Life in 4WD

This past Friday morning I got up bright and early to attempt the last hike left within the Phoenix area. This hike was the Four Peaks Trail. Imagine this...actually the picture to the above could help you picture it more clearly...the mountain had four peaks. What a fabulous name! I headed out early in the morning in order to avoid another sunburn and to get back for a previous engagement with a neighbor. I have to announce proudly that I was able to use my 4WD. It was the best thing for a 20 mile dirt road which was very bumpy and quite an uphill battle to reach the trailhead. One of my favorite parts of the drive to the trailhead was the very large boulders everywhere. I wanted to jump out of the vehicle, lie down on the ground next to a boulder, and dream of large women...although I suppose it would be large men in my case. Anyway, I had a good laugh while drive. I had a great time singing at the top of my lungs to Don Henley with no one to hear me.

When I reached the trailhead there were no other cars there. Imagine that! A trailhead in a remote area with no other hikers. I was certain that if I died out there it would take quite a while for someone to find my body. Not to despair though, I left several clues for people to find me. I had told my neighbor I was going on a long hike and I also left the map of directions to the hike up on the computer. I figured that when someone came to search my apartment they would bring Nancy Drew with them and see the map and put the clues together. Although there would only be a rough area to locate my body I am sure that my car at the trailhead my be a big clue.

After starting the hike I discovered that there was a body of water in the distance. It was a very beautiful sight to me. I felt as though I were looking at Bear Lake in Idaho. The site is always breathtaking as you start the descent to the lake. The morning fog in the valley did not make the picture as amazing as the real sight, but you can just use your imagination.

The actual feeling of the hike was as if I was hiking back in Utah. The mountain terrain and pine cones. Reading about the territory I found out that this area has the largest black bear population so I was on the lookout. This was until I ended up experiencing some serious allergic tearing. I like to think that it was allergies and not an emotional upheaval, but with me one never knows. I took a picture of the plant which when I took it I thought was great, but alas it leave little to be desired. I don't even think it helps to identify it. I guess that it what you get when you are crying profusely and trying to capture something on film. I had to complete this hike so I forged ahead, mostly because it was just one eye continually watering. I was a miserable experience though, I kept thinking that if I was going to do the is Utah I was going to have to invest in Singular.

I made it as far up the mountain as possible until I reached a place where the trail kept disappearing and I was hurdling plants growing over the path, over fallen

trees, and nearly plummeting to my a painful death. I know that I was a little shy of my destination, but felt that perhaps it would be in my best interest to maintain a state of life. I then proceeded back down the trail to me car.

I reached the car and noticed that the driver side tire was looking a little on the flat side. I was really not wanting to get under the car and put on the spare tire. I also didn't like the idea of on the bumpy road having my spare tire just flying off my car. So, my big plan was to monitor it every mile or two. It was a good plan because by the time I got out to the main road it appeared to be very slightly deflated. I went to the local gas station paid 75 cents and deflated it a little more. The air compressor would not connect to my tire. This mean that eventually I am going to have to find somewhere to inflate this tire.

Well, as pretty much everyone knows who is following this blog I am moving back to Utah. After months of searching for a job I finally got one. It was not the one that I have longing for, but it is a job none-the-less. I thought that I would feel relief and closure, but no. I feel anxious and unsure. I will be moving back around the 16th and am praying that everything goes well. I look forward to seeing my family again. I also look forward to additional summer weather. We have already reached the Salt Lake Valley's maximum summer temperature here in Phoenix so I know that it is going to be pleasant. I am worried about the pool though. I can barely tolerate a pool that is not heated anymore, I think that I might die. I certainly hope that I can manage because I love a good dip in the pool.

School started again and I have once again plunged into the world of paperwork. I am very happy that there is not a large amount of exams throughout this semester. Past experience tells me that even though I am not the world's greatest writer I do better in writing classes than classes with exams. Both classes have a writing emphasis so I have started plugging away at the assignments because it is only eight weeks of classes. The move in the middle of the chaos has also helped to motivate me to complete the most work I possibly can in the next week. I hope that I can continue with this motivation.