TGIM: Out of the Woods

Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday! I’m back from a week in the woods and it’s always a bittersweet adjustment back into life’s normal routine. There’s something about being in nature that is hard to put into words but the experience always leaves me feeling compelled to share the sentiment. While living for a week in the woods is not for everyone, I’ll try to convey what I’ve taken away from the challenges I faced this year.

​

This year I set out to do the northern 100 miles of the Pennsylvania section on the Appalachian Trail. For those of you who don’t know, Pennsylvania has a pretty bad reputation in the hiking community for being the rockiest and, as a result, one of the most mentally taxing parts on the AT. When you’re walking over rocks stabbing your feet for dozens of miles your mind starts screaming in protest. I’ve been putting it off for the last few years going further north and south of PA in order to avoid the dreaded rocks. But due to logistics (work) it was time to face the music. So I packed up my bag with everything that I would need for the week and headed out to start southbound at the Delaware Water Gap.

​

To give you an idea of what the day looks like out there I’ll paint the scene. You wake up in your tent as the sun comes up and the forest becomes surprisingly loud with the sounds of the birds calling and other hikers packing up to head out for the day ahead. Before you even sit up you start stretching out your ankles and bending your knees to assess where your body is feeling the brunt of yesterday’s efforts.

​

In order to start packing everything up for the day ahead, you roll up your sleeping bag, your sleeping pad (the thing under your bag to make sleeping on the ground bearable), and change back into your dirty hiking clothes all within your little one-man crawl space of a tent. You can finally make your way out of your tent to start packing that up too and strategically place your belongings into your pack which you’ll carry for the next 10-20 miles that day.

When your things are organized, you can get your food bag from the tree you hung it in or the “bear box” it was securely placed in to, as the name suggests, prevent bears and other less life-threatening, more pesky critters from getting into it. Maybe you have a delicious poptart or protein bar for breakfast to fuel up on calories before you start your trek. Last but not least, you make your way to the spring that’s hopefully close by to collect and filter your water for the day. Each day when you put that water into your pack you are humbly reminded that every liter is about two pounds (so when you need to pack three or four liters out you are carrying an extra six to eight pounds). Now you’re ready to hit the road!

​

The distance you go each day varies by terrain, water sources, how bad your feet are hurting, and availability of places to tent. Thru-hikers (people that are staying on the trail for three to six months to walk from Georgia to Maine) are often doing 20+ miles a day. There was a 71-year-old we met this year taking his time doing five to six miles per day. And there was another younger guy who passed us who was out to set the fastest recorded time to complete the 2197 miles doing 50+ miles per day. As they say out on the trail, you hike your own hike.
​

Regardless of how many miles you’re doing, they are well earned by every hiker. Some days there were 1,000-foot elevation climbs. Other days were endless rocky stretches of rocks that were too small to completely step on but too big to avoid your foot catching them all together. This last week was all 90+ degree days with what felt like one million percent humidity. And mind you you’re carrying 30+ pounds on your back with your shelter, food, water, etc.
​

After lots of stops for catching your breath, snacks, talking to other hikers, and catch a few views, you finally make it to your next tent spot to set up your tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad, make your dinner, gather water, and do it all over again the next day.
​

At this point, you’re probably wondering what the heck is the point of all of this when there’s perfectly good air conditioning, beds, and tap water at home?
​

Well, my friends, the point of this is the wonderful feeling of satisfaction, purpose, community, joy, and fulfillment that comes with having your feet carry you 100 miles.
​

While being out on the trail demands more effort to do the little things like sleep, drink water, and survive, it comes with a positively disproportionate feeling of joy as a reward. Being in nature helps your brain slow down. We are accustomed to constant notifications and reminders, emails and messages, and when you’re out in the woods your brain gets a chance to slow down and notice your surroundings. Sometimes those surroundings are the small rocks undoubtedly damaging the soft tissue in your feet, but sometimes it’s the smell of the ferns or the view from the westward ridge. Our culture has wired us to keep up with the fast-paced world but nature lets us slow down. Over time the joy in slowing down becomes so much more rewarding than the quick dopamine hits of social media, amazon shopping, and food delivery without the often residual regret the latter comes with.
​

Being outside also allows your body to feel energized in a way sitting at your office desk or on your couch never will. When you use every ounce of energy your body has to offer (and recover appropriately), you sleep better, your physiology benefits, and your focus improves. I wear a whoop which tracks my sleep and strain and my numbers were the best they have been all year since starting to wear it in January. My strain (effort of activity) was the highest I’ve every had which led to the best recovery (heart rate variability and resting heart rate) I’ve ever had. Pushing yourself and recovering well is the secret sauce for better health (not the perfect diet or exercise). I bet if I wasn’t eating ramen and poptarts every day it would’ve been even better (ha).
​

The trail also provides a sense of community that’s often missing in “the real world” because of the transactional and regimented nature of how we work. The other hikers on the trail and the people who help maintain the physical trail and the people hiking it (ridgerunners, trail angels, etc) form this bond that unites people who endure hard things together. On the trail people look out for each other, telling the next hiker what to expect of the upcoming terrain, if the next water source has dried up, and what stops off the trail are worth the extra mileage. It’s wholesome, supportive, and wonderful to be a part of.
​

The last big takeaway for me this year was the sense of peace that I felt when I got back to my car when my hike was over. My mind wasn’t racing to schedule clients, figuring out when I could sleep to survive my overnight shifts, what homework assignment was due, etc. Instead, my mind was quiet. It still took note of the throbbing pains in the arches of my feet. But it didn’t feel hurried or anxious. And that is a reward which is worth every foot-stabbing rock, wrong turn, and sweaty climb the trail has to offer.
​

I wish everyone could experience a week in the woods because it provides an opportunity to live life in a way that waking up in the comfort of our beds doesn’t. But it’s not for everyone, I get that. In order to experience some of these benefits without the bug bites and heat rash it’s worth turning off the phone more and going on more walks outside. Turn off any non-essential notifications and go sit outside without any music or book. Let your mind wander. Let yourself get a little uncomfortable. Push yourself in your workout. Try a new activity. Join a new community. Walk barefoot. Hike your own hike.
​

If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM. Or visit https://walshwellness.weebly.com/ for older editions and if you’d like to subscribe.
​

I didn’t listen to any podcasts this past week while I was out in the woods, so if you’ve made it this far, send me a podcast or a book that you listened to or read last week for me to add to my queue.

​

With that, let me know what practice you can implement this week to find more peace in your life and slow down your usual pace. Maybe you quit your job and head out to do a thru hike. Or maybe you just go on a walk around the block after work without your phone and notice what that does for you. Let me know what you plan on doing.
​

Until next time,

Shannon