Trail Purists

4/26/2013

Trail Purist


I am faced with decisions on a daily basis, and the choices that I make have consequences.   Let's say that I am hiking up the trail, and I see that there is a wet spot up ahead.  It's wet and it's muddy too.  It's wet and muddy...... and too wide to step or hop over.   I can see that there is a path around the wet spot.  It will take me 20 yards off the AT,   but it will keep my feet,my socks, and my shoes dry.  Dry is good.  I am down to my last pair of socks......socks that are clean.....dry.....and don't stink.
Socks that have been worn smell.  Socks that have been worn and gotten wet, stink.   The truth is that my shoes.....my second pair....already stink.  But the smell radiates several feet farther, and is more repugnant......oh all right......the smell is God awful, when these shoes are wet.  The point I am making,  is that it's better when you stay dry.
The dilemma is that in order to stay dry,  one has to step off trail.
Yes.  I am a bit of a purist.  As much as is possible,  I am trying to stay on the trail....trying to hike the whole trail.  That said, this particular wet spot is deep.  It certainly will get my socks wet.  And my shoes, muddy and wet.  I just started hiking less than an hour ago..... this morning.  So it is still cold, and I have a long day of hiking ahead.  All of us hikers know by now,  that wet socks means that your feet slide more in the shoe...... and sliding leads to blisters....and blisters are not fun.  We all learned that way back in Georgia.
Ok.....okay,  the truth is that blisters, at this point in the hike, are no longer an issue.  My feet are so calloused now, that you would have a hard time driving a nail into the bottom of them.
It is not the blisters....it is the stink.  My shoes stink so bad already, that in this warmer weather,  they are starting to draw flies.  Really.
So I decide....... as I approach the wet,muddy, spot, that just this once, I am gonna go around.  Looks like that is what everybody else did anyway.   And I am gonna stay dry.  Maybe I can stay dry all day for once.  Maybe for just one day, I can stay dry..... all day.
There it is dead ahead of me.  And it's fresh too....really fresh.
Right straight ahead of me is a fresh footprint.....a fresh print that sank deep.....way down deep.... into the muck.... right in the middle of the AT.  And I can see another print beyond that....a print covered by water.....a print in the muck,  a full three inches under the surface.  Some hardcore fool who got here shortly before me, on this early, cold,  morning, has walked right up the middle.....right straight through the muck.  It's a big print.... probably some macho man....... but maybe a woman.  There are a lot of women on this trail,  and some of them are large women,  with large feet.  Some of these women are carrying 50 pound packs.  I am not kidding.
Who did it?  I don't know.  But I do know that some damn, hardcore,  purist .......up early and ahead of me......... has squished his way right down the middle of the AT..... muddy, wet, smelly, shoes be dammed!  My fantasy of dry shoes is crushed.  He did it.....or she did it.  Okay.  Now I gotta do it too.  I step quickly......... as if to beat the cold muddy muck that is oozing into my shoes.  My foot slides a bit,  and I plant a pole to remain upright.  It's cold muck.....but it's not so bad...... not as cold as the Great Smokey Mountains' Muck.  Spring must be coming.  The water is not as cold.  I note.
Yes.  My shoes stink something awful.....of course they do......I am an AT thru-hiker!!!