This Isn’t Hard.

What’s it like to live a day in the life as a thru hiker? There are so many layers.

First, a layer of poison ivy speckled here and there. Followed by a layer of dirt. Then a layer of bug bites, then sunscreen, then bug spray, then another layer of dirt, the salty residue from the day before, the dried blood from scratching those bug bites, then sweat on top of all that. This combination forms a mixture that can only be described as ‘The Yuck’. In the morning, if you’re the first on the trail, you play the part of webmaster and get a face full of spider webs that may or may not have the resident still attached.

There’s always something crawling, biting, buzzing or trying to fly into my nose, eyes, mouth and ears. I’ve had a bug set up shop so deep in my ear that my equilibrium was thrown off, causing me to stumble down the trail.

I’ve woken up with red, swollen eyes, bruises I don’t remember getting and toenails that are hanging on for dear life.

Trench foot is a real thing. Getting your feet to not look like Freddy Krueger’s face, is a daily struggle.

I’ve learned that the only cure for aching muscles and sore feet is to get up and start hiking.

I’ve experienced all of this while maneuvering up and down wet, steep rock walls with only a crack big enough to place a toe or hiking pole for traction. Black flies attack my eyes as I try to Go-Go-Gadget-Leg down to that rock just out of reach.

I’ve thrown my poles up the mountain, crawled up, hand over hand, only to knock my poles down what I just struggled to climb. Deep breath… climb back down and do it again.

It’s tough. It’s exhausting. It’s so rewarding.

Then, there’s going to town. Town day! A day when everything you’ve been dreaming about on trail has the potential to come true. Resupplying in town means finding the right balance between fulfilling your food cravings, having enough calories and not packing too much weight.

You use what you have at your disposal to make things work. For instance, I wanted to take communion, but all I had was a Pop Tart and black cherry Mio water flavoring. I’m sure Jesus has a sense of humor.

You’ll do a lot of things that are noticeably strange at first, then just become completely normal. Like washing your socks in the bathroom at a restaurant. Or sitting in a Walmart, eating a package of red velvet Oreos and washing them down with a jug o’ milk. (Who would do that?)

I noticed the look some people were giving me and was sure I’d end up on the next ‘people of Walmart’ reel. But, in the same moment, I witnessed a woman place a Walmart bag over her head. (protecting her hair from the rain, I can only assume) I appreciated her ingenuity and realized that she is, in fact, ‘my people’. On that note, I’ve often wondered how anyone could make it to Walmart bra-less and in oversized or undersized clothing. Now I understand. Maybe the group laundry wasn’t finished and the loaner clothes were slim pick-in’s?

At any rate, town is a time when you realize just how long you’ve been away from society. The radar that thru hikers obtain to find a trashcan, vending machine, charging outlet or hiker box is uncanny. Free mustard and mayonnaise packets? Prepare to be cleaned out. That’s liquid gold!

Then, there’s the mileage. Everyday the mileage has a potential to hang over my head and drag the day out. “I’ve gotta get there; gotta pull those miles”. If I looked at every day as a mileage number, I’d never unzip that pungent smelling sleeping bag in the morning. I’ve found a few ways to trick myself by splitting up mileage for the day.

To start, I’ll pick either a viewpoint or road crossing about 4-6 miles out and start there. If there aren’t any notable views or roads, then I’ll pick a water source. It just needs to be something to hike towards. I do this over and over throughout the day until I either get tired or reach mileage for the day.

On days that are exceptionally hard, I’ll break it down to hours. Somehow, two hours doesn’t sound nearly as bad as four miles. I can do anything for 2 hours, but four miles? Ehhh, that seems far…

And when all else fails, I reward myself like a child:

“Okay, every mile you complete, you can have four Starbursts”.

“Two more miles to end the day and you can demolish that Almond Snickers”.

For the most part, this system works for me because let’s face it, I’m food motivated.

I joke about all these odd things I’ve done and complain about how difficult this journey has been for me and the challenges that I’ve faced throughout. But, I choose this ‘hardness’ everyday. As strenuous as it may seem in the moment, I put myself here on purpose. A day in my life is nothing compared to a day in your life. This isn’t hard.

The real ‘hard’ is in everyday life- the things that we can’t control. Hard is recovering from a surgery, an accident, addiction, abuse or from a long drawn out illness. Hard is providing endless care for a loved one or saying goodbye at the end of their days. Hard is sending a family member off to war and sacrificing their life for that of a strangers’. Hard is raising children and taking care of their endless needs.

The true layers are of heartache, pain, struggle, difficulty, disappointment, failure, tragedy, uncertainty and sorrow.

When I’m covered in The Yuck; when it’s extremely hot or cold; when I’m tired and inundated with bugs and still have miles to go, I try to see your perspective. This pain I’ve chosen will pass. But, the heartache that so many deal with each day is nothing compared to this temporary position I’m in. So to you- the ones doing the real, gritty hard life Yuck, know that you are persevering through this hard time. These days in your life might be unbearable right now, but there’s an amazing view coming for you at the end of that tough climb. And smooth, flat terrain after that painful steep decent. When you drop those poles and have to backtrack and go through that struggle… again. Crawl. Back. Up.

Hold on to that promise with one foot in front of the other. And when you need a little boost: Package full of Oreos and big ol’ jug o’ milk might just do the trick.

“All things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28