Blisters
Morning routine of blister care on the Colorado Trail
I hiked about 70% of the 500 miles on the Colorado Trail with blisters between my toes and on the ball of my foot (my right foot only, how weird?)
Morning routine was this: wake up in my Durston X-Mid 2, hobble out of the tent like a geriatric man, dig a hole and well… does a bear shit in the woods?
Hop back into tent, change into your stinky hiking clothes, use as much Luko Tape as I could on the foot, then pour up an elixir of life - that’s what Joey Santos and I coined a CELSIUS packet (ideally peach mango), and a Drink LMNT (ideally orange or grapefruit).
Side note, with some tequila mixed in the elixir of life you might have something more potent and way more enjoyable than the classic gold four loko’s we drank in high school. Of course we didn’t have tequila, but that might’ve helped.
Then we’d hit the trail. Yes, the first few steps every morning were the worst. But not one time did I consider that my blisters were gonna stop me from completing the hike. Nor did I let them stop me from enjoying the experience and giving it my all.
It was a lesson in pain, determination, and most of all an excuse to laugh at the lows while hooting and hollering through the highs.
With every step there was a lovely stabbing pain radiating through my foot. However, with every step there was also a feeling of empowerment, control over my emotions, and a new way to face off with adversity. In fact, I almost got the trail name ‘zoomy’ because I would just get so excited for what’s in front of me that I’d start running and jumping like an overly excited dog.
I had no control over the pain, but what I did have control over was my attitude each day.
A bad attitude can destroy an adventure, a partnership, a workplace, or literally anything. It was an active effort to not let the suffering determine the outcome or experience of the day. But I was in control.
When you’re out on trail there’s a lot you can’t control: weather, terrain, your neck flaring up, and yes… blisters. Same with regular life: a nail in your tire, a rejected proposal, or a dwindling savings account because you’re a struggling freelance photographer (what? me??)
I’ve taken those lessons into my daily life now. It’s a choice you make every day when you wake up. A choice you make every time an unexpected issue arises. You can wallow in it or dance through it.
So next time someone serves you a shit sandwich, eat it and smile. Heck, do a lil dance with it stuck in your teeth.
Why? Because you can! And you should.
Life is precious, experiences are life, and being angry or sad is a waste of time and energy.
Do a dance, laugh in the face of suffering, and keep walking on your authentic path of life. Maybe even run if you get excited.
