I used to plan every mile of a trip down to the campsite. Then I spent 4 days on the Long Trail in Vermont last October.

I always had every night mapped out before I left home. But that trip I got caught behind a slow group going up Killington and lost half a day. I just started walking without a plan the next morning and ended up at a shelter with a perfect view I would have missed otherwise. It was just 4 days but it changed how I see route planning now. Has anyone else found that loose plans actually make for better days on the trail?

2 comments

2 Comments

luna_wells572d ago

My buddy Dave did the JMT and had a similar thing happen - his filter broke day 3, stopped worrying about where he'd sleep, and said he met more people and saw cooler stuff than any trip he'd overplanned.

kevin_murray882d ago

Honestly, Dave nailed it with the "stopped worrying about where he'd sleep" part. I've done the same thing on a few trips, just rolling into camp late and crashing wherever, and yeah it's way more chill that way.