Ashokan High Point Trail (All Trails Challenge NYNJTC Map 143)

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Ashokan High Point Trail (All Trails Challenge NYNJTC Map 143)




Parking lot was filling up by 11 am. The trails were dry and bugs were minimal, except for the solitary tick I flicked off. 



I headed off trail to visit the plane wreck of the WWII trainer. There are a lot of herd paths off this trail so if you haven’t done it before, you might want to make sure your navigation is sound. If you’re daydreaming, you can easily make a wrong turn.


I’ve been watching interviews of people who have claimed to have near death experiences and I realized that a lot of what I experienced when I was living in the Catskills for a year and half was similar to what people take from their NDEs. 



I didn’t have any sort of supernatural event occur, but the impact was similar. I had a lot of synchronicities happen—just signs that I was supposed to be climbing these mountains. I felt like I was caught up in some sort of current leading me somewhere, but I still don’t know the ultimate destination.



I think some of the insights I came to were similar too: how life really should be seen as a classroom for your soul, how suffering and transformation is part of that learning process, and how following your intuition is leading you to your purpose. I also felt very connected to some greater source and developed spirituality after having been agnostic, if not atheistic, for a long time. There’s a lot more, but that’s an overview. 



When I had to return to being back in the city during the week, it was akin to being cast out of heaven and returning to the body. I think I’m needed in my teaching situation there, even if it’s not where I’m happiest. But at least I have the summer to re-immerse myself in nature and IPAs. 


Todays IPA was Better Dayz from my Killington stash.



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