Hello hello! I hope everyone had an amazing Memorial Day Weekend 🙂 I was lucky enough to spend the weekend in Seattle visiting one of my oldest + very best friends. Seattle has always been a place that I’ve adored + after this trip I can definitely say it lived up to all the hype. I’ll do another post that touches on all the food + fun of my trip, but wanted to share my hiking experience first!
A huge reason I was so stoked to get out to the PNW was the hiking + reaching my goals on the 52 Hike Challenge. I have read so many other stories from people on the challenge about how emotional certain hikes can get or the kinds of revelations they’ve had while out on a hike + while hiking does do a lot for my mental clarity + anxiety, I never really had a moment that struck me emotionally….until now. I feel almost silly sharing this experience + putting my vulnerability on display but here we go anyways…..It’s about to get real.
I knew that hiking in the mountains would be much different than the type of hiking I do here in Wisconsin, but after conquering 22 miles around Lake Geneva I felt like I could take on anything. Boy, was I wrong. Kelsey + I had been looking for a good hike to set out on in Seattle + with the suggestion of some friends we decided on Wallace Falls. It was a short trail (5.6 miles) + listed as “moderate” in difficulty. Sounded ok enough 🙂
The scenery of this place was unbelievably gorgeous. Everything was lush + green + smelled so fresh. Being engulfed in trees + nature the way we were was simply magical. There were three main points on the hike: Lower Falls, Middle Falls, + Upper Falls. The beginning of the hike started out just fine. It was when we started hitting steeper switchbacks that I started to get a little panicked. It’s no secret that I am not in the best shape ever + I was seriously out of breath consistently as we climbed. It was not great to feel defeated + let down by my body. I had been hiking, working out + losing weight but the difficulty I was experiencing was like a slap in the face. I could feel my frustrations trying to escape my body by way of tears.
I ended up stopping at Middle Falls while Kelsey went on to Upper Falls (a decision I ultimately regret) but it was time that I took to reflect on myself, my health + my goals. I looked back to this time last year where I was 35lbs heavier, not working out consistently, + eating like crap. Had someone mentioned going for a hike last year, I would have found an excuse not to in seconds flat. I realized that while hiking Wallace Falls was challenging for me, the point was that I had the desire to do it. I had the drive to want more for myself than to remain in an unhealthy body + mindset. So, while this hike was hard + emotional for me, it simply reaffirmed that I want to continue making healthy choices for myself. I didn’t finish this hike in its entirety but that only gave me more motivation to keep doing what I am doing so that when I reach the next mountain (literally + figuratively) I can conquer it with no regrets.
Overall, this really was a great experience. I got into a good head space despite the setbacks I encountered + I feel motivated to ramp up my workouts, keep hiking + continue working hard to achieve my health goals. I am headed to Denver in a month + I am excited to see what changes I can accomplish between now and then!
“Achieving a goal is nothing. The getting there is everything” – Jules Michelet
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