Hiking/JumpCreek_01

2007-11-23 I went on my first hike in Idaho. See my photos below. Look at the Google map. Click the hybrid button and look South.

I found that while I can bicycle and walk distance with no problem, strapping a backpack on and climbing elevation makes me pant like a dog on a hot summer day. My pedometer showed I managed to go just one mile.

It took me awhile to find the Jump Creek Recreation Area, and boy did I go a long way to get there. That ride was worth it by itself, as I had never gone further west than 10 Mile Road. The sign post leaning away from the road, and twisted so you can not read the road names was not much help, either.

I parked at the upper lot and started up the mesa. Almost immediately you have to choose to go to the left or the right. I chose the left so that I could get a better look into the canyon. It was well worth the view! I was a little nervous about going around some rocks, and I hugged them close, in order to follow what looked like the path. Maybe I had lost the path by then, as when I got further along and checked my back trail I could see a much easier path I should have taken. But enough people had gone before me that the ground was trampled down. And it had to be to get the better view.

I saw what looked like a more defined trail when I was busy panting for ten minutes to catch my breath. I also saw the group that had started after me and took the path to the right, off to my right. I then made it to the top of the area I was climbing and they were well to my left and climbing towards the top of the mesa. I decided if I was going to be safe, I was heading back the way they had come up. The temperature was close to 32 degrees, and panting all that cold air now had me coughing from the irritation.

Rather than hiking further up, I decided to call it a day. The climb down was very easy. And I am glad I did not try to double back the way I had climbed up.

The very next day I walked close to four miles along the Green Belt to do some grocery shopping. So I know I can do the distance, I just need to build up my lung capacity.

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