Success!

 Today was a pretty monumental day for me. I conquered something that I have always been terrified to do... I did a snow hike, in a new location, ALONE.  Link and info for the hike at the end of this post. If anyone else was doing it I would say you're crazy. No way in hell, turn back, find someone to go with you NO NO NO! 

But, being who I am, I decided why not, lets give yourself a challenge. 
(for all of you going OMG what is wrong with you don't worry, my girl knew where I was, I had a map, I am an experienced hiker in this terrain and I use my brain). 

Any-who, I was pumped driving up to the mountain-- blasting slow jams in my jeep. Talking myself up and ready to go! 

It was absolutely perfect. There was NO ONE in the parking lot, NO ONE on the trail, and I did not see or hear a single person until I got back to the jeep around noon. It was just me and nature. The trail itself was moderate I would say. There definitely were times of pretty high elevations. Going up was grueling on my legs and lungs. The cold weather made it much more difficult to keep my breath so I ended up going slower than I originally thought. 

Also, the foot of snow and rocky terrain did not help my speed either 😁 

It was so beautiful and QUIET out. No one was around. You could hear the birds, the critters moving around, the wind in the trees. I tell you what, if you have never hiked alone in the woods before YOU NEED TO DO IT. I do not care if it is a silly little loop near your house that is barely anything. JUST GET OUT. If you have any type of depression, anxiety, going through a breakup or just need to clear your mind. This is the way to do it. I promise, you will not regret it. 

This is probably one of the most empowering things I have ever done for myself. Knowing that I was able to tackle this challenge head on and accomplish it is extremely satisfying to me! 

Today's adventure took me to the Tom Lowe Trail near Hamburg, PA.  Click on the link to see the stats for this hike! It is about 5 miles with a 1,000+ foot incline.