Out on the edge

Monday afternoon, I stepped way out of my comfort zone. And it was good.

It happened on the side of a ridge above Akokola Creek in Glacier National Park. I was snowshoeing with a group of University of Montana students who are spending the week up the North Fork studying the Crown of the Continent geography. For that story and photos, see page A6.

Anyway, the trip started benignly enough. We went for a snowshoe tromp up the road to Bowman Lake, cut off the road through the trees and made for Big Prairie. We never made it to Big Prairie because the Akokola, while frozen, was running — water on top of ice. After group leaders decided the creek was too dicey to risk crossing (wet socks on hikes are the worst), we headed back to the Polebridge ranger station via a very different route: up and down the ridge.

After sliding down on our rears on one hill and climbing up the rather steep and slippery other side in slushy snow, I decided I was very much outside my comfort zone, which was exhilarating and nerve-wracking. I love hiking and snowshoeing, but I’m tentative about such steep slopes (there were plenty of people on the hike who thought nothing of the terrain). The challenge was so good for me. We hugged the edge of the ridge, climbed constantly over deadfall and ended the hike with another zippy slide down a hillside. I proved to myself I could do something I wouldn’t have dared last week.

I encourage all readers to do the same for themselves this week. Get outside your comfort zone (but don’t do anything blatantly unsafe) and marvel at your personal growth. It doesn’t have to be something that tests you physically, as my snowshoe hike did, but perhaps something that challenges you mentally or socially. Commit to learning a new language or make a new friend. Learn a new subject or go skiing for the first time. You’ll be astounded at how great you feel at the end.