Yosemite Falls

Here we are on the hike up to Yosemite Falls, which was also very beautiful. The trail winds along close to the sheer granite face the waterfall cascades down for a while, and the views at the top are lovely.

One thing I really enjoy about hiking is the experience of just putting one foot in front of the other, living in the moment, and eventually reaching some impressive high-up or far-off place. It is a good balance to my worrying tendencies. When I first started hiking, I would look up at how high or far we still had to go and just feel like sitting down and crying. I was sure it would take a week. I wasn't strong enough. What if I couldn't make it? It is a paralyzing way to think, and it makes the journey more unpleasant and harder than it really is. Reaching the top after a hike like that is not so much a pleasure as a relief. This is not the ideal way to live one's life, like at death to think, "Whew. Glad that's over." No, this is definitely not the ideal. Hiking and yoga both made me realize that is my default, and the awareness helps me change. The experience of holding a yoga pose so much longer than you ever thought you could, or walking up a mountain that is so tall... it is encouraging. You just breathe, put one foot in front of the other, enjoy the view, experience your body in that particular moment, and don't let the fear of the next 2000 feet of elevation scare you. Incidentally, this awareness has been incredibly important during my labors and births of the boys. Just breathe and experience the moment. Don't look up at how far there is to go and get scared, because it will make you want to cry and give up.

So it was a good hike. I enjoyed myself and didn't feel scared at all. My body felt strong, and it was a nice day with Nephi. Everyone along the path of course thought Caleb was the cutest thing they'd seen all day.