The #VintageHikingGals couldn’t resist recreating a meme that’s been circulating online. It’s so fitting for us as we have been training since January for a two-day, 50-mile hike in Sedona, Arizona this spring. We are going incredible distances to feel alive. We are going incredible distances to help others.
As part of the Project Athena Foundation, we are helping survivors of medical and/or traumatic challenges live their adventurous dreams. Cheryl Moreno, Becky Chasteen and I believe in the organization’s mantra, “It’s not about the setback, it’s about the comeback.”
That’s why we hike.
Hiking Tunnel Vision before sunrise.
We recently ventured to Northwest Arkansas to hike the trails in Bella Vista for intense back-to-back training days. We got on the trail at 5 on a Saturday morning to hike nine hours. We trekked nearly 19 miles gaining an elevation of more than 10,000 feet. We found our way through the Tunnel Vision, Little Sugar and Lago Vista Spur trails. Nature was in full bloom and the sound of the waterfall near Lake Windsor Dam was extremely calming.
Following the nine-hour hike, we had to get ready for day two. Luckily, the second day only required a three-hour workout with one of those hours requiring a stair climb. The Coler Mountain Bike Preserve recently opened The Rise stairway in Bentonville and provided us with 185 steps, the equivalent of 11 flights of stairs. We love stairs.
Yes, I said it, “We love stairs.”
We love stairs!
We survived two grueling days of training our bodies and challenging our minds so we can tackle Sedona in May. The pain was real. But honestly, I’ve never felt so healthy and alive.
Gotta Hike My Friend 