It has been so long since I’ve had a backpacking experience… I’ve lost any confidence I know how to prepare or how to insure success. But I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it – looking at maps, making lists, sorting out gear, and sadly, buying more and more stuff. We leave pre-dawn tomorrow and I still have a list of things to go buy.
But we’ve got an awful of details covered. I’m starting to get butterflies now, non-stop, as I anticipate the experience.
Will my legs stand up ? Will my feet? Will the weather be at least a little cooperative? Will the black flies and mosquitoes and deer flies lighten up at least a little? Will the trail be crowded – or overcrowded – with enthused and itchy hikers who’ve waited patiently for school to end? Will Jeff and Melanie have fun? Will our trio have a good dynamic? Back at the car after the trip, will we ALL agree we want more?
And then there’s the detail stuff. Did I bring appropriate clothes? Did we bring too much or not enough food? Did we get bothered by animals – big or small? Did my cameras work? Did rain gear work? Did I wish I had something I didn’t? Did I curse the decision to bring something that was stupid?
And the ultimate stuff. Did we experience glorious and sublime moments? Did the lack of moon help us muse on the Milky Way and ponder our position in the universe? Did we see cool flora and fauna? Did we observe compelling geology and muse on uplift, erosion, rocks, and minerals? Did we make good decisions about how much to bite off, keeping adequate room in our brains for philosophical introspection rather than pain and suffering? Did we rock the range? Did we ring our hammers on the highest rock?
