A few weekends ago I went on my first hike with the Mountaineers to Little Si. An emotional roller-coaster of a day. Specialized in beating myself up over my weight and how much more difficult it made the hills. Hate feeling like I am letting other people down or impacting their enjoyment because I am slower paced. Really messed with my head this time.
In truth - I did make it up to the summit. And completed the hike without injury (unless you count the ego bruises). That's 1200+ feet of elevation gain and 5 miles thank you! And I was fine when the elevation gain was at a more gradual pace. Our hike leader had me lead a good portion on the way down. Going from last in the pack to first - YIKES! But most in the group agreed it was a good pace to decent. My real regret is that I let my brow beating cheat me out of more enjoyment of being outdoors and not pausing to taking a few pics along the way. There were some gorgeous flowers and a breath-taking view of the forest in the mist that I can't share with you now.
Later in the summer I'd like to do this hike again to assess how far I've come.
So the lessons learned from this outing:
- Enjoy the moment knowing you are doing your best.
- Coming back safely is the goal.
- Take a few photos during the journey.
- And know that with each step you're getting healthier and closer to having your outside match the your spirit inside.
POSTCARDS from the summit of Little Si
Running 2011 hike tally:
Hikes = 1
Highest Elevation Gain = 1200 ft
Highest Point = 1576 ft
Miles = 5
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