Pre Hike Jitters, First Week On Trail…Dude, Where’s My Truck?

Pre Hike Jitters

I  told myself I would be on my hike by now, but I am not.  I have been hiking, packing, and re-packing my gear in my two packs to find the best pack and pack weight combo.  The snow is melting, and fast, but still, I wait, thinking I should be out there.  Not much longer, though I suspect.

Keeping myself busy and scoping out my starting point while staying hiking and busy as I can.  I’ll admit it, I’m a little bit nervous about my adventure, wondering if my legs will really hold up for 700 miles or more.  Why is resupply such a logistical feat and a bit overwhelming for a newb?  How many times am I going to pack and repack my pack trying to get it all in there just right?

Maybe it’s because I’ve never done this before.  It might be that walking into the woods, alone has a certain uneasiness about it?  Probably don’t want to hike under a blood-red moon, but what do I know, I’m a newb.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Wanting to start early is understandable.  As soon as the weather changes, I switch into hiking mode so I want to be out there exploring, hiking and camping.  My starting point still has over a foot and a half of snow in some places, but hopefully not for long.  Maybe within the next week or so, it should be perfect.

All I know is I want to hike, explore and see these awesome areas along the CDT and Colorado Trail.  With that being said, I’d also prefer to be safe and stick it out a tiny bit longer for better conditions.

 The Journey is the Destination

The main thing I try to keep in mind is that the journey, the hike, is the destination.  It took a long time for me to get here to this point, so a week or so longer is not that big of a deal and I can be patient.  The main thing is to get hiking, that’s the destination for me.  Have I put in 20 miles yet, absolutely not.  Have I slept outside yet, nope.  It’s coming though, but as my trail name implies, it’s a slow ride.

First Week Hiking, Truck Hiking?

So, the Colorado Trail is ultimately the goal, but that will come soon enough.  The snow is mostly gone as far as I can tell, so I’ve hit the trail this week. Although I have high hopes for a thru-hike, I’ve only been day hiking on the CDT around Steamboat and that section towards Rocky Mountain National Park, I haven’t slept a night out in the woods. I know, I know.  I have parked my truck at the 1400 mile something mile mark of the CDT, hiked, had a full pack, all that,  My truck is like my security blanket in case of injury.  I’m glad I’ve had it with me because as luck would have it, despite stretching, training hikes, my left knee did lock up on me this past week after a day hike leaving me immobile for several hours.  Can you say Ibprofuren? I can because my legs, my back, and my 41-year-old self hurt.  Embracing the brutality of the CDT even as a day hiker is essential.  Soon enough, I’ll be more than a day hiker, though, but hopefully, it doesn’t get too brutal.

I’ll be back out there this week, though, albeit, with my truck somewhere in the distance just in case.  I guess that’s part of the hike, the journey.  Is it even a thru hike if  I have a truck for backup?  Is there some rule saying I can’t go back home after a long hike at 9,000 feet?

Guess I’ll just have to go for it because it’s getting so nice out and summer comes and goes so fast.   Hiking is still the goal, even if my leg acts up, out and backs for days at a time are still doable, but I won’t pretend to say I’m a thru hiker until I actually am.  This serves as a testing ground of sorts and when I complete it, it’s onto the Colorado Trail, hopefully without my truck.

This week will be a test, as was last week.  Am I just a day hiker who hopes to be a thru-hiker?  I think I’m somewhere in between right now.