12/29/22
Day Eighty-Five 

I woke up late today and was very tempted to stay home and hike tomorrow instead but after taking a shower I found myself, as if by rote, donning my hiking clothes and was out the door within 30 minutes of waking. The trails were very spring-like for almost January. Snow was softening to a consistency akin to mashed potatoes and there were many stretches of bare ground laced between the rotting snow and melting ice. I had picked the trails that I did for two reasons, they were close to my house (only an hour away) and would likely have less snow and therefore wouldn’t require snowshoes. I was right about not needing snowshoes but that didn’t make the hiking go any faster because spring snow equals slow going. I find myself able to keep going regardless of whether or not I’m tired at this point, six months into this journey. It’s as though my body has a mind of its own now. My legs know how to adjust their pace depending on the steepness or conditions, my lungs know how to breathe harder or softer to provide oxygen to my muscles, and my stomach knows how to let me know that it’s hungry and needs a snack. Because my body is such a well-oiled machine now, it allows my mind to wander. It gives my mind the freedom to drift all around. I listen to music or podcasts almost all of the time on hikes but there are days where I will have conversations with myself aloud or even just walk in silence for hours. It feels so silly to think that I used to be afraid of the mountains, of hiking alone not that long ago. I still have another 8 months of this, I’m not quite halfway done and I’m already dreading the end. What will it feel like? How will I adapt to not doing this day in and day out? How will I learn to live without spending dozens of hours a week alone in the forest?

Daily Miles: 8.19

Daily Vert: 2541’

Overall Miles: 918.50

Overall Vert: 267,512’

Trace: 39.9% -> 40.3%

Trails: 

Doublehead Trail

Old Highway North & South

Prescott Trail

Old Mountain Rd.

Crawford-Ridgepole Trail