the awesomeness that is sitting

It is days like today that I fully appreciate the act of sitting. I hurt. I went to yoga yesterday after not going in over a month, and now I hurt. My abs and hamstrings have been ripped in half. Though I may ache the good hurt right now, I was feeling limber right after class yesterday and decided I’d do a small hike in Zion. Well, it started as a small hike at least…

I figured I’d head up to Hidden Canyon. I hear it’s great, and I’ve never been. I slugged straight up the Weeping Rock switchbacks for a grueling mile in full sun, and when I got to the turn-off to go to Hidden Canyon, I saw so many people that there was no way I was going in there. I decided I’d continue on the trail to Observation Point instead, but turn around once I got to Echo Canyon. It’d be a nice resting spot, and a good turn-around for a quick (albeit steep and ass-kicking) hike. But when I arrived at Echo Canyon, I found a group of Europeans hogging the place. So I kept going for a while… and a while more… and a little more after that. And well, by the time I was ready to turn around, I figured I might as well go all the way to the top… to Observation Point. I’m not quite sure why I decided this… I wasn’t even half-way up, but well, I did it. I didn’t have nearly enough energy to make the hike at all enjoyable on the way up, but as the clouds started to roll over, the wind picked up, and after eating some of my Clif Bar, it got a little easier… still slow, but easier. I got to the top, and finally, four and something hours later, back to the trailhead where I basked in the awesomeness that is sitting.

Grueling and exhausting as it was, some good came from my ridiculously active day. 1. I was so stretched out from yoga that I’m not sore from the hike at all, only from those ab-busting and hamstring-ripping yoga poses. This made it possible to be at least semi-functional (though still lazy) today. 2. It was incredibly refreshing to do a stormy-weather hike, even if it never rained on me (though I did feel an occasional drop). And 3. I added another eight miles to my YTD hike mileage when I only planned on adding about three.

For those who don’t know, my goal is to hike at least 300 miles this year and bag peaks in at least five different mountain ranges. I’m currently at 79 miles (not too shabby for only two months of hiking) and zero peaks (but I got tentative plans to do the first next weekend in the Pine Valley Mountains). Having goals like this is a good excuse to make sure I get out. I hope to actually do a lot more miles and peaks than the goal requires, but I wanted a reasonable goal that I can actually attain, without being too easy (hence the five different ranges, not simply five peaks).

Anyway, here are some photos from yesterday’s eight-mile addition…