Camp Post 5: The Hike

Many of you remember my complaints last year about the hike. It was really hard and I was really slow and it nearly killed me. This year I was desperate to not let that happen again. One of the things I learned last year was that the back pack with a sweatshirt, lunch, extra water bottles, first aid kit and such was not needed and resulted in unnecessary weight which didn't help me move any faster or feel any better. Also last year, I learned that one extremely out of shape leader in bad shoes and a rocky mountain are not a good combination. This year I was determined to be in shape for the hike and thanks to the purchase of Wii Fit, I am in much better shape. I wore strong supportive tennis shoes and took a fanny pack (thanks to Holly) and only took my camera and a water bottle. I decided I'd eat lunch when I was done so I didn't have to pack it. This year we did the same hike as last year with an extra leg added on to the beginning. Last year we parked in the parking lot at the top of Big Mountain and hiked down. This year we parked a few miles past the parking lot at the top of Big Mountain and hiked to it then down. The first part was up hill at first and then lots of long switch backs led us higher and higher. Holly asked me at the parking lot if I wanted to blaze or bring up the rear. Remembering last year and how slow I was I chose blaze, with the idea that if the rule was no one could go in front of me, they'd all have to hike slowly for my benefit. Abby and I took the front, with Holly and Roseann and our Priesthood leader, Brother Armatage, taking the rear. Each of us had a two way radio that we could communicate with and we set off. About 100 yards into the first hill, I was breathing hard and was sure I had made a mistake even attempting to come on this hike. At the top of the first hill, I demanded a break and I'm sure the girls thought I was crazy to stop so soon into it. As soon as I caught my breath, we continued on and the trail, although it went high quickly, became easier as the switchbacks made it easy for us to climb. Soon we were in two definite groups. Abby and I had five girls up front with us and Holly and Roseann had five back with them. As we climbed we sang Star Wars songs (of course) and later Holly said it was so awesome to hear us singing ahead. It gave them strength to keep going. A few minutes into the hike, I found this... It's a bit hard to see in the picture, but it's bushes covered in snow. It was pretty shady, and you could tell the higher elevations hadn't figured out yet, that it was summer. As we got closer to the top, and got above the tree line, you can see a bit of what the pioneers saw as they conquered this last leg of their journey. If you look way out on that far mountain, you can see Kennecott Copper Mine. As we neared the top, we could see people in the big parking lot and knew the first part was over. We waited in the cold and wind at the top for the rest of our group, and when they finally came around the last bend, we greeted them with the victorious humming of Raiders March. After a potty stop for a few of the girls and a picture, we headed down the trail leading to the end of our hike.
The group of us blazing went at a steady pace, reminding the girls to stay hydrated and let us know if they needed to stop. They didn't so we just continued on enjoying the beauty around us. It was awesome! I didn't feel tired until well into the fourth mile, and aside from the trail being much wetter than last year, and having to find the trail under the stream at times, we made it to the bottom! At the bottom you are supposed come out of the brush and find a bridge leading across a very full river. This time we found a swamp blocking the trail completely so a group of brethren were showing us the other way out. It involved climbing up the mountain a bit, to a place where there was a rock you could step on to get across. One of the men was standing on the edge holding a large walking stick in the water to anchor himself as he helped us across the rock (that was buried under 3 inches of water) and safely to the muddy other side. We got out mostly unscathed... a few muddy footprints and made our way to the bridge where the stake Young Women's Presidency was giving high fives. My calves were sore for a few days after but nothing like the torture I experienced last year!! Yay for being in shape and finding a smarter way to hike!