Date: 2008-08-31
To: Epic Adventures
Miles today: 0.0

Yikes! It's been awhile since I've written, this I am well aware of, and I apologize to any readers who have been left hanging with my lack of journal entries. If it makes it any better, you will be happy to know my disappearance was due to an impromptu vacation that allowed me to visit 6 National Parks in 19 days and the opportunity backpack in all but one of them.I made it to Glacier, Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks this August. Each one was incredible in it's own way and I can't say I had a favorite. My least favorite, however, was Banff, due to the high number of ritzy tourists, overcrowdedness, and electric fences they had around our campground to keep bears out. After the solitude of Glacier's backcountry, Banff wasn't what we were looking for.I traveled with a close friend of mine from Sage Walk, Pat, and together we explored the Northwest wilderness as best we could in the 19 days we had before he had to catch a flight out of Portland. Our adventures brought us up close and personal with grizzlies, black bears, icebergs , alpine lakes, glaciers, hail, lightening, wild flowers, waterfalls, rainforest, the ocean and so much more. It was truly the trip of a lifetime and I'm thankful life worked out the way it did to allow it to happen.Over the course of our multiple backpacking trips we experienced all mother nature had to offer. Rain, hail, thunder and lightening, snow, wind, and sunshine. The AT experience that lies ahead of me is what kept me smiling and motivated during a 24 hour steady rain we experienced on an overnight to Floe Lake (quite possibly the most beautiful camping spots ever). If I couldn't keep a positive attitude for one day of crappy weather, how would I ever survive the AT? It gives me a great perspective on things these days. We saw the most incredible scenery along the Iceline Trail in Yoho National Park. From crossing icy glacial streams, dodging lightening in boulder fields, hearing thunder so loud you want to cover your ears to seeking shelter from hail. It's hard to put that day into words. I felt exhilaration, I felt adrenaline pumping through my veins, I felt happiness, I felt tiny, I felt strong, I felt scared, I felt thankful, I felt alive.Our time in the wilderness was filled with good conversations about life, love, passions, dreams, hopes, futures, comfortable silence, bad jokes, life stories, lessons learned, picture taking, and lots of laughter. As mentioned in an earlier journal entry, backpacking brings you to a place of living in the present, which is one reason why I love it so much. It is truly living in the here and now. As long as you are comfortable, safe, and healthy in the wilderness, chances are you're also happy. It made me really excited for next year when that will be my life for 6 months. I've been home just over 24 hours now and I already feel myself overwhelmed with thoughts of going back to work in 4 days and all that I have/want to do before then (bills to pay, phone calls to make, emails to write, errands to run, etc.) I find myself wishing I were still exploring National Parks with my pack on my back and not much on my mind except how lucky I felt to be having those experiences. What'd I'd give to be sleeping on a deserted beach on the Olympic coastline or at an alpine lake surrounded by snowcapped mountains again. Life goes on, and for now, I'll enjoy my bed to the fullest and look forward to next March when backpacking will be my life.This Wednesday (Sept 3) I head into the field for two weeks, and from here on out I don't have any travel plans- but who knows, that can change in a matter of hours. My tentative plan for the coming months is to get my hands dirty in AT planning since I've done almost nothing except for research gear. I know what I need to buy, it's just a matter of buying it, something I seem to be procrastinating. Til next time...Happy Trails,Amy