A Lesson In Hiking

SoulSlam likes to hike in the outdoors sometimes. It's nice to be outside, especially in the warm weather months. I will confess, I am a novice hiker I guess. I just hit the local trails sometimes.

So last Thursday, I decided to hike. It was a cardio day and I didn't really feel like being inside at the gym. So after work I headed to the High Mountain Preserve which is coincidentally near my gym. The goal was to hike the red to yellow to red (which I had never done.

So some particulars: it was about 87 degrees this night, and I started out about 6:15pm. I generally wear a homemade rucksack that is home to duct-taped bricks for additional weight (all the better to burn calories). For this hike I decided to err on the side of caution and remove two bricks and hike with only a couple, so I'm guessing I was wearing about 12-15 lbs. I also brought along two bottles of water. Away I go.

Red trail is pretty flat and easy, takes about a half mile I guess to cross yellow trail, which ascends to "summit". Now never hiking here, and only having small trail map, was probably my first mistake. Using the MapMyWalk app, I clocked the first mile at about 22 minutes. Better part of valor and I would have turned around since my goal was to hike for an hour. But noooooooo....

Anyway, I found the summit. It was a pretty steep, very rocky trail up to a meadow. Nice up there. But it's after 7:00pm so I gotta go. Well the backside of yellow was marked not so well IMO. I lost trail a couple of times and had to backtrack. Each time ramping up the panic in my head as I figured that darkness was getting closer and closer. Had to find red trail to get back...which became a problem when that became elusive. Told myself "don't panic" a couple of times, as well as "you're effed!".

At about 7:25pm I got my bearings and trails correct...but under the canopy of trees it's now pretty dark in the woods. Now High Mountain is a pretty rocky, ankle flipping place. So walking in dark takes patience and careful execution. the iPhone flashlight was a lifesaver here. Anyway with red trail located it was just a long walk out (about 2.5mi I assume). Problem now became cramping in the calves. Ouch! Last mile was pretty exciting. Walking like one of the soldiers in the March of the Wooden Soldiers...

So at about 8:20pm I emerged from the woods to the parking lot. A little shaky no doubt. Absolutely drenched. My goal of burning calories aided by the 6.5mi hike, 15 lbs on my back and sheer panic of being lost in woods. Drove home, showered, waddled around on creaky wheels the rest of the evening.

Lesson: HIKE IN THE DAYLIGHT STUPID.