Walking in circles…

It is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I have the day off so I wanted to be as productive as I can be. My plan was to get up at 730 (haha) so I could go to the VA here in Tulsa and get set up with them so I could see a doctor. I was able to get up at 930 and be out the door by 11. Now, my frustration begins…

So, at the VA (Veterans Affairs) You have to have an intake appointment whenever you move to a new location. Doesn’t make much sense to me, but that is how the cookie crumbles.. So I have the day off and I decided to go down there and try to get an appt. Being that I was deployed to Iraq I am considered an OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) veteran. I served in the OIF war so it classifies me in a different category. Myself and all the other OIF/OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom) vets have to see a certain clinic within the VA. Now, You would think that since most the vets coming in the system today are probably OIF/OEF vets that there would be more people working in the OIF/OEF clinic. Well, that’s not the case…there is ONE, yes ONE person who can do intake appts for that clinic. So I was basically given some paperwork to fill out and told to fill it out then turn it back in and I would be contacted later… Did I mention that the ONE guy is on vacation. So, now I have to go back next week and take time off work to sit there and try and get an appt. THEN, after my intake appt I get to go back on another day and try and get an appt with a doctor………….AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

This situation frees up my day (good thing)! So, I decided to go to Turkey Mountain here in Tulsa and break in my new trail shoes. I also decided to wear my brand new Buff http://buffusa.com/sports?gclid=CN7Ek6rvhbsCFSRk7Aodp3EAJw It is a PCT Buff and I LOVE it. I was at Starbucks and the lady there said she loved it..     It is a cool crisp 35 degrees out today and not a cloud in the sky  Turkey Mt is a wilderness trail, not really a mountain, here in Tulsa. I had decided to do the yellow trail which was a 4.4Mi trail. Once I made it to the switch back in the trail I decided I wanted to go on the pink trail which was on the opposite side of the yellow trail.. I have all day so I figured that I would just walk along the trail till I made it back to the trail head. Here are some pictures of the beginning of the trail.    Once I crossed into the pink trail I was supposed to pass a small lake called Pepsi Lake, then make my way up to The Old Washing Machine. I passed what I thought was Pepsi Lake (mostly dried up) and wasn’t sure if i was on the right track to The Old Washing Machine. While I was walking I was just enjoying the scenery and the feeling of being out on the trail. I passed under this weird tree that jetted out across the trail (very cool) and I took note to that tree. I was going to take a picture but I didn’t. This tree would later help me realize my mistake. As I was walking along after the weird tree I got a text message from my brother so I stopped to look at it and well, me and technology don’t mix well… I FELL! I always fall when I go hiking, the PCT will be interesting.  It wasn’t too bad, just got a little muddy.. I laughed about it for far too long before I got up and started walking again. Anyways, after I fell I came across The Old Washing Machine; its a real washing machine lol  It had a quote written on the side and I thought that it was pretty cool.  I don’t know the history about this piece of equipment, and why it is out in the middle of the wilderness trail, but I will find out.  I love the way the bare trees look against the blue sky.

I decided that I need to start heading off the trail and get back to my car so I can continue my day. I’m walking in the direction I think is the way out, walking for about 15 minutes and I come across that weird tree again. Now that’s funny, I could have sworn I already passed this tree. Is it possible that there are TWO of these odd trees? I first think “shit, I’m lost and walking in circles” but then it doesn’t seem all too familiar so I press on thinking that it is just another weird tree. UNTIL I come across my skid marks of where I fell in the mud. Now I know that I am walking on the same trail I was just on. So up ahead is The Old Washing Machine. F**K!!! I’ve just gone in a complete circle and I have no clue how I did it. I’m officially LOST. It is now about 1.5hrs into my hike, I have no clue where I am and I’m starting to get worried that I wont find my way out (not really, I was more hungry). I’m walking, now running, then walking again just trying to make it out of this stupid pink trail. STUPID PINK TRAIL! I eventually find a main road and I just start to walk along the road in the direction that I think is the right way. At this point my phone has died. I walk on the main road for about .5Mi and I come to the old parking lot of the trail. At least I know I am going in the right direction 🙂 I can finally see the parking lot so I start to walk down the HUGE hill and I make it to my car. YAY!!!!!!!!!!! After 2 hours and 11 minutes I  am done with my hike and I have burned quite a few calories. I’m not sure the exact mileage I walked because my “map my run” app stopped working at .82Mi. BOO!!! I’m going to say at least 5Mi.

I’m pooped! I’m now sitting at Panera eating a Sammy and tomato soup! Yum! I’m going to go and get my oil changed then head to crossfit! Very productive day; minus the getting lost!

I’m happy that I was able to get out on the trail, I’m going to go again on Friday and probably Sat and Sun as well.

HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!!!!!

Bummer weekend..

I was all set to go out for a fun day hike on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend, only to wake up to a stomach bug… BUMMER!!!! And what makes it even sadder is the fact that it was a BEAUTIFUL Fall weekend here in OK. Not feeling great on Saturday I spent most of the day inside. When I finally got up to go outside, I was SHOCKED because it was warm. It was about 70 degrees outside and a tad muggy. Sunday morning, I woke up to my family cooking breakfast with all the windows and doors open, and the sun was shining! It would have been the perfect day to go on a hike, but I was still feeling under the weather and I had 2 papers to work on. I worked on my short paper and finished it, and I still have to work on my 2nd (10 page) paper. This weekend it is supposed to SNOW!!! SNOW!!! WTF! This is not okay with me. I feel I may have missed my perfect chance to hike this Fall. Hopefully it won’t snow and I can still get a hike in this weekend, if I feel better.