Shoutout to a ranger I met at the Cloud Peak Wilderness

I was set on doing the full 45-mile loop in four days, but she asked if I'd ever just sat by a lake for a whole afternoon. Said she'd done the route eight times and her favorite memories were from the days she didn't move camp. Has anyone else planned a big mileage trip and then cut it way back?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_wren3d ago

Ever notice how we do this with vacations too? Rush to see every landmark and come home more tired than when we left. That ranger was onto something.

the_holly7d ago

Planned a five day section hike on the AT once. Packed my schedule tight. Met a guy on day two who was just camped by a stream for three days straight. He said he was watching the water bugs. It made me ditch half my miles. Best part of the trip was sitting on a rock, not checking my map. Sometimes you need to stop moving to actually see the place.

henderson.oscar7d ago

That's the real secret right there. We get so caught up in covering ground that we miss the whole point of being out there. My best memories are always those unplanned stops, just watching the light change on the trees.