Hiking after not hiking for 30+ years

My dad used to take me out to Lynn Canyon or Cypress Mountain to go hiking. It was one of his favourite things to do (one because it’s free, and two because the wilderness always inspired him). As a kid, I always hated it. Kept asking him what the point is, all the bushes and trees look the same. You see one, you’ve seen them all. I finally got it today.

According to the signage, this Quarry Rock hike is an intermediate level hike thats 3.8km (one way) and a duration of ~2h including return. After not working these hiking muscles for over 30 years, it was grueling and exhausting.

Elevation changes, slippery mud/rock/planks, the rain, the cold, the sweat. It was a fine balancing act of doing this huge trek and also bringing 2 lenses, a camera, a tripod, bottle of water, umbrella, and some snacks. The backpack was probably 15lbs of gear.

Upon finally arriving at the Quarry Rock, it was beautiful.

I finally got it. I got why he liked hiking, i got why he would push himself to do these trips. You enter into a sort of trance like state when you start hiking. Problems diminish, emotional baggage is reduced as physical pain increases.

I had a strange epiphany during this walk. I realized that life was basically hiking. You spend all your energies on the 5-10 feet in front of you, making sure you have the proper footing, calculating which immediate path to take, balancing risk vs reward, comfort vs pain. All the while the immense beauty around you is completely ignored.

We go through life, like we are on a hike. The ultimate destination is death and yet we are ever focused on the few feet in front of us but never taking a moment to appreciate the journey or our surroundings.

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