Day 1:
Distance: 11.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 1546 ft.
Our hike began with a wake up call at 0500 with a schedule that would come to be more or less the same every day: coffee/tea available within 15 minutes of waking, breakfast available within 30 minutes, departure time within 90 minutes. A student of The Outdoorman's School of Hiking, my goal was to be completely broken down and packed up within 30 minutes - which generally, I was.
After a breakfast of bagels and cream cheese and a banana, we hit the road
The bulk of the morning was spent going up (no surprise there; again, a recurring "feature" of the hike as we ascend from around 8,000 ft to 12,000 ft.). By snack time (we always have snack time) the day is heating up to the high 70's/low 80's. Not a concern at home; carrying our packs at the heaviest they will be (40-50 lbs. including bear cans full of food) it feels like a bit much.
By lunch I am definitely feeling the heat and the uphill.
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Why do we hike?
Once upon a time, we humans walked everywhere: following prey, then following herds of domesticated animals. Migrating to other places.
For most of history, society moved at the speed of human feet: armies marched on them, merchants carried with them, farmers worked their crops with them. Sure, at some point we developed ships and domesticated animals for burden bearers, but there was still an awful lot of walking prior to as short a time ago as the end of the 18th century.
Then the 19th Century arrived. Trains replaced canal boats and wagons and horses, then cars replaced trains, then planes replaced all other forms of transportation for long distances, leaving cars or trains for less significant differences and ships for bulk cargoes or entertainment. Walking remained, but it was much more of a thing that we choose to do. For many, walking is now mostly an optional activity for anything than the most average of activities.
(Lunch: Salad with chicken, apples, and cranberries)
Why do we hike?
Is the goal? Is like a pilgrimage or holy walk of long ago now, where we seek a destination physically or within our mind? If so, what is that goal or destination? Is it seeing a certain place or things? - but we can see pictures which are more often far better than any we can take ourselves. And the going always costs both time and money, vacation we could spend on something else and money that might be better spent elsewhere.
Why do we hike?
The scenes we see, the places we go, the views we experience - ultimately they largely die with us unless they exist in picture albums or (like this post) somewhere on the InterWeb, electronically frozen in time.
Why do we hike? What drives us on in discomfort and pain and expense of time and money? Surely it is not simply just for a view?
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Our afternoon is a long downhill I recall from hike four years ago: dusty, hotter than I like. This early into the hike, I have to start counting my steps like I did on the Mt. Goddard hike where I had altitude sickness: 50, 60 at a time, then stop for a breath.
This is not promising.
(Dinner: Pesto chicken with walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes)
By the time we roll into our campsite at Ferguson Creek, I am already exhausted. Putting the tent up and getting situated goes smoothly enough; I have enough time to go down to the creek and wash my socks, which will become a nightly ritual as long as we are by water.
After dinner (complete with smores), we start with the slightly more in-depth introductions that a group has to go through if they are going to succeed. Being an introvert, I struggle with this a bit as I always do, but put in a good effort both to honour our guides and blend in; having The Outdoorsman and The Brit there always makes it easier.
That night, the creek fills my ears as I drift off to sleep. I have forgotten how much I enjoy the sound of running water.
And so it begins.....as to why we hike....for how long did the PBI (poor bloody infantry) hoof it? Asphalt paths around the urban lakes, mall walking, more asphalt replacing old railroad tracks, gotta burn those calories TB! Looking forward to accompanying you on your trek sir, after viewing these photos this experienced person feels the need to take a nap before breakfast.......:)
ReplyDeleteNylon12, it is remarkable - or maybe not, given the rate at which humans tend to forget - how much of our history was spent not just walking, but walking all day and long distances. Now - perhaps in the ultimate role reversal - we have indoor treadmills to allow to walk and exercise while going precisely nowhere.
DeleteThe reason I hike is so I can get away from the masses. Go to any national park these days and the trails are practically deserted compared to the drive up scenic points. I also love the mental meditation I go through while hiking. I unleash my brain and let it wander freely as I hike, never growing bored of where it takes me.
ReplyDeleteTrue enough, Ed. The first 4 days of the hike I believe we saw a total of 3 other people.
DeleteMy brain tends to wander freely - a bit too freely, if these meditations are any indication...
My blogger reading list hasn't updated in two days, so I feel a bit behind. Plus I've got a kitten who insists on cuddling up on one arm and I'm not very good at typing one handed. :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I read historical works (fiction or non) I am struck by how much slower transportation was before industrialization. And not only transportation, but communication as well. The whole world seemed to move more slowly, more deliberately, than it does now. I think that's what appeals to me about hiking and spending time in raw nature. I just don't like feeling rushed because of our technology and the people who are immersed in it. Nature's slower pace seems like it was meant for humans too. We are natural beings, after all.
Leigh, I have noticed the same thing about Blogger. Between this and the inability last week to post comments anywhere, it has been a bit frustrating. I do wonder if Google has decided to start supporting what is effectively a free service less (The kitten, of course, is a completely understandable reason).
DeleteIf the 19th and 20th century has changed anything about us humans, it is our perception of time. To your point, the world did in fact move slower -because it had too; it could only go at the speed of nature and what people could do in a day. Technology of all times has compressed our ability to use time; what it has cost us is that sense of slower pace that you mention.
Hiking is (for me) a very meditative practice because you move at the speed of your feet and the schedule is very defined: wake up, pack, hike, arrive, set up, sleep - with food breaks in between. In a way, very much like the rhythm of an agricultural life in that the day's activities are known almost before they start.