So, if you know me, you know I am not really that outdoorsy. Yes, I love being outside. But I don't like camping. I don't like being dirty. I don't like sleeping on the hard ground where bugs can crawl on me and where I have to pee out in the bushes. So, what was I doing driving 6.5 hours to camp in the freezing cold and then hike 11 miles the next day?? I seriously don't know.
But there I was, driving south after a long week of work. I was grumpy. I was tired from staying up to 1:30 the night before (don't ask me what I was doing - because I still couldn't tell you) and I had barely eaten the whole day. Tired and hungry does not equal happy Natalie.
So anyway, after about the longest drive of my life, we reached our camping spot at 2 am. And of course, I had to pee. Oh wait, there were no facilities. That meant that I hiked into the wilderness in the cover of darkness and dropped my pants. It's a good thing i didn't know this before hand, but there were hundreds of these creepy crawlers all over.
Do you see why I don't like camping???Anyway, my sleep my crappy but I actually woke up excited to hike.
Here are some fabulous pictures from the hike (all of from my friend Brady who has a fabulous camera):
The group:
My very favorite picture of the trip:
Now, at the end of the hike, I was told there was a narly hike out of the canyon. What people didn't tell me is that this "narly" hike consisted of scaling a HUGE wall without any gear. Yes, I almost had a panic attack when I started slipping down the wall. Luckily, my friend Steve was right behind me and he literally grabbed my butt and shoved me up the wall. Normally, I would assume he was just trying to cop-a-feel, but then I realized if I slid down the wall I would have taken him out. So, I guess his intentions were good.
What? You don't believe me when I tell you that this wall was more than intimidating.
Did you just throw up like I just did looking at these pictures? Oh, you did?! Awesome. Now you know how I feel.Ok, so I make it to the top of this hell wall and think that the hike was done. Nope. I was wrong. The hike really was just beginning. After the 9 miles that I just hiked, it was all cake compared to what i was about to do. Hiking up hill and then in sand was not my idea of how to end an 11 mile hike. I thought I was about to die. And then I realized, I just hit my workout quota for 2008. And I smiled and realized that it was all worth it.
7 comments:
You are so funny Nat! That hike looks incredible - holy wall at the end, I agree - that looks tough, but super fun. Those jumping pictures were amazing! Where exactly was this place?
I have failed as a father. All those years camping as a child never taught you to love it? That climb at the end looked like the best part. I loved doing those types of climbs when I was a kid, but I guess that never wore off on you.
jumping pictures are fantastic!!! welcome to the club.
Looks like hell, but fun. I love climbing unsafe cliffs. And I love the desert. I'm jealous.
Wow! What a woman.
Now I have got to go catch up on your sleep.
It's a good thing there are pictures to prove this adventure... otherwise I might not believe you hiked 11 miles! And slept on the ground... I'm very proud! :)
So, I love camping and love hiking, but have I ever mentioned to you how much I loath black crickets? They are the nastiest little creatures ever, and I shuttered just when I saw that picture of one! I couldn't have ever peed in the wilderness with that thing around! You amaze me. The hiking and especially the jumping shots were awesome. Looks like alot of fun!
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