Journey of a Lifetime

My “Journey of a Lifetime” – the disappointing turn of events and lessons learned.

For three weeks in August 2022, my husband and I planned to backpack through the Eastern Sierra wilderness on what is called the John Muir Trail.  We trained for months on local trails and in the mountains of the Adirondacks.  Gradually we built the strength and stamina we would need to carry 30-pound packs over many miles each day, at altitudes ranging from 8,000 to 13,000 feet.

On Day 1, we set out on the trail, with a plan to cover 160 miles in 17 days.  We were nervous but excited to begin this daunting challenge.

But as John Lennon once said, ”Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”  Indeed.

Rain, hail, lightning, mudslides, and a leaking tent forced us to turn around, regroup, and ultimately completely change our itinerary. Eventually we got back on the trail, but everything had changed, and we didn’t even come close to accomplishing our goal. It wasn’t what we planned, but it’s what we got.

And you know what?  In the end, it was still great.  We adapted, we carried on, and we were still grateful
for the opportunity to have tried.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.