The Panorama Trail, Yosemite National Park

It Was The Best Experience!!

Hey there everyone! I am back from the trail and I have to say -- OH MY GOD!! It was an incredible experience! It was gorgeous, wonderful, and awe-inspiring event! We left from BWI airport early in the morning on June 17th we ended up in the Fresno airport in California. It was about a 2 hour ride from there to Tenaya Lodge where we were staying. The lodge is about 4000+ feet above sea level. So it was a bit difficult to breathe, especially when you were climbing uphill. But it is no matter, it was a small price to pay for the opportunity to be in such a beautiful and stunning place.

While I was there I got meet folks from the other TNT chapters who were there to hike. There were about 136 of us all together there hiking for the cause. There were folks from Washington State, Illinois, Georgia, Tennessee, California (of course), and other states. While at the inspiration dinner I also got to know the members of Panorama 3, my group. They matched us up pretty well as we were all the sweepers of our individual teams :-)

On June 19th at 5:00 am (PST) I was in the lobby of Tenaya Lodge waiting for my guide and my team. We loaded up into the shuttle buses for a 1.5 hour ride up to Glacier Point and the Panorama trailhead. It was a beautiful and clear day! We started our hike with a sighting of a mother bear and her two cubs!! Then we began our adventure on the trail. The name of the trail is definitely well earned; since there was beautiful scenery everywhere you looked. We did hike rather slowly, but I think it was in part because of the high elevation and in part because we were taking tons of pictures! So the good news was that I was not always at the end of the group! In fact there were a few times where I was actually walking up at front near the guide :-)

The biggest challenge for me was the hike down the Mist Trail. Although I definitely had a hard time hiking up the hill/mountainside in the beginning, going down the Mist Trail tested my meddle. So the Mist trail goes down the side of Vernal Falls, the last falls on our trail. It is a series of stairs (I swear 100+ easily) cut into the side of the mountain. Now lest you say, 'why would you worry about going down stairs?' let me explain. Stairs in the hiking sense usually mean that they were cut for people 5'9" and above. So for short people like me, stepping down is more like climbing down. Also, there were no railings. Oh and, its called Mist Trail because it gets all the mist/water spray coming off the Vernal falls. So the steps are wet and slippery :-( And because it is from snow run-off, it is cold! And its more like rain, not just mist! Oh and let's add in people, including little kids, running up and down and pushing and all that. So yup, I was a bit out of my element! But our guide Jeff was AWESOME!! He helped me and Leslie get down those stairs and even enjoy it! After that, the last mile was a cake walk :-) AND guess what?! NO BLISTERS!!! YAY TEAM!!

Now I am a hiking alumni and I would definitely, DEFINITELY recommend it to anyone AND I would love to do it again!
RAISING MONEY FOR THE CURE!!

Even though the event is over, I am still under the fundraising minimum and am still collecting donations! It is imperative that we find a cure for blood-related cancers and your donations can help LLS achieve that goal! Please take the time and donate today: http://pages.teamintraining.org/md/Yosemit110/WinForOthers. I must have all donations by June 30th!

Thanks a lot for your help and look for a posting that points you to all my Yosemite pictures coming soon!

The Final Team Hike of the Season

Today we actually had our final hike of the season. We went to the McKeldin Area of Patapsco Valley State Park for a 3 mile 'fun hike' that was appropriate for the family. We walked along the river and got to see a small waterfall. We took a break at the base of the fall and let the kids play in the water. Afterward we hiked back up to our pavillion where we had our fun family picnic!

Before the picnic got into full swing Karen, our TNT coordinator made sure we had our packets for Thursday's trip. We got our itenerary for the weekend, event day t-shirts, luggage tags, and special hike T-shirts. She collected additional information from us; emergency contacts, insurance info, etc.

We got the 411 on the situation in Yosemite! It appears that there is still snow on some of the trails -- YIKES!! Apparently they have not yet put in the cables for those folks that would be hiking up Half Dome. That is supposed to happen on the 15th hopefully. That's not my hike, but I'm still concerned. Karen told me that I should pack my yaks to put over my boots to give me more traction in the ice and snow. Good grief -- I thought my snow hiking days were over :-( The coaches reminded us to dress in layers because it would be different temperatures at different elevations, etc.

Then our coaches provided the turkey hotdogs and hamburgers and we brought the sides. There was a delicious citrus cheese ball, watermelon chunks, fresh mushroom salad (my offering), hummus and chips, pasta salad, brownies, cookies, and ice cold lemonade and iced tea. It was a great opportunity to hang out with my fellow team mates and their families. We were also surprised by a visit from our honored team mate Sophie. She is getting ready to go to 1st grade next year and is a bundle of energy. This morning she and her family came out to picnic with us after her ballet lesson! And she showed us what she had learned in her Irish dancing class! She is going to be performing with her troop next year. Watching her with her little sister and Coach Greg's little girls made it clear who we are helping when we do our events. I was so happy to see that what we do helps LLS make a difference in her life AND her family's lives as well.

We ended our event by presenting our coaches with goodie bags to show our appreciation for all they had done for us! I cannot believe that I hiked about 60 miles during this entire training season and that some folks had hiked 80+ miles. I am sad that the season is over, I think I have caught the 'hiking bug'. I am nervous and excited about the Panorama Trail Hike next Saturday -- I can't believe its only a week away!

STILL FUNDRAISING!

After meeting Sophie today, I want to keep the fundraising going in hopes of making the minimum. There is still time to donate on the website: http://pages.teamintraining.org/md/Yosemit110/WinForOthers. Please give as generously as you can. I am also working with a friend to host a Mary Kay fundraiser. You can go to her website: www.marykay.com/thuff7 and make a purchase from now until June 30th. It is as easy as that. There are even $10 items on the site and stuff for men as well. So you can kill 2 birds with one stone -- get your makeup, facial cleansers or other items that you NEED and have a part of the proceeds go to LLS.

The Orange Trail Experience!

My last official hike of the season will be affectionately known as the Orange Trail Experience! Once again our group was split up into two teams -- one team that is doing the 13+ mile hikes in Yosemite and one team that is doing the 9 mile hikes. Well, it turned out that my other team mate opted out of Saturday's hike so she could recuperate a bit so once again I was hiking with just my coach, Coach Kate!

So Coach Kate and I met at Sugarloaf Mountain for a 8 - 9 mile hike. In deference to my misbehaving ankle, she came up with a course with a lot of options. I definitely wanted to get the 900 ft climb in and as much elevation work as I could. So we started with a hike that would give us at least 5 miles and elevation that could be expanded as my ankle would allow.

We set out on the blue trail and hiked that and then up to the summit on the red trail -- gorgeous views, but as it was hot and humid (a typical MD spring/summer day) it was a bit slow going but we did it! Then she asked how I was feeling; well the ankle was doing OK since we were babying it a bit. So I said 'Let's add on some more mileage!' cause I'm gung ho like that :-) So she decided to take a short cut, the Orange Trail, that she had never taken before. Well now, the Orange trail is a short cut cause it goes almost freakin' straight down!!! YIKES!! I mean she was apologizing to me all the way!! I was a bit freaked out, not by the height, but by the fact that, if I fell, I have a lot for gravity to work on (if you know what I mean :-P) so there would be no stopping Ty's rapid and rather painful descent! We got about 1/2 way down and it was looking worse. Kate stopped and said we could go back up and come down the long way. But I was like -- I can't go up this thing, so we gotta keep going down! So down we went! There was one small section where she and I both kinda slid down (me more than her) but I MADE IT!!! I was so proud of myself --and my ankle! At the beginning of the season I think I would have just sat down and cried! But now I was able to make it down -- slowly, but I made it!

After that we followed the white trail and did some more climbs. We got to a point where we could have cut off, but once again I decided we should soldier ahead and get in that last 400 - 500 foot climb out to our cars. I'm telling you guys, endorphins are better than crack for making you think you can do things! (and its also free!!) :-) I also think that the knowledge of a port-a-pot at the parking lot instead of 'finding a tree' was also a powerful motivator! I was tired, but I made it! Coach Kate declared me ready for Panorama Trail!!! Thank You Maryland Hike Coaches!!

Even better, I came home and didn't need to nap! I showered, made some phone calls, and went about the rest of my day! I finally have the endurance to deal with the hike!

So now the event is in about 2 weeks! But I am still far short of my goal! I am urging you all to make a contribution today! There is still time and the Leukemian and Lymphoma Society and I really need your support!

Cunningham Falls -- The Redemption!

This Saturday's hike was at Cunningham Falls. I met up with my coach Melissa and we headed over to the Falls for an 8 mile hike with about a 1000 foot elevation. I will admit that I was a bit nervous about the hike because of my fear of getting a blister and the weakness of my ankle. I prepared as best I could by putting moleskin on my feet where they were blister-prone and by slathering Body Glide on my feet and ankles. My coach made a suggestion that I re-tie my boots after extended uphills or downhills. This actually helped a lot and it helped with my weak ankle.

Cunningham Falls was one of the most enjoyable hikes so far. Beautiful scenery and views. It was rocky, but not as bad as Weverton Cliffs. Melissa was great on the hike, she kept us going and to be honest, it didn't even feel like we had hiked that far!

I still had to stop briefly on the incline, but not for as long, and I really wasn't breathing nearly as hard, although I did sweat a lot. (Sorry I know women are supposed to 'glisten' not 'sweat', but my body has not yet received the memo!) I even had energy left over after the hike. I would have loved to tack on another 600 ft climb, but my ankle was still tweaked and we decided that it was better for me to rest it than push it.

In other news, I picked my 1st and 2nd choices for my hikes in Yosemite. I discussed them with Melissa and she thinks that either choice would be fine for me. It is starting to sink in that I'm heading to Yosemite and hiking in about a month!

Now all I need is to raise the remaining funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I'll be sweetening the pot for those folks who have not yet made the leap to become my virtual team member. AND I'll be offering an incentive to those who have already donated. We are so close guys, we only need $2200 to make the minimum!

Weverton Cliffs Hike

A belated Happy Mother's Day to all those who are mothers both biologically and emotionally! You all are truly blessings from God!

Pre-Game Show!

Well, I was a little bit more organized this week. I had all my stuff in my camelbak and my 'after hike bag' all ready to go. I got up and had my breakfast and managed to only be 5 minutes late to the meeting point. Of course, in my rush to be so organized, I forgot my camera so I had to once again ask my team to forward me their pictures! I met up with the 12 mile hikers and our mentor Kathy drove us the rest of the way to the trail head.
The Main Event!

Well my goal this week was to actually nail the 12 mile hike. I know I'm planning to only do a 9 mile hike in Yosemite, but I like to use the training hikes to work on elevations and stamina.

Kathy, my mentor and personal trainer for the day decided to walk ahead to pull me to increase my pacing a bit. Overall it worked really well. I think we did a pretty good pace for me, just a bit under a 2 mph. We did stop and see several sights; we went to Weverton Cliffs and then we stopped at the Garvey Shelter. The cliffs were beautiful. Such a great view -- so I've included it here for your enjoyment. I realized that I had a bit of a fear of being on the edge of the cliffs, so I didn't get out that far, but I did get to see it! We also hiked up to the shelter, there were a couple of hikers in residence. Apparently its a covered area for those brave backpackers that are sleeping on the trail. There's a cooler of some type for food and a toilet -- I guess it would be luxury if you had walked many, many miles on the AT and needed a place to crash.

The trail was pretty steep at the beginning, then it was rocky and not completely flat, but not painfully steep. One of the folks we met on the trail said that there were 16 switchbacks going up the hill. Trust me when I said I didn't notice in the morning on the way up. It was super windy on Saturday so that kept me from sweating to death :-P Overall though, the hike was really pretty -- we saw lots of butterflies, flowers, and a frog or two. The group ahead of us said that they saw snakes, but I think they scared them off for us!

I did pretty well overall but I think my energy crashed around mile 10... But thanks to Kathy for keeping it going! She has tons of energy and kept me moving. I also thank those folks on the trail that I talked to on the way back. It was what I needed to take my mind off of the distance. Since it was an out and back, I did have to go back down the 16 switchbacks. Wow -- I didn't realize how tight the trail was and I could sympathize with one of the boy scouts who was really afraid of the height. Unfortunately I did fall going down one of the switchbacks, but fortunately I just sat down instead of falling forward. :-) As we went further down the hill we encountered a tree that had fallen over the trail since we had gone up earlier in the morning. Did I mention that it was really windy? So yup, once again, I crawled UNDER a tree to keep going down the hill.

POST GAME!!

Finally we got down the hill and to the car with some ice cold tea! I got my boots off and discovered that I had some pretty bad blisters on my right foot! Oh well, it was worth it cause I did what I set out to do -- finish a 12 mile hike!!!

STILL NEED YOUR HELP!

There is a reason that I'm putting myself through this. I want to bring people's awareness to the needs of those suffering with blood-related cancers. The real goal here is to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. With your help and support we can find a cure! Please take the time to go out to my website and contribute today: http://pages.teamintraining.org/md/Yosemit110/WinForOthers. Then forward the website to anyone else that you think will want to contribute.

We're Halfway Through the Training!

TRAINING HIKE: Washington Monument State Park

Yesterday's training hike was at Washington Monument State Park; its on a part of the Appalachian Trail that runs through Maryland. We had 3 potential mileage levels; 7 miles, 10.5 miles, and 12.5 miles. My goal was to try to make the 10.5 mile level, but I only needed to do 7 miles for the particular hike I want to do. However, since I don't get a lot of opporutunity to train for elevation and hills I wanted to do more of than the minimum. I am happy to say that I managed to make about 9 miles yesterday. I did 2 700 foot climbs.... I finished about the same time as those folks that did 12.5 miles, but I did finish and that's important. We started about 8 am and were back in cars and on the way home around 2 pm. Since all the hikes that I am considering are between 8 and 9 miles, I now have some confidence that I can finish the hike in Yosemite!

While we were out on the trail yesterday, we saw some park volunteers that were working on the trails. We saw the cub scouts out hiking the trail. We saw groups of friends out for a hike and we even saw some older folks out hiking the trail too!

I want to say a special thanks to Coach Kate who was my personal trainer yesterday! She was sweet enough to hike with me at my pace and give me lots of encouragement on the way. She helped me with some trail reading and helped me with the whole off-trail nature calls thing. Indeed Kate and Melissa did a great job with yesterday's hike and definitely help make a novice like me feel comfortable and wanting to get back out there the next week!

I also wanted to share some lessons I learned on the trail yesterday:

1. Do not put trail mix that has chocolate squares into your pocket. You just end up with a bag of gooey mess.
2. Bring moleskin to protect your feet from getting blisters... and then USE IT!
3. Yes you will in fact drink all your water... and your gatorade too!
4. Apparently I now need a belt for my hiking shorts. Its not cute to have to keep pulling your shorts up :-)
5. When nature calls, you are not necessarily walking in a straight line to find a bit of privacy :-)


Other cool things in the news:

I am now a card carrying member of the American Hiking Society -- that is one of the perks of signing up for the TNT Hiking program. I was very excited to get my card in the mail and am now anxiously awaing these magazines. I feel like I'm truly 'outdoorsy' now :-) Cause all it takes is a card and a magazine!! But seriously though, hiking out in different locations every week has given me more of an appreciation of the outdoors and the beauty that is right outside our front door!


DON'T FORGET THE CAUSE:

I want you all to know that I am having a blast doing the hiking and training, but the true focus is to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We need your help to raise funding to find a cure for blood cancers. I know that they can make it if we all pull together to support them. Please take the time to go out to my website and contribute today: http://pages.teamintraining.org/md/Yosemit110/WinForOthers. Then forward the website to anyone else that you think will want to contribute.

Back On The Trail!

I know you all are waiting anxiously to know how last week's hike went so here it goes! I apologize in advance for not having pictures. I will try to remedy that situation for following hikes.

THE GOOD

So -- I have been sick so last weekend's hike was the first one I've been on in two weeks. It was a 6 mile hike that started at a conservation area about 5 miles from my house. I joked that I could have just walked there and gotten my exercise! But for those of you that know the Owings Mills -- Randallstown area, you know that is taking your life into your own hands :-P

At any rate, our mentors Arden and Kathy took us there as good way to get back into the swing. Both me and my fellow hiker and friend Leslie, were just getting back to healthy after having respiratory illnesses. So they took it easy on us :-) Thanks ladies!

Aside from it being fairly close to home, the Soliders' Delight Conservation area has the added benefit of being trail reading friendly to those of us that can get lost easily! It's basically a big loop with some elevation, but not much. It also has a deserted mine shaft and a few historic buildings and locations there. I actually did drink a lot of water on the hike, but I think it was good because it helped me to stay hydrated after the illness.

Since then, I've been able to get back into training during the week. I'm doing yoga, pilates, and walking either the route I've mapped out at home or the treadmill -- I'm increasing elevation to try to get some elevation training in. Trust me, I need it!!!

THE NOT SO GOOD

The fundraising is going, but not as well as I had hoped. Although I am having a lot of fun hiking and training, the true focus is to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This organization has a lofty goal -- to cure blood cancers by 2015 -- and I know that they can make it if we all pull together to support them. Please take the time to go out to my website and contribute today: http://pages.teamintraining.org/md/Yosemit110/WinForOthers. Then forward the website to anyone else that you think will want to contribute.

Next week I will also be posting the flyers for an event in May, the Young Debs production of 'The Lion King', where I will be working the concession stands to get a portion of the concession stand proceeds. So stay tuned!!

YES I'M STILL ALIVE AND KICKING!!

Hey everyone! I am so sorry that I haven’t been blogging lately. Life has been quite full lately. Since my last post I have had a sinus infection, have been on antibiotics, and been unable to train. On top of that my dad was ill with pneumonia. So our whole family has been down and out of commission through Easter. But the tide has turned!! Last Friday I felt well enough to start exercising again. I’ve been working out and trying to regain my stamina and breath. It will be slow going, but I will get back to my fighting form!
So what else have I been doing besides coughing up a lung and medicating? I’ve been doing some candy sales from my desk at work and working on a fundraising event or two to assist me with my fundraising goals. Watch your email and my blog for details. In addition, I have made the stand and RECOMMITTED to the TNT event for June! My cheering section is coming with me so it will be a great long weekend. I am looking forward to the event in June! That also means that I will be redoubling my fundraising efforts!! My hope is that you, my friends, family and acquaintances will also RECOMMIT to helping the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to fund research that will eventually lead to a cure for blood related cancers for ALL!

Gunpowder Fall Hike -- 3/27/2010

Good evening and happy Palm Sunday!

I know I’ve been silent for the last few weeks, but they have been quite busy! Our hike on 3/13 to Gunpowder Falls was cancelled due to inclement weather. That was good because my knee was really sore and I spent the day icing it! On 3/20 I missed the hike because we had our annual Women’s Conference at my church. So instead, I took a walk and did some extra exercising to make up for it.
That brings us to 3/27, yesterday. Yesterday was a ‘mentor weekend’ day. That means that our mentors lead a hike instead of the coaches. So Arden and Kathy, our mentors, took us back to catch up on the Gunpowder Falls hike that we missed. First let me say, hiking is a MUCH different experience when its not in the snow! And I am so THANKFUL that we did not hike there while there was still snow on the ground! Yesterday’s hike included some stream crossings and LOTS of up and down hills. I did a little bit of scrambling over rocks and trees. I even crawled underneath a tree that had fallen across the path. (My cousin says she would pay to see a picture of that!) Oh and did I mention the up and down over hills?! We ended up going about 6 miles yesterday. And I have to say, that I was more wiped out than when I finished my first 10 mile walk. I started out pretty good, but man I faded toward the end. I offer my thanks to Kathy who pulled me up those last few hills to the ‘finish’ line. She knew I was beat and kept giving me small goals to keep me going! I was never so happy to see my sister in the parking lot waiting for me. Man sitting down felt SO GOOD! But there was no rest for the weary. I went home, took a shower, and then headed to church to host our Hopekeepers Wellness event kickoff. I was there getting people to sign up for the stairclimbing event and our walking for wellness event. I was there also showing folks how to play different games on the wii fit and wii active. I didn’t get back home until after 10 pm last night. You can imagine I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
So today, on Palm Sunday, I am sore and achy. I have rubbed my calves down with tiger balm. I am plotting my weekly exercise regime to help me have a bit more stamina to make it through a 7 mile hike next Saturday. I am also trying to regroup on my fundraising – It is time to recommit and I am going ALL IN, hoping that my friends and family will follow me and make those contributions that will make a difference in the fight to cure blood cancers!

YAY I GOT MY POLES!!

So I had to just share today. I about 1/2 of my gear today! I now am the proud owner of a pair of hiking poles and a new sports watch. I got a few other things today too but I figure that I don't need to share that with those men that may be reading :-) Now I need to get some hiking pants a few short sleeve shirts and a waterproof raincoat and I should be all set!!

Took yesterday as a rest day, only did the stairs at work. Today I was with my dad, but the plan is to start doing these exercises that Coach Greg recommended and maybe some dance dance revolution to get in a little cardio!

You all can see that I am dedicated to this!! Now I need to see yours! For those of you who love March madness, boy do I have a deal for you:

Get swept up in March Madness, take a chance on winning a piece of the jackpot worth $500 and help to cure cancer -- all at the same time! For a $10 donation, you get to complete 1 bracket. For a $25 donation, you get to complete 3 brackets. Be sure to enter a correct email address when you make your donation so we know how to get in touch with you! The tournament is starting soon so you must make your donation no later than Tuesday, March 16th by midnight to play in the bracket competition. You will be able to pick your teams between Sunday March 14th and Thursday March 18th at noon when the first games kick off. If you guys haven't done so, please take a few minutes to make your contributions via the website: http://pages.teamintraining.org/md/Yosemit110/WinForOthers.

TTYL

Is it Time for Pancakes Yet?

Apologies
All right team members, sorry I didn't post yesterday, but it was a busy day. After our training hike I went over to see my parents and we ended staying until the late evening. And before you ask, "Nope I didn't have a set of clothes to change into" so I was nice and sweaty until I got home. And the fam couldn't understand why I didn't want to go out to dinner :-)

Saturday's Training Hike
OK -- so now that I've made my excuses for posting late, lets talk about yesterday's training session. We headed out to Oregon Ridge Park for a 4 mile walk in the park and then the annual pancake breakfast. It was a GLORIOUS day for a hike, bright and sunny! And we had a big melt this week so while there was still snow, there were lots of patches of muddy ground too. Oregon Ridge Park is really nice, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have NEVER been there either.

Uphills, downhills, and stream crossings were the order of the day. I'd like to think I did a little better than last Saturday, but I am still bringing up the rear :-( I have a new name -- "The Sweeper". That's a polite athletic term that means 'the slow one' :-) Thanks to Coach Melissa who kept me company and encouraged me along the way Saturday as on one particular hill I was contemplating that I could still switch back to the marathon program and go back to my comfort zone:-P

So, other than figuring out how to pick up the pace, my big challenges for the day were climbing over logs and the steeper inclines and declines, especially in the ice and snow. Again, thank God for the hiking poles -- a great way to get assistance especially for me as I'm vertically challenged -- they helped me out as I swung my legs over logs and looked for ways to cross streams. Also gotta love the yaks -- they are grippy things that go over your boots to give you more traction in the ice and snow. Toward the end of the hike, my left knee decided to make its displeasure known, but again we managed to complete the day and get in for pancakes JUST at the bell!

And man were those pancakes and sausage good! And we had real maple syrup bottled right there at Oregon Ridge! After that we headed over to REI for a nutrition clinic. We got to try out a lot of different protein/nutrition bars and some electrolyte candies that looked and tasted like gummy bears. My original thought had been to try on some of the pants and make a purchase, but um.. I was way too hot, sweaty, and smelly for that. So it'll probably be an online purchase for me :-)

Overall it was a good day! I'm glad I stuck to it. And I will take Melissa's words to heart -- its only week 2, I have plenty of time to build up and get better at this. And I got some words of encouragement from some of the older members of my church congregation today when I whined about being the slowest one again. "At least you were there and at least you finished, and that's what counts."

How Hard Could it Be?!

So everyone told me that hiking was different than ‘just walking’, but really, how hard could it be? Well today was quite an eye-opener for me!
Well we did have our first hike last week. We walked around the Inner harbor and up Federal Hill. Well it was a bit difficult, but that was because I was basically hiking around in sneakers right? I mean I was more focused on not slipping and falling in the snow than anything else. So I remedied the situation by heading to REI to get boots, yaks, and a ‘hydration system’. Actually I was really excited because I finally had an excuse, er um I mean, a reason to get a Camelbak!
So appropriately attired, I figured a 4-mile hike at Patapsco State Park couldn’t be that bad. I mean I’ve walked 2 ½ marathons so what is 4-miles? And once we got to the site, my TNT mentor let me borrow a set of poles so I was all set.
Since you know there has been quite a bit of snow in MD, you might ask, “So were the trails cleaned off? I mean you all have had over 40 inches of snow in your last two storms”. Well, the snow was hard packed in most places and melting, but no, the trails were not clean down to ‘bare ground’ in most places. I must Thank God for Arden, my TNT mentor, because without those poles, I probably would have fallen many, MANY times today!
OMG – That hike was tough! And of course, since I am a novice, I was also the SLOWEST one too  (Sorry, team ) And not only did we walk up and down snow packed hills, but we also crossed streams and I even crossed over a stream on a LOG!! Talk about being out of my comfort zone! I have to thank my TNT team, coaches, and mentors with helping me with that crossing. Without them, I KNOW I wouldn’t have made it.
But I MADE IT!! I finished, albeit slower than I would have wanted, but I finished. I got home, took a shower, cleaned my gear, and have it ready for next Saturday. Will I do it again?! You BET!! I love a challenge and this will DEFINITELY be a challenge. And its for a good cause, to find a cure for blood cancers! I may complain and be a bit sore, but I can only imagine how many people who are suffering from leukemia, other blood cancers, or any cancer, would have LOVED to be outside with us on a beautiful day, hiking not matter how long it would take them to finish the hike instead of being in a hospital having treatments. I’ll be back out there next week, for them AND for me!