Smokin’ Smokies

Backpacking solo has always intimidated me. What if something were to happen?

While reading at my picnic table at my campsite in Cosby, the lady camped across from me came over and asked, “are you here alone?” When I answered in the affirmative, she asked, “and you’re hiking by yourself?” Again my answer was “yes” to which she responded: “do you remember that young man who had to cut off his arm in Utah?” Aron Ralston – an inspiring story, and an extreme example of what could go wrong.

Several things did happen on my solitary excursion: I hiked a 5.4 mile section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) tracing the Tennessee and North Carolina border; lunched at a historic fire lookout station on Mt. Cammerer; and met a 62-year-old pharmacist whose retirement gift to himself was to attempt to thru-hike all 2,175 miles of the AT. Inspired, huh?

Afterwards, I nursed sore muscles of my intact limbs and weary feet, but my spirit soared. It was the undisputed highlight of my trip to the Smokies. I had deprived myself an entire arena of fulfilling experiences simply by being afraid.

The true test though will come later. Will I be able to face down other areas of my life that has me paralyzed by fear; where the stakes are much higher than say, a sprained ankle? When I am next on the edge of ‘the great unknown,’ will I be able to take that step of … faith?