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Vent: Met a guy on the Colorado Trail who changed how I plan my trips
I was about 3 days into the Collegiate West loop last summer, feeling pretty beat from trying to hit 18 miles a day. I stopped to filter water at a creek crossing and this older guy, maybe in his 60s, was just sitting there on a rock, not in a rush at all. He asked me about my pace and I told him my plan. He just smiled and said, 'You know, the trail isn't a job. You're missing the point if you're just checking off miles.' He then pulled out his map and showed me a small lake about a mile off the main trail he was going to camp at, just to watch the sunset. I ended up joining him, and we spent the evening there. It was the best part of my whole trip. Now I always look for one 'pointless' detour on every route, just to sit and be there. Has anyone else had a moment like that that made you slow down?
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aaron85420d ago
Eighteen miles a day sounds like a spreadsheet, not a hike. That guy had it right, and west.casey gets it too. The best parts are always the unplanned stops.
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jamie_webb6720d agoTop Commenter
Yeah, "just sitting by a river for a whole afternoon for no reason" is the good stuff. I was totally that person with a daily mileage goal, ticking off sections like a chore list. Then I got caught in a storm and spent hours in this little cave, just watching it roll through. That pointless delay was the whole point of the trip. Now if I don't have a few hours to waste somewhere, I feel like I'm doing it wrong.
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jamie_webb6720d agoTop Commenter
Honestly, reminds me of the time I got so into watching a woodpecker I just set up camp right there. Took me two days to cover what should've been a half day walk. Best part of the whole week.
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west.casey21d ago
Used to be all about the miles per day, like it was some kind of race. That mindset just burns you out and turns the whole thing into work. Your story about that guy on the Colorado Trail really hits home. It took a similar experience for me to get it, just sitting by a river for a whole afternoon for no reason. Now I make sure the trip includes time to just be somewhere, not just move through it. That's when you actually see the place.
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