Am too a Wilderness Girl!

At last we had a free Saturday to go hiking. Will wanted to go to the mountains and make a day of it. I almost didn't go because I'd been gone so much last week and had many Saturday chores plus four pies to bake for the big pinochle group barbecue Sunday. But after going to the funeral of a 52-year-old friend on Friday afternoon and hearing her son talk about how special their last family trip to the beach had been a few weeks earlier, I decided I must get my priorities right and go for it on Saturday. In the future, would I be glad that I missed the opportunity to hike in the mountains with my family because I needed to stay home and be a drudge? Besides that, Will got the laundry started and a few chores done Thursday night while I was out having fun! What a guy!

It was a little drizzly as we approached the trailhead. Knowing that I am somewhat a fair weather outdoor girl, Will suggested I might enjoy going to Hoodoo Lodge with my book, and he and Nick would call me when they were nearly back to the parking lot. I detected an unspoken opinion that perhaps I just wasn't up to this particular hike. Suddenly the 44 degree damp weather really didn't seem that bad, and I was determined to participate. My resolve was soon tested as we practically bushwhacked through the beginning of the trail, which went through a forest that had burned a couple years ago. Many snags blocked the trail and needed to be climbed over or detoured around. The trail got a little better as we went on, but the blackened remains of the trees we passed through were not what I had envisioned for a hike to commune with nature in the wilderness.

Isn't it lovely? Desperately not wanting to whine, in the most pleasant voice I could muster, I asked Will if this was all we were going to see, or would we soon pass through this to an unburned forest. He seemed surprised and disappointed that I did not find this a scenic hike. So I tried to keep my mouth shut and persevered on.

He kept asking me if I recognized the area, because we had cross country skiied there with our friends Jan and Steve Buckley once 22 years ago when it was a lovely forest covered in snow, and he always seemed surprised and disappointed when I had to confess I didn't not recognize anything. (I was about to start lying just to make him feel better.) After we stopped for lunch at this lovely spot, I was freezing. As we prepared to continue on into the blackness, I decided I did not want to go any farther. I apologized for being a fair weather hiker, but told Will I would return to the car and wait there for them. He said something about being sorry he had failed to maintain my wilderness quotient and had allowed me to become citified. He indicated he would not enjoy hiking on because he would be too concerned about me becoming lost. I was confident I knew exactly how to get to the car. Nick offered to accompany me if it would make Will feel better. I couldn't let that happen, so I capitulated. But my hands were freezing. Will had some really nice gloves to wear, and he offered me his extras, a pair of big ugly (although new) work gloves. I graciously declined. Nick offered me some wool socks from his pack. I declined again. Will even offered me his nice gloves. I declined again, stating that once we got going my hands would warm up. Sure enough they did.... much, much later.

We reached the beautiful green forest I had been dreaming of not long after that, and even made it to Lower Burley Lake. Nick and Will had birds eating out of their hands. That was all well and good til one of the birds dived at me as I stood there with the camera. I recognized the birds, and well remembered them eating out of Will and Steve's hands 22 years ago.

Nick demonstrated his water filtering system from his Search and Rescue equipment. He perhaps regretted his decision to carry his full pack, the better to be in shape for SAR callouts.

The return trip was much more enjoyable than the walk in. For some reason, I was able to see the beauty in the contrasts between the green ferns and wildflowers and the blackness of the trees. Also, the surrounding mountains were visible because of the openness. For a long stretch, Mount Washington was visible, with the sun actually shining on it.

So, although Will pretends he regrets letting me come along, and though I feared for awhile that hiking trails would need to be added to the list of things he needs my help selecting (camping sites and chair placement are already on this short list), I am very glad I accompanied my guys on this memory making, 8.4 mile trip.

I may have hinted to Will that I believed that probably no one else would choose to hike in that particular area right now, but as always, I am proved wrong. At 9:45 tonight, Nick got a Search and Rescue callout for a couple of lost hikers. Will seems to think they are in the same area where we were on Saturday. So they have gone down to the Sheriff's Office. I wish them much success.