Dakota and I were in the Savannah’s Jeep and driving to see Dan. She had told me that the windshield washer wasn’t working on her ride home from Columbus, so I told her I’d get it fixed. On the ride out, I did. I called her from the Jeep. “Um…I’m driving to Dan’s and I tried the wiper fluid and it works fine. Just what do you do to engage it?” I asked.
“Hmm. I never really tried it on the way home because it didn’t work a few weeks ago. Wow…that’s strange,” she said. I’m not sure what she thought was strange…that it was working or that she hadn’t even tried it when she was driving and couldn’t see through the window.
Dakota and I headed for the park and a hike through the snow. We made our way down to the marsh and then tried to climb out without the benefit of a trail. It was a steep, slippery slope…slippery because the ground beneath the snow is still soft and muddy from all the rain we’ve had this year. Once it’s frozen, the footing will be a little better but the good news was I managed a heart rate of about 110 because the climb was so difficult.
I returned home and again hopped on the trainer. Netflix and National Geographic have me looking forward to the rides as I downloaded a documentary about Yosemite National Park. I was particularly interested in the two climbers who were ascending the vertical face of Half Dome, a trek that would take them three days…which meant spending two nights sleeping in bags suspended on cables and hanging thousands of feet above the rock floor. They made this tremendously difficult task look almost effortless, but it was anything but that. It is vertical for the entire 4,000 foot plus climb and takes tremendous skill, incredible strength and fitness, and a lot of courage. I have been to Yosemite, but not to climb and hike. It had the most spectacular sights I have ever seen in any park and is a place I most certainly want to return and explore in the back country.
I finished that show and kept riding right through another National Geographic special…this time about Denali National Park…home of North America’s tallest peak, Mt. McKinley. The show featured a group of 8 climbers ascending the peak, though this type of climbing has little interest to me. All is done in frigid temperatures at altitudes that require considerable time for acclimatization (the peak reaches 20,20 feet), dangerous winter/arctic conditions, and lots of money. I admire those who tackle these peaks…but it’s not for me. The good news is that it got me through another 75-minute ride.
And I needed all that exercise. Since Savannah was home for a visit, I’d stopped at Patterson’s Fruit Farm to pick up her favorite dessert – Dutch Apple Pie. I brought it home in time for the evening dinner and since we would be serving it to guests, felt compelled to assure its quality. I cut a little sliver and ate it…but…maybe I needed to check the other side. I did and they were both okay. Later, I added a scoop (or three) of Breyer’s All Natural Vanilla with Bean Specks ice cream to another piece…and it was okay, too.
Hike duration: 75 minutes. Bike duration: 75 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 80-110 hiking and 120 for the bike.
Calories burned: 375 for the hike, 1050 for the bike.
If you were impressed by those climbers in the documentary check out the recent 60 minutes piece. A guy free climbed the face of half dome..only gear was hand chalk
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