We went for a nice drive yesterday - it was a beautiful day! - and to do some caching. Couldn't have asked for better weather! We found some caches, took in the beautiful afternoon, saw the bore tide, and had dinner at The Double Musky - one of the few 5-star restaurants in Alaska. All in all, a wonderful evening! (Side note: There's more info about bore tides - a relatively rare phenomenon - at http://alaska.org/bore-tides.jsp - and you can watch people trying to surf the bore tide (also a good depiction of the phenomenon) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nas9n7iFcfI)
That last picture is the view I would have seen, if I'd finished the trek to one of the caches. Unfortunately, I succumbed to a panic attack. I'm fairly certain I'd have been able to complete the trek - if only I had asked for help. Instead, I let my pride prevail and by the time I was ready to ask for help, it was too late.
So it seems I'm not afraid of heights - just of falling, and uncontrolled descents. Since my balance isn't the greatest, I'm also not very sure-footed. In one part of the trail, we had to cross loose scree. The slope was pretty steep, and the loose rock ended at a drop off high above a busy highway. My imagination took over and I pictured a flailing slide over the side with nothing to grab, that ended with me smashed on the pavement.
I waited until I was behind, gathering my courage, when I should have asked Greg to come back and help me. I slowly made my way across - pausing to hyperventilate, remind myself that I had to do this again to get back, and force my mind to focus on something other than all the ways I could slide off the edge of the cliff. (It probably wasn't real cliff, but since I couldn't see the rest of the slope and I could see & hear cars, that's what it became to me.) By the time Greg came back to help me, I'd made it across - only to find that there was plenty more of that before we got to solid ground. And I just couldn't do it. So he helped me back across the way I'd come, to solid ground, where I calmed a bit and made my way back to the car.
Kudos to Todd & Kelly for making the climb and taking the picture - wahoo!! =) It's a great view and I think I can do it - I just can't do it alone. And I can't wait to ask for help until I'm so panicked that I can't breath right or think coherently. They already signed my name to the log - but I think I'm going to wait to log the cache until I've been to the top and seen the view for myself. I'll post my picture then, too. =)
Beluga Point
Cool Tree
Pretty Flora
Wee Stream
More Cool Flora
Greg - Sittin' in a Tree
Across the Inlet
A View from the Top
That last picture is the view I would have seen, if I'd finished the trek to one of the caches. Unfortunately, I succumbed to a panic attack. I'm fairly certain I'd have been able to complete the trek - if only I had asked for help. Instead, I let my pride prevail and by the time I was ready to ask for help, it was too late.
So it seems I'm not afraid of heights - just of falling, and uncontrolled descents. Since my balance isn't the greatest, I'm also not very sure-footed. In one part of the trail, we had to cross loose scree. The slope was pretty steep, and the loose rock ended at a drop off high above a busy highway. My imagination took over and I pictured a flailing slide over the side with nothing to grab, that ended with me smashed on the pavement.
I waited until I was behind, gathering my courage, when I should have asked Greg to come back and help me. I slowly made my way across - pausing to hyperventilate, remind myself that I had to do this again to get back, and force my mind to focus on something other than all the ways I could slide off the edge of the cliff. (It probably wasn't real cliff, but since I couldn't see the rest of the slope and I could see & hear cars, that's what it became to me.) By the time Greg came back to help me, I'd made it across - only to find that there was plenty more of that before we got to solid ground. And I just couldn't do it. So he helped me back across the way I'd come, to solid ground, where I calmed a bit and made my way back to the car.
Kudos to Todd & Kelly for making the climb and taking the picture - wahoo!! =) It's a great view and I think I can do it - I just can't do it alone. And I can't wait to ask for help until I'm so panicked that I can't breath right or think coherently. They already signed my name to the log - but I think I'm going to wait to log the cache until I've been to the top and seen the view for myself. I'll post my picture then, too. =)
The Journey Home
(Sleeping Lady is the far mountain in the back)
(Sleeping Lady is the far mountain in the back)
Followin' the Tracks
No comments:
Post a Comment