Approximate # of miles hiked Sun 9/5/10 through Sun 8/28/11: 540 miles
Approximate average elevation gain per hike: 2000 ft.
Total number of places I went hiking twice: 7
- Hurricane Hill
- MTTA - High Hut (only one blog entry, the second never happened because I got home violently ill and never blogged about it)
- Paradise
- Cape Alava
- Packwood Lake
- Green Lake
- Flapjack Lake
Nights spent "in the backcountry" Sun. 9/5/10 through Sun 8/28/11: 38 nights
Number of States I hiked in: 6 (Washington, Oklahoma, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon)
I just reread my first blog entry, and I cannot believe how much difference a year can make. I started this commitment to show I had some integrity, to show I could do what I say, to show my word means something. I would say that I did show those things, but I learned so much more than that.
First, there are some non-hike related things that I have learned. I learned that I like blogging. I am going to keep this online hiking journal going. I learned that my Subaru is an awesome machine. I learned that Google maps will get you where you need to go 99% of the time. I learned there are great hikes all over the world, sometimes you just have to look and drive 2 hours. I learned a lot of people like to go hiking but don't like planning it or going in "bad" weather. I learned there is no point in complaining about the weather.
I also learned a ton about hiking and camping. I learned how to buy food for wilderness trips (Luna Bars, Cliff Mojo, Sour Patch kids, and Gatorade are necessities). I learned that the 10 essentials are just that, ESSENTIAL! I learned how to backcountry cook and bake. I learned how to walk on snow without snowshoes. I learned a lot about hazard evaluation, usually by getting into hazardous situations. I learned that even though I love the woods, it is better when it is shared with people.
I love going out in the woods. I also know that many people don't enjoy going out there. As I have reflected on why I love it so much, I have a few main ideas as to why it is this way for me. First, the beauty of the natural world is stunning. And really everything is beautiful. Look closely at something natural and you will be blown away by its beauty. I learned that the real world is the wilderness, and that all the buildings, cars, and everything else is a made up construct to make life easy. I am not complaining about this. I benefit from not having to farm, from having a roof over my head, from driving my car where ever I want to go, but I do not think any of it is the real world. The real world is wild. I have also discovered that every time I go out there is usually some challenge to deal with or an "onion." The wilderness is a great teacher. She can be harsh, the wilderness is full of stories of people who paid the price of a steep learning curve with their lives. Each time I go out, I face a new challenge. Sometimes I pick the challenge, most of the time the challenge is given to me by mother nature. The wilderness has taught me patience. I read a quote from Lao Tzu saying, "Nature never hurries, yet everything is accomplished." Being inpatient in so many areas of life, this has been a great lesson to learn. I also have discovered a happiness that was missing from my life for a long time. There are moments of pure bliss, or "Orchids," on every hike. These moments inform my life in the front country and sustain me until I get to go back out again. I can also say that if I died tomorrow, I would die a happy man. I have had so many great experiences in wild places with friends and family over this last year that how could I possibly complain.
I am going to go for another year of hiking. It has been too much fun to stop now, and it would feel weird if I did. I am also training. I am training for the hiking triple crown and the seven summits. I want to hike the 3 major long distance hiking trails in the United States. They are the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. The seven summits are the seven highest points on all seven continents.
I keep hearing that famous quote from Thoreau in my head, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
Orchid: Week 26, Week 50, or Week 52
Onion: Week 09
Picture:
This is me on the morning I summited Mt. Adams (behind me) - Week 50.
Google Map
Come hike the Teton Crest Trail next summer! There are tons of peaks you could bag, too. I think you would love hiking Jackson Hole.
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