Aw crud, she’s right. I am middle-aged. I don’t even know when that happened. Last I remember I was living it up in my 20’s and now somehow I’m teaching students that weren’t even born when I was partying like it was 1999. Literally, they weren’t born in 1999, they will never get to party like it’s 1999. I bet Prince didn’t see that coming. I didn’t see it coming, that’s for sure.
Yesterday we headed out on our second cougar transect in the Lamar Valley area of Yellowstone. This transect required hiking/climbing/crawling up to a 7000’ peak into prime cougar territory. To do this we had to break through sun-crusted snow up to my thighs wearing three layers and carrying a weighty pack. The group started off exuberantly, chattering and practically skipping up the mountain. But soon, packs formed. There was the We Have Long Legs pack, the We Get Easily Distracted And Wander Off pack, and the OMG I Don’t Think I Can Do This pack. Can you guess which one I was in??
Kendra joined up with me and took the lead, this little sprite broke snow so I could follow in her footsteps. Sometimes, she’d plunge so deep she’d end up laying in the snow and have to fight to right herself to keep going. Each time this happened I’d think, “I should take the lead and break the snow except I can’t because I am old and weak and dependent on my pack for survival.”