10 Weird Things Hiking the AT Does to Your Mind, Body, & Spirit....
by
, 07-14-2014 at 19:47 (4673 Views)
1) I have to pull over when I'm driving past a mountain to keep from having an accident, since my mind is immediately shanghaied into imagining exactly how I would navigate the ridge....
2) I can't look at a photo or postcard of beautiful, natural places without longing to be there.
3) I seek out total strangers who could possibly understand this burgeoning obsession, because no one I know has a clue.
4) I carefully weigh my clothing/footwear and gear options when planning a walk to the corner store, and I NEVER go without a bottle of water.
5) I find myself eyeing the rhododendron and lilac groves in the back yard with stealth camping in mind.
6) I've learned that shedding "civilization" is immediate in the woods, as easy as ditching a sweater in the heat, and way more liberating.
7) Three days of hiking should ennervate the leg muscles into cooperation for another three....then they must rest.
8) Silent conversations while hiking build better relationships afterward.
9) Rain is a blessing, not a curse...(at least on a hot day).
10) The "silence" of the woods is almost deafening, and makes me want to sing along.