The Owl - March 2016

It just so happens that I am lucky enough to be engaged to a Law Enforcement Ranger in Baxter State Park.  I say lucky for many reasons, but on one particular day in March - it was because I had the opportunity to hop on the back of a sled to Katahdin Stream Campground.  Rangers Mike and Bruce were beginning work on replacing the foot-bridge at Katahdin Stream, and they would be there for the whole day.  This gave me a full day of hiking where I could choose from any number of trails that begin there.  Being a solo-hiker, I chose the less strenuous hike of The Owl over climbing Katahdin.

It was really my first time out in the woods since losing my job at Taxware, LLC in Massachusetts.  For the first time, I fell casualty to a corporate restructure.  As with any great "loss" I have experienced, I knew that time in the woods would serve me well.  It's a place to both lose the world and find yourself - a place that offers much healing.

I was fortunate to have a clear, sunny day to hike.  While it was a little chilly in the woods, as I gained elevation and the trees thinned - the temperature rose.  By the time I reached the summit, I had shed all but my base-layer.  On the climb, I lost myself in the simplicity of just placing one foot in front of the other.  The feeling of breathing in the cold air, the sound of all of the birds around me - even just the slight breeze moving through the trees.  It all seemed to wash the filth of the city away from my mind.  Odd as it sounds, it was like hitting a reset button in my soul.

After reaching the summit, I turned back down the mountain to stop at a look-out just shy of the summit.  Clouds had rolled in earlier in the day, so there was no view of the mountain.  I didn't care - I grabbed some plank photos for Boots, took out my PB&J, and just watched the clouds moving through.  I thought a lot about life in the time I sat there.  It's the kind of reflection that happens on it's own and only when you feel a bit isolated from the world.  I know that just a few miles away there were two rangers hard at work, but the feeling of isolation was still there.  It allowed me to process all that had happened in such a short time, and as I sat there counting my blessings - family, friends, the love of a ranger - the clouds cleared along with my mood.  There is nothing more healing than time in the North Maine Woods.