LIFE IS KINDA LIKE A TRAIL

['Girls on Steroids + Martin' Me, Delanie, Reina,]
[Madi, and Martin]

This trip was doomed to fail from the start. After our week long, life changing, ultimate trip to Mt. Whitney in August, our group (known as the 'Girls on Steroids + Martin' to the rest of the Mt. Whitney crew) was going through serious wilderness withdrawals. So it was decided that we should all go on at least a day hike if that's all anyone could fit into their schedule. Two weeks after returning home from Mt. Whitney we were all set and ready to make this day hike to Walling Lake happen. Then I got a job! And what do you know... I was scheduled to work the Saturday that we'd planned our hike. Bummer! But regardless of my new found source of money (and provider of new backpacking gear), this day hike was going to happen before the season was up!

Weekend after weekend passed with no day off for me... then finally a break appeared! I had been given a Sunday off, and without hesitation asked our group if they were available to visit Walling Lake. We bounced back and fourth between not wanting to miss church and not wanting to miss the wilderness and decided there would be no harm in making the wilderness our sanctuary for that day. At least three of us did (Martin, Madi, and myself)---Delanie was unable to join. 

So the three of us planned it out and were going to make it happen. We would leave Sunday morning at 7:00AM, arrive at the trail head around 9:00AM, arrive at Walling Lake at approximately 12:00PM, leave Walling Lake at 3:00PM, get in the car around 5:00PM, and arrive home at 7:00PM. What a great plan---until it didn't work.

To get to the trail head for Walling Lake you drive up the 168 past Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake until you get to Kaiser Pass Road... then it's just a little ways further until you come to a parking lot on the right side of the road where you can make one last potty stop at the pit toilets before hiking in on the trail head across the street. Nothing to difficult right??? FALSE!

There's construction going on on the road around Huntington Lake, and this being my first time driving myself up to the trail head, I was looking for a sign that said "KAISER PASS ROAD". So we're driving, and driving, and driving, and then the road seems to have turned enough to be driving in the opposite direction from where we came. But do I notice till we're almost all the way around the lake? No... It's a good twenty minutes before I give in to my inkling that we're not going to find Kaiser Pass Road traveling in the direction we were. So I turn around and drive back another twenty minutes looking for the sign that says "KAISER PASS ROAD" again! Do I find it? No... So finally, realizing that I still have reception, I call my dad. He tells me to head back to the beginning of Huntington Lake and turn around, and wait for the turn off. Still no "KAISER PASS ROAD" sign... Come to find out there IS no sign. Luckily I have an iPhone, complete with GPS. Why I didn't use it before I'm really not sure... and the turn off we were looking for is Huntington Road... So finally we take the turn off and eventually find our way to the parking lot at the trail head---a complete hour later than planned. 

One last tinkle and then it's on with the packs and into the woods! Nothing could go wrong now! I've been on this trail enough to know what I'm doing and be confident in taking two high school age friends in with me for the first time. No problem.

The trail is a slight and gradual uphill to Potter's Pass where you can look back from where you've come and see both Huntington Lake and the ski runs of China Peak (Sierra Summit) behind you. Stretched out in front of you is a jagged skyline of snow capped peaks. When facing those peaks there are rows and rows of beautiful Aspens to your right, and to your left a rocky hill side beyond which lies Kaiser Peak. 

[A jagged skyline of snow capped peaks from the top of Potter's Pass]

After that it's a steady downhill off of Potter's Pass until you get to Lower Twin lake (a muddy lake that's nothing special), and beyond that is Upper Twin Lake (a common stop for day hikers, fishermen, and families with little ones). 

If you stay on that trail long enough you will eventually end up at George Lake, which I have yet to visit. But before getting to George there is a quick and ever so invisible turn off on the right side of the trail to get to Walling Lake. It's always hard to find no matter how many times you've been on the trail. Then from there you hike a little ways on flat ground before getting to what I liked to refer to as "The Ridge of Death". 

The Ridge of Death is a steep, uphill trail of switchbacks over horribly rocky terrain. Walling Lake is at the top of The Ridge of Death, nestled into its granite slabs. But once you get to the top of the ridge and make your way around to see the lake, it's completely worth it! 

So remember that storm that blew through the Central Valley last week? Well that storm came from the mountains. I was aware of this when planning the day hike. I knew we'd probably have a little bit of snow, and that the trail would probably be a bit of a mess. But I did not plan on the trail from the Walling turn off to Walling Lake to be completely gone. There was no turn off. The trail wasn't there. Any stone markers that had been made were knocked over. 

It's getting close to 12:00 now, and we're still on our original trail until God tugs at me and says "Take a look at the ridge Lex... it's starting to slope down. Maybe you missed the turn off?" So we stop, and I relay that message to Martin and Madi before turning around and heading back to find the turn off. No such luck. I decided that if we made our way back to the foot of the ridge and hiked north we would eventually find the trail up the ridge. It was bush whacking, and I didn't like the idea of being responsible for the lives of two teens in the wilderness with no trail, but it was our only option. 

We made our way with no trail along the ridge, all the time hoping something would trigger my memory and we'd find the trail. Again, no such luck. 12:30 rolls around and we're finally able to start heading up the ridge on the beginning of the trail... which eventually disappears again. By 1:00, a full half hour of bush whacking up The Ridge of Death, and with much thanks to the presence of two dead trees that are always at the lake and a constant view when sitting out at the lake, I was able to get my barrings enough to bring us up over the ridge and take a look at Walling Lake. 

[Walling Lake and The Ridge of Death that we came over]

We made it! Praise Jesus! 

I brought Madi and Martin to the perfect lakeside laying out rock, we ate our PB&J tortillas, granola bars, and caramel apple (all purchased at Fresh and Easy!), and proceeded to have some tummy time for napping. 

['The Girls on Steroids' jumping into Colby Lake]

On day three of our Mt. Whitney trip we camped at Colby Lake (my favorite of all favorite lakes), and Madi convinced all of us girls that we should jump into the lake in our undies just to say that we did it. The water was freezing and the sun was hidden by clouds and the wind was blowing...  but we did it anyway! We tried to get Martin to join us but he declined. So to make up for that Martin decided he needed to jump into Walling Lake! So that's what he did! It took him a good fifteen minutes of prodding and commenting from us to get him to do it, but he did! By the time he had changed back into warm clothes again it was time to leave... 3:00PM. 

We packed up our stuff and headed out. I knew where the trail was from the campsite that we always stayed at, and I hoped that if we found that trail we could stay on it all the way back to the turn off. Yeah right... We ended up bush whacking down the ridge again and back to the original trail from the trail head. That added on an extra half hour of hiking that we shouldn't have had to do, and layered on more frustration and a splitting headache. 

Once you're past Upper and Lower Twin lakes there's a short cut that you can take to the right of the trail. It's a horse trail that meanders uphill through white sparkley rocks, and cuts off a good ten to fifteen minutes of time to get to Potter's Pass. The only problem is that at some point that trail and the original trail eventually meet up like a loop and the trail to Potter's Pass looks like a side trail. Just like the drive to the trail head, we were now facing the opposite direction that we wanted to be traveling. 

Madi was the only one to verbally question the way we were going... "Hey Lex, " God said, "Madi's right..." But to be sure I told the two of them to stay where they were and I was going to run ahead on the trail we were on to see if we were right or not. Sure enough we were on the wrong path. If we'd kept going we would have been heading back to the lake! So we turned around and I became more frustrated.

it was 5:00PM... We made it to the top of Potter's Pass. By 6:00PM we piled into the car, called parents to let them know we'd be arriving later than planned, and headed out. 

THE ADVENTURE'S NOT OVER! I get car sick on mountain roads if I'm not driving, and even if I am driving I'll occasionally feel a little dizzy. But because of my headache and my still fuming frustration and the addition of bright headlights shining directly into my retinas, I--got--carsick. 

We must have pulled over a good eight times before making it home just because I felt like I was going to puke. 

But we made it home! Everyone alive and with all their limbs. 

Our day hike that was supposed to go off without a hitch, went off like a Piccolo Pete. The time we spent actually at the lake was fun, and had I not been responsible for the lives of two highschoolers with parents that expected their children to be home safe and sound, and had I not been prone to car sickness, and had there not been a storm that blew through, and had we been able to go when originally planned several weeks ago... everything would have been fine! 

Ah, but I have a bigger reason for posting this than just to tell of my wilderness adventures. 

On the drive home, in the time that I was able to make coherent thoughts without feeling like throwing up, I applied this trip to my walk with God... 'cause life is kinda like a trail. You might start out on the right path with a great view in mind for your destination, but sometimes circumstances cause you to lose the trail. It might be that you wander off the trail and can't find your way back, or it might be that you miss that tricky little turn off to your destination because of a storm, and are continuing on the wrong trail. And when that happens sometimes what you need to do is bush whack to get back to the path that God intended you to be on, to get back to God. 

Bush whacking can be difficult and frustrating, overwhelming and tiring, discouraging, perplexing, and all around tough work. But no one said that walking with God would be easy. It's this bush whacking that helps us learn... this wandering in the wilderness often times is what molds us and refines us into what God intends us to be. Moses and the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years before God brought them to the promise land. 

So I guess right now I'm bush whacking in my walk with God. I can see my destination, I know what God intends for me, but somewhere along the line I lost the trail He set out for me and have to trudge through the woods to get there. 

Not every trip is going to be your ideal Mt. Whitney life changing trip. Sometimes it just sucks. But every trip is going to teach you something and adjusts your perspective---that is always a constant.

[At the trail head ready to go!]

[Vibram FiveFingers!!!]

[Pretty Aspen grove]

[At the top of Potter's Pass heading to Walling Lake. I love these kids.]

VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS!

Let me start off by saying that yes, they do look a little silly. I feel a tad like a Hobbit when wearing them... but holy moly are they comfortable! 

[VibramFiveFingers.com]

Four days ago I purchased a pair of Vibram FiveFingers at REI before going on a day hike yesterday. For those of you who are wondering "what in the what is she talking about???" These are Vibram 5 Fingers------->


So what exactly are these things that look like a toe-sock with a sole? They're Heaven in a shoe! Can't you tell by looking at them? Don't focus on how silly they look or over think their purpose... focus on the aura of AMAZING glowing around them! 


Okay... so maybe you can't see the same aura of amazing that I can. So here comes the explanation.


On a recent week long trip to Mt. Whitney my brother (a caveman and the embodiment of all things wilderness, adventure, and physical fitness) wore a pair of Vibram FiveFingers while hiking. It wasn't the first time I'd heard about them (seeing as he works at REI) but it was my first time seeing them in action. He said goodbye to clunky and constricting boots and hello to the way your foot naturally works! I watched as he made wet stream crossing after wet stream crossing without having to put on any kind of water shoe to keep his boots dry. He was so much more agile than the rest of us who were hiking in heavy boots. I had already been convinced before the Mt. Whitney trip that I needed a pair of FiveFingers, but seeing them in action helped solidify it in my mind. I was going to own these and be free of my boots! 


Before I had my Vibrams I ran barefoot around my neighborhood. Crazy? Kinda. But I was annoyed with wearing running shoes and thought "hey, why not just eighty-six the shoes?" It caused me to be more cautious of where I step, gave me blisters when the cement was scorching, made other pedestrians wonder what the cuss I was doing, turned my feet black... but the biggest thing it did for me was strengthen the muscles in my feet and ankles. 


There are 26 bones (One-quarter of the bones in the human body), 33 joints, more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and a network of blood vessels, nerves, skin, and soft tissue that make up the human foot. When you wear a shoe, all of those elements that signal your brain about your surroundings and your necessary responses to those surroundings are sheltered and prohibited from helping your mainframe out. Think about it, how much more free do you feel when you're barefoot? I'm not talking about some dumb "inner connection to mother earth" or finding your Chi. I'm talking about what God gave us and using them to their fullest. 


"When you go barefoot, your movements become the movements of a child—playful and sensitive, yet purposeful and confident. You experience the unbound joy of stepping, hopping, and running across any surface on earth, simply to get from here to there." 
             
                   --VibramFiveFingers.com--


That sounds a little "mother earthy" Vibram... so in my own words: "When you go barefoot, your movements become more natural---light and sensitive, yet purposeful and confident. You experience the feeling of freedom from constricting and heavy shoes. With every step your foot sends messages to your brain that help you get from here to there with more balance, range of motion, and agility." That's better. 


God designed our feet to work a certain way. Think about all the little pieces that it takes for our feet to do their thing. What happens to us if we lose our feet? What happens if we lose even just our big toe? When we put on shoes we toss away a portion of what our feet are supposed to be doing. 


Okay... back track. I'm not saying shoes are from Satan or that we should all go barefoot all the time and live like harry hippies or that we should have a huge shoe burning party. I love shoes. High heels, Toms, Vans, Converse, sandals, flats, stylish boots... shoes are an awesome piece of fashion! And we do need shoes to protect our feet from the elements. I wouldn't wear my Vibram FiveFingers in town if it were pouring outside... I'd wear something that's going to keep my foot dry and protected. If I were going to the snow I would wear boots so I don't get hypothermia and die. There is definite logic and style behind wearing shoes.

[My Vibrams, Martin's Vibrams, Madi's Vibram boots]
[that will soon need to be actual Vibram FiveFingers]

Doesn't that totally ruin everything I was just saying about being barefoot? No. No it does not. The things that I feel the need to be barefoot for are physical activities. I wouldn't necessarily wear my Vibram FiveFingers around town just for funskeez unless I was planning on chasing down some ninjas or battling alien parasites trying to take over Fresno. My Vibrams are for running, training, climbing, hiking, and backpacking. Those are the times where I feel that I need my feet to be able to fully talk to my brain.


Wearing these amazing shoes is like being barefoot without the worry of stepping on something that's gonna hurt your paws. So to test it out I wore them on a recent day hike. It was absolutely amazing how much more free I felt on the trail. My feet never got blisters, hot-spots, or sore. The only "problem" I had was getting sand in my shoes, which can be helped by wearing socks with them. At one point on the trip I rain down the trail and back (because I didn't think we were on the right path anymore), which is something I would not have been able to do in my boots. 


So for those of you out there who are wilderness, adventure, or physical activity enthusiasts, I highly recommend that you at least try on a pair of Vibram FiveFingers. Take them for a spin! You'll see their aura of AMAZING within seconds... and even more importantly you'll start to feel their health benefits. 

[Me, standing in front of Upper Twin lake in Kaiser Wilderness, Sierra Nevadas, in my Vibrams]

PREVIEW! My next post will be about that crazy day hike I've been mentioning... not every wilderness trip you take is going to be your 2010 Mt. Whitney-Life-Changing trip (which I also plan to post about). Sometimes, because of circumstances, the trip.just.sucks. 

A BRIEF PAUSE

Oh no! This has become one of those blogs where you don't see a new post for DECADES!!!! 

 No... no it hasn't. 

 A certain turn of events has been preventing me from getting my creative juices flowing, but as soon as they're back (which will be very soon) I'll have something fresh for you to read! 

 Perhaps you can help me? I'd like to know what YOU would like to read about! All ideas are welcome, and everyone can post a comment whether you have a blogger account or not, so send those ideas this direction!

The face of Writer's Block (it looks a lot like MY face)

PEEING AND POOING [privacy and position are key!]

One of the first things I do after making camp for the night is look for a great spot to go to the bathroom. I like to be prepared for whenever the urge comes along, because searching for a spot when you feel like you’re gonna mess up your underwear is almost as bad as actually messing up your underwear. And no one wants to carry that back to civilization. So in an effort to prevent the above mishap, I’ve nailed down my own order of operations. Once you’ve set up your tent and put your bear canister (should you be carrying one) by the cooking area, head out to look for firewood (should you be needing it). While looking for potential incinerating materials, be thinking about the most convenient, private spot you can find for when number one or number two come along. When you’re a girl, not just any spot will do.

What I typically look for in a good potty spot are things that ensure I’ll have the nicest potty break I can. I look for rocks. Big groupings of them! Personally I like leaning up against a piece of granite more than bark or a bush. I feel like it’s cleaner and that the likeliness of encountering any creepy crawlies while in the act is lessened. And every now and then you’ll find that perfect spot where the rocks form a little throne for you to sit on! When that happens, feel free to do a little potty dance and brag about it. I also feel like I have more privacy behind a grouping of rocks. If you come across a great position, privacy is almost always insured, so position to me is number one.

1)      POSITION

Following after position is privacy.  You may think you have a great spot all picked out, but look! There’s the trail! Or there’s another campsite over there, the people on the other side of the lake can see you, you’re not far enough away from your own camp. Any number of things can get in the way of your potty privacy. And you never know when another backpacker is gonna head up your direction looking for their own chunk of granite to use. So how can you be sure you’ve got a private spot? Keep walking. Distance between you and the rest of the backpacking world will help make sure you can tinkle in peace. Don’t go too crazy though. If it’s dark out, find the nearest tree. Getting yourself lost just because you wanted a private spot is not worth it. Guaranteed if you get lost you’ll mess up your underwear trying to find camp. And darkness is a huge help in privacy! Just make sure you switch off your headlamp or tilt it up away from your body while you’re going.

I will often times announce to the people I’m backpacking with when I’m going to the bathroom and where. This way they know not to head up in that direction until I get back. Privacy takes the second priority.

1)      POSITION

2)      PRIVACY

After privacy we get into the less important necessities for a good spot. Next on my list is view. I find it a huge success when I can find a spot that meets the first two requirements and provides a great view! There’s a certain kind of satisfaction you feel when leaning up against your granite grouping of rocks, no one around to watch you, and you’re gazing down on a meadow or lake or watching the sunset. It just makes the whole “peeing in the wilderness” thing so much better. And once you’ve finished your business, you can return to camp with a great tale of what you saw. View is definitely next on the list.

1)      POSITION

2)      PRIVACY

3)      VIEW

Once you’ve found a spot that provides for all three, you’re all set to go! The different methods of how you go… I’m not going to get specific on. I find it’s just personal preference and dependent on what kind of position you’ve found. A friend of mine likes to squat all the way down to the ground. My brother likes the “Bow Tie” method. Whatever you find that works for you is really all that matters. Make sure you don’t trickle on your pants or boots though. That’s kind of gross. 

[My view while going to the bathroom at Colby Lake]

IN THE MIDDLE (In The Beginning continued...)

So it wasn’t a lack of boyishness or adventure that kept me from the wilderness. In all respects I should have been yearning to be out in the woods doing all the things my brother was doing! It was a lack of knowledge and experience. I wish my father had just picked me up and tossed me into the woods before I was in high school and said “here it is! Get over all the things you think are inconvenient and uncomfortable and learn to enjoy it!” because I know I would have enjoyed it right away.

It’s kind of like swimming. When you’re a kid, swimming is terrifying. My dad picked my sister up when she was little, and tossed her in the pool to teach her how to swim. That was her first experience. It freaked her out like none other, but she sure did figure out how to dog paddle! And once you know what you’re doing and the parameters in which you’re acting, it’s fun! I hate swimming, so this analogy doesn’t really apply to me. But you get the idea.

Then one day I decided, “heck, what’s the harm in trying this out?” I borrowed my brother-in-law’s old pack, his old sleeping bag, my brother’s Thermarest sleeping pad, an old two person Kelty tent, went out and bought a pair of backpacking pants… and set off with my father and my brother-in-law on the adventure that would jumpstart my need for more adventures!

During my first semester of college I was running low on my supply of friends. Due to extenuating circumstances and a bunch of stupid reasons, several of my friends and I had gotten in tiffs. I started college very down on myself and the rest of the world. It was a low point in my relationship with God as well. Everything just sucked to me. Which is probably why I decided to try this backpacking business. What did I have to lose and who would be out there to judge me for it? Nothing, and no one.

So we headed toward the mountains, Nelsen Lake in Dinky Wilderness our ultimate destination. I wasn’t sure what I was looking to gain from it, but I figured I’d gain something. What I really wanted to know was what about this activity captivated the minds of so many people. I knew nature was pretty, and seeing a deer in nature was something to stop and take pictures of, but I wasn’t really sure why so many people enjoyed strapping on twenty plus pounds of weight and walking on a trail.

Fifteen minutes in I was already out of breath. But I was trying to stay optimistic. Look at the pretty green grasses (huff-puff) and that little chipmunk scurrying down the (huff-puff) trail (huff-puff). Half-way there I so badly wanted to ask the childish question “are we there yet?!” but I held that in. My feet hurt, my legs were shaky, the pack that had been designed for a man was rubbing at my shoulders and hips. The only saving grace of the trail was my trail-mix… mostly just the m&ms. Why was I doing this again?

[Nelsen Lake through the clearing]

And then we came through the clearing, and what unfolded before me took away every preconceived notion, every huffed and puffed hate whisper under my breath on the trail, and all my stress. I was standing in a field of gold and green and red grass, rocky peaks spread out behind a shimmering lake. Absolute silence enveloped me. Now it made sense. This was why so many people took part in backpacking every season. There were no people, no electronics, no problems… there was just peace… peace and quiet and solitude in an absolutely gorgeous setting. I knew that moment that I would be doing this backpacking thing again and as much as possible. And that came without even having any adventures yet!

The most memorable part of that first trip was the following morning. I had been trying to think of cool ways to commemorate my first backpacking trip, and I posed the idea to my brother-in-law, “Hey Phill! Wanna get up tomorrow morning before the sun rises and hike up to that ridge behind us to watch the sun rise?!”

To which he responded, “You want to?”

I nodded excessively.

“Let’s do it!”

So we got up at the butt crack of dawn, strapped on our headlamps and camelbacks, and began our trek uphill. We made it just in time. The ridge of granite behind our campsite was the perfect little spot to take in the beautiful amber rays peeking over the horizon. All those people back in the city still in their beds were missing out on such a glorious piece of the day, and I was sitting miles away from civilization, with my little point and click digital camera, on a slab of granite, with two of my favorite men, watching the sun usher in the day.

After watching the sunrise we hiked up further. Phill wanted to get to the highest point on the peaks that we’d seen from the clearing the day before. Just being out there like that, roughing it, already covered in a layer of sweat and dirt, felt so right. We made it almost to the top before dad and I decided that where we’d stopped was a pretty good spot. Phill kept going.

[My first MUSCLE PICTURE with Phillip! Nelsen Lake behind us]

My first muscle picture, or “hero picture” as others have called it, was taken there looking out over the Sierra Nevadas. At that point I started to understand another piece of the reason why people backpack: for the solitude and peace, but also for the adventure and the conquering of mountains. How many more mountains could I stand on? How many more lakes could I sit at and ponder about life? This was my new element. This was where I belonged.

That little something inside everyone that’s connected to the wilderness, clicked in me. That piece in me became wild. I would always thirst for the next trip or the next moment I could spend in the wilderness. It was a part of who I was already, just took that first little experience to set it loose.

["Look Ma! I caught us a FEESH!']

When we returned to the lake from our morning hike, my dad taught me how to fish. I had never even fished! That just wouldn’t do anymore. That day I caught nine fish. Most of them I set free, but the three of us ate fish for dinner that night. And that was another reason I discovered for why people enjoyed backpacking: for the solitude, peace, the adventure and mountain conquering, but also the survival instinct. All creatures are born with a survival instinct. Catching fish that day, to me, was like surviving. Sure we didn’t really need the fish to survive that night. We already had dinner. But if we did need those fish to survive, we had them. Bear Grylls would have been proud.

The following day we packed up and hit the trail for home. I still wasn’t too keen on this whole carrying thirty pounds on my back and walking around in the wilderness thing. By the time we got to the cars I was irritated like none other. It would be a while before I enjoyed the actual hiking aspect of backpacking.

That first trip to Nelsen Lake was a huge turning point in my life. I had accomplished something I never foresaw myself doing, and I’d come home with the “Top of the Mountain” perspective. Seeing the multitude of stars in the night sky, the sunrise, the unobscured view of the Sierra Nevadas, the picturesque beauty of the lake all helped me get back to being human. I’d started college as a robot, void of feeling and relationships, not comprehending the simplest of human interactions. That trip kicked me back in gear. It didn’t change me right away. Rarely does God change anybody overnight. But the process had started. Every trip would and still does unveil a new “Top of the Mountain” perspective that alters my very being. I only wish this change could have started so much earlier! All those times I closed the door to the wilderness, I should have been stepping outside with wilderness, and closing the door to civilization behind me.

I guess the objective of all of this is to point out how much I missed out on for all those years I didn’t pay attention to what God created for me. And while I was at home on those backpacking weekends watching movies and eating junk, I could have and SHOULD have been out in God’s country allowing Him to show me all of the amazing adventures He had lined up for my life. 

So don’t let that chance pass you by! Set aside all of those preconceived notions that you have about how inconvenient the wilderness is and how gross it is to pee behind a rock. Write them down on a post-it note and set them on fire in a trashcan! It doesn’t matter how overweight you think you are, or how out of shape you may be… it doesn’t matter if you think you’re just not cut out to hike more than three miles in a day or to even carry thirty pounds on your back. You don’t have to be the tommiest of all tom-boys to enjoy it or survive it. Who cares if you huff and puff when you’re climbing up the mountain, everyone is huffing and puffing! You don’t need to be a macho buff guy or a super sporty chick. Young, old, male, female, in shape, out of shape… Anyone can do it. Everyone should do it… at least once. And if after that one time you decide it’s just not for you, then there’s nothing wrong with that. But you will be different after you try it. A part of you that you didn’t even know you had will be released. And that alone is a good reason to try. 

[Sunrise on Nelsen Ridge]

IN THE BEGINNING

I started backpacking my freshman year of college. Looking back, I wish I’d started earlier. I had plenty of opportunity to begin my adventures long before that. My father has been an avid backpacker since he was in high school as a Boy Scout. My brother fell in step as well, travelling up through the ranks and eventually achieving the title of Eagle Scout. All those years he and my dad were involved in scouts I could have been tagging along. The camping trips, backpacking, everything in the wilderness, they were all at my doorstep waiting for me to take part in the adventures they offered and I spent so many years unknowingly closing the door to them.

I had been unintentionally brainwashed into thinking that backpacking was a boy activity. And I was not a boy, so why would I partake in it? I’d never slept in the wilderness, never gone number one or number two in the wilderness, never really eaten a meal in the wilderness… I was neglecting what would eventually be one of the best parts of my life all because of what I’d been led to believe about it.

Let me lay more ground work for it.

My mother is not a wilderness girl. She likes her city, her modern comforts, her toilet, her bed, her bug free zone, her dirt free zone, her running water, her car, her grocery store down the street, the high heels that she wears to church on Sundays, her curling iron, hot showers, magazines, television, pretty dresses, refrigerators, clean clothes, fans, painted toe-nails, comfortable couches, an overabundance of pillows, gardening, the internet, and her cell phone. All wonderful things in our modern world, but in my mind… none of them really contain any character building qualities.

During the earlier years of my life I was much closer to my mom than my dad. So all those things that she didn’t like about the wilderness, I naturally decided not to like as well, even though I’d never taste tested it for myself. The wilderness was dirty, inconvenient, something to drive to and look at a few steps from the car, tiring, filled with bugs and other nasties like squirrels and mice. What horrified me most was the idea of having to go to the bathroom out there in the unknown. No toilets is a horrifying thought when you’ve never actually gone without them. And how exactly did a girl go to the bathroom in the wild? With different plumbing than boys it just seemed far too difficult and more effort than it was worth. How can sleeping on a thin sleeping pad be more comfortable than a nice, thick mattress? Mosquitoes? Ants? Spiders? All of it was just more than I wanted to experience. I was quite comfortable with being a city girl. I didn’t need any merit badges or to know how to tie a clove-hitch.

All of that isn’t to say that I was a girly girl. Heck no. False. Far from it. I was the tommiest tom-boy around. I played with G.I. Joe and Max Steel, built Lego castles, pretended I was a pirate, or Link from Legend of Zelda, or a ninja. I trained in Martial Arts, played street hockey, drew pictures of super heroes, idolized Batman and Robin, had Water Wars with the boys in my neighborhood, and often times was the only girl invited to their birthday parties. When you grow up in a neighborhood full of boys, boy things become your reality. Girly things are girly and not fun. Ruffles on dresses and socks are unnecessary and ugly. Pink is the worst color in the world. Scraping your knee after trying to hop a homemade ramp and crashing your bike is a battle wound to be proud of. You are ushered into a realm that eventually most girls are kept out of. The sign on the tree house reads “NO GIRLS ALLOWED” but you know the password, come bearing popsicles for everyone, and will beat them up if they don’t let you in. 

                                           [TO BE CONTINUED]

[and by "played with G.I. Joes" I meant "still play with G.I. Joes"]

THE WILDERNESS

It centers you, focuses your priorities, rearranges what you think of as important. It tests you and refines your character, like carbon deep underground being pressed into a diamond. Out there in nature, surrounded by trees and rocks for miles and miles, you gain a different perspective of life. I call this the “Top of the Mountain” perspective.

There’s nothing like sitting on a granite slab at 14,495 feet watching the deep, burnt orange glow of a sunrise unfold before you… or staring up from the flat of your back, nestled into a warm sleeping bag, while shooting stars flash across a night sky. The sense of accomplishment that fills you, the challenges presented before you, the mental and physical trials, the camaraderie, all leading toward one goal: a new perspective.  You don’t know that’s the goal though, because to you the goal is the peak or the lake or the next campsite. But what happens when you achieve those goals? Something changes inside of you. Either you discover some part of you that you didn’t realize was there, rediscover a piece that was suppressed, or find that a new part of you has been created. When you get to the top of that mountain and gaze down at all the wilderness you came through and everything beyond that, something clicks inside. You know you won’t be the same person that you were when you left civilization for that adventure, because a piece of you has become something else… something wild.