Sunday, July 12, 2015

Adventure Time

While the greater part of my summer has been spent with my new best friend (Netflix), I have also been getting out there and enjoying this beautiful state. Most recently, I hiked my first 14ers and conquered the Incline.

During the first days of July, I was camping with my fabulous aunt and uncle. One of the good (and exhausting) things about them is that they always push me to get off my ass and actually do outdoorsy things. On the first day of camping, we climbed Mt. Sherman (14,035'). Honestly, it was not as bad as I expected. After summiting, a giant storm cloud began to appear. When you're on top of a mountain, you are a huge target for lightning so we hurried down. The top of the mountain was obviously very rocky, so hurrying is a lot more difficult than it sounds. The highlight of the climb came when Kona (their dog) slipped out of her leash and slid down a steep patch of snow. At first she just tried to run, but when her legs couldn't keep yup, she just slid for dear life. She seemed scared, but it was still so freakin' adorable.


The next day, we climbed Quandary Peak. This hike was more difficult, but I think that is just because my legs were a bit sore from the previous day. The trail was much more crowded because it was Friday and Quandary is more popular. There were mountain goats on the side of the trail and cute little mountain rodents running in and out of the rock. The view from the top was even better than Mt. Sherman. As bad as my legs hurt on the way up, the view at the finish line was completely worth it.

This past weekend I had a little impromptu trip to Colorado Springs to spend more time with my aunt and uncle that are (surprisingly) not sick of me yet. On the night that I arrived, we went over to Barr Trail. As my uncle was busy running and training for the Ascent, Ash and I hiked up for 40 minutes (about 2 miles) and then we ran all the way back to the car. It ended in a massive and disgusting blister on my foot, but running down a mountain trail was exhilarating.

The next morning, Ash and I went back to Manitou for my first go at the Incline. Looking at it from the bottom, it doesn't really look like that big of a deal. When I was told that it was only a mile, I figured ~oh it's just a mile that's no big deal at all~. Reality check: it was officially the worst and most difficult mile of my life. I seriously underestimated that baby. It was way harder than it looked. It kicked my ass, but then I kicked it back and made it to the top. The Incline is now added to the list of things I accomplished, but never thought I could.


I've been training for a half marathon, climbing 14ers, conquering the Incline...I really like the new version of me. As much as I sometimes hate any form of physical activity, it has really given me a new found confidence and appreciation. 

Let the adventures continue! But for now, it's back to Dexter. 




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