Blueberry trail to Straightback

The Silent People

Reality sucks on those days when the fact that your life is screwed and going nowhere is blatantly proven for the hundredth time.  To be slapped with yet more reminders that literally everything big in your life is a dead end.  
But hiking trails are not.  Nature therapy is always there for you.  Maybe you can't go anywhere else, but you can at least go hiking.

In the grand scheme of things, it's probably pointless too.  But most things are.  (And yet I'll still spend half an afternoon writing a blog entry.)  Maybe hiking doesn't matter to anyone else or the world at large, and for sure even the best "leave no trace" hikers still create an impact on nature, so maybe it's not even the best thing for Mother Earth.  But it feels good.  It supports our health and well being on every level.  And it connects us to Nature, so in that awareness perhaps we try to do better by her.

Hiking is an important escape for so many people.  We do it for exercise.  We do it for the social aspect, if we hike with companions; or for peace & solitude if we hike alone.  We do it for the fresh air & trees & rocks & wildlife.  We do it for a change of pace from other parts of our lives.  We do it to feel like we accomplished something.  Sometimes, it's the only thing. 

I definitely needed this today.  

Straightback is my first "real" hikey hike of the year with more than a couple miles to it and relatively significant elevation gain.  Just enough of a challenge that my still out of hiking-shape body feels it, but nothing too painful or stressful.  And this route always rewards with several lovely viewpoints.  I wish I could have kept hiking all day… Well, except on some of those uphills; then I was quite happy to set a limit on how much we did.  LOL

It was a popular day for hiking too.  On a typically empty trail, we met or passed several other people over the course of the day.  There was a father-son duo who started out when we did, seemingly new to the area, and aiming to loop around to Mt. Major.  There was a family with a toddler having lunch as we descended, and a few random other passersby.  And one unique site; a guy hiking up with skies strapped to his pack, hoping to find conditions conducive to using them.  If he stuck to the icy trails we took (which was his original plan) I doubt he had much luck.  Hopefully he found an alternative that worked for him.

Although the sun waited to come out until literally ten minutes after we finished our hike, the weather was still very nice.  It was so warm as we ascended (elevation gain always heats you up) that Hummingbird actually ended up delayering to her tank top, and I incredibly hiked without gloves for more than half the trail!  My hands have serious circulation issues - I joke that they'll feel like ice if there's a cool breeze in June, which is not much of a joke, because it's practically true - so me doing any kind of winter hike well below 50 degrees where my hands actually get hot is pretty crazy.

As usual, there was our standard girl talk along the way.  Actually something I enjoy about our hikes, as I don't really get a lot of that elsewhere in my life.  The current hormonal food cravings of course came up, and subsequent discussion of other goodies that we've baked or had or seen, which honestly turns into a vicious circle where you end up wanting to just eat ALL of that junk when you get home.  So much for burning calories hiking!  LOL

I must confess, there was also entertaining conversation about being middle-aged, and seeing attractive people who are probably 20-something - sometimes just barely - and then feeling a bit guilty about thinking, "Daaammn!" LOL  I joked that I should have gotten into this when I was younger (and single, obviously), what with some of the cute guys on trail. 😉  This of course was spurred by the hopeful ski guy, who was possibly close to half my age, but hey, regardless of our age or relationship status, we can all still acknowledge if someone is pretty damn cute.  I think I've decided to dub said guy "Hiker McHottie."  Or maybe "Skier McSexy?"  Oh I don't know, I never even watched that show!  🤣

Does the future feel less hopeless after a hike?  I can't honestly say it totally does, because reality did not magically change over the course of a few hours.  But it was a productive, stress relieving escape, where one can find presence, and maybe a bit of acceptance.  Or, if not acceptance, perhaps just enough stubbornness to keep trying to push forward regardless of the f*cking endless roadblocks.

Do you see the heart in the clouds?

Hike 6. 2/21 Blueberry trail to Straightback, 5.4 mi, 2:40 hrs, 1191 ft.