take the time to enjoy what I see. I don't think that's too much to ask. It keeps me from being frustrated with my hike and allows me to do what I set out to do--enjoy the AT. On June 2, I penned this in my journal:
"Adventure isn't about going out and breaking new records, hiking the 'wild' of the AT in record time or kayaking the largest rapids in all the land. It's about going out and exploring the world and learning something new about it. You can have an adventure in a local park seeing the local flora and fauna, or at an amusement park, or even in your own back yard listening to the birds. The most important part of The Next Great Adventure is to learn something about yourself and grow from that experience. "I realize now that what I was doing was the complete antithesis of this. As Shakespeare said in Hamlet, "This above all: to thine own self be true...."
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to send them to me. I'll answer all of them I can. Also, I will continue to chronicle The Next Great Adventure, whatever it may be at the time, including each of the section hikes I complete.
No comments:
Post a Comment