Readers!
I said I wasn’t going to write a newsletter this week, but I wanted to tell a story, even if it’s not really writing related. It’s a good one!
My big adventure has been a road trip to Big Bend National Park, deep, deep down in Texas. My top goal (other than of course taking in the splendor of such a wild, desolate place) was to hike the Lost Mine Trail, a 4.8 mile trek up and down, climbing 1,100 ft. in those first 2.4 miles to top out at 7,750 ft. For your trouble, you get some of the best panoramas in the park. It looked taxing, but not too hard, with a view. Sounds good to me.
For these reasons, it’s also one of the most popular trails there, and one with a very small parking lot. If you want to grab a spot, you have to be there very early in the morning, which also meant you’d be in a perfect position to try to hike to the top to watch sunrise. The night before I was supposed to do the hike though, I psyched myself out. I thought the elevation would be too much after it took so much work to get here, or it would be too dangerous to drive on a narrow, twisty road in a dark sky park to get the to trailhead. I’d never hiked in pitch black before, even though I had a pretty good headlamp. Also: bears and panthers. So I picked a different trail that would be easier to do and get to.
I still work up early, so I made some coffee and sat outside my room at the Chisos Basin Lodge, taking in the stars and waiting for sunrise. The parking lot there is also the starting point for a few hikes, so I wasn’t surprised when a van full of people pulled up. “Does anyone have an extra head lamp?” I heard someone ask. He was talking to the other people in the van, but I walked over and told him he could have mine. I wouldn’t need it for the hike I decided not to do, and I had another one at home.
“How much do you want for it?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “It’s trail magic.” It’s a term used mostly for people hiking the Appalachian Trail, but he got what I meant.
He went onto tell me that he was getting married next month, and this trip was his bachelor party. “Well, it’s a wedding gift then,” I said, and he was off. He was so happy that I figured I might as well get going too and maybe find some trail magic of my own. When I got in my car, the sky was turning from black to dark blue. Maybe it wasn’t too late, I thought. A parking spot might be open. If it was, I’d take it.
I did see an open spot. I was only the third car in the lot.
By then, a half hour before sunrise, I didn’t need the headlamp, and up and up I went. I didn’t catch it from the top, but I saw sunrise paint itself across the different features and landscapes of the park.
By the time I reached the summit, yes, I did see that everyone was right: what a view. The hike was easier than I thought it would be too. Since I returned from Italy, I’ve been consistent with my running and strength training. Despite the elevation, I never had to stop catch my breath on my way up, and on the way back down, I felt like I was flying. I had given out some trail magic, and gotten it right back.
When I came back to the trailhead, the parking lot was, as promised, jammed. I saw a family in a van waiting for a spot to open up, so I told them to come take mine. I just needed a minute for the adrenaline to wear off. The kids saw my license plate, and marveled that I drove all the way there from New Jersey. It was a long, long drive to get there. And I’m glad I made it.
Everything feels bad all the time at this current point in our history. But it was a nice day, with nice people doing nice things. I thought it was worth writing about.
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Somewhat related: my friend Hollie Sick has been doing a great series about how fitness influencers can cause real harm, including a recent post about being offered an affiliate link program to promote GPL-1s and, more generally, about how influncers push certain things because they make money from it, not because it’s the best for you. In that spirit, I’m going to be doing a bit of de-influencing, and share what I wore on the hike. You really don’t need a bunch of new gear every trip to season or race or whatever. Good gear will get you through years, even with a few repairs when necessary:
- Shirt: LL Bean SunSmart Woven Shirt
- Pants: Prana Halle II short, 7 inch inseam (discontinued, bought on Poshmark. I have six pairs of these shorts in four different colors, AND I have the pant and jogger versions, almost all of them bought on Poshmark or eBay. I don’t like to think too hard about what to wear when I’m traveling)
- Bra: Victoria’s Secret PINK sports bra (thrifted; I would not wear this running)
- Underwear: Chantelle Soft Stretch Bikini (I bought a pair in Italy and then bought a few more from Nordstrom, where discontinued colors go on sale all the time)
- Hat: Headsweats Supervisor
- Socks: Swiftwick Aspire Quarter Crew High
- Shoes: Hoka Mafate 3 (discontinued, bought on eBay)
- Sweat rag: Made in the USA bandana (bought at an estate sale for $1)
- Hydration Vest: CamelBak Marathoner (bought in 2016! My mom recently replaced the elastic straps for me, and it feels good as new, even if it doesn’t smell that way)
- Sunglasses: Unbranded black and yellow pair (thrifted for $1 last month)
- Post-hike layer: Vintage Fruit of the Loom sweatshirt (thrifted)
- Nail polish: Twinklette by Zoya. Phew did this sparkle in the desert sun.
Regular newsletter next week. Until next time!
Jen A. Miller (she/her)
Notes from a Hired Pen ebook series
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Nice story!