July 4th 2016

PART I

Excited to do another early morning hike, it makes it feel like it really is going to be regular habit. I get to the North Ogden Divide at 0500 and to my surprise there are already quite a few cars there. I can see headlamps piercing the sides of the mountains to the north and south. My objective today is Lewis Peak, which figures prominently over the north end of Ogden, although not the tallest in that cluster of mountains. Spurred by visions of my past glory, I was sure I could overtake anyone on the trail. I had been tempered a little by last weeks’ attempt on Ben Lomond, but I was so excited to cover some trail I set off on the switch backs at a determined pace.

I had decided to mix up my breakfast routine a little and had two eggs, a slice of ham, and a protein shake. After about a mile my body started to note that it didn’t have any carbs to burn for this endeavor. I would like to say that I just got a little tired, but it would be more accurate to call it a full-on bonk. I was reaching for a granola bar when what was this? People catching up from behind! I haven’t been passed on a trail since I was a teenager! (That’s probably not true, but at 0520 it seemed pretty true) I made a decision that this has to stop, or at least I have to stop. I parked myself under a tree and tried to nonchalantly chew my granola bar while the couple passed. I caught my breath and realized I needed to pace myself better. I was never going to achieve any of my goals if I burn out in the first few miles. I continued on at shuffle. As I reached the ridge and things leveled out a little I took it up a notch to a mosey.

A little way along I came to a trail intersection. 2.5 miles from the trailhead. 2.5 more to go to Lewis Peak. It is already a little past 0600. I would have to maintain or beat my current pace to be home by 0900. Not that high of a bar, but we have a lot of plans today and I really could use a haircut. Perhaps I should cut my hike short again…

PART II

The tallest peak between the North Ogden Divide and Ogden Canyon is Eyrie Peak. From what I’ve read it’s not much to talk about, although it does make the list of top 100 peaks of prominence in Utah. Most people only climb it on their way to Lewis Peak. I gaze up the trail and it appears to be only a half mile or so away. I can do that, say I’ve accomplished something, and still be home early. I set off at a more respectable pace. I think the official trail circumnavigates the peak, but the more established trail seems to stay true to the ridge and I go right up it. I get to the top of that summit right as the sun rises. I’m impressed with the glowing orb peaking over the mountains, but at the same time I notice further down the ridge, maybe a summit or two away, another peak that definitely seems taller. It was like Kings Peak all over again.

Not the view from Eyrie Peak

So I continue on, this time opting for the around the ridge trail instead of going up and over a false summit. As I make my way around the traverse finally at a pace I feel good about I look back, and to my horror there is a trail runner coming my way. I pick up the pace even more, but there is no hope. I find a good place to step aside as he gets near thinking some demeaning thoughts. But then he passes and I see his calves. 

Nevermind. He is 100% more man than I am. I continue on trying to keep my head up and notice that he slowed down considerably on the ridge push to the summit of Eyrie Peak. Aha! Now I will have a chance to catch up a little and show how hikers can push through on any terrain. I push up the ridge harder than I would otherwise because that thing was pretty stinkin’ steep. I get to the top and imagine that he would be there or just on the other side. Nope. It was like watching bighorn sheep on Ramshorn Peak. He was so far gone I felt embarrassed for myself.

Next time lets discuss the lessons learned on this little outing.

PART III

I had reached the summit of Eyrie Peak with a fair amount of humiliation along the way. But that is no reason to put your pride aside. I may be out of practice but I bet I can get back to the trailhead before these other guys get back after covering three more miles than me. You take whatever win you can. So I set off down the trail. Enjoying the cool morning air and the newly risen sun. Now working my way down, but not at too much of a grade I kept up a good pace, but knowing I was running really early I wasn’t pushing myself to 4 mph. Right before I got off the ridge and started down the switchbacks there was a couple doing some sort of calisthenics. It consisted mostly of bending over with their arms in different positions. It takes all types I guess. I work down the switchbacks, but start to notice my knee hurting a little. I had remembered to put on my knee brace at the start of the day, but there it was. I eased up a little and tried not to be too hard on it. I know I need to get my body back in gear for this type of activity and I don’t want to put too much stress on the joints. I am 10 yrs older after all. Pass a few hikers coming up, but no sign from the rear until I notice my shoe was almost untied. I stop to tie it and that’s when I hear them. The couple is coming down the trail, and it sounds like they are running. I think its some type of disease. Anyway I press on and accept my fate. The girl passed me first, maybe 23% more man than me. The guy was a little ways back. I think he was only that close to prove himself to the girl. I don’t feel degraded at all, we will call it a tie. And then, 50 feet later we are at the parking lot! If only my shoelace could’ve been a team player just a little longer I would have totally beaten them! This is really important stuff. So I drop my gear in the car and take off before supercalves shows up. There is only so much I can take.

So here is what I learned: Protein is nice, but you need some carbs to start the day. Pace yourself. Let those legs loosen up and find your stride. I remember now I used to have to hike slow the first mile to let the calves stretch out if it was my first day after a break. Take ibuprofen before your even start. You know you’re going to need it. I know you want to get on the trail right away in the morning, but take the time to do your bathroom business right. Nobody should be afraid to fart while hiking.

THIS is the view from Eyrie Peak

Trailhead

The mountains speak to me. Not like they call and beckon me to come to them, like the Lorelei on the Rhine (not sirens, because Myers is a German name)(ok, they do that too but that is another post), but more like when I visit we share thoughts with each other and work through ideas. I love to hike, to climb mountains, to explore. I love these activities because of what I learn about myself as I push myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. I love the adventure of it, the risk of things going all wrong and figuring out a way to make the most of it and press on. But lately I found I love being in the mountains because I am of a different mind when I am there. I process the hike as it happens with the mountains. We roll the ideas and experiences around and around in my head until they gain clarity and insight. Sometimes they are even worth writing down. And so through the years I have always carried a journal in my backpack. I like to write, not that I am good at it, but I only like to write what happens in the mountains. Perhaps because I have found no other muse, but nothing else sparks the desire, nothing else puts me in the mind to see things in a literary way. As I hike through the mountains I do not leave a trail of boot prints, but one of prose.

So why put all this in a blog? I find I need motivation to actually record the conversations with the mountains. I want to create some record, any record, of what for the most part has been the defining moments of who I am. Will a blog motivate me? Probably not. But when I do get the motivation I want a place to put it. Last summer I got the right motivation to regularly record my treks. So I better get this out of the way...

All my best friends are felons. Not going to really dive in right now on what that may say about me (but perhaps it will come up sometime in the future while I hike along), but this provides some important context. I have not always been a great friend and kept in touch with my incarcerated pals as I should. It's hard to know what to say, but all the same I carry some guilt about it and want to do better. When my best hiking bud went to prison last year I realized I finally have something I can write about- our shared love of the mountains. Last summer he had access to emails, although it was limited to 1000 characters. So each week I would send him an email. It was an interesting and productive exercise as a writer to express yourself in those constraints. At times I took the liberty to split the essay into a couple parts, but I still had to make each stand on its own. I will endeavor to keep this up for as long as I can, although he no longer has access to emails, so I am no longer constrained to 1000 characters in a letter. I likely will not keep up the tradition, as I feel the mountains and I do a pretty decent job editing this stuff down before I get off the trail. I will however try to be brief, unless it is a tale that deserves elaboration.

And so while my audience is not necessarily anyone who may stumble across this blog, I do hope some will enjoy what I have to share. It will be a place where I will put whatever comes to mind during current hikes, as well as recording the grand adventures from the days of yore that deserve to be recorded. It will be a journey, but one that I hope will help develop my writing and better focus my experiences as I tread among my friends, the mountains.