I have begun to do a lot of reading on the ‘Triple Crown Trails’ of North America, the difficulties, the benefits, and the reasons. Without a doubt from what I have read, the Continental Divide is the most arduous. Its greatest challenges over the other two would have to be its length (at 3,100 miles it is over 500 miles longer than the Pacific Crest Trail and is almost 1,000 miles longer than the Appalachian Trail) and the difficulty in re-supplying as there are fewer food drops possibilities. I have settled in on the PCT and began to focus my reading there and the writings of one author in particular has caused me to ponder. She states that you should ask yourself ‘why’ you undertake such an endeavor as a thru-hike. “Is it for bragging rights? Because if you do not love to walk in the woods – don’t try a thru-hike,” she wrote.
Bragging rights? I cannot deny that there is plenty of that in me. I remember watching the Iron Man Triathlon for the first time and thinking if I did that people would think I was a beast and be likely to take my fitness advice more seriously. Even riding with my cousin 20 miles from Massena to Potsdam at age 12 was partially about showing everyone I could do something most of them were unwilling or unable to do. I think it has gotten me to do so many things I otherwise would not have done. Egotistical? Yes…I can admit that.
But I also DO love walking in the woods. In fact, there is little I enjoy more now than the absolute peace I experience when walking, camping, climbing, or just sitting and taking in the sights, smells and sounds of the outdoors. So yes, if I do walk the Pacific Coast Trail you can bet I will be bragging about it. I will also try to share my experience through my writings and verbally with anyone who will listen for I feel strongly that the beauty and serenity of such a trip will be something that should be shared and encouraged. And maybe I’ll be able to head out again or to another destination and bring along someone who has been moved enough to experience it along with me.
I got Miggie out to do something unusual last night, though not for the serenity but maybe more for the reward. I told her to park her car at Fisher’s on the way home and that I would pick her up there and drive her home.
“We’ll walk from home to Fisher’s, have dinner, and then drive home,” I said.
“That seems crazy. We’ll do all that exercise and then eat? Won’t that defeat the purpose?” she asked.
"You’re going to eat anyway and this way you’ll have burned off all the calories ahead of time. Win – win,” I said.
And so we did.
Hike: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories burned: 650.
Bonus: 24,000 steps.
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