I’ve decided to create a new category for the blog called Senior Moments for backpackers. Anything related to becoming older that impacts, changes, limits, or forces me to make changes as I get older may become something to write about.

2018 is now “in the books.” It’s a new year and I can’t change the past. Many outdoor bloggers summarize the previous year with their favorite gear (an opportunity to insert ads of said gear to generate income) or summarize the highlights of their year. I’ll do neither in this post.

2018 was the year I became a senior citizen. There really isn’t a set age when one becomes a “senior.” For some it is a state of mind and they start acting like old people in their ‘40s or ‘50s. The reality is that at some point in time all of us will be unable to do what we could do in our youth. Walking (my definition of backpacking) is something most of us can do for most of our lives. Last year I turned 68 and on a couple trips with younger people I couldn’t maintain my normal pace. I was fine on fairly level terrain and going down the hills. But on moderately long elevation gains there were times I fell behind my younger walking partners, although I could still keep up with some of them. I also found that during the year I could still keep up with my friends if I trained ahead of time for a hike that entailed lots of elevation gains.

This need to train specifically for elevation is a new phenomenon for me. In the past, my normal routine at home was good enough to go backpacking without any specialized training or any training at all. I could just up and go, and on the rare occasion I hiked with others I could keep up with everyone or even could walk faster and longer. At this point in time, there isn’t anything I can’t do when it comes to walking in the backcountry, other than a little slower pace and the realization that I may have to make have change some of my expectations as I get older. Some of these changes are minor. For example, about ten years ago I found that sleeping on a thin foam pad no longer resulted in a good night’s sleep. A lightweight air mattress solved the issue – a compromise that added 12 ounces to my gear – but a compromise that was worth the extra weight to ensure a comfortable night.

Along with the infirmaries of age or the decline in physical condition there should come wisdom from experience. Some things just aren’t worth the effort or the time. Three years ago I poured a thousand square feet of cement and built a patio. Today, although I can still undertake such physical tasks, I’m just not willing to work that hard. I’d rather go for a hike, go camping, or read a good book. There is a balance between effort and reward.

I anticipate there will be other “compromises” I may need to make in the future; hopefully in the coming years. The emphasis is years. Here’s the reality: each year more and more of my college classmates and friends pass away. We can’t escape that future, nor do we know when that demise will happen – but it will happen sooner or later. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve had good health and apparently good genes. Everyone doesn’t have these and those of us who do should be thankful and use them. Since I usually backpack alone and find that always hiking with others is not my cup of tea. Hiking with others for the sake of safety is an unacceptable compromise. At the same time, the realization that age could increase the chances of serious injury; it becomes paramount to consider any new limitations age places in front of me as an obstacle. These are the things that may be worth writing about.

Age is a funny thing sometimes. When I turned 60, I realized I was on the downside of life – that is, most of my life was over. Not something to dwell on or stress about, but a realization that perhaps it is time to evaluate life and think about the future. We can stop and simply wait to die or we can live our lives to the fullest. My advice to younger readers is to live your lives to the fullest starting today. When I retired three years ago it was a time to reflect and perhaps plan for the remaining years. The good news is I didn’t have a bucket list  of things I wanted or hoped to do in my remaining years. I have already done everything I wanted to get out of life – my life has been good. However there is a saying, “Good is the enemy of Great.” And for me, great is continuing to do the good things in life. Hopefully I won’t have to make too many changes in the future and the future will include many good years of living.