In my last blog I talked about my holy shit day. What I did not mention is there are many hikers who would’ve done what I did without a lick of fear. On the other hand, there are many people who would not have ventured on that route at all. The reason I didn’t mention this is because I’m aware comparisons do little good for me and might leave me feeling inferior or superior, neither of which I want.

The only person I try to compare myself to is the person I keep striving to become. For example, when reflecting on my holy shit day, I can ask myself, “were you reckless or trying to prove something to anybody? Did you take your time to follow safety protocol and did you needlessly worry or let fear take over?” When I was able to answer no to all of these, I felt good about myself regardless of how others would have approached the situation.

Pondering comparisons led me to thinking about all the places I’ve hiked and how people often ask me what my favorite spots are. This comparison of one place to another is something else I’ve been working not to do. How can the backwoods of Wisconsin, the banks of the Potomac River, the swamp lands of Florida, and the Rocky Mountains be compared to one another? Besides, many things such as weather, biting insects, bodily discomfort and the availability of water impact how I like an area. While I love Glacier Park, I’ve had some unpleasant experiences there being cold, wet and pelted by hail. I am thankful to have been in the park three times during peak wildflower season, seeing thousands of blooms of all colors.

For pure awesome beauty places like Glacier, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Arizona desert in full bloom would win hands-down, but by focusing only on sheer massive beauty, I would miss the subtle beauty of the other places.

I’ve spent many peaceful nights along the shores of a Maine or Wisconsin lake and marveled at the size of the trees and numbers of turtles along the Potomac Heritage Trail. I’ve enjoyed the way the sun comes through the trees in the green tunnel of the Appalachian Trail.

If I start to compare one place to the other, I’ll often be disappointed in much of what I see. And these comparisons would not take into account my personal experience of a place, which are shaped not only by the scenery, but by the interactions with people I meet along the way. While I wouldn’t say the Ice Age Trail, Natches Trace, New England Trail nor the Florida Trail are the most spectacular ones I’ve ever hiked, I’m glad to have done all of them. Each has a different beauty, and all provided me with the blessings of meeting many kind people who are becoming lifelong friends.

How could I possibly compare the kindness of one person to that of another? Each has given me a gift, and by not comparing, I am able to appreciate each place and person, including myself just as we are.

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