Well, you’re looking at a winner right here. Yes sirreee! I made it to the top of Badger Mountain today!
I was a tad concerned about being there on a cloudy Monday, sure there wouldn’t be very many other hikers. I did not want to be alone on the hill with some crazy dude, you know. So I shouted, “Crazy dudes may take the day off today!” to the universe and took my chances.
The first person I met was an older lady with walking sticks who was on her way down. As I passed her, I quipped, “I wish I was you, on my way back!”
She said, “Just take it easy. That’s what I did. I decided I was going to make it to the top today, no matter how long it took.” I decided that was a fab idea and adopted her attitude.
The round trip trail from the trailhead park is 3.5 miles with an elevation change of 800 feet. If you know anything about anything, you’ll understand that’s a lot of uphill. To cope with the effort it took to do this, I made myself stick to a breathing pattern and keep a steady, unimpressive pace.
The day was gray, the temps right at 32 and the wind was blowing. It was a little bit wicked, but so exhilarating! I was reminded of a favorite Thoreau quote: "Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snows in the fields and woods, if you would keep your spirits up. Deal with brute nature. Be cold and hungry and weary.”
I was near the bottom when I met my crazy dude who clearly did not get the universal memo about taking the day off. He was a tall man coming toward me on the trail, all bundled up in a dark hooded coat and a scarf wrapped around his neck. You could barely see his face. How would I identify him in the police line-up?
Then I noticed the shadow tripping along behind him. A little Pug wearing a red quilted coat. Last time I checked, crazy dudes didn’t bring cute sidekicks when they stalked victims on lonely trails.
Whew!
And, again, Yay me~!!!!!!
www.friendsofbadger.org
I was a tad concerned about being there on a cloudy Monday, sure there wouldn’t be very many other hikers. I did not want to be alone on the hill with some crazy dude, you know. So I shouted, “Crazy dudes may take the day off today!” to the universe and took my chances.
The first person I met was an older lady with walking sticks who was on her way down. As I passed her, I quipped, “I wish I was you, on my way back!”
She said, “Just take it easy. That’s what I did. I decided I was going to make it to the top today, no matter how long it took.” I decided that was a fab idea and adopted her attitude.
The round trip trail from the trailhead park is 3.5 miles with an elevation change of 800 feet. If you know anything about anything, you’ll understand that’s a lot of uphill. To cope with the effort it took to do this, I made myself stick to a breathing pattern and keep a steady, unimpressive pace.
The day was gray, the temps right at 32 and the wind was blowing. It was a little bit wicked, but so exhilarating! I was reminded of a favorite Thoreau quote: "Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snows in the fields and woods, if you would keep your spirits up. Deal with brute nature. Be cold and hungry and weary.”
I was near the bottom when I met my crazy dude who clearly did not get the universal memo about taking the day off. He was a tall man coming toward me on the trail, all bundled up in a dark hooded coat and a scarf wrapped around his neck. You could barely see his face. How would I identify him in the police line-up?
Then I noticed the shadow tripping along behind him. A little Pug wearing a red quilted coat. Last time I checked, crazy dudes didn’t bring cute sidekicks when they stalked victims on lonely trails.
Whew!
And, again, Yay me~!!!!!!
www.friendsofbadger.org
1 comment:
Hooray for Krista from her mom!!! Knew you could do it. What's next on the agenda?
Post a Comment