I love hiking and being outdoors but I admit, I am also a total wuss when I am too exposed to elements in the wild. My heart starts throbbing if I am hiking through deep woods and don’t see a hiker for miles. I get startled when I hear leaves rustling and start to imagine bears and mountain lions coming out of the woodwork. The moment I see a dark cloud above us, I imagine lightning bolts coming down to strike us. My mind runs through the steps recommended by wilderness experts if one encounters bears. Safety steps such as making yourself look big or making loud noises. Although, in reality I know that I am more likely to execute perfect Darwin Award winning moves like trying to outrun the bear or taking shelter under the biggest tree in case of a lightning strike.
On the other hand, Dan has no fear of such things. He wants to hike closer to the evening so there is a higher chance of seeing the animals. When we saw a coyote on a trail recently, I turned around and started walking in the other direction and he walked towards it to get a better look. Yup, totally a Troup maneuver.
On our hike to Sandbeach Lake, we encountered thunder and lightning that came out of nowhere (normal in Colorado during summers). Good thing about this trail was that we were never above the treeline so there was a really low likelihood of getting hit by lightning but there is always that fear..what if? I was scared shi*less at one point when the sky was crackling for what seemed like eternity. Dan continued to push me to move ahead on the trail since we were already more than half way up the trail. And I am so glad that he did…
Sometimes the only way out is to jump in and face your fears head on…..or be called a wuss by your hubby!
Sandbeach lake is a lake with sandy shore and is located at approx 10,000 ft above sea level in Rocky Mountain National Park.
More info on hike: http://www.protrails.com/trail/58/rocky-mountain-national-park-sandbeach-lake
Round Trip: 8.8 miles
Elevation Change: +1,971′ net elevation gain (+2,146′ total roundtrip elevation gain)
Start-End Elevation: 8,312′ – 10,283′ (10,317′ max elevation)
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Another great story. Thanks for sharing. Keep writing and living life to the fullest
Thanks for reading La. Hope you guys are doing ok.
Thanks La!
That countryside looks fantastic! Is there much risk of encountering large predators? How about leeches (my pet hate!)?
I have been hiking in Colorado for a while but only saw a bear recently. There is a very low liklihood as animals stay away from the trails. No leeches here since it is very dry. I hate leeches too..I remember hiking in South India a few years ago in extreme humidity. Those suckers were trying to burrow through my sneakers and t-shirt. It was disgusting! I am glad I live in a very dry state.