Day hikes for me have usually consisted of about 4 miles in, stop for lunch, relax and 4 miles back to the car. For backpacking my goal is 10-mile days. Set up camp for the night and repeat the next day. Right now, my goal is 30 to 40 miles a trip. Day trips are great to help me condition for long trips and when I don’t have time for a long trip.
One thing that I like the most about hiking is the chance to see things that I normally would not see.
Walking along an old abandon road along the coast gives me the chance to see an old vantage point over the ocean. Along with some historical sites from World War II.
The ability to see things that I am unable to drive to is intriguing and keeps me wondering of what more is out there to see.
Swimming, boogie boarding, soaking up the sun or hike along the coast with the waves crashing by my side.
It does really matter what I do when I visit the ocean. I am in awe of the ocean and the force behind each wave as it crashes on the beach or against a bluff. It reminds me of the power of God when I read Proverbs 8:29
when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
Just spending time on the beach refreshes me and I always leave with less worries than when I arrived.
Backpacking gives me a chance to get away from the desk and enjoy the outdoors. I grew up in a small mountain town and as a kid I always adventured around. We would hike down the canyons and swim in the local rivers, hike around the flumes if were went enjoying the ride in a flume. So getting away from the city is always nice and takes me back to being a kid again dreaming about being a grand explorer and discovering some lost civilization or a city of gold.
Not a city of gold, but hiking for me as an adult has been a true treasure. Its done some things for me and some of it is hard for me to put in words. When I have had the weight of the world crushing my thoughts, backpacking has given me clarity and a piece of mind. It has also physically challenged me.
I could be in better shape and pass on the donuts a little more. So when on the trail I am often reminded of the last donut or ice cream I had. Out of this has always developed a better since of awareness and motivation to eat better. So far I have mentioned mental wellness and physical awareness, I also feel a spiritual growth during my trips.
Often there are long periods of silence when I am backpacking, do to me trying to catch my breath. These time I spend evaluating my spiritual well being and use it also to speak with God. It’s a great time of reflection and planning.
The best time of reflection for on my trips seems to be when I have challenged myself the most. It seems that during this times I see the best personal growth. If you were to ask me what my favorite trip has been, I would answer with: the hardest trip.
I had one trip where my pack broke my shoes where wrong and I was traveling at 1 mph up hill for 9 hours. My legs cramped up on me. I had blisters that covered a lot of my foot and water was hard to find. I wanted to quit. This was the trip that I feel in love with backpacking.