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Mags
01-13-2006, 15:39
..who can say where a voyage starts - not the the actual passage
but the dream of a journey and its urge to find a way?
--William Least Heat Moon, RIVER HORSE


The first step on a thru-hike is not when you are the trailhead. It is not looking north of the Springer summit, and seeing a series of white blazes
heading towards Katahdin. It is not being at a border fence, looking at the rolling high desert hills. It is not being at Glacier, following where the waters divide.

The first step on a thru-hike is not getting the maps, marking your route. The first step is not plannning your resupply. Or buying your gear. Or training for the hike. Or buying a plane ticket.

The first step on a thru-hike is when you make the commitment to walk the trail. The feeling that the journey is going to happen one way or another. When you know the journey is something you don't want to do, but something you HAVE to do.

This past week or so I made the decision to do my CDT journey regardless of what happens. Leave of abscence or not. The journey has started in January 2006. I still have to fine tune my intinerary. Plans still have to be solidified. Gear has to be tweaked a bit.

But the journey has started.

And I could not be happier.

Mouse
01-13-2006, 16:03
Creepy, isn't it. That moment when a hypothetical suddenly becomes real, when imagining changes to concrete. When you go from thinking about it to cutting ties to the nontrail world, mind focused on gear and packing lists and snow and high peaks and all the minutia that goes into a successful thruhike.

It is the ordinary person's equivalent of the classic polar expeditions.

chris
01-13-2006, 16:41
Good for you Mags. I have no plans to hike the CDT any time soon, but I can see the appeal of it for people. Who knows, we might actually run in to each other in Glacier this June. There is some chance that I'll be there, but not heading south.

Blister
01-13-2006, 17:00
The journey upon the CDT started for me the first time I saw the Divide last summer. I can barley wait, the anticipation os killing me. Perhaps we shall run into each other at some point.

Mags
01-13-2006, 17:12
With a bit of luck, I'll see you two out there.

Look for the short, bearded guy. ;)

weary
01-13-2006, 18:00
..who can say where a voyage starts - not the the actual passage
but the dream of a journey and its urge to find a way?
--William Least Heat Moon, RIVER HORSE


The first step on a thru-hike is not when you are the trailhead. It is not looking north of the Springer summit, and seeing a series of white blazes
heading towards Katahdin. It is not being at a border fence, looking at the rolling high desert hills. It is not being at Glacier, following where the waters divide.

The first step on a thru-hike is not getting the maps, marking your route. The first step is not plannning your resupply. Or buying your gear. Or training for the hike. Or buying a plane ticket.

The first step on a thru-hike is when you make the commitment to walk the trail. The feeling that the journey is going to happen one way or another. When you know the journey is something you don't want to do, but something you HAVE to do.

This past week or so I made the decision to do my CDT journey regardless of what happens. Leave of abscence or not. The journey has started in January 2006. I still have to fine tune my intinerary. Plans still have to be solidified. Gear has to be tweaked a bit.

But the journey has started.

And I could not be happier.
Congratulations and best wishes. I know the feeling of relief when the decision is made. Whether a hike is long or short, difficult or easy, there are always a thousand "sensible" reasons to delay or abandon going. AS a result, most merely dream. Only the lucky few have the perseverence to live their dream.

Mags
01-14-2006, 16:14
Congratulations and best wishes. I know the feeling of relief when the decision is made. Whether a hike is long or short, difficult or easy, there are always a thousand "sensible" reasons to delay or abandon going. AS a result, most merely dream. Only the lucky few have the perseverence to live their dream.

Many thanks for the kind wishes. The biggest hurdle for me was the "job security" idea. Intellectually I know it is an illusion.

But, well, hard to shake three generations of cultural upbringing. :) Work did not mean material extravagants for the family; it meant putting food on the table , heat in the house and clothes on the children's back.

Perhaps it is my own background in history or maybe a my interest in the more personal family history, but it is funny how events that happened in the family past can effect decisions made in the present.

Anyway, telling my biological family (as opposed to the family that I've formed here in Boulder or my trail family) will be interesting!

(He's going to be 32, he's still not married...and he's thinking of quitting a job..AGAIN ?!?!?!?!? :D)


Mags (recovering from a full moon ski, a late night, and happy hour pints for $2. ;)

Nean
01-14-2006, 18:13
The best part is you are doing what is best for you. I've decided my folks can never really get it, but they do know "it" makes me happy. Enjoy Mags!

snowhoe
01-14-2006, 18:28
Mags,
Good luck, I did some trail work on the CDT last year with the hiking group I belong to. It is so awesome up there. I just came back from flyfishing by the divide and what great weather it was. You will have a blast, If our club does any work up there this year I will tell them to keep an eye out for you.

A-Train
01-15-2006, 01:29
I'm a few steps behind you, so to speak, planning on hitting Campo in May. These decisions are never easy, but when it's "official" it does bring a lot of satisfaction and anxiety relief.

I too haven't broken the news to my mom, the one who will probably never understand why I like to do these things. I've stopped trying to convince her though. It's easier not to explain, and just to reassure folks I'm doing what I love.

Congrats, Mags and keep living the dream!

Spirit Walker
01-16-2006, 11:21
Well, I'm glad that you have made the commitment to go this year. You knew it was going to happen one of these days - the question was simply when. I hope we'll meet along the way.

Mags
01-16-2006, 12:29
Well, I'm glad that you have made the commitment to go this year. You knew it was going to happen one of these days - the question was simply when. I hope we'll meet along the way.


Thanks for the kind wishes all. I'm even getting back into hiker trash mode by growing my beard back. :)