I reread Small, Good Things recently and honestly forgot I’d written it. It still feels true to how Joan and I share our lives together. Sharing it again as it seems appropriate after our “Gear Pick of the Year!”
Over the last week or so, the usual spate of “Do I need to train for a thru-hike?” questions has appeared.
The usual arc of the questions appeared: People half-kiddingly(?) saying they ate Doritos and beer to get ready for a hike, or the trail will get you in shape, etc.
But when nearly 75% of people discontinue their AT thru-hikes because the romance of thru-hiking does not hold up to reality, I often wonder why people discount “training” for a longer hike.
I put “training” in quotes because a base level of physical fitness is essential for both mental and physical health, and only makes the beginning of a longer hike more pleasant. And if you backpack a bit beforehand, you might find out you enjoy backpacking before committing much money, time, and emotional energy to something you might not want.
I did my usual subtle, non-opinionated musing on the subject via social media:
But from this discussion in the comment, a common refrain emerged along the lines of “I can’t get into weekend hikes or even a week-long hike; I need the long journey.”
Not going to debate that concept, as my friend LB put it succinctly: “Most thru-hikers don’t enjoy backpacking.”
As I’ve also mentioned, it is the allure of the journey in the wild places that people enjoy.
But from this discussion, I realized that the shorter hikes are part of a greater whole. They are not just one-offs.
While I enjoy my longer walks, my life would be infinitely less rich without all the other hiking, skiing, and even camping I’ve done.
They are short stories.
I love novels, but a well-crafted short story impacts me long after I read the last sentence.
A novel keeps me immersed for days, taking me into a different world. But a well-crafted short story resonates. And reading a series of short stories adds up to a collective whole in which the author’s vision and the craft of their writing stay with me for years or even decades later.
My very worn copy of “Where I’m Calling From” gets read at least once a year. And the plots seem germane to discussions I’ve had over the years. If a person reads “A Small, Good Thing” and does not feel some emotion. Well, I am not sure what to say.
And that’s how I view my shorter hikes. Each hike may not be as “epic” as a long hike, but they all add to a collective whole. Quite literally, thousands of days spent in the wild places over the years. And some of the individual trips impact me long after I leave the trailhead for home. I would not trade the five days in The Maze, the time spent in Chaco, or even my time in our local mountains, for a single, or even a few, “trips of a lifetime.”
My AT thru-hike many years ago made me seek out something different than the current trajectory of my life at that point.
But because of long hikes, in part, both Joan and I know we had to craft a life where we can be outside as much as possible, as easily as possible, and as close as possible. I can’t fathom not having the outdoors as part of our daily life, where we spend as much time outdoors as possible and in many different ways.
We need the outdoors as part of our real life. Where every week is a vacation. The “small, good things” add up to an experience much richer for us than one big thing.
YES!!!! Thank you.
The short hikes do add up. And importantly for me, they fill the gaps (which are far to l-o-n-g in my life) between longer treks, and help me scratch the ever-present itch. I need that connection to God, myself, and our world that they provide.
I seem to remember the details of a short story more than a novel. Many more distractions now, it is surprising how well it relates to remembering my hiking trips. A short blog that made me ponder! Nice insight.
Every moment outside is an adventure;, just as every short bike ride is a tour, and every walk is a journey. Your words about small good things resonate.
Thanks Paul. Very well said. I was browsing a used bookstore years ago and found a copy of the literature book I’d had junior year in high school in 1977. One of the stories therein is ‘A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote. As you said, that story resonates with me, and I think of it often and read it once a year.