Really, I don't. Growing up in Ithaca, NY, it felt as though it could very well have been gray or rainy every day of the year. I'm sure there's a real statistic somewhere, but I remember hearing at one point during my childhood that it's one of the rainiest towns in the country. The dreary skies could dampen even the brightest of spirits, but there's something comforting to me about rain - the sound, how it makes everything seem more alive, the green grass after it's stopped. I can honestly say waking up to a light drizzle makes me feel strangely content.That being said, not much can top the weather we had this weekend. I'm not much for high temperatures, but give me a sunny day in the high 60's or low 70's and I'll run around smiling like an idiot. Or climbing and smiling like an idiot!
Saturday was a perfect chance to try a bouldering area in eastern PA I'd been hoping to visit for a while. Enter: my millionth mention of the wonder that is the climbing community. I made plans to head to Haycock in Nockamixon State Park with a group from my home gym, and a dozen of us made it there with half a dozen crash pads. I remember thinking I needed to bring my road bike next time, the park had so many beautiful open roads! We spent the day climbing at the Teddy Bear and Top Rock Trail areas. I'm trying to find a map to figure out what we climbed, but whether the problems have names or grades doesn't matter nearly as much as the amount of fun they were. My favorite of the day was where we started, a balancy slab-like problem pictured to the left.The day was perfect...except for one very small, small detail - I had a pretty painful, uncomfortable stomach bug. I woke up in the morning so excited to spend a day practicing my favorite climbing discipline in a popular new-to-me-spot with friends, and instead of listening to my body, went despite how I felt. The day had been planned earlier in the week, and I felt awful even thinking about backing out. So I went, did a very little bit of climbing, then curled up on a rock in the sun trying to ignore the cramping and nausea. I blame the salad I ate at a restaurant the night before, especially when a friend with significant restaurant experience mentioned she'd never seen spring mix washed before it was served. Yikes. So I admitted defeat around 2pm, Dan and I drove home, and I slept from 6pm Saturday until 8am Sunday morning.
It's frustrating being so excited about something, and having your body refuse to cooperate. It's a classic problem we all deal with, whether we've planned a day of climbing or any other activity. I don't typically have a problem listening to my body; if something's going on that makes me uncomfortable, I'll take it easy, which sometimes makes me feel like a bit of a wimp. But the times I try to push through when my body's telling me to rest, like Saturday, I usually end up significantly more uncomfortable. I don't, however, regret going, because I still had fun and still got some climbing in. That lack of regret means I'd do the same thing again in the future...not good!I'd recovered enough by Sunday morning to go on a short hike with a good friend I don't see nearly enough for my liking! We had a little trouble finding the Mt. Joy trail in Valley Forge National Park, but between JP and I, we did make it to the 259-foot summit. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and it felt great to walk around outside. I'm definitely looking forward to the next beautiful weekend!