these 3 words

when i stepped out of the truck at jay cooke state park in mn the night before the trip began, i said out loud to the night air, "...what the heck am i doing here?" 

…i had a tough time coming up with 1 single solitary good reason for doing this...other than i’d never done this kind of thing alone before and it was adventurous. but then i'd never gone deep-sea diving either and that's adventurous, right? especially for a girl who can't swim a stroke? some might call this kind of stunt absurdly adventurous.🤷‍♀️

the next day i met my daughter-in-law, marci, who was starting the hike with me. it was on the drive to meet her these 3 words flashed, like a neon sign, across the screen of my mind:

                                intentionality. simplicity. camaraderie.

during the night the words became the tea bags and my mind the boiling pot of water; they steeped & steeped some more. by morning i knew i was in that place for reasons beyond adventure-and-independent-trail-seeking. i was there for a trail tutorial; an  awakening, akin to what henry david thoreau speaks of in walking. 

…and there was nothing around to distract me only to incite me…

intentionality the foundation of backpacking is, if nothing else, as pure a kind of intentionality as it gets.

everything from gear & equipment (nothing is single use) to balanced weight distribution & the way it sits on your body in your pack. food choices with the biggest bang per gram, when to eat it & how to store it, what stream to filter water from & where to carry it. the list goes on. and on. especially when I was alone I metered out and marked every, EVERY, choice & decision i made; there was no wiggle room for errors. i was alone. i was hyper-aware of my surroundings, physical status and especially what was rattling around in my head. i deliberately scrutinized my thoughts, each step i took down the trail. i inspected plants, flowers, rock formations, water courses, campsites, scat deposits, trail intel, i relished & lingered (when practical) with other hikers for company. endeavoring to put as much of my natural impulsivity (which i've been blessed with a lot of it) aside, i sought to seek to live those days with care, deliberation and intentionality.

simplicity “the foundation of backpacking is, if nothing else, as pure a kind of simplicity as it gets.”

intentionality of backpacking cannot exist without simplicity, they're like a basket plaited from strips of flax. when on trail everything needed is literally balanced on your back. when prepared intentionally, that comes with a feeling of having a lack of nothing; complete satisfaction. from the simplest cup of coffee taken in the brisk & new morning air to a pouch of tuna at night before the sun sets & your bear bag is hung 100ft  away from your tent &10ft in the air, it satisfies. whatever i needed was right where it belonged and at the ready. for each simple day i knew the expectation and as circumspectly as possible i met it. there is power in intentional simplicity, a level of authenticity & balance to lean into. during these days i learned to simply lean.

camaraderie.“the foundation of backpacking is, if nothing else, as pure a kind of camaraderie as it gets.”

 when a ‘thing’ happens repeatedly to you, or around you, it takes no time to know there is a glorious lesson being taught through the ‘thing’. on this, my learning curve sky-rocketed even before we hit the trail and it pulsated on high throughout my entire trip. there is the development of a near automatic sister- & brotherhood on the trail that is driven deep into the soil & soul of it. this culture of strangers caring for & demonstrating love for one another without a whisper or hint of reservation is known as 'tramily' and bonds can last a minute or a lifetime. it’s like breathing…it’s as natural & automatic as that. it’s a gifting that sinks into spirit and soul. i was blessed to have so many apparent strangers teach this to me. it was a most valuable lesson, one to pay forward every chance i’m given. this was an (not THE because there is still so much to learn, experience, and do) adventure of a lifetime. 

through this first installment of ~the trail tutorials~ i was incited that is for certain & given unique responsibilities. keeping them in my near vision & acting on them each time i feel that nudge is what i do next & next & next.

i have homework to get done.

"Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it..."
Isaiah 30:21