Lori Oliver-Tierney - Trudge: A Midlife Crisis on the John Muir Trail

TRUDGE

A Midlife Crisis

on the

John Muir Trail

Lori Oliver-Tierney

PUBLISHED BY ACORN PUBLISHING COMPANY

ACORN and the portrayal of an acorn within a circle

are registered trademarks of Acorn Publishing Company, LLC,

Irvine, CA

Copyright 2019 by Lori Oliver-Tierney

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means,

including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author,

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Cover Design by eBook Launch

Digital Formatting and Interior Design by Christa Yelich-Koth

First Edition

To my Husband Smiley, and sons Sean and Craig, who I carried on the trail with me in my heart.

PRAISE FOR TRUDGE

A ll her life Lori Oliver -Tierney dreamed of hiking the John Muir Trail. At age 50, she turned that dream into a reality. TRUDGE is her story, a story of courage and determination and love. With humor and candor, Tierney takes us on her trip of self-discovery, of learning about the strength of true friendship, the friendship of strangers, and the friendship and love of family. Marcia Penner-Freedman , author of Willow Creek History , Shake Makers and Basket Weavers , and Fighting Fire in the Sierra National Forest .

The heartfelt and sincere writing syle of TRUDGE will pull you in as you journey with the author of the ups and downs of her mountain trail adventure. You will laugh and cry and keep on reading, and in the end will come away with a sense of celebration and renewal. A must-read for every woman. Flora Beach Burlingame , author of Path of Progress , One Mans Fight for Womens Rights, and Charcoal and Chalk .

Dedicated to my husband Smiley,

and sons Sean and Craig,

who I carried on the trail

with me in my heart.

AUTHORS NOTE

T his memoir represents my perspective of a backpacking trip I took along the John Muir Trail at the age of fifty. The John Muir Trail is 211 miles long and it is alleged to be the most challenging and scenic portion of the much longer (2,650 miles) Pacific Crest Trail. In writing this book, I used the journal I kept during this personal experience, interviewed some of the individuals featured in this memoir, and conducted detailed research. Some of the names have been changed, while others gave me permission to use their real names. It is my story, and not necessarily the story that others on this backpacking trip would tell. That said, I am neither a scapegoat nor a hero. I am an ordinary woman who followed her dream. It is my sincere hope that my story will inspire you to follow yours.

Preview Hike One

Day 1: July 11, 2004

I could barely breathe . My knees were killing me in spite of the braces and the hiking poles Id almost left behind. When I fell backwards, my heavy backpack cushioned the blow. It had also left me pinned to the ground like a turtle trapped upside down in its own shell, my arms and legs thrashing for freedom.

What the hell was I, an out of shape, fifty-year-old woman with bad knees and asthma, doing on the top of a mountain at an elevation of 9,360 feet? Hiking long distances in the high Sierra, surrounded by sheer granite cliffs and glorious blue skies, had been my dream for decades. Judging by my precarious position, however, I had to wonder if perhaps Id waited too long.

White ballooning clouds changed in form and substance. They danced around the jagged-toothed mountains teasing the earth with the promise of a summer rain. Thousands of pungent pine trees, loomed like green sentinels dotting the landscape, witnessing my disgrace. Their branches shook with the wind, sending oxygen I couldnt seem to pull in. Shifting my body weight from side-to-side, I struggled to get myself upright.

Somewhere along the way in my life, Id lost the spirited, red-headed girl inside me whod thrived on adventure and thrills. I needed to find her again. Maybe a rugged, twenty-seven-day hike in the wilderness was taking it a bit too far. A woman with a grandmothers face cannot easily revisit her youth in action.

The John Muir Trail (JMT) is said to resemble a heart monitor chart. After hiking only eight of the total two-hundred and eleven miles, my entire body was screaming. I felt alone, afraid, and found it increasingly difficult to breathe. In spite of a steady alpine breeze, thick trails of sweat rolled down my face. I licked my lips, tasting salt. It added to my thirst. I reached for a happier thought.

Motherhood had been one of the highlights of my life. The first laugh of my infant sons, the word Mamma they still use to call me, and those tight, squishy hugs and sweet kisses they bestowed on me were my rewards for time well spent.

Yet, Id traded parts of myself by becoming a parent. I no longer had the energy or nerve to rock climb lofty mountains, or to practice twirls and high jumps while ice skating. I knew all the words to nursery rhymes but had forgotten the lyrics to the Carol King songs Id loved to play on my guitar. My hiking trip had been planned in the hope it would help me find some of those lost pieces.