The Hike

By Chris Smith

Nothing is more calming then watching the sun crest a ridgeline in the morning. The way beams of light punch through the wood line to awake the forest floor below. Birds start to sing; small critters start to forage. The smell of anew. Ah, nothing like it.

Then you start to come to your senses, the ringing in your ears, blurred vision, smells, and the sound of firecrackers going off. Yes sir, thank God, you think to yourself, you made it through another one. No time to waste, you must get situational awareness and get things rolling. Then black again.

After spending time in the WTU stateside and finally being discharged, it was like heaven to be back home with family. The son wanted to go on a hike, not being 100% yet, I said sure, but I might be slow. The wife on the drive to the drop off point kept asking, “Are you sure?” I said, “not really, but I have to keep moving to get my strength back.” The son was excited and so was I but inside I knew it was going to be a challenge.

We picked a trail section from the top of Cheaha Mountain to a waypoint where the wife would pick us up. Only a mere 12 miles, lol. So, with fresh bandages, water, and snacks, we said, “bye” and headed off. The son was so excited, and I was too to be with him and back in the woods.

At certain points, we would pause and just take in the sights, sounds and smells. At one point, I grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. I took my hiking staff and pointed. A large black snake was crossing the trail just a few feet from where he was. Once the snake was off the trail, he asked, “How did you see that?” I just said it was luck. In my mind, I thought back to why my leg was throbbing and had to fight to keep the memories from coming back.

At the valley floor, we paused at a large creek before crossing. As we ate some snacks and drank water, he asked if I was able to go hiking “over there”. I said, “Yes, but this was much better”. As we sat there listening to the water running over the rocks, I fought back tears and memories, so thankful to be with my son.

We crossed the creek and resumed moving out. The pain grew more intense in my leg. I kept getting slower and slower. I checked the GPS. It was getting close to the time for pick up. I knew my wife would be there early. I showed my son the GPS and asked if he was ready to practice “busting bush”. I showed him where we were and the waypoint on the road that was the pickup point. I said, “Don’t worry about me keeping up”, just take a knee every 15 minutes; once I get there you can move out again. He had a ball reading the land, navigating a path, and waiting on me to catch up. I was struggling; the pain in my leg was increasing with every step. I forced myself to be thankful for the pain because I wasn’t dead. The little hike was therapy for me in more than ways than one.

We ended up being 15 minutes past the pickup time. The wife, of course, was worried, but I assured her everything was fine. My son had learned something new and had a great time. Later that night, as I had my leg elevated, I thought to myself how lucky I was and promised myself to always take the time to enjoy the little things in life.

Chris is a Combat Veteran recently retired. A few places he has deployed are Afghanistan, Jordon, Panama, Haiti and various non-combat areas. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, camping, and fishing. He lives with his bride of 30 years in Alabama whom he calls “Household 6”. If any Veterans or family members of a veteran see changes in their loved one, or for that matter knows anyone who is contemplating suicide, he urges you to contact him at combatvettalk@gmail.com.