On April 16, Doug and I headed out for our first post-surgery backpacking trip. We chose an easy and short route for the overnight excursion, though weather threw us a challenging curve ball. Still, it felt wonderful to be out there again. There was one other unexpected bonus: the campsite had a privy. After years of constantly scoping out the closest bathroom due to UC, it was funny to find one in the wilderness.

My biggest concern on the trip was keeping my pack light. I wanted to make sure I took it easy on this first excursion to let my body adjust to carrying a load of gear again.

I had been doing a lot of day-hiking prior to the trip to get in shape, but my legs still did not have the endurance that they had prior to my UC flare-up and surgery. Watching the footage now also makes me chuckle. I am moving so slowly! My quads and hip flexors were the culprits; they were very sore by the end of the trip.

Doug and I are heading back out into the wilderness in a few weeks for a four-day base-camp-style backpacking adventure with slightly more elevation gain. I hope to feel a little stronger on that trip.