4th year hike ... again

Last time I hiked the 4th year Sadie was just a brand new baby. I've since been called back into Young Women's as the 1st counselor which is over the Mia Maids. After the surprise of being called wore off the next thought was - Oh no, I have to do the 18+ mile 4th year hike again. We actually only had one 4th year on the hike this year. Lace the young women's president joined me and Hailey as well as her dad. It's a really, really rough hike. 

We gained something like 2,000 feet elevation in the first 2 miles. Your lungs burn, the air is thin and you can't breathe. We got separated from Hailey and her dad pretty early on. We took extra long breaks thinking they'd catch up...I loved the extra long breaks- I'm not gonna lie. I also secretly hoped we couldnt make it to the top due to too much snow like the last time we hiked. It was super cold this year. It snowed on us. Luckily it wasn't windy, I think we would have had a lot of hikers turn around. We persevered to the switch backs. That's where the biggest test of my strength and dedication came in for me. The switchback was shale rock just over a mile long. It took everything in me to put one foot in front of the other. I got to the point where'd tell myself; I'll count to 100 and then I could stop again. After probably a good 45 mins of a lot of stopping we made it to the top and signed the book!! Lace beat me, she was booking it up the switchbacks. 

We didn't stay long. It was cold, windy and snow flurries were falling. It was at the top we learned via the walky-talkies, that Haileys dad twisted his knee and had to turn around. Hailey pushed along and was still on her way up. We knew we couldn't wait too long because our muscles were tightening and it was getting late and cold. We passed her at the bottom of the switchbacks with tears in her eyes. This hike was taking every ounce of energy; emotionally and physically. She was hiking with Sister Skouson who was bringing up the rear. We knew she was in good hands. We hiked on down as she hiked up. Again we took long breaks hoping to shorten the gap between up. For me going down was horrendous on my knees. With every step I felt as though my knees were going to shatter. Obviously they didn't and I was fine a day or two later. 

Any-who, we made it to base camp and waited for Hailey. The switchbacks ended being a really heavy trial for her, her hips hurt and slowed her way down. She made it back to base camp just before dark. Lace & I and her mom & dad were all awaiting her arrival at the bottom of the trail. We waited a long time. We also were a bit concerned not knowing for sure where she was or how she was doing. It was a much anticipated reunion when we finally saw she was okay. 

Robby's knee ended up being okay, but it did take him 4 hours to go 2 miles.

So I murmured in my head the whole way down that I won't do this hike again. It's too hard, and my knees aren't cut out for this. But I have 5 girls moving up next year and I want to be the one pushing and cheering then on up the mountain. So until next year....

The bottom.

The top!

4th year hike 2011 - Ciara Jackson

Base camp also brought some very sad and emotion news for me, Ciara Jackson had died in a car accident earlier that morning. Ciara Jackson was one of the young women I took on the 4th year hike a few years prior. She was on my mind a lot durning the hike without even knowing anything about the car accident. There was one point in the hike where I laughted to myself because I remember a specific spot in the hike where Ciara was dancing circles around me as I was stopped trying to catch my breathe. She packed 1 water bottle for 18 miles while I pack 120oz. She was a spunky gal with a great testimony. She was such a sweet young woman and it hit me hard when I found out about her passing. I also found it intersting that she had been on my mind a lot during the hike. She'll be missed especially by the young women in the ward. We all looked up to her.