Revenge of the Gamer

Anyone who’s followed my 2010 Weight Loss page knows that I’ve been hiking like a madman since the first of the year.  I’ve gone all over the place.  Armstrong Woods, Sugarloaf Mountain, the Northern California Coast and Annadel State Park to name a few.

On some days I’ve hiked as far as twenty miles.  As a result I’m in much better shape than I ever have been, even going back to high school when I ran varsity track.  It’s been a great feeling, but never so good as last Sunday.

It was the morning after daylight savings time so even though my clock read 8 am I really woke up at 7.  I grabbed a quick shower, a can of slimfast and headed out hiking like I do every Sunday. 

I take trips to Armstrong Woods a few times a month, because it’s by far and away the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.   Usually I hike the east trail which starts at the parking lot and winds up along the north side of the park.  It’s a steep trail that loops around two miles of gorgeous redwoods, and usually by the end of it I’m a sweaty mess.

Every time I come to the end of my hike I pass a sign that says:

<—- Ranger Station .7 miles

Bullfrog Pond 3.5 miles —->

Sunday I decided I was finally going to see BullFrog Pond, so instead of heading back to the forest floor I went the other way.  I had no idea what I was in for.  It was only another 3.5 miles away so it couldn’t be that bad, right? 

Wrong.  It was three and a half miles of the steepest trails I have ever hiked.  If I hadn’t brought a walking stick there’s no way I would have made it, and even with the walking stick I felt like I was going to die. 

I wanted to give up so many times, but I kept thinking the pond must be right on the other side of the hill I was climbing.  Instead I’d finish one steep trail only to curve around the hill and find another.  I’d finally told myself it wasn’t worth it and I was going to turn back when I emerged from the forest onto a hillside with this view:

The view was breathtaking and the picture doesn't do it justice

That gave me the strength to keep going and two and a half hours later I finally reached the pond.  I’d never been anything so beautiful.  Not because of the pond itself, but because I made it.  So many times I was ready to give up, but I kept going and kept going.  Damn was it worth it.

Along the way I took a number of great pictures, most of which I posted on Facebook and a few of which you can see in this post.  I saw a family of deer, wild turkeys, ducks and all sorts of other birds.  There was a sign warning of mountain lions, but fortunately I didn’t run across any.

A family of deer I ran into

The trek back took just under two hours, but it was actually harder than the hike in even though it was all downhill.  The trails were so steep that I had to run downhill in many places.  My walking stick was literally a lifesaver, because I used it for balance to keep myself from pitching over a number of cliffs on the way back.

By the time I hit the forest floor I was a mass of bruises.  My entire body ached, especially my legs and feet.  I was drenched in sweat.  Yet none of it bothered me.  The sense of accomplishment was similar to what I felt after a day of paintball, and no amount of pain, mud or sweat was going to ruin it.  I finished the toughest hike I’ve ever attempted, and am ready to move on to even harder ones.

On the way back to the car I ran into Brian Shippam, a good friend of mine from college.  He was out there with his girlfriend Saralynn and a friend of theirs that had come up to see them from San Diego.  I bring it up because Brian has always been a hell of an athlete, and also ran varsity track in High School.  Even he was impressed by the fact that I’d made it out to Bullfrog Pond, which made me still more proud of the achievement.

Another shot of the pond

Damn it feels good to be in shape.  This was a major milestone for me, and I can’t wait to overcome the next hurdle.  Next stop- the top of Sugarloaf Mountain.