The saga continues........
Yesterday decided to dispense with the 'intermediate' trails and go directly to the "very difficult" one......Ford Canyon......Hey, people walk it all time, what could be so difficult?
Gorgeous weather, not many people out, except at the very first, then I was wondering why they all disappeared......trail was fine, rocky and had to watch your step but not a biggie........for the first 3 1/2 miles....then there was a sign.....
"Hikers use caution, hazardous travel conditions beyond this point"
Didn't look dangerous to me....
Stopped to rest, drink a bit, and enjoy the scenery.
Proceeding slowly, I started to get just a bit concerned when the trail started getting a bit steeper, the footing looser, and the rocks bigger.....then came to the point where there are cliffs to one side, and sharp drops to the other.
The rocks in the path got bigger, the footing got looser, the drops got sharper and the freaking path got narrower!!!
And I realized I have a horror of heights.....must have been about the time my balance started going, and my legs started shaking.
Finally came to a point where the path curved, was very very narrow, and there was a huge boulder sticking out into it, making it even narrower with a lovely drop into cholla........and immediately sat down with my back to the cliff.
I can't remember the last time I was so scared.....knew I couldn't go forward, looked back and didn't want to go that way either......so there I was.
Took out my cell phone, texted a dear friend, and told him the stiuation. He called, and talked my down out of my near panic... thats all I needed, really, I knew I'd get down eventually but at that point I had hit a wall. Hey, if nothing else, was looking out at a beautiful vista, the weather was nice, and it was early....no hurry.
I turned around, and made my way slowly down the 3/4 mile or so of that nasty path....some of it on my butt, because going down is way scarier than coming up! Finished the rest on my feet, and logged somewhere between 7-8 miles round trip.....not bad for an old lady.
Lessons learned?
No more Ford Canyon. Have met my match there. Nature wins.
OH, and the tennies that have worked so well on regular rocky paths suck on loose dirt/rock paths.....apparently I"ve worn the soles smooth.....
Get some hiking boots.
Things to be grateful for? A friend who doesn't yell at you when you are scared and tells you that you shouldn't have been there in the first place...just talks until you are calm. Had no one been available, I would have calmed down eventually, he made it so much easier.
If you are reading this, you know who you are and I thank you again.