This
picture right here I think explains it all, but I’ll try to put it into
words.
To
be honest, I’m not really sure of all the reasons why I hike.However, I do know that when I’m not hiking,
I find myself wishing I were.I find
myself scrolling through the outdoor and backpacking sections of Pinterest,
and I’m hard pressed to leave a Walmart without browsing through the camping
section.My internet searches include “best
hikes in Colorado” and “bucket list hikes”.
Every
time I return home from a hike I become that much more of an enthusiast. When
you get serious about long distance hiking it becomes a lifestyle. I’m always
thinking about that next trip, no matter how far off it may be.I’ll be planning:what do I need, what the hike itself will be
like, how will I get there, what’s the best route, what time should I leave, etc.,
no matter how far off the trip may be.
One
of my favorite hikes is a 26 mile trek up Pikes Peak, 13 of which are uphill. My next adventure is hiking Rim to Rim of the
Grand Canyon this fall.For some people the
idea of facing such obstacles, especially voluntarily, seems crazy, but to me
it’s exhilarating.
I really like hiking. There are lots of
reasons why, but I think the most important is mental. My life is stressful.I have a lot of responsibilities at work and
home, and it’s hard to find the time to do everything I need to do.Hiking provides a sort of relief.For as long as the hike takes I can’t be
bogged down by the other challenges I face. I don’t see this as “running away”,
but more like mandatory “relaxing” time because I don’t get any other way.
When I hike I’m actually able to relax. My
life is loud, busy, crazy, chaotic and amazing. I don’t have time to soak
in the bathtub sipping on a glass of wine. In any event, I’d rather “relax” next to a babbling brook anyway.
Hiking is meditative.When you’re hiking the only things you
really need to worry about are your destination, water, and when to eat, so it
allows your mind to focus on other things. When I hike I have time to think and problem solve.I
tend to fall into a trance where I explore topics from the past, present, and
future.Most daysI have a million ideas and
thoughts that go through my head and not enough time to fully explore all of
them. When I’m hiking I’m able to think through solutions to problems. I’m able
to come up with creative ideas and I’m able to think through new ideas.
Hiking’s
an excellent time for self reflection.I’m
always trying to be a better person than I was yesterday, and time on the trail
gives me the opportunity to analyze myself as a person, mom, leader, etc., and
find room for improvement.
I
also hike to get extra exercise and to push myself. While I work out on a
treadmill 7 days a week,I
just can’t push myself on a treadmill. I’m already at the steepest incline, and
watching television as I work out bores me.
A
mountain trail requires real commitment. Maybe it has to do with the time investment or maybe it’s just a matter
of pride. It doesn’t really matter, when I have the desire to climb a big
mountain I’m going to do it.The more
challenging the more exhilaration I feel when it’s accomplished.And think about it, what other exercise can
you do for 10-12 hours continuously?
That being said, it goes beyond exercise. I
don’t get the same satisfaction from my daily 5-10 mile morning workout than I
do when I put on the serious boots and a pack. I think it is a feeling of
self-reliance. There is nothing like checking your watch one last time at the
trailhead and letting your eyes take in the adventure that you are about to
plunge yourself into. Whatever’s currently going on in your life can be pushed
aside (or explored) once you’re on the trail.
I
also like the sleep that occurs after the exhausting myself on the trail. I’ve
always had a difficult time getting to sleep, but I find it’s a bit easier once
you’ve physically exhausted yourself.
No
matter how many times I hike a path, I’m never the same person at the end of
the trail I was when I started.There’s
always something new I find that wasn’t there before or something I learn about
myself through my musings.Different
flowers bloom in the different weeks of summer, and I’ve discovered “new” caves
and creeks on trails I’ve travelled dozens of times.The opportunity to see wildlife is a
spontaneous and ever changing gift.
I
love what my body can do and what hiking does to my body.A few weeks ago I was hiking and saw some
Bighorn Sheep traversing the ridge next to me. They were truly amazing to look at: robust creatures using their toned
and defined muscles to jump from rock to rock. After a long hike I notice muscles I never knew I had, and that gives me
a sense of satisfaction.In other words,
hiking time = toning time.
I’ve learned if you can climb a mountain, you
can do anything. Reaching the top of a mountain is an impressive physical,
mental, and emotional accomplishment. And it’s motivating. There’s a challenge to it all, and in the end
you can travel farther and accomplish more than you think.
Uphill treks like Pikes Peak only leave two
choices: reach the top or turn around. Reaching the top only requires the
perseverance to keep putting one foot in front of the other. At the end of a
long hike with the scouts I remind them of all they’ve accomplished that
day:How far they’ve come since they set
out that morning.It’s a life
lesson:When life gets tough put one
foot in front of the other and just keep going. As long as you don’t stop, eventually you’ll make it to your
destination.And feel amazing once you
get there!
Well, this is my knee exactly 2 weeks after the incident. I’m pretty happy with how well it’s healing. Seriously, considering I didn’t get the stitches I’m pretty sure I needed.
You can still see the three puncture sites, although there’s only one that hasn’t healed all the way yet and is still tender to touch. That one’s going to give me the “biggest” scar, although it won’t even really be that bad. You can also see the little “pimples” popping up all over my knee: Since I didn’t immediately wash the injury little pieces of sand, dirt, and rocks lodged themselves in the cracks, and they’re working themselves out. There is a very large bruise the length of my knee and shin, but all in all it’s doing pretty well.
What’s even cooler is I was able to hike Pikes Peak again yesterday. When I first fell I was worried I’d seriously injured myself and that I wouldn’t be able to work out/hike/do yoga for a while. I probably should have taken a few days off, but I’m too stubborn for that.
I’ve been a terrible patient, but great at caring for the wounds. I didn’t use antibacterial ointment (gasp) but did change the dressings daily and used quite a bit of Vaseline. That stuff works miracles. I predict it to be fully healed within a week (crossing fingers).
The Salomon’s worked perfectly! First trip up Pikes Peak and down. Here I am resting at Barr Camp before finishing the trail. Notice I have a new hiking pole as well?
OK, you’ve all read the story, so here’s the picture I neglected to stop and take when I took my tumble. This is at about MM5.5 on the Barr Trail, and in this picture you can’t see the dirt/dust because it had just rained and settled everything down.
I was hiking down the trail (so in this picture think of someone walking towards you), rounded the corner, tripped over one of the larger rocks, and fell onto a smaller one. Then I kept going.
Last night Nathan came over to spend the night before our
big hike the next morning.Sure, he
could have just met us at the trailhead, but he’d of had to pay for parking ($10
per vehicle) and besides, I wanted to be sure he was prepared for the
hike.He seemed truly confused when he arrived at
7:30pm and Liam, Lana, and Mr. Rasmussen were there. His look was quite comical.We had
to explain a Girl Scout meeting had just ended.
I had a bunch of food out for the boys to make snacks (trail
mix, peanuts, popcorn, cheese-its, beef jerky, etc.), and asked them to each
make a snack bag to take with them. I
packed as light as I could.I took into
account exactly how much food/water I’d consumed on the last hike and tried to
bring the bare minimum to reduce pack weight. I debated back and forth on whether or not to bring my windbreaker and
decided I’d never been upset I’d brought a jacket, and set it out with my pole.
I prepped them on the hike, asked them what they wanted for
breakfast (Thomas wanted to get up early to make eggs), and when they wanted to
leave.I set out all my gear and went to
bed around 9pm with the boys chatting in the living room watching movies. We
decided on waking up at 2:15am and getting to the trail as soon as
possible.That ended up being a really
good idea.
We began our hike at 3:20am. The parking lot already had quite a few cars, which we assumed were from
people staying at Barr Camp.I was wearing a headlamp and took the
lead.Thomas had forgotten his
flashlight (well, he said Nathan forgot it, but it was really Thomas’
responsibility to make sure he had it). Nathan had a small flashlight so he took up
the rear.
There were more bugs than normal on this hike, all flying
into my headlamp (which means my face). My mind started to wander and I came up with a new theory.I’ll summarize:You know how many of the
people who saw bats a long time ago were miners in caves?Well, those miners probably wore headlamps,
which attracted bugs.Bats are attracted
to bugs as a food source, so maybe the old wives tale about bats being
attracted to your hair comes from early miners’ experiences with bats trying to
catch bugs by the light of their headlamps. I may research this theory at some point…
About a mile into the trail I saw someone hiking towards us
with a green and red headlamp.As he got
closer I noticed he was wearing bear bells. I wondered to myself if he had just done the Incline or if he’d been a
night hiker when he said “you’ve got a lot of hikers ahead of you” and passed
us.Hmmmm.I guess those cars were from early birds who
got an earlier start than we did. Unusual because we’re usually one of the first ones on the trail at 4am,
and it wasn’t even 3:30 when we’d started.
Small tangent:The hiker was wearing bear bells, but I saw
him before I heard him. Well before I heard him, and it was dark and
night.I’m not sure how effective they
actually are in practice.Maybe they
give off a sound bears can hear better than humans?At any rate, it’s the first time I’ve seen a
hiker in our area hike with bells.
As we hiked in the dark the summit light was quite
bright:more intense than I’ve ever seen
it before.At times I mistook it for the
moon, but I noticed there was no moon. It must have set early or have been hidden behind the trees.
We took off our jackets about 15 minutes into the hike
because it was warm.Every now and then
we’d get a current of air that would pass us. Sometimes it was cold air, others it was warm.With it came a change in scents as well.We could smell the pine trees, the scent of
vanilla, and smoke from the Hayden Pass Fire in Fremont.
As the sun began to rise we could see Pikes Peak (and the
summit house).There was a dusting of
snow on the mountain from a storm the day before.
Around MM4 it got briskly cold and we all put on our jackets
again.I wished I’d brought gloves, and
by Barr Camp I’d lost all feeling in my fingers.We made it there at 6:20am, which meant it’d
taken us 3 hours to hike a little over 6 miles. 2mph is an average hiking speed. Not great, but not bad either.
I told the boys to make sure they ate something to keep up
their energy.Nathan informed me he hadn’t
brought along any food.I groaned
inwardly and offered him my trail mix. He could have anything but the mangoes… they’re a vice of mine.
We set out again to hike towards the A-frame.We met a lot of hikers along the trail.One man told us this was his 4th
14ner in the past week!Wow!That’s commitment!We stopped and talked with a few hikers who
said they were from Canada.Apparently
they were with a group of 75 hikers, all from Canada.Their post is in Colorado Springs and they
make this a yearly activity.For most of
them it was their first time, but a few had summited before.
I talked to every single person we passed (or who passed us),
and made sure to tell them this was my 4th time hiking Pikes Peak
this month.Thomas corrected me and said
in the past 5 weeks (apparently month sounded like July only, and since it was
the 15th that statement wasn’t true).He then asked me why I was bragging so
much.I admitted that yes, I was
bragging, but that wasn’t the only reason I mentioned my hiking success:I wanted to give the hikers something to
remember me by.If something happened to
us and we got lost or hurt, etc. they would remember our group by my statement just
as I remember the hiker who’d hiked 4-14ners was wearing a blue shirt and
orange hiking shoes.He’d given me something
to remember him by, and if asked, I’d be able to recall where I saw him on the
trail and at what time.It’s a survival
technique for hikers.The boys didn’t
seem too impressed with my reasoning.
At about mile 8 we saw a really cool Sphinx Moth.It was very big, and looked like it’d just
emerged because it was fanning its wings as if it were drying them out.It was also walking up the trunk of the tree
while doing so.Very cool!
We made it the 3 miles to the A-frame at 7:50am, which meant
we were now hiking at 1.5mph. That’s not
a fast pace. As long as we kept moving
forward we’d be fine. The boys wanted a
break and I let them have one. Thomas
wanted a 2 hour break, to which I said that was unreasonable. We stayed at the A-frame for about 20 minutes
(way too long for me, not nearly enough time for him). You’d think Thomas would have wanted to sit
for his break, but instead he was throwing snowballs.
The area looked really cool. Yesterday’s storm had brought hail mixed with snow and it had frozen
overnight.It was all very pretty.
This part of the hike took what felt like forever but I’d
told myself to be patient and let the boys have as many breaks as they
needed.We didn’t see as many marmots as
I’ve gotten used to seeing (maybe 2 or 3) and even though there was a dusting
of snow I couldn’t hear the usual running water below the rocks or see the
small streams that usually followed the trail. We stopped for a bit at the Cirque and enjoyed the view.They also ate the rest of my trail mix
(Thomas had run out before making it to the A-frame and was now sharing with
Nathan).
Thomas and I summited at 10:40am, just as a train was
arriving. I gave Thomas money to run
ahead and buy donuts while I waited for Nathan.
He wasn’t far behind us (probably 30 steps or so), but once that train
unloaded the food line would be horrendous.
Thomas also bought a Gatorade, Nachos, and French fries.
As I waited for Nathan a man walked up to me and asked if I
was with the Canada group.He was giving
the hikers from Canada water and snacks when they summited.
“No, but I passed a bunch of them on the way up” I
replied.This seemed to tick him off
royally, and he walked away in a huff and proceeded to ignore me for the rest
of my wait.I honestly hadn’t meant to
offend him.Canadians.Eh.
We sat at a booth outside (they run the heaters inside the
summit house so hot it’s unbearable) and people watched for about 20
minutes.There are always a
disproportionate number of Mennonites at the summit.Pikes Peak must be on the “top 10 list of
things for Mennonites to do” because they always seem to be therein large
numbers. They never make eye contact or say much, and you can tell they make
their own clothes.They never look
happy.
I reminded the boys to fill up their water bottles at the
drinking fountain, used the restroom, and we were on our way. It’s not a good
idea to spend too much time at the summit: It’s hard to breathe so your body is working very hard even if you’re
resting.We also needed to get down
before afternoon storms hit. So we took some pictures and began our
descent.
Unfathomably, Nathan was hiking slower down than he had on
the way up!It was maddening so I put
him at the front of the group.He walked
a little faster, but not much.
The miles had me thinking: I get frustrated with hiking slow, and with slow hikers in general.I know it’s not a competition to get to the top,
but to me everything tends to be.I’m
trained for a hike like this, and not many people are.I don’t need to take breaks or slow
down.I just keep going.Whoever I hike with is going to be slower
than I am.I need to take this into consideration
and just be happy I’m on the trail.This
is what I’d told myself before even setting out today, yet here I was
internally grumbling because I was with a slow hiker(s).I understood at the time it wasn’t fair for
me to be upset with him, yet I was having a hard time letting go of the
frustration I was feeling at our hiking speed.
Once again my mind turned to thought:Was I burning as many calories hiking slow
as I was fast?I didn’t think so.Hiking
26 miles in 11 hours had to burn more calories than hiking 26 miles in 16
hours, even though it was the same distance. I’d need to look it up and do the math problem when I got home.I was pretty sure the net calorie burn would
be more while hiking fast even though hiking slower would mean I’d be hiking for
a longer period of time.I felt I was
cheating myself out of burning calories and wasting time doing so.
I made it a point of talking to every group/person we saw
hiking up as we were hiking down.I didn’t
mention my previous summits, but did give them realistic expectations about timing
and difficulty of the hike to the peak, and made sure they all had enough
water.It’s an intense hike.That mountain kills people, and I wanted to
be sure they knew what they were in for.
We made it back down to the A-frame at 1pm.It had taken us over 2 hours to go 3 miles.Downhill. I was used to practically jogging this part of the trail, and here we
were hiking slower down than we had up! And now the boys wanted another break.
We took one and looked at the weather.There seemed to be a storm rolling in.The clouds were building quickly, and you
never quite know if it will storm or pass you by.After about 20 minutes I encouraged them to
get moving again, and against their wishes they did.
The pace didn’t improve. I asked Nathan if he wanted pain killers, to which he replied “yes but I
just ran out of water so I can’t drink them down.”
Ugh!We still had 9
miles to go!He’d neglected to fill up
his water bottle at the top.So had
Thomas (he had enough to make it down on his own and didn’t refill).Once again I shared with Nathan.I mentioned it would take us 9 hours at this
pace to make it back to the car, and that seemed to get him hiking a little
faster.
At 3pm we made it to Barr Camp.The boys crashed by the creek.
They were hungry and ate the nachos Thomas
had bought at the summit.I hadn’t
packed more food because honestly I’d thought we’d have been back at the car by
now.Two weeks ago when I went hiking
with Tristina we’d started an hour later in the morning, and even with my
injury had made it back to the car by 3pm.
Here we were with over 6 miles still to hike and it was
already 3pm.When the boys asked me how
much longer it was going to take I told them it would depend on them.They were hiking slow and taking very long breaks.No one else on the trail was taking breaks,
let alone sitting down for 15-20 minutes at a time.I wondered what bad habits the Boy Scout
leaders had let them get into at Philmont, and told them they needed to start
really hiking in order to make it back at a reasonable hour.Besides, we couldn’t eat until we made it
back.Yes, I was hungry and cranky.I wasn’t mean, but I’d honestly expected with
our early start to have been much closer to home at this point
This seemed to get them going.Nathan picked up his pace, and besides Thomas
“crashing” at MM4 we made pretty good progress. In fact, I’d wished we’d hiked this fast he entire trip!Food seemed to be an appropriate motivation
technique.
We found some wild strawberries along the way (I encouraged
the boys to try some), and lots of Pinedrops (which Thomas seemed to think were
mushrooms because of a book at Grammies house. I assured them they were not).
I took a picture of the boys once we made it back to the
trailhead at 6pm.They were exhausted
but glad to have made it!They
immediately went to the back of the truck, looking for the cooler of
sodas.They apparently forgot to bring
that as well.It was sitting on the
counter when we got home.
We saw an ambulance in the parking lot when we arrived at
the trailhead.It turns out two people
at Barr Camp had called in for help due to exhaustion. We must have passed them
at some point, but hadn’t recalled anyone who looked like they may be in need
of help anytime soon. One could walk out
but the other had to be carried out on a litter.Had they not read the sign?!?!?!?They were 6.5 miles in on a trail that wasn’t
passable by vehicle and wanted help because they were tired?Wow.
Both boys immediately fell asleep as soon as I started the
truck.Once we got home and for the next
few hours the boys sat on the couch and ate (watermelon, pizza, etc.).I ended up going to bed before Nathan left
(they and Rebecca were deep into band stories when I fell asleep).
One of my goals this year is to go on new hikes. I knew I wanted to take a new route on this camping trip, but I wasn’t sure which one to take. I ended up settling on the Rock Pond trail, mainly because it included destinations of two new ponds I’d yet to visit, and it had the option of looping around Geer Pond, a favorite of mine.
It was a couple of miles from the campsite, so I took the truck to the trailhead. While there I took a picture of the map to log my time and just so I’d be sure to have one while on the trail. As I was looking at it I realized the map wouldn’t be of much use: it was facing the wrong way! You’d think they’d have been smarter than that when posting a map. Luckily I know the area, but to someone who doesn’t, they’d get all turned around…
The hike was all downhill to the pond (about 2.5 miles one way) and followed a service road. I was the only one on the trail… except for a white tailed deer I saw walking slowly towards me from the opposite direction. She didn’t seem to notice me for a while, but once she did she bounded off the trail and was gone in a second.
I spent this part of the hike musing to myself as I followed the trail downward. I thought for some time about my love for hiking: which is considerably more enjoyable while alone.
Most thoughts centered around the kids, their lives, and how I fit into them. This may seem like a simple task, but honestly, it’s not. I’m questioning my role in Rebecca’s life specifically. She’s graduated High School, and is off to college next month (but still living at home). She doesn’t have a job, and I’ve been strongly pushing her to get one. She doesn’t seem interested in this. In fact, she doesn’t seem interested in much (therein lies the problem). I’m wondering how to motivate her, if that’s even something I should be doing (or should I just let her figure it out on her own), and how I’ll be able to “kick her out” when she turns 18 and doesn’t have a job (something that will happen if she’s not employed).
She’s begun complaining about everything that doesn’t have to do with guard (something she’s willing to drive hours away to participate in), and none of her hobbies have money earning potential. She feels distanced from former close friends, and honestly needs direction. However, I don’t feel she wants to take it from me. Personally I’m feeling as if I’ve lost my best friend, as now I actually have to play the “mom” part in our relationship. Neither of us is enjoying this much. I want my best friend back!
No one tells you the hardest part of parenting is letting them go to figure life out on their own.
I made it to the section of the trail that let me choose between going to Rock Pond or Brook Pond. I love to hike and the weather was hovering around a nice 90 degrees with no chance of thunderstorms, so this was an easy choice for me. I’d visit both.
I’m so glad I did! I only added less than half a mile to the hike, but some really cool experiences!
I found some wild strawberries on the trail. I’ve found strawberries while hiking before, but never quite so many! Usually I see one here and there… this time I saw small “fields” of strawberries in several spots along the hillside So cool!
They looked a bit overripe, so I tried a few. They tasted amazing! Warm from the sun they were hands down the best strawberries I’ve ever had (if a bit small…)
I grabbed a few to add flavor to my drink and some to bring back to the kids at the campsite, and headed down to Brook Pond.
The pond was small, but clear. I could see lots of trout swimming near the shore, and a few jumping in the middle. Most were only about the size of my hand, too small to “catch”, but knowing they were there gave hope to future fishing opportunities. This was a pond I’d swim in if I’d had the proper gear…
I circled the water and came to a small stream feeding the pond. I figure this was the perfect time to try out the water-proofness of my new hiking boots, and crossed in a mucky area. They passed the test!
Knowing I was close to Rock Pond I decided to continue on and take a break there. It only took about 10 minutes of walking to get there. This pond looked deeper than the previous, colder, and not quite as inviting. I didn’t see any fish.
I sat for a few minutes, enjoyed the cherries I’d brought for lunch, then was quickly on my way. It was 1pm and I wanted to get back to the kids before they worried.
I decided to take the trail that went by Geer Pond, mainly because I didn’t want to hike back up that service road. I’d much rather make it a loop than hike back from where I’d already been. Once again, another great choice!
Almost immediately the trail sloped upward at quite a steep angle. This made sense: I’d come down the entire way here, which meant I had to hike up at some point to make it back to the trailhead. I saw some Columbine flowers along the trail. I love seeing Columbines while hiking!
After about a mile (that passed quickly) I came across some small waterfalls, hidden inside small rock caves. They looked cool and inviting, and I wished I’d had a handkerchief to get wet in the water. Or a book. I needed to spend more time here, and I absolutely need to bring the kids here to “play” sometime soon!
These waterfalls lasted for about a quarter of a mile, then all of the sudden, I was at the back end of Geer Pond! I knew this because I’d played with the kids in this waterfall a few times before!
I found a few cool flowers: Alpine Kittentails
and then I was at Geer Pond. No one was at this pond either. All weird since it was about 1:30 in the afternoon on a Saturday in July. I kept thinking the entire time what fun it would be to snowshoe these trails!
Lost Pond was a bit of a disappointment. It seemed murkier than usual. There were some really large salamanders that were fun to watch however. And lots of flies. I didn’t stay long.
The hike out took about another half an hour. I made it to the trailhead at 2pm, which made it a 2 hour hike. I covered just over 5 miles, and stopped a bit to enjoy nature, so I considered it a success!
I was in desperate need of new hiking boots.Seriously.
Let me start at the beginning (kind of).I’ve had the same hiking shoes for the past… um… well, since… I’m pretty sure I bought them the summer of 2003 but it was so long ago I can’t really remember.
They’ve been on many adventures and treks.I’ve worn them on all of the highest peaks of Southern California (Mt. San Gorgonio, Mt. San Jacinto, Mt. San Antonio) as well as mountains all throughout Arizona and Colorado.I wore them at the Santa Rosa Plateau for many years, hiking 5 miles a day.Basically whenever I’ve gone hiking I’ve worn them.
Except for Pikes Peak.Since there’s often snow at the summit I’ve traditionally worn my Sorels.They are great boots, but very, very heavy.I usually have bruises from where they wrap around my ankle by the time I’m done hiking.Still, they’ve been worth it because they keep my feet warm and dry (which is a serious concern of mine).
This time I didn’t want to wear the extra weight.We were doing a day hike, there was no snow (or very little), and I wanted to go light.I so I wore my trusty hiking shoes.
This ended up being a really bad idea.From the start I could tell the traction had worn off to the point where they provided no resistance against slipping.I was slipping and sliding even while hiking uphill.I decided to be careful and promised myself I’d invest in some quality hiking boots as soon as I got back home. I’ve been saving up for some anyway.Now seemed like the perfect opportunity.
We summited in record time and headed back down.The entire way back down my shoes were slipping and sliding on the small pieces of granite littering the trail.Numerous times I caught myself before falling.A few times I narrowly escaped a fall by steadying myself with my hiking pole.
About half a mile after Barr Camp (mile 20 or so into our trek), I slipped and went to catch myself with my pole.However, the pole collapsed upon itself and I went flying into the dirt.Immediately upon impact I knew it was bad.I picked myself up and kept walking/limping/hopping forward.My hiking partner Tristina looked at me like she was scared I’d really injured myself, and I told her to “just keep going just keep going don’t stop”.I may have said it a bit harshly and apologized later.
Since I knew it was bad and we were still about 6 miles from the end of the trail I just needed to keep moving forward.I know the proper thing to have done would have been to stop, assess the damage, clean the wound, etc. but I didn’t.I told Tristina that’s what I should have done, and it’s what I expect the girls to do during Reach for the Peak, but in this instance I needed to keep walking.I was seriously afraid if I stopped I wouldn’t be able to start again (lactic acid after such a hike can stop you in your tracks and I didn’t want to get stuck).
I focused on trying to suck out the small pieces of dirt and sand that had lodged themselves into my palm.I was pretty sure I was going to have to cut the extra skin off so they wouldn’t get stuck in there when the skin grew back.In case you were wondering, I kept slipping (due to my shoes) but I didn’t fall again.
About a mile and a half down the trail I paused for a second, stayed standing, and took a look at the damage through the gaping hole in my brand new Colombia Trekking Pants.Yes, it was bad.There were 3 puncture points where I’m assuming I was impaled by granite pebbles, as well as abrasions along my knee (a full blown skinned knee).There didn’t seem to be any rocks still under my skin, but there was quite a bit of blood. And white blobs about ¼ inch thick I was assuming were subcutaneous layers of tissue folding near the puncture points.I was hoping the blood would coagulate while I was walking the trail. What was left of my pant leg was covering potential dirt/dust from the trail, so I kept it on and just lifted it up every 100 feet or so to keep it from sticking to the blood.
Yes, I was in pain, but I still had another 5 miles to go so I didn’t stop.I also didn’t drink water.I know what you’re thinking:that’s stupid while you’re hiking!You need to drink!Yes, but I was also in a bit of shock and didn’t want to throw up (that’s what happens when you give shock victims water:it comes back up).Interestingly enough, I wasn’t craving water anyway.
We made really good time the last few miles, despite my injury.We were even passing people on the trail.We reached the trailhead and I took off the lower part of my pant leg (they zipped off below the knee).Yes, there was a lot of blood but it looked like it’d stopped bleeding.A couple of people noticed and asked if I needed help, to which I replied no.I had this.I just needed to get home and clean it up.I was pretty sure I’d need a couple of stitches.
We got in the car and began the slow drive back home.It was a Saturday afternoon and we were driving through Manitou Springs. Basically what I’m saying is it took about 30 minutes to go 3 miles.
As we neared the freeway I made the mistake of looking down at my knee.It hadn’t looked too bad while I was standing, but when I sat it must have opened up the wound(s), because now it was bleeding.Not normal bleeding where dark red blood runs down in like a teardrop, but thick, contained, bright red blobs of oozing blood contained around the puncture site.Wonderful.That meant the punctures were deep.It also threw me into a deeper state of shock.I actually felt like I was going to throw up and had to move over to the side of the freeway to steady myself and breathe deeply for a few seconds.Don’t get me wrong, I’m ok with the sight of blood.What set me off was thinking of a doctor putting a needle into the wound to numb it before giving me stitches.That I couldn’t handle.I have a pretty creative imagination, and it went in circles from there.
I told myself to “cut it out” and formed a plan.I needed to get home and clean the wound before I could make any judgments about treatment.I was able to walk wasn’t I?And I was driving.I knew nothing was sprained/broken.I drove home slower than I should have, but knowing I was in shock I wanted to be extra careful and didn’t want to cause an accident.55mph in a 60mph zone isn’t my normal routine, but I was being cautious.
Yes, I hit every red light, and no, I didn’t plan it that way.
I pulled into the driveway and slowly crawled out of the truck.I’d come up with a “plan” on the drive home I was hoping would have some success:My neighbor is a Green Beret.A medic to be exact.Maybe he had some of that super glue stitching stuff they use for wounds on the battlefield.It was worth a try, so I limped over to his house.He wasn’t home.Drat.
On my way back down the driveway Rebecca drove up, saw me limping (and the blood), and her eyes got wide.I just walked inside.She asked me how it happened and I said I slipped on the trail.She asked me if it was because of the shoes.Apparently she’d had the same issue on the hike last week (yes, we share shoes).She’d been slipping all over the place as well.That gave me somewhat of a better feeling.I was legitimately able to blame it on the shoes and their lack of traction and not my hiking abilities.Rebecca had independently confirmed the fact the traction on them was terrible.
However that didn’t solve the problem.I needed to clean the wound, and I figured the easiest way to do so would be with a bath. I’ll spare you the details, but 45 minutes later the wounds were clean and I could see the damage.Indeed I had 3 puncture wounds, but only one needed stitches, and only one or two at that.Due to the skin fold caused at the puncture site I was pretty sure stitches wouldn’t help much and the skin would probably need to be cut which would make stitches impossible (I was going to have a fun scar either way), so I resolved to just treat it myself.
I bandaged it up, took some pain killers with a beer, and went about the rest of my day cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry before falling into bed early.
The next day I went about my usual routine.Yes, I went to the gym and ran 6 miles.Well, I ran 5, tried to get on the bike, was unsuccessfully able to move my knee in the manner necessary to pedal, and ran another mile to make up for it.You see, my knee was fine in the walking position, but not so much in the bent position riding a bike requires.
I talked with my yoga instructor, and she agreed I could go to class as long as I did some modifications.I was seriously surprised with how well I did… it may have been the Vicodin.
Side note:I still have most of the Vicodin prescribed to me by my doctor from all 3 of the c-sections I’ve had.I don’t want to become addicted to medications, so I just took the minimum necessary to get me through the pain, then I stored the rest.Yes, 17+ years later the medication still works.Don’t let anyone tell you medication like Vicodin “goes bad”.It doesn’t.They just want to get you to buy it again (or throw it away so it doesn’t get into the wrong hands).
OK, I know you’re probably thinking “why don’t you just rest?”
I need my knee to heal, but I need it to heal in the way I’m used to using it.If I just sit around all day I’ll go insane for one, but my knee will heal stiff and I’ll have to “work it in” again.Notice I’m not completely crazy:I wasn’t able to exercise on the bike and I stopped.I’m not going to make my body do anything it can’t, but I’m not going to let something like this stop me from being active.Remember, it’s not sprained or broken…
Anyway, I went out and bought new hiking boots.There’s no way I’m going to let myself get into such a situation again.I truly believe the shoes caused the problem, and knowing the cause meant I needed to fix the problem.Salomons were highly recommended by several thru hikers, and one even told me he stood in ankle deep water in them for some time and came away with dry feet (they are waterproof). So now I’m wearing them everywhere to break them in before hiking again next week.
BTW, my knee and other various cuts and bruises from the fall are healing fabulously.It’s actually kind of fascinating watching the body heal so quickly, as well as the various stages of healing (but that’s another post for another time).Yes, if I end up getting an infection I’ll go in to see a doctor.
A close up view… still bleeding/weeping, but healing nicely
I wasn’t sure I’d be hiking at all. I didn’t have a hiking buddy and the weather forecast wasn’t stellar, so I was debating back and forth on going. Then on Friday night Tristina text me and asked if I still wanted to go. I looked at the weather forecast (not great, but no thunderstorms), and said sure!
We woke up at 3am and were on the trail at 3:50am. We saw this Columbine growing out of a barrier at about MM2. I thought it was pretty cool, and at first didn’t think it was a real flower, but it was growing this way, and bloomed just at the opening.
We made really good time. Tristina and I hike at a similar pace, and we both intended to hike quickly. We made it to Barr Camp at 6:30am (that’s about 6.5 uphill miles in 2h 40m).
We talked to a lady I’d seen the past couple of times on the hike. Her name’s Dana. She hikes to Barr Camp in the mornings before her grandkids wake up at 9am. After some chatting, she seems like a potential hiking partner in the future. She’s summited over 40 times, and always by herself. She asked me if I knew “Larry” (I didn’t, but apparently he’s a frequent hiker too).
We could tell it’d rained last night, which made hiking a bit easier. The dust on the trails wasn’t present, and there were dew drops on the Aspen leaves.
We made it to the A-frame at 8am. It was foggy and surprisingly “green” compared to my last visit 2 weeks ago.
Our usual view of Colorado Springs was lost in the clouds…
We took a break at A-frame and then headed out again. The clouds just got thicker, and at times it began to rain. It was surreal hiking with such limited visibility. We had a hard time gauging exactly where we were on the hike. At times we’d pass a landmark and be surprised we’d reached it so quickly! I’m not sure if it was the lack of beating sunshine, lack of visibility, or lack of stopping for slower hikers, but we hiked much faster than normal.
Here’s a picture of the Cirque, a 1500 foot drop you can’t tell it there with the fog… could be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing!!!
Here’s a view of the hiking conditions:
Last time we hiked this rocky area was all under snow. It’s interesting to see what it looks like sans snow. You can also tell why we had difficulty finding our footing and experienced a lot of mini rockslides…
I had to get a video of this! It’s not great quality, and kind of hard to see due to the fog and poor visibility, but this is where we “glissaded” the first time we summited this year. I plan to get another video next time the weather’s better, but this gives you an idea of how far we went.
Here’s a picture of where we slid…
Here’s where the rain really picked up. I was so glad I’d brought my rain jacket with hood! We reached the summit at 9:57am: That’s our fastest time yet! Usually it takes about 3 hours from the A-frame to get to the summit, but it took us less than 2 hours! Total, that was over 13 miles uphill in under 6 hours. Awesome! We got there just as a train was pulling away.
When we went into the summit house it was deserted. This is the first time I’ve been there when it hasn’t been ridiculously full. We attributed it to the poor visibility at the peak, and the fact a train had just left. The only people at the Summit were those of us who’d hiked up. There were two men who’d run up (and were looking for a car-ride own), and a father son duo who’d hiked up the “easy” way (the backside, which starts at 10,000 ft elevation).
We stayed for about half an hour, then decided to hike back down. The fog was beginning to lift and while we couldn’t see Colorado Springs we were able to see further distances. I love how green it is!
We saw a few deer on the way down, right on the trail…
and one of my favorite mushrooms! They are so cool to see on the trail (no touching though)
I wasn’t sure how it would be going with just one other person, especially since she was one of my Girl Scouts and we have an adult/scout relationship, but it ended up being really enjoyable. We hike at similar speeds, and didn’t run out of things to talk about on our 11+ hour hike. I was thankful to have a hiking buddy, and to have been able to hike the peak again!
The only downside was my hiking shoes… due to lack of traction they kept slipping. They’ve lasted me 20 years, but I think it’s time to get a new pair.
It’s becoming an addiction, and I think I’m ok with it.
I’ve summited Pikes Peak multiple times in the past 3 years. Is it crazy I just summited Pikes Peak twice this week, I’m doing so again next month, and I’m already looking for a way to summit sooner? This time without a pack to carry supplies: I’m thinking just water, a bandana, and a few Tylenol.
I have an addictive personality, and I really love physical fitness, which includes hiking. This hike is 26 miles. 13 of which are uphill, 6 above the treeline, exposed to the elements. I don’t know of many people who can accomplish the hike in its entirety. In fact, most people who attempt it with the best intentions fail.
I’m at the point where I can look at someone and tell if they can summit or not, and how quickly. It’s brutal, but for some reason I love it! It’s a challenge, the views are amazing, and it encompasses new (sometimes demanding) experiences with wildlife, weather and nature each time I go. I’m constantly being challenged by the mountain, and I love winning.
The first time I summited this year I did so with just a backpack and a few supplies. I was amazed at how much easier it was than when I’ve done it backpacking! We practically flew up the mountain! However, I still had to bring more weight than I’d wanted because I was in charge of a group and I couldn’t let anything happen to them because I’d failed to bring necessary supplies. Yes, I realize how stupid that makes it sounds to go without said supplies.
After the hike I was sore, but continued with my normal gym routine: 10 miles a day of cardio and a 60 minute power yoga class 4 times a week. Yoga was a challenge but I breathed my way through it.
When I summited this week I led a group and brought a 40lb pack. It was much more weight than I’d wanted to bring for one night, but once again I was in charge of a group; Novices this time. I couldn’t risk anything happening to them I could have prevented.
Surprisingly however, it was easier to summit this time and I wasn’t as sore afterwards (maybe because we took so many breaks?). The only part of me that really “hurt” were my feet, and shoulders and lower back where the pack rested. I now had blisters on top of blisters of course. Other than that I was feeling pretty good, and when I went to yoga the next day I practically sailed through the class! It was one of my best yet!
That’s what really got me thinking: if I make summiting Pikes Peak a more frequent thing it should just keep getting easier, right? I wonder how quickly I could do it with less gear? And how about wearing hiking shoes instead of snow boots? I hike in Laredo’s this time of year due to the snow at the summit…. With proper hiking shoes I bet I could shave quite a bit off my time!
I posted my musings on Facebook only to have people tell me I’m crazy and not to attempt such a feat by myself. I understand the concern, but this also makes me a bit upset. I see a handful of people (in great shape and mostly men of course) running the trail on their own. I feel the trail is well traveled, and if something were to happen to me there’d be people who would notice. (In a whiney voice) I want to summit by myself too!!! I want to wear shorts and a halter top instead of warm weather gear, throw my hair up in a bun and see how fast I can make it.
I guess I just need a hiking buddy.
But I don’t WANT a hiking buddy! No one I know can keep up with me, and the whole point of this exercise is to do it for time. I’d be waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for someone to catch up. Then I’d get frustrated with them for something they couldn’t control when they were helping me in the first place… a viscous cycle!
Wild Wanderer 