Hiking Log – Disappointment

Hiking Log – Disappointment

This is part 38 of excerpts from the trail log which was located on a New York portion of the Appalachian trail. For the post which explains this series, click here.  You can read all the previous hiking posts by clicking here.

Each new edition includes a quote from a hiker, along with this writer’s insight into what the person might have meant. Your interpretation may be different!

Following is my selection of this week’s thoughts of a hiker(s).

7-28-19

No quote this time; see below for explanation.

For years my husband and I have been tending to a trail log located in the Monroe area of the Appalachian Trail. Once or twice a year, we make the two-hour round trip hike to enjoy that portion of the woods, and to check-in on our log.

Because we won’t be in New York much longer, we decided that today would be the day we went to collect the 2019 book. With seven months already done, there would be almost a full book of comments, drawings, jokes and thoughtful words. Lots of fodder for future blogs. We’d leave a new book for the next tenders of the log.

As we hiked in, we passed about six or seven hikers. To a person, they were all friendly, caring and full of smiles. Everyone wished everyone else a wonderful day. My mind was full of thoughts about hikers. I was thinking that in general, they just seem to be such a happy and kind group of people.

The temperature today was hot and humid and we were both sweaty and thirsty when we arrived at the trail log location. But before resting, I went to the box to get out the book, still full of happy hiker thoughts. I pulled up the lid, put in my hand, and felt….

Nothing.

That’s right, the box was empty. Nothing in it but a pen or two. No book. No plastic bag. No hopes and dreams of hikers from the past seven months.

We asked a few hikers who were sitting on the rocks if they had the book, and they said, no, the box was empty when they arrived. And then they pointed out that we could be sure a “through-hiker” such as themselves did not take it. Because those who are hiking the entire trail do not want to carry anything extra. Not even a small book. And I think they are right.

So today, I wonder about the person who took the book. It was probably someone who lived in the area and was out for a short walk. What would have made them take it? Did they somehow drop it in their bag thoughtlessly and they realized their error miles later? Was it someone who needed toilet paper or tissues? Did they think it would be funny to remove it? Are they ever going to return it?

I don’t know the answers to any of those questions, but you can bet it was quite a disappointment to realize the last log book we would ever have retrieved from that trail had disappeared. You can also be assured that my happy glowing thoughts of a few minutes earlier soured a bit.

But even with that said, there are still plenty of hikers thoughts from years past to continue this hiking series. And I still think most hikers are happy and kind people. But there is one out there that isn’t.

Until next time, happy trails!