The Long Trail : Day 9 : Part 1 : 9/29/20 . You know it’s a rough start to the day when your first thought is “I don’t want to be here”. A little melodramatic but it felt true at the time. The rain had stopped but I knew it was temporary. The pending doom and the dread associated with more rain was almost worse than just simply walking in it. In true “mood follows action” spirit” I willed myself to deflate my pad and sat up to face the day. . Hot tea and instant jalapeño grits lifted my spirits just enough to take on the terrible deed of leaving my warm, dry sleeping clothes and putting on my wet and crusty hiking dress. Dave’s socks smelled so bad it burned my eyes in the tiny confines of our tent. Note to self: 9 days without a shower in the damp, humid Eastern US may be a couple days too many. . From the moment I opened my eyes I was looking for a way to avoid hiking and camping in the rain. Just over 4 miles down trail was a road that could whisk us away from our soggy problems and deliver us to a quaint B&B. As the clouds grew thick and gray and the wind turned the colorful leaves into ominous confetti I started dreaming of hot coffee. It wouldn’t be served in silicon bowl with remnants of grits. Oh no, I was dreaming of that perfect mug, the one that feels good in your hand. And maybe a fireplace. And a blanket. And a good book. Walls made of more substance than a thin layer of water resistant material sounded nice too! Clearly, I was in a great mental space. . After detailing the luxuries that could be ours, Dave was on board. Soon we were scheming and hunting for LTE on the ridge line to solidify our plans. It seemed our dream of a dry evening with non-inflatable pillows would cost around $200. It was a steep price to pay for a little comfort. We considered 3 or 4 ideas and decided to take a mid-morning break at Lake Pleiad, before the road, to mull over our options. . We found a cozy spot on the edge of the lake, took off our shoes, made a cold coffee, and stared at the dancing water lined by trees boldly wearing the most vibrant hues of red, orange, and yellow. It was stunning and peaceful, a perfect place to have a snack and think. You know how the saying goes “don’t miss the forest for the trees”? I think, the opposite can be true sometimes too. Don’t miss the trees for the forest. I was learning that very lesson as I sipped cold coffee by the lake with my back propped up on a log. Sometimes it’s the close up moments, the individual days, that are worth our attention.

The Long Trail : Day 9 : Part 2 : 9/29/20 . As I was finishing my coffee and continuing to enjoy the trees, a local man showed up and started asking us all sorts of hiking questions. We shared stories and experiences from various trails and I was reminded of all the reasons I love this weird, challenging lifestyle. Our little break at a beautiful place proved quite helpful. . I struggle with “wasting time” on hikes as if the sole objective is to hike miles quickly and efficiently. Breaks make me uncomfortable because I hate being disappointed in the day’s progress. I know I should be happy to simply be on trail, spending time with Dave, making beautiful memories. Unfortunately, my competitive nature pulls out its efficiency calculator and shames me for stopping to smell the roses. But today, I quieted that nagging voice and enjoyed lingering at a pristine lake. . That simple choice gave us the mental fortitude to skip past the road and town and keep hiking. The next shelter was 3.6 miles away and we decided to go for it and check the weather situation when we got there. We made it with little effort and gained some good momentum. The shelter’s water source was all but dry and after balancing on a tall rock in the right direction I was able to find just enough cell service to confirm the rain would hold off a few more hours. . Now we were in a game on shelter hopping until the rain came. We stopped 1.9 miles later, filled up on lake water and kept going. The sky was growing darker but we thought we had just enough time. We made it to the next shelter before the rain and decided it was time to set up camp. . It turned out to be a smaller mileage day but the efficiency monster was well fed knowing we didn’t take the easy route by going into town. We also beat the rain, had on dry clothes and had plans to sleep in the next morning until the weather moved out. The idea of slowing down for weather makes me feel cringey inside but I seldom stop to think of the other 15 challenges I overcame to be in a particular moment. . I was still outside in a rainstorm. I still walked all day in soggy gear. I still chose the woods over a night in town. I still smelled like a dumpster. I still had sticky skin and battered feet. I was still voluntarily sleeping on the ground to accomplish something most wouldn’t dare to attempt. Just maybe I could cut myself some slack and learn to enjoy a couple of lower mileage days and a morning without an alarm clock.