Saturday I went hiking with friends. I really enjoy hiking, and was excited to go, especially since my roommate told me that we would most likely be back around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and I would have time to do other things that day.
It all started out well, we met up with friends and found the place where the hike began. I didn't realize a friend was bringing horses, but that was fine, so we got them unloaded and saddled and began the trek.
It was fun and we were all happy. I was riding on Smokey the horse and all was well. Eventually we got to a good spot to change riders so I got off and the next person got ready to get on. Because the next rider was nervous about riding, I held the horse for her while she got settled. As she got up, the horse took a step towards me and managed to land on my two littlest toes I cried out in pain and tried to get the horse to move, but she was still getting on the horse, so I really couldn't move the horse whithout scaring her. Eventually I made the horse move and assessed the damage. It wasn't bad, so we proceeded in our journey.
Smokey was tired and wasn't too excited about this journey. For some reason, she would stop anytime we got to a muddy section that she didn't want to cross. We soon discovered that unless I went over and coaxed her through it, she wouldn't move. One of the times I was coaxing her, she managed, again to step on my other foot, just scraping it. Another time as I was getting her to move, I was standing on an incline on the side of the trail. Smokey decided to sidestep towards me and in so doing, knocked me off balance and I slid under her. There I was, under a horse, looking at all four of her legs scared to death that she was going to step on me again. The rider had seen what had happened and was telling me to get out from under the horse asap. I was telling her to not let the horse move in any direction for anything until I could get up. It was crazy.
So eventually we made up the 3000 or so feet that we climbed to Fish Lake and the boys started fishing. When they were done, we started our journey down the mountain. I was eager to get home because I wanted to have plans that night, but it wasn't looking good. We were going much slower than we anticipated and just a short distance after we started the descent, one of the people in our party got altitude sickness. So he was going slow and sitting every few minutes to get his bearings. The horses went ahead and I was too impatient to go slow with the sickie, so as I hiked down the mountian alone I made a list of the things I learned that day. Here they are:
1. When hiking with horses, make sure all the water is not with the horses
2. When riding horses, do not wear Chacos. They are great for hiking, but offer no protection if a horse steps on you.
3. When going hiking, expect to be there a few additional hours, because you never know.
4. You aren't going to have cell service when hiking most of the time.
5. Bug spray is a blessed, blessed thing.
6. So is sunscreen.
7. Take more water than you expect to drink. It is always good to have extra.
8. When you sit, bugs will bother you. If you are moving, they won't.
9. Enjoy the scenery.
10. Enjoy the company.
11. Hats are great when hiking, but make sure you keep an eye out for low trees (I learned that the hard way).
12. When you walk for a long time by yourself, you begin to wonder if you are lost, even if you are on the trail.
13. When you know horses went ahead of you, seeing fresh horse poop reassures you.
14. Be patient. People are in all different types of physical condition.
15. Sometimes people will get sick. Be patient.
16. It is fun to talk to random hikers.
17. Don't accidentally step in fresh horse poop.
18. When you start to question if you are going the right way, keep going, most likely you are.
19. When hiking for a long time by yourself, you start to make lists in your head.
20. It is wonderful when you finally see the car and know that a hot shower, food and clean clothes are not far away.
