No more trails

Over the last 2 weeks I've gone on a few hikes that have brought me off the beaten path. Sometimes I left the path because it wasn't headed to the sights I wanted to see, other times because it wasn't headed there fast enough. More often then not, however, it was because the way through the trees and meadows seems far more fun, more adventurous.

One such hike brought me down Monument Mountain. We'd descend 50 feet only to find our progress halted by a 300 foot drop or something along those lines an have to backtrack to find a different route. After a few rounds of this we spotted a ravine that looked like it ran straight down the mountain at a manageable angle. Of course getting into the ravine meant a quick, slippery downhill with a tree to stop the slide, leading to a relatively safe patch into the newly found path. Carefully making my way to the support tree I kicked a mini log, which rolled down the way I was headed, missed the try I aimed for and plunged 15 feet, splintering at the bottom. So goes my leg, if I miss the tree I thought.

So each step was taken consciously, with care for the consequences. At yet I pressed forward, moved down the mountain one step at a time, through a boulder field and finally tumbling out of the woods exactly at the car. I could have been hurt, I could have been lost. But neither of those things happened and I got to leave the site with the pride and knowledge that on some level, I conquered Monument mountain (or I conquered the mountain within me). The experience was far superior to a simple walk up the hill, then back down again. Risk and reward, they go hand in hand.

So let today's doctrine be: No more trails. That isn't to say only stepping where other's have not stepped. It means that when there's a view I want, a time I want to get somewhere or just a little adventure in the doldrums that can be day to day existence, I will not be bound by roads made before me. There is tremendous growth in finding your own path.

In the woods, walking off the trail means seeing trees and plants on a level of intimacy. Using the environment for support, guidance and rest when needed. Being the master of your destination as opposed to a passive observer. Are there dangers? Fuck yes there are. This is a dangerous world and we people are flimsy and temporary. Life needs a little danger. It reminds you of what you have to lose, it keeps you on your toes and shakes you out of complacency. Not to say I've become an overnight adrenaline junky, though there are things those people do which seem like fun. Rather, I want to remember how sweet it is to taste the uncertainty of life and adventure and hope not to forget anytime soon.