Hiking Small Talk
Small talk between passing hikers can be quite….riveting.
When I am out hiking, it is important to me to be in the moment; I’m not thinking about bills that are due, vehicle maintenance needed, or any other bullshit thing our normal daily lives require us to waste precious brain energy on. The same trail can yield different sights, regardless of the number of times I’ve hiked it. This is one of the many things I LOVE about the Sonoran Desert; it helps me relax, puts me in a different state of mind, and helps me RECHARGE. And I absolutely enjoy the solitude.
This relaxation isn’t some sort of carefree stroll through the desert while not paying attention. Nope. Far from it. Hiking is perfect for my ADHD brain; I’m constantly scanning for danger and secure footing all while enjoying the sights and sounds the desert has to offer.
Sometimes those sounds are the footsteps of another hiker, quickly approaching.
This particular hike was an easy one. I started off on one of the more popular trails and then meandered my way through a few washes. The washes tend to be less popular, I assume because of all the loose sand/gravel that requires a bit more effort to navigate, but that benefits me - there’s a lesser chance of encountering other humans.
While on/in one of the washes, I could hear footsteps trailing far behind, but moving quick enough that they’d eventually outpace me. I continued with my normal pace and kept doing my sight-seeing style hike, trying to soak up all the yummy visuals (there’s some cool shit in the washes). At one point, on an incline leading out of the wash, I saw subtle movement. So I stopped and turned to look: it was a rabbit! Even thought there’s always plenty of rabbits bouncing around, I appreciate being able to see wildlife in its natural habitat. After a few uneventful moments, the rabbit hopped away so I continued onwards.
Eventually the owner of aforementioned footsteps were close enough that I decided to move aside and let them pass (I try to respect the pace of others and just move out of the way if safe to do so). As this person passed me, they (what I perceived as such) angrily inquired, “Did ya spot something back there?”.
In the few brief moments preceding my response, my mind raced searching for a clever, yet appropriate answer. I thought of telling a quick story of forgotten treasure or even responding with, “motherfucker, I hike with my eyes open; I’m ALWAYS spotting shit”.
Instead, I responded with, “Yes, a rabbit”.
Their response? “Oh, you saw a rabbit did ya?” and continued trudging through the wash, not waiting for my response nor interested in continuing to conversate, which was fine with me.
