Oh goodie we have a nice little travel group started <3. I saw that on I think FS's thread.
FS your words made me kinda tear up a bit. It's always interesting to see yourself reflected in other's words. I do feel strong, and is in no small part to the strong women I've met here. You are amazing. DV is amazing. There are numerous others I count in that group as well. I feel like my new attitude is a shrug while saying, "Yeah. Let's do it." Yes to everything!!!
I started my local travels today Since I can't go to any other countries I've decided to travel in my own state and experience what I have never experienced before. I'm sorry I can't share the specifics of location because I'd love to recommend specific trails to everyone here. I've been working on my hiking so I thought "why don't I do a big day hike that's ranked "hard"?". I've lived here my whole life, and only ever took small family hikes that maybe took 1.5 hours roundtrip. By myself I will walk a million miles a day without blinking, and do regular 1 - 2 hour hikes several times a week.
Well. Let me tell you. This one - it was HARD :-D
I think perhaps I wasn't quite as prepared as I assumed I was, but I did it anyway! Just very, very slow with my time. I had hoped to pop over to the adjacent peak too but I decided to stick to safety first, and maybe try that next time when I'm better prepped - I'm a work in progress as well as a solo hiker. BUT I did it, made it to the summit had a 6 hour steep hike there and back in gorgeous weather. After my descent I then popped over to the local river and jumped in which felt amazing and like summer should feel. I'm exhausted and satisfied and drinking a really high quality local beer, and trying not to think about how tired my feet and thighs are.
I think that hiking is for me. I've never been an athletic person, though aesthetically in the range of slender-ish with curves. More curves, less slender. I've been trying to run for most of pandemic and I'm not really making any progress. But with hiking every time I get faster times, and better outcomes so perhaps I'm more of a slow endurance person than a sprint person. I love being in the woods. I love the birds, and today I saw so many tiny little 1-inch frogs on this mountain. I had never hiked to alpine climate (above treeline) so that was pretty neat. And I looked out over much of our state, and the lakes and the mountains and our neighbor's mountains and everyone on the trail is so kind. One group I was chatting with knew it was my first time on this mountain so they were my photographer and I have a lovely photo of me proudly at the top.
That was today's highly successful travel adventure. Tomorrow I will rest, but perhaps I can get two or three more hikes in before Monday when I return to work from my vacation.
My goodness - while this isn't the primary goal, Yail is going to have a KILLER @$$ by the end of this summer. Excellent. I promise to use it for good.
