Lighten Up

Hiking the John Muir Trail (JMT) in 2011 gave me plenty of time to think about why we love to backpack. My pack was consistently heavier than those I had carried in the recent past, so I also thought about what we had brought that we could have done without.

The phrase lighten up is at the forefront of a backpacker’s mentality. Backpackers balance safety and comfort against how far and how fast they want to travel. The key words for us, ever since we both reached the age of about 40, are acceptably comfortable. We have made some concessions to our age and our desire for more comfort, namely inflatable sleeping pads and warmer sleeping bags.

On the JMT, I realized that lightening up goes far beyond reducing pack weight. It is also a state of mind. Backpacking gives us freedom and the satisfaction of being self-sufficient. It also helps us lighten up emotionally by finding joy in life’s simple pleasures.

For example…

… how comforting it is to hold a cup of hot tea on a cold morning,

… how refreshing cold stream water can taste on a hot day,

… how good it feels when the sun first clears a ridge on a cold morning,

… how energizing a cool breeze or the shade of a tree can be on a hot sunny day,

… how pleasant it is to hike on a smooth dirt trail,

… how satisfying it is to look back and see how far we have come,

… how much easier it is to breathe once you begin the descent from a mountain pass,

… how helpful it is when there are enough rocks to safely cross a creek,

… how relieved we feel when there is a bridge over streams that are too deep to wade across,

… how wonderful it feels to be horizontal in your tent at the end of the day,

… how clear the night skies are and how many stars you can see,

… and how inspiring it is to meet other backpackers who are older than you.

But the best lighten up experience of all is when you first remove your pack. You feel as though you are floating. How great is that! And backpacking lets you experience that sensation several times a day!

John Muir got it right when he said, “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” The backpackers we encountered on the JMT seemed to share that feeling. No matter how big their packs, how steep the trail or how hot the day, they seemed happy to be there. Their responses to our question “How’s it going?” included exclamations like “Great!”, “Wonderful!” and “Awesome!” But my favorite was when a grey-haired fellow said, “I’m alive and I am here. It doesn’t get better than that.”

The ability to lighten up and enjoy simple pleasures follows us home, where we discover anew the pleasures waiting for us.

Such as…

… the ecstasy of eating “real” food,

… the wonder of hot showers,

… the delight in being clean,

… the marvel of clean clothes,

… the comfort of cushioned seats,

… the bliss of heaters and air conditioners,

… and the convenience of indoor plumbing.

That fellow I met on the trail had it right. We’re alive and we’re here! And indeed, it doesn’t get any better than that.