The power of one more step.
In the latter half of last year I was in a lot of pain. My fitness which had gradually been improving dived and I struggled to make 2 kilometres where I’d been wogging (Walk / Jog ) five weeks before. I knew I’d done something but not what. A trip to the doctor resulted in more pain but a off hand comment to a work colleague put me onto a great Physiotherapist.
We set out the goal right from the start, I wasn’t interested in being able to jog or run but I needed to be able to walk and walk distances but first we took care of the pain. Simple stretches really but they worked. Following the program I ‘graduated’ from Physio to the exercise physiologist. Think like a super gym instructor that instead of wanting to see you every third day to make their money left it up to you to do the work. Dave gradually increased my workouts and iKaruS and I did our first backpacked walk in January. Each step up I took, every lunge, every sit up was put to the test on our second day in Yosemite.
And…. 16 km later, 160 flights of stairs, around 8 hours of walking with minimal pain!
When we set out for the day our goal was simply to make it to the first falls. (image above) Vernal falls. We started reasonable early and hit the trail with a older group of Chinese people. They were about the only ones we actually passed all day. After that everyone passed us! But we didn’t care - it is better to be out and doing it than not going at all.
The track wound up easy at first with well defined tarmac on the ground. The water rushed past in a excited mass. It amazed us to see the sheer amount of water which came from the apparently bare heights. Snow melt made a roar of sound, a barrage that was almost constant for the entire walk and even as we lay in bed at night you could hear it. As if the valley was talking. We made it to the first bridge and a view of the first falls. It had seemed reasonably easy to that point.
Soon we were to learn why it was called mist trail as we kept moving forward. Those overtaking us stopped and put on waterproof jackets. We instead kept going figuring our light weight gear would dry fairly quickly. We rose along steps which soon became slick with water, it was easy to understand why the trail becomes closed in winter. It would be treacherous underfoot. We played tag with another pair. One taking photos and the other huffing along stopping regularly to breath. I turned at one point to see rainbows dancing over the dark grey rocks as the mist rose like steam around us. It seemed almost magical. The magic almost ended as I noticed the way up became almost a ladder, slick with wetness and clinging to the wall beside the falls. Anyone that knows me knows my fear of heights but by now I was wet and there was no way I was turning around before I got to the top of those falls. If you know me you also know I can be stubborn so I dug my mental heels in and one hand against the rock and a prayer to the local spirits I scooted up the path. The photographer of the pair going our speed also had issues and almost to the top he had some people start to descend but he made them go back up because he was not letting go of the rail for them to pass. I almost laughed but totally understood his position.
We had summited the first of the falls and we checked in with ourselves, eating a cheese sandwich and drying out. Amazingly people were sun baking and chilling out. The view from the first falls was nice the mist trail below us suddenly busy with other walkers. After we dried out a bit we decided we could try to get to the top of the next falls. Both of us were feeling good now so off we went.
The trail to the next falls seemed easy at first, slowly heading upwards, a clear bridge across the river and then the steepness began. A switch back following the path of a old rock fall. It just kept going and going. The switchback and path were clearly visible easy to read the contours of footsteps worn into the stone and root of trees clinging to survival. One man we passed headed back saying he didn’t know where the trail went. IT led me to start to think about peoples experience of nature. To me it was clear where human hands had altered the land to make the way up easy. But had I lived my entire life in the city would I have known that stone doesn’t always lie straight? It was a startling revelation to think that we are so lucky to have been able to run and be free as children. To know the differences in the environments.
This thought entertained me for a while as the steepness kept going and going. Any earlier concerns about altitude and being out of breath were soon forgotten. We were at one place sheltering from the frelentlesssun and overtaken by a family including a super six year old dressed in a superman shirt, his little legs making easy work of the steepness. We were amazed and spoke to his mother, she just smiled and said gummy bears were the bribe. I”m not sure at six I’d care about gummy bears as a bribe on that walk!
We made it to the top with big grins on our face. Behind the top of the falls the river flattened out, small beaches let people sunbake on the rocks and relax after their climb up. WE found a spot close to the falls and sheltered from the wind to eat another cheese sandwich. It seemed that there were the food of the day. We supplemented them with dark chocolate coated raisins and fresh water.
Not content to stop there we backtracked down the switch back (the other path was closed due to landslides) and then when we were almost back to Vernal fall, took the uphill track (John Muir). Our legs were a bit jelly by now and it seemed insane to be going back up the hill but I am glad we did as we were rewarded with a view of Nevada Falls which we wouldn't have gotten otherwise. 
We did it. Four months ago 2 km was too much and yet here I was on top of the ‘world’. Legs wells and truly stretched but we were here. There is a joy that comes with exercise and fresh air, to achieve a challenge set. It won’t be the only challenge on this trip but it was the first and it was all down to just taking one more step.
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