4.6.12 - Comforts

Hiked about 12 miles from Jerry Cabin (after a wet evening followed by a cold night) to a ridge top to set up camp in hopes of a sunset and sunrise. We got both of those and also a moonrise between them! All three were spectacular! Some people shelter hop, but I think the three of us enjoy setting up our tents just about wherever we please even more. The moon coming up was HUGE as it rose above the mountains to the east, while the sunset to the west painted the sky with color.

The hike during the day was rough starting out. Boots were a little soggy and cold from the rain the day before, and I woke up feeling kinda lousy. Not sure what is going on with my body. I thought being out in nature would make me feel better than ever, but lately it's been driving my sinuses crazy. Can't figure out if it's allergies it what it is. Bound and determined to get it figured out and knocked out so I can hike stronger and not constantly feel congested. With a somewhat miserable day between the cold, wet start and not feeling the best, I let my mind wander while we hiked. I've never been one to sit around and do nothing, but the idea of laying on a nice couch with a book or a movie on sounded great. Then I got to thinking about my family and the great times I had growing up as a kid. From bike parades and playing til it was dinner time with the neighborhood kids, to coffee and rolls (donuts) with church friends following mass on Sundays. I'd love to say that every day on the trail is puppies and sunshine, but it's not. Sometimes I feel like I just don't want to be doing what I'm doing at the moment. I think this can be directly related to life at times. I remember times at work that I just really didn't want to be there for one reason or another, but sometimes you just have to keep putting one foot on front of the other, and keep pushing on. The same type of thoughts hit me when climbing Kilimanjaro a little over a year ago. Pushing on was tough to do when altitude was getting the best of me, but remembering the feelings that surged through me when we reached the top at 19,341 feet, reminded me that it was all worth it. A little harder in this situation because unlike Kilimanjaro, this endeavor is a little longer than 6 days, but I have to keep my sites set on Katahdin! Relearning to take one day at a time is helpful, and celebrating small victories is good too. And sometimes, it just takes a little daydreaming. I'm thankful to have a lot of good memories to look back on from my life, which have been able to help me escape from some of the long, tough days on the trail!