Walter, I think you are right on with your distinc...

2012-01-03T13:01:31.660-06:00

Walter, I think you are right on with your distinction of extremes. As a leader, I definitely started off on the Miles end of the spectrum. The upside to this approach seems to be extreme group cohesion—when it works—and a strong collective pride at the end of the trip. It can be rough, though, if a participant or two feels more challenged than the rest of the group—rather isolating them and potentially dividing the group between the "tough" and those less so. Over time, though, I moved to the opposite extreme of Lessons First. A perfect example was on my Canuck when, in the last several days of our trip, we decided to duff for several consecutive days rather than racing to a further pickup point. I wanted to push reflection—to stop and think about where we had already been in the previous 28 days, while we were still out there. It was a great success, but I felt strange abandoning the miles mindset, and almost a small shame in not "pushing" harder all the way through. (I think I made the right call for my group).

Then, as with so many other things in my life, I moved from the extreme back toward the middle, with intention. Appropriately challenging physical hardships mixed with daily lessons. This is where I found the greatest success.

Every trip with a strong leader (strong in whatever capacity on either end of the supposed spectrum) will be successful for a combination of both the miles and the lessons, regardless of the leader's intentions. It is, though, the intention—of blending the two—that makes for the best results all around. I couldn't have been there at 16, when I started working at Manito-wish, but I'm glad I stuck around for almost a decade to take things to the next level.

Comments on The Wetfoot: What Does a Trip Do: the Spectrum of ‘Miles’ vs ‘L...

Walter, I think you are right on with your distinc...