That miserable road – The walk

This is not a post I would have ever wanted to write, but, a week later, an attempt to climb the Northeast’s 115 highest peaks ended, again, in abandonment.

Having spent the last two years planning, training, getting injured, recovering and trying again to complete this hike, it is, as they say, a bitter pill to swallow.

Last summer, the 100+ mile road hike between the Catskills and Adirondacks misaligned my hips; This year, it’s the IT bands that are screaming at me to stop.

That path, that miserable path, left no room for error; Despite changing my route from main roads to more rural roads, the pavement remained stubborn, more than my 63-year-old body could handle.

At times it had beauty and comfort, but in the end it kept me from being where I had been heading all along: the forest.

And now what?

It’s impossible to calculate the cost of both of these attempts: the hours spent researching, reps at local mountains, missed social gatherings, lost resupply packs, and unused gear. While I don’t regret investing my resources this way, I am now adrift, floating in the water with a stone tied to my feet.

To be honest, I’m tired of doctors, rehab, and PT. I’m tired of another summer slipping away, tired of what seems like an endless season of no.

As people of faith, we should not complain. Look forward without hope. Stop trusting the One who holds everything together.

So, despite where I am, I cannot stay, nor can I move.

There is joy everywhere.

You just have to find the right place to search.

So that’s where I’ll be, this summer and beyond.

Believing that this is not the end, but one more detour of what awaits us.

Follow Missy!

Meanwhile, today Missy “Goldilocks” Bellavance begins her third attempt at this hike. She will be writing about her journey on The Trek blog, so you better follow along. If nothing else, this crazy company has been a ruthless teacher, and Missy has been its best student.

She is READY and there is no one else I would rather see succeed than her.

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