Hiking and a resolution
February 12th
So I finally got to the mountains today. The weather was gorgeous, sunny, and about the freezing mark. There was some snow overnight and on the higher elevations, there was actually a thick snow cover.
I am in pretty good shape for my age. I walk a lot, in warmer weather, I bike and go kayaking. I mean, I can walk 20 kilometers without breaking a stride and sweat. But all my walks are on the flat level. The first ascend today was only 200 meters vertical on 2.5 kilometers in length, so it was less than 10% incline. And yet, after 10 minutes, I was soaked to the bone and without a breath.
As I was climbing, I not only enjoyed the views and silence and nature. I got to think about two things. First, walking was difficult, and I suddenly have become EXTREMELY aware of my feet. Each step was deliberate, I had to make sure I have good contact with the ground and proper weight distribution. And I don’t often (if at all) think about or am aware of my walking technique.
Second, I need to finally quit smoking. That is the main concern for my health and the reason why I was out of breath after a relatively short climb. There is no reason to delay it. My health, my well-being, and my physical condition depend on it. No mention of the stink and all the money I can save. So that is my resolution for the next weeks — no more smoking.
OK, there was something else. Well, two something else’s… When I got to the midway point of my hike, I didn’t turn around. I checked beforehand that there is a path going down the slope that could allow me to save an hour of walking and get me close to the town where I am staying. But as I remembered halfway down the mountain, it is illegal to walk in the national park anywhere but on the official trails. I remembered that when I lost the path down and thought I was lost, and I might need to call rescue service. Also in the snow, there were prints of large paws — exactly where I was walking. Either a wolf or a massive dog was there recently, and I wasn’t sure which might be worse to face. But I am very proud of myself that I did find the path back, and got to the exact point I was going to and pre-planned on the map. My tracking and orientation skills are still top-notch.
And that last thing from today — it happened to me again. I experienced something like that before on my walks in the woods. After I got the second wind and walking was easier, I felt the strong and irresistible urge to just keep on walking. To walk deeper into the wilderness. With that thought, I was also extremely calm, almost too sure that nothing bad can happen to me. But those are mountains and it is still winter. I did get back to civilization. For now at least.
