Adventures in being a bad fiancee

[jethrien]

It seemed like a good idea, really, it did.

I like hiking - I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors. chuckro didn't. He's not fond of exercise, and he grew up preferring to stay inside and play with his Gameboy.

But skiing is an outdoors, physical activity that had seemed daunting, too. And once I got him to try it, he ended up liking it and having a good time.

I thought hiking might be the same way, too.

Apparently, I was wrong.

I will admit that my mother was right. We should have taken the really easy trail. Mostly flat-ish, rambling through the woods for 15 or 20 minutes to a spectacular overlook, watch the hawks for a bit, go home. But we'd driven all that way, and I hadn't been on a real hike for two or three years, and I missed it. And I didn't quite remember how steep the trail out of the basin was.

So my father and I insisted that we take the full trail. Which is a really nice hike - down one side of the valley, across the valley floor, up the other side, and back along the ridge. There's about 20 minutes of steep hill, and then the ridge is all bouldering. There's also two very short stretches of actual climbing involved. My brother and I did it when we were significantly younger and shorter.

And, well, in my memory it wasn't as ambitious a trail as it is in reality.

Chuckro was happy enough on the way down and on the flat section. But miserable on the way back up and along the escarpment. Because, well, it was hard. Really pretty hard. And this was pretty much the first real hiking he'd been exposed to.

So apparently I blew it. Mom was right, I should have eased him into it. Now he doesn't believe anything we say. (For the record, it was my father who declared that we were halfway up and we'd be at the top in fifteen minutes. I said it would take twice that. I was right. But I'm afraid now our credibility is shot when it comes to predicting how much more physical exertion there will be in the near future. Thanks, Dad.) Somehow, I doubt there will be much hiking in Chuckro's future.

Oops.

Comments

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I love the flowers,
I love the nature trails,
I love the gift shops,
I love to do my nails.
I love to drive up
Mt. Washington in my car.
Bumpersticker, bumpersticker, bumpersticker get me one.
Bumpersticker, bumpersticker, bumpersticker get me one...

*sung to the tune of "Boom-de-ada" which you won't know unless you went to my summercamp*

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know that song. From camp, yes.

But also from this horrible video I had to watch while babysitting some kids once.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Then you know the original lyrics, right?

I love the mountains
I love the rolling hills
I love the flowers
I love the daffodils
I love the fireside
When all the lights are low
Boomdeada, boomdeada, boomdeada, boomdeay
Boomdeada, boomdeada, boomdeada, boomdeay

I just always think of the spoof version when flatlanders talk about hiking. Getting the Mt. Washington bumpersticker is the height of bad taste in NH. Though I might be tempted to try it in a rental car.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

My brother's Boy Scout troop hiked up Mt. Washington as part of a week-long backpacking trip. They were so pissed at the cars. They made a point, I think, to be offensively smelly and dirty at the tourists.

[shnayder.livejournal.com]

Hehe. I really wanted to get one of the "The driver of this car RAN up Mt Washington" stickers this summer, but decided it wasn't worth the 3 bucks :)

Mt Washington is awesome. If I wasn't so crazy busy, I'd go there this weekend--there's already several feet of snow!