Sometimes, to keep a challenge from becoming an ordeal you have to try and balance the bad with a good. Take my ordeal – rather, “challenge” today on a 15-mile hike in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness. It was a day of challenges that teetered on being an ordeal. I found myself continually trying to strike a balance.

Bad: Scouting this hike on the topo mapo, I counted six points at which Slickrock Creek Trail crossed its namesake creek.

Good: Maybe the crossings all had dry rock bridge crossings.

Bad: None of the crossings had rock bridges.

Good: I prepared for this by strapping a pair of Keens, a popular water sandal, to my pack. Reach a crossing I needed to wade, slip off the hiking boots and slip on the Keens.

Bad: There weren’t six crossings – there were 16!

Good: The water wasn’t crazy cold, so I left the Keens on for about 7 miles while I finished the crossings.

Bad: Some of the crossings were deep. Two almost came up to my crotch.

Good: Almost, but not quite.

See? It’s all good. If you look at it that way.