Catalyst Hike
02.11.06
On Saturday, February 11th, 2006, our 20K hike through El Moro Canyon turned out to be a journey that represented our adventure to Humboldt County. We rose over $6000 for Catalyst and did what we set out to do, but for me, it was so much more.
By six in the morning I was ready; I had the backpack packed, the water bottle filled, and the iPod loaded. I was going to conquer the canyon and nothing was going to stop me. Besides, I had 15 sponsors who each gave $20 to the cause for which I was hiking.
On hike day, as everyone left their jackets and sweaters in the car, I decided to keep mine with me. I was still cold and figured I could just take it off and stuff it in my backpack. Mistake number one. I intentionally started slow to be far enough behind to capture some video footage on tape. Mistake number two.
Before I knew it, I was a couple dozen yards behind and had to play catch up; not so easy for an out of shape techie with a mild case of asthma. As I lagged behind, I wondered if anyone was going to notice or wait for me. Paul Filmore did and we had some quality connect time.
As the hike went on, the group got further and further ahead. By the time we caught up to the group who had graciously stopped to wait for us, the sun was out and I was too hot to wear my jacket, so into the backpack it went. The video camera had gotten in the way and I was too far behind everyone to get any footage. So into the backpack it went too. After a short, not-refreshing-enough break, the hike continued and I was lugging around thirty pounds in my backpack.
Having not entirely caught my breath, I started trailing behind again. The pattern of me falling behind and the group stopping to wait for me continued for the first seven or eight miles before our lunch break, with someone different hiking with me at different stretches.
After about a 20-minute lunch break, the hike went on. Rather than letting myself fall behind I intentionally took an early lead, giving myself a nice buffer in case my pace slowed down again. I stayed in front for a while. The same way everyone waited for me to catch up earlier, we stopped every few kilometers to regroup.
As we entered the final stretch of the hike, I was feeling good. I thought it would be a breeze because instead of powering uphill, we’d be doing a downhill stretch back to the parking lot. Mistake number three. A few dozen yards into the downhill march, the pressure started hurting my ankle. My pace slowed and the group gradually passed me. Before I knew it, I was alone in the back with a bad ankle.
Pretty much, that was the low point of the hike for me. Alone. Hurt. Discouraged. But never close to calling it quits, never regretting the decision to begin the hike.
It felt like miles on my injured ankle, but I caught up to the group who, again, were graciously waiting and somewhat concerned. I originally didn’t want to let anyone know about the ankle, but the pain was too much. Rich took my 30-pound backpack so I wouldn’t have the extra weight. Jason rallied everyone to finish together as a team. The hike ended, and despite all the pain it took to get to the finish line, I don’t regret the experience at all.
A grueling 5 hour hike through El Moro Canyon represented my future move to Humboldt. I had to leave comfort to do something I’ve never done before. I am pumped and excited about the new challenge that awaits me in Humboldt. But also like the hike, I know it will not be easy. I know there will be times I feel like I’m left behind, times I realize I have more baggage than I thought, times where I just plain hurt. But at the end of the day, I also know that while my team may forge ahead, they will not let me get lost. I know my team will help me carry weight I can’t carry on my own. I know that the pain will pass and I will have grown. I don’t know how long this journey will be, but I know we will journey together, and in the end I will not have regret.
by: Andrew Ho
