JUST A WALK IN THE PARK

Yesterday was a gift from the Gods. Exceptionally awesome weather, 68F, slight breeze, blue sky…. first day off in a long weekend. I was up for playing, decompressing. I wanted nothing with worries, a list of “to dos” and responsibilities. The hubby and I headed out for Taylor Falls for a long hike/ rock climbing fest. It’s a long drive but a beautiful one and very much worth it. Taylor Falls is a gorgeous area.
We get to the park and started our trek. The trail started off easy since they expect beginners to be able to enjoy it. It was winding, up and down, with tons of rocks, roots and trees to deal with. The path winds around rock cliffs to circle back to the river. Hmm…. a giant rock pile covered in trees and moss… spells challenge to me. Mark should have known he was in trouble when he saw me leave the house wearing my hiking boots. The heck with the nicely laid out trail. Giant treacherous rock pile… here I come.
Photos do not come close to do it justice.

Challenging taks to say the least but so much fun. Find the right foothold, the right grip for your hands… do not step on cushy moss… do not hold on to an unsecured rock…. Always make sure you have a good 3 points hold (between 2 feet and 2 hands… it’s always a safe bet to secure 3 of those appendages). Focusing on the task at hand I found I forgot about all the troubles of past weeks, all the “to-do-cannot-wait” list. Just what the doctor ordered. Lots of hard work later I found myself on top of the cliff. WOW… what a spectacular view. It was well worth the climb. Having chosen the easy well laid safe trail I would have missed this.
How many spectacular things do we miss by always choosing the safe approach? Life is worth enjoying to the last drop. Challenge yourself today, get off the well traveled road and enjoy the scenery.