That Monster Hill, Those Shorts, This Face (6 Images)

Once again I had put myself into a position that  left me with no other choice but one.  Why do I do these things to myself?  And that, my friends, was a choice I did not know if I was up to.

And yes I am talking “up”.  For you see, in climbing down a hill (Hill? …) when curiosity got the better of me, I realized two things.  The only way to get back to my car (roughly one hour away) I either could climb back up that Monster Hill that I had just climbed down, or, test out a trail I was not familiar with.  Time won (I had to get back home to feed my cats.) and so I looked up at the OMG IT IS ALMOST STRAIGHT UP! hill preparing myself to start climbing.

I had not dared to slide down coming down that hill because, well you see, I had my most fav short shorts on.  Nothing to hang on to the pitch was enough that if I had stopped it would have probably “pitched” me forward.  Those shorts are so dang old it would not take much to tear them.  By golly, I was not about to ruin those shorts by falling or by sliding on my bum.  These are my fav those shorts.

Now where was I?  Oh, yeah, standing at the bottom of that Monster Hill questioning my sanity.  Trembling, really unsure if I could make it with determined Mind I began that climb.  Oh Lord here I go!!!  This is what I saw just before the climb of that Monster Hill before I transferred my eye gaze resolutely to the ground in front of me as I scanned thoroughly the way for me to safely climb Mt. Everest.

OK.  Here’s another look at that Monster Hill this time with me standing on top of that hill. (Picture was taken a week after this story took place.)  Notice the two young people making that very same climb and the young woman is having a great deal of trouble!  Also notice the red circle on this image.  That is a four foot high pipe line looking like a speck.

Below is a picture of this pipe line at the top of the hill.  It is exactly the same size as the one at the bottom of that hill  (Now are you getting a good idea of what I climbed?)

Next up is a drawing done by me, perhaps a wee exaggerated, (BUT that is how it felt as I climbed!) of a side view I drew of that Monster Hill with word illustrations along the way of that hellacious climb.  Oh yeah, this is the “rated G” version.

As I finally got to the top three years later, I gasped for air (OMG I cannot breathe!) desperately seeking relief in my acrid burning lungs.  Legs shaking ready to collapse the sweat poured out from every pore known to me. Fumbling to get a bottle of water from my fanny pack I attempted to guzzle water without my lungs bursting from lack of air. The urgency and desperation to breathe made it impossible to drink.

How I longed to pour that water over my head but alas! I only had 1 bottle of water left!  I barely had room for 2 bottles of water in my fanny pack, and besides, those bottles get heavy to lug on a hike!  Now I needed to ration my water as soon as my breath came back!

It was then I knew I had to do something to get me back to my car.  I was spent. Exhausted.  My legs felt like rubber and hurt like hell.  My face beet red seismic hot.  No No NO I would not pass out!!  Come on, breath, where are you?  Oh man, I just had to make it back to my car!

Somehow I managed to get back to the trail in shade that I knew would lead me back to my original destination.  I honestly didn’t know if I could continue.  So I did two things.  I took a pain tablet to calm the screams in my legs when finally I could drink water (that water never tasted better then at that moment!), and I took my cellphone out of my pocket with shaking hands to snap a “face” which I sent to my sister.  Not telling her the real “truth” of my situation, I texted:

It is SO HOT!!! Sis, I must be NUTS
for hiking in this weather!

I hit send and hoped just hoped she would respond.  Most of the time she doesn’t but this time, thank goodness, she did.  I could hear her “laughing” as she responded yes, Amy, you are truly a nut!! And that is when I broke out laughing at me, and, Sis, it is the laughter that lightened my body and got me back to my car.  THANK YOU!

And so here is this face that says it all.  The laugh is on me!! LOL

I hope you enjoyed my story for today.  I accomplished something I didn’t think I could and in doing so, I classified myself either being courageous or stupid.  A few days later I definitely said courageous as I could feel the results of that climb.

Sometimes in order to achieve
new results
you have to push through
doing something you
normally do not do.
That day I most certainly did!

Photography/ “That Monster Hill, Those Shorts, This Face” June 2016©AmyRose
@www.herladypinkrose.wordpress.com