GOAL REFLECTIONS

At the beginning of the season, we had big ideas about what we would “accomplish” this year. We had dreams of alpine lakes, epic summits, and even giving back to our community. Some of you may have diligently checked off your summer hiking to-dos. But to be transparent, I will proudly proclaim that my season did not go as planned.

In April of this year, I wrote an ambitious piece in this magazine about my intentions to summit ten 14ers before beginning a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail (a 486-mile meandering pathway from Durango to Denver). I also planned to finally crush the 17mile Boulder Skyline Traverse after two previous failed attempts and squeeze in a short stint doing volunteer trail work with the Colorado Trail Foundation.

"BUT TO BE TRANSPARENT, I WILL PROUDLY PROCLAIM THAT MY SEASON DID NOT GO AS PLANNED.

Some of you might be scratching your heads at this list and asking, “Is summer really that long?”

And my answer to you is this— turns out, no.

Of the four things on my goal sheet, one is done, one is still todo this season, one has been pushed to next year, and one is no longer relevant. But if you asked me whether I had a successful hiking season in 2021, I wouldn’t hesitate to answer with an enthusiastic YES!

Why? Because of the why!

I set these goals because I wanted to stay motivated throughout the season; I wanted to spend as much time outside as possible. My higher purpose was to prioritize movement and sunshine, and I translated that purpose into a list of hiking goals that I knew would help me get there.

But then life happened. And practicality set in. I realized that 14er season would not properly begin until I was already on the Colorado Trail. I got turned around on my too early-in-the season attempt to summit Mount Sneffles because of a shaded gully that hadn’t shed its snow yet. I went on a long weekend backpacking trip to Chicago Basin that “should” have included four summits, but after a long battle with the idea of “should, ” I decided to walk away with one. I dislocated my shoulder two days before I was supposed to volunteer with the Colorado Trail Foundation and had to back out.

In each of these moments, I agonized over the decision to forgo my goals. To be a failure. Because I had decided in clear, achievable steps how I was going to prioritize movement and sunshine. I am a list maker and a box checker, so I had to reckon with the list every time I turned around or changed my plans. In the heat of the moment, those calls were hard to make. I wanted to check my box because I said—to myself and all of you—that I would, and integrity is important to me.

What can be easily lost here is that right before I failed to summit Mount Sneffles, I hiked all day in an attempt to summit a 14er. And on that backpacking trip to Chicago Basin, I hiked more than 40 miles and spent four days basking in the glory of the basin (and a morning at the hot springs down the road). Beyond that, I spent a week rock climbing in Tensleep, Wyoming, and a week hiking and running and climbing in South Dakota. And then—I hiked the Colorado Trail and got utterly burnt to a crisp.

The larger question here isn’t about success or failure, but are you serving your higher purpose?

If you hike to stay in shape, did you skip a hike on your list for the chance to swim or run or mountain bike instead? If you hike for your mental health, did you miss a hike but have a great therapy session or a conversation with someone in your life? If you’re using hiking as a “finally finishing something I started” challenge, then I guess you better get up and get hiking. Or maybe, you give yourself a little grace and finish the list next year.

Christine Reed is an avid amateur outdoorswoman. Her upbringing as a military brat taught her to see everywhere and nowhere as home. She didn't start hiking until after college, when she realized she wasn't sure where her life was headed and sought out a defined path on the Appalachian Trail. Her backpacking memoir, Alone in Wonderland is a story about backpacking the Wonderland Trail around Mt Rainier. But it's also a story about defining who we are in the world and challenging ideas about who we should be.

www.hikeitofflife.com