Every muscle hurts...

Today it was time to inaugurate spring with a hike. I decided to hike Spruce Mountain, a fairly challenging but close to home day hike. One quick trip to Wal-Mart for a day-pack later, I headed out to the mountain. Spruce mountain is four and a half miles up the trail which makes a healthy 9 mile hike. The lower part of the trail is a nice easy hike, but as you get further up the trail it gets very rocky, at times requiring climbing up huge boulders on hands and knees. Add in the steep incline and you get a workout a hell of a lot harder than any 9 miles on a gym treadmill.

Here I am starting up the mountain--it ended up taking me two and half hours up and one and half hours down, though that last half mile up seemed to take forever. There is a beautiful open grassy clearing before it gets really steep and I enjoyed a five minute rest to keep my fatigued legs from spasming.

On the way up a small brook is bridged with a couple of logs--one had broken so it made for a narrow bridge indeed. My balance isn't as good as it used to be, so that walking stick was an essential tool. Of course, the more I hike and practice yoga, the better my balance and overall fitness level will be.













This next shot is out of order--I'm approaching the trailhead at the end of the hike. Its nine miles later and I'm completely exhausted--my body hurts from the mid-back all the way down to my toes, but it was worth it to spend an afternoon enjoying the mountain and all the peace and beauty it has to offer.

















These shots are from the top of the moutain. It was a beautiful sunny day and you could see for miles and miles. The beads around my neck are called japa mala and are prayer beads. I had brought along my japa mala and some sweetgrass for incense, so I could meditate while I was atop the mountain. It is so beautiful (and rugged) up there that it is very conducive to meditation and prayer. As a matter of fact, it is on this very mountain I will be scattering my mother's ashes later this summer. She loved mountains and I think she would have loved this spot.















Now, at day's end, I am weary and very muscle sore, but deeply satisfied spiritually and emotionally. I am going to have to make a habit of hiking frequently. Once I get into shape, I would like to hike all 270 miles of the long trail. Ambitious yes, but doable, even if it is done in increments.