Of Hike-a-Thons and Toes

All things considered, the toe is a minor body part. In my day to day dwellings it gets far less attention than my hands, my stomach, or even my beard. Truth be told, I barely ever give a passing thought to the lowly toe. But where the toe takes on the utmost importance is when it’s injured. Two weeks ago I badly sprained my left big toe in a horrific volleyball accident (many lives were lost, I assure you) and since then hardly a moment has gone by that I don’t think about my toe. Every action I undertake is first screened under the “how is this going to affect my toe?” filter. I may be starving but since it hurts my toe too much to walk down to the kitchen to make a sandwich I’ll just lie here and be consumed from the inside out. My life is being run by a toe tyrant.

But where it really hurts is in my inability to hike. I just moved back to the Sierra, and Yosemite beckons on a daily basis. Especially right now as towering cumulus clouds build up above the Sierra crest every afternoon. The weather is perfect, the bugs are gone, and the wildflowers are blooming in the high country. It is an ideal time to hike. But instead I’m stuck at home with a frickin’ damaged toe.

What makes it even worse is that this week (July 22nd – 26th) was meant to be the week of my Yosemite Hike-a-Thon for the Epic Experience Outdoor Adventure Camp for cancer fighters. I’ve been taking donations to raise funds for this camp, which provides life-enriching activities for folks who are battling cancer. My goal is to raise $1000 for the camp, and for every $20 donated I planned to hike a mile through Yosemite this week. Reaching the $1000 means I would be putting 50 miles of Yosemite trails underneath my feet. Alas, my sprained toe has derailed the whole thing.

But what is life without setbacks? And in the grand scheme of what cancer fighters go through a sprained toe pales in comparison. So here is the new plan: I am continuing to take donations for the Epic Adventure camp (in fact, we’ve almost reached the goal!). Then, once my toe is completely healed I’ll be tearing up those Yosemite miles like nobody’s business.

To support my Yosemite Hike-a-Thon and for more information about Epic Experience, please visit: