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ljgeoffI've been planning on a hike along the Appalachian Trail and Tuesday, October 17 was Hike Day.
I went in pre' damn confident and very determined to make the whole hike in one day. And I did.
I brought with me a sleeping bag, a little bit of food, 2L of water, and fire-starting stuff. Just in case.
Very Determined
It was amazing. And it was really, really difficult. I mean, I work on my feet all day, but walking up hallways and boosting the occasional patient up in bed really did not prepare me for walking up stairs for four hours.
At the half-way point, I felt pre' good. At the summit, I was wistful for giant eagles.
I rested at the top for about 30 minutes. Honestly, I was a little worried about making it down before dark. I'd started the hike at 10:30 am and left the summit at about 3pm. And I was tired.
Going up to the summit, it was about 3 hours going uphill, and about 1 hour of mostly downhill, with a little spurt of uphill at the end. So, going back, I went downhill for a bit, and then another hour of uphill.
As you know, I'm somewhat willful. I got to the point where I started counting steps. My goal was to walk 500 steps before sitting down. Sometimes I'd only make it to 250. The only thing I have to compare it to is giving birth. It was that hard, but not that painful. It was almost as beautiful and full of awe. I think that, in some places, my spirit left my body and soared up into that amazing sky.
Half way down the mountain, I was fatigued. At about 3/4 down, I had my one and only fall - I missed my step going down some boulders that were piled for steps, landed on my butt, and slid down about 2 feet. When I came to a stop, I just laid back and looked up at the tree-fringed sky. Behind me, I could hear voices and a part of me suggested that I get up, but nope! Couldn't wrestle up the energy to get up.
A cheerful group of six young men came bopping down the trail, stepping effortlessly from one bolder to the next. Bastards.
The leader looked down at me Very Concerned. "Are you ok?"
"Oh, yes! Just resting!" I chirped up at him.
He continued to look concerned. But not so concerned because I wasn't unconscious or dead. "We could stay with you for a bit?" His companions all nodded.
"No, no, I'll get up in a bit," I demurred.
"Well, don't wait too long. It'll be getting dark. And cold." And they continued on. But they stopped about 100 feet down the trail, talking.
So I heaved myself up and started counting steps again. They gave a collected sigh and skipped down the trail like mountain goats.
Going down the trail is just as hard as going up because it's more treacherous. And there's a whole different set of muscles that get used.
At 3/4 of the way down, I was seriously exhausted. I had to rest every 200 steps because my legs were trembling and I didn't trust them not to give out. I'd sit, puffing away for about a minute. Then I'd pause and take the deepest breath I could and blow it out slow.
Peace flowed through me, the taste of the forest settled down deep inside and sometimes, in those little rests, I would want to weep. Not because I was exhausted, but because the feelings of love and wistful desire for this place were so overwhelming that I couldn't contain them.
I made it down to the parking lot at 7:15 pm. The sun had set behind the mountains in the west, but the sky was still bright. I laughed, softly and a little ironically because I know that I'm just a bit crazy.
Today is Friday, Oct 20 and I can kinda-sorta walk!
I went in pre' damn confident and very determined to make the whole hike in one day. And I did.
I brought with me a sleeping bag, a little bit of food, 2L of water, and fire-starting stuff. Just in case.
Very DeterminedIt was amazing. And it was really, really difficult. I mean, I work on my feet all day, but walking up hallways and boosting the occasional patient up in bed really did not prepare me for walking up stairs for four hours.
At the half-way point, I felt pre' good. At the summit, I was wistful for giant eagles.
I rested at the top for about 30 minutes. Honestly, I was a little worried about making it down before dark. I'd started the hike at 10:30 am and left the summit at about 3pm. And I was tired.
Going up to the summit, it was about 3 hours going uphill, and about 1 hour of mostly downhill, with a little spurt of uphill at the end. So, going back, I went downhill for a bit, and then another hour of uphill.
As you know, I'm somewhat willful. I got to the point where I started counting steps. My goal was to walk 500 steps before sitting down. Sometimes I'd only make it to 250. The only thing I have to compare it to is giving birth. It was that hard, but not that painful. It was almost as beautiful and full of awe. I think that, in some places, my spirit left my body and soared up into that amazing sky.
Half way down the mountain, I was fatigued. At about 3/4 down, I had my one and only fall - I missed my step going down some boulders that were piled for steps, landed on my butt, and slid down about 2 feet. When I came to a stop, I just laid back and looked up at the tree-fringed sky. Behind me, I could hear voices and a part of me suggested that I get up, but nope! Couldn't wrestle up the energy to get up.
A cheerful group of six young men came bopping down the trail, stepping effortlessly from one bolder to the next. Bastards.
The leader looked down at me Very Concerned. "Are you ok?"
"Oh, yes! Just resting!" I chirped up at him.
He continued to look concerned. But not so concerned because I wasn't unconscious or dead. "We could stay with you for a bit?" His companions all nodded.
"No, no, I'll get up in a bit," I demurred.
"Well, don't wait too long. It'll be getting dark. And cold." And they continued on. But they stopped about 100 feet down the trail, talking.
So I heaved myself up and started counting steps again. They gave a collected sigh and skipped down the trail like mountain goats.
Going down the trail is just as hard as going up because it's more treacherous. And there's a whole different set of muscles that get used.
At 3/4 of the way down, I was seriously exhausted. I had to rest every 200 steps because my legs were trembling and I didn't trust them not to give out. I'd sit, puffing away for about a minute. Then I'd pause and take the deepest breath I could and blow it out slow.
Peace flowed through me, the taste of the forest settled down deep inside and sometimes, in those little rests, I would want to weep. Not because I was exhausted, but because the feelings of love and wistful desire for this place were so overwhelming that I couldn't contain them.
I made it down to the parking lot at 7:15 pm. The sun had set behind the mountains in the west, but the sky was still bright. I laughed, softly and a little ironically because I know that I'm just a bit crazy.
Today is Friday, Oct 20 and I can kinda-sorta walk!
(no subject)
Date: 2023-10-21 03:01 am (UTC)Also, aww for the young men; what good kids.
P.