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| Ocean Path |
Yesterday, we set out on what we thought was going to be an 'easy' outing for me. I was feeling pretty run down from a busy week of going out daily for big outings--shopping at the L.L. Bean Outlet, going to Cadillac Mountain and climbing on the rocks, and enjoying the Nature Cruise without any rest days in between.
However, we knew the weather was going to be absolutely perfect before changing to cold, rainy and dreary.
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| Ocean Path |
We decided to seize the day and the opportunity to head to one of Acadia's best known landmarks, Thunder Hole, a cove in the rocks known for the thunderous noise it can make when the waves crash.
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| Lots of Seagulls |
Our trip started out with us timing it perfectly to arrive at Thunder Hole 1 1/2 hours before high tide when the sound and viewing are supposed to be ideal.
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| Keeping My Eye On The Prize! |
But somehow we missed the sign on Park Loop Road, which circles through Acadia, and there was no turning back on the one way road.
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| You Want Me to Climb What?! |
We, instead, parked at Otter Point. On our first day at Acadia, a park ranger had suggested a couple of easy, short, one mile walks for me to do. One that she suggested was taking part of the Ocean Path (a gorgeous path along the shoreline) from Otter Point to Thunder Hole and then taking the bus back to our car parked at Otter Point.
I have to say, I wasn't really feeling this yesterday. I was pretty tired.
But there was no other way to get to Thunder Hole, and we thought it might be a beautiful and EASY walk overall, if not a bit longer than I intended.
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| Whew. Did It. |
Hereis a view of a series of stairs I had just finished climbing on this 1.2 mile path to Thunder Hole. Easy? Um, no. This path was pretty hard!
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| A Perfect Day |
I really struggled to make this hike.
Despite the stunning views, I was definitely worried about actually completing the hike and being able to do the steps at Thunder Hole. I also knew that I hadn't had a 'rest day' for what would be four days in a row.
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| So Many Lobster Buoys Everywhere! |
I thought a lot about how a simple misadventure can lead to a lot of anxiety for someone with my type of limitations.
One of my friends talked about hiking a trail, misjudging how far she had gone and worrying on the way back how exactly she was going to make it. She didn't breathe a sigh of relief until she made it back and she paid a price for overdoing.
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| Enjoying the Views |
It's difficult in these simple moments of missing a turn-off and realizing that, for most people, hiking the mile to Thunder Hole might be a nice added adventure. Let's face it, the path is GORGEOUS. The views are amazing.
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| I Loved The Contrast of These Smooth Rocks with That of the Rough Granite |
But this simple missed turn, for me, meant a lot of anxiety and stress. We either had to drive all the way around Park Loop Road (an hour or more) and start over again or hike to Thunder Hole or bag it all together.
I also felt frustrated that the park ranger had said this was an easy walk and relatively flat. What?
I felt like these errors in her information and in us missing our turn made for a stressful day.
In these moments I feel like an angry little child. I get crabby, I get mad, and I feel like I might cry. I get anxious and scared.
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| Mr. Seagull Takes in the View |
While I struggled like heck to make it through this unexpected hike, the victory is that 1. I did it, and 2. I was very tired today but I was not terribly sick.
I stayed in my pajamas all day and mostly in bed resting. Other than chatting with Kiernan and eating some food and reading a little People magazine, I did nothing.
In some ways I wish I had known my crash wouldn't be so bad. Maybe I would have enjoyed the views a bit more.
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| Funky Boulder |
When I walk, the farthest I have walked all at one time is a little over a mile. In a full day, I might walk much more than a mile, but not all at one time.
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| Wildflowers Along Ocean Path |
Yesterday, we walked 1.7 miles and, according to my FitBit, we did 13 flights of stairs! Um, my max is usually about 4 in a day. Tops.
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| A Herring Gull |
After getting through today with rest, fluids and good snacks, and not feeling a great deal of suffering, I have a bit of perspective on the day.
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| Gorgeous Cliffs Along the Path |
I can look at it and realize that what I did was pretty incredible. My body really stepped up to the plate under the circumstances. In the past, even if I had wanted (or even needed) to push through something my body would have given out and I likely would have been in the ER! I might have been up all night with shakes, chills, forceful heartbeats, ringing in my ears, pain, and been unable to get up to go to the bathroom without almost passing out. I might not have been able to get out of bed.
In truth, though, I wasn't having a whole heck of a lot of fun on this hike. I was straining so hard just to get through it. Mom said I was pretty white. It felt like I didn't have an blood above heart level!
I tried to focus on taking photos and capturing the beauty. It's nice to be able to look at the photos from the comfort of my bed tonight, and take in how beautiful it really was.
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| And We Made It! Thunder Hole |
Because Thunder Hole can be quite crowded (and slippery if the waves have made the stairs wet) we chose not to take the puppies.
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| The Other Side of Thunder Hole |
I was so excited to go to Thunder Hole, but by the time we got there (high tide) the waves were not make much more than a little quiet clapping sound. That was a bit of a bummer.
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| You Can See Where the Water Comes Into This Very Small Space. It Can Splash High Into the Air and Make a Loud Thunderous Clap. Unfortunately, We Didn't Get to Witness Much Action! |
However, you can see from these pictures that, when the waves do come crashing into such a small inlet, they can really make an incredible impact and sound.
More than Thunder Hole itself, I think I most enjoyed the views from the Ocean Path--all of the birds, ducks, glistening water, clear blue sky, trees, and all sorts of gorgeous rock formations.
Here I am at the end of our journey, heading back up the stairs from Thunder Hole.
I. Did. It.
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Poor Mom. It's hard to enjoy much when you are worried your kid is going to keel over on the hike.
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| Looking Down Into Thunder Hole |
Apparently, I can walk 1.7 miles and do 13 flights of stairs and, thankfully, not crash out terribly.
I do wish the day had gone a bit differently, so that I could have enjoyed it more.
Our misadventure turned into quite an adventure. It's a good story. I'll never forget where and when I pushed my body farther than I have ever done so before.
I'm so thankful it held out for the entire walk. I'm thankful that today I was able to rest comfortably without feeling terribly sick. I'm thankful for the soft comfortable bed, two snuggly dogs and a mom to take care of me.
I wish I hadn't felt so sick while trying to take in the beauty. Or been quite so scared.
All of the changes in my body are happening so quickly and I never know what is going to be okay and what isn't. Every day is different. And every adventure is an unknown.
Sometimes, I will test the limits and it will be okay. Sometimes I will test this limits and it won't be okay.
My personality knows no other way than to keep testing them.
Blessings,
Emily
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