Week 4 : Faulty Trail #195

Faulty Trail #195
Distance Hiked: 7.0 mi
Elevation: 6,600+
Elevation Gain: 1,360 ft
Distance This Season: 11.85 mi
Elevation Gain This Season: 1,860 ft

Today I hit the trails again with the team after recovering from some medical problems last week. I wasn't sure that I was feeling up to the challenge this morning and started out slow bringing up the rear. However, I was surprised at how well I was doing and how great it felt to be on the trails again and throughout the hike got back up to speed.

The trial was very nice with lots of shade and greenery and a nice cool breeze. We had an early enough start that the temperatures were never unbearable. We had a tree sniffing poll to decide whether the ponderosa smelled like vanilla or butterscotch. I'm not too sure but I think butterscotch might have won that one!

The trail started out very steep and had a few tough climbs. It was pretty rocky but no one took a tumble thankfully! We climbed up Lower Faulty and joined Faulty Loop which took us past the fork for the South Crest Trail, which would be a great one to try out sometime (maybe when it's not so hot! yikes!!!)

On the way back down the loop we passed some beautiful overlooks. It was a tough hike and I was a little shaky coming down. I know someday I'm bound to have better balance, but the past 26 years hasn't been so successful! Ha!

It was a great hike and a great motivator for the rest of our season. We are way ahead of schedule and have a very ambitious group so it will be great to see how we challenge ourselves.

This week, my hiking mentor, Rick, and I are going to scout out the local grocers to set up an information table sometime in the next few weeks to get the word out to the public about blood cancers and the financial need of the thousands of patients battling them this year. Also, updates coming soon about fundraiser BBQ and wine tasting. Can't wait for the next hike!

If you haven't visited my LLS webpage yet, check it out. You can see how the fundraising is going and learn more about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.