We did a ten mile mountain hike recently, picking a trial that was marked "strenuous". In the past, we had only done easy to moderate but that Sunday morning, we felt ready for something harder. It was an experience to learn from and remember. We got off to an easy start and went downhill for a long time and came to the point where a number of creeks mixed and merged with each other forming cascades along the way. It was still a bright sunny day, the colors of fall while not as spectacular as it has been in years past, were still beautiful. The hikers we met along the way were mostly young people including students presumably from the nearby college. We met a friendly dog or two in the early part of the hike.
But once we were done fording the creeks, and crossed over to the other side, ready to begin the ascent to the way back, the hike got significantly harder. This was the part that made the label "strenuous" fit. By then we were running low on water, did not have a much by way of snacks and easy was well behind us. The scenery turned more and more spectacular as it to compensate for the arduousness of the path to get there. We had grossly underestimated the degree of difficulty of the hike and also how long it would take us to complete it. On an easier trial like the ones we typically do, this would take is maybe three hours. Today it was closer to five. The last mile was the hardest. The sun has set, there was not much to see anymore. Our phones had run out of battery and there was no food or water. A tiny crescent moon popped up in the sky and it was such relief to see headlights of cars driving in the distance.
Starting strong because the going is easy, not understanding fully what is to come and how to prepare for it, feeling burnt out when the finish line seems to be at an undefined place are all lessons from this hike that transfer to life itself. The body definitely learned some lessons in those five hours and my hope is that I will be able to translate them to the flow of life as well.
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