Of all the hikers in the world, I am fairly certain I possess the highest variable speed. Depending on the exact minute you look at me, I am both the fastest and the slowest hiker on the planet.
After I got divorced, I joined a number of local Hiking Meetup groups. It was a wonderful way to meet new people and get out into nature. Because hiking and photography are two of my greatest passions, I naturally wanted to combine them on these trips.
This created a very specific, exhausting rhythm.
Typically, I would loiter at the very back of the group, scanning the trail for a beautiful flower or a striking landscape. When I spotted something, I would stop entirely, spending five minutes setting up and capturing the perfect shot. Meanwhile, the rest of the group would keep walking, disappearing down the trail.
Realizing I was about to get left behind in the wilderness, I would then tuck my camera away and sprint like mad to catch up. I would fly down the path at breakneck speed until I finally reached the back of the pack. But the moment I caught my breath and spotted another interesting perspective, the cycle would repeat. I would drop anchor, take my photos, and then burst into another full-blown sprint.
I was caught in a constant loop of extreme loitering and high-speed chasing.
Fortunately, these days I hike with a regular bunch of mates who are far more tolerant of my photographic detours. The pace is much more balanced now, which is a massive relief—because as it turns out, sprinting a marathon in five-minute intervals gets incredibly tiring after a while.
