Hiking - The Best Laid Plans

I’ve been on a quest for a tiny sliver of local adventure, because grand adventure is not available at the moment.

I went to a park with a full pack ready to tackle a trail I had never done before. I had a paper map, snacks, and a whole afternoon of free time.

I hike down the trail, literally. The decline is steep. After 15 solid minutes of down, I saw this -

Was I disheartened? Yes. Was I still happy to be in the woods? Yes. Did I want to walk up the hill I just came down? No.

Of course, I did it anyway, and decided to try again with a different trail on a different day.

So, a day or two later, I decided to visit another trail that was definitely open. There were clouds in the sky, but “no chance of rain until the afternoon.” Ha!

I don’t trust weather apps or weather people anymore. Why? Exhibit A -

I enjoyed this hike in the rain. Don’t get me wrong; I was prepared for it, thankfully. All I’m saying is, I downloaded three weather apps…

This morning (Sunday, May 4th, as I write this — Happy Star Wars Day), I packed my kayak and a drybag lunch in preparation for a day in one of Tennessee’s beautiful state parks. No rain, they said. It will only sprinkle in Nashville, they said.

An hour drive outside of town, and I park my car under a tree in the rain, the wind so strong, it shakes my vehicle.

I wait as long as I can, but I start to get cold. So, I eat my breakfast and leave the park without kayaking.

Here’s the thing - The trail was closed, but I was in the woods alone for over an hour, which was magical. It rained hard on my second attempt, and I got to splash in puddles and get soaked without a care in the world. And, this morning, I got to sit quietly beneath a tree and enjoy my breakfast with a beautiful view of the water.

None of these mini adventures went the way I thought or initially wanted them to, but they happened anyway. And, I’m better for it.