posted by Claire on Aug 8
Oh, and if you didn’t get a chance to see my mug plastered all over the Sunday Star Tribune, here’s the link: http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/25638954.html?location_refer=St.%20Paul:highlightModules:4
Archive for August, 2008
posted by Claire on Aug 8
Dearest friends and family! My apologies for the long silence. I’ve been so busy hiking that I’ve not really been in town for more than a day at a time. With food shopping and laundry and showering and such, I’ve neglected my duties as correspondent.
I’m now at the border between Oregon and Washington. Wow! I know, only I say it louder. I wanted to tell you all about my excitement at crossing the California-Oregon border, but I suppose that’s old news now.
The difference between the Cascades and the Sierra is startling, to say the least. While the Sierra is a tectonic mountain range, with the entire continental plate being pushed upward, the Cascades are primarily volcanic. So, in stead of panoramas of peaks, the southern Cascades display dramatic individual mountains that rise high above the surrounding landscape. They are really quite stunning, due to the stark contrast with their neighbors. So far I’ve had my breath taken away by Mt Shasta, Diamond Peak, Mt Bachelor, the Three Sisters, Mt Washington, Mt Jefferson, and Mt Hood. Visible on the horizon are Mt St Helens and Mt Adams.
More than anything else, these looming mountains remind me of Mt Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania. While the surrounding landscape is clearly VERY different from the seimi-arid rangelands of East Africa, all these mountains share a looming quality, their imposing presence seems to anchor all the surrounding mountains and hills. I’m afraid that my pictures will not capture their grandeur.
Not that my pictures are up yet, either. Please be patient with me. I will get them up as soon as I can, but that may not be until after I reach Canada.
Aside from the beauty through which I walk daily, I think I have finally hit my hiking stride. I know, it certainly took me long enough. I just celebrated 4 months on trail. I have finally allowed myself to slow down to 20 miles a day. As my friends continually remind me, 20 miles is not really “slow.” But, I have had trouble quieting the fiercely competitive side of my nature. Starting around northern California, the faster of my fellow PCT hikers began catching me in earnest. They all had started 3-4 weeks after me, so, needless to say, I couldn’t keep up with them. I tried, and only succeeded in running myself into the ground.
On the other hand, that time has slowly taught me to believe that which I’ve always said: this is my journey, not a race. I am not a failure for not being the best. In fact, this whole endeavor lot more fun when I let my body enjoy itself. It’s extraordinarily odd how I compare myself so harshly to those around me. I seem to wrap my whole self-esteem around success in competition. I know it’s not just me. Everyone makes the same comparisons; it’s part of our nature. I’m glad to have had this opportunity to learn (again) how to let go of that judgemental view. I think I must be a slow learner, since I’ve had the same opportunity umpteen billion times before! An endless balance between ambition and self-esteem. The best thing about separating my performance from my own sense of self-worth is that the only way I can ever fail at something is not to try at all.
Does this make any sense? I’m writing in a sort of unedited thought stream. So, my apologies if I am seem to be babbling on about something incomprehensible. Just nod and smile. Thanks.
500 miles left…