Six years ago today, I hiked from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon down to Havasupai Gardens and back in a single day. It felt pretty badass to descend 3,000 feet along a 4.8-mile trail, then scramble back up the same route before nightfall. My father was my hiking partner, and together we accomplished a lifelong dream of mine: hiking the Bright Angel Trail. We had hoped to reach River Rest House, but we underestimated how many calories our large bodies would need for the whole trek, so we turned back a little early.
Since then, I haven’t taken on anything nearly as physically demanding. I miss it deeply, but I don’t know how to start again from where I am. I’m nervous about going out to the Cajas alone, since it’s common for people to get lost there. My body aches, and I’m scared of the hard work it will take to get back into hiking shape. Without a big goal hike on the calendar, I can’t find the motivation to lift weights or log miles on a treadmill. I just feel stuck.
A lot has happened in these six years. I lived in four different states, then moved overseas. I started over and changed jobs five times. Some people would call those hard things, and they were. But they aren’t the same as the physical labor I once put into preparing for big hikes in the Appalachians and, finally, the Grand Canyon, or the emotional payoff of reaching the goal.
So if anyone wants to hike the Cajas National Park with me, hit me up. I need to get moving again. Even better, if someone is planning a once-in-a-lifetime hike and wants company, I would be thrilled to join. I need a new challenge to get my formerly badass self back in gear and in hiking shape.
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