Hiking Arctic Valley
When my husband asked if I wanted to go hiking with him last Saturday, I initially said no. We had been out of town the previous weekend and now there were groceries to buy, laundry to fold, carpets to vacuum, and a bathroom to clean. But when he finished his morning coffee and said “Are you sure you don’t want to go? It’s going to be a beautiful day.” I decided to put on my long johns, put off my chores, and spend the day adventuring with my husband. Such a decision has never left me disappointed.
It was a crisp, clear October day with fresh snow on the mountain tops and a few lonely golden leaves clinging to otherwise barren branches. Brad has hiked Arctic Valley once before, during the summer, but it was my first trip. We got off the highway and onto a dirt road that leads up to the Arctic Valley Ski Area. Because of the fresh snow there weren't any real trails visible but our goal was to follow the chair lift to the ridge line and explore from there. Luckily, another human-canine duo had already wandered that direction so we were able to follow their footsteps.
We hiked for about a mile, up roughly 1000 feet, gaining views of downtown Anchorage behind us with every step. Cresting the ridge line we were awestruck with views of the Eagle River Valley and nothing but snow capped peaks stretching to the horizon. It's one of those views that you think only exists in magazines, but then you find yourself alone on top of a mountain, less than an hour from home, and you simultaneously think "this is too beautiful to be real" and "this is as real as life gets". And both sides of you are right.
The stars really aligned for us this day - fresh snow, clear skies, and no wind allowed us to really enjoy what could have been a pretty miserable walk had there been a cold wind blowing.
If you turn your back on the Chugach range, you can capture Mts. Denali and Foraker - 200 miles away across the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.
Here's a moment of honesty: I often get grumpy on hikes. Sometimes it's only for a moment in my own mind, sometimes it's more readily apparent in my demeanor. It's a character flaw that I am trying to work out. After all, it's not as if I have been forced into these situations. I genuinely enjoy hiking! And yet...
Hiking is a good character building experience for me - learning to not allow the misery and anger to take hold when my heart is racing and my quads are burning, learning to stop grumbling under my breath "how much further?" and just appreciate my own abilities, learning to slow down and realize it's not a race but an experience, learning to be the master of my attitude when my body says "i'm not having fun anymore". I am not the person I want to be. That's not to say that I am unhappy - I am proud of who I am. But I also embrace the fact that there is always room for growth, and the more willing I am to allow my flaws to come to the surface and be recognized, the sooner I can address them fully and ignite change in myself. I am fortunate to have a patient, trustworthy, and honest husband who, like me, embraces personal growth. When I am grumpy he does not judge or criticize, even though I am surely NOT a joy to be around in those moments. Instead, he encourages, he invites, he shares, and we are made stronger as a result.
Here's to chores that can wait until tomorrow, and those people in your life that ask "are you sure you don't want to go? It's going to be a beautiful day." Go with them. Your life will be better for it.