I have lived a mere 5 miles from the base of a local hike called Poo Poo Point for over a year now. The hike heads up through a forest for about 3.5 miles and ends at a point that was cleared by a lumber company decades ago.  The cleared area is now a launch point for hang gliders.  On a clear day you can see the launch point from my house, and it is common to see a dozen gliders a day during the summer.
I have looked up at that clearing at least a hundred times and thought to myself "one day".
The hike is a reasonable distance with a medium elevation gain.  It is do-able.  Despite my best efforts I have been unable to convince any of my family members to hike it with me.
Today I woke up to a chilly, partly sunny day, and I decided today was the day I would take on the Poo.  I tried bribing my children to come with me but it didn't work.  Matt is out of town but he called the boys and tried bribing them to go with me too, it also was ineffective.
I was faced with a decision, bail on the hike or go it alone.
I was nervous about hiking alone because there are actual bears and bobcats up there.  And what if I fell down a cliff and nobody found me and I had to spend the night in the frigid forest with the aforementioned bears?  And Matt is out of town so the boys would be left alone and I would be lost in the forest with bears gathered around me having a picnic!
Or I could just go on the hike, enjoy myself and come home feeling victorious.
I opted for the victorious thing.
The hike started off fine, although old broken stumps in a shadowing forest do resemble bears or at least what I think a bear would look like in a forest.  About 1/2 way up it got really steep.  The pain in my calves was real and for a few moments I thought about turning around.  I sipped water, took breaks, and was invigorated to press on each time I came across another hiker.
1.5 hours into the hike I broke out of the trees and stepped on to that glider launchpad that I have been seeing at a distance for the past year and a half.  It was beautiful!
Not just a beautiful vision, but a beautiful feeling to have overcome my fears of hiking alone and just going, taking it on and putting my life in the hands of fellow hikers.  Not really, but kind of.  This trail is well travelled and I knew that I wouldn't be alone on the path.
Once on the peak I sat down with my snack and took a rest for a few minutes before heading down the hill.
Down proved to be a different type of challenge.  All that hill climbing that killed by legs and butt on the way up was now a battle between me and gravity.  Loose rocks, tree stumps, slippery slopes...they tried to literally kill me.  I tripped a few times and recovered well, but just before I reached the end of the steep part I ate it.  My feet came right from under me and I kind of started sledding down the hill, on my butt without the benefit of snow being under me.
I tried to catch myself and the result was a very awkward attempt that resulted in the most ridiculous hiking injury in the history of all time.  I did something to my thumb.  Who hurts their thumb hiking?
Ice / heat / ibuprofen... still super sore and I have lost the ability to do anything with my right hand that can't be done with my hand in the form of a Barbie Doll.
There is a weird clicking in my wrist when I move my elbow....this can't be good.  Hoping a few more days will bring healing because I really really don't want to go to a germ infested doctor's office.  Or worse....a doc in the box. (gasp)

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