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Hiking in the mountains is said to balance one's body and mind.
The saying could not have been truer as I tried to balance my body while walking on unstable terrain along the Cottonwood Spring Trail at Franklin Mountains State Park. The trail is diverse and entertaining with rocks, bushes and trees at every corner of the path. It is a natural marvel and one that can be experienced with the help of UTEP's Recreational Sports Department.
The department organizes the trips and invites students to experience outdoor life in or near El Paso. In this case, the Franklin Mountains was the chosen destination. It was an interesting choice because we see them every day when we drive to school, and have become accustomed to their purplish color from afar.
However, as you hike to the top, it is a surprisingly pleasing and fulfilling experience that makes you ponder, "Why have I not done this before?"
A group of eight people, including a photographer and I, arrived about 10:30 a.m. April 26 at the bottom of the Cottonwood Spring Trail. Kim Keeton-Pettit, the outdoor adventure program coordinator and guide, wisely brought extra bottles of water in case we forgot. She said it would be needed when hiking the mountains because you get easily dehydrated, and she was right.
As you start to hike, you don't feel the steepness of the hill until you look back and see your group coming up a staircase. Different-colored rocks paint the trail beautifully and give trekkers an artful view of nature, but make sure to watch your step because, if you don't, your ankles could suffer the consequences.
My legs didn't feel the effects of such an effort, and I decided to complete the trail as fast as I could because I wanted to see how high I could go.
The vegetation begins to get richer and the trail becomes steeper as you climb higher. Plants begin to protrude sharp spines that could slice through your skin easily.
"What were you expecting?" Keeton-Pettit said as I explained her how my right leg was bleeding. "It is the desert."
It didn't matter much because I didn't even notice or feel when it happened. There was just a big bloodstain on my jeans around my shin. It was a small view into my long journey up the Franklins.
I walked off the injury, literally.
We finally reached the steepest point of the trail, in which you need to use your hands to grab a hold of big rocks to climb even higher. Add a slight gust of wind and the conditions from the bottom to the top of the trail changed from enjoyable to uncomfortable.
When I almost reached the top, I was there alone. No one was there because they decided to stay below cool, tranquil shadow of the cottonwood tree.
Plants with spines became more abundant making it impossible for me to continue through that trail. I got to a point in which I couldn't see anything above me and knew that I had to go down. Everything looked steeper from my perspective. I carefully walked down and tried to find the biggest rocks to use as support.
I fell a couple of times because some rocks weren't as stable as they looked. Spines scratched my arms a few times and it was hard and terrifying to go down, but I did it to reunite with the group at the tree.
When I finally reached the group we enjoyed lunch together and hiked down the trail.
Franklin Mountains State Park had something to teach me - outdoors journeys are something students at UTEP should seek more.
We complain about the warm weather, the wind and lack of vegetation, but it is when you are enjoying these elements that you get to really appreciate their value.
Adriana Gómez Licón may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.
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