Perception is Reality

I'm in Maine!  After 1900 miles and 13 other states, I'm on the home stretch.  Yesterday, I traversed Mahoosuc Notch, known as the "darndest" mile on the trail.  It takes an average of 2 hours to go through 1 mile.  It's all bouldering mostly over, but sometimes under (and through), large rocks.  Odie and I hiked with Kentucky, a section hiker who plans to finish up Katahdin next year.  It took us 2 hours and 50 minutes.  In the guidebook, this mile is is described as either the most fun or most difficult mile of the Trail.

Now I ask you, if you had a choice, would you choose to take the most fun mile or the most difficult mile?   What if you didn't know that they, in fact, were the exact same mile?  Would you choose it to be fun or difficult?  Or, maybe, both?

I LOVED the Mahoosuc Notch.  It was challenging, remote, beautiful, used ALL your muscles (not just the legs) as you hauled yourself over a rock, clinging to a small ledge enough for three fingers, or using a (hopefully well connected) tree root to lower yourself down a sheer slope.  In fact, I loved it enough to do it twice.  Once through northbound, then back through it southbound.  I mean, lwhen will I be this way again?  I better get my money's worth now.  Second time through... I'm guessing it was about 90 minutes.  Odie made me promise to get to the trailhead before him (he and Kentucky climbed the Mahoosuc Arm and back down a side trail) or else he'd worry.  So, I made it a challenge to go through as quickly as I could.  Fun!  The darndest mile on the Trail - twice in one day.  Yup, I felt pretty hardcore.

So, we all chose to to make the Mahoosuc Notch the most FUN mile, rather than focus on its difficulty.  That worked pretty darn well.

Now, let's fast forward another 3-4 weeks and another 300 miles.  Summit Katahdin.  Get the obligatory picture with the sign.  Look around and... for the first time in 2185.9 miles do NOT follow the white blaze.  Do NOT go North.  Huh.  Now what?

I'm observing that many people came out to the Trail to figure out what they would do next (including me, to a degree).  And as Katahdin looms in the not so distant future, many are becoming very nervous.  They only have 300 miles to figure out what they gave themselves 2200 miles to figure out.  And they haven't.

As for myself, I have no idea what I will do when I descend from Katahdin.  Heck, I don't even know HOW I'm getting home - greyhound, airplane, hitch?  Then, when I get back, I suppose I should find a job.  I've considered the ministry.  I've considered health coaching.  I've considered bartending.  Is it possible to do all three?  I think so, but not sure.

I may not know what's around the next corner, or in the valley after Katahdin.  There's only one question I can ask myself:  Shall I choose to consider this next Trail after Katahdin fun or difficult?  Or both?