“It’s Impossible”

Last weekend I went with a friend to Devil’s Lake State Park to do some hiking.  There are some of the most incredible views here and  you are free to explore wherever you desire.

We had expected to be the only people there, so when we arrived we were surprised to see as many people outside enjoying the weather as there were.  The thermometer had finally pushed its way above freezing and everyone was ready to escape the confines of their homes.

We set off on our hike to the top.  All of the snowpack on the trail made the climb very challenging at times.  We weren’t equipped with “proper” snow gear and trying to hike on a steep incline of ice without any sort of assistance is exhausting!

We spent some time blazing our own trails through the foot of snow still left on the rocks.  It was good to get away from the beaten path to explore on our own.  It was more of an adventure being off in areas that people hadn’t already gone.

About two-thirds of the way to the top my heart felt like it was about to burst from my chest.  Climbing to the top during the summer can be challenging enough, but this time we were pushing to the top in record time against an ice covered trail.  I was exhausted.  I leaned against a tree for a few moments to catch my breath, looking longingly at the trail as it disappeared over the top.  I had to get there so I pushed myself off the tree and continued my struggle.

A short while later we had reached the top, and the view was as spectacular as ever.  The crisp winter air felt soothing as it blew across our faces.  We made it.  About a minute later another hiker reached the top and we exhanged “hellos”.  We asked which would be the best way down, “This way or that way.”  The hiker informed us that going “that way” would be impossible, and that it would be best to go the other way.  We thanked her for her advice as she turned to leave.

My friend and I built little snowmen at the edge of the cliff and discussed which way we should go to get to the bottom.  “Did she say it would be impossible to go that way?”  I said to my friend.  He affirmed that she had in fact said that.  “Well, don’t you think we should prove her wrong?”  He agreed with a big smile on his face.

As tired as we were from the climb to the top, our spirits had been rekindled by the challenge of doing the “impossible”.  We struck out in the direction of our destination and despite it being a very challenging descent which we spent a lot of time sliding down rather than hiking, we made it.  So much for being impossible.