Hiking in the mid-2010s was not an enjoyable experience for me because I was always brought out to hike in the most extremist of conditions, whether it was far too hot for my body that I'll overheat with little to no water or far too dark to bring flashlights I barely see at all it’s always been an option for me where I have a question if a want to do it or not (one I would always regret). I did have an enjoyable experience in the snow once, but that was short-lived until I fell and badly injured my knee for me to not even consider hiking ever again. For years someone I was intimately involved with kept saying that she wanted to hike the Hoover Dam and we never got around to going due to many poorly made excuses (mainly because of the heat), but when my guide brought up the hike again shortly after something upsetting was said to me during a solo Vegas trip I decided to take on the challenge. It was a Wednesday afternoon when we began on this mostly flat trail, there were some twists and turns as we got to walk through some caves with bats deep inside of them, some artifacts (mostly gears) from the 1930s that were used during the construction of the Hoover Dam but overall this wasn’t a bad hike so far. It wasn’t until we got up to the Dam an hour and a half later where my guide said: “you know we are in Arizona right?” It was at that moment that some part of me had awakened because I had no idea that we had traveled so far that we landed in another state, and as we travel back to the car with this newfound appreciation for hiking and I somehow had the confidence to say to myself that I can conquer anything back at home. The only question was… Where was I going next?
The Tuesday after my Vegas trip I had this strange urge to conquer the Hollywood sign and it was on my mind throughout my whole shift at work, I was so eager to try this out that the minute I got home I just left and headed towards this hike by myself. What made this hike different from the Hoover Dam hike was that I did not anticipate the elevation being how it was leading towards the infamous landmark. The rejuvenation I felt reaching to the top made me feel somewhat unlimited, the only minor setback was someone that wanted to hike with me made a light joke saying about how out of shape I was afterward. It was at that moment that I said to myself that I don’t need anybody’s approval reaching a goal that I didn’t think I could conquer (especially by myself), even when they could’ve congratulated me instead of making comments like that I know now that I can do it on my own. Exactly one week later I went to head towards the Los Angeles favorite: Runyon Canyon, my first hike at the crack of dawn, and once again I was not anticipating the incline being this dynamic. I was thankful I was able to see the sunrise with the DTLA buildings together that morning, even though I was easily winded during this hike my hat goes off to those who jog this hike every week. As I was coming down from this hike I told myself: “If I’m challenging myself with the hikes here in LA, what about back at home?”
My third hiking adventure one week after that happened to be my favorite (Topanga Lookout Trail), I was so eager to try this hike that I went shortly after from work on a Monday. What I liked about this hike was that it wasn’t overwhelming for one person, the top of the hill isn’t far and the incline doesn’t leave you breathless. The real reward is going to the very top where you can see the rest of the valley, Calabasas, and even downtown LA from one spot depending on which direction do you want to look at. When I posted some of the shots coming down from my journey, my guide from the Hoover Dam also made a light joke about me hiking solo. This did not leave me unmotivated but it made me question who was supportive of me and who wasn’t, but by me posting the shots drew the attention of another photographer friend that wanted to take the same hike two days later but before sunrise and I immediately took the offer which turned out to be an amazing experience because I had never seen the sunrise from that high point of the valley before (we loved it so much that we went again some couple months later). My final adventure was a path that a friend told me about up in Calabasas that turned out to be a mistake for me because it took place at the steepest stairs in the valley, 11 flights of intense inclines to make your thighs burn on a hot March afternoon. It was so tiring that I thought I was going to throw up once I reached the top that I was knocked out for nearly 10 hours as soon as I got home, I thought I failed the hike then I realized that I was fortunate that I even did it the stairs in the first place. Since it was spring break weather I decided to take a break from any hikes but I haven’t been back since, but once it cools down I would like to do it again.
So why am I writing this today? Because I didn’t think I would enjoy hiking this much, or maybe I was addicted to the challenges that didn’t need anybody’s blessing or approval to push myself. I loved the idea that I was conquering something I previously disliked, I loved the idea that there was a personal goal waiting for me to achieve which made me up the scale with each new location I went to. I liked the idea that I was accomplishing something with every footstep towards the top, hearing my footsteps and hearing my heartbeat while I’m focusing on my breathing was a new soundtrack for me to witness as I’m hearing my body really pushing itself with every climbing step. It took me this long for me to realize that I was hiking with the wrong person, with someone that didn’t understand another person's limit. It’s not that I don’t like hiking with other people but I like knowing that I’m challenging myself so I don’t feel like I have to impress whomever I’m with, it was honestly one of the things that I can say that I’m proud of myself for this year. To this day, I still get offers to hike by the same individual that told me I was out of shape to hike but I still hold onto those demeaning words and I would rather do it alone. I do look forward to hiking again (maybe in the winter) because I do miss the idea of being out in nature and seeing the beautiful sights alone with my thoughts with the sense of determination heading towards the top and the feeling of accomplishment as I’m coming back down.
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