21 Comments
Jul 9, 2021Liked by Isaac Fitzgerald

Can I name two?

I hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, spent a couple nights there, and hiked back out. There are two trails to the bottom—one is longer than the other, so the preferred route is to take the long one down, and the short one back up. Ha! The “short” one has lots of switchbacks, but the route is such that after hiking a mile or two you look straight down and see where you started. The length of the “short” trail is about 7 miles, the elevation gain is about 5000 feet. Carrying your gear. The payoff is the view, of course, but also the satisfying sleep of being completely worn out.

2nd one was with my dad to distribute my grandfather’s ashes in the Cascade mountains he loved so much. However, dad was not in great shape (he thought he was having a heart attack at one point and told me, “just leave me here”), and had miscalculated the length of the trail. It wasn’t a 9-10 mile jaunt spread over two days, but a full 17 miles. Some of the best scenery on the planet too.

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One of the most difficult walks I've been on was when I hiked a section of the Israel National Trail. I've hiked a fair bit of the trail, but this section in the Eilat Mountains was steep. The mountains are made of various igneous and metamorphic rocks and sand. Some parts look like the red of Mars, while others are almost black. The terrain was not particularly difficult, but it was loose, and I made slow progress. When I finally reached the trail's summit, though, I was awed. All around me were fellow hikers taking in the view, including a group of school kids flying kites in the dusty air. After taking a moment to catch my breath and rehydrate, I looked out at the land below me. Eilat, the southernmost tip of Israel, sits nestled between the borders of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The Red Sea, though, was what really caught my eye. Its bright, clear blue waters pierced the dusty haze of the mountains. And as I descended from the peak down a narrow, rocky trail, the sea continued to beckon. It occasionally disappeared from view, but it always reappeared as I rounded the next switchback. The trail emptied out right onto the beach. After spending hours in the lifeless mountains, the reef and all its creatures was an explosion of life. I took off my shoes and socks, changed into my bathing suit, and spent the rest of the afternoon in the cool waters of the Red Sea.

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Jul 10, 2021Liked by Isaac Fitzgerald

Two of us did the Biafo-Hispar traverse in Pakistan back in 2001. It’s the longest stretch of glaciers outside the polar regions and crosses a 5000m pass. We each had a couple of hard days (interestingly not the same days) but mostly it was just fun despite being hard work. We had a great team of porters, the views were stunning and it was just a mega walk.

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The longest walk I’ve done so far was from World Trade to the GW Bridge. I have no idea why I took that walk but it was very long but the people/scenery watching was so worth it. One day, I would love to walk the Pacific Trail (I think that’s what it’s called) but with a group.

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Jul 9, 2021Liked by Isaac Fitzgerald

One of my favorite longish walks: Train from Grand Central on the Hudson Line to Manitou, hop off, walk across the Bear Mountain Bridge and into Harriman State Park. Walk through a ghost town, and then on for as long as you can. Spend the night, ideally near one of the stone shelters along the Appalachian Trail. Get up next morning, and push on to Suffern, catch the train back to the city.

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Jul 9, 2021Liked by Isaac Fitzgerald

Hi, Isaac. My wife and I walked 50 miles of the National Trail System in England back in 2013. England was experiencing a heat wave while we were there, and one day was a punishing 15-20 miles; we were carrying everything we needed for 12 days in the country (and I was carrying everything I'd needed for 12 days in Rwanda prior to that). It was beautiful, but there was absolutely no shade and no escape from the sun. We got to some town and stumbled into a bar and, though neither of us drink soda, we demanded and downed two Cokes apiece. We slept like champions that night. (I highly recommend those trails, by the way, especially in the incomparable Lakes District.)

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Jul 10, 2021Liked by Isaac Fitzgerald

The one that springs to mind first is the time I stayed in a cabin for a friend's birthday during high school. I was about 2 weeks post-tonsil removal surgery, and didn't realize how out of sorts I still was... until my friends were all suggesting we climb the big, steep hill across the road from the cabin. Sure, beautiful view, what a challenge!

... About halfway up, I realized my mistake! I made it back down and took the hardest nap, to the point where her mom was worried I wasn't ok. I would not say I felt particularly thankful that I did the hike, nor would I say the nap was restful, but it did certainly teach me something about physical limits.

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I think you know my answer to this question.

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I enjoyed reading all of these comments! A few years ago, I made a solo trip to Newfoundland. I started my trip in Gros Morne National Park & eventually wound my way around to the capital city of St. John's. On the morning of my first full day there, I spontaneously decided to walk the Gros Morne mountain trail. Gros Morne Mountain is the second highest peak on the island. The trail is 16 km long, and it takes about 6-8 hours to walk the whole thing. There is a section that is really steep, the trail made up almost exclusively of loose scree, that ascends about 500m of elevation over a relatively short period of time. The conditions can change rapidly & can be a bit harsh. This is absolutely the part where you question the wisdom of your decision to take this on! Just as I was wondering why I had embarked on this adventure, another trail-goer pointed out the presence of a moose a few yards away, casually munching on leaves, which was delightful. Because of the quick change in elevation, it's a little bit humbling, but you end up meeting and laughing with all kinds of people as you're huffing & puffing your way up the hill! I met people of all ages, solo and in pairs and groups, both large & small. The views once you finally reach the summit (at 806m!) are spectacular, the fjord arms of Bonne Bay and the trough of Ten Mile Pond, all carved by glaciers. You can sit and eat your lunch & take it all in. The way down is less treacherous, and stunning in a completely different way. By the time you reach the parking lot, you're sunburnt, dehydrated, hot or cold depending on the weather, and tired. Your knees & feet are sore, but you're pretty proud of yourself for having done it, and you come away with some wonderful memories & photographs!

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deletedJul 10, 2021Liked by Isaac Fitzgerald
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