A Tired Soul

I've always liked to consider myself reasonably in shape....that is I started reading crew websites of the hotshot crews out west to which I've applied to be a member of. Some of their PT regiments rival that of the military (more or less certain branches than others :-)). Never the less, I find myself rushing to try to meet, if not exceed, some of the goals individual crews set for themselves. You'd be surprised as to how much you learn about yourself when you try to do something that strays from your normal and every day routine. Needless to say, I have some things to work on. Today I ran my first fire working for the state as a firefighter.....sorta. We had a two acre field fire atop an old land fill in Sterling. No ground pounding or direct suppresion for me though. No sir, I was stuck at the pump panel of Brush 6 pulling levers. Oh well. I got to see some fire (grass that is) and I got to use my forestry gear for once so far this season. If anything that 2 acres got me really excited for what's to come in the future. I've slacked off royally in the past 3 weeks with my English class and I have so much shit to catch up. I can't afford to fail or drop out of this class so I'm actually a little worried for once in my life about my progress in a non-fire related class.

Inevitably, the good weather we have been experiencing has been beckoning me to get away from the city for a while. I decided to do a solo backpacking trip this weekend in Shenandoah National Park. What's great is I've managed to weasel into my mind that this trip is part of my "PT" plan. I have long since viewed the Appalachian as a place of refuge for a dog tired mind (my mind to be precise). I haven't been to Shenandoah National Park ever since I got hooked on the Monongahela NF. Subsequently, I haven't been to the Mon much in the past 10 months because of the distance so hopefully, going to SNP this weekend will rekindle that once steadfast spirit within me that kept me constantly on Rt 55 and I-81 trekking from one trail to another. As much as I enjoy hiking with those select few in my life I share such a past-time with, a solo trip is just what I need right now. The past couple of months, I've been bogged down with personal problems of so many different people that I really want to get away from everyone and everything and just spend time with myself and God within the land he created. If there's one thing I can tell any of you that like backpacking is to every once in a while, take a solo trip. It doesn't have to be incredibly outlandish or extravagant, just a simple little circuit hike where it's just you and the natural world around you. You'd be surprised as to how much you can rest when no one's around...