Life After Peace Corp - 26 mile hike

Finally, the 26-mile hike is over.  With so much anxiety and high expectation.  I am glad I did not give it up and decided to train for it.  Nice to have a goal and stick to that goal, which makes life a bit more interesting.  Here is only section of my hiking story.  To read the entire article, stay tune with CMCNY.org website or contact the author

.......As we all anticipated, the most challenging part of the 26-mile hike was the hills leading to the Scutt Memorial and Irish Potato.  The cliffs on Scutt Memorial were always my biggest fear.  Looking down to the overhangs, I felt my leg muscles tightening.  Thirteen years ago my first 26-mile hike with Gin, he showed me a trick to stop cramping. I remembered what he said and tried very hard to fight the cramp.  It worked!  On the most dangerous section, Helen and I just sat on our bottoms, inched our ways down to the cliff floor.  Thank God it did not rain or we would have very wet behinds!  On our way to the Irish Potato, we caught up with Sandy, soon we saw Seita too.  Four of us arrived at the parking lot of the Fire Tower at 12:20pm.  Leo from the 6-mile hike team left us precious water there.  Two can of “Red Drink” were reserved for Seita and James.  Before today, I never heard of this high energy drink.  I took a sip from Seita’s can and disliked it almost immediately.  Water was still my beloved drink, cool, refreshing and with a taste of nature.  Love it! 

Four of us rested for less than ten minutes and headed out to the Fire Tower.  As a general rule, we were allowed to use the paved road instead of the dirt trail.  The paved road was steep but compared to the dirt trial, it was a much easier climb.  Sandy began to show down, Seita, Helen and I went ahead without her.  There was a lilac shrub along the trail.  Its lavender flowers were in full bloom.  I could smell its sweet fragrant in the air.  Its presence added a little excitement to my hike.  Each year, I looked forward to seeing her.  Here she was, beautiful as ever! 

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T he last two miles of the 26-mile trail remained a challenge.  By now, our bodies had already been tested to the limit.  Most people would slow down and complain about the everlasting hills.  Here in front of me was a narrow meandering path leading upward to a mountain top.   The sun had been playing hide and seek behind clouds whole day, and it finally decided to come out and stay.  Its rays casted a brilliant glow on the mountain top, illuminating every flora on the hillsides.  Trees with emerald leaves were shivering and sparkling, cheering and celebrating the arrival of spring.  Suddenly, I was full of energy, climbing up to the hill effortlessly.  Seita was having a difficult time to catch up with me.  I left him there and was content that finally, I was alone.   

It was a strange feeling to hike alone in the forest.  My mind began to wandering again, this time, I thought about Mr. Chen, how much I missed hiking with him.  I looked up the hill once more and I saw a familiar figure silhouetted against the late afternoon sky, a slim shadow of Mr. Chen climbing up to the Blauvelt Mountain alone…….. What was he thinking? Why did he never quit the 26-mile hike? What motivated him?  What was he trying to attest?  The questions I pondered for the longest time.  Today, I seemed to have the answers.

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