Solo On The Great Divide Trail – Intro

“We write to taste life twice – in the moment and in retrospect.” – Anais Nin

 

I have 43 journals that I have filled with my own words and thoughts since the age of 11. I have lugged them around for the last 25 years of my life, so the idea of bringing one lightweight, thin journal and pen on my Great Divide Trail thru-hike this past summer seemed reasonable, or more accurately, essential.

I wrote every single evening on my hike. The journal got soggy from rain, and several pages are detached or barely hanging on to the spine, but that book is like gold to me.

In all honesty, I had no intention of blogging this thru-hike – it’s a lot of work, for starters, and the town stops on the Great Divide Trail often have terrible wifi and no cell service. It was liberating for me, an avid writer, to write in my journal without filtering ANYTHING. No one was going to read my words; every story captured, detail revealed, and emotion explored was for me and my eyes only, like the good-old-days when I journaled every crush I had, or every insecurity newly realized through pen and tear-stained paper.

Yet, my desire to create and share through words has brought me back, full-circle, to my blog. Some say the art of writing is dying – most people prefer flashy videos and edited photos and clever sound-bites. But I am a writer. Sure, I dabble in video and photos, two other art-forms I appreciate as well, but at my core, words are my thing.

So, for the seemingly few people who remain who like a good written story, I think I may have one for you.

I will not be writing an entry on my blog for every day of my hike, (as I did for my PCT thru-hike and GDT yo-yo thru-hike) but rather, will be releasing 3 entries that will correspond with 3 video episodes that Dan and I will be releasing. My entries will be more of a synopsis of that particular section of trail, still filled with stories and moments worth sharing. The idea is to create content – through words, photos and videos – that will be complimentary to one another, and will create an enhanced look at what it means to hike long distances, and in this case, by oneself.

So please stay tuned if you would like to come along for the journey. My Great Divide Solo Thru-hike was an incredible ride, and I’m thrilled to share it with you, whether you are an aspiring backpacker, a thru-hiker yourself, or someone who just likes to hear about this type of lifestyle and adventure.

I love hiking. I love writing. The combination of the two is like a strong cup of coffee for me – immeasurably energizing, yet powerfully addictive.

So cheers, and hike on,

T-Fox