There’s a First Time for Everything!

How many of your “firsts” do you remember?? We knew that we’d see a ton of new things on our trip to Utah, but I also believe that we all learned a little something about ourselves during Monday’s hike on the Angel’s Palace trail in Kodachrome Basin State Park.

It was a “first” that almost didn’t happen. A couple  we saw in the parking lot shared with us that the hike would be too steep and strenuous for Kendal to tackle and that the trail certainly wasn’t suited for the stroller we had just taken out of the SUV. But thankfully we went to the rest room before departing the area and met a different woman who believed the trail would be just fine for Kendal as long as we helped her when she needed it. So off we went on Kendal’s first hiking adventure. 

It didn’t begin all that well, with Kendal announcing every few steps that she was afraid, primarily of snakes and didn’t want to continue the hike. But we asked her to trust us and told her that we would protect her from anything bad.  

Soon after, with much encouragement and acknowledgement from Kim and Tim that she was doing an amazing job, Kendal became our ” hike leader”, fearless all of a sudden as she marched along while counting off “one, two, three, four” like a brave soldier. Make no mistake that while the trail was very well marked, it was by no means easy. There were steep uphill parts that on the way back down other hikers more experienced than we were chose to come down on their butts. We instead held hands or stood watch until each of us had tackled the tough parts.

   
I believe that Kendal learned that if she puts her best foot forward and leans on those who are there to support her, she can tackle anything. I believe that Tim and Kim shared a very special father / daughter moment as they walked the last 100 yards on the trail together. It was very high up and very narrow so Kendal and I watched from afar.  They took pictures of each other and pointed out amazing sights into the valley below. It was heartwarming to watch them. 

  
I learned that it’s never too late to conquer a fear. I’m not a big fan of heights but I really want to experience the adventures on this trip from every possible angle. So I too then went that last 100 yards and am ecstatic that I did. I saw things I would never have seen from my original vantage point. I believe Kendal’s first hike on our first full day in Utah set the stage for all of us to fully experience every extraordinary thing that awaits us, both on this trip and beyond!  

 

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