I'm my Father

When I was growing up, I used to roll my eyes when my father would plan his hiking trips. He would meticulously plan and lay everything out- from his maps, to his gear, to his food, to his hydration. He would take me along but I never appreciated it as much as him and would end up complaining most of the way.

Today, I spent the entire afternoon planning for a hike of my own. Since Fridays are Maximus' only full day in school, I have the time to spend hiking alone. And it's something I want to do! This Friday I'm going on a hike that will take me between 5 and 6 hours and I'm going to a couple of falls that are located between the 2 mountains we see from all our windows in our home. I mean, we are fortunate to live on the Gore Range in the Rocky Mountains...I'd be stupid NOT to do this. It's also an emotional weekend for me- the marathon I trained so hard for is Sunday and I can't run it. Most people reading this are like, "shut up, be happy you're pregnant and quit being selfish" unless they have trained for something themselves. When I found out I could no longer train, my dad called me and truly understood how I felt. He's run several himself. Being told I couldn't run was more depressing than I expected. Jesse didn't even know how much of an impact it would be. And it took me months to accept it. I made this little hike a goal to do while I was pregnant and around the time of the marathon, just to prove something to myself. I have to have a goal to work toward. I feel like I'm just going through life unless I'm working for a personal goal.

Today I drove to a few trail heads, researched maps and talked to the Dillon Ranger Station about my plans. I've spoken to a few experienced hikers who are my friends as well. My plan is to drop Maximus off at school Friday morning, drive to the Willow Creek trail head and head up the mountain. I will of course, carry my phone, a camera, first aid, food, water, flashlight, rain gear, matches, ID, my glucose shot, maps and a gun for protection. I decided to bring my dog because I know she would enjoy it. I am SO excited for this. It took me 30 years, but I truly understand and appreciate my father's ways. Thanks dad.