Sleeping Lion

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 Sleeping Lion

1609 feet elevation gain

2.6 miles 

It’s been a minute since I’ve done a solo bushwhack. And when I realized that the thought of it was starting to intimidate me, I realized it was time to get back out there. Also, I’ve been really missing solitude in the woods so I chose Sleeping Lion because I figured I wouldn’t see many people. 

You couldn’t ask for more perfect conditions on the trail. No bugs, perfect temperature, ground is damp but you still have traction, and the sunlight is just inspirational today. The nettles are in retreat, but there are still some forces on the ground and they are armed, so I’d recommend pants. 



This is definitely a good confidence booster hike. I took the ridge up. It’s steep in some sections, but pretty easy for a bushwack—no cliffs or tricky ledges to find paths through. While there may be no views, I found the sunlight shining through the trees to be beautiful itself. There are gold and brown leaves blanketing the ground that can be slippery on the way down. The trees have some branches turning yellow and the occasional red leaf. 



Sometimes when I hike I get a line from a text I’ve taught stuck in my head. Today I kept hearing the line, “I continually find myself in the ruins of new beginnings” from the poem “A Daily Joy to Be Alive.” I guess last year I was starting to find my stride again and embrace the new identity I’d built, so it feels hard being back in the city. It feels like I’m taking a step back. And not having daily access to the mountains has drastically limited my ability to find zen on a regular basis. But I’m determined to live as closely to that life I had as I can until I move up here full time. It’s just days like today make it heartbreaking to drive back. But sometimes grief is the motivation you need to make big changes that seem scary. 







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