Right before the first COVID lockdown in 2020, I walked with hiking clubs every Saturday and Sunday. I learn so much about hiking from the avid hikers in our clubs. Started from 3~4 miles easy hikes, I was up to 8 to 10-mile hikes. Then we stopped hiking for almost one year until all of us got vaccinated and feel safe doing group hikes about three months ago.
So, here I go again. I need to start building up my hiking mileages and stamina. But with the extra 15-lbs I gained over the year, my first hike with the group was more challenging than expected. Reminiscing how I felt strong on the hill hikes before, I gradually increased my miles and hill hikes for the last two months. I also decided to subscribe to hiking trails services with navigation to train by myself more. Today, I took on an 8-mile loop with 2400 feet elevation. This loop was the one I did in Feb 2020 with ten people – we had a good time climbing a couple of range peaks.
Usually, I prepare maps, food and water, and any gear for this type of hike a night before. But I just came back from a long driving trip last night and did not have enough sleep. I started my walk one hour later than usual with 500 ml of water. I grabbed a hard copy of the loop from the last hike. When I got to the staging area parking lot, all the parking spots were taken. I had to do some street parking, adding extra yards to the hike. And I realized that I did not have my snack/food in the backpack. Probably I don’t need a snack or food – I should be done with the hike before noon when it gets close to 90 degrees.
The first 2 hours went very smoothly, although it was all uphill.
And after the first peak, I realized that I had drunk more than half the water because of the warm weather compared to the last hike in winter. But after the 2nd peak, it’s all downhill – I should be okay with the water. Then, an unexpected mishap happened. I took a wrong turn and descended 1.5 miles off the course. I had to climb back 1.5 miles with no shade. By then, there were no hikers near me. Suddenly I’m all alone with fatigue and lightheadedness from dehydration. I feared for life. What if I collapsed and nobody notices it for several hours. I had to fight off the fear with hope and imagination. I imagined reaching back to my car and driving off to the nearest coffee shot and gulp ice-cold water. I mustered all might to move my feet one at a time. The image helped me move forward but at a turtle pace. By the time I got to the junction where I made a wrong turn, I had only two sips of water left. The last leg of my hike seemed to be an eternity. Empowered by the image of me finishing this hike, I somehow managed to reach my car and drive off to the nearest coffee shop to get water.
Life’s lesson – Hope and image really work wonders in a crisis. And don’t underestimate the power of preparation. After today’s hike, I’m going back to basics: Preparation is the key to successful hiking. Check the weather to see how hot it can get. Double or triple water supply in case you get lost. Make sure that you have an extra map with you in case you lose it.
Learn to Live 