Mount Barney and Me

I’m bruised and battered.  My legs are scratched beyond recognition. My arms and shoulders ache.  My calves and quads are rubber.  I’m exhausted.  I’m so tired, my eyelids are drooping as I write this entry.  Don’t feel sorry for me, though.  I’m not really complaining.  Despite my current state of being, I had an amazing day.  It was one of those wonderfully therapeutic, soul-cleansing days that can only be achieved by getting outdoors and pushing your body beyond its everyday expectations.  I needed this.  I needed to hike and climb and spend time outdoors.  I needed to feel my heart race and my muscles burn.  These are the things that help keep me sane.  These are the things that make me feel alive.

Today’s adventure took me to Mount Barney National Park located in the Scenic Rim Region of Queensland, approximately 2 hours southwest of Brisbane.  I hiked the South Ridge trail, which was meant to take me to the east peak of Mount Barney.  I emphasize meant, because my hike didn’t quite go as planned and I didn’t quite make it to the peak.  (Oops!)  Somehow, I managed to wander off the main trail and found myself on a lesser-traveled secondary trail.  No biggee, right?  I was fine with the bushwhacking and bouldering.  Despite the constant, nagging fear that I was going to run into a very large and very unfriendly snake, it was fun.  Then I found myself scaling some fairly exposed rock slabs and realized this probably wasn’t the safest thing to be doing, especially without a buddy.  So, I shimmied and down-climbed my way back to solid ground, upon which I decided the journey was soo much more important than the destination and headed back to the car.  (Translation:  I was too tired to find the real trail and hike up to the peak.)

Even though today’s hike didn’t go as planned and was slightly tough on my body, it was good for me.  It was good to be out there alone, with nothing but the rocks, trees, and my own thoughts for company.  It gave me time to work through everything that’s been whirling around in my head.  It allowed me to process life’s latest twists and turns.  It may not have been the day that I had envisioned, but it was exactly what I needed.  (Even the cows chasing me down the trail can’t change that sentiment.)