Ain't No Mountain High Enough

After a week of bad news and an RA flare, the annual sister weekend we had planned was a welcome break. Timing is everything, isn't it? My only regret about our timing is that it was the Chicago Marathon and I would be missing it. I don't know what I was thinking when I gave my sister the date. I will admit to a little FOMO, seeing everyone's photos. Congrats to all the finishers!!!

My goals for the weekend were: destination sunshine and relaxation. Maybe we'd squeeze in a little fitness. Let the fun commence!

The week started off on a high note with some running and CrossFit, but I woke up Wednesday morning to gloom and high humidity. I was achy but decided to head out for a run. I may as well have tied cement blocks to my feet. This run was hard and it was painful. By mile 3, I was in tears. Every joint in my body was hurting. I called off work and spent the day on the couch. Scheduled to leave for Palm Springs the next day, I left a message for my rheumatologist hoping to hear some words of wisdom, but I didn't hear back until after we left. I hoped that the dry arid desert climate would do me right.

After our arrival at the resort, we headed to the pool to soak up the sun and plan the rest of our weekend. It was hot! We like to joke that "it's a dry heat", but it really is different. The 99 degrees we were in didn't feel like 99 in Chicago. There were very few guests at the resort and we enjoyed the solitude. The beautiful blue skies above were like a balm to my soul.

A toast to kick off sister trip #6!

The next morning we were up and out the door for a hike in the mountains that surround the area. Yes, you read that right. A hike, not a run. With my achy knees, I wanted to avoid pounding the pavement and hiking fit the bill. How hard could it be? Prior to our trip, I did my homework, looking for running routes and instead found hiking trails. I convinced my sister that we should try the Bump and Grind Trail, which was only a couple miles from where we were staying. It's 3 miles round trip--we could totally do that, right?

We easily found the trailhead behind a Target, believe it or not, and headed up the mountain. We were alternately surprised and stunned by the climb and the views. The ascent reminded me of pulling the weighted sled at CrossFit--it felt the same, with my glutes and hammies crying for mercy. This trail is ranked as a "moderate" climb.

At the top!
Elevation 1000 ft

The temperature warmed up quickly and we were grateful that it was "only" 3 miles--that 3 miles took us over an hour--because we only brought one water bottle. I was happy that I had Tailwind in my bottle. I felt great, but I won't lie, my knees talked to me on the way down. Still, I was so exhilarated by the experience that I convinced my sister we should try another climb the next day.

Debbie (Coach Debbie Runs) lives in the area and we had been in touch, making plans to meet up. I feel as though I've known her for years, even though we have never actually met. While we originally made plans to run together, she very kindly accommodated my desire to hike. We met at the trailhead of the Art Smith Trail. This time, Lisa and I each carried 2 bottles of water (I had Tailwind in one of them). Debbie reassured us that she had hiked this trail many times before and we were glad to have her with us! We followed the signs that directed us to the trail and happily headed across the desert. This area was much more "desert" than the Bump and Grind, with cacti scattered about. We saw some animal "scat" but thankfully, no critters. There was an "oasis" of palm trees we could see about halfway up the mountain. As we headed in that direction, we came upon some boulders and after climbing over many of them the trail seemed to have disappeared. There were some trail signs directing us forward, but they didn't make sense, sending us climbing up more boulders. After doing this for a while, we concluded that this wasn't the trail at all. We backtracked to the sandy area where we started and eventually found what looked like a trail. I was so glad because I didn't want to quit on my quest for the view of the valley.

Debbie and Lisa on the switchback trail

As we progressed up the mountain on what was a real trail, Debbie filled the time with chatter and trivia about the area. She also told us that this was what she remembered from climbing in the past. We concluded that maybe someone moved the trail signs. Who would do that? But it was so weird that they directed us over those boulders.

Is he judging us? Or watching us?

Debbie and me!

 No matter. As we climbed up, up, up, we were rewarded with some amazing views. When we reached the top, we had the choice of continuing on the trail or turning back. It was getting hot and we were getting low on water, so we decided to head back down. It's too bad we wasted all that time on that trail to nowhere. I was kind of sad about that. Still, it was a fun adventure and spending time with Debbie was well worth getting lost!

Yoga everywhere!

I woke up Sunday morning thinking about all this, sipping coffee on the balcony at the hotel. Feeling sad about leaving, I decided to lace up my running shoes and run down the palm tree-lined street through the valley. I wanted to get in at least one run while we were there and I'm so glad I did. Even though my knees were protesting, the temperatures were in the 60s and that beautiful blue sky made me forget the pain. I was running under a canopy of palm trees. I had the mountains in my view. I would have regretted missing out on that!

As I reflect back on yet another wonderful weekend away, I feel gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunity to take these trips. Gratitude for the friends I have met through this blog. Gratitude for my sister's desire to travel with me and to play along with my wanderlust.

And while I continue to struggle with RA symptoms, while I've been slowed by this disease, I'm so grateful that I haven't had to stop being active. Whether the mountains ahead of me are real or metaphorical, I won't stop climbing to the top.

Have you ever been to the Palm Springs area? Hiked mountain trails? Dry heat or humidity? 

I may be late to the party, but I'm linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap! I'm also going to link this post with Marcia, Erika, and Patti for Tuesdays on the Run.