If we all treated each other the way the hiking community does, the world would be an easier and kinder place to live in. Connectedness and common humanity, experiencing the same struggles and intense natural world wonders, facilitates helping each other and enjoying each other’s company in a way every day life off of the trail misses. During my 7 week, 500+ mile thru hike from Mt. Katahdin in Maine to Main Jct., in Killington, Vermont I experienced daily acts of kindness, consideration, compassion and cooperation with people I had just met. That created an instant closeness and impactful connection. Here are some examples:
While I was hiking in the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine there was another woman who was also “master of her own schedule and sole decision maker”. She hiked a bit faster than me. Her trail name was Zamboni. There were several river crossings in the 100 MW, not just rock hopping, but mid thigh and above water levels. One of my own rules was that if I thought the water would be above my crotch, and no one else was there to cross with, I would take a high water work around if there was one. Zamboni was at these river crossings many times. She would tell me she needed a break, or needed to filter water, or have a snack, but I suspect she was actually waiting for me so neither of us needed to cross on our own. We helped each other all the time. We ended up crossing a raging river that had a rope up across it.
We unbuckled our packs, and crossed one at a time. We needed that rope too, because we were getting pushed off of our feet by the current. We later met the guy who put up the rope! Another act of kindness to help fellow hikers! Before my first food drop in the 100 MW I told Zamboni I was going to have an intermittent fast to see how it worked, since I ran out of food at lunch before resupply the next morning. She shared her food with me that night. That is just how it works on the trail. If you have something someone needs, you share it, if you need something and someone offers it to you, you take it with thanks and without hesitation, because you KNOW everyone is going to need something at some point in their journey, and that is totally acceptable!
My second or third day in through the 100 MW, I was still hiking with wet feet, and the ball of my foot split open (I later learned that was called trench foot.) When I set up camp at the dam at Rainbow Lake, a couple came out of the woods from nowhere. I showed them my foot. Ends up they had arrived there by sea plane, which was “parked” in a cove nearby. They were headed home after a day of fishing in this remote, uninhabited lake. The man said I should build a fire to dry out. I let him know I cold soak all of my meals and do not carry matches or a lighter. He immediately set to not only building me a fire in the campfire ring, but made a drying rack to go over it for my socks and clothes (I had nothing left that was dry.)
The woman offered bug dope, which I gladly accepted because the bugs were thick there, and let me know that she thought it was just the beginning of a callus, that it would heal and form a tougher patch of skin shortly (you cannot train to make your skin thicker for a thru hike, that just takes hiking 10 hours a day!) Those comforting words were incredibly important to me. And then the man asked what I had for a first aid kit. I said “wet ones, 2 band aids and some hockey tape” he said he would be back in 10 minutes. He went over to his plane and brought back his first aid kit. I took all of the items I thought I would need, he just gave them to me. He offered to contact anyone for me on his satellite phone- I smiled and said that I do not need to worry anyone about this incident! Again- people just offer help. And those who need help, just gladly accept it, with gratitude.
In the Bigelows I met a woman, also hiking faster than me. We ended up at the same site, near an old caretakers cabin. I ran into her at the very small and very cold spring at the site. She was concerned because her achilles tendon was bothering her. We both got our water, then she used some water to ice her heel a bit. In the morning, I showed her how to use her KT Tape that she had with her to tape her achilles tendonitis. She had contacted her husband to start hiking in from the closest trailhead (maybe 6 miles away?) But was really worried that she would not be able to make it out. So I hiked with her. We went slow, but we talked the whole way about how amazing it is what our bodies are actually capable of when we need them to be. And we pointed out and enjoyed every natural wonder we got the pleasure to experience on the way. What could have been a lonely, scary hike, turned out to be an actually pleasant and learning experience for her, despite her bum ankle! Then, at the trailhead, they gave me a ride to Stratton, where I was going to spend a “0” day. We agreed that we would hike together again someday!
Moral support was also an important way to connect. There was a group of women hikers who were coming up Mt. Madison in the White Mountains of NH the same time I was, trying to beat forecasted thunderstorms, and in 60 mph sustained winds, with gusts 80-90 mph. I was being literally blown off of my feet. I stopped at Osgood Junction against a sign post to check if the Parapet trail actually got me to Madison Hut, because I knew it was not safe for me to gain anymore elevation and go over the summit of Mt. Madison. It did, and I took that trail, but the wind was so strong it had me pinned against the sign post. I had to get on my hands and knees and climb up my poles to continue along the rocks on the Parapet trail, following rock Cairns while the wind was blowing my eyeballs dry! I had passed the slower hikers in the group earlier, and then saw the faster hikers of that group when I made it to Madison Hut.
Well, the last one in of their group did not make it in until about 11:30 pm. They were able to get a blue tooth signal and speak with her the whole way, but of course were worried. They invited me to eat with them at their table that night, and I shared my stick roller with them all! The thunderstorms had begun before she got in. We all encouraged each other that she would be fine, we were in awe of her tenacity, we all helped each other keep a positive outlook on the situation. We also all went down the Valley Way trail the next morning when it was zero visibility, wet rocks, and the winds had not diminished. A profound connection was made sharing a mind blowing, scary experience!
Other hiking community acts of kindness included a pub owner in Monson Maine making me eggplant parmesan at 9 am to take for lunch with me because I missed it at his restaurant and I was about to do an 8 mile high water bypass that day. My daughter putting me up at her place and my friends helping me with rides to and from trailheads when I was in need of assistance for “0” days, or “Nero” days, whether planned or unplanned. Day hikers that offered me real food! One day some guys who were fishing came over to where I had stopped by a lake and offered me a turkey sandwich for lunch! Heaven! Hikers traveling in the other direction that offered me “intel” information on where water was, or had dried up, weather reports, trail condition reports. A driver turning around to come pick me up when I was hitchhiking into town for a resupply. It was all incredible. I will endeavor to live my life to enhance the connections in my life, no matter how brief or small, to share positive energy when others are in need of it, or stuck in a gloomier space, to help and allow myself to be helped, with acceptance and gratitude. To know that we are all sharing this human experience on earth, no matter what our circumstances are socially, financially, demographically, politically, we all share both the struggle and the wonderment of this life while we are here, this learning experience. If we can in some way make someone else’s life more positively supported, then let’s do that.