When I was young, I used to take refuge in the woods around my house in rural Rehoboth. I explored them, played in them, and found solace in them. I got away from it as I grew older but I never forgot the joy I felt being outdoors.
About 10-12 years ago I committed to getting back outside. What followed were day hikes, ice climbs, and multi-day hikes. Now it’s time to take on a new challenge - a thru-hike (albeit, a short one) on Vermont’s Long Trail.
The Long Trail is this country’s first long-distance hiking trail. Built by the Green Mountain Club from 1910 through 1930, it provided the inspiration for what became the Appalachian Trail several years later. Known as Vermont’s “footpath in the wilderness,” the Long Trail is 273+ miles long and stretches down the spine of Vermont from the U.S./Canadian border in the north to the Massachusetts/Vermont border in the south.
I start on August 5, 2019 and hope to complete it sometime in the last week of August. Admittedly, I’m a bit nervous. This will be a physical challenge as I’m not as fit or as young as I once was. But I’m more concerned about the mental challenge. There will be days when I’m sore and miserable, soaked from rain and drenched in sweat, cold, hungry, and tired. But I think there will be more days when I’ll find joy in confronting challenges, be exposed to the immense beauty of the forests, the majesty of the mountains, and the wonder of nature, and become part of the inclusive, supportive, welcoming hiking community.
An AT thru-hiker once remarked that, to be successful, you have to want to hike the trail. In other words, completing the trail is a worthy goal but the essence of the enterprise is simply wanting to be outside, to explore, to play, to take solace, to be present. That will be mantra and my azimuth during my trek. I hope you follow along, cheer on my daunting quest, and get inspired to create your own journeys.