One of my greatest loves are horses. In October 2012 I had an accident that changed me forever. I lost control of a young horse and ended up flat on my back in a high mountain meadow. While I am so lucky to be alive and not only able to ride again, but to have conquered my fear of being in the saddle, I was left with permanent nerve damage in my right hip. In the months and year since that free fall I have had few days without some level of pain. Walking on level ground is no problem, I could go for miles, but hiking varied terrain is another story. Two hours in the saddle leaves me in pain the next day....but paddling? There's joy there. Paddling is easy on my hips and the rotating motion eases the pain in my shoulder. It loosens up my back and like hiking, being on the water feeds my soul. It's a different exploration in the arms of Mother Nature and keeps me outdoors where I most like to be.
I still hike...I do more of the baby stuff now, the trails marked easy and am grateful to do so. Once in a while I tackle a more intermediate trail knowing that there is going to have to be a date with some pain medication and ice packs on the other side. Trekking poles are my best friend regardless of how gentle the terrain now. I love reading about new trails and noting which trails sound like they will be interesting at this current level...and I know one day soon I will be back to not worrying about how much it's going to hurt at the end of the trail.
So there you have it...I will always be the Arizona Hiker Girl, sharing tips and tricks, vids and trails, just wielding a paddle and reins along with my trekking poles.
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| Exploring one of the many islands at Lake Pleasant. Copyright Marcia Mauskopf 2014 |
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