My trip to Utah was a very fulfilling one. My whole family refers to me as the "active" one of the group. Vacation to me is not a time to sit around and be lazy, it's a time to soak in the different surroundings that you are fortunate enough to be experiencing, and eat as much food as you can!
With this in mind, I was begging to go on a hike almost everyday of our Utah vacation. We were out West visiting my aunt and uncle; my uncle used to be a huge mountain biking enthusiast and also a huge daredevil! Anytime he was in a tough spot on his bike he would just pop onto the front tire and bounce out of the sticky situation he had gotten himself into. This was something that I always admired about him and I wished that I had the guts to try it! Well, in Utah, I got my chance. One of his biking buddies had a bike that was the perfect size for me, and I took the opportunity and ran with it. Since I had everyone tuckered out from hiking the day before, it was only my uncle, two of his dogs, and me that were up for the trip.
It started out easy, some gentle uphills and light terrain. Nothing serious. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.
Boy, was I wrong! About two miles into the bike ride we were resting to let the dogs catch their breathe and get a drink of water when I realized that my legs were actually on fire. Okay, not really. But it honestly felt like it! This would not be an easy climb. I asked my uncle how far up the mountain we were going and he looked at me with a confused look and said, "well to the top!" There was no other way in his book. Eventually, the trail became nothing but piles of rocks that I had to guide my bike over if I was to survive the way back. Five miles and tons of water later, we made it! The view can be seen in my Instagram posts; but long story short, it was extremely worth it. I remembered why I loved hiking, there was no other way that anyone could ever be seeing the same thing that I was in that very moment, and I didn't use anything to get there but my own two legs. Liberating.