Hiking

A close friend and I braved the chilly fog today for a wonderful hike on the Chirico Trail. Sandy and I struggled up the very steep trail a couple of times last fall, and we enjoyed the climb, the views, and the opportunity to watch the paragliders who sail down from Poo Poo Point. Sandy and I never made it all the way up the trail, due to chemo fatigue and waning daylight. Today, my friend and I went farther than Sandy and I ever got, but we still didn't quite get to the top. We felt the steep climb in our legs, and we feared the early sunset at this time of year. We saw several people on the trail, many with enthusiastic canine companions, and there were a few paragliders making the trek up with their 40-pound packs. But a steady light rain began and apparently it was quite foggy at the top, so those same paragliders trudged back down the trail to their cars.

Paraglider at the trailhead, Sept 1, 2010

I was disappointed that we didn't get to see them sliding around in the air. The second time Sandy and I hiked the trail, we stuck around for 45 minutes or so to watch the paragliders make their descents. It was pretty magical, and the paragliding community seems like a cool group of people.

I thought I'd exaggerated the steepness of the trail in my memory, that it had seemed difficult only because Sandy was having trouble breathing. But today proved that it really is a very challenging trail. I'm impressed that Sandy tackled it twice last fall. She was determined to be physically active and to challenge herself.

Sandy on the Chirico Trail, Sept 1, 2010

When she was on supplemental oxygen and round-the-clock pain meds in May 2010, her naturopath asked her to aim for 30 minutes a day of some sort of activity, even if it was puttering in the kitchen. As she got her strength back, and as we learned how important physical activity was to coping well with cancer, Sandy moved the bar up.  Every morning, she'd figure out where the activity was in her day; if a longish walk or workout with a physical therapist or gardening wasn't already in the mix, she'd come up with a plan for at least 30 minutes of exercise at the gym or at home. Even when she had so much pain this spring, she continued to exercise consistently. It was really only when she went to the hospital in June that she stopped moving.

I'm proud of her efforts to stay active, and I think they helped her maintain a good quality of life until close to the end. I love that I have so many lovely memories of hikes, walks, and other outings with her.