DAY 68

DAY 68
06.11.07
TREE 74

Today felt more like days a few weeks prior when I wasn’t so busy. I wasted time and procrastinated until I knew I had to climb before it got too dark. So I headed out towards the large white water tower and the trails beyond. Choosing a different path to start on than I had before I quickly came upon a perfect climbing tree, just off the trail in the thick of the woods. It is rare to find strong low limbs in this situation but this particular type of tree is a common exception. I climbed up pretty easily a little bothered by the little limbs that poked into me along the way. The higher I got the more challenging it became. The trunk split into about three main limbs but all stayed relatively close and angled out slowly. That helped me get higher as I could use any of the branches to get a little higher and then step over to the next for another raise. Some movements were pretty scary and a slip could have easily happened had I not readjusted some footholds. But lately my strong desire to get ever higher has overcome my skepticism with my improving abilities, increased determination, and courage derived from my success rate. I laid on the arching branch of my final stopping point and tied the ribbon. I paused and looked around enjoying the last of the day’s warm sun that poked through the surrounding trees, then set myself for the climb down thinking injury or death is still completely possible and I can’t relax yet. Feeling lately that the climb down has been easier, I have to remind myself that that doesn’t mean I don’t have to concentrate and climb as best that I can. And I made it down. Often I walk back from climbing amazed that with all these crazy, risky climbs that nothing has happened and I hope nothing ever does.

6-11-08:  Oh how I wish I was able to do challenging climbs.  That one from a year ago was a good one.  The ones that scare me are always good ones.  It’s been pretty cool to climb with Basil and Will.  Basil, before he got poison ivy as well, was really challenging himself and he made some comments that sounded really familiar.  Such as, how he thought climbing down was harder.  I told him that it seems like that at first but if he keeps it up it will change. 

I am not going to say much about yesterday’s climb except that it was pitiful because I am pitiful.  A picture and the video with say it for me: