The Unmarked Trail --- 3 Heels

“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” ~Emerson

I wanted to have a 3 heel hike and I thought a hike to The Living Room would be that hike. And it would have been, if the path had led to The Living Room. However, since the trails above the Hospital aren't marked, I ended up traversing, in 2.5 inch heels, a trail that was more like a 1 heel hike.

The Living Room is a valley overlook point that sits up above the University of Utah and is so named because visitors have moved the sandstones atop the mountain into furniture so that weary travelers, or those looking to swap a television view for a spectacular sunset, can sit in comfort for a great show.

But that wonderful experience eluded me. Following directions found on the Internet, I parked at the trail head right next to the Huntsman Center. The name of the trail head: TRAIL HEAD. I then made my way through the foliage and found myself in a sea of trails going every which way. Some all fed into one location, others ducked down other chasms, into foliage, down service roads. I guessed, and guessed wrong.

Unable to even spot what peak I was aiming for, I ended up on the south side of the mountain. I was climbing higher and higher, taking in great views of This Is The Place Park, and getting some incredible views of the East to West grid. Soon I was coming up the mountain directly from the south heading north and then the path split. North was straight up and I most definitely did not have the equipment to scale the terrain. To the East the trail dropped sharply into a gully, to the West, a similar path, with a less severe grade. I chose to go West.

At first I thought the path would loop back to where I had started, and it would, but only after three intense hills. Climbing steep hills in heels, as I've said before, is much easier than coming down steep hills in heels. Easier if the terrain is fairly solid, but quite dangerous if the terrain has broken debris, especially when that debris are flat pieces of rock.

Fortunately, because of the position of the trail, a small "creek bed" had formed in the middle of the trail, which I was able to wedge my left heel into while I took a step forward with my right. I literally inched my way down each of those three hills. I seriously worried that my heels would break, that I would find an even more slick surface on the next ridge, and that ultimately, I would be unable to get back at all let alone before the sunset.

2 hours 15 minutes, I was back to the TRAIL HEAD. No scratches, heels in tact, but completely deflated and disappointed. However, now looking at some of the incredible shots, it was a great hike. And while it was 3 heel possible, walking into the unknown, unmarked trail, unprepared is not a great experience.

Apparel: Skinny Jeans, Navy Boatneck Top
Shoes: Camel Leather Guess 2.5 inch Stilettos

DIRECTIONS: Park at the Trail head just past the Huntsman Center above Research Campus. Wander.

I'm starting to think about investing in a camelback pack in order to be better prepared for some of the longer trails, or, um, the unmarked excursions.