Mt. Pierce
Submitted by Pat
Stats
Mountain: Mt. Pierce (4,310)
Date: January 4, 2019
Weather: Sunny, mid-20s
Miles: 6.2
Elevation Gain: 2,412
Trails: Crawford Path
Today is Nancy’s 65th birthday and we’re climbing Mt Pierce in celebration of her life. I lead, but it’s a hard, slow uphill slog, though stepping out of the trees to view the southern Presidentials is astounding. Such a breathtaking sight. It’s a warm day – temps in the low 30’s and upper 20’s – but once exposed above tree line, we experience some wind. That brings the temperature down and fast! I need warmer clothes and Nancy needs to change.
During the long climb up, Nancy makes space for me to talk about my most recent bout of depression. It helps to talk. We talk a lot about the adventure she proposed about hiking around Mt. Blanc in the French Alps. 104 miles in 10 days and she doesn’t want to sleep in rustic huts where the sanitary and sleeping facilities are all shared. Been there, done that. She also doesn’t want to carry a heavy pack, and wants to stay in her own room with bath and luggage moved each day.
My concern about this plan is that I’m not called to do it. Not yet anyway. I’m worried about spending upwards of $5,000 and I don’t know if my body can walk 10+ miles every day for 10 days. We can build in a rest day if we spend more money, but I don’t know if it would be enough.
I have gained weight with all the sugar I am eating. I’m afraid to step on the scale. I need an exercise plan besides snowshoeing for a mile and a half every day. I need to call and talk to someone — a personal trainer? Yoga for seniors sounds like a good class but I’m struggling to make the phone call to get in the door. Or go back to the gym for a month so I can get a little stronger, stretch, and feel less anxious about exercising around other people. I don’t think I have workout clothes that are big enough to feel comfortable wearing.
Nancy needs a goal. I hear her angst as we hike and talk. She is called to Mt. Blanc, or something totally awesome like it. Having me, her hiking partner, feel reticent to jump on board makes it hard for her and she holds that pain inside her heart.
I, on the other hand, don’t have goals. I live in the now and I know that I need to lose weight but don’t have a goal to motivate me. The goals I have reached through hiking were the first I have ever had and I became extremely motivated to reach them, but hiking goals are harder now. The 111’s, all the winter patches, the long trails. Blah…
So we are both struggling, and though it’s beautiful being close to the sky, we are both looking for answers.