Back to the Mountains

Thursday it was two weeks since I had been in the mountains, and two weeks since I had done any rigorous exercise. It would be an understatement to say that I have been feeling a little crazy at times.

The relaxing and getting stuff done around the house has been great, but I always do best when I have balance in my life. If I do too much of one thing, I start to feel, well, icky. I guess that's the only way I can describe it. Maybe irritable is a better word.

Saturday Brian was doing the Up and Over Challenge. The mountain bike race that starts at South Bivoac in FNBP and goes up to the Powerline Trail, back to the end of the valley, up and over the pass, and then down the steep backside to Indian.



I volunteered to shuttle him because I just needed to get out and my toe was feeling good enough to do a significant walk on it. I watched the start of the race at the trailhead and then drove up to Glen Alps to do an easy hike with Niko. The Powerline Trail is like a big wide road for the first few miles from Glen Alps so I figured it wouldn't put too much stress on my foot.



Niko and I hiked slowly down the trail while taking pictures of the racers coming by. It was so great to be back out in the mountains, even though I couldn't climb any of them. On Tuesday I stopped wearing the big black boot and started wearing this lovely surgical shoe. Despite its appearance it does allow me to move around a lot better. Walking is actually pretty easy right now.






I walked for about a mile and a half before I turned around. The end of the valley drew me in and I had the urge to take off running up to the pass. But I couldn't. Well that's not true. I probably could run just fine right now with very little pain, but I have to choose not to so that my tendon can heal properly. I thought three miles of walking was a good distance for now.

But summer is still going on here in Anchorage, so I'm hoping in a few weeks when I'm really able to hike, that it's still sunny. Actually I don't really care what the weather is like, I just can't wait to get back out into the mountains for some hiking before the snow comes.