Vent: Someone told me my 'epic' 20 mile days were just missing the point

I was bragging about crushing a 60 mile section of the John Muir Trail in 3 days last summer, and a friend who's a ranger just said 'Sounds like you saw a lot of your own feet.' It stung, but he was right. I was so focused on mileage I blew past so many side trails and viewpoints. This year, I planned a 4 day trip for just 30 miles in the same area, with a full day to explore Garnet Lake. It was a totally different experience. Has anyone else had to slow down to actually see what you're hiking through?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_davis19m agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, that hits home. I mean, I used to be all about the numbers too, like @david_walker97 said. I'd get this weird stress about keeping a pace, and then you get home and your photos are just a blur of trail dirt. That day at Garnet Lake, just sitting there for hours, I saw an osprey dive for a fish. You just miss that stuff when you're racing. What was the first thing you really stopped for once you slowed down, that made you go, oh, this is what I was missing?

rosepark9h ago

My best views came during a 40 mile day.

david_walker976h ago

Yeah, totally get that... I did the same thing on the PCT a few years back. I was so stuck on hitting a certain number each day that I'd just put my head down and march. I remember walking right past this amazing waterfall because I was "behind schedule"... makes no sense now. Slowing down was a game changer for me too.