Reflections from the Trail

I just returned from my most recent 5-day Kalalau excursion. As always, it’s a unique experience to spend time on the trail and in paradise. As I reflect back, here are some of my take-aways:

•  I enjoy the mental and physical challenge of taking on difficult hikes solo. It heightens the senses and intensifies the experience of being immersed in nature but also means being okay with sometimes feeling uncomfortable. This where growth happens.
• Hiking in difficult and treacherous terrain for 8-10 hours is a mental game. You can’t think too much about the time or total distance. You can only focus on the very next step and then the next while finding ways to enjoy the experience and maintain your motivation. It’s not unlike breaking a big and challenging project down into small achievable steps.
• At work, we often succeed and fail as teams. We leverage each other’s strengths and compensate for the weaknesses. It’s a different experience to be a team of one: You need to be fully self-sufficient, succeed or fail without backup, and you’re responsible for all aspects of the journey. 
• We tend to think we need a lot of things and conveniences around us to be happy and comfortable. In reality, we only truly need a few essentials. Nothing forces you to travel light and to be selective more than being limited by what you can carry on your back. Living a more minimalistic life can be liberating.
• It’s a mentally cleansing experience to go truly offline and unplug from messages and notifications. It’s initially unsettling and requires some adjustment, but it’s great to be truly present in the moment. (I admit: A few times, I instinctually opened my email app on the phone despite a complete lack of reception. I chalk it up to muscle memory.) This lack of distractions allows for much more focused and undisturbed thoughts.
• Things can and sometimes will go wrong. (In my case, a hiking pole snapped just 3 hours into the hike. On this trek, poles are essential equipment to prevent falls and injuries.) There’s nobody to “call” or turn to for help. It forces you to deal with the situation, improvise, use whatever resources you have (or can find), and be resourceful and agile. Having contingencies and solving problems in new and creative ways becomes essential. (In my case, it took me 3 iterations of using different designs and pieces of wood to replace the broken pole sections until I had a sturdy and functional replacement while still using the original top section and handle of my broken pole.)
• After five days “in the wild”, the person who returns to civilization and steps off the trail is never the same who started. The large and small obstacles we’ve overcome, as well as the new experiences we’ve made, shape us, strengthen our mind and body, and help us grow. We tend to look at our life from a new angle and perspective. 

As far as my gear is concerned, I ended up quite happy having switched electrolytes. Due to my pole mishap, I’m considering going back to aluminum poles. Even though carbon-fiber poles are notably lighter, I really don’t want to risk further issues with breaking.