Started this Cougar Point thing yesterday. Got antsy sitting at home again, figured why not just go for it.
The Stupid Idea Phase
First thought was easy – grab a backpack, throw in water and energy bars. Forgot my damn water bottle though. Had to dig out an old plastic one from under the sink. You know, the kind that tastes like feet no matter how much you wash it.
Made a big mistake right off the bat. Thought “eh, trail’s only couple miles.” Didn’t bother checking weather properly. Just saw sun icon on my phone and went “good enough.” Spoiler: it wasn’t.
When Things Got Real Stupid
Halfway up the ridge, weather flipped like a switch. Warm sun turned into cold drizzle real quick. Jacket? Yeah, left it hanging in the damn car. Whole thing looked great in my head – chill hike, pretty views. Reality? Mud sucking at my boots like quicksand.
Got to the sketchy part near the top. Trail basically disappeared. Just rocks and more rocks. Started climbing using my hands like some wanna-be mountain goat. Hands got scraped raw on jagged edges. That “short trail” felt endless.
The Moment Everything Sucked
Wind started howling hard when I finally reached the point. Couldn’t even see the stupid valley below through all the fog and rain. Leaned against this gnarled old tree feeling like an idiot. Energy bar tasted like cardboard. Water bottle tasted like feet and rain.
Sat there soaked and miserable. Kept thinking “shoulda stayed home.” Legs were trembling. Not cute, Instagram adventure-trembling. More like “might collapse” trembling.
How My Brain Finally Turned On
Pissed off state lasted maybe twenty minutes. Then something weird happened. Started noticing details right in front of me:
- That old tree? Surviving somehow clinging to bare rock
- Moss growing in impossible cracks between stones
- Fierce little birds zipping through sideways rain
Shifted focus from how miserable I felt to how wild everything around me was. Nature wasn’t giving up – just doing its stubborn thing. Changed how I saw the whole mess. Fog lifted just enough to glimpse the valley for maybe five seconds. Didn’t look like postcards. Looked raw. Real.
Trudging Back Down
Descent was pure mud-wrestling. Slid down half the steep parts on my butt. Hands frozen. Jacket still uselessly hanging in the car.
Got back to the parking lot looking like swamp monster. Tossed that nasty water bottle straight in the trash. Learned three things the hard way:
- Weather apps lie. Bring layers anyway.
- “Short” trails bite back when you respect them.
- Sitting in discomfort sometimes shows you cool stuff.
Worth the misery? Ask me after my next dumb adventure. Probably doing it again anyway.
