Equal Footing

After completing two #52hikechallenge (s) which ran concurrently, in 2023 I decided that I wanted to try another challenge that would help me increase my time spent in nature. Even though I completed 52 hikes, I didn’t always keep track of how long the hikes were, so I had no idea how far I hiked or how many miles I covered in total.

When I saw the #hikers365challenge I decided this was perfect. This time, while I did keep track of the number of hikes, the goal was total miles rather than the total number. And the really cool part, if I achieved the 365 miles in 365 days, there would be a tree planted to help the environment.

Jumping ahead, this is the very moment when I reached the 365 mark on New Year’s Even, 2023. We take pictures often during our hikes when we come upon intriguing trees. As I looked down to pause my tracker, it was exactly 4.72, the number I needed to achieve to “finish”.

So back to day one, I was really excited. I had all these great hikes planned in my head and on paper. I was gonna go new places. Reach new heights and really push the limits and find out what I can handle. I spent the year hiking in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Utah, Florida… it’s been a spectacular journey. Hikes ranged from approximately 2 1/2 miles to over 20 miles. There were one or two hikes of about 1 1/2 miles, but 113 degree temperatures were a factor, or it was a scramble to see a sunset

In the middle of August right after a few friends and I completed the Mammoth March up at Leftwich State Park in upstate New York, I was right on target to reach my goal as long as I hiked once a week. Up to this point most of my hikes had been filled with peaks and valleys and views for miles. There were steep climbs and scrambles up and over jutting rock, slippery slopes and tiny passageways. It included some hard stuff stuff that gets the heart pumping and really took me out of my comfort zone. And one or two that produced a least a moment of sheer terror.

A bit of arrogance reared it’s ugly head. My hikes were not going to be routine, on paved paths or easy walks in the park without any elevation. Oh no I was going to achieve much grander results.

But then 6 solid weekends of rain. Some health issues suffered by my husband and I found myself a week and a half away from year end and scrambling to figure out how to get in those last what now appeared as painful miles. I looked for trails close to home and easy and flat. I put my arrogance aside and I thought about the overall meaning of this challenge. To become one with nature; to go out and explore go places you’ve never been. They don’t have to be high in the sky just surrounded by trees. Those trails I once scoffed at, saved me, not just for my goal, but they provided much needed respite from the worry and stress I was feeling. Not having to focus on cliffs, and protruding roots and pulling myself up and over allowed for a clear path for my body and my mind to find comfort as I breathed in the fresh air, and let my eyes rest on even the tiniest indications of beauty. Wispy clouds are still clouds, majestic trees are still majestic trees, gravel hearts are still hearts, singing birds are still singing birds, wild mushrooms are still wild mushrooms and purple wild flowers are still wildflowers whether they are along side a paved path or on some mountain top way up high in the sky.

I realized at some point along that “easy” path, that the quest for a number somehow eclipsed the joy and the connection with my surroundings. I was no longer fully immersed within every hike, instead I was experiencing more of a surface level connection. My journals of each hike also became “less”. Where initially they expressed what each hike brought me, spiritually, physically and emotionally, they became more about just the scenery. This made me sad.

My friend shared a hike on New Year’s day with this #notcounting just enjoying and it stopped me in my tracks. I went for a hike with two of my great #hikingfamily members yesterday because my soul desperately needed it. I lost count (I know ironic, right) of the number of hearts that appeared on my path, from the moment I took my first step. Last night before I walked through my front door for the final time after a rather busy day, this heart made of frozen snow was on the stop step. I hear you, I see you, I feel you loud and clear.

So this year, I will continue to hike, but I’m not going to keep track of numbers, I am going to immerse myself in the experience. I am going to feel every step from my head to my toes and breathe in the joy deep in my soul. I’m going to record those memories so I can reflect back time and again and relive those moments through my own words.

If and when (more than likely) I do embark on another hiking challenge, I will make sure that I do not allow myself to get lost in a quest for quantity over quality ever again.