Back in the other, neglected saddle
Hey! This isn’t a stock image, for once!
Took my dog to my old hiking spot today. This particular trail was one of the less frequented service roads about a few blocks away from the main trailhead. Unlike that trail, this one immediately puts you on a dirt path. And unlike the main trail, this one is also not maintained — probably because it’s not meant for the public.
But mountain bikers like to ride to this road and we weren’t the only one around. So, monkey see, monkey do.
It was hot for a January, but not unbearable. The service road was unshaded and a wreck. It was made even worse by erosion from the rains earlier this month.
Though it wasn’t that hot, walking down this path took a lot of effort. My dog and I were still breathing a little heavier though and we inhaled dust that dried us out faster than the sun was.
I was a little upset as I was used to these kinds of conditions. But I wasn’t surprised — I hadn’t been seriously hiking since October. I had gained 20 pounds since then and I didn’t do much to try and maintain my level of fitness. Today is my attempt at course correction. Finally.
To be fair to myself, it was easy to go on hikes every other day when I was unemployed. All I did was wake up, have coffee, and drove to the trail. I spent close to 6 hours every other day up in those mountains. I built my entire routine around being jobless. It took me a while to adjust after I landed a job.
How I coped with this change without going insane or losing hope is something I plan to uncover. I think this is half the reason I am writing this blog.
There is this nice footpath half a mile from south of the path (from the bottom-left corner of my picture). It was manmade in the sense that countless mountain bikers had tore through the vegetation, forcing nature to give some leeway. We made it there after a couple of water breaks.
It was an uphill climb. It wasn’t steep, but it totally winded me. My dog, who is about 11 years old now, was too. I think we only climbed up a third of the way. My intent was to reach the top of this small hill, but I couldn’t do it.
Technically, I could have forced myself, but that comes with its own downsides. Yes, I would have achieved my goal, but I would have been miserable. This is the kind of negative experience that will end up discouraging me from trying again.
So, today wasn’t a complete bust. I don’t even think it was bad at all. Heck, I feel good about myself, anyway.
