Many have said that hiking a long trail is a metaphor for life; with its ups and downs, trials and tribulations, great beauty, sometimes great pain, with good and bad weather. Overall, while this platitude (bordering on cliché) may be true, there is a component to this idea that I had never experienced before. It came to me as a revelation on this August hike…
Oftentimes I have stated my primary goal in the backcountry as a search for personal solitude; my hideaway from the hustle and bustle of modern life. I was born and raised a city-kid in a Lexington suburb. I drive to work 30-45 minutes each morning, under five miles, in ridiculously grueling traffic. Restaurants are always packed. Lines at Wal-Mart are like Russian breadlines. Student pedestrians with earbuds connected to I-phones, walk out in front of cars. Bicyclists complicate congested streets. Utility workers close lanes creating bottlenecks on already insufficient thoroughfares. My 10,000 commuting coworkers cram into crowded parking garages dotted throughout downtown. Rural inhabitants go to the city center on business clogging every road. There is a feeling of general stress and confusion in the city that seldom sleeps. Even a small hamlet such as Lexington, is a bustling microcosm of big-city life.
It is in that regard that I believe you can understand my unending call to the wilderness; to breathe in the oxygen-rich air released from the abundant plant-life; the relative pollutant-free skies; clear starry nights; the high decibel drone of uncountable insects; calling birds; trickling streams cutting into deep gorges; raging rivers; the rustling of the wind through leaves; and finally but most importantly the absence of other human beings.
When I began hiking long ago, my original goal was to get away from other people. For the most part, this has been easy to achieve. On a solo trip, on a relatively unknown trail you can sometimes get away with not seeing a single soul for an entire day. Even while hiking with the STA, despite there being many participants, most of your time can be spent alone along the long miles.
My unexpected revelation on the August hike, was that no matter how much you try, it’s actually impossible to completely eliminate the human element. On the sections that I have walked alone, I have found myself looking forward to the moments when I will encounter other hikers on the trail. This could be to share an experience or discuss a strategy for the next few miles. We may spend our days alone in our own thoughts, but at night we all come together at camp to share in common camaraderie. Like life, you can’t do without other people. The trail is the same way.
The long-distance hikers who travel along the AT and PCT often speak of trail families. This association is born from the toil of a common struggle. Complete strangers, previously unknown to each other, forge lifelong friendships over the course of their long trail adventures. It’s an unspoken appreciation that you gain from the long hike; a special club that only the participants can truly understand. Even though hiking with the STA is only two days a month, I believe that our trail-family is alive and well.
(Don’t worry, I won’t be bumming my trail “brothers and sisters“ for money anytime soon, ha ha! And it should be noted that even real brothers and sisters can hate each other sometimes. While I don’t believe any of us “hate” each other, as a trail family I think we all get along pretty well).
Friday night camp was great. We camped in the Red River valley bottom, just below Raven’s Rock.
The Saturday road walk was brutal. The unforgiving pavement was a true test of endurance. Most of Saturday was spent walking in a cool deluge, but the sun emerged in the last two hours of the hike; just enough to bring about some temporary misery.
Sunday was amazing. We started out from Saturday night camp and entered Natural Bridge State Park early in the morning. Walking the “Narrows” we followed a thin ridgeline with exposed bluffs on both sides. The walk was “gorgeous.”
Most of Sunday morning was cool and rainy. From the state lodge we entered “the Gorge” proper. After crossing Tunnel Ridge Road, most of the hike followed a high ridge line before descending back into the valley below Chimney Top. This was another fun and interesting trip. I can’t wait for our next big hike!
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