Destination Alternate

A picture of my son taken the last time we went to Yellowstone back in 1997

Destinations change. Plans change. As much as we want to set things in stone, they are more in clay that can easily get washed away at the first rainstorm. When I was out hiking the AT, I knew better than to try and map out my day to day progress ahead of time. Inevitably something would come up, usually when I least expect it, and my plans would have to be tossed.

Earlier I had posted about changes to hiking the John Muir Trail this summer. They were confirmed when my husband spoke to the ranger yesterday, and he talked about the conditions still prevalent in Yosemite Park - mainly miles of snow and frozen lakes still. He said he'd never seen a season where there simply was no spring. It went from winter to summer, and so the spring melt is happening now. And spring in the Sierras with snow and wild rivers is not something I really wanted to experience.

So plan B went into motion, to hike the Long Trail of Vermont. Plans were made to see family. Maps and guidebooks purchased. Maildrops made. And then my husband and I were on a company trip to Bermuda and on the last day of our vacation there - he dropped the bomb. His back had been giving him lots of issues. He felt he dare not try to do a long distance hike this summer. So what about a trip out west? - he offers.

Huh? It completely threw me. Here I had planned all along to do some major hike this summer, and one issue after another has kept it from happening. And now it looks like even my plan to hike the Long Trail has fallen through.

So we are readying both backpacking gear and car camping gear in preparations to head back to Yellowstone National Park with a detour through Colorado. Hence the photo of my son taken on our last trip made there.

Destinations are all good. But oh boy, I still wonder where I'm really going to end up come July. It's anyone's guess.