I am not a night person, at all! After years of training, everyone in my life knows that to reach me after 9 pm is impossible because I like to be sleeping by 9:30. So when I got a text near bedtime from my friend Hayley suggesting we do some night hiking Bears Hump under the super moon (the Buck moon to be exact) I immediately started typing out my refusal. Then I stopped myself because I feel like since having kids I say “no” too often. Kids thrive in a routine and I find myself getting stuck in my routine too. So I surprised Ryan and myself and said yes.
It’s funny because Hayley was super nervous about this hike. She worried most about bear encounters, even when I told her we were most likely to trip and hurt ourselves then have an animal encounter. I’m a bit of a weirdo where I had zero concerns whatsoever. I can’t explain it, but I don’t worry about bears or animals in the slightest. I felt no fear walking up the familiar pathway in the dark.
The moon was just peeping out from behind Mt. Vimy as we started off. And you know what? That hike is just as hard at night as it is during the day. ha ha! Maybe a little easier because it’s cooler. I didn’t charge my headlamp so it died right away leaving us with one flashlight and one headlamp.
The highlight of the hiking was when Hayley stopped terrified saying “I see eyes! We have to go back! Rach! Rach!” She started to turn around and I walked forward cautiously just to see what type of animal it was. Sure enough, it was a little buck so I’m glad we did’t turn around.
When we got to the top the view was spectacular! Moments like this are where I wish I was a proper photographer, not an iphone photographer. Our photos don’t do it justice.
We were met up there by another couple so we helped each other out with pictures and chatted a little bit before heading back down. I was so proud of Hayley because she really had to overcome some fear and anxiety to do this.
As I laid my head down at 2:30 a.m. I was glad I had said yes. Experiences like this are what life is all about.
Have you ever hiked at night?
Does it worry you?
