Hikes and Tears

I like hiking.  Really.  I do.  But it is also true that for the last few years I haven't made it through many hikes without crying about being too slow and holding everyone else up.  Or crying because I'm too tired, and need a snack.

This is Ray, Jeff, Jenny, Stephanie (hiding way behind Jenny), Tina, Brian, Derek and Me
at the top of R mountain in Rexburg, ID

Here is a view from one side of the hill

Here are family members being only slightly dangerous, but I turned around and
didn't look after I took this picture because I tend to panic when other people are up high with the
possibility, however unlikely, of falling.

I was grateful on this hike for Stephanie, Brian, and Derek who stuck at the back with me.  Stephanie and I took turns saying we needed to stop for a break.  When we got back from this hike I texted my kids that I was proud that I hadn't cried.  I almost did.  But I didn't!

This is on our hike at Coffee Pot Rapids on July 5th after our lunch break.
This is my siblings and me.
Tina, Me, Ray, Jenny, and Brian

Sherie and Derek

Us trying to get more of the river in the picture.

Derek sitting up high at the rock pile where we eventually turned around and went back,

On July 5th, as we trekked along Coffee Pot Rapids, my nice niece Naomi carried my lunch in her backpack.  I meant to bring a snack for my pocket too.  Oops.  So at around at a little after 12 my head started to pound and I thought perhaps I should eat.  It is so hard for me to stop a whole group of people and tell them I am hungry, especially when everyone else appears to be fine!  At 12:20 or so I asked Chris to get those ahead to have Naomi pass my lunch back.  We ended up all stopping and eating, and there even ended up being a rocky place by the river where most of the group was able to sit while they ate.  I sat on a log on the trail with Chris and Brian and Derek and managed to only let a couple of tears slip out.  That was pretty good! 

And then we kept going, and got to the rocky area, and I thought we were going to scramble over those rocks and keep going -- and I was done.  We still had to hike a couple of miles back out!  Derek said he would stay with me -- and then I cried.  I sometimes feel like I'm holding him back.  Not that I'm sure what is so awesome about hurrying ahead, but still.  Tina and Chris and a few others hiked a little more, but only because Tina and Chris thought the kids had gone ahead, when really they had climbed up and out of sight.  The rest of the hike went just fine.  I hiked behind Jenny and Tina and was able to chat with them a bit.

One of these days maybe I'll get over crying when I get tired, or hungry, or feel like people are having to sacrifice their fun because I'm slow, but I guess it wasn't that day!  So, I thought about reporting to my kids that I didn't quite make it tear free this time, but I didn't.  I just told some of them about it later.  For most of the time it was a lovely and fun hike, and so we'll just go ahead and remember that part!

Tina, Me, Ray, Jenny and Brian