John Muir Did It And So Can You

Have you ever been a passenger on a plane, sparked up a conversation with the stranger next to you and all of a sudden your deepest thoughts and feelings just start falling out of your mouth? There’s something about being 45,000′ in the air that drops your guard and opens your heart to random deep conversation and sometimes even friendship. Some may argue hiking above 7,000′ can do the same. In fact, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) has proof this is a commonly occurring, on-ground phenomenon. As the TRTA approaches the Thru Hike Program’s 18th year, a guided 15-day journey around the rim of Lake Tahoe, the TRTA has received this strangers to family report every single year. 

The TRTA asked around and Kristen Power was happy to share her thoughts on how her group of TRTA Thru Hike hikers went from seemingly shy and awkward hellos on day one to long embraces, special moments and ultimately, long-lasting friends by day 15.

Here’s how Kristen describes the evidence: 

John Muir once said that “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” I’m pretty sure he was contemplating solitude, a greater appreciation for oneself and for nature, and perhaps a newfound inner peace.

That said, he made fast friends with Teddy Roosevelt on a three-day wilderness trip exploring the wilds of Yosemite, a trip that is now considered to be one of the most important camping trips in history. (It led Roosevelt to create five national parks and numerous national monuments, bird sanctuaries, wildlife refuges, and national forests.)

In just three days? Perhaps he was talking about friendships, too. Imagine the friendships one can build over the course of a two-week thru hike.

Staff at the Tahoe Rim Trail Association already know that two weeks is more than enough to form strong bonds. So much so, that they’ll tell you from day one that by the time you finish your loop around the Tahoe Rim Trail your fellow hikers will be like family.

If you’re like me you’ll doubt that fact, maybe even roll your eyes. Then you might look around the room and wonder how this group of strangers could transform into lifelong friends. (Who are these people?!) But once you hit the trail it all becomes apparent.

First off, everyone there clearly loves to hike and camp, so you already have shared interests. Next up, you’ll have countless conversations about gear, places you’ve backpacked, how you’ve trained, and what your favorite dehydrated meal is. That’ll roll into jokes, and from there on out its inevitable. By day three you have enough shared experiences to finish out the remaining 12 days laughing about who sat in sap, whose trail mustache is better, and who the heck was singing in their tent last night. (That would be me.)

I think it would be impossible not to appreciate your crew of fellow thru-hikers and guides after so much laughter, afternoon dips in alpine lakes, dinners around a roaring JetBoil, and coffee and contemplation under unforgettable sunrises. And while I haven’t kept in touch with every hiker on our trip, they all have a place in my heart. And for a few, they also have places on my calendar. Because of course, we’ve already scheduled our next walk with nature. And maybe a few more after that.

~Kristen Power, 2017 Thru Hike Participant