The Editorial

One of the things a solo long-distance hiker has a lot of time for is thinking. I went hours and even days without seeing another living soul, so I filled my time with thinking my own thoughts uninterrupted, which I can do very little of at home.

One of the things I thought about a lot is how I answer the question, "are you going alone?" One way to answer the question is to explain that the Colorado Trail is attempted each year by several hundred people and that we all start out within a week or two of each other, so I am not really alone, I just didn't bring anyone with me.

A deeper answer to that question, however, involves the difference between the typical lifestyle in Missouri  versus the lifestyle in Colorado. I could almost always tell if a person was a native of Colorado by their reaction when they found out I was hiking the entire trail solo. If they said "sweet!" then they were probably a native. If they looked at me like I was nuts, then they were probably from the Midwest, the South, or Texas (there are a lot of Texans out here). So in some ways, I feel less alone out here that I do in Springfield, because out here many people understand why a person would want to hike all day and then sleep on the ground. Even if they wouldn't want to do it themselves, they are active in other ways and know the physical, emotional and mental benefits of getting up off that couch and moving.

 These differences are reflected by some numbers. Missouri ranks eleventh on the obesity list, with about 30% of the population overweight or obese (Mississippi is first, with about 34%). Colorado is last, with about 20%. I have some rather unconventional ideas about being overweight -- I don't think it is necessarily a health risk. I believe, instead, that it is usually a symptom of an unhealthy lifestyle. It usually means that a person is consuming way too many refined carbs and is inactive. I have known thin people who were inactive and unhealthy, and I have known some overweight power walkers who were healthy.

Some of my friends and family who lead inactive lifestyles have indicated to me that they really don't want live longer, so that's why they sit on the couch. It's not about longer life, it's about better life. I was on a 20 mile bike ride, and and a fellow rider told me he would ride even if they told him it would shorten his life, because he feels so much better. This is from an asthma sufferer who would not be able to run or bike if he didn't have medication. I think the sale of prescription meds, including anti-depressants, would go down if people would just get up, get out, and move.