Throwback to the highest of highs (literally— 13,200 ft) and the lowest of lows (mentally, physically). This was easily the hardest day for me on the JMT, and hiking in general. Forester Pass enters the chat.
Honestly, the altitude kicked my ass, and I felt like I was going to pass out and/or puke for hours, which is terrifying when you are scaling steep drop offs for x miles of switchbacks over the sketchiest pass on the JMT: Forester Pass.
At one point I collapsed while traversing the pass, and I spent who knows how long just sitting/ laying there dazed, pack still on, trying to figure out if my mental fortitude was truly enough to overcome my physical limitations. I sat there, ate some Scooby snacks (obviously), got a pep talk full of nothing but support and love from the best hiking partner ever, Alexis, and went, “okay, one more try.”
I stood up and started moving at a snails pace up the switchbacks; one foot and one trekking pole at a time. After about seven or eight very slow steps, my dad’s voice boomed into my head out of nowhere, as clear as if he was truly right there with me. And here’s what he told me:
“There you go little girl, just one step at a time, just like that. You got it. Whatever you do, just keep moving forward.”
Choking back some tears, that’s exactly what I did. And I could feel mi padre right there on my right side, my little shadow, the whole way up, all the way to 13,200 feet. And damn what a feat and high once we finally reached the top!
So what’s the point of this post?
I guess my point is that life is shitty sometimes. And that’s okay. It doesn’t always feel okay in the moment, but we are surrounded by so much love and support both in this physical plane and beyond, and sometimes we just need a little reminder that we are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. With our team of love and laughter, we can do anything.
So embrace the suck, and keep putting one foot in front of the other no matter how difficult the task. You got this.