Day 11: Day-Hiking

Nothing will make you realize how out of shape you are quicker than taking a long day hike. Today we walked somewhere around 9.5 miles worth of trails. We started out on the scenic 7.5 mile Phelps lake loop trail, which as it sounds takes hou around the perimeter of Phelps lake. About halfway around, we had some lunch and then headed up the Death Canyon trail to get a better view of the lake. We had been warned that there was debris from a recent avalanche along the Death Canyon trail, as well as along the other side of the lake loop. Needless to say, the steep parts of the trail were really rough on me, as well as the fact that I would sink down further into the snowbanks and debris than my fellow hikers, which substantially slowed down my already slow pace of hiking. While I would like to blame my tough time on the high elevation (about 6,000') and therefore reduced oxygen levels as well as wanting to keep up with the group (who hike as if it is a race to see who can get to the top quickest), I know that it is my own fault for allowing myself to get so fat.

As much as people want to tell me that I'm not fat, I know its true. For me the biggest thing is just that I know that back before I gained this undiscolsed amount of weight that I know carry around, these hikes would have been nowhere near as difficult. And while I may be dissapointed in myself, and wish that I had done some more rigorous conditioning before this trip, the struggle isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact the struggle provided quite a self-esteem boost because I completed the hike, all 9.5 ish miles of climbing over avalanche debris and through snowdrifts(where I would sink in up to my upper thigh and then have to shovel my leg out with my hands to free it) and up and down hills. I did it. I took a little longer than everyone else, but eventhough my feet were killing me after the first 7 miles, I pushed onwards. I did everything my healthier compatriots did. And that in itself is an accomplishment.

Also...today we saw a moose swimming a river, so the day couldn't be terrible.

Now enjoy these pictures from the hike.

Beautiful Phelps Lake

First view of Death Canyon

Death Canyon is a bit of a mystery to geologists. The canyon was carved b a glacier and thus exhibits the quintessential U-shaped valley, however the deepest point of the canyon is V-shaped, which is associated with fluvial, or stream, erosion. One theory is that after the last ice age, when the glaciers retreated, the immense flow of water carved the v-shape into the lowest point of the already carved U-shaped valley.

View of opposite canyon wall from up on the northern wall of the canyon.

View of Phelps Lake from northern wall of Death Canyon

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