A (kind of) shake walk

«I’ve finally recovered and feel better after having an ear infection for three weeks. Now I need to go out! I’m thinking of doing a trial walk: the Askoy-på-langs walk. Either Friday to Sunday or Saturday to Sunday. Do you want to join?»

I hit send, hoping one of my favorite hiking buddies would be available.

Being stuck at home after work with little company other than my thoughts, I desperately needed some fresh air. The last few weeks had been busy packing up the apartment, doing some things on the pre-trail to-do list, and watching other people hike on YouTube. But no training. There is no time outside. The weather had been wonderful with clear skies for days. I was about to explode. Is there any worse agony for the hiking heart?

Askoy Island is not far from where we both live. And it has a great trail from south to north, covering about 24 miles of well-maintained trail. A great way to spend a winter weekend and test out the setup for my next AT hike.

A few hours later, my phone rang:

«Okay, I’m in»

YASSSS!!!! FINALLY!!! I’M GOING OUT!!!

Day 1

Two days later (and a little more administration/preparation), we parked the car at the south terminal, put on our backpacks, and started walking. The plan was to do a little over half (13 miles) on Saturday, camp in the woods (we knew of a place we had visited before) and do the last 11 miles the next day.

The weather was beautiful, but cold. During the day the forecast was 28 degrees and at night about 18 degrees. I thought it was perfect to get an idea of ​​what things might be like at AT early in the season. It had been cold in Askoy for weeks. Unusually. All water sources along the trail were frozen. But we had a plan. There was a stop along the way where we were able to make a detour in less than a kilometer to get to a store to buy water. I also had my brother, who lives not far from where we planned to camp. He was our designated follow-up angel, both as a water provider and as a makeshift shelter in case there was any reason to leave the place. Better. Brother. Ever.

I loved being outside. The cold, cool air filled my lungs, making the tip of my nose freeze a little. It wasn’t as difficult as I expected considering my previous sedentary weeks. We were also doing well. At the highest point of the trail (a whopping 757 feet) we stopped for a snack and a cup of hot chocolate. The views were good, but we headed to a shelter to get out of the wind. It wasn’t strong, but it was ice cold.

Mosse, the trail mascot, remains a constant companion.

As we progressed, the day continued to give way. It was easy. No mud, not particularly technical. The trail maintainers were eager, making the trail wonderfully friendly to hike. After about 8 miles we pulled off the trail, bought some water, and took a break. Sitting inside on a bench, warming up and recharging. It was amazing and totally worth the detour.

Would you rather have the ability to fly or the ability to turn invisible?

As we began to approach the final miles of the day, the sun set. Climbing a steep incline to the top of one last hill, we turned on our headlights. This is usually the time when my mind starts playing tricks on me. At least when I’m hiking alone. Getting to a point where I’m physically tired, it’s dark and I need fuel without feeling hungry. A bad combination for a wild imagination.

We walked in silence for a while. My mind took the opportunity to suggest some incredible topics to ponder:

«What if you have to do a night hike alone on the AT?», and

«What happens if you encounter a bear on said hike?» and

“What if it’s not a bear, but you hear someone laughing creepily in the woods?”

Clearly, he was willing to do everything in his power to scare me. But then, instead, a friendly voice asks from behind:

«So, if you had to choose, would you rather have the ability to fly or the ability to turn invisible?»

This. This is the reason why it is among the best hiking companions. I started to smile, focusing my mind on the question at hand.

In fact, one question turned into another, consequences and scenarios were discussed. In the end we weren’t sure it would be good to have superpowers, but if we did have one, the healing power would probably be preferable. The laughter and chatter only ended when we approached the parking lot before our campsite. Not long after, my awesome brother (who is still the best brother ever) pulled his car into the parking lot, handed him a fresh supply of room temperature water, and drove off again. We were ready to spend the night!

Reality hits the fan

A LOT of things can happen in the brain during the time it takes for a cup of chocolate to cool…

He was sitting in the shelter of the campsite. It was completely closed and the strong canvas that formed its walls creaked in the wind. My backpacking food was rehydrating and I was waiting for my hot chocolate to cool enough that I could safely drink it. Icy smoke filled the air in front of me as I let out a sigh. I was looking at the wall. At that moment, things became real.

“What the hell did I sign up for?!”

I was cold, hungry and tired. Another bad combination. The physical sensation went straight to my brain. Was this what the AT would feel like? More than 170 days of this? It had been a great day, but at that moment my brain could only tell me how it felt at that moment. And that was “cold, hungry, tired – forever!”

My friend was silent for a moment before saying, «Yeah, it’s pretty big!»

Luckily, I’ve already gone through a momentary slump. I know a brain can turn sour in the blink of an eye. But, with a little willpower, it can also become sweet almost as quickly. Then I began to reason with myself:

«But it won’t be like that for half a year. Some days, yes. And some days will surely feel much worse than this. But winter will pass and it will be spring. Then summer.»

He kindly interjected: «Yes, and think about it. Compared to this, the AT will also be at least ten times more fun!»

I looked at him. The AT was an adventure he would have loved to undertake himself if he could. I had the opportunity to do this and therefore I should do it. It was about living a life full of adventure. This was bigger than being cold, tired and hungry for a short afternoon.

«You’re right. I can do this. I want to do this. And we both know that tomorrow, when I wake up warm and cozy in my hammock, I’ll be as happy as any human being ever was!»

Day 2

When I woke up the next morning, I was happier than any human being. Not only was I outside, but I also felt a sense of mastery from having talked to myself the day before. The weather was still freezing, but beautiful. The dawn glowed orange at the end of the lake.

We packed up and headed to complete the hike. After about an hour we stopped by my brother’s house to fill up our water bottles for the day. We soon left again. However, the trail became more technical, with many small ups and downs.

An unexpectedly short last day

We had been walking for a few hours when I heard from behind:

«My feet are bothering me a little. I think I need to put on another pair of socks.»

I’ve never heard him complain while walking before (that’s usually my job). We made a quick stop. After continuing for about another hour, we reached a longer stretch of road.

«This doesn’t feel good,» he said. «I’ve never had this problem before. I chose the wrong shoes for this hike. I thought there might still be a lot of mud here, but I should have chosen my trail shoes.»

He was wearing sturdy hiking boots. I agreed with him. They were heavy and the cold meant they probably wouldn’t warm up enough to become soft or pliable. I knew he was probably hurting more than he was letting on. And he had probably been feeling it since yesterday.

“Do you want to continue or maybe we should stop here?” I asked. I took a quick look at the map: «If we continue down this road instead of turning into the forest, we can reach the main road in less than a mile.»

«Well, if finishing the walk is very important to you, we can continue,» he said.

This is perhaps the most Norwegian way of saying “please, let’s stop here.” I just responded, «I’ll call my brother.»

This was a good one!

No more than an hour later, we took a bus to the local bus station, took a bus to the south terminal, and found the car. Best brother ever.

Even if I’m not sure this qualifies as a proper test hike, it was a great weekend. I laughed, walked, and returned to the forest after weeks of being inside. We also agreed that we had accomplished what we set out to do: experience camping in the winter cold after a long day of hiking. I take it as a victory!