MMM in the Americas 24-25

Our friends Dan and Lily recently introduced us to the concept of different types of fun. Type I - true fun, enjoyable while it’s happening like catching a show or going for a walk on the beach. Type II – fun only in retrospect, hateful while it’s happening. Things like going for a sail and getting caught storm or going on epic multiday hike in the rain Type III – not fun at all, not even in retrospect. As in, “What the hell was I thinking? If I ever even consider doing that again, somebody slap some sense into me."

Yesterday I finished the 6 day North Coast Trail on Vancouver Island. Age adjusted, it was possibly the hardest walk I have ever done (a crazy walk I did with Gregor in 1995 in PNG probaby takes that award). The boat dropped us of at the start point in Shushartie Bay and the only way out from there was on foot. In temperate rainforest the track (if you could call it that) went up and down through a sea of mud, a tangle of roots and perched swamps. It was all very unfamiliar to me especially the ample evidence of bears and wolves. I felt a rising panic when the rest of the group quickly left me behind. I averaged 1km/hr on day one with my long suffering knee already given out. The next day seemed a little better until we hit the 45 degree muddy headland bypasses. The speed dropped further to 0.5 km/hr. Day four rained non stop making the steep cobbled beaches and mud patches even harder to traverse. Just after managing to erect tent in the rain and soak all my gear, the rain stopped.

Next morning I left in the moonlight deterimed to complete the final 19km leg. Halfway the sun came out and I had a beautiful swim and lunch at Nissen Bight. The remaining 11km to camp along an abandoned settlers track seemed totally possible. Half way there my knee totally froze and I slowed to sloth pace using my good leg and my walking poles. Everyone had gone ahead to camp. On a broken board walk I slipped and fell down a ravine. Amazingly I was uninjured and the adrenline hit made my knee functional enough to get to camp. I had made it.

The positives were my fellow hikers who took painstaking turns walking with me and encouraging me- to them I am enternally grateful. I have preparating and gear downpat (thanks Mandy). Of couse I saw much fauna, flora and beautiful vistas.

Type II or Type III fun- you decide?Read more