Three secrets to survive the long path

The end is so close that I can see the Canadian border on the mountains. In this stretch of walking through the green mountains, I found three key ways to keep the path on my side.

1. Secondary missions are your best friends

This section of the path taught me the importance of having a plan, and perhaps it did not always stick to it. Enter what I love to call my secondary missions.

The most surprising secondary search was the Lake Mansfield Trout Club (Shoutout Birds Eye and Bird Eye’s Family to get to us!) We walk along a side path to Lake Mansfield and spend the whole afternoon watching fly fishermen in the water, playing cards and making puzzles. At night, we had a delicious dinner and returned to the long path when the sun began to wear. Very soon, we had to walk with our headlights in the night in white and buggy.

Then, we went to another lateral search, this time by a side path through a short cave in the dark. We went down a high staircase and between rocks, listening to the sounds of the night and our voices that echoed between the rock walls. It was only the last little adrenaline I needed to continue pushing a few more miles to camp at night.

Splits in a secondary search for the general store of Eden!

In the summer solstice, we take advantage of the additional day light. At that time, I was walking with three other anxious hikers to the north and the parents support of a hiker. The six went to a secondary search outside the train to the general store of Eden. The ice cream and fresh blueberries of Ben & Jerry made the perfect afternoon. We had a lot of time to finish the miles for that day and get to the Tillotson camp shelter.

These secondary missions were only small stops in the much larger adventure to walk along the long path, which included beautiful main events such as climbing the highest vermont mountain, the iconic Mount Mansfield.

Walking on Mount Mansfield.

2. Make fun every day (make friends!)

Why get up at dawn to walk in the torrential rain when you don’t have to do it? On the morning of the 22nd, I was a little above the suffere. I had woken up with the sound of the rain on my slugs covered in Tillotson Camp Shelter. Instead of getting up with the sun to walk in the torrential rain, I returned to bed and began to walk at 11 in the morning after the rain had cleared. We did not have to walk very far that day, so why rush?

Our mini tramilia grew from two to four in the last days on the way. I enjoyed seeing more through hikers and section hikers again, after a few days of seeing just more along the way. There was a feeling of camaraderie towards the end, celebrating each mile of exhaustion to Canada. When I was caught in the repetition of the path, I wondered, «How can I make this day more fun?»

Climbing on a small bridge to the summit of Mount Mansfield.

3. Collect stories

Other times, I wondered, «This would be a good story?» It was as if it were in a mission: to collect stories such as Pokémon cards.

I tried to own my path of path, storyteller, listen, tell and document the stories of this long trip. This type of thought helped me overcome some of the toughest miles. When the path did not feel funAt least difficult moments could be a fun story.

A story made me thank for the community and the kindness of strangers. In the morning we left Johnson, VT, we were refraining from the general dollar and we hope in the torrential rain to go to the path. We take advantage of our thumbs to the road while cars accelerate, splashing our waterproof with cold and humid puddles. My hair turned to the stripes and our fresh clothes was soaked. We were two hikers who could walk for miles for days, which were now standing in the torrential rain and praying to take a walk.

For weeks, I had been thinking about the phrase, «You are the cause of your own suffering» And laughing at myself. I could not help thinking about how only hours before, I had a hot shower and blueberry pancake breakfast. I was in the elements again, by my own will.

A special vermont maple that ate the night before being in the torrential rain.

Just when he dreamed of food, a cast truck driver stopped to give us the magic of trails. This transformed us from two sad hikers in the rain to two smiling hikers in the rain. We continue waiting for a trip, with a little more hope. Then, a friendly couple with a very hairy dog saved us from the storm and took us to Johnson Hardware. In the store, we were welcome inside and we wait for the rain.

He was overwhelmed by the kindness of the strangers and the community he had found in this path. Each small encounter became a great story that helped me laugh at myself and rain, and finally advance.

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