Getting Closer Everyday

I dreamed of the trail last night.  Well not the trail actually, but the night before getting on the trail.   I was at the house of a trail angle with a bunch of other hikers, as we made one final check of our gear before heading out in the morning.  In my dream I meet a lot of the people that I had been chatting with through Facebook and the Yahoo! Group.  Spirits were high and everyone was laughing and joking with each other.  It was such a positive and supportive place.  As I woke from this dream, I found myself actually trying to force myself back into the dream, as I was not ready to leave it yet. 

Hardly a night goes by without me looking into some aspect of my trip; looking at maps, re-evaluating my gear and food lists, looking for chargers for my phone, searching for undiscovered JMT websites or Youtube! videos…  I hope I am not alone in this; that I have not turned into an obsessive person.  I think, for me it is more of a way to help pass the time until I actually fly out for this grand adventure.  And for me it is a grand adventure!

Many people have said to me that this is a trip of a “lifetime”.  I hope that this is not the case.  A trip of a lifetime to me is a onetime thing; an event never to be exceeded.  My hope that this is just the start of many great adventures to come.  As I look back at the things I have done in my life, I do not see many great adventures yet.  There have been a few like volunteering at Chena River State Recreation Area in Alaska, before my junior year of college, moving from Ohio to Colorado, and of course parenthood (this is the true “lifetime” adventure).  Most of my exploits have been relatively short, 3-4 days in length at most. This trip will be my catalyst to more adventures (or a good reason to take up golf if I end up hating long distance backpacking).  While this trip will be solo, the future ones must include my family. 

This trip will prove to me that I can undertake such grand adventures, but for me to fully enjoy it, I want to share it with my family (I am already planning a 2019 JMT hike with the full family.  My son should be old enough to make it by then).  One Bbog that I really like is The Big Outside by Michael Lanza. In this blog he shares his stories of experiencing the natural world with his family.  If you have kids and have not checked it out I highly recommend it.

Until next time ... HIKE ON!!!!!