Hook, Line, and Stinker

The Sailor and I picked up a conversation about what I was up to.  Knowing how to navigate over land is one thing, know how to navigate the waters of one's family is much more dangerous.  I mentioned that I was in the process of planning something major.  Sure enough the Sailor's main sheet caught wind, the casual conversation turned into troubled waters for me.  We spent the next 2 hours talking about these plans.  My dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) in one season is more then a desk jockey's fantasy, it's a major goal much like a master's degree but, much harder to obtain.  I wanted to avoid this topic on this particular day.  This day is the day I celebrate Hope that was lost.  Hope lost, 13 year ago in spring.  I celebrate her life on this day.  I wanted to lay quietly with my memories.  Sailor chooses to remember the day Hope lost.  I enjoy the life of Hope on this day, it's the one day I schedule off from work months a head of time every year.  Sailor realized this [hike] is not her decision.  The Captain heard from the other wing.  Hopes and dreams aren't the same for everyone, he saw this 2 ½ decades ago.  They include struggle, tension, obstacles of grand proportions before the goal's lesson is realized.  This is mine.

The Captain and the Sailor days later recognized I can't live in the shadow of the mountains without wanting to taste the waters flowing from the springs high up.  They've made concessions for which I will travel by.  Navigating at mach 2 or even 1/1200 of that comes down to planning, setting weigh points, and reading the conditions.  Navigating air, water, land, or even one's own family can be tricky.  It can also be extremely rewarding.  Now Sailor and Captain aren't just my family, they are my only family.  I need them in my pack as much as they'd like me near by.  Without them I couldn't hike.

Soon the loose scraps of paper,  scribbled emails to myself, and other materials shall come together.  In the next few entries I'll layout the weigh points, give you my reader a challenge or two, I'll unload my pack for you to see, and reveal more of what I desire to accomplish.

Rocky Sea Pass, Uinta's UT

Ready set...