As I laced up my hiking boots at the Cotton Mountain trailhead I thought to myself, “I’ve worn these more in the past two weeks than I have in the four years since I bought them”. It wasn’t for a lack of time spent on the trails, for reference, in the time since I got this particular pair of boots I’d gone through at least 6 pairs of trail runners. It was, in all honesty, because I didn’t like these boots, or any other pair, all that much. Or really at all.
My hiking boots served one purpose, to be worn when I absolutely had to wear them. Which by my standards was if I would be hiking on a snowy trail on a cold day. If the snow was packed enough I could get away with sneakers. If it was above freezing my feet would be just fine. If the question was to hike and have to wear my dreaded hiking boots or not go out at all, I’d probably just stay inside. The point is, I’d do a lot to not have to put these shoes on. Then I started my AmeriCorps position at the Squam Lakes Association and had to lace up these shoes at least once a day. That’s way too often. By a lot. Or so I thought.
It’s not that these shoes are uncomfortable or ineffective or that there is anything wrong with them, they are perfectly fine. For their intended purpose. Which is to hike and be sturdy and reliable and all those other good things. All those good things that always translated to “heavy, cumbersome, and definitely going to slow me down” in my mind. That quickly translated to “bad”, which became “my hiking boots will not be touched at all cost”. Then I put them on everyday for two weeks and much to my surprise everything was just fine.
In fact, on the Cotton Mountain hike that sparked this whole reflection, I was glad to be wearing my boots. The snow towards the summit was deep and yet, my feet were dry. It was almost like waterproof hiking boots were useful. Normally, the short and steep descent of Cotton Mountain is the type of trail I’d love to run down. In fact, my whole hike up I was thinking about how fun it would be to run down hill. But alas, my boots were too clunky. Then, before I could make that a bad thing I realized that the four year old tread on these boots made them perfect for sliding down the steepest parts of the trail. That’s infinitely more fun than running. Farther down the trail, when I was just moseying along enjoying the day, I ran into another hiker. Normally, when I’m out on the trails I’ll smile as I pass other hikers but rarely do I chat. Normally, I had somewhere to be or some goal in mind fueling my hike. Except this morning, I had lost any sense of urgency when I put on my hiking boots so why not stop and chat. The hiker told me he was listening to a podcast about how more and more people are experiencing things through their phones instead of actually doing them. He applauded both of us for getting outside and doing something. I agreed with him, and went on with my hike, grateful about what slowing down on this hike meant.
Miranda is currently an Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Squam Lakes Association. In her free time she can be found at a Dunkin’ Drive Thru. Learn more about Miranda here.