There is one peak in Colorado Springs called Blodgett. I have hiked it three times and still have yet to make it to the top! The first time we made it to a ridge right underneath the peak and sat down for a minute before we had to head back down to make it back in time for an event. The second time we made it to the trail head and decided to turn around because of the thunder and lightening. This last time I hiked it by myself and I made it almost to the top and a snow storm rolled in and I could not see very well. So I decided to turn around. One day I will conquer Blodgett! But, I am waiting for spring, less snow, friends, and my foot to heal. While hiking I had a lot of time to think and here are some life lessons I learned while hiking by myself.
1. Follow the trail if you don't want to find a new one. As a note, I have never done this trail by myself. The past 2 times I have done it with one of my guy friends who knows where to go and I usually follow his lead. This time I was by myself. When I made it to the trail head there were different colored ribbons on trees. I recall him mentioning a yellow trail and a pink trail. Not knowing which to take I started off with pink. Eventually it turned to yellow with random orange ribbons in there as well. By the end of the hike I was forging my own trail and blazing through the woods! It was fun! I followed the paths but had more fun scrambling on the rocks. God gives us choices in life. Some are plainly marked, some are a scramble and some have different colored ribbons and you get confused but He is always there through each trail.2. Always have your phone in case you get hurt. I love unplugging. I love to be able to get unconnected and turn my phone off or leave it somewhere and not worry about it. I love doing it on hikes because it gives me a chance to explore without the feeling I need to take pictures and document the whole thing or be interrupted or distracted by texts. Putting that aside, it is sometimes better to be safe. I am glad I had my cell phone with me on that hike. It was a bit scary coming down in the snow. Sometimes we think we can do things ourselves and that we don't want to have to depend on others, but that is okay.
3. Make your mark, or leave part of yourself behind. I left a few skin cells on the trail that day. Closer to the top there is a lot of gravel and on the way down the best way to get down is to sit and squat. I used my hands to push and guide myself but I mostly skidded and slipped down the side. I caused a few rock slides on the way down. Let's say the side of that mountain looked a bit different once I was done with it. Blodgett gave me something too...a ton of her gravel. My shoes were full by the end of it. It made me laugh. My socks that I wore that day are forever stained a light brown. When we go through life we may our mark on others. We leave a legacy behind. We are also shaped by the people we surround ourselves with. So, choose carefully.
4. Encourage yourself. I like to talk to myself. I reprimand and scold. I laugh at myself (very often) When I snowboard I sometimes make sound affects. We have the ability to tear ourselves down or build ourselves up. On the hike up I found my self saying things like, "Come on Kaitlin! You are almost there! Don't think you are giving up on this one. It's ok to take a rest. You can do it! You call yourself an athlete?!" And on and on. I can push myself. I am pretty stubborn as well and do not give up easily. Words are so powerful. I can say one comment and feel great or feel like the worst person ever. It takes a lot to speak encouragement to yourself. I can encourage any one else! I love doing that! But encouraging muyself, that is more difficult. We are our hardest critics and sometimes we need to give ourselves a little slack.5. Take people with you. I love people. I love being with people but sometimes I forget to take time for myself to just relax and think. There are time I like to disappear into the woods by myself and there is a time for that, but only so much. When you separate yourself too much from a community it can be unhealthy. We need each other, even when we are too stubborn to admit it. We need others to lift us up, remind us who we are, encourage and convict us.
6. Be aware of surroundings and future. On this particular day it was beautiful when I started out! The sun was shining and I was in a t-shirt and shorts by the time I hit the trail head. I knew it was going to snow the next day so, for me, this was my last chance to hike for a while. I failed to check the weather for the afternoon and did not know that the snow storm was going to come earlier than I expected. As I hiked closer to the summit the clouds got darker. By the time I was almost at the top I could not see it anymore. The clouds had gotten lower and the temperature dropped significantly! I wish I would have known it was going to snow then I would have started sooner and made it before it started to snow.
7. Be smart not stubborn. I am a very stubborn person. Ask any of my friends. I do not give up easily. When I was close to the summit and almost succeeded in reaching it I was hesitant to give up and head down because I was so close! But, I knew it would not be smart of me to try and keep going when the weather was getting worse. I wouldn't even be able to see from the top anyways. So I decided to be smart and not keep climbing for my own safety.
I had a lot of fun hiking that day. I was determined to make it to the top but the weather had other plans for me. Sometimes things do not work out the way you plan them. So here is to next time Blodgett! I will make it and will bring people to share it with!
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