I’m on the road to my next backpacking adventure having trouble knowing what to write. I’ve thought of posting a number of times in these few months between finishing the Florida Trail and setting out to complete the Pacific Northwest Trail but I’ve had trouble connecting to the writer within. It was as if some of my inside parts were refusing to do work of any kind. Some days I managed to do what felt like meaningful tasks. Other days it was difficult to pull myselves away from mindless games on the computer. I think some of this seemingly mindless time was important because it distracted the brain and provided time for inner processing to occur. However, I fell into the pit of addictive behaviors that many computer programs trigger in our brains. Thus I spent more hours than I would have liked doing what felt like unproductive things. When this happened, I worked not to beat myself up, but rather to accept that that’s where I was in my life. Through that acceptance I was more able to make changes in the direction I wanted to go. I have more work to do in this area but I’m glad to have recognized this and to have begun the process of transitioning out of some of the habits I fell into when I was swamped in emotional pain after my husband walked out on me. That said, I did manage to get some things done, including packing my car with all I would need for my next three months of treking.

My plan is to drive about 2500 miles from Vermont to Glacier National Park. I will spend a week backpacking there solely for the sheer joy of backpacking in the spectacular scenery of that park. The snow level there was really low this spring. I was looking forward to hiking a particularly beautiful high route I went around last year due to deep snow. The day before I began my drive, Glacier had a dump of a foot and a half of snow so it looks like I may be hiking in snow after all! But I’m still planning my hike there. I’ve hiked in snow before and I’ll have my ice axe and spikes with me. I really love Glacier National Park and look forward to enjoying the beauty it brings me, snow covered or not.

In Glacier I will meet up with a friend I met while hiking the Arizona Trail last summer. Chaps is currently living and working out of her vehicle. She has offered to meet me a number of places along my route, dropping off my resupplies and assisting however she can. I feel honored she wants to do this for me. I am looking forward to spending time with this kind, insigtful young woman.

After that, I’ll drive another day west to get back on the Pacific Northwest Trail in Havillah, Washington. This is where I got off the PNT last year when I discovered I had three stress fractures in my foot. I’m expecting it will take about seven weeks to hike the almost 700 miles to the Olympic Peninsula, where the Pacific Northwest Trail ends.

From there, I want to head up to Alaska for a few weeks of hiking. I don’t yet know if I’ll do that via plane or ferry. Nor do I know exactly where I’ll go in Alaska. I am trusting in my mantra of “one foot in front of the other,” knowing as I move forward in the present, the future will become clearer. I’ll figure it out as I go.

Well, that’s it for now. I know it’s a bit short, but I wanted to to connect with those of you who have been loyal readers over these past years. I appreciate having you all along on my journeys. Thank you for taking the time to read what I write. I’ll try to post more soon.