Into the Woods

Last Monday we picked Eli up for our weekly rendezvous and, to our absolute delight, he came home with us the next day!  We had agreed that once Eli reached Two Harbors (the next town up the shore from Duluth) he would come home and finish the last 50 miles doing day-hikes instead of camping on the trail overnight.  By the time we met up with him on Monday, Eli had hiked 211 miles and lost over 10 pounds from 15 days on the trail.  I am incredibly proud of him to say the least!

Once Eli came home, he wasn't ready to leave again.  He spent three days with us, which was much needed by all.  Caleb has been confused the past few weeks, asking at least once a day, "Where'd Daddy go?" and not understanding when I explained that he's hiking.  Having Eli home for a few solid days created a sense of normalcy for us all.

But on Friday it was time to hit the trail again, so Eli took off and covered 16 miles during the day and came home again in the evening.  And the next day I had the privilege of joining him!  Eli's parents watched the boys so I could venture into the woods - and into the fall colors, which have exploded this past week - with my hiking husband.  It was amazing.  We only hiked 6 miles, but the colors were nothing short of majestic, and the weather was as lovely as could be, and the silence of the woods was invigorating!  And having the time and space to have a long, uninterrupted conversation was nothing short of majestic either.  We giddily talked about books and writing and storytelling - pretty much our favorite topic of conversation - and it was like the leaves were giddy with us and couldn't help but fall as they shook with excitement.  What a delight!

I also heard more about Eli's hiking experience.  I asked him what it was like to spend that much time alone because, even for an introvert, that's quite a bit of silence and solitude.  He admitted that it was strange to be alone so much and that he missed talking to people from time to time.  Once, when his campsite was within earshot of the road, he was surprised to realize that the sound of traffic was comforting because "it was nice to know that somebody was out there."  Spending such immense time alone, however, is what allowed him to process and debrief the last several years.  He said he couldn't have done that if he hadn't been alone.

So the woods and the silence were a good and necessary thing for Eli, but now he's ready to be home again.  He has roughly 25 miles left, which he'll do during a couple day-hikes this week, and then he can check this dream off his list!

I was thankful to experience a tiny portion of the Superior Hiking Trail with Eli and get a taste of his world these past two weeks.  It was glorious!