How The Continental Divide Trail Ruined my Life
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2023
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I haven't backpacked in almost 3 years, because I was tired of it. I'm OK with that. Life changes, and I joke that I'm now in my "all-inclusive resort" phase. I love that as a major figure in backpacking, you give voice to stepping back. I love that you don't commit to never backpacking, or to taking it up in the future. Life is an unknown adventure and we don't have to continue on a path if it no longer serves us. Thank you for letting us into your thought process.
For me it's the opposite, now that I hike and backpack regularly, any vacation that doesn't involve that is disappointing. Last year we went to Mexico at a fancy all inclusive and I regret how much $$ I spent on it. I keep thinking on where I could have gone instead. But perhaps I'll change my mind in 10 years when my knees are even more busted.
Nick, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am so thankful to Darwin. He encouraged my passion to get outdoors again. I am excited to see what you decide to share. Thank you for your body of work and I look forward to experience the new levels of creativity that you have in you.
boy does this make sense. I always wondered how content creators deal with the constant "chore" of producing videos and what it feels like to them to go camping or hiking vs us who do it at our leisure. good call taking that break and changing how you do it.
The evolution continues. Looking forward to seeing the new adventures. So pumped you are finishing up the CDT videos. I had hoped there was going to be a time when you were ready to tell the rest of that story.
Love your sincerity, like those short video format! You’re one the reason why I started to hike couple of years ago, thank you again! You ruined my life for the better 🤠
Glad to hear it!!! 😂
Glad to see you again.We have missed you.I am happy things are better with your friends and wife.
Thank you so much. For being so consistently and rigorously honest with us all. Yours is a beautiful journey to witness.
We are all now looking forward to the remaining CDT footage, that is going to be a gift!appreciate you taking the time xxx
Can't wait to finally share the rest of the CDT with you guys! ❤️
Can't wait to see all the new, and different content. Watching you "evolve" has been an inspiring journey!
I appreciate that!
Thank you for sharing your adventures through the years. Glad to hear you are taking time for your family, friends and yourself. The best of luck on the new journey.
Thanks so much for your recent videos sharing both struggles and the excitement of what's ahead. I have really appreciated your story of the past few years.
You are so welcome! Thank You!
Thank goodness!! I am so glad you are finally going to finish the CDT video series! I was so looking forward to seeing your amazing videos and was so disappointed when you bailed. I subscribed to your channel, I purchased your Arizona Trail documentary, I reshaped my hiking gear based on your advise... and I felt abandoned and betrayed a little bit. Your videos kept me sane in this tiny office I practically live in and I'm so glad to see you again...like a long lost friend. I am happy that you have found some peace again and new things to be excited about. And happy that you have found joy in bringing your fans some more great stuff to watch! CHEERS!
glad you're back happy and motivated again, I loved your PCT videos so much, hope the content here returns, I will watch the lot.
Darwin, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching your videos over the years.
Thank you for being THE guy that really inspired me.
Your channel blew up because of your infectious energy, and it’s great to see you back. My biggest thank you to you.. introducing me to Altra! ✌️
Incredibly heartfelt and introspective description of what you have been going through on your personal journey. A journey that continues as you see yourself and who you are in the world in a new way. Look forward to seeing you experience this new life after the CDT.
It's great to hear of your new life balance. Being one of those who absolutely loves your hiking videos (which are some of the very best there are) I'm pleased to hear you will be finishing the CDT videos. Looking forward to them and whatever is next in your adventures.
Love this, Darwin. Thank you for being open! YAY, CDT videos 😊
20 years in the military. Iraq. My late wife was healthy 8 years...then lupus, brutal car accident, & cancer that took her 8 years after that. Single parenting a daughter. Being an unemployed bread winner during the Great Recession. My own health challenges. & on & on. Life is often brutal.
I'm glad you're emerging from your encounter with darkness. :-) I'm glad your marriage is still intact & you still have friends. Keep laughing at yourself. Have thick skin when reading the comment sections some days. Be good to yourself - mind, body, & soul. Smile. :-)
Thank you for being an escape when I can't be out on a trail or in the outdoors myself...you've got a lot of artistic talent. Thanks, Darwin/Nick! :-)
Staying true to yourself is one of the most difficult things to do. So glad you are doing what is best for *you* and your family! ❤
It really is! Learning balance is a tough thing sometimes, but much needed
Love to see you no matter what Darwin! I'm excited to watch the rest of your CDT videos.
Very happy you are going to finish the CDT videos. Understand you needing to take time to do you. Your videos have inspired and educated me on the world of thru hiking from your very first video you posted to TH-cam. Thanks.
Thank you so much!
You’re one of my first You Tube people and I’m glad you’re back. You’re channel and conduct is so genuine and more about the activity and not the commercial video algorithm side. I’ve been burnt out or lost in my activities and have re-centered myself and revitalized my enthusiasm. Most understandable and congratulations
Your honesty is what has kept me coming back to your channel. I’ve always struggled with trying to out do what I’ve already done. Lately it’s the question I’ve been asking myself the most while on trail. Why do I do this. Why is pushing further and bigger important to me. The answered I’ve recently reflected on is it’s not. It was about feeding my insecurity. What keeps me coming back are the people I’m with and the experiences I get to share with my wife and kids. Appreciate your vulnerability. Hope to see you on trail one day
Nick, I so appreciate and admire the vulnerability of your offering here. This is rare on backpacking TH-cams! The subject of who we are as rising out of what we do, and also what we do rising out of who we are is of great interest to me. When I was in my late 20s, I made an enormous change in my life and hiked the Appalachian Trail as a way of leaving one thing behind and arriving in another whole season of my life. That was about 45 years ago and now I am preparing to hike the CDT in 2025 through New Mexico for my 70th birthday. Between those two hikes, I married, raised a family, gave my life away through volunteerism, and finally developed a professional life. Now I have retired from that and am so excited to get back to thru-hiking. But I have a very different body at age 70 than I did at age 28. And gear has changed a great deal. So I am determined not to hike the CDT the way I hiked the AT. It’s no longer about making miles. Now I hike as a pilgrim.
Thank you again for the vulnerability of your story. All the best to you, as you continue to become who you are at core. Canyon Elder
Yay! Welcome back Darwin… Much appreciate your honesty and transparency.
After recovering from two neck surgeries back in 2017, I came across your hiking videos. It inspired me to start hiking to push myself a little more. Thank you for all your content.
Thank you for continuing to share your personal journey. Hearing how you found your way out of and back in love with your passions is so enjoyable.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the Kind Words!
❤ Thank you for your always authentic vlogs. You owe your fans nothing, you have given and shared so much. Your photography and content is of such high quality, it’s been outstanding. I knew that you struggled during your time on the CDT. I felt that our watching you and the process of creating for us was distracting from your experience in a negative way. The CDT is closer to me (Colorado) and I’m thrilled to have the rest of the hike to anticipate watching.
Love it! Glad to have you back. Love your content and much of it inspired my channel!
Love to hear the passion is back for you, your the reason I decided to hike the AT when I turn 50! Love your advice and perspective please keep up the hard work.
I remember watching you on the pct. You were a big inspiration for me to start overnight hiking short lived because i lost control of a drug habit. Im now here trying to see if its something i may want to get back into. My mom saved my trekking poles while i was in the streets in case one day i got better and got back to hiking. Alot has changed in my life now but im also now clean for almost a year now. I miss being in nature and ive gained so much weight im kinda worried i dont have the energy for it all anymore but idk. Anyways just stopping by and subscribing since im back myself lol. Take care ✌️
Hiking and Jiu Jitsu.. js
Congratulations so much on your recovery! One day and one mile at a time.
@@rebeccawest8973 thank you 🙏🥲
I love how you "keep it real". Your sincerity and vulnerability are inspiring to me. Thank you for sharing.
Love your videos no matter the format. Thank you Nick (and Darwin) for being an inspiration to so many people.
First of all thank you for sharing all your videos. Been following you for awhile. You, August ( his short content), and many others.
It inspired me, and I'm going to attempt my own thru hike this next coming year.
So thank you,
Larry👍
I have to say that in all the years of watching your videos, this is my favorite…..great reflection. Thank you for your openness and your sincerity.
Glad your back on You Tube. Safe travels and a happy life. I'll be listening and watching your life adventure. 😊
Darwin watching this video out a smile on my face. So happy to see you've found a balance in your life 👍👍👍👍 I am looking forward to your upcoming videos.
Thanks for sharing your journey, it’s a true pleasure to share in your journeys.
Great backstory, buddy! Looking forward to the next 4 videos!
Good job with the introspection. We all need to do that from time to time! Love your videos!
I've been a long time watcher of your channel and your channel is why I have a closet full of hiking gear, why my roommate and I hike in the CO mountains every weekend, why we go out and create our own adventures. I've always been the adventurous type, but my roommate sometimes needs a bit of convincing, and that's where you come in. I'll show her one of your videos and that's enough to convince her to go on some silly adventure with me. I'm glad you were able to take some time off and reset. Thanks for what you do and your awesome content. Always put your family, friends, and self first. We'll always be here and won't fault you for being human.
Dude!!! This is great news I've been a huge fan of yours since I watched your PCT through hike. I guess I was always hoping you'd release the rest of your CDT through hike videos, glad you're back 👊
I appreciate that! CDT Videos coming very soon!
Good to have you back looking forward to new content
A long time ago I first heard you say "Embrace the suck"... that has stuck with me and I thank you for it.
It seems you have taken it to the next level. Best of luck!
I've definitely embraced the suck as best I can over the last few years. Thanks for the support!
Very cool. Can't wait to see new Darwin content! You were a huge inspiration to me when I was getting ready for my first bikepacking trip. Here's to the future!
Thanks for putting this out there. Glad to see you're in a better place. 👍👍
Good for you brother. Do what's right for you and your family. Love all your videos.
Thanks for sharing. Finding myself in a similar situation. Learning to balance my hobbies with time for my loved ones. Excited to see those CDT videos.
I really appreciate your openness and sincerity. I have gotten so wrapped up in creating content that I too have neglected my own personal life and had to take a step back for a few months. It becomes very consuming and it's kind of like an addiction really. But I try to keep a good balance, and remember that creating adventures is just a hobby, and my faith, family and friends are more important than making TH-cam videos. Thanks for the video, it reminded me again to focus on keeping things in proper perspective. God bless!
Followed you since the beginning, from France. I love what you have done, even surprising me when I was not expecting it. I discovered you in my worst moment in life and you are part of the beautiful things that allowed me to bounce back. You were therapeutical to me.
Man DARWIN … you have always been a down to earth person… I’ve always liked your hiking views and your message of the outdoors… your vibes make people do some SOUL searching…. Always with your VIBES
Was so hoping you’d finish those someday, and glad that day is here! Thanks, Darwin. You do inspire. 🥾
Awesome, and welcome back.
Thanks for sharing your journey, your videos are always entertaining and inspiring.
My pleasure!
Perspective... what a great gift the CDT has given you. Something we often lack. I'm glad you got to reconnect with your wife, your friends, and yourself. All the best to you!
The Trail is always good for it! ❤️
I'm glad you were able to find yourself again and reconnect with those important people in your direct life. I'm excited to see what comes next.
This was a great video! I’m happy to see this new type of Darwin content. Also psyched to see the finished CDT videos!
Glad you're digging it! More to come! ❤️
Love hearing these reflections from you. A lot of content creators stay on the rollercoaster of chasing engagement and likes for far too long in my opinion, and I admire your ability to step away when you needed to. Making videos can be great when it's coming from an authentic place, but when you're burnt out and/or searching for something to share just to keep the algorithm going, I can imagine it feels hollow. On my own thru hikes I often thought of how tedious and tough it must be to feel like you have to document every little moment perfectly! I hope you find lots of fulfillment in whatever adventures lay ahead for you - as Nick and Darwin.
drove back to oklahoma recently to see some family. listened to your podcasts along the ride, I had no idea all the history behind this story and found it super fascinating as a small creator. You really made me think about a lot of things and it was really insightful. Thanks for everything from the content creation here to the podcast and sharing some really detailed things about your life and journey. wishing you the best brotha!
So glad to have you back Darwin.
Thank You! ❤️
A great time to reminisce. Look forward to the videos.
Solid vid, my guy. Thanks for opening up and sharing
Thank you for sharing all of this. I think this is a very important thing for people to think about, how diving into any activity contributes to your identity. I myself have always wanted to backpack, and like a lot of people who have gotten into recently, it started during the pandemic. I wanted to be conscious of the idea that it was adding to my identity and not necessarily becoming my new identity. But making it one's own identity is so easy to do because of how passionate we are about the activity.
With that being said, thank you for all you have given us as Darwin! You were a lot of people's teacher and motivator as well as sense of reason. I attempted the CO Trail in 2021, three months after breaking my ankle while preparing for the hike. It was my 4th night and 5th day when I began to feel some weird pain on the same leg as the broken ankle and I was worried about secondary injury. I decided to push on and hopefully it would subside, but it continued. I was hiking to your podcast and the episode about failing forward. It gave me a sound mind to make the decision to get off the trail for my own health without feeling guilty about the failure.
Thanks for all you have given to the community, your passion for the outdoors and public lands, and we cannot wait to see the rest of your CDT thru hike!
That was great. Appreciate your insights and perspective.
Great to see you have your mojo back Darwin. Look forward to those final CDT videos. Cheers! 🎉
I think the tour divide ruined my life this summer. As a guy with a day job I miss the autonomy of being able to move/eat/sleep whenever and wherever I wanted to.
Yeah... Adventures like that will definitely do it to ya!
Wow. I thought you were gone. Good to hear your thoughts. Glad you got your balance back. ❤
Hey Darwin, like many others here I’ve followed you from the start and I love watching your physical journeys, but it’s your spiritual journey that has been the most inspiring. I made a comment a few years back on one of your responses to another comment and I called you “arrogant”. We all travel through times when we are not our best, but not all of us have thousands of people witnessing it like you do. The humility you express now is so admirable and because you’ve allowed your audience to see your growth and ups and downs, you are so relatable, just as a fellow human. Looking forward to seeing more of your awesome content!
Always enjoy your videos! You're a good egg, sir
Best wishes Darwin!
I used to hike when I joined the Boy Scouts and stopped when I left. You reignited my taste for wilderness. I can’t go often but I hike a few times a year after seeing you. Thanks for all of it!😊
Right on! Keep getting out there! ❤️
As a former Scout I feel the same way you do. Thanks for the insperation!
thank you for being so open on that. it can apply to a lot of things in life. mono-focus is rarely healthy. and something like frequent long distance hikes could be a strain on relationships just because you're GONE. checked out. even if you do a phone call on a resupply it's still an absent house for a partner and not really the same for seeing a friend or fam in person. i think it's fantastic you've branched out, and that let you recapture excitement. it's okay to love things and dump a ton of time in. but variety is rarely a bad thing, too. : )
thanks nick.
(literally the first time i heard your given name.)
rock on, brother. mountaineering sounds scary to me but i hope you're as stoked while doing it as you are while talking about it. :) i'd totally still watch.
Every man goes through at least one desert experience in their life. It's a season when they try to gain perspective, and many times, try to find oneself. I am glad to hear that you found perspective and what you find valuable in life. I too went through a period where I wasn't sure I wanted to pursue my life passion after some difficult experiences. I came around to it because I was finding that it was a benefit to others. Through that I rediscovered my passion in a new way. I have always appreciated your videos and am glad to hear you are finishing strong on the CDT videos.
Great words and wisdom. Love it!
Enjoyed the video and the perspective. Looking forward to continuing to see what the future holds for you. Hope to share another adventure with you in the future.
Love you brother. I’m really loving these videos. Very inspirational ❤️
❤️🔥
thanks for sharing your process! It hurt watching your attitude change as you burnt out.
Your love of the outdoors was shining in the earlier ones.. glad it’s back. You honesty really touched us. ❤
Do what you wanna do man, I'm here for it!
My first Hiking video was one of yours. It's awesome to see how you've developed over the years. Best to you and your wife!
Thanks for being real and sharing your experiences/ struggles.
No problem! There is a TON of fake in this current world. All I can be is myself to help balance the scales a little bit.
I’m glad you’re back doing videos. I enjoy them. I humbled myself on Tuesday doing a hike. I fell and cracked 2 ribs. I don’t know when I’m going to be able to hike. I guess I need to stop admiring the trees in the forest and start paying attention to where I’m walking and bring my trekking poles.
Been missing your hiking videos, excited to see the next trail episodes!
Coming soon!
Thanks for sharing nick ! You are just so amazing :)
Take your time on the videos and thanks for the update.🙂
Hello Darwin , from Switzerland, I follow you since 2019 . Thank you for sharing this experience. Sometime pictures are like a coin there is always to faces on it. A bright one that most of the time is published on TH-cam and a darker one that people keep more secret. I am happy that you are going to share the last videos about the CDT. The content that you publish is very good and probably one of the best on this channel . Anyway most important I can see that you are still full of energy and projects. Wish you the best
Everyone definitely curates their life to a point... It's good to share the other side every once in a while. ❤️
Thank you, Nick!
I met you a few years back at PCT days. You definitely deserved to put wind back in your sails and find your core! Good to have you back! Remember you also inspire us not only get out of our comfort zones but to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
Really enjoyed this open honest format, and yes one can get burnout from anything great if you have it long enough. I always say at some point everyone will get sick or eating steak ( if their a meat eater lol ). Enjoyed seeing you again at PCT trail days and excited for you in terms of your new gear company and your current and future products. I’m also looking forward to watching the rest of your CDT hike. Cheers Marmalade
My man, that was awesome. More than anything in life, I love when people just give it you you straight. And, you are a great "story-teller" which is so important. Thank you.
You are an inspiration. There are many kinds of journeys. Thanks for sharing.
it is so good to see you happy and i unsub to some old channels and stop to say hay !
i have put the bell on to here more from you !
stay safe darwin !
I love your hiking videos. Can hardly wait for the CDT videos!!!
That old ruined AT video is what intro’s me to long distance hiking! It changed my life to the point of doing the west coast trail by myself in 2019, only a 7 day hike but it was awesome and lead to me prepping for more..than Covid hit and life got in the way, BUT I’m still planning another hike next summer following a fur trader trail here in Canada 🇨🇦 Life is busy now, but I just wanna thank you 🙏🏻 for sparking my interest and I will hike a longer hike one day ❤ just know your steps on these trails have let some of us see and experience that community while living the 9-5 still. Thankyou! ❤
Thank you so much for this recap - I hope you, your wife and your friends are in a good place now. You are missed on TH-cam but friends and family always come FIRST!!
Thanks Darwin for updating us on your CDT burnout experience and excited for your upcoming videos.
My PCT hike this year may have ruined my life as well. It’s been a month since I touched the terminus. I’m still processing what happened on my 5-month journey and figuring out what my new post-trail life is going to be. Very confusing and humbling right now.
I like the „New Darwin“! Thx for sharing this personal staff! Best Regards from Europe 🤗
great message and video. someone once told me, "never make your hobby your job, it won't be your hobby anymore"
Love the reflection in this video!
I watched some of your videos before my AT 2017 thru. And I followed you post holing on the PCT. I haved listened to both of your podcasts on Backpacker Radio about who you are and how you feel. Between the biking and hiking I have grown to respect you and the things you guys do! I think some of the things you say and do really make sense. About gear and hiking and things you learned. Keep growing and sharing. I appreciate your honesty and evolution. Life is long!
Because of You I started to do ultra backpacking which help me a lot. Thanks Darwin !
That's awesome!
Awesome Nick!
❤️🤙