to feel alive: June 29

Do Friday right...

to feel alive: June 20

When you can't decide, get two!

Stories from the Trail: Shake Your Trail Feathers

I’ve written about feathers in a previous post. You can find it HERE.

A couple weeks ago I saw a feather on the ground when I was walking the dog. We had just started and I knew I would pass back that way so I did not pick it up. Twenty minutes later, it was gone.

It must have been for someone else.

Monday’s hike on Mount Tecumseh was a trying experience. I missed a turn which required me to backtrack to the summit. I got turned around at the summit, resulting in an additional two miles of hiking.

On the way down to the car I was feeling somewhat defeated and the only things I had to look forward to were a 7 hour car ride home and the George Washington Bridge at rush hour.

In my final moments on the trail I looked down and saw a feather. I picked it up. This one was for me.

Stories from the Trail: Find a Penny, Pick it Up

After I did the math, things weren’t looking so good.

It was about an hour from the lodge to the Mount Cabot trailhead where I’d hike 9.6 miles (book time 6:00) then travel an hour to the Starr King trailhead where I’d hike Mount Waumbek 7.2 miles (book time 4:55) then get in my car and drive half an hour to the Highland Center for dinner at 6pm.

The mileage (16.8) and the elevation gain (5050 feet) weren’t as off-putting as the fact that I’d most likely be missing a BANGING dinner if I attempted both hikes in one day.

On Saturday night I contemplated several options for Plan B. I had yet to reach a verdict when I woke up on Sunday morning. Part of me still wanted to give it a go BUT after waiting an extra half hour for (extremely delicious) coffee to be set out AND being unable to locate the trailhead for half an hour those dreams began to fade.

At 7:35AM I found the York Pond Trail and started my journey to Mount Cabot. Not even a minute had passed when I looked down and saw a penny. It was on heads. I took two steps by it, turned around and picked it up. I dug deep, found an extra gear and crushed Cabot in three and a half hours.

I was off the trail just after 11AM and ate lunch in the car while on my way to Mount Waumbek where I proceeded to crush it again in two hours and forty five minutes. This gave me enough time to drive to the Highland Center, shower and do yoga before dinner.

Miles: 16.8
Elevation Gain: 5050 feet
Time: About 6:15

Stories from the Trail: Dana and Piper

It took me over eight hours to get to the AMC Highland Center. When I checked in it was close to 9PM. The guy at the desk told me that several people had encountered traffic and it was most likely due to the fact that it was motorcycle weekend.

On my way in I noticed a woman (with a large pack and a cute dog) on her phone. She was speaking loudly about the horrible day she had. By the time I had finished at the desk she had made her way inside and was inquiring about a shuttle to a local campground. No shuttles were running and both of the desk attendants were unable to take her. I asked how far away it was (about six miles up the road) and volunteered to drive her.

When we arrived, the campground was at capacity so we turned around and headed back to the Highland Center. I offered to let her sleep in my car. She called her boyfriend (who must be one hell of a guy) and he agreed to make the two hour drive to get her.

At this point I hadn’t even gotten her name (Dana and her dog was Piper) but it didn’t really matter. She was supposed to be spending the night at tent site on trail, but had gotten turned around (due to poorly maintained trails) and ended up on the side of the road (302) by the Highland Center.

I gathered my stuff from the trunk and she thanked me...it was really no problem, if I was in your situation I would want someone to do the same for me. She told me she would not forget this encounter. To me, that is more powerful than hearing the words “thank you.”

to feel alive: June 11

Give it 110% even if it means you fall down occasionally. 

Scars make for good stories.

to feel alive: June 8

1. Leave work early 

2. Obtain caffeine

3. Drive to New Hampshire

to feel alive

Last week I went to the Phillies game with a friend I hadn’t seen in quite some time. I drank beer, ate a lot of peanuts and stayed up WAY past my bedtime.

The next morning I was tired, but I woke up at the usual time and did all of the things I would normally do on a Thursday without a problem. That night was the happiest I have been in a long time. It was so nice to be out at the ballpark on a beautiful evening, people watching and catching up with an old friend. 

Part of me died in August of 2016. Since that time I feel as if I am just going through the motions. I still enjoy a sunset, but the colors are muted. That night at the ballpark was the most alive I have felt in a long time. Maybe that was just what I needed to start seeing all of the colors.

I didn’t complete a photo project in January so I’m going to do one this month. My goal is find one thing each week that makes me feel alive. Maybe there will be more than one.

Let’s see where this journey leads...