Hiking is different in differing places, but there are some common themes that exist on many trails. In environments like Arizona, hiking is about walking to water. Water or the lack there of determines how many miles I will walk in a day, where I’ll stop for lunch and where I’ll camp in the evening.

We forget about how precious water is when we have it coming from a tap, although many many places in the world do understand the value of good clean water. I’ve thought it’s better having water with cows standing in it peeing then it is to have water that has lead and other toxic chemicals in it. As difficult as it sometimes is to drink brown cow water, it’s probably healthier for me than arsenic.

I’m careful with the water. I do have out here and mornings when I’ve had to carry water to dry camp I’ll take a little bit of filtered water to wash off my night biteguard. Then I’ll use that same water and pour it in my pot to rinse out my pot. Then that same inch of water is used once again to rinse out my pee jar before I toss it into a plant near my tent.

I’d say after water one of the next thing hikers talk about is food. After a certain point, hiker hunger sets in and one never seems to feel full for very long if at all. Calories are taken for granted when all you have to do is get up from a chair and go to the refrigerator. And yet even out here when my calories are limited by what I can carry on my back, I realize how much luckier I am than people who live in countries where food is extremely hard to come by.

It’s not uncommon to discover that food that appealed to you at home has no appeal on the trail. High altitude and heat among other things can seriously affect one’s appetite. I am surprised out here to discover that I have no desire to eat things that appealed to me on the Ice Age Trail. I have ruefully come to accept that every time I’ve gone hiking in the last four years things such as gummy bears which I never eat at home hold great appeal to me. I try to get mostly pure fruit juice ones but they can be hard to find on the trail. And powdered electrolyte drinks are almost a necessity out here.

Knowing where I can set up a tent is also important. In many places on this trail, it can be miles before I finda suitable camp spot. There are places where it would be nearly impossible to camp. When the trail slabs a mountain, one side is a steep drop off while the other side is a steep cliff up. At other times I’m surrounded by thick brush, prickly cactus or nonstop rocks that would be really uncomfortable sleeping on. Then there are the lovely flat spots that look like they’d be perfect until closer inspection reveals that it’s one huge ant nest.

Ironically the next two things hikers talk about are pooping and trash. If there’s an outhouse, it’s mentioned on the app. It makes the job much easier than having to dig a hole and squat, especially when there are very few trees around to hide the fact of what you’re doing from passing hikers. I will say that sitting on an outhouse seat when it’s in the low 30s outside is a bit tough. I remember when I hiked the Appalachian Trail in the winter I actually carried a pile cover to put on all the outhouse seats. If I had sat on one in those extremely cold temperatures, I might’ve actually frozen to the seat. Out here there are very few outhouses and hikers are trusted to dig a proper hole and carry out their paper. It does bug me that many women leave pee paper exposed by the side of the trail. I would say it’s not usually from thru hikers. Many thru hiking women use a rag and I use a p-style so don’t even squat to pee. Both of these eliminate the need for paper.

It’s amazing how happy we are when we have an opportunity to get rid of our small trash bag, which usually consist of empty foil packages from power bars or tuna and never weighs all that much. But we’re always ready to dump it and places with trash cans are often mentioned in the trail app. Thinking of this left me aware of all the remnants of trauma I still feel myself carrying. Just as I try to find places to dump my trash as I hike along, I try to rid myself of all the pain that I still feel within. I’m hoping if I keep taking in the beauty all around me, it won’t leave room for those other traumas to continue to haunt me.

And of course, hiking is about much more than this. It’s about people we meet, the joy of moving the physical body, the accomplishment of doing something difficult, and the beauty that we see each day. I’ve learned to make conscious memories of my surroundings, and when I’m no longer in these awe-inspiring places, I can still draw on the memories to get me through the hard times at home.