Now this may not be the highest summit, nor the hardest. But after not hiking anything with any degree of difficulty for 14 months (!), baby steps are required to assure the health and safety of both me and my dog. This was also the first offroad experience for my new hiking boots (see previous post) and the first use of my new backpack. With my plans of summiting Kings Peak this season, I decided to splurge (I am not allowed to go to REI again anytime soon).




A really fast way of breaking in new boots is to follow these instructions:




Step 1) Hike around a lake fed by a creek with steep embankments


Step 2) Decide the mud on the embankment really doesn't look that deep


Step 3) Lose all footing and slide down the embankment into 6 inches of mud


Step 4) Grab onto nearby trees to try to pull yourself out...but that doesn't work because you can't gain any traction in 6 inches of mud


Step 5) Use all body parts to pry rapidly sinking body out of mud ala The Princess Bride


Step 6) Pull stuck dog out of mud ala The Neverending Story (he wasn't any smarter)


Step 7) Proceed to hike to the very top of the foothills behind the U of U


By the time we got to the top, Wyatt was dry and most of the mud had fallen off (I love his self-cleaning fur). I was still waist deep in dried mud, bloody scrapes and bruises. My favorite way to spend a Saturday...covered in mud on the top of a mountain (or foothill) with my dog. Life is good.