[at-l] re: mental and physical pain

[pmags at yahoo.com (Paul Magnanti)]

Something I wrote almost 5 yrs ago. Post it every now
and then. Maybe some people can gleen something out of
it:
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“The wildest dream is the beginning of reality”
–Norman Cousins

Anyone who is a “Class of ‘99” thru-hiker has a dream,
a dream to complete a thru-hike of the Appalachian
Trail. By daring to have this dream, you will be
creating a reality that involves happiness,
frustration, sadness, excitement, anger and joy.  It
is an experience you will not forget, and one that
will have an effect on you long after Springer or
Katahdin is reached.

The key to a successful thru-hike is not what boots
you wear, how many ounces you shave off your pack,
what stove you use, or what brand of socks worn. No,
they key to a successful thru-hike the making use of
the most important piece of equipment: the gray
matter, the ole noggin’, the brain.

A thru-hike is more of a mental challenge than a
physical one. After 13 days of rain, do you still have
the urge to hike? Can you stomach the umpteenth dinner
of  Ramen noodles? Are you ready to have your body go
through something that will leave it aching for rest,
wanting to stop? If you can say yes to that, then you
can also see a moose wading in a pond around sunset,
hear the shriek of an owl at night, smell pine needles
on a sunny day. Enjoy the trip, revel in everything
that happens. All these experiences that make an
Appalachian Trail thru-hike memorable. If you are
feeling low, ask yourself  “What is the alternative?” 
You could be working in the office again, filing out
yet another memo. Instead, you are on the Trail,
experiencing nature, in all its raw beauty. Again,
it’s an experience that will have an effect on you
long after the journey is completed.

If you feel that your journey is complete, and
Katahdin or Springer have not been reached, don’t feel
that you have failed. There are no real failures on
the trail. Daring to dream is a rarity in itself.
Daring to live out your dream is something that many
people are afraid to do. If you do not reach Katahdin
or Springer, you will still have an experience that
most people would not even bother to dream about. It
does not take a thru-hike to learn the lessons of the
trail. The lessons come from trying, and your Katahdin
might come at Harpers Ferry, Damascus, or earlier. If
you know in your heart that you have pushed yourself
to your physical, mental and emotional limit, then you
have done more than most people have even attempted.

The Appalachian Trail is a special experience. Hard to
describe unless you have attempted it. No matter how
little or how much time you take to hike the trail, it
will be over before you know it. It will never be far
from your thoughts. In between Springer and Katahdin
are some wonderful memories; savor every one of them.




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The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau