Hot take: the worst day on the trail is better than the best day at the office... or is it?

I did the John Muir Trail two summers ago and had one day near Evolution Basin that was just brutal. Woke up with a headache that wouldn't quit, my filter clogged after 3 liters, and I took a wrong turn that added 2 extra miles of talus scrambling. By the time I hit camp I was ready to quit the whole thing. But honestly? I look back on that day more fondly than the perfect ones with blue skies and easy grades. There's something about pushing through the garbage that sticks with you way more than the easy cruising. Meanwhile my friends who haven't hiked think I'm crazy for even saying that. Anybody else find that their worst days on trail end up being their favorite memories?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles_green14d ago

Pushing through the garbage" is exactly it. My worst day on the PCT is my favorite story now.

emeryn8314d ago

Did you read that article in Backpacker Magazine last year about how our brains actually hold onto the hard memories more than the easy ones? Something about how overcoming real struggle creates a stronger emotional imprint than just having a nice time. I think that lines up with what you're saying about the talus scramble day. It's not about the suffering itself, it's about looking back and realizing you made it through something that felt impossible in the moment. My worst day ever was getting caught in a sideways hailstorm on the Appalachian Trail, and I still tell people about that one way more than any of the sunny afternoons I spent reading in camp.