Yup, my title summarizes this whole rambling but it doesn’t detail the horrifying/not so bad experience so I am here to entertain you with all of it. It is very detailed, you have been warned!
Finally, the one week break was over and I vowed to never take a long break from any form of exercise, ever again! I magically decided that the first day back was the perfect day to capture some scenic videos for my website and stock profiles. I decided to pack up my lenses, tripod, hiking gears, all in one bag, on my back, to hike all the way up, over 3000 feet, to Sandstone Peak!
Sometimes, even I can’t comprehend my thought process… sometimes, I truly don’t know why I think I am supergirl 🤷🏾♀️
Day One (Longest and Hardest day)
Okay, let’s start from the beginning. I was pumped the prior night, and neatly arranged my outfit for the next morning. This was going to be fun, I told myself, this was going to be a sound of music in the field, singing in the rain dance experience, I am ready!
I slept late as my eyeballs decided to stay open, I woke up not so early and dragged myself to the living room. I felt lazy, sluggish, warm, the couch so cozy and begging me to lay on it, I did.
I needed a boost, this was not the plan. I had my BSN Amino with BCAA and Glutamine mix, my Metamucil cookies, and some water. Got dressed in my thermal layers, workout clothes on, let’s get this warm-up pumping! Well, after all that, I sat back down and was hesitant on the load work.
The beautiful thing about Sandstone peak is that it shows you how many miles from the starting point to the trail divide, exactly 0.3 miles. Once you get to this point, you can take the Backbone trail directly to the peak or you can take the Mishe Mokwa trail.
That journey to the divide was very interesting… It was the most excruciating battle uphill, and I felt like all four months of practice went down the drain in just a week. I was sweating, puffing, hunched over, feet dragging, sore, and umm… incredibly gassy. Remember all the bloats and constipation from the break? Yeah, they ganged up on me for this hike... A very farty experience indeed.
I also dropped my camera at Inspiration Point, my heart stopped for a moment… Luckily, the lens survived. How did I manage to do this? I tried lifting the bag, forgetting the zippers were still unzipped. The result was my camera falling out, the cover flying to its corner, and me dropping the bag quickly... like that will undo the mess that just happened. After noticing the damage relief, I took a picture of my clumsiness, sat on the rocks, and ate my Sahale.
I am happy to announce that I made it all the way to the peak, and even further to Inspiration Point. I was able to get my scenic videos, I tried getting some ambient noise but there were more people than expected and their voices kept creeping in. Also, my mic upon playback kept capturing a weird hissing sound. I still cleaned it up with Adobe Audition, and the scenic video is now ready for your viewing pleasure. The link is at the bottom so stay with me.
PS - Time to start saving for a good sound recorder.
The view was remarkable but not as breathtaking as December when I first made it out there. This was actually my fault as I arrived late and the sun was already on full blast. The flies at the peak were also holding a meeting. Clearly, I didn’t get the memo ahead of time.
Day One was an incredibly draining experience. I got some strap bruises from the bag straps, my back locked in on me and gave me an excruciating migraine for the whole night, My whole body felt like I fell hard and rolled down hills on a graveled surface, my legs were incredibly swollen, it was a battle to fit my compression socks, it wasn’t fun. I had another dose of my bcaa and glutamine at 2:30 am and that worked miracles by 7:00 am. If I had any doubt on how effective they were, it went out the window that morning, those combos are truly magic!
Moral lesson from this - Even superheroes understand that getting back on track involves a slow and steady routine.
Day Two (Recovery Walk and Cherry Popper)
My second day on the trail was very short and simple, it was the very next day. I woke up for a second time at about 8:30 am, and continued the conversation with a friend from the day before, about going on a hike. I informed her I could do something not too strenuous as I was still aching. We decided to go to Stough Canyon, to see "The View."
It was a beautiful and memorable experience for me and hopefully for her as it was her first time, and the excitement and expression from her brought joy to my heart. I had no idea what to expect and never really knew what it would feel like to see that same reaction from a different perspective. It was incredible and I couldn't help but capture the moment before she noticed.
Day Three (New Shoe Test and CRZ Naked Feeling Leggings)
On day three, I woke up feeling like the old me. My ankles were not all there but they tickled hello to me and I wobbled hello back! We decided to take it semi-easy and visit Aliso Canyon park for a simple hike.
This led to the discovery of some unknown trails and mountains.
My Akaso Brave 6 Plus literally and figuratively fucked me over! I am still working my way around the video for a semi-smooth edit. I am still stashing my pennies for a GoPro.
I also used this day to test out my new Saucony Peregrine 10 sneakers, and my new CRZ Naked Feeling Leggings. Spoiler alert, I felt naked, it was transparent, and literally displayed the color of my underwear. On the positive side, it did tuck everything in the right place and my legs looked like I walked out of a toned room of legs! Damn, my legs looked good! I am also working on the review video and my final verdict. As for the sneakers, one word, BeastMode!!!
Final Day
Unfortunately, It was that day when one wakes up feeling unmotivated, the day when things refuse to align properly, and your hike becomes a destination to nowhere. I managed to push myself to get in some serious hike, enough to feel a nice beating! Mission accomplished.
Overall, I was entertained with my week back, not what I fully expected but enjoyed all the twists and turns. My first week back was a friendly reminder of the pains and gains endured for the last four months. Four more months to go with this journey, into the journey of maintenance. I will not fail this time.
Check out the visuals from the top of Sandstone, along with the mountain cries here