Climbing Heights, Chasing Sunrises, and Life Talks

For every sunrise, there is someone taking their last breath. Enjoy life while you still can. Come see nature this weekend! 😉

The Trail Pilot community has been my home this past month, and I have enjoyed every moment. These amazing humans share a deep love for nature, and that shared value brought us together. Thank you all for being nothing short of amazing.

Today, we scouted an awesome trail for you to enjoy on Saturday! Come along as I take you through our adventure.

Rise and Shine: The Early Hours

I woke up at 5 a.m., said my prayers, and had my stomach flushed you know na. Then a quick shower 🚿. My neighbor, Beca, called to check if we were jogging, but I told her I was heading out for trail setting. She got curious and wanted to tag along, so I explained what Trail Pilots do. Eventually, I tactically discouraged her with the time commitment truth be told, we don’t rush down the mountain. We take our time, enjoy the scenery, and, of course, engage in the legendary trail banter.

Before leaving, I kissed my plants, watered them, and took them out for their daily dose of sunlight. I also boiled water for coffee on the mountain and packed my hijab for my Duha prayer. At 6:39 a.m., I was already behind schedule (Almighty, bless my hustle I need a car in my life!). I hopped on a bike to the junction, caught a ride to my next stop, and Adventure lord picked me up from there. We picked up Lizzy at another point. Meanwhile  Mr. Henry (our wise elder), Emmirine, Sefiey, Hercule (my G), Peruzzi (man of the year), Miss Oma, Sandra, Evenly, Maxy (my gym bro and cashew eater), my hiking buddy the mountain goat himself were already waiting for us. We were behind schedule. 

Muster point greetings 

We reached our muster point, exchanged pleasantries, and got an unexpected bear hug from Miss Evenly, who lifted me off the ground (loved it!). With high spirits, we drove to Katampe Extension. Omo! I might just buy a house there one day the serenity is top-tier.

Shoelaced tied, water stocked, and some folks grabbing bread, we hit the trail. Five minutes in, we found ourselves in a cashew plantation. You could see the excitement in everyone’s eyes, scanning for ripe cashews. Miss Otes yelled, "I promised someone cashews!" My hiking buddy handed me one, but unfortunately, I couldn’t eat it shoutout to Mrs. Mosquito for putting me on malaria meds.

Hitting the Trail: Banter, Beats, and Cashew Hunts.

Sefiey, our DJ, was dropping some mad jams, but a fellow pilot asked to pause the music and enjoy nature’s sounds. My guy no fit relate Gen Z things. He looked at me strangely, moved away, and tried his luck with Hercule, who was equally lost.😂

At this point, the trail was getting spicy. Some folks were already panting. Ah! Even trail pilots dey tire? We waited for the seasonal hikers to catch up. Miss Sandra, unimpressed, said, "You guys are supposed to be fit! Once you hit the trail, you keep moving non-stop to the summit." I high-fived her in agreement.

We kept moving, but at a tricky turn, we got confused. Sandra called out, "Peruzzi, come and take your place in front!" He had been at the back assisting Evenly, who was getting back into her hiking groove. We’re a community we help each other, but we also move FAST.

After 45 minutes, we reached a certain point were we stopped to wait for other to catch up. Miss Otes mentioned she was saving cashews for her pregnant neighbor. I teased her, "Why didn’t she come hiking too?" The group stared at me like I had committed a crime. "Don’t be wicked!" they said. I told of my promise, "When I’m pregnant, I’ll still hike with my hubby!" (Dear future hubby, hope you love adventure!)

Sandra then joked that her sisters are eagerly waiting to see her pregnant thanks to her heightened sense of smell. I finally found my hypersmic kindred spirit!

We set off again with the summit in sight. Our elder was a bit low on energy (apparently indigestion was not on his agenda today), and Adventure lord seized the moment to claim the title of leader. Our elder cheekily remarked, “When you’re 63 and still climbing mountains, then we can talk!” Even our mountain goat wasn’t having the best day, and everyone kept asking if he was okay. My hiking buddy just shrugged and said, “We’re all good just one of those days.” We laughed and kept moving while others caught their breath. 

Summit Tales & Deep Conversations

At about an one-hour, twenty-minute mark, we reached the summit. What a View Serenity at its peak. I could camp here for a night.

I excused myself for my Duha prayer, soaking in the morning sun. At 9:19 a.m., I spotted the moon in the blue-and-white cotton sky. My hiking buddy came looking for me, grabbed his water, and left, allowing me more alone time. Another hiker, barefoot, joined me. She wanted to connect with the earth, and we chatted about how peaceful the summit felt. She mentioned working for herself to enjoy this freedom. I applauded her working hard for people who don’t pay salaries on time is overrated!

Just as I returned to the group, I found 

 I met a dear friend who needed a hug, When I hugged her, she burst into tears. I held her close and let her release it all. (Hey girl, I know you’re reading this you are amazing, and you’re not alone. Life happens for us, not against us. Xoxo.)

Then came the hot topic: "Marrying a beautiful slay queen with no character." Our elder dropped wisdom: "Marry a woman with good character. Beauty fades, but character remains." Someone mentioned people avoiding their homes because of unhappy marriages. Mountain Goat, ever the rebel, said he still wanted a slay queen. "That’s fine," a lady responded, "but she should also have good character!"

The conversation got even deeper. A lady shared a story about dating a man for a year who never gifted her anything. One Christmas, he bought gifts for his entire family but got her nothing even when she was struggling, she didn't asked him for assistance, but just when she asked he turned her down blankly. That was her last straw. The elder agreed with her.

Then I asked, "What do you think of men asking women, ‘What do you bring to the table?’" Elder chuckled and said, "A woman should reply, ‘I bring my feminine energy because women build homes.’" He found the question unnecessary yet he will not fault any man asking, a responsible man wouldn’t ask it. He mentioned he has been married for 30 years and doesn’t even know how much his wife earns it’s his responsibility to care for her.

We also debated why men cheat. Elder, with a sly smile, said, "Men are polygamous by nature, but respectful men don’t flaunt it." The room went silent. One lady said she wouldn’t divorce her husband over cheating so long as he didn’t disrespect her. A man shook her hand in agreement. I side-eyed them both.😂

Then came the moment when Adventure Lord, feeling inspired, called Mr. Eze to share his insights on marriage. Mr. Eze, happily married, did not hesitate to drop a truth bomb: "One cannot find love in Abuja." I recalled having similar conservation with elder three weeks ago. The singles in the group gasped in unison, as if their last hope had just evaporated into the mountain air. Turns out, even Mr. Eze had to return to the village to find his wife. Madam Eze, standing beside him, proudly confirmed the tale. Well, as they say, "Las las, we go dey alright."

Elder wrapped it up: "If you take anything from today, marry your friend." And I added, "Make sure you share at least 75% of the same values and put Ammighty in the relationship. "

The Descent & Goodbyes

While heading down, Peruzzi and a few others disappeared ahead they move at the speed of light. I got distracted by an emergency work meeting. Evenly needed to ease herself, so I waited for her. Meanwhile, a first-time hiker in crocs was regretting her life choices. At one tricky spot, she almost fell. I laughed and asked, "Will you wear crocs to hike again?" She just gave me a look.

Oh, and guess what? I fell too. I tripped with Steeze for a brief moment, prompting Otes to shout, “You should write that you fell today I see how empathetic you are!” 😂

At the base, some folks treated themselves to bread and Coke shoutout to Mountain Goat for picking up the bill! One by one, we said our goodbyes, filled with love and peace. You could feel the warmth in this community.

I am grateful for these amazing humans and the positive impact they have on me.

I am grateful for myself even when little mosquitoes try to bring me down, I WIN again! 🦟💪

What’s your take on the conversations we had? Share in the comments!