You May Think I am a Hiker

You may think I am a hiker when you see all of the places I have been, but what you can't see is on a hike last night I was singing Old McDonald Had a Farm with my 4 yr old in fervent gusto. Suddenly out of nowhere a voice behind me says "Can we go past you, please?" I almost jumped off the mountain, it shocked me so much. I turn around to find two guys on bikes with big smiles. I was singing so loud I hadn't heard them at all. Um, imagine my embarrassment as I remember I was yodeling part of that song. Yeah well, I guess you can't blame a Mom who was trying to motivate her son to keep going, can ya?

You also didn't see when I tripped over, um I am not sure there was anything there, and I landed hard on both knees just before the edge of the dropoff. As you can imagine, I almost wet my pants.

And you definitely didn't see me crying when I was too afraid to come down off of the top of Sugar Loaf Peak, because the rocks were so unstable I knew someone was going to die that day. Thankfully they didn't, but it was the longest hike of my life and it wasn't because of length.

But the best was the time I was following my family huffing and puffing my way up to Grandeur Peak and I began hallucinating. Remember the elevation and breathing funny can do strange things to your mind. I saw the Big Bad Wolf as he saw 6 piggies start up the Mountain, he knew it was time for lunch and this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. So the wolf followed them. He began huffing and puffing and knew he would catch them, but those piggies were much faster than him. One piggie looked back and saw the trouble the wolf was having as she was huffing and puffing. The piggie slowed down a little because of his concern. But no matter what the wolf couldn't catch up. She was determined though, so she continued on, imagining them as pork, oh the many ways I love to have pork. Ham, it is good at any time of year, it doesn't have to be a holiday. Bacon, oh yeah, I haven't had that for a while, well unless you count the time it topped my salad and made it the best salad on earth, still I want more. Pork, ham, bacon....... Yes, the wolf would continue on. Huffing and puffing so much, I think the mountain might blow down. But those little piggies just continue on. More piggies are looking back now and instead of running for their lives they slow down and even stop to wait. Oh yes, those foolish piggies, it is time. I will get you. But as I got closer I realized they weren't piggies and they definitely weren't lunch. They were my family. Sigh, no pork for lunch. Oh well! At least this tale kept me entertained as I moved up the mountain huffing and puffing my way to ..... yes somehow I made it to.... the top.

Ok, maybe I am a hiker after all, but I wouldn't say I am the kind you may think of when you think of people hiking all of the time. I am just somebody trying to enjoy God's creations with my loved ones while getting a kick butt workout too. One day, I hope to be the hiker you think of, but for now I still huff and puff my way to the top. But, no matter what, I do get to the top.

What do you do when you go hiking? Maybe I can learn some tips. 8-)