Going Forward on Snow Shoes

I bought snow shoes on sale at LL Bean and tested them out at the golf course after the last storm.  I joined the Adirondack Mountain Club and went to the orientation meeting, monthly meeting and signed up for two hikes.  I was ready to push my body and mind past my comfort zone and was willing to put myself out there with strangers, no less.

The first Adirondack Club hike I participated in was on Palmertown Ridge in Moreau State Park on Friday.  At the start I was worried about my ability to keep up with this serious group of senior hikers with a peppy, kind leader named Virginia.  But once we started, I fit right in and was able to maintain the pace without difficulty.  The first thing I figured out was if you were going to hike along a ridge, you probably were going to climb up a mountain to get to it. Why that hadn't entered my mind prior to panting my way up the steep incline, I'll never know.  But up I went putting one foot in front of the other until we finally crested the top.  It was worth the work.  The views were beautiful.

 I had a camera tucked into my pocket and had ample time to pop it out and take pictures along the way.  After hiking our way along the ridge,we started to wind our way back down, but not before glimpsing the magnificent views of the Hudson River.

The hike was a total of five miles long with wet heavy snow underfoot.  Five miles was the longest I had ever hiked in snow shoes and going up mountain in them was also a first for me.  I didn't fall, I wasn't last and I was able to easily keep up with the group.  It was a great first hike for me.  At the end, I was full of exercise induced endorphins and grinning ear to ear, basking in the "I fucking did it" moment.  A celebratory Chai Latte at Dunkin' Donuts was the perfect ending to a great day.

On Sunday I participated in my second hike, eight miles long and also on snow shoes.  This time I was joining a group hiking in the Siamese Pond area outside of Warrensburg.  It was bitter cold, windy and the snow was white, fluffy and plentiful.  Once we were in the woods, the wind wasn't so bad.  My luck would only hold out so long and I  face planted in the snow after getting my snow shoes crossed. I didn't dwell on it long because we started up the side of 11th Mountain and I was too busy sucking in air and focusing on putting one foot in front of the other to care about my lack of grace.  My joy at hitting the crest and meandering down the long backside of the mountain was only tempered by the thought that I would have to hike back up it later in the day.  It was about than that I fell for a second time, sliding down a steep section on my butt. No one saw me this time, but if they had, they might have laughed along with me.  I was having fun.

The overall age of this group was much younger, the pace faster and we were lead by a dynamic, mighty and encouraging woman named Marie, who was almost as small as me.  By the time we got to the Lean To for refueling, rest and to turn around, I was starting to worry over my fitness level.  But after some hot soup from my thermos, I was ready to get going.  The temp was dropping, the wind was picking up and I was cold.  The group leader gave me some hand warmers and five minutes after starting back out, I was fine and enjoying all that nature had to offer.  There were snow tracks of critters, beaver damage, and the impressive groan of the trees in the wind to focus on as we made our way back along the trail.  Fatigue was setting in just as we hit the base of the mountain.  All we had to do was go up and cruise down the other side to complete the trek.  I struggled up the mountain, nose dripping and panting, but I got up it, wasn't last and was able to keep up.  The decline down was awesome and I was so excited to finish.  I was cold, tired and had to pee.   The very thought of baring my ass, squatting down and peeing in the woods on snow shoes in the frigid cold held no appeal for me.  Peeing on my equipment or falling in my urine held even less.  I could and would wait.

I was thrilled to have completed my second hike with the club.  I really enjoyed both the leader and the other hikers.  They were interesting, talkative and supportive of me in my newness to hiking, at one point everyone helping me with the bindings on my snow shoes when my fingers were too cold to work.   This time I celebrated by using the bathroom at McDonald's and a cup of hot chocolate.  The goofy smile seen in the picture to the left was a product of joy, pride and another awesome endorphin rush.  I did it.  I loved and hated it and can't wait to do it again.

"We are now in the mountains and they are in us..."  
John Muir