M O U N T M A R C Y
Adirondack State Park
Upstate New York

Hey, cool. Tree dandruff!

After a ways I'm duly informed that not only am I at the 4,000 foot mark (1,200 feet to go) but I can't camp as well.

More upward slogging. I have to say I'm feeling a bit worn out now. One thing about hiking on rocks is you cannot "zone out" to block out the boredom because if you do, you'll "yard sale" yourself all over the trail. So with full attention on the rocks, I continue onward. I have to admit, another annoyance with rocky trails is you are so downwardly focused that you miss out on a lot of what passes you by.

I recall one time back in Oregon when I was hiking Eagle Creek Trail. It's a really popular hike that's nestled deep in the Columbia Gorge. The hike itself is scenic but not steep or rocky. The trails are, for the most part, broad and smooth. So there I was at Eagle Creek, forcing myself to not look at or near my feet when I hiked (which is really a hard thing to do). And you know what? I was just amazed at how well my peripheral vision kept me from stumbling on the occasional rock or root. My hiking experience was really enhanced, I was able to look at the scenery -and- hike at the same time.

With enough practice, I wonder if someone can slowly increase the level of terrain difficulty and over time eventually master terrain as rough as what I'm hiking now without looking down. It may very well be possible, but I think before attempting something like that I'd have to first put on one of those bulky police dog training protection suits to ward off the biting rocks that would come to call with every spill and fall.