Lessons From The Hiking Trail

I’ve just returned from my annual Vail, Colorado trip where we had two weeks of perfect weather – warm days and cool nights – a welcome break from this year’s wretchedly hot, sticky summer here in North Carolina.

Every year I seem to have one hike that triggers thoughts on life. Last year’s occurred when I lost my head and followed my friends into the pit of death. Okay, I exaggerate. You can read about it at Would You Follow Your Friends Off A Bridge.

This year’s adventure was the Two Elks Pass trail, an eleven-mile hike that includes a 1,500 foot climb over 1.5 miles. Here’s what I was reminded of during the six hour hike:

  • The best way to the top of the mountain is one step at a time.
  • It’s okay to rest.
  • Hard and fun are not mutually exclusive.
  • Savor the effort.
  • Enjoy the easy parts.
  • When your feet are tired, get a massage.  🙂

As I transition back into “real-life” mode, I plan to keep these front and center. They don’t just apply to hiking!

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Sherry Essig

2 Comments

  1. Suzanne Beaumont on September 14, 2011 at 9:06 am

    Sherry,
    I just returned from participating in the Nations Triathlon in Washington, D.C. Our national Team in Training coach is Dave Scott, multi-time IronMan winner. His main message, which I kept in my heart, was this: do what you can do in the moment. Don’t worry about that last mile; don’t worry about the next mile; don’t worry about winning or losing. Just be present and do what you can do at that moment. Awesome. What a great message to give to us the night before our race! And it feels like a good philosophy for every type of moment. Sound familiar?
    Best regards,
    Suzanne



  2. Sherry Essig on September 14, 2011 at 11:12 am

    What a beautiful message! And I couldn’t agree more that it’s applicable to every type of moment. How was the triathlon? You are an inspiration!!!



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