The Hike

Every year the Youth of our Stake go on a hike. I have managed to avoid it by a combination of luck and ingenuity when really it is because I can't think of anything worse than hiking for four or five hours in the sun with a bunch of fit 11-18-year-olds.

This isn't because I don't love being with the youth, it's just that I know by the end of the hike I'll be bright red, sweaty as anything and wishing for death. So, instead of doing something about it I decide to miss out.

Until this year.

Flyfour and I have always loved hiking. To me the "walks" that we go on don't really count as hiking but when we went hiking in the Lake District I realised that we hike quite a lot and I could count it as a hobby. With this in mind, I was prepared for the Hike with the Stake youth this year. I wasn't fitter nor did I weigh any less but mentally I wanted to be with the youth and walk.

I was acting as one of two of the designated First Aiders and decided with the other Youth Leader that I would walk at the back of the group and he would take the front. A couple of the young women from another stake that I get on with really well decided they were going to walk with me, and of course we scooped up all those who were falling behind for one reason or another... mainly the hike was 8-10 miles long and it was a long walk for a lot of the youth.

After the first mile or two everyone was starting to flag. I was very tempted to walk back the way I'd come but put on my happy face and just kept pushing forward.

And I did it.

I was so proud of myself (and the youth) for having stuck with it, for having completed the entire hike and for me burning enough calories that I should have lost a whole lb just from the one walk!

Will I be going for another 8.8 mile walk anytime soon?

Probably not... but I'm not ruling it out!