Jaime and I were starting our ascent up Tellico Gap on the AT when we paused and took a moment to set an intention. I loved that he literally stopped us on the trail to do this. We called Bo and she sat patiently waiting for us to finish, she’s so good. He took a page from something we do during workshops. We ground ourselves to be present for the next hour or two and declare what we want to get out of it. I never thought of doing it for a hike.
“I am committed to seeing from a lens of love,” he said. “And I want to be inspired by the forest.”
Oh, that’s good. “Hmm,” I thought about it. “I am committed to creativity and being open for ideas and solutions.”
“I like that,” Jaime said. And we pressed on.
I’ve had some of my best ideas in movement. The steady rhythm and presence opens my mind up to new viewpoints. Sometimes the ideas come so fast I barely have time to write them down. That’s how hygge became such a point of focus for my life, or at least my first memory of being called to this Danish way of being. I was in movement, much like this, when I considered how truly inspiring it is to be aware and present to moment, connected to nature and my husband. What could be better?
We stopped by a small river running down the mountain interrupting our path. The sound of its stream was soothing and the water glistened in the light, so Bo ran to have a drink. I took a photo of her splashing around and it was perfect. I thought about all the beautiful photos we’ve taken recently since being quarantined. Funny enough, I have more material than I ever have to create a seasonal album, which is one of my favorite hobbies.
“The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.”
― Laura Ingalls Wilder
Watch Our Short Instagram Video Of This Hike
Although we’ve been mostly indoors, save for the occasions we can get a walk in the woods in, there has been no shortage of creativity and gratitude. I’ve taken photos, written in my book, ticked things off our bucket list, eaten at the table and scaled mountains. The real things haven’t changed despite what’s going on in the world. Yes, we may be on a collective pause, but I’ve never felt more alive, inspired and active. During these 35 days (and counting) we are creating art, memories and new traditions together at a rate that has surpassed any other time in our life.
There exists a sense of urgency in my soul that I’ve never felt before. The feeling that we don’t have all the time we thought we did is not scary, but invigorating.
A large clearing reveals itself and we can see giant ripples of earth until the horizon. We made it to Wesser Bald. The mountains glow in shades of blue and purple with bursts of greens and yellows. We are so far up, the air has a different quality, it smells like dew and is colder than at ground level. When we first moved here, it actually hurt my lungs to be at this high an altitude. I would get winded and it took me longer to acclimate. Now, my lungs are accustomed to the Smoky Mountains. They breath in the chilly air with ease. I place my hand on my chest and feel it rise and give as my lungs expand and then let out my breath. I feel so much gratitude to be able to do this, especially now when many others cannot.
“We’ve got one more thing to do,” Jaime smiled and nodded his head. I looked to my right and saw a large deck that sat atop a higher peak. It was the fire tower we had been walking up to. I wasn’t sure what to expect. It looked like it was built in the sky.
“How do we get up there?” I asked panicking.
He smiled, “We take the stairs.”
The stairs were unsteady and moved with the wind. I could feel each step our body made towards the top. Bo was nervous but tenacious. She kept going despite the wind and shakiness following Jaime’s direction. She trusts us completely, it’s one of the most beautiful gifts adopting a dog has shown me.
We made it to the top of the fire tower and it felt as if we were floating in the air with 360 degree views of the mountains surrounding us. I would have stopped at the Wesser Bald clearing, which was truly a stunning view, and yet it was not the final destination. This path had a perspective that was even greater still. And isn’t that a lot like life? I know the feeling of thinking I’ve made it, and yet I persevere. When I do have enough faith in the journey to keep going, I am always blown away by the fact there was something even better all along.
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One response to “A Hygge Hike in The Smokies”
Great post! Very high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂