Death by Hiking

Death by Hiking



“Whew, I’m so out of shape,” I said ten minutes into the hike. I wiped the sweat from by brow and stood hands on my hips. The hike wasn’t long but it was rough on my legs. With each step up my unused limbs screamed and shook with pain. “Bry I need to stop for just a moment. You can go with the other boys if you want.”

It was the first day of my long awaited vacation. I was broke, so I had convinced my son to take me hiking and of all places, Tahoe. Not just any hike, but a hike to Eagle Lake, which is nestled in the mountains of Tahoe, California. At the moment it sounded like a good idea. But then we started our trek.

“Nah, Mom I’ll stay with you.” Bryon, my son, at twenty-four is not even winded.

I took long breaths in and try to release slowly, so I can get more oxygen into my body. The walk, usually thirty to forty minutes up to Eagle Lake, but for me it’s more like sixty to ninety minutes, with frequent stops. This was what I wanted to do my first day of vacation? What was I thinking? I’m not in shape and twenty pounds over weight, plus my back pack is another 5 pounds. Doesn’t sound like much but when you are out of shape it feels like a ton. I have to be insane right?

The view was spectacular. As I looked out toward Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay I saw the sparkle green of the Bay. The waves of the deep blue lake sparkle in the bright mid day sun. It was glorious.

Most hikers were done for the day. We pass quite a few people on the way up as they are going down. The lush pine trees grow off to each side of the trail. The trail is made up of rocks formed into a stair case, much like a stair master only much harder.

I took another deep breath and say “Alright Bry let’s go.”

“Okay, Mom,” he says as he takes his foot, pushes off of the boulder he was propped against. My son is a man of few words. His brownish blonde hair, more brown then blonde these days, is cut short in a nice man style. Everyone says he has my eyes, dark bluish green with specks of gray and yellow. His nose is small but proportioned to fit his oval shaped face. His smile always bright with beautiful straight teeth. When he smiles no matter what mood you are in you have to smile right along side him. He’s a handsome and physically fit young man. My heart swells with pride every day at the man I raised.

I walked in front of him. He doesn’t say a word about how slow I am. He is truly the world’s greatest son. I just keep on the trail as best as I can.

As we ascend further I heard a steller’s jay call. I spied the light blue body of the jay perched among the bountiful branches. He cocks his dark blue head from one side to the other as if to say “hurry up slow poke”. His wings, tail and breast are deep blue and the rest of his body a lighter blue. The jay follows us up the mountain stopping from tree to tree and looking back to make sure we are coming up the trail.

He and his friends keep my mind off my sore muscles for awhile.

We finally make it to Eagle Lake after countless of rest breaks and an hour and half later. The boys take off shoes and socks to wade in the coolness of the lake. It was truly spectacular the waterfall sparkles in the sun. I took a well deserved seat on a small boulder, pull my camera out of my bag and snap some beautiful scenic pictures to remember that I did not die taking a ‘short hike’ at Tahoe.

The jay that followed us up the mountain sat on a rock behind us in the shade of the trees. It was too dark to get a good picture of the bird, but I’m quite sure it was the same bird I spotted earlier. A golden-mantled ground squirrel scurries about the rocks hoping for a hand out. He had a light brown face, dark eyes; gray with black and white striped body. He was fat and quite cute. He’s in luck we throw him a piece of carrot. He took the carrot between his paws and examines it, then drops it. He’s not impressed with the food we offered him. Bryon then took a piece from his power bar, puts it on the ground by the rock he was sitting on. The squirrel runs over took the piece of power bar and makes a beeline to a safe place in which to eat the bar.

“Well I guess the squirrel doesn’t eat vegetables. Must be a teenager.” I say.

We all had a good laugh at the squirrel’s expense. Even the jay seemed to be laughing, as loud squawks are coming from behind us.

After about an hour or so Bryon asks “Ready for the hike down?”

Oh shit, that’s right I now have to get back to the car.

“Yeah I guess I’m ready.”

We got to the bottom of the trail and the jay cries out as if to say ‘goodbye my friends’. Bryon waived at the jay as if to say ‘see you next time’.

“Does that jay always follow you?” I ask

“I think it is the same jay. Yea.”

I arrived back to the car. Exhausted but alive!

“Mom do you want to do this again next weekend?” Bryon jokingly asks.

“Oh I wish I could. Maybe after I recoup.”

Every sore muscle was worth it to spend time with my son.