Slowly getting back to hiking...

Recovery is going very well.  This past Sunday, I went hiking with a friend at Painted Mines.  Just outside of Calhan, Colorado, a short drive east of Colorado Springs, it's a nice afternoon get-away.  The whole park has about 4 miles of trail - I was able to do almost 2 miles.  Not bad for less than a month out!

The countryside is rolling hills - you wouldn't know the Mine was there unless you were looking for it.  Everything is so green, with wildflowers everywhere!

As you start down the trail from the south entrance, there is a large placard that describes what you will see. 

And the trail begins with gently rolling hills.

There was a gal from Philly running the trail, and she caught this photo of myself and my friend.  Very nice of her!  This is the only fairly level part of the trail.  And if you look carefully, you can see one crutch hanging off my pack.

Almost there!   

And after traversing the up and down of the trail, this is the reward!

The columns of rock are called hoodoos.  Sometimes they're called fairy chimneys.  Whatever their name, they are fascinating and beautiful.  

Different types of rock and clay form the colored layers.  

My favorite formation was this tabletop.  I think it's granite.  It sparkled in the sunshine!

This photo is a mystery.  There are no trees anywhere, no structures, nothing.  Were these posts left over from an earlier building?  And what kind of critter lives in that hole?

Let's not forget the wildflowers!

I did have to use my stick on the way back, but that's ok.  I'm pleased with my effort.

More hiking to come!  I've made plans to camp sometime in July, and there are more YouTube videos in production!

Until next time, take care, God bless, and see you on the trail!

Hey, guess what?

I now have a youtube channel!  

It's so much fun making videos, editing, and then finally posting them.  I can spend hours playing with the editing software (Adobe Premier Pro), looking for music to add, editing the photo stills... it's great!

So head on over to FromFlabToFourteener and check it out!  Be sure to subscribe.  The plan is to have weekly or more uploads.  I'll feature hikes around the Springs, then further up in the mountains as the recovery allows.  I'll also have some gear reviews, how to do it all on a (tiny!) budget, and DIY videos as well.  I'd like to have some trail angel days along the CDT, and possibly feature some interviews of thru-hikers.

It's a short post this week - closing the year at work, so things are cray-cray!

Take care, be blessed, and see you on the trail!

Don't let anyone fool you....

Joint replacement surgery is brutal.  

From what I can remember of surgery day (Tuesday morning), it started out great - the hospital staff was wonderful (in every interaction), they loaded me with bracelets, started the IV, wheeled me in to the OR where I caught sight of a table loaded with somewhat medieval-looking surgical tools, and then it was off to dreamland!  Luckily, I always have sweet dreams while anesthetized!  

Aaaand... then you wake up.  There's still quite a bit of strong pain medicine and anesthesia in your body, so you think, hey, maybe this isn't so bad after all!  It wasn't long before I was chatting with the recovery nurse about some local trails and camping sites.  And where's lunch?

Next thing, I'm in my room, enjoying some chicken soup and a lovely view of Austin Bluffs. 

But the good feelings don't last for long.

There is pain, and plenty of it.  The first few days can be very difficult.  I had issues with the pain meds causing my BP to crash, and so I stayed an extra day in the hospital.  A dear friend drove me home, and I began my week of recovery.

It's the little victories... like, making it to the bathroom before you wet yourself!  Or being able to swing both legs into bed without using any aid or gadget.  Sleeping through the night... and sleeping on my side - heavenly!

There can be setbacks.  Once I slid a little going downstairs, and it woke up all those muscles and ligaments and nerves to the point where I was crying!  I think I was more scared than anything else.  Two days later, however, I was back on track, feeling pretty good.  

Three days ago I started back to work.  No big deal, I sit all day.  Uhhhh... no.  Going to get coffee, going to meetings, going to another person's office for Q&A stuff... there's a lot more moving around than I thought.  Afternoon ice packs make all the difference.

But I had plenty of time to research - where to hike, what I'll need, where to camp.  And Amazon Prime Video got a workout as well, with binge-watching Downton Abbey...

Through this, there was bad news.  My dad was involved in a serious car crash, and has been hospitalized with some broken bones.  He's in a rehab facility now, and doing better, but it was touch-and-go for a little while.  He's my rock, and the thought of losing him...

Still, each day is a little better.  This morning I walked Texi and didn't even realize I forgot sticks until halfway through the walk.  I'm almost back to normal with household chores, and will attempt pushing a vacuum tomorrow.  The plan for this Saturday is Painted Mines!  
May your trails be blessed!