A Walk in the Woods

I hiked a new trail today. A loop called Shanahan Ridge.

As I walked up the steady incline through a spacious evergreen forest, my mind drifted to the gentle burn throughout my legs. 

Questions such as “how much further to the top?” and “I wonder what the view from the ridge will look like?” floated through my mind.

As the trail steepened, I came to a junction and continued on the path straight ahead. The one that continued uphill rather than the flat cross-trail.

But something gave me pause so I stopped to check the map and was surprised to see my path was instead to the left. A flat trail.

I felt mild concern begin to course through my body as I considered that this trail may not have an “end destination.”

Meandering along this flat trail through more forest, I started to contemplate my need to have an end goal.

What if, rather than admiring a grandiose view at the top, my goal was to simply enjoy the smells, sounds, and tree-filled views of nature that I encountered on the path in front of me?

I learned yesterday (thanks Emily Schromm) that in numerology there is a pattern of 3-6-9.

3 is starting something new.

9 is finishing something, the end result.

And 6 is the too often forgotten process that lies in between. Where we rush and forget to make room for play.

Well, spoiler alert, there was a section of trail where the trees thinned and I could see the mountain peaks above. Normally that would be my favorite part of the hike–the view at the top.

But that’s not what stood out today.

Today what suck with me was the beauty.

The crisp fresh air.

The crunch of snow beneath my feet.

The stillness.

The growth.