People often ask me how I do these long distance hikes. My response is always the same. “One step at a time.” When I stand at the beginning of a 2000 mile hike, it would be overwhelming to think about the entire trip, especially if I figure that each step I take covers only about 2 feet. There are 5280 feet per mile. Divided in half that is 2540 steps per mile. Multiply that by 2000 miles and you have 5,280,000 steps! I never cease to marvel how just one small step at a time eventually gets me to the end. In fact those small steps have added up to over 21,000 miles of backpacking under my feer already.

Each and every step matters and makes a difference, bringing me someplace new, even if it’s only 2 feet from where I was before. I might spot a new flower, insect or rattlesnake, or it may seem like nothing has changed. But change does happen with each step taken.

One step at a time has become my motto for life. That’s all we can do when we’re faced with any task. When my foot was severely burned eight months ago, all I could do was focus on what I needed to heal. It is still far from completely healed, but I reached a point where I had to focus on something other than medical procedures which have dominated much of my life since the injury. I got the blessing of my surgeon who said we might do more surgeries upon my return, but it’s OK for me to take a break for now.

Just one step at a time, I made hundreds of phone calls and figured out where I could mail my food packages so I won’t have to carry food for 200 miles at a time. I didn’t want to mail them to post offices which would be closed if I arrived on a Saturday afternoon, forcing me to stay until Monday morning in that town. In the process of making these calls, I have connected with many kind people whom I’m looking forward to meeting on my journey.

After taking two days to drive from my home in Vermont to Wisconsin, I spent one day on final details such as mailing a few more food boxes and organizing the rest for Ice AgeTrail angels Julie and Pat to mail as I move along the North Country Trail. I wrote a few blogs, took care of any unfinished business such as bills, and at 6:15 AM, I hopped in the car with Pat to get to the bus station a bit over an hour away.

We drove through the promised rain, which is expected to stay with me on and off through this entire first week of hiking. It’ll be a new challenge for my foot to be constantly wet. Hopefully I have enough of what I need to keep the skin from breaking down in that rain. In those rain clouds there was a rainbow, which stayed with us for a while as we drove. I no longer live from a place of “magical thinking,” assuming the rainbow foretold a fortuitous hike. However, that rainbow brought me joy, and I have come to understand that if I focus on the good in each moment, rather than on the pain each step might entail, I can have a trip that brings pleasure into my life. It will not come without some pain, and I believe it’s important to acknowledge the pain, along with the pleasure, because denying pain causes trouble further down the line. But I have come to a place where I can now choose to recognize the pain while putting my main focus on the pleasure. This makes for a much more enjoyable life.

As I begin my adventure, I am aware of the fact I have no idea how I will get back to my car when I get off trail. I am hoping to make it as far as the eastern end of Michigan’s upper peninsula, but in reality, I’m not sure how far I’ll be able to walk with my foot. And how can I plan now for something that won’t happen until I have taken 5,280,000 steps? I dont even know how i will be after ten steps.

Memories of how things worked out on past hikes helps me not worry now. I have managed to get back home after all the trails I’ve done including the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, Continental Divide, New England, Natchez Trace, Ice Age, Potomac Heritage, Arizona, Pacific Northwest and Florida Trails. I should be able to find a way to get back as I hike the North Country Trail, the 11th of the 11 National Scenic Trails .

Having hiked all these helps me remember to let each step I take reveal what the next steps will be without worrying about the future  For now, I have enough planning in place to ensure as much safety and comfort as possible. As for the rest, I will take it in stride, dealing with it one step at a time.

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