Sunday took him back to the workshop and left me with a day to have to myself, well sort of, but I took it for me anyway. The day couldn't have been more beautiful and I knew the crowds would be out in droves. That was okay, I needed to go for a hike to enjoy the sun too. So I did.
I opted for Rattlesnake Ledge again mainly cause the hike was a good climb, easily accessed with crowds, and it is quite the view at the top and my time was limited for I had a dance class to teach too, so clock watching was imparative.
I quickly loaded up a backpack making sure this time it was 25lbs, grabbed my new trekking poles that were a present to me, and off I went. As expected the area was crawling with people and dogs, and, and, and....
I just focused on what I wanted to do and accomplish and I did it.
The hike wasn't as stressful as it could have been...YAY...but I did work....YAY! The view was exceptional this day too. The only thing I had issue with is "hiking etiquette"...it is a pet peeve of mine as it is turning out.
What is hiking etiquette you ask? It is yeilding "the right of way" to another hiker or being courteous of other hikers when on a trail...wow, manners? Imagine that.
Hiking is a fun activity as it should be for those that like it. But it is also a dangerous activity, since there are trails slightly rocky or narrow or slippery etc. Accidents do happen, people have been know to be killed if not just injured, in fact on Rattlesnake Ledge a man slipped and fell to his death from up there. Not an activity to be taken lightly. :)
So with that, I try to be very aware of other people on the trail and I always say hello or acknowledge with my eyes as I am trekking along. I even give way to those that are overtaking me because they have longer legs and "they win" that way. But, a lot of people don't do that or maybe they don't know...I don't know. I do know it is irritating, especially when people are being reckless not only with themselves but potentially with others on the trail.
One major rule is yield to those going "uphill", so that means all those people coming down very easily, let the struggling person going up...go first. :) Plus that slows down those people coming down since momentum can take over at times. :)
One of these reckless events actually caused me an injury from this last trip.
I literally got my shoulder slammed by a young man that he and his buddy had decided the "needed" to run down the trail on their way back to their car. Regardless of other hikers going up or going down...they needed to run and run around and nearly over people to accomplish this task. In the process, they were running around a family with young children, and I was coming up. There was enough room for this family and I to pass one another with out having to stop. Then out of "nowhere" two guys bolted between the family and myself and I got nailed by the second guy when he tripped on the rocks slamming into me and nearly taking me down. Neither of us fortunately tumbled but he kept going, never looking back. Even his buddy asked if he was ok, he responded and never looked back or said a word to me.
I don't have a bruise that shows but my shoulder has a tender spot. I, of course, kept going because I wasn't going to let that stop me but it didn't make for a pleasant hike at that moment.
I had to let it go in the moment and just keep focused. I regained that but it is still a bone of contention with me ... hiking etiquette.
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