12. Hike up Hot Springs Mountain

Before my bath, I decided to wear myself out by hiking to the top of Hot Springs Mountain, smack dab in the middle of the Hot Springs National Park, which overlooks Bathhouse Row. The promenade entrance is so inviting, you can just imagine it as the hub of the social life of the town, as the historic photos on the signs show you as you walk by.

The trails were all easily found, and I started up the closest one, the Honeysuckle trail. At only .5 of a mile, surely this one would be easy, right?

Oh My Gosh, I'm a Flatlander. Even though I'm a regular runner/walker, I live in an area where there are no inclines, and after about 100 yards, I felt as if I was climbing Mt. Everest. After 200 yards, I was grateful for the intermittent boulders some kind trail planner had positioned by the trail, for folks like me to sit on and admire the beauty of the woods while we attempted to find some oxygen. The promise of the view from the Hot Springs Mountain Tower drove me on.

At one point, I found myself wondering why on earth I pushed myself to do things like this. Did it really matter if I reached the top? What did that say about my attitude about life? Is my tendency to give up when a little effort is required? My mind (or could it be my ego?) generated 'reasons' to turn back at every step. I didn't know the trails, how much further, watch out you could fall, why push yourself, you're a perfectionist, what does it matter if you turn back. The sound of my tennis shoes on the gravel trail made soft scrunchy noises, and I listened to the way the wind blowing through the trees wove into the sound of my breathing. Isn't this how we stop ourselves from growing? All this chatter, like a constantly playing loudspeaker in our heads. We have a choice, we can choose not to listen, do belief work to change the chatter, and take action anyway, despite what our self-talk says.

I kept going, laughing at myself for just being human, and was rewarded with an astonishing view at the top. And was immensely relieved to discover that I had arrived prior to the tower's business hours, thereby relieving me of the responsibility of climbing all the way to the top! I looked around a while, admired the view, patted myself on the back for making it to the top, and took a leisurely jog back down the mountain--it was almost bath time!