Santa Claus returns to the Mountains

Tomorrow, we head back to Red River, Mexico for our annual vacation.

This will be the true test for my legs and feet.

A year ago, I was 6 months into recovering from Tendon Transfer Surgery on my left ankle and foot, and 1 month into recovering from surgery to have my spinal cord stimulator implanted.

Red River is my favorite place on the planet because of my love of hiking in the woods. Last year, I did virtually no hiking whatsoever. Just walking a block in order to get our daily fix of chocolate and fudge was too painful on most days. My surgery on my foot and ankle had been a complete failure. Within a few months of the surgery, my foot had rolled right back to it’s previous bad position, and now I faced walking on the side of my foot with no tendon support whatsoever left on the outside of the foot and ankle. I went to an Orthotics place to see about getting yet another type of brace that I could wear, only to be told that making a brace to properly hold my foot into position would most likely be at the cost of my tearing up my knee in the process.

But, like I have done since I got hurt in 2009, I learned to adapt. I adapted and learned how to walk with the least amount of pressure on my bad foot and ankle. As you might remember, I made it to a point to where I actually walked 13.2 miles in one day earlier this year. A few weeks later, I felt pain in my bad foot and immediately took time off from walking.

Aside from a full day of hiking around Disneyland, I have not done any long walks or hikes since that latest scare with the pain.

So, now comes the test.

I’ve readied the trekking poles, two pairs of hiking shoes, the leather hat, the large knife to protect me from predatory chipmunks and squirrels, the bug spray, the water, and the sunblock.

It’s time to hit the trail.

If all goes well, I’ll do 3-4 real good hikes of more than 6 miles each, at altitudes from 9,000-11,000 ft. Years ago, I tried a hike to a high alpine lake called LOST LAKE. Most people thought I had no business even attempting the hike. I ALMOST made it. I got to within a half mile of the lake but turned back when I reached a rather narrow section of trail hugging the side of a rocky cliff. I’m gonna face obstacles like that with regularity on the Appalachian Trail, so I’ll just have to GET THROUGH IT and keep pushing up the trail.

Hopefully, if all goes well, I shall be posting pics of LOST LAKE once I get home from Vacation. I will be posting updates as to my hikes on the FB page during my time in Red River.

So, it’s off to the mountains!

See ya’ll on the FB page in the coming days!

Happy Hiking!