Flagstaff Adventure: Mount Elder Lookout Trail

On my second weekend in Flagstaff, I agreed to go on another hike with J and A. I like having them around because they are very gung ho to explore the area and get out and hike. It was definitely one of the things that drew me to the Northern Arizona area, but it helps to have people around motivating you to actually get out and do it and not just talk about it! And with getting started, I definitely need some motivation and support. Ever since the car accident last year, I have been both physically and mentally limited in the amount of physical activity I have attempted. Unfortunately, even over a year later, I am still struggling a little with some ongoing foot and ankle pain, but I am definitely capable of getting out there and doing stuff. Frankly, it might even help, but I am a little scared of re-injuring myself too, so I find myself wanting to hold back a lot of the time. Then there is the whole factor of getting yourself back into the habit of being motivated to work out and being physically active. You are low energy and aren’t in the best of shape, so it is hard to get the ball rolling, even when you know that it will get easier and more enjoyable as time goes by. So this hike was definitely the most I have challenged myself in a long time. I am proud to say that I succeeded and had fun. I just took it easy and recognized my limits and abilities and didn’t try to push myself to keep the same pace of J and A. They didn’t leave me in the dust and we would catch up with each other regularly to check in. I think that is just my style as well. I like to stop and take it all in: Admire the scenery, take a few pictures, grab a drink of water… catch my breath. For me it is not just about the end result of getting to the end of th trail, but about the journey along the way. Oh yes, that is the other thing, I was still adjusting to the altitude which means that it was a lot harder to get the amount of oxygen my body needed in this thinner air.

Anyways, it was worth all the hard work and the views were amazing. There were a few side effects to embarking on this adventure. I forgot to put sunscreen on the back of my neck, so I ended up with a sunburn, which I have avoided for quite some time. The strangest thing is that it took two days for that to appear. Weird, eh? And, I did strain something in one of my feet. It is almost healed, but apparently despite my best efforts to be careful and not overdo it, I do still need to be aware of my limitations… and perhaps invest in a good pair of hiking boots. One thing I know is that I am going to keep on hiking and enjoying all the opportunities that this region provides. I continue to be amazed by the strange new scenery that surrounds me, and almost every day I say, “This is now where I live. Isn’t it freakin’ amazing?”

Here is the link to the trail http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/elden-lookout-tr.shtml

And here is a link to the pictures I took along the way.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2189941&id=18808643&l=9d57f81003