Last Hike of 2019: Covered in Snow

December 30, 2019

For once, Ice Box Canyon truly lived up to its name at Red Rock Canyon, just outside Las Vegas, Nevada.

The recent storms had covered the landscape into a winter wonderland.

Pine trees and cacti layered with glistening snow and icicles.

Parts of the the trail hardened with ice.

The crunch of my hiking shoes along the path was new, but a welcoming sound.

The springs shared the sound of rushing water, creating a sense of calm.

This was a hike I’ve explored many times, but today - it looked and felt different.

Much like how this year ended for me.

I had a clear vision of how 2019 should have ended, but the conditions told another story.

Petrified Dunes in Snow Canyon State Park, Utah.

A Change of Scenery

November 13, 2018

Ok, this is awkward… but I haven’t written a blog post in over a year.

I did NOT think it had been that long. Joke’s on me, LOL.

Obviously, I'm not getting paid to do this, so it’s not a big deal. But dang, a year is a long time!

The Therapy Trail

May 1, 2017

Crunch.

The sound of the rocky trail under my boots gives me energy. A purpose.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

With every step, every climb, every hike, I step further away from depression.

I struggled with it, on and off.

"How are you?" Everyone asks.

"I'm okay," I fake a smile.

Sometimes, I battled with depression, but no one can tell. Social media shows the filtered moments of my life. I take a selfie on the tough days. I choose the appropriate filter to hide the sadness. It's like dressing up for church on Sunday, while inside you're a tangled mess. Sweeping the dirt and crumbs under the rug, until you have time to deal with the real problem. I was the main actress in the film "Nothing Is Wrong".

You Will Conquer This Mountain

April 5, 2017

Defeated.

Exhausted.

Hopeless.

Just a few words that describe how I felt on this path. I could see the mountain ahead of me, but every day I became a little weaker in my stride. Every day I lost a piece of the compass. I forgot what the map looked like. My backpack became heavier.

Where was I going? Would I even be able to get there?

It was impossible to answer. I don't know.

Finding Balance on the Trail

March 15, 2017

Balance. One of those words you know is good for you, but you never get around to doing it, right? It's like that workout plan you promised yourself on New Year's. The diet that didn't last. The fancy water bottle you bought that tracks how much you should be drinking, but in the end, it's another 20 wasted bucks. Oh, I'll have more balance in my life tomorrow. Then tomorrow turns into a few more days. Months. Years. Whoa. You're in your mid-twenties, freaking out.

Where did the balance go?

Sigh.