The Highs and the Lows of Hiking in the Mountains

You expect them right?  I mean there IS altitude change in there.  But THAT isn't what I am talking about.

I went for a hike today.  It was my first long hike since back surgery 14 weeks ago.  I decided to hike 5 Mile Gulch to Watchman Trail to Three Bears, to Rocky Canyon Road and back to my car.  Somewhere around 6 miles.  This route does some climbing; actually there is climbing at the beginning either way I decided to go.  I was super stoked to be out hiking in my happy place!

Anyway, I have not done any real climbing since right before surgery.  I did 6 miles on Pole Cat right before surgery.  That was slow too.  But today, was SUPER slow.

I started out on 5 Mile Gulch with a pace of a 25 minute mile.  Last year at this time, I was doing this same stretch of trail at a minimum of 18 minutes/mile.  Then again, last year I was training for my first ultra marathon and I was in pretty damn good shape (not the BEST shape of my life, but I was strong, healthy and lighter).  As I hiked this trail, I started beating myself up.  "You are so slow!" "You have gained so much weight!"  "You are no where NEAR where you were a year ago!" "You might as well just turn back."  Ugh!!!!  Seriously!  I reached the fork at 5 Mile Gulch and Watchman Trail; its about a mile and a half in and it took me entirely too long.  I was so discouraged.  But I told myself to keep going.  Turning back was just silly.

After throwing a pitty party for myself, I decided to stop worry about pace and just enjoy the fact that I am ABLE to be out there enjoying the beautiful day. The sun had not risen over the mountains yet, so it was still cool and the first signs of Autumn had already fallen onto the ground.

Once I had shifted my focus, my feet felt lighter.  I had a skip in my step.  I was stopping to take more pictures.  I was feeling frisky and I was going over the last couple of years of my life. I was taking stock of all of my accomplishments.  I am MORE than the slow pace in which I am hiking. In the last 4 years, I completed 4 marathons, 4 half marathons, a 10K,  a couple of 5Ks, and a 50K.  I road my bike 400 miles in a week including my first century ride in that week, started belly dancing and have performed numerous times including a duet with my beautiful daughter, and gave birth to my burlesque persona and performed for the first time ever on stage as a solo act.  I have done all of this with 3 years of injury:  Knee surgery in 2012, head injury in 2013, and my back injury/surgery in 2014. I have had amazing accomplishments that don't even count as official races, like the fact that my training runs just for fun were marathon distances.  (That still cracks me up that I have become that person.)  I found my love for trail running and have enjoyed the mountains tremendously.  I have found a love for cycling and would love to do so much more of it.  I found my love for performing as a dancer..either with my belly dancing sisters or putting on sultry music and twirling tassels on stage.....either one makes me extremely happy!  Then there are the amazing friends I have gained in the last 4 years.  Our amazing 25th wedding anniversary trip to Belize last summer.  My amazing trips to Washington to spend time with beautiful people.  The trip to Washington DC and Philly this summer where I got to check off several things from my bucket list..including running the Rocky Stairs!  My life is truly blessed, and the fact that I get to go out into the mountains during the week, while everyone is at work and I have the beauty all to myself is such a treasure!   I have NOTHING to complain about!  So I skipped my way along the Watchman Trail.  I even had to cross over a couple of small water crossings (if you want to call them that).

And seriously, how many people (on a school day) get to hang out in the mountains and watch the sun rise over the mountains?

I was certainly enjoying my happy place... the mountain trails.  Then at about 3 1/2 miles in, my back started to hurt.  I felt my enthusiasm for this beautiful hike begin to die down.  Just 4 days ago, I was taking a TRX class when I hurt my back and I was concerned that maybe I had re-injured my back in the same spot I had surgery.  On Wednesday I was still having a difficult time walking.  But here I am on Friday, doing this hike and 3 1/2 miles in, there is no way out.  I just have to finish my hike, pain and all.  

I started to remind myself that I am still only 14 weeks post op.  Sometimes, it can take 6 months to completely heal from the surgery I had.  I have to remember that I am human.  I am 45 years old.  And it takes time to heal.  And even with the pain, I am still dancing, I am riding my bike, I am swimming, I do yoga, I ran up the rocky stairs and I'm hiking in my happy place!  This too shall pass, and until it does, be grateful for what I do have...which is an amazing life blessed with more opportunities than I can even imagine.  Enjoy THIS moment.  Stop worrying about what I used to be able to do.  Stop worrying about what I might not be able to do again.  And focus on what I can do in THIS moment.  So I kept walking and taking pictures......enjoying the beauty around me.  I even picked up a friend along the way.

I have run these trails before. I have even taken this exact route once before (in the spring during a rain shower while the flowers were in bloom) but it never surprises me to see the vegetation change while I hike.   I started in a Gulch with trees over head that gave way to high desert shrubs.  But higher up, I could see the pines of the mountains.  Then I came out of the lush green Gulch and found myself surrounded by Sages bushes and once at the top of Watchman and reach the Three Bears trail head, I see this beautiful view of my city below and the green trees below the mountains.  And when I keep walking, the Sage turns to tall dry grasses until I finally reach the road to hike back to my car.

The short trek up Rocky Canyon Road back to the 5 Mile Gulch trail head where my car was parked was filled with tired gratitude.  All I wanted to do was get to my car, sit down, rest my back, and call my hubby and thank him for providing me with such an amazing life and all the time in the world to romp around in my happy place and reconnect with who I truly am.  

Life is an adventure, and it is not meant to be lived sitting on a couch with a lap top on my lap.  It is meant to be lived outside romping the through the mountains, riding my bike along the greenbelts, and stretching myself and experiencing the present moment and all the gifts and majesty the Universe provides.  It is meant to be danced and filled with laughter.  And yes, sometimes life requires that I sit still in my house and heal, but that doesn't and shouldn't ever take away from the joy that my life is!  Plain and simple!

A Memorial Ride for Carl Daugherty

A little over a week ago, after visiting with my dear friends, Angie and Todd, they received horrible news.  1) Angie's best friend's (Shannon) Dad was in a horrible, life threatening accident, and then 2) just a couple of days later, their brother in law, Carl Daugherty, was hit by a car while riding his bicycle while training for the Hotter Than Hell ride.  Carl sustained broken bones and a severe brain bleed that we all prayed he would come back from.  I watched as my friends reeled and did the absolute best they could do to support their family and their friends.  And from my home in Idaho, I cried and I prayed for both of these families.

Shannon's dad is still fighting, but Carl "graduated from Earth School".  (That is the way one of my friends refers to the passing of an individual.  I like that idea.  That we come here, learn and give what we can, then when we have done what we came here to do and learn what we are suppose to learn, we Graduate.

As soon as Angie told me that the doctors had decided Carl was not gong to come back from his brain injury and that his amazing heart would be donated to help another human being stay alive, I knew what I needed to do.  I had been sending messages of love and support to my friends this whole time.  But for Carl, I needed to honor him.  I needed to celebrate HIS life.  (I know that sounds crazy considering I have never met the man, but I felt like this is the only thing I could do to honor him and to support his family during this transition.)  I am a cyclist after all, and what is a cyclist to do when another cyclist loses their life?  Ride, of course!  So, Carl, Cheryl, Charity, Caleb, Curtis, Angie, Todd, Darby, James, and the rest of your family.... this 23 mile ride is for you!!!!

Dear Carl,

I have never met you. But here in Boise, when a cyclist loses his battle to a car, the cycling community puts up a "ghost bike" at the spot of the accident and holds a memorial ride. So today, on this beautiful end-of-summer morning, I took a sunrise ride for you.

If Angie and Todd had moved to Boise, there is a high probability, that you and I would have met and we would have taken a ride along the beautiful Boise Greenbelt.  (Or we might have taken a ride up through the mountains, but let's face it, I'm too out of shape for that kind of ride, so the Greenbelt it would have been!)  Boise has over 22 miles of paved bike path along the Boise River, and it's gorgeous. It goes through numerous city parks, the foot hills/mountains are just North of the path, it is lined with beautiful old trees, and is always busy with people and animals alike!  Today was no different.

I started around 7:40 just as the sun was starting to rise over the mountains and the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic was starting to take off (even if the park where the balloons were launching was still miles away from where I was starting my ride).  I was out for 2 1/2 hours (or so) which means I was out for rush hour traffic on the Greenbelt.  Cycling commuters, morning runners, young and old, dogs, geese, ducks, pheasants and squirrels were all sharing this 2 lane paved path.  It was busy and exciting. I don't know if you know this, but Geese don't like to share the road.  They were all over the path, and would not move for anything. I rang my bell.  I used my manners and said excuse me. And when they finally moved, they honked at me like some irate driver giving me the finger!  And the squirrels had a death wish today; I don't know what was so important, but they really NEEDED to run across the path in front of me today!  Don't even get me started on the dog owners with retractable leashes!

Anyway, it was a busy and beautiful day on the Greenbelt and for 23 miles, I thought about you.  I replayed images of pictures from your visit with Angie and Todd and the pictures they have been posting lately.  I thought about Cheryl and your 3 beautiful children.  I thought about the amazing heart you are donating... your heart... your love will continue on. What a beautiful gift you have given!   Today, as the sun rose over the mountains shining bright with hope for a new day, I thought about the hope you have given to another family and how bright you made their day!

Then I thought about your family.... and I turned my head to see the reflection of the trees on the still and quiet pond....and I sent love and peace their direction.

I got back on my bike and left the beautiful pond behind me.  I kept you in my heart as I rode and greeted everyone I came across.  "Good morning!" "Have a great day!"  I smiled and thought about the big heart of yours.  I remember reading how much you loved to give to others, so today I shared that gift with the people I met along my ride.  

As I mentioned earlier, today was the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic.  Today there were over 30 balloons launching from Ann Morrison Park.  I arrived at one of my favorite spots along the greenbelt. It is another pond/lake on one side and the river (with an eternal wave for Kayaking and surfing) on the other.  During the heat of the summer, you can find surfers in wet suits and helmets trying to surf this wave or kayakers learning to kayak the turbulent waters.  In the pond on the other side, there are swimmers training for their open water race for a tri events or people paddle boarding.  But it was too early this morning for any of that.  Instead, what I saw were the balloons rising up over the city and I thought about your spirit being set free....

I wanted to get a better look at the balloons, so I hopped back on my bike and rode as fast as I could (which is not very fast with this silly back of mine) to the park where they were launching.  I got there just as the last balloon had been lifted into the sky....

With all of the balloons in the sky, it was time for me to get back to the ride. I have no idea if you even ever thought about hot air balloons, but they always seemed like magic to me.  And they always make me smile.  When I was a kid in Richardson, Texas, it was a rare occasion that one would fly over my house and land at the school in my neighborhood.  Every time I see a balloon in the air, I think about being a kid in Richardson, hopping on my bike and chasing after the balloon to see where it will land.  So, today, while seeing these balloons, I thought about Texas... I thought about you. I thought about your family....my friends..who are all there so close to my childhood home...and I smiled as I chased these balloons on my bike thinking about you.

It's kind of funny.  Like I said, I have never met you.  But on today's bike ride, the idea of being a kid.. being happy.. playing outside kept coming to me.  I ride this Greenbelt often.  But today, of all days, I was there with the balloons AND I came across something I have NEVER seen before.  

The Greenbelt runs on both sides of the river with bridges every so often to allow you to cross over.  One of those bridges crosses from the Boise State University campus to Julia Davis Park.  During my loop today, I crossed that bridge twice today....and this is what I found....

I have no idea why these little toy soldiers were glued to the railing of this bridge over the Boise River, but they made me smile.  I used to play with toy soldiers when I was a kid, and I thought..."Well, maybe Carl did too.  He was a boy after all!"  A kid playing, laughing, being outside.

As a cyclist, it is amazing the adventures we  have and the things we see that we don't typically see or feel while in a car.  A road that has hills never feels all that "hilly" when riding in a car, but as soon as you get on a bike, you discover a whole new road, right? It's that thrill of adventure, the thrill of beating a time, or climbing up that dreaded hill, or riding longer than we have before that keeps us on our bikes.  It's that sense of adventure and play that we had as kids; only Carl, as cyclists, we never grew out of it! That is what had you on your bike training for HHH.  You were doing something that you loved.  You were doing something that made you smile.  And you were doing something that taught your beautiful children something powerful.  They will take that message of perseverance, adventure, playfullness with them everywhere they go; of that I am certain. 

I know this is long, but hey.. it was 23 miles!  But As I was heading into the home stretch of my ride, I was so happy to see my favorite part of the Greenbelt... the giraffes from the Boise Zoo.  They always make me smile.  As I was taking pictures of them, Angie sent me a message saying she wanted to share my status message about my ride for you.  That is when I decided I would write you this letter and share this ride with you...and your family.  I hope the giraffes bring them as big of a smile as they do me.

Carl, Thanks for sharing the ride with me today!  Thanks for giving me a reason to get on my bike and enjoy the beautiful day with the balloons, the giraffes, the geese, the suicidal squirrels, and all of the people of the Greenbelt.  Thanks for sharing your life with my friends.  Thanks for sharing your life with your family.  Thanks for sharing such an amazing gift with a family you will never meet.  You have blessed this world.  Ride In Peace.