For the second major hike of my life, I chose a 4-8pm timeslot so I could experience the red rock as the sun was setting. Of course I hired Tom Reich and his dog Summit again since I had such an exhilarating first hike with them.
We drove to the Bell Rock access point. I saw several families with small children coming out so I was reassured this hike would be within my skill level. Several women were even wearing flip flops…are you kidding me?!
Immediately the incline felt very steep, I could feel my heart rate race and I was breathing heavily. The hike was very different from my first trail that wound through the trees and up the mountain on a clearly marked trail. This one was more wide open slide rock and felt more like rock climbing than hiking (at least in my beginner hiking mind). We got to a stopping point so I could get a drink of water and I was shocked at how far we had come in such a short time in both horizontal and vertical distance. Breathtaking view once again.
At this point the ‘hike’ looked like a giant vertical rock and I was petrified! With nothing to hold onto how the hell was I getting my 45 year old @$$ up there! I stopped and told Jim I couldn’t do it. There was a couple right behind us so I let them go ahead. Once I saw them navigate the rock I was mildly reassured that I could do it. It just felt nearly impossible at that point. I’ve never encountered anything like that. No place for your hands to grab onto to help pull you up or simply for balance. No ropes, caribeners, no safety net. And in my mind, it seemed too easy to lose your balance and fall backwards and tumble down hundreds of feet over the rocky terrain!
Jim could feel my anxiety and he offered to hold my hand going up this route, offered a different, less vertical climb or we could turn around and go back down. I opted to push myself to try the vertical climb. Of course my heart was racing and I was probably cursing the craziness in my mind but we proceeded up the rock. We went a couple more levels and then I had to stop. Because now I’m thinking about how are we going to get down!
I felt good about pushing myself that far but I didn’t need to add to the extreme hiking adventure I was experiencing! Jim was terrific coming back down. At several points we sat down to scoot down the rock at steeper drops. Bell Rock had humbled me and I owned my nerdiness and scooted down with pride!
At one point, Jim took off his hiking sandals so his bare feet could absorb the vortex energy. Really? If he can hike down in bare feet, I can certainly hike down without crying like a little baby.
In retrospect, my view of easy/beginner hiking at the beginning of this trip envisioned simple, clearly marked, zig-zagging trails up and down mountains. I did not imagine slide rocks or the big river rocks. I did not plan to cross a creek barefoot. I did not envision vertical climbs. I did not envision the near paralyzing fear and crazy racing heart pounding in my chest. There’s a metaphor to life in here somewhere. Jim’s definition of easy might be a little warped because of his experience. Life can’t be all easy hikes with clearly marked trails. You have to get your heart and blood racing every once-in-awhile…makes you feel like you’re really alive. And yes there will be situations that seem to paralyze you with fear. But when you conquer the creek, the big river rocks or the vertical climb… you feel satisfied and proud. And you feel the possibility...
and PS...the photo is looking down the vertical. It's MUCH steeper in real life!
No comments:
Post a Comment