If you were hoping this post was about some awesome recipe of how to cook chicken while camping out on a mountain, then you will likely be disappointed.
Nope, this post is about a 6′ 3″ chicken.
Me.
I was so excited to go on this hike on the Squaw Peak Overlook Trail. It was a complement to the hike I took Sunday on the Squaw Peak Overlook Back Trail. Each path takes you to the same place, and I guess you can figure it out what that place is – Squaw Peak.
The trail hugs the side of the mountain for about 1.1 miles until you arrive at the junction of the back trail. About 10 minutes into the hike, I came across a HUGE, and yet not really that big, barrier – a snake on the path.
Here is the video of my initial response.
I was going to end my hike at this point. As irrational as it sounds, I was not going to try to get around it. Logically, that was an easy choice. But when you have ophidiophobia, logic does not prevail. The only thing that prevails is SHEER PANIC!
Fortunately for me, there was a young couple coming down the mountain. I waited patiently for them to arrive and my hope grew that they would be my saviors. See video and please ignore the grown man screaming in fear.
Yep, that was fun. Not.
Now that the snake was out of my way, I should have smooth hiking the rest of the way.
I certainly saw some nice things. The yellow flowers were everywhere on the trails.
For some reason, I happened to turn around on the hike and look behind me. I think I was wondering about the view. When I did, I saw this paragliders soaring above and around me.
They buzzed around my area for about 10 minutes then they made their way south toward the City of Provo. I could not see them after they left, so I have no idea where they landed. I am guessing the wind was good enough to keep them going as long as they wanted.
While they may have been able to go as long as they wanted, I faced obstacle #2.
Because my anxiety was already triggered by the massive man-eating snake I barely survived earlier on the trail, I was getting more and more wigged out by the heights of the climb, more specifically, by the fact that I could continually see how high I was.
I would not have been impacted by the height alone, but since it was constantly in my face, it was also in my brain. You know the side where all the phobias live.
But when I got to the section of the trail shown above, I had to take a break. I sat down for about 10 minutes trying to calm myself down. I tried to rationalize that there was nothing really hard about the trail, which is true. Well, unless you account for the elevation and valley-spanning panoramic view.
Two young ladies came up the trail and because it was so narrow, I had to scooch upon the side of the mountain and sit in the steep grass, you know, where the massive man-eating snakes live.
We briefly chatted and I told them I was sitting because of my fear of heights. One of them said that she too, was afraid of heights and that her friend was making her go. Of course in my head, I am thinking, “Honey, if you were really afraid of heights, NO ONE could make you go.”
They made their way up the trail and I heard them holler back, “Let us know if you need help.”
Yea, right. What could they do from the top of the mountain while I am freaking out on the side of the mountain? Nice thought, though.
While sitting there some more, I notice when I dared to look out into the valley, that I was sitting almost in alignment with my house down in the valley. You can see in the photo below.
I finally got some courage up to continue on the hike. Within 30 seconds of climbing, my foot slipped and that was the end of that. I was too tweaked to continue. So I turned around and headed back.
The hike of shame.
When I got back to the trailhead, which also happens to be a very popular overlook, there was a lot of people there doing lots of fun things.
When I was just about done at the trailhead and was heading back to my car, I saw one final super cool thing – the moon rising. It was a nice finish to an otherwise freaky hike.
Here are a few more posts you may enjoy:
SQUAW PEAK OVERLOOK BACK TRAIL
NIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN
A HIKING CORNUCOPIA
YOUR DIRECTION IS MOST IMPORTANT
ONE OF MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS
RAINY DAY IN ROCK CANYON
MORNING IN AF CANYON
THE BIG TEST
TRIBUTE TO JOHN PRINE
BACK WITH THE FISHERMAN
The Umenum 
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