After the three bears passed us by, I turned to Antonio and said: "Well that just topped it off! This is officially the best hike ever!"
"I agree."
The Spanish hippie boy with the most beautiful blue eyes ever, first came across my path at the top of the mountain, several hundred feet off the trail, while I was laying naked on a rock in the sun. Upon spotting me, he turned sheepishly away to walk in a different direction. I laughed softly to myself at the fact that it finally happened: all my naked hiking experiences and someone finally saw me out there in the buff. In fact, I found it so humorous, that I decided to throw my clothes back on and meander through the woods and introduce myself to the courteous dude. Besides, I figured a guy with ass long hair only goes so far off the trail to smoke some weed, and I could certainly use some about now.
I approached him. I wonder if he was a bit frightened? ("This girl was just sitting around naked and now she hunted me down in the middle of the woods!")
"Hi. So...that was a first for me. I'm Lindsay. Do you by chance have any smoky treats?"
He opened his fist and offered me the enclosed pipe. "I'm Anotonio."
Wow. His eyes.
It took a lot to pull this guy out of his shell, but I got him talking. Wild turkeys ran past us through the woods. Yes, wild turkeys. Very few creatures seem as comic to me. Eventually we start heading back down the mountain, on a different trail than either of us had come up.
The way up was really quite beautiful.
The way down was the Garden of Eden.
We were both stunned to find a large, forcefull stream with gorgeous, cascading waterfalls. We sat by an awesome waterfall / swimming hole, in awe of the surrounding beauty for quite awhile. Finally I turn to him: "I kind of want to go in."
"It's fucking freezing."
"I know."
We stared at each other for awhile. Eventually a smirk creeps onto my face and my head begins to nod.
He takes a deep breath. "Okay, let's do it."
"Yeeeaah!" I start jumping up and down, clapping.
I gesture for him to go in first.
"What!? It was your idea! If you don't go in...."
"Of course I'm going in."
Hell's Gate near Payson was absolutely freezing last time I was there, prohibiting us from adequately exploring. I capsized in a canoe in the Coloroda River one frigid February, but NEVER had I experienced water this cold.
It was so invigorating. I was so psyched this random cute boy was there and willing to go in; I wouldn't have done it by myself.
We stayed in long enough to say: "Wow. We're in. Let's get out."
As we sat shivering in the sun, one big bear and two little cubs walked by on the other side of the stream.
My second wild bear sighting, his first.
Sexual tension filled our moments together. But alas, my fantasy of finally fornicating or simply fooling around with someone out in the middle of natural beauty still remains unfufilled. (Amazing, non? This outdoorsy chick still has never really kissed someone while out in nature!) It was just such a beautifully fabulous, fun, close to perfection kind of day, that I felt more inclined to leave it alone than foul it up in attempts to make it better.
I need to learn to do that with art, too.
So - shocking that close to my best hike ever happened in New Jersey, and just two days after my second best mountain biking experience ever.
Wednesday was pouring rain.
I think it had been raining for two weeks straight.
I decided I had to go for a bike ride. While on the soggy trail, it occured to me that the local mountain bike group ride was leaving soon from a location just a few miles away. I've nervous about riding with a group of hard-core guys. I just got my new bike about one week ago, and the clipless pedals two days ago. On my way to find them at the trail head, I'm riding through swamp. What used to be a path through the woods along a stream is now pond/swamp.
Two ducks swim across the trail in front of me. Literally. I had to stop for them.
Guys are pulling into the parking lot as I arrive.
"Hey. You're Lindsay, aren't you? We went to school together."
It never ceases to amaze me that people who don't even strike a chord as familiar to me, remember my face, name, and half my history.
The six burly guys seemed stoked that a female was finally joining them on a ride.
The forest was a lake. The water on the trail literally submerged 85% of my tires underwater for several lengthy stretches. I had no idea it was possible to ride through water that was up to my mid-thigh while mounted on a bike!
One new guy had to walk his bike up some steep muddy sections. I didn't.
The guys were impressed: I could hang.
Yeah, I rock. That was the most well deserved shower I think I've ever earned/needed.
There is no greater high than a kick ass mountain biking experience. I think I've done enough drugs to safely say that's an informed and accurate statement.
I've now had my bike for 10 days, most of which were raining and one of which was spent hiking. The odomoter reads 76.2 miles.
Who woulda thunk Jersey could be so kind to my active urges?
: )