I'm In The Middle
When I started hiking, I joined the Adirondack Mountain Hiking Club, Albany Chapter. Going to the new membership meeting, I was excited to meet new people and learn about hiking. Since then I have hiked about ten times with different leaders and groups, met some very interesting people and had some positive experiences. My hope was to find my niche and hike regularly with like minded and physically compatible people. But, I'm still searching.
The last three hikes are perfect examples of what I'm talking about. Three weeks ago I did an A+ hike with a group led by a thin, quiet sixty something leader. It was a brutal, 3 high peaks and a pace that was too fast for my enjoyment. I found myself jogging in some stretches and if the group took a break, I kept going at my slower pace knowing they would catch up. While I was physically capable to hike with this group, I did not enjoy myself and found little in common with anyone. It made for a long, tough day and my body ached for several days after. I was humbled and defeated. The following weekend I hiked by myself in the Catskills and did Overlook Mountain and Echo Lake. It was lovely and while I enjoyed the sounds of the woods, hiked at a my usual brisk pace and took as many pictures as I wanted, I missed the companionship of others. This last weekend I did two hikes with the club. Saturday we traveled up the Adirondacks to Baxter and Owl's Head, two sweet, but super easy C rated mountains. Unknowingly I was with a lovely senior/beginner group of hikers and slow doesn't begin to express the pace. I didn't break a sweat and that lovely ache that comes from pushing yourself physically never came for a visit. Looking back at the photos I took, many were of the same scene over and over again as I waited for the group to catch up. But the weather was beautiful and I had plenty of time to laze in the sun. Yesterday I hiked Fifth Peak, a B hike, in the Lake George area. The leader, a very nice man, wore jeans, had a weird twitch to one side of his body and spent a considerable amount of time staring up at the sky looking at .....I don't know what. The group was not as slow as the day before and lucky for me, someone brought along their kid and the two of us were able to zip along at times and even break a sweat. It was a very nice group and I enjoyed an interesting day filled with several good conversations. When they stopped for a break, it was a leisurely break and I got antsy to continue as the break grew in length and it all added up to make for another long day, albeit a beautiful sunny one. It's not that I am a better hiker than any of them, but I am at a different place in the spectrum then they are. The first time I did Fifth Peak was last fall and I remember struggling to keep up. This time it was almost too easy. I have grown as a hiker and the C and B hikes with the club are not for me, but the A+ hikes may not be right either. Much as I enjoy an occasional day to myself and can appreciate the beautiful sounds of the woods, I wish I could find a group or companion that matches my pace. I like the rigors of an A hike, but not the speedy competitive spirit that can sometimes accompany it. Can you be a Adirondack 46er and not be crazy fast?
In my limited experience, I have found two types of hikers, the environmental, earthy, nature loving gang that stroll through the woods experiencing every moment in three D and then the Imperial Death March group that are in it for the pure brutal strength it takes to get to the peak. I am not either. I'm somewhere in between. I love the physicality of it, but don't possess the confidence in my body to be more than a brisk hiker AND I truly love the smells, sounds and sights around me and don't want to rush through or miss the magic of nature. Now I just need to find my posse.
The last three hikes are perfect examples of what I'm talking about. Three weeks ago I did an A+ hike with a group led by a thin, quiet sixty something leader. It was a brutal, 3 high peaks and a pace that was too fast for my enjoyment. I found myself jogging in some stretches and if the group took a break, I kept going at my slower pace knowing they would catch up. While I was physically capable to hike with this group, I did not enjoy myself and found little in common with anyone. It made for a long, tough day and my body ached for several days after. I was humbled and defeated. The following weekend I hiked by myself in the Catskills and did Overlook Mountain and Echo Lake. It was lovely and while I enjoyed the sounds of the woods, hiked at a my usual brisk pace and took as many pictures as I wanted, I missed the companionship of others. This last weekend I did two hikes with the club. Saturday we traveled up the Adirondacks to Baxter and Owl's Head, two sweet, but super easy C rated mountains. Unknowingly I was with a lovely senior/beginner group of hikers and slow doesn't begin to express the pace. I didn't break a sweat and that lovely ache that comes from pushing yourself physically never came for a visit. Looking back at the photos I took, many were of the same scene over and over again as I waited for the group to catch up. But the weather was beautiful and I had plenty of time to laze in the sun. Yesterday I hiked Fifth Peak, a B hike, in the Lake George area. The leader, a very nice man, wore jeans, had a weird twitch to one side of his body and spent a considerable amount of time staring up at the sky looking at .....I don't know what. The group was not as slow as the day before and lucky for me, someone brought along their kid and the two of us were able to zip along at times and even break a sweat. It was a very nice group and I enjoyed an interesting day filled with several good conversations. When they stopped for a break, it was a leisurely break and I got antsy to continue as the break grew in length and it all added up to make for another long day, albeit a beautiful sunny one. It's not that I am a better hiker than any of them, but I am at a different place in the spectrum then they are. The first time I did Fifth Peak was last fall and I remember struggling to keep up. This time it was almost too easy. I have grown as a hiker and the C and B hikes with the club are not for me, but the A+ hikes may not be right either. Much as I enjoy an occasional day to myself and can appreciate the beautiful sounds of the woods, I wish I could find a group or companion that matches my pace. I like the rigors of an A hike, but not the speedy competitive spirit that can sometimes accompany it. Can you be a Adirondack 46er and not be crazy fast?
In my limited experience, I have found two types of hikers, the environmental, earthy, nature loving gang that stroll through the woods experiencing every moment in three D and then the Imperial Death March group that are in it for the pure brutal strength it takes to get to the peak. I am not either. I'm somewhere in between. I love the physicality of it, but don't possess the confidence in my body to be more than a brisk hiker AND I truly love the smells, sounds and sights around me and don't want to rush through or miss the magic of nature. Now I just need to find my posse.
Comments
Post a Comment