Success or Failure...

 The weather was beautiful this past weekend, but after all of the rain we had the trails were too muddy to go hiking. Unfortunately it looks like the same will happen this coming weekend. The weather is bright and sunny through Friday, then an 80% chance of heavy rain on Saturday. If this keeps up I'll need to start going to the gym well before summer.

My daily workouts that I had been doing  (yoga, Wim Hoff breathing and stair stepper) have been off track since mid-November. Knee pain and sometimes a lack of motivation had lead me to stop the breathing exercises, only doing yoga maybe 3-4 times a week and cutting way back on the stepper. Since I had the yoga routine memorized I just did it on my own without the video. I had started to rush through it a bit and knew I needed to pace myself. I wasn't too concerned about skipping the breathing exercises as I do meditative breathing exercises throughout the day. So on Sunday I put on the yoga video and really enjoyed the slower pace that the teacher takes, I did the Wim Hoff breathing video and was so surprised that I was able to complete all three series without any difficulty ( I guess meditation does help). I then hopped on the stair stepper and completed 200/400 steps without any knee pain! I was feeling pretty good and my confidence got the boost I needed. 

I do continue to doubt myself and wonder if my goals of Machu Picchu and EBC are just too big. I read about people much younger than I am and how they have struggled on these treks. I still just don't see myself as "old". I definitely am not ready to sit down with one foot in the grave. So I will keep on this journey with the plan to succeed. I really want to succeed! 

Thankful for rain, but not the muddy trails.

 It's been a cool rainy week. I'm not going to complain about the rain because we really need it, but it means that the trails will be too muddy to hike this weekend. It will give me a chance to do some major house cleaning before things get busy again. My knees have been a bit achy this week too. I'm not sure if it is the weather or that I forgot to wear my knee brace on Sunday's hike. I did the usual 2.25 miles at Mother Neff State Park. It was a cold hike (38f) but enjoyable. I have yet to grow tired of the hikes there as each season brings new things to see and it really changes the landscape. Back in the Spring there were so many wildflowers that painted the park a a vast array of color. Even on overcast days it was cheerful. Needless to say I did not go there over the summer ( I might attempt a few this year) but the Autumn brought a new palette of color. The bare trees and gray landscape of winter brings a quiet eeriness to the park. The outline of bare tree branches, dried seed heads from the thistles that were purple back in the Autumn. the dried leaves blowing on the ground and the dried grasses rustling in the breeze has it's own unique beauty. Winter has it's own attraction even in our snowless landscape. Spring only seems just around the corner here now. The first Spring flowers are usually blooming before the month of March has ended. 

I have spent my downtime at work this week exploring trails (online) in New Mexico and Colorado for my vacations this year. Cloudcroft is super easy as there are so many trails in the Lincoln Forest. Since I have also hiked in the area before I am somewhat familiar with the ones I would like to tackle. I have about decided that my Autumn trip will be focused on the Colorado Springs area for 3- 4 days of hiking. I am interested in some trails that will push me to higher altitudes but not require additional skills other than trekking. I do not want to be climbing over rocks or steep drop-offs. I will think I have found the perfect trail, but when I read the reviews I discover faults with them that make me nervous when hiking solo. The area seems to be lacking in reliable trail markings. I don't get too worried when I wonder off trail in a State Park, but in the wilderness..... I just feel it could be a bit risky. I am considering the Manitou Incline, but over 2000 stair steps??? What will that do to my knees? But I feel like it would be good to attempt it before I go and book a tour to Machu Picchu. They estimate the four day Machu Picchu trek has over 10,000 steps (not all going up, but the downs can be just as bad). I know to use hiking poles and from experience they really do help a lot. The steps at the Manitou Incline are only supposed to be hiked going up and then you hike back down a trail. I have heard though that some people do come back down the steps. I can guarantee I will not be one of them. Just thinking of it makes my head spin. It is a nice trail for the return down and it can be accessed at several points on the way up if one feels the need to discontinue the climb upwards. I probably won't make a decision to do it until I am there and see how I feel. 

                                                              The Manitou Incline

So the weekend ahead will be Yoga and Stair stepper. I'll miss my hike on Sunday. 

I love to go a wandering...

 There was a song we learned to sing when I was in elementary school, the verse was, "I love to go a wandering across the mountain paths. And as I go I love to sing a knap sack on my back." Well I do love to go a wandering on trails but sometimes my mind really goes off wandering. Some days at work I get all caught up and I go "researching" online for ideas for hiking. I look into what could be close at hand that I can do as a day trip, and then what trails are near the destinations I have planned in the next year. I also look into my options for EBC and Machu Picchu. 

I'm hoping by mid- February to start venturing out further afield than Mother Neff state park as I will have more free time on Sundays. I would like to get back to Colorado Bend State park and hike the trail to Gorman Falls. I have seen a few postings lately too of some nice trails at Inks Lake State park. It is about the same distance as Colorado Bend. A bit closer to home is Meridian State Park, but I need to research the trails a bit more as it might not be any more challenging than Mother Neff. 

My Spring vacation will hopefully be to Cloudcroft NM. I know several trails there already as we used to vacation there when the kids were in High School. It's been about eight years though since I have been. I do want to explore some new trails and I am looking into a couple of GPS apps that will hopefully keep me from wandering off and getting lost. The trails aren't busy in the Spring and I am looking at a few that are not as popular. I have in recent months been using the app All Trails free version for research. But I am looking into Gaia GPS trekking app as it is better at tracking when there is not cell service. 

My wandering mind has me re-thinking the route for EBC. I had been planning on doing the traditional EBC trek and then if I felt strong enough I would add on the 3 extra days to got to Goyko Lake. But the more I see pictures of Goyko and the views from there of Everest along with three more 8000 metre peaks, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu, I think I might want to switch it up and go to Goyko first and then if I feel strong enough head on up to Everest base camp. The whole purpose of the trip is to see Everest. You can't see Everest at base camp, you see it on the way up (at a distance) or at Gorak Shep (last village before base camp) you hike to the top of Kala Pathar.  The trail up to Goyko is much quieter and less traveled and is said to be stunning once there. I know it would be cool to be able to say I made it to EBC. But is that just my ego needing to be fed? I need to do some additional research before I decide. 

Well the weekend is nearly here. It's forecast to be cold - highs in the 40's (f) with a good breeze blowing. I am hoping the winds calm down a bit Sunday morning so I can get my hike in. I know that next weekend the trails are going to be too muddy as we have rain in the forecast every day from Monday to Friday. 

Oh and the chorus to the song - "Val da ri, Val da ra, Val da ri, Val da ra  ha, ha, ha , Val da ri, Val da ra, a knap sack on my back".  I'll be singing this all day now as it is stuck in my head.

 The Happy Wanderer - You tube

At least it's not 105f

 It was a cold weekend here. It was in the teens all day yesterday and is currently just now 20f. An artic front came in on Saturday evening and the temperatures dropped below freezing not long after and have stayed there. Since I knew it would be in the low twenties Sunday morning I went Saturday morning to Mother Neff Park while it was in the upper thirties. I did about the same route I took last weekend with just one change that didn't really affect the distance. I did two miles in about 50 minutes. I enjoyed the hike as the weather was perfect. The cold weather we had on it's own would not normally keep me off the trails, but the wind was blowing  and the danger of falling tree limbs makes me a bit nervous. 

I used my phone to track my distance on the hike, I think I would prefer to get a pedometer but I haven't found one I really like yet. I was looking back at my "steps" history that it recorded and noticed that on December 29th the day I hiked Lost Maples I did 19,289 steps so that was probably around 8 miles that day between the hike at Lost Maples and in Kerrville. That was a big boost to my confidence that I think I am on track to go to Machu Picchu next year. I know I need to do a few consecutive days of eight mile hikes to really be prepared. I am one step closer though.

I will have to make my final decision about Machu Picchu about this time next year. The Inca Trail in September books out at least six months in advance. I am looking at several trekking companies to get the best option. One of the ones I was looking at only does online bookings for 2 or more people. I will contact them via email to see if solo is an option. If they do not, I know that G Adventures does offer single bookings. I am looking at companies that also offer Rainbow Mountain day trips and Cusco and Sacred Valley tours so I can do those for acclimatization prior to starting the four day Inca trail. 

I like having goals that I can achieve sooner than EBC in 2026. It just  feels more attainable. For now though I just need to focus on the goals that are closer. This year - weekend hikes, Cloudcroft N.M. and Colorado. Exciting times!

Winter finally

 We are finally going to get our first bit of really cold weather this winter. The first blast arrives overnight tomorrow and the second artic blast of really cold weather arrives on Sunday. We are not expecting any freezing precipitation, but it hasn't been completely ruled out. The temperature by Monday morning is forecast to be in the mid-teens. I am excited! Monday is a holiday so I think a cozy blanket, Netflix, hot chocolate and popcorn will be the calling of the day.

This past weekend was cool and sunny. I made it to Mother Neff Park Sunday morning and hiked several trails so I could get at least two miles completed.  It was a really nice morning and myself and my furry companion enjoyed the hike. For the first time in the past year there was water flowing through the stream there. I was intrigued by the sound of the water and quite surprised to see a nice little flow over the rocks and down to the wash pond.  I also went into the visitors center for the first time to get my Senior Pass since I celebrated my sixty-fifth birthday. This entitles me to half price admissions to Texas State Parks. That's one perk to getting old!

I am hoping this weekend to go back to Mother Neff to get a good hike in, but I am having to keep an eye on the timing of the cold fronts and high winds. Saturday might be my best bet, but I do prefer a Sunday morning hike. 

On the workout front - Yoga is back to being a daily ritual Monday thru Friday, The stair stepper has been hit and miss as I have had a bit of knee pain and do not want to irritate further. The knee brace is back on today so I am hoping that things will improve soon. 

I didn't take but the one picture on my hike this past weekend as the winter landscape is a bit gray. This photo though was taken along the Prairie trail and is so typical of a Texas scene. Yuccas, Prickly Pear Cactus and a barbed-wire fence.

Is it just a number?

 This past Saturday was my 65th birthday. I didn't really celebrate on the day, but I did treat myself to a few days away returning home on Saturday afternoon. I was really excited about the trip when I booked it the week before. The two State Parks I was going to visit can get very crowded so they require pre-booking day passes. I booked them and two nights hotel in Kerrville Tx. a really nice hill country town that I just love. But as my departure date got closer I started to have a few doubts about the hikes I was planning and also just traveling alone as it has been quite a few years since I had done so. But the day of departure arrived and the weather was perfect and I was a bit excited once again, so off I went. 

I choose to take the back roads, which isn't much further of a drive, but avoids traffic and is much more scenic. When I arrived at Enchanted Rock it was starting to get busy, but was still manageable and not as crowded as it would get by that afternoon. I decided to  go for the summit to start and then do any additional hiking as I felt I could manage. I had read a few helpful suggestions for the hike up to the top, the most helpful was to go in a switchback route rather than straight up. Doing so adds a bit of distance, but it really made it a doable hike. I did stop frequently to take in the view and take photos and then spent a bit of time at the top before descending. 

Here are a few photos from this climb.

As I descended I knew I was feeling strong enough to tackle the 3+ mile base loop hike. It was moderately challenging with some smaller hills and climbs over rocks. The trail was relatively quiet with some beautiful scenery and views.

Here are a some of the pictures from this trail.

I think I spent a total of three and a half hours on both hikes. I really enjoyed it but it was time to head off to Kerrville and get checked into the hotel and get cleaned up to go do some shopping and dinner before calling it an early night.  I dined at Grape Juice a Wine Bar in downtown Kerrville. It was as good as the reviews said it was.  By the time I got back to the hotel I was starting to feel the effects of the days hike. I honestly felt like I had been hit by a truck. I took two Tylenol PM's and was asleep by 10 pm.

Day two was a beautiful but cold sunny morning. I felt like a new person with none of the aches I had the previous night. I was so happy that I could fully recover overnight.  I headed off early after a good breakfast. My destination today was Lost Maples State Park. I planned a five mile hike including an ascent to the top of a ridge that would be equal in the elevation climb as the previous days hike at Enchanted Rock was. I arrived just before 9:00 am and the park was very quiet with few people around. It was still quite cold and I had to bundle up as I set off.  The first part of the hike is mostly level with a few dips and small inclines. It weaves through a wooded area following a stream.  In the Spring the Mountain Laurels would be in bloom and in the late Autumn the Maple Trees turn vibrant reds and golds. The Winter landscape has it's own stark beauty. The ascent to the top of the ridge is very steep in most areas and very rocky. I was glad I had good hiking poles. It was challenging, but I took it slow and stopped often to take photos and just enjoy the beauty of the landscape. The views from the top were stunning in many areas. Before descending I stopped for a light snack then tackled the steep descent. It was extremely rocky and took planning the path ahead as I went so to avoid large steps down (hard on the knees). Once I reach the bottom the trail begins to follow the Sabinal River. This was such a lovely relaxing section to hike. I really enjoyed it. 

Here are a few Pics from Lost Maples..

This hike took me three and a half hours for a five mile hike. The estimated time was three hours, but considering I stopped along the way and just enjoyed the scenery, of the sound of running water, I think I did quite well. My drive back to Kerrville was a beautiful drive following the Guadalupe river for the second half of the drive. When I got back to Kerrville I did a short hike on their River trail before heading to dinner. I also made a visit to the James Avery Jewelry factory and store where I purchased a simple ring that has a set of wings, they title "Take Flight". I felt it reflects the path I am taking for how I live my life. 

The final pictures were taken on the return drive to Kerrville and in and around the town. I am so in love with this area of Texas. 

So is 65 just a number? When it comes to age, no it is not. I have lived a full 65 years and it is something to celebrate. The years have not always been easy. They have been joyful and happy, sad and tragic. I have suffered through many challenges and hardships. But right now at this point in my life I am happy, very, very happy. Do I feel like I am 65? How should one feel? My own Mother was very old at 65 and struggled to get around and do things. My Father though was healthy and vibrant. We each age at our own pace. Some times genetics plays a role and often it is lifestyle. I am choosing a lifestyle that will keep me active, healthy and hopefully out on the trails for many more years. Accomplishing these two hikes after eight months of working out has inspired me to keep training and planning (not dreaming) of trekking the EBC and quite possibly the Inca trail to Machu Picchu before then. I don't give up easily if I see results. I know I can do this. If I have come this far already. The EBC will happen for me. October 2026 is my goal to travel to Nepal and hike the trail that November. I did discover on these hikes that while my legs have become stronger and did not tire, my cardio is still lacking a bit. I will be looking to add some cardio to my training in the months to come. I will probably get a pass to the local fitness center in a few months. In the meantime while the weather is cool, I'll keep hitting the trails!