Last Tuesday I was walking down Alum Cave trail from the summit of Mount LeConte. It was my second day of summiting the mountain and the fourth day of hiking over a five-day weekend. I was feeling clear, balanced, grounded, a bit tired, and interestingly…decluttered.
It suddenly struck me, on that beautiful trail, that there were no signs, no billboards, no modern-day clutter on that trail…on any trail in the Smokies. Rather than be bombarded with mental clutter advertising ridiculous possessions none of us even need, Nature offers plants and trees and rocks and vistas and moving water and sky and wildlife—something we are part of, instead of an artificial world of gadgets that utilize resources that will be forgotten within weeks or less and tossed in the trash.
I gained clarity on that hike. I don’t just hike the trails to be in Nature, I hike to escape an increasingly chaotic materialistic fake world that is soul-sucking. I go into Nature to be renewed, restored, and decluttered.
While social media can be helpful and connect people, these days it seems only to create more chaos within us and divide us even more. So, unplugging on the trail is a big part of why I hike. Of course, I can do that every day as I attempt to declutter my mind by limiting time on social media and taking Nature breaks during my work days.
During these times of intense collapse and renewal…and yes, it’s happening at the same time…what are you doing to declutter your mind and heart? Find what works for you and make it a daily practice. And maybe turn your attention to the renewal part of the world stage and focus on what you want to create. When we declutter, we create more space to live in a more harmonious world. Let’s built that world together.
Last year I started a tradition for myself. Since I have no family near where I live and Christmas is such a family time, I hike a long trail on Christmas and think of everyone I meet as my family. Last year, it was the Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap to Charlies Bunion and back. This year it was the popular Alum Cave to LeConte Lodge trail.
Not too many days ago Alum Cave trail was covered in ice above the bluff, but warmer temperatures created no need for micro spikes, even though I carried them just in case. Technically a challenging trail, it is five miles from the parking lot in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Lodge. The first almost half of the journey is a very popular destination—to Alum Cave Bluff. So, the parking lot is almost always full and the trail busy below this area. There is an elevation gain of 2661 feet from the trail head to the Lodge. It’s hard. Even below the bluff, it’s challenging and only gets more so past the bluff. But enough of the technical details.
There’s usually a good many solo hikers on Christmas Day. I especially feel compassion for them because I understand being alone and wanting to do something fun and beautiful to enrich my life on a day that can be challenging to be alone. So, I’m not alone. They are not alone.
On yesterday’s hike, it was a global family I met. Many languages were heard…English, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, and others. Solo hikers, couples, and large families shared the trail. There were Christmas sweaters, Christmas hats, jingle bells, new shoes and boots (evidenced by lack of muddiness on a very muddy trail), and a sense of joy and happiness with everyone. No matter what holiday people celebrated or the spiritual tradition they followed, everyone shared this season of light with smiles.
Folks ascending from Alum Cave Bluff to LeConte Lodge are often tourists and don’t understand the challenges of the steep, rugged, rocky, strenuous trail. They start later in the day and with shorter, winter days, don’t realize how dangerous that can be. Temperatures drop, the sun sets early, and cell phones aren’t dependable lights for a descent through rough terrain in the dark.
On my way down yesterday, I started at 12.30pm from the Lodge. It wasn’t as crowded yesterday, but there were several people hiking up. Many of them stopped me and asked how far it was to the top. I always take time to chat because many are not prepared. One young woman had a large water bottle but was shocked to learn there’s no water available during the off season as guest services are shut off. So she’d have no water coming down the five miles. She was trying to decide if she should try to make it to Myrtle Point, an observation point past the lodge. We discussed her options and resources. A young couple asked me how far it was to the lodge and if could they make it. I asked them questions about their provisions and the important questions: do you have a flashlight and water? They wanted to know why about the light. By then, it was nearing 2pm and they were an hour away from the Lodge. That gave them 2 hours to get down the trail. It takes me 2 ½ hours to get down the trail and I’m very familiar with it. I asked them if they were prepared to hike down in the dark. Gently, of course. But they were my family, so I wanted them to be safe.
And so, the afternoon went as I descended through clouds. Saying hello, wishing folks a Merry Christmas, and enjoying my family Christmas hike.
There’s the family we are born into, the friends that become family along the way, and then there’s the global family that isn’t defined by boundaries, languages, spiritual practices, or rules. We are one human family.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the family of trees and rocks and creeks that we are all part of. So to those large hemlocks, spruce, and fir trees that remind me every time I’m on this trail to slow down…I love you and am glad to be part of your family. To the rocks that glisten in rain or snow, thanks for being part of my family. To the mountains, who provide life for all of this beauty…I’m so grateful to be part of your family. The red squirrels who chitter and chatter, I love you brothers and sisters. To the ravens that call out as they soar between ridges….I love you winged ones. All the deer and bears that are shy and usually hide, I know you are there and am grateful to be part of your family. To the grasses and flowering plants, the rhododendrons and mountain laurel, thank you for letting me sit at your table of abundant beauty.
I parked at 6am at the trailhead. It was only 65 degrees but I started to sweat as I stood alongside my Subie. The humidity…oh, the humidity!
Within 10 minutes I had my pack on and was heading up the semi-dark trail. It was light enough to see in some places, but with heavy rhododendron cover and tree canopy, a little headlamp light was nice…and I hoped it would alert the bears that I was heading their way. (I only smelled one).
The top of Mount LeConte was my destination, but I had concerns about lightning. The forecast looked okay for the morning, but early afternoons have been the lightning-bringer. Rain I was prepared for, but we’ve had so many pop-up storms lately and being on the ridge or summit of a 6593’ mountain…just brought really bad memories of a hike last summer at Kuwohi.
My friend Amelia and I hiked from the parking lot at Kuwohi, up the Bypass trail, then took a left on the Appalachian Trail and hiked to Siler’s Bald…5 miles from our start. We had a nice break and lunch at the bald and when we stood up to leave saw a massive storm over Fontana Lake below us. And of course it came our way. We were hiking back up to Kuwohi and ended up having lightning crackling overhead as we hiked. It was terrifying.
Given that scary experience last summer, I was being extra careful. You don’t have cell service to check radar to monitor storms. So….
There were a couple folks ahead of me, but not in my view. And I knew others were behind, but again…not in my hiking bubble. I had the trail to myself and even had Alum Cave to myself for a little while. But just above the cave, it got darker and started sprinkling. By the time I reached the 3.5 mile mark (out of my 5.5 destination), sheets of rain were falling. My rain gear was keeping me dry, but I wondered if lightning would be far behind.
I was feeling great, taking my time to enjoy the beauty of the trail but I live so close to this magical place, I can return easily another day. And every inch of trail I continued to hike up, I had to hike back down. So, I weighed my options and felt I’d be extra careful and start back down the trail as the rain created a small creek of water rushing down the trail.
I’m not someone who gives up on a goal easily and I absolutely love this hike. I’d already done what I consider the hardest part of the hike…but if you hear thunder, you’re already at risk and I want to be able to visit this place many more times.
There was still some decent elevation gain of 1673 feet up and 1709 feet down (how can you hike more down than you do up…I never understand that) and I hiked a total of 7 miles. So good workout and nearly four hours of expansion and beauty and communing with Nature. A couple hours since finishing and my body feels amazing….clear, aligned, sparkly, grounded. Joy is bubbling up within as I sit typing with Buddy curled up against me.
