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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 2020)
6 Wednesday, September 9, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Commentary... Trekking with ‘Tall Socks Tanya’ By Becky Aylor AKA ‘Short Sock Suntan’ Guest Columnist Dirt. There9s something about it. As kids, we 89experience= it. We dig in it, sniff it and taste it. We add water to make mud-pies, throw it and watch it splatter, hop in it and kick it and watch it blow away in the wind. Together we build and insulate our forts with it, build jumps for our bikes out of it, and then we grow up and dirt seems to lose its wonder. At some point, it9s just <dirty= and downright filthy. I9m constantly sweep- ing it out of my house, out of my car, and washing it out of my clothing. ...and then I turned 50. ..and then the pandemic. ...then the pandemic didn9t end. But it was summer! Educators are some of the hardest workers on the planet. I9ve worked a zillion jobs (hardware store, piz- zeria, toy store, pre-schools, summer day camps, telemar- corrections, keter, sales, juvie-corrections, server, banker and a teacher, to name a few). It9s been almost a decade that I9ve brushed shoulders with teacher peeps day ut in and day out. But it wasn9t until the summer of 920 that ow I really got to know the strength of f a local middle school teacher. Celebrating the early summer birthday dinner of a colleague ended with some sidewalk chatter; <Hey, we should get together again! How about a hike? On Tuesday?= We even kicked around some names: Sole Sisters; The Young and the Rest of Us; Blister Sisters; etc. In the end, we didn9t really have a group name that stuck...we had something better. We had <Tall Socks Tanya.= Tanya Young defines petite. She9s itty bitty. Delicate, with blond hair and perfect skin. She has the most caring and compassion- ate heart of a teacher with a perfect voice to match. If you know her at all you9ll know she9s wicked smart and witty too. She is also one of the most amazing mothers that I9ve ever met. Teaching sci- ence full time is just her side gig. Then there9s <Tall Socks Tanya.= I9m convinced her well-traveled insulated hik- ing boots match her overall body weight. Her weighty backpack is complete with bear spray, a satellite locator, water filter, nutrition sup- plies (cinnamon candy bears are essential gear), water, etc. Her phone is well-charged with all of her research 4 hidden under well-loved icons. We hiked every Tuesday this summer after that day. Tall Socks Tanya, true to form, would wear socks pulled up to her knees and rather-worn Nike capri hik- ing pants. I, on the other hand, wore shorts and short socks and am quite sure I will have a solid tan line on my ankle... forever (and yes, Dr. Bachtold, I started wear- ing sunscreen this year too). We often rallied at Tollgate. Masked up, car- pooled, picked up other teachers along the way, and followed our fierce wil- derness guide up the next dusty trail of awesomeness. Beautiful hidden trails that wove in and out of old- growth pines and skipped over creeks and meadows displaying the most vibrant wildflowers one could imag- ine. Some hikes were four to five miles and others were over 10. Several hikes had elevation gains of 2,500 feet! Every single step was worth the stunning views at the top overlooking the snow-covered mountain peaks, buttes, and valleys. I was awestruck with Tanya9s confidence and strength. I was also awestruck at how much dirt seemed to come home on me. Like Forest Gump walking... Tanya Young started hik- ing two years ago. I don9t know the why, but I know she9s addicted. She has a goal of walking 1,200 miles (miles) in 2020. I9m sure she9s at 900-plus miles by now. She hiked almost every day of the summer (and often overnight weekend back- packing trips). This tiny, meek, seem- ingly shy teacher is a com- plete beast. The tallest moun- tains have met their match. The scorching heat of the summer sun and the <flocks= of mosquitos did not deter. Often she would trek solo on 15-plus-mile hikes. I feel priv privileged and grateful that sh she shared herself with me an and others on Tuesdays so th that we, too, could experi- en ence the awe and wonder th that Central Oregon holds to those that seek it out 4 n not to mention the laughs of just being together and talking story. Tall Socks Tanya and I are opposite in many of our personal beliefs & S ONS E K A L B CLEANING SERVICES Windows • Screens • Gu ers Residential, Rentals & Commercial Cleaning Free Estimates! Call or text Jeff Blake at 541-420-3020 •I﹐L&B PHOTOS COURTESY BECKY AYLOR Author Becky Aylor got out into the back country this summer with ardent hiker and teaching colleague Tanya Young. 4 but in the end, just like all of us, we truly are more simi- lar than different. I worked alongside these wonderful souls for years, even shared a wall and hall with Tall Socks Tanya. My point? Don9t let the pan- demic strip you of continuing to build friendships. Get out there and enjoy the beauty that lies in our backyard, not to mention it is probably the best medicine for our mental and physical health. Take a hike. Take your family. Take just yourself. Sucking wind, won9t kill ya (at least I don9t think so), but the views might just take your breath away. Dirt. It still bonds. DAVIS TIRE Our family can take care of your family of autos & trailers Brakes • Axles • Ball Joints • Suspension • Shocks • Struts TIRE INSTALLATION, ALIGNMENT, REPAIR, BALANCING, ROTATION Sisters S Sis ter s Indu I Industrial n str ndu s r ial i al l Pa ia P Park a rk r k 188 W. 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