Bright and Early Thanksgiving Morning We Headed Out...

This year we reunited with an event we participated in when we lived in Florida, so many years ago.  Back in those days my son was getting into a healthy life style, working out and building a power body.  He really got us all started with his 5Ks.  I would go to support him, you know that motherly thing - be there for your kids.  I began to feel all the energy of the races.  It was awesome and I came alive walking around watching everyone else.  The problem I had was creating this energy so I could get myself out to walk or run during everyday moments.  At that time I did a better job than I do now.  The longer I go without a job the harder life seems to be getting and the stress levels are through the roof.  These factors seem to keep me tagged to a chair.  I am one of those feeling people.  What a bummer, it means my entire life moves by the energy I am in.  I have tried different jobs, different homes etc etc but have not succeeded to create the atmosphere that best fits me as a person.  Maybe that is why I want to walk the Camino.

Anyway back to the story, for several years we would walk the Turkey Trot in our local area and then head home to enjoy our Thanksgiving meal.  It felt good to do something for others before giving ourselves a gift.  It was an accomplishment of giving and on a perfect day.  I wondered why more people didn't do the walk.  It is not hard and all types are there so everyone fits in somewhere in the vast field of human bodies.  I would start in the front because I knew I would finish near the end and I figured this would delay my inevitable decline to the back of the pack and allow me to walk over the finish line with others.  Of course the others were there because they started there, it did not reflect a lack of physical fitness, just a choice of crowd they walked within.  And now, now I start 15 minutes before everyone else hoping I will finish before the end of the pack.  Hummmm!

This year we decided to return to the Turkey Trot (to earn our meal as we put it) and my 3 year old grand daughter came with us.  We as a family have been working all year on healthy eating and weight reduction.  Bright and early we rose to eggs and bacon, a good protein boost, Lord knows we have enough stored carbs, no need to stock up on them.  Off we went, my grand daughter was all excited to run the race.  She said she was going to win and that she was faster than anyone and she would beat them all.  God bless her, she was riding on my shoulders before we completed the first of the four miles.  She has a bit of her grand mother in her, that bit that thinks' I can do anything' and then reality sets in to slap me up the side of the face to let me know that I think bigger than my abilities.  Chuckle  Chuckle

So, with some coaxing she managed to walk about 2+ miles, here and there and rode on my shoulders the rest of the 4 miles.  It was a long walk.  All the coaxing took time as she would sit and mope.  The long and the short is we took one hour and 40 minutes to walk 4 miles.  WOW!  That was a slow trip but we got it done and she finished the walk.  Next year we will try it again and I am sure she will do much better.  She is beginning to learn that she has to work at things to become good at them.

My daughter had a super trip, she has been working out with a personal trainer for about 4 weeks.  She finished in 58 minutes.  So awesome, go girl.  My son in law finished a bit later and then came back to meet us stragglers.  Truth be told he was ready for some good Thanksgiving food and it was home in the oven warming up.

As a side bar: I used to do this in 45 minutes, what a change.  I would like to get back to this.  Maybe next year. I hope to meet all of you out on the road turkey trotting one day.  Hurray for us all!

Happy Holidays to one and all
buen camino
b

It is Holiday time once Again

... and I would like to wish everyone the best of holidays.  This is a season of joy and tears all mixed up in the hurriedness of shopping, cooking, wrapping etc.  So much emotion all packed into a couple of months.  Maybe we are so busy not feeling the rest of the year that we have to get it all out in a short piece of time.  What ever the reason, it is here and we are zooming through it with the speed of light or we are sloughing through it wishing we didn't have to do this.  What ever is the result know that if you decide to take on a thing like walking the Camino, this too will be your experience.  This walk is a place to reflect on our natural ways.  Maybe even try to make some changes, but alas that is up to you.

For me, I am looking for the time to clean up the last parts of my 'house'.  Then I desire to replace the old mind/house with a new one.  IN this new one I am soft yet strong, wise with no need to let anyone know this, kind, considerate, able to SEE why people do things therefore in my compassion I help if it is requested and walk on for those not ready. Understand joy and be joy, understand laughter and be laughter, understand all-encompassing love and be all-encompassing love and last but not least be grateful in all of life's many happenings.

Douglas Everett sums it up very nicely:
  There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and  then there are those who turn one into the other.

Happy Holidays to one and all and may your dreams and reality unite into one world. 

                                                                                                                           
Barbara

Coyote Ridge Hike - A surprise at the top

Part of the view on top of Coyote Ridge

 I have been getting on meetup.com a lot to find groups to connect with as well as places to hike.  For those of you that have not connected with Meet Up, it is a wonderful site on the web that gives you lists of various types of local groups.  Pick the one or ones you wold like to interact with and click on them.  You usually have to join.  Easy thing.  They will email you events and gatherings. 

As I searched for upcoming activities, with new groups,I found a site that is a group of hikers.  O! How I would love to do this, and will when I am a bit faster.  These people have been hiking for a long time.  My measly shuffle would leave me behind in a matter of minutes.  BUT!  They had scheduled a night time hike.

This intrigued me.  I wasn't sure if I was up for a hike in the dark so I decided to head out in the day time and check out the trail.  My research brought good news.  The hike is a straight line from the back of our home, across some prairie.  Driving directions took me around the prairie and another development.  In a matter of minutes I was at the trail head.  Just what I have wanted, easy quick access.

This is the reverse view from the top of Coyote Ridge - my car is back near the homes and there are 3 ridges and 3 valleys to go over to get to the top of Coyote Ridge

I stepped out of my car, looked across the prairie and said, "I can do that."  Attaching my car keys to my waist loop, grabbing my water bottle and slipping on my back pack, out I headed.  I had on shorts, t-shirt and a sweat shirt.  It wasn't long before I was taking the sweat shirt off.  I think Colorado is a big, no  huge projection on the earth.  Why? You ask.  Because it is November, the temps are in the 40's and sometimes the 50's and I am hot.  The sun beats down so strongly here that even in winter temps you can hike in shorts and a t-shirt.  For a person who was born and brought up in Vermont I am finding this a bit weird.  I leave the house with all my cold gear, just in case (the reason for the back pack).  Alas, I never seem to use it unless I am still out when the sun goes down.

In school I read about the prairie and the desert.  They kept saying it was hot in the day and cold at night.  I would repeat this bit of information with great gusto, feeling like I knew what I was talking about.  I never had a hint as to the actual truth.  I had no idea what it was truly like. I could only relate it to my life in Vermont and Florida.  Never shall the twain meet, their is no resemblance in any way, shape or manner.

Lugging my winter clothes off I went.  Today it is in the low 40's.  My first adventure was a field full of Prairie Dogs.  They are so cute.  Here is a pic:

Prairie Dogs Ft Collins, CO

 They were everywhere.  Their cute little bodies pretending they are a pile of sand, standing as still as a statue waiting for you to walk on by.  As soon as you leave their sight they begin to talk to each other.  It is so cute.  One would speak, silence and then another would answer.  This kept going for the duration of my travel across the FIRST prairie.  Yes, the first prairie, You read that correctly.  I was in for a surprise as I continued.  The ground began to loop up and I thought, "This was an easy walk, I can do this in the dark."  Such an innocent I am. 

I crested the first ridge to find another valley and another ridge.  'O, okay,  I need to cross this valley and go up there.'  I thought as I walked along the first ridge.  I had met several people coming back from the walk, never thinking I should ask questions.  Being the 'seasoned' hiker I was, I headed down the trail confident I can do this.  Across the valley, I found myself in the yard of a home.  Hummnm,  with an outdoor privy.  I guess I'll just borrow that for a moment.  Slipping quietly in the door giving thanks that I didn't have to pee on the prairie, once again I was ready to hike on.  No one was around so I just walked on through the yard and up the trail I found behind the house.  It was getting a bit steeper. 

Then it turned sharply to the left and walked up and around the corner of the ridge straight into a big mud pit.

Remnants of my forerunners, bike ruts as deep as my ankles are tall, foot prints showing suction holes, and snow.  Yes, it snowed a couple of weeks ago and it was still on this trail.  I hadn't thought of mud or snow and was in my sneakers, not my boots.  For the first time I experienced the feel of huge clumps of mud adhered to my shoes.  I felt like Frankenstein with his thick soled boots.  The added weight made me clumsy, sharpening my nerves as I slipped along the trail with a wall of stone on my left and a cliff on my right.  One 'ophs' and I would be sliding down a raven. The stories of lost hikers flew through my brain as I realized I hadn't told anyone where I was going.

Just then a policeman came along on his bike and all thoughts of tragedy disappeared.  We chatted about the trail and how safe it was for me to walk by myself anywhere around here.  I only had to watch out for the bears and rattlesnakes.  Now, I don't know about you, but which would you rather have a hoodlum or a bear or a rattlesnake?  I am thinking I might fair better with the hoodlum.  Hummmm!

I did ask him about the trail.  I had to go around the ridge, cross another valley and climb the last ridge.  The last ridge had a long switchback.  This part was pure rock, yes rocks not boulders or big things but little ones that like to turn your ankles and see if they can scratch them all up at the same time.  I missed a lot of the view in this part as I dared not take my eyes off the trail, that's how I bumped into, or almost, a man on a bike, would you believe, riding down these rocks.  Yes, riding down this steep trail filled with rocks on a bike.  That must be why his hair was white, he scared all the color out of it.  Smile

Shortly after that a little lady with hiking poles walked past me.  She was no where to be seen and suddenly she was passing me.  I looked incredulously at her.  She smiled and said she hikes this area a lot.  She had on a shirt that had a circle with a big 75 in it.  Apparently she is 75 or older and the member of a hiking group for those 75 and older.  I wanted to hang my head down and bury it between my legs.  I was so ashamed of my lack of athleticism. She shook my hand.  I have never felt such power in a hand before, not from a male or a female.  This woman is who I would want around if I got in trouble.  She was a good example for me and I will keep her in my mind to remember where I want to be.

That is ridge 2, I am standing on ridge 1

Looking out from Coyote Ridge across the next valley and beginning to see the Rockies in the distance.

 

 

 

The trip was a bit longer than I had anticipated but well worth it.  I look forward to walking this trail again, with my boots this time.  Also, next time I don't want to be short of time.  I want to stay on the top of the ridge for a while and just take in the beauty.  A city girl gone wild,  before long I will be riding horses and roping cattle.  Chuckle!  Chuckle!.

Ultreya buen camino
b

An Interview of Paulo Coehlo about the Camino

The Spanish Camino on the left and the French Camino on the Right

As you can see their are many paths to complete the Camino in France. They all join with the original Camino in Spain.  Today, the many roads traveled in Spain to get to the Camino, are now Camino walks all in themselves.  They come from the north, south and west or Portugal.   Many have reverted to these trails, once used as a way to the Camino, for their Camino, as there are less people traveling them.  The Camino Frances or the Original goes over the Pyrenees from St Jean Pied de Port, into Spain and  across northern Spain to Santiago de Compestella.  It is said to be the burial place of the Apostle St James, son of Zebedee, one of Jesus' first disciples

Here is an interview with Paulo Coehlo from Newsweek:

The City: Santiago de Compostela

Nov 6, 2011 10:00 AM EST

Paulo Coelho undertakes a pilgrimage to a sacred, starlit Spanish site. 

 Yes, today we have many wondrous means of transportation. Airplane tickets are cheaper than ever, while driving Europe’s new highways can be a delight. But of all the cities in the world I know, Santiago de Compostela is the only one where the most agreeable way to arrive is…on foot.

 

Just as each Muslim is required, at least once in his life, to retrace the Prophet Muhammad’s footsteps from Mecca to Medina, first-millennium Christians knew that blessings and indulgences awaited those who made at least one of the three sacred pilgrimages of the faith. The first led to Saint Peter’s grave in Rome, by which travelers—or Romeros—bore the symbol of the cross. On the second route, worshipers took palm fronds to Christ’s tomb in Jerusalem, just as the ancients did nearly two millennia ago to greet Jesus as he arrived in the holy city. Finally, there was the road to the grave of Saint Tiago—known in English as Saint James—whose mortal remains were said to be buried in the Iberian Peninsula on the night that a shepherd envisioned a field under brilliant starlight.

Not just Tiago but also the Virgin Mary were believed to have gone to the site shortly after the death of Christ to spread the Gospel and convert souls to Christianity. The place was called Compostela—the starlit field—and soon a city was born there. It became a magnet for worshipers from all over Christendom; known as pilgrims, their symbol was a conch shell. In its heyday in the 16th century, the road to Santiago de Compostela drew more than a million pilgrims a year, from all over Europe, who guided themselves by the light of the Milky Way. On their heels came believers humble and exalted, including Charles the Great, Saint Francis of Assisi, and Isabel de Castilla.

For centuries, seekers have walked the dusty roads to Santiago de Compostela in search of enlightenment., Peter Marlow / Magnum

When I set out for Santiago nearly 30 years ago, starlight was the last thing on my mind. But one afternoon, there I was, in a café in León, surrounded by chattering travelers alight with stories about their trek. The town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port was miles behind me, and I was already better than halfway to Santiago. In a matter of days, I would turn 39, and though I had no idea at the time, from that moment on nothing in my life would be the same. But here, on the road, the landscape ahead looked monotonous and flat. Behind me was no different, except for my own boot prints etched in the dust, which the wind would erase by nightfall. Everything seemed surreal. “What am I doing here?” I asked myself.

That question would haunt me in the days and weeks to come. How absurd, making a pilgrimage by foot at the turn of the 21st century! OK, so I was chasing my dream. Ever since I was a child I’d wanted to become a writer. But was I really ready to do what it took? After all, it’s so much more comfortable and far less risky to have a dream; but trying to live that dream could bring frustration or defeat. Besides, I was no longer a child.

Despite my doubts, I pressed on. My trek to Santiago would become my first book, The Pilgrimage, and open the door to many others.

You can do a lot of writing and rewriting in your head over 25 days and 800 kilometers. Along the way, I passed a number of guesthouses and pilgrims of all ages, each carrying the telltale conch. I met couples celebrating their golden anniversaries and chatted with stressed-out business executives who’d decided to take a month off to chill and rethink their lives. Everywhere I turned, there were students, young people who were just learning the gift of meeting and mingling with others like themselves, from all over the world.

A day’s walk from Santiago, I recall the small hill, Mons Gaudí, that pilgrims can scale to get their first glimpse of the iconic city and its immense cathedral at the end of the Milky Way, those torches that have been beckoning them through each incredible day of their journey. In the mid-1980s, a mere 400 people a year completed the walk to Santiago as I did. By 2010, some 450 were streaming into Santiago every day.

The stone church is the same as it has been for centuries, but by the journey’s end, it is the pilgrim who has been indelibly changed. Along the way, each traveler discovers how little he really needs to get along in life. After three days’ walking, everyone ends up shedding half the weight in his backpack. Lighten the load, preserve the body, and tend the soul. Those are the lessons of Santiago de Compostela, the city at the end of the road best taken on foot, as it has been for centuries, one step at a time.

 

 Paulo Coelho’s most recent book is Aleph.

 

The End

 Ultreya and Buen Camino

b

 

My First Inspiration for Walking the Camino

I was walking through a bookstore when a book caught my eye.  It was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.  He, at the time, was new to America being a Brazilian author.  It was his first translated book, as far as I knew.  Riveting!  I just sat there and read and read and read until it was finished, but not without many markings, turned down pages and explanations of my own.  It became a text book of sorts at the time.  I was new to the world of "create your own life" (at least consciously) and soaked up everything I could.  I was entirely focused in remaking my world, dramatically.  I no longer wanted to be where I had wallowed for so long.  Little did I know how long it would take me to really make a difference and how much my mind, subconscious beliefs, were running my life.  I had periods where I was on top of it and doing well then it would suddenly rear it's head and The Old would pop back in in a new disguise.  One day I was an angel and the next I was a coyote, the trickster, really messing up my life. 

I fell in love with Paulo 's writing and searched out more translations.  Soon I was devouring his words.   Then I found The Pilgrimage.  I sat down and began a whole new journey in my life.  I found a great big bag of fear hidden in me.  It slowly opened up, kind of like a Pandora's box.  I thought I was really moving forward and making all the changes I wanted in my life and creating this new fun existence.  Suddenly this box brought in a whole new set of poooo.  This poooo smelled awful and I felt ashamed.  I had been teaching what I had been learning.  You know, learn, give, get more routine.  The path had been guiding me well until I found this hidden pile of poooo.  I think it had been hidden for many centuries because it was a smell so great that it would knock you out with just a wiff.

It was when I knew I needed to walk, get into nature, meditate etc to clean out this box within me.  BUT, life got in the way.  Along with life I made a few misjudgements for myself and off I was lost in a tangent.  One of my real life problems, keeping focused on what I truly wanted.  My family could just whisper and I would change my life in an instant for them.  They didn't have to ask for anything, I just would notice a need and give up my life and change for what I thought they wanted.  Such  a crazy lady.  I actually had a problem doing what I wanted and had to fight to do it.  I would always acquiesce. These bad habits put me in a place where I was unable to do the walk and I became lost in my own rabbit hole.  Constantly wishing I could find a way to get out and go for my walk.  I worked at it for years but for some reason beyond me, I kept hitting walls, not just walls but thick stone walls.  It was as if I was trapped in a stone box and try as I might no one would come help me and I couldn't seem to get out.

Then one day I found a bit of stone that was disintegrating.  I grabbed it and worked it until out I popped.  Now I am out and have come up with another idea of how I can manage to do this walk.  If this works out I will be walking next year.  This is my inner journey that I have sought to attain for many years.  Those demons from the Pandora's box have been doing a good job on me.  This blog is my public way of making things happen.  Remember fear is all part of the ethereal area, it really doesn't exist unless I allow it to be there.  But this old lady has been allowing it to run me, without even knowing I was doing such a thing.  The walk puts the fear hidden in the box right out front, ready for me to face.  I have tried walking at home but the duration is never long enough.  Remember, I have become very efficient over the centuries at hiding and pretending it doesn't really exist.  It doesn't exist, but because I hide it I give it validity.  Forced to walk for 6 weeks and deal with every day to day challenge in a foreign country where I do not know the language (and I will be in areas where they do not speak or know English) will bring out this hidden Beelzebub and I will be able to take back my power once and for ever.

Ultreya, buen camino

b

Catching up!

Isn't the fall the most beautiful thing?  Yes, the colors are amazing and next comes snow.  Wha hooooo!

It has been a real experience moving to Colorado.  I haven't been able to keep up with my postings as life has been very scattered lately.  Starting off with ending up in the emergency room the next day after I arrived to having an operation 4 weeks later.  The blood loss really did a job on me.  When I was in college I had an extreme blood loss but recovered quickly enough that I did not really notice it.  BUT, once you are over 60 it seems to be a new agenda.  I was down and out for a few weeks.  I did go out and try to hold up a happy face but ooooooooooo so little energy.  Then, the blood loss caused an iron deficiency.  I didn't find out about that until after the operation.  It takes a bit longer to get blood test results here. So off to the health food store to get some Hemaplex.  Then I realized I needed more oxygen and ordered some liquid oxygen to put into my water.  This threw off my magnesium so I added this.  After all this stuff I am finally not aching all the time.  I am at my best right now, since this all started.

I have been walking in my neighborhood, with my new found walking buddies, and have started to work with the Wii.  I am excited about my reduction in my weight and have begun focusing myself to drop into a new 10s before thanksgiving.  I am now back to my 1998 weight.  Yeaaaa.  Today I started the Wii fitness to back up the walking.  I need more exercise with my upper body.  I did my waist today.  I started a Yoga class last Thursday and hope to continue (the teacher said she will be off and on available for the next 2 months due to classes she is taking).  I am also job hunting and networking at events to find a job. 

All of this activity plus having family around more than I have had in 15 years, has been keeping me busy.  My goal is still for my walk, I just don't know if I can make it next spring, may have to be next fall.  One thing about all these changes in my life is I seem to be more flexible about when I go.  Before it had to be in cool weather and no rain and now I am shifting to 'whenever'.  I love this new flexibility.  I am also  experiencing positive and negative thoughts.  I have always been a person who may bitch a bit but always went back to the positive shortly.  So I maintained a positive belief system.   But there has been an underlying fear that has brought about things I would prefer to not have in my life.  I have been struggling with changing this for a few years now.  This trip is part of this.  I am scared to take off to a foreign country all by myself and try to make all the things happen that has to happen to be able to walk the Camino.  I have traveled a lot but always with others (in foreign countries).  There was a sense of safety with another person along, whether it is true or not I believed it.  But now I am going to hit 3 countries and walk all by myself and find my way by myself.  I am scared I will walk so slow that the Albergues will be full by the time I reach them and then I am scared I will have to sleep on the ground outside by myself with nothing but a sleeping bag.  More stuff running around my head and creating subconscious belief systems and messing up my life.

Sunday I visited the Unity Church here in Ft Collins.  They have a hilarious minister named Lynn.  She keeps you in stitches as she shares each week.  This week she talked about the time in her life when she was lost in negative thinking.  Hummm  synchronicity?!  Well she told the story of her dumping all her stuff on a minister friend and at the end of her tirade the minister looked away from her towards the window and smiling said. "O look, the geese are flying."  And, she just smiled and continued to enjoy the geese flying over head.  Lynn said it took her a bit to get what she was trying to teacher her.  But suddenly she understood the the minister was trying to tell her to refocus.  Something about her story and all the laughter, it hit home.  I am now practicing re focusing every time I think a negative thought or I hear a negative thought.  If this works I will be slim, trim, vibrant, healthy, youthful and athletic by spring and will have income, time to take the walk and a special man in my life.  I don't want much do I?  Smile.  It is about time I get some good loving in my life.

Buen Camino
b

A Great Waterfall Hike in Utah

Once again hiking with the family.  We met up with my son and daughter in law in Salt Lake and headed for the hills.  It was a perfect week end.  The fall foliage was everywhere.  The roads and all the hiking trails were as busy as well.  Everyone else jumped at the chance of seeing some great colors and enjoying what we were sure would be the last days of summer, the cold edging in slowly. 

I am from Vermont.  If you want to see foliage then that is the place to go.  Color! Color you have not seen here in the Rockies.   These are beautiful and very enjoyable but a bit more subdued than the Vermont colors.  All in all I got some great pics.

Instead of driving all the way up to the trail head we parked just off the road and walked up the access road. 

The rest of us waiting to take off.

Getting the grand daughter all set in her pack.

The gang all heading up the access road

Ceanna didn't want to walk the road.  But the minute we reached the trail and the rocks and the more difficult climb she wanted out of the backpack and began climbing.  Apparently she finds road walking boring but loves climbing over the rocks and up the trails.

The trail brought a lot more interest. 

As we moved along I was beginning to think this was going to be a piece of cake.  Wrong!  I began hearing people talking about this and that boulder they climbed over.  I immediately decided I wasn't going to climb over any boulders.  Wrong again!

This one was very interesting.  I am taking the pic from the top so it doesn't really show the difficulty. It was narrow with little footing, at least flat footing.  There was quite a bottle neck of people waiting to go up and down while the kids would just dart up and down the choppy sides.  We got my grand daughter down it and then it was time for me.  Thankfully my son was there to help.   Of course my son and daughter in law could do this blindfolded as they are the real athletes of the family.  The rest of us just go out and pretend, hoping one day we will be better.




Once  we reached the top we discovered that to get up the waterfall required a small climbing feat.  Since I told myself I was not doing any such  thing, I had to do it.  I have this thing, if I think I can't do it then I have to do it because there can't be such a thing that owns me in fear so I face the fear and do it anyway.  I just wish the fear would go away.  So I keep pushing myself.  Here are some pics of my challenge.

I made it

As you can see this is quite a waterfall and in the spring with the snow run off it must be a sight to behold.

From the beginning

I had to walk over rocks to cross the water in one section and climb up boulders to get on the trail to the left of the trees.  On the right there was a small rocky climb that took  you to the shallow water for crossing.  The deeper water was so full of rocks that a good footing just wasn't there.  Also, to note, it was the beginning of October and the water was still as cold as ice.  I noticed this as my foot slipped off a rock and splashed in the water.

I have many more pics of all the beautiful foliage of that day and the family.  We had a fun outing along with some great exercise challenges.

I am trying to work many different muscles and still feel that I am better off outside working them than inside a gym.   I am finding it a bit tougher here in Colorado.  Sometimes I feel like I didn't even do all the work I did back in Charlotte.  It is a bit disconcerting.  I thought I would be further along my now.    It is not far till next year and I need to be in a lot better shaped than I am in right now.

I have been doing a lot of hiking around the neighborhood with some new walking buddies and thought I would be in such great shape by now.  I had this obvious inflated ego regarding my skills.  So what do I do now?  I could easily give up since the pain and tiredness is getting to me.  Can't do it sometimes sets in.  BUT I want to do this so I am going to have to just ignore the pain and just do it.  Today's hike has me all tuckered out and I am going right back out tomorrow morning and do it all again.  Maybe this pain is why a lot of the people hiking the Camino seem to down a bottle of wine every evening.  Hummmm, not a bad idea. 

If anyone has any experiences of walking sore please share.  I won't give up because I really want to do this but could use some reassurance that this pain will eventually go away, or I could start drinking, chuckle chuckle.

buen camino
b

The Poudre River Trail and the Family

Heading out for a great ride

 This was a real excursion.  It took about 2 hours just to prepare.  Getting out the bikes, pumping up the tires, putting the chariot together and deciding which tricycle to take.  Then loading the cars.  I can only carry 2 bikes and the chariot so the tricycle and other bike went into the kids car.  Off down the road the caravan went, in hunt for the trail head.

We arrived to find a nature center at the trail head with birds of prey.  We had lunch and then jumped on our bikes.  Earlier I had said this was 18 miles round trip but have since learned it is 22 miles round trip.  Since we had the little one and she kept wanting to ride her tricycle we only did half of it.  That was 11 miles in all and my 3 year old grand daughter peddled about a mile of it on her tricycle.  What a trouper.

The trail was a mixture of terrain.  I was surprised at all the underpasses and places where we had to get up onto the highway and cross a bridge or a street to continue.  I was a long piece to be doing this.  There was my bike, the chariot and then the tricycle.  We estimated I was pulling an extra 85lbs so the up hills were not easy.


Here we are:  

Mema, Ceanna and Daddy in the background

Here is Ceanna trying to keep up with Mom and Dad:

Ceanna peddling away

 

 

 

Mom and Dad got away:

Ceanna trying to catch up

Yeaa  rest time

 

 

We were out riding for 4 hours, including a stop at a playground for Ceanna to play.   It is easy to get her out on these trips if their is a play ground involved.  She  is still quite young but we want to break her into being an active part of life.  It is amazing to me how much I missed over the years not knowing what fun it is to be out and truly enjoying what this wonderful earth has to offer.  Even though I grew up in Vermont, I grew up in a city and with a father that took his sons out camping, fishing etc but his daughter was not allowed to come because girls don't do those things, that's for men only.  The same thing happened when I asked to learn how to mow the lawn.  Weird father.  So it took me years to get over his training.  But I consider myself a lucky one because I found/discovered how great life can be if you just get out and enjoy it.


I have an operation coming up that is slowing the training down but after I will be pushing even more.  I am trying to get a job that is very physically active as another way to help rebuild this body.  For this trip, it didn't have any dramatic events but it was enjoyable as well as a real push pulling 85 extra lbs up the hills. I felt like I had a great work out.

buen camino
b

The Book said this was an easy Trail. Ya right!

This is an easy trail?

Now you tell me, does this look like an easy trail to you?  Who is this easy for, a trained climber with lots of experience?  Yes, I am sure it is but for this mature lady, my 3 year old grand daughter and the puppy I think not.  The kids were fine with it.  But getting the dog and my grand daughter safely up and down this mountain was a chore all in itself.

We headed out for a leisurely walk knowing that I am recovering from all that blood loss.  We checked the book : 'The Best Fort Collins Hikes'.  The trail we picked is called 'Black Powder Trail'.  I know why it is called that.  The ground is covered in black, loose sand or powdery dirt.  It is slippery and the trail is narrow with steep sides.  A roll down the mountain at certain points would probably mean the end, at the very least one would be all tore up.

The book describes the trail this way (of course my daughter picked the trail and I only read the info when I returned home):

"The expression 'all over the board' springs to mind as efforts are made to assess the difficulty of the Black Powder Trail.  The consensus of a CMC focus group was 'easy' because it is a short distance and 'moderate' because of the elevation gaining switchbacks.  The city's website lists the trail as 'moderate to difficult''.  So, if you've been looking for an 'easy-moderate-difficult' hike, you've arrived.  Lace up you tennies and start chugging along."

The view as I walked or puffed up was beautiful

 

 

 

 

The switchbacks were narrow and stoney.  We all had to keep our wits about ourselves.  It isn't real long, about 1.5 miles up but it was steep.  Being my first hike in Colorado I was a huffin and a puffin.  Definately a good work out.  I am very glad I did it.

After quite a long haul and lots of stops I saw the top - yea

I stepped up over the top, or so I thought and look there is more.

Just when I thought I was done I discovered their was a lot more to do, albeit not as difficult.  If you look close the kids are off in the distance.  I turned around and got this great shot.

Looking back from about half way up the mountain.  What a view.

I headed across the fruited plains (isn't that the words to a song?) and finally climbed the last part of the hill.
We all made it safe and sound, but there was still the trip back down.

The family 

 

Here is a shot of the view at the top on the back side of the mountain:

I have a bit of a height thing and this picture was difficult for me to get as my body was stiffening up and my fear factor was live and screaming.  I can feel it now just looking at the picture.  Whoooo is me, a mountain climber I will never be.  But hills are just fine, as long as I stay away from the edge.  I must have been a sacrifice in a past life.

Refreshments came next - my granddaughter Ceanna age 3

Then the eventual trip back down.  We had some discussion about getting Ceanna and the dog back down safely as the trail is steep, slippery and narrow with cliff like sides.  Over you go and you won't stop for a long way.  We set up a safe way to flow down and off we went, teaching Ceanna about going down slippery hills.  It was a long trip to the bottom but here we are.

Safe and sound at the bottom and Ceanna is all tired out.

We all headed for the river to cool our feet.  I had my first experience of walking down a very steep hill.  My toes kept trying to come right through my shoes.  I kept splaying them to keep them from hurting so much.  Luckily I wore my toe socks and this helped to keep blisters at bay.

AWWWW  Mema this is great come on in.

Nothing like a cold river to revitalize the feet after a tough climb.  I think I will pick the trail next time.

All in all it was a good day and a good work out.  Even with all the things going on I have lost another 5 lbs since I have been here.  I have been out walking around town and in the neighborhood trying to get back all the strength I had before the blood letting.  This week end we are going to bike the Poudre River.  It is a 9 mile long trail, one way, so 18 miles for this Saturday.  I will put the chariot behind my bike.  Ceanna will ride her trike until she gets tired and then she can get into the chariot.  Mom, Dad and Mema will ride along.

One last thing.  I do want to be honest here.  It has been tough and I have lots of aches and pains but it is all worth it.  After, I always feel better and I love the new body I am creating.  We went to a movie this week and I loved how comfortable it was to sit there.  I also love how loose my clothes are getting and the size changes.  So even though it is difficult it is worth it.

Buen Camino
b

My First Hike in Colorado - The Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area

Recovery has been a while but out I am gently allowing my body to regain some of it's strength and endurance.  I can tell you one thing, loosing a lot of blood really affects one.  Muscles don't work so well when you are short on blood.  There was a lot of resting, eating good foods and moving slowly.  I am amazed at how much I lost in my conditioning I have been doing over the last 8 months.  I decided to head out for a short 5 mile prairie walk, thinking it would be fairly flat and fairly easy.  Well, that is not what happened.

First let me tell you a bit about this place I picked for my first walk.  Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area, known as a jewel of the high plains, is an excellent and rare example of how the Colorado Front Range looked before it was settled. The rolling terrain, wetlands, and grasslands support a variety of plants and animals. The shortgrass prairie landscape, consisting of prairie dog colonies that attract a healthy raptor population – golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, rough-legged hawks, red-tailed hawks, and Swainson's hawks – also supports a variety of other wildlife. Horned lizards, ground-nesting songbirds, butterflies, rabbits, coyotes and rattlesnakes can also commonly be seen.

As I entered the park their were many warning signs and directions on safe travel through the prairie.  The signs primarily focused on rattlesnakes.  Now, I don't know about you but for me rattlesnakes mean run, run as fast as you can in any direction they are not facing and don't stop until you are in the next county.  As I contemplated the intelligence of walking among rattlesnakes I saw the second sign.  "If your are bit please follow these directions. 1. Lay down, don't move.  2. call 911."  I stopped right there.  My mind shouted, 'If I am bit please lay down!  Not on your life, that dude may want to finish me off if I just lay there and hand myself over to him.'  Anxiety grew about the intelligence of this decision to walk in a prairie full of rattlesnakes after losing so much blood.

I calmed myself by reading about the prairie and it's history.  It was telling me that this land had not been plowed or changed in anyway since before the area was settled.  It has been preserved.  The thought of walking on ancient land that had not been altered by man since the beginning of time excited me.  I don't know what I thought I would see but the feel of the ancient land sounded beautiful to me.  I imagined the swaying grasslands, an occasional flower, made all the more special by it's scarcity, sun beating on me as it did when the settlers walked west and the mountains, The Rockies.  They reached for the sky leaving me as a dot in the middle of this big open grassland.  The pull of being in the midst of such untouched beauty dragged me onto the trail.  I settled for the middle of the trail hoping for more room to jump if I saw a rattlesnake.  The kind thing the city did for all of us hikers, and I want to inform you here that most of the other people were on bikes - maybe they knew something I didn't, was to pave the trail and mow, very short, the grass on the sides.  It helped.

I cautiously walked out into the fields, eyes surveying every inch, at the ready.  Soon the majesty of the area took over and I no longer paid any attention to the possibility of snakes.  The trail wove up, down and around and the sun grew hotter and hotter.   Turning back towards a settlement the trail wove up.

 Then back toward the valley with the mountains framing the future.

The trail is only about 5 miles but with such an extreme blood loss I found my legs having a hard time and my body was affected in new ways by the heat.  Tired, I decided to head back, after only about 2 miles, and conker the full trail another day.  It is almost as if I am starting all over again.  ugh.  I imagine after my operation I will have to do this even again.  But for now we will continue building this body and maybe, just maybe it won't be so bad later.

Thanks for staying around and sharing my life experiences and my prep for this great 500 mile walk next year.

Buen Camino
b

I have arrived in Colorado and will meet Martin Sheen tonight

I have so many words for this move to Colorado.  It was the biggest challenge in my life.  I found myself in many unusual situations.  The stress factor was through the roof as I was constantly having to make decisions about things I did not know anything about.  Kind of like Russian roulette.  Each time I pulled the trigger I hit an empty chamber, thank God. 

I arrived Tuesday morning at 11am.  Started unpacking, preparing to leave again on Friday to visit friends in Santa Fe, NM.  But I guess the Universe had other ideas.  Ended up in the hospital emergency room Wednesday evening bleeding uncontrollably.  Released and at the Drs office today for tests. 

In the between time I discovered I had an invitation to the private showing of "The Way".  The movie Martin Sheen and Emilo Estevez did of the Camino.  So tonight I am going to meet Martin and Emilo and who knows who else.  Life never seems to stop surprising me.

Next week we find out the results of the tests but for now I am going to enjoy this wonderful gift of the private showing and meeting famous people. 

I hope to be climbing in the mountains next week. 

Buen Camino
b

PS:  I started learning Spanish on my way across the country.  I have  down several words after the first 2 lessons.  Soon I will be bilingual, finally.  Only took 63 years.  Smile!  Better late than never.

I'm on the Road to Colorado this Friday

Today I go off line for a while.  We are cleaning the house and tomorrow I load the trailer and the car.  Friday I head west.  Colorado here I come.

It has been a long 6 weeks of sorting, giving away, selling, packing and saying good byes.  Finally I am ready to head out.

After the labor day week end I will get my computer set up again and will begin hiking and sharing.  I must say that all this packing has increased my muscles, endurance and abilities physically.  Although it has been a very hard time, today I am exhausted, it has been very good for me.

Thank you for waiting out this time and staying with me.  It is quite an event getting ready to walk the Camino when you must loose substantial weight and rebuild the body before you can go on it.  It might be said that this desire to walk the Camino is saving my life.

Buen Camino everyone, until we meet again on these pages.
b

Over 30,000 people completed the Camino in July 2011

The Cathedral at Santiago de Compostella

I received the following information and found it very interesting.  I began thinking about what it would be like to have over 30,000 people on the trail at the same time as me.  I have read continuously that one can walk alone or join others as they walk and thinking about 30,000 others out there I was wondering how I would walk alone.

Maybe that is why I am planning on walking either May/June or Sept/Oct.  It won't be quit as busy.  Sometimes I wonder what I would do if the refugos were all full.  Would I be able to make it to the next town?  Would I sleep out in the open?  I hear that no pilgrim goes without a bed, even if you have to sleep under the tables in the local bar after it closes.  Chuckle  Chuckle  I can hear it now,  Hi kids, it's mom.  I spent last night on the floor of the local bar!!!!   What an adventure this is going to be.

I hope you enjoy the stats.  This walk is getting to be even more popular.  So many are seeking this experience.  As for the people over 60 traveling, they tend to go when it is a lot cooler.  July and August are the peak heat times.

Buen Camino
b

This information has been released. 

During the month of july 2011, 30.836 pilgrims were received at the Pilgrim's Office. The number of pilgrims in the past Holy Year, 2004, during the same period was 31.896. Of those pilgrims, 13.594 (44,08%) were women and 17.242 (55,92%) men. 26.104 (84,65%) pilgrims arrived on foot, 4.653 (15,09%) by bicicle, 73 (0,24%) on horseback, and 6 (0,02%) pilgrims on wheel-chair.

Pilgrims by sex

	Men (55,92%)
	Women (44,08%)

Pilgrims by medium

	Foot (84,65%)
	Bicicle (15,09%)
	Horseback (0,24%)
	Wheel-chair (0,02%)

Pilgrims' Age:
12.142 pilgrims were younger than 30 years old (39,38%), 16.071 were between 30 and 60 years old (52,12%), and 2.623 were aged above 60 years old (8,51%).
Pilgrims' Motivation:
Religious: 13.131 (42,58%)
Religious and Cultural: 15.666 (50,80%)
Cultural: 2.039 (6,61%)

Pilgrims by age

	30 - 60 (52,12%)
	< 30 (39,38%)
	> 60 (8,51%)

Pilgrims by motivation

	Cultural (6,61%)
	Religious (42,58%)
	Religious and Cultural (50,80%)

Pilgrims' Nationality:
Spanish: 20.271 (65,74%); Most of the pilgrims came from Andalucía: 3.740 (18,45%); Madrid: 3.550 (17,51%); Cataluña: 2.389 (11,79%); Comunidad Valenciana: 2.236 (11,03%); Castilla León: 1.444 (7,12%); Pais Vasco: 1.349 (6,65%); Castilla la Mancha: 1.063 (5,24%); Galicia: 893 (4,41%); etc.
Foreigners: 10.565 (34,26%); Most of the pilgrims come from the following countries: Italia: 1.713 (16,21%); Alemania: 1.645 (15,57%); Francia: 1.034 (9,79%); Estados Unidos: 700 (6,63%); Portugal: 677 (6,41%); Polonia: 423 (4,00%); Irlanda: 366 (3,46%); Holanda: 309 (2,92%); etc.

Spanish Pilgrims

	Andalucía (18,45%)
	Madrid (17,51%)
	Cataluña (11,79%)
	Comunidad Valenciana (11,03%)
	Castilla León (7,12%)
	Pais Vasco (6,65%)
	Castilla la Mancha (5,24%)
	Other regions

Foreigner Pilgrims

	Italia (16,21%)
	Alemania (15,57%)
	Francia (9,79%)
	Estados Unidos (6,63%)
	Portugal (6,41%)
	Polonia (4,00%)
	Irlanda (3,46%)
	Other countries

Pilgrims' Profession:
Regarding the professional fields, the majority of pilgrims are Estudiantes: 9.110 (29,54%); Empleados: 5.659 (18,35%); Profesores: 3.844 (12,47%); Tecnicos: 3.480 (11,29%); Liberales: 2.518 (8,17%); Jubilados: 2.053 (6,66%); Funcionarios: 1.526 (4,95%); Obreros: 730 (2,37%); etc.
Starting Points:
Most of the pilgrims received in this period started their Way to Santiago in: Sarria: 6.916 (22,43%); S. Jean P. Port: 2.536 (8,22%); Cebreiro: 1.848 (5,99%); León: 1.657 (5,37%); Roncesvalles: 1.573 (5,10%); Ponferrada: 1.562 (5,07%); Astorga: 1.441 (4,67%); Tui: 1.337 (4,34%); etc.
The Chosen Routes:
Most of the pilgrims chose Frances-Camino de: 22.447 (72,79%); Portugues-Camino: 3.004 (9,74%); Norte-Camino de: 2.767 (8,97%); Via de la Plata: 1.081 (3,51%); Primitivo-Camino: 941 (3,05%); etc.