The Next Big Adventure
A few years back I set off to hike the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, the path that follows the coast all around the county where I grew up. It usually takes two or three weeks for people to do it. I got dropped off at the start and simply wanted to see where I’d get to.
There is something about hiking that you don’t get on a bike. It’s the simplicity I think. Bikes are great and I love them but you can't beat the simplicity of placing one foot in front of the other and repeating it over and over again. You can see so much so close at this speed, you can’t miss things and you have to say hello to everyone.
I did this on the coast path that time. One step then the next and repeat. I saw sunrises and sunsets, wild flowers up close, chatted to the sheep and listened to the world go round.
Unfortunately after about four days of this my knee began to hurt.
The pain became distracting.
Then all too much.
Luckily I was not far from home, so I called my sister and she picked me up so I could go back and rest.
This four days was the last hike I did that was more than one night long and ever since I’ve been thinking about when the next will be. I guess I’ve been busy with bikepacking in the years that have passed and not brought the hiking shoes to the top of the pile. That's changing now. In just over two weeks to be precise, I’ll jump on a plane for the first time in a good while and cross not just a sea but an ocean to find the start of the next hike.
The plan is to walk the Arizona Trail, this will take me 800 miles (almost 1300 km) across the state from the border with Mexico up to Utah. Crossing the desert, mountains, Grand Canyon and who knows what else in between. I expect to see a cactus or two, plenty of sand and not a whole lot of water, and I have heard it’s quite pretty out there too. I’m not quite sure which part of me decided a two month trip was the natural progression up from four days, but an adventure will follow, there is no doubt.
It’s just me heading over there, again I couldn't find anyone else crazy enough to join but I never know who I might meet on the trail, anyway time in my own head might be good for me anyway.
I’ll try and be in touch again before I go.
- Jacob.