One of my favorite places to hike is Atalaya Trail just east of Santa Fe. According to my Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area book, Atalaya is Spanish for “watchtower” or “height,” I’ve not quite made it to the peak yet—came within 30 minutes of the crest last week! It’s the first time in my life I’ve hiked uphill for 70 minutes without expectation of passing out, and when I sat down amidst a tapestry of little purple flowers with the summit clearly within my site last week, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I’d be standing at the tippy-top gleaming from ear to ear and taking pictures. This is a hike with many rewards—in addition to the ever-improving view of the Santa Fe area, the further you hike, the more shade there is to enjoy. One can find ponderosa, Douglas fir and pinon-junipers all along the trail, as well as some white pine the steeper you go.

My friend, John, introduced me to the trail a couple weeks ago. An avid cyclist and in the kind of shape I could only dream of being in myself, he waited patiently every 5-7 minutes while I gasped for breath and rested my screaming legs and lungs. “Gasping’s good!” he’d cheer, “It means you’re increasing your lung capacity… as a matter of fact, just keep talking while we climb, you’ll notice great results next time you come out here.”

I must admit, in my feeble state, I didn’t entirely believe him, but he had so much confidence in my lungs, I decided it would be sad not to give my windbags a fighting chance—did I mention his dog, Annie kept running way ahead of me and then dutifully running back down to find me and nudge me on? A natural herder, I don’t think she’d ever encountered such slow sheep as me. She’d give me these perplexed looks as if to say, “Dad is so much faster than you are. Hey, are you okay? Should I get you some oxygen or something?”

Hikes are ever so much fun when I’m under the watchful eye of John and Annie. When I take Annie out alone she’ll alert me to every wrong turn I take… she knows the terrain and would never let me down.

Surprisingly enough, John was absolutely right (don’t tell him I put that in print, I’ll never hear the end of it) but my 40-something body appreciates being pushed beyond the mind’s self-imposed limits, and my progress, at least to me, has been remarkable.  The only real trouble I’ve run into is forgetting to bring enough water in my pack. Dehydration has a way of creeping up on you in the desert, especially at such high altitudes. My focus becomes so sharp I don’t realize how much time has gone by, and after a hour or so snacks are imperative. I’ve also come to realize my hiking boots are way too small for the steepest downhill areas–I’ve two purple toenails to prove it. If someone had told me 10 weeks ago I’d be taking 2 hour hikes up and down moderately strenuous mountain trails, I would have rolled my eyes at them, but here I am testing and pushing beyond my limitations. I’m so fortunate to be able to train my body and mind in such a beautiful location, where each bend in the path reveals unfolding thresholds of beauty as I climb closer and closer to a place where  the division between sky and earth becomes less and less distinguishable.