By Moses Leos III.
Living an athletic lifestyle has been the norm for Hays County Pct. 5 Justice of the Peace Scott Cary.
The soon-to-be 60-year-old has logged seven marathons, competed in numerous Olympic distance triathlons, and has run hundreds of 5K’s and 10K’s in 25 years.
Yet, nothing compared to crossing off a big entry off of his bucket list: Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, and seeing Machu Picchu – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It all began two years ago, while participating in a bicycle race in Corpus Christi. Cary’s wife had traveled to Peru, and raved about the majesty of it all as they rode.
Cary then made a pact with one of his friends: let’s go see it for ourselves.
However, life intervened. Last summer, he had to have his knee replaced. The surgery did not delay the trip, but forced Cary to reflect on his goal.
“It changed my mindset if I could do it,” Cary said.
Having his knee replaced limited his ability to continue running. However, it did not dampen his spirit to hike the trail.
“Failure was not an option,” he said.
After obtaining his permits and passports, Cary and a group of six – five over the age of 50 – travelled to Lima, Peru, in May to begin their adventure.
The group, which consisted of two retired Houston police officers, one attorney, one certified public accountant, a deep sea diver and an active Austin police officer spent two days in the Peruvian capital.
They enjoyed the food and fellowship of the people during their stay. Yet they continued on, in search of the city in the sky.
Cary and his group then found themselves in Cusco, where they spent two days acclimating to the altitude. Cusco is 11,200 feet above sea level.
It was a brand new experience for Cary, who succumbed to mild altitude sickness. He said trying to walk in the high altitude was akin to “running with a bag over your head,” where it’s difficult to get oxygen.
“I had a horrible headache,” he said. “You feel nauseated, and sick. You don’t feel like doing anything.”
Eventually, it passed, and the group marched ahead. After touring the sacred valley, they began the trek to Machu Picchu.
Immediately, they were greeted with a substantial climb. Cary said the team scaled 2,000 feet in elevation.
“I was wondering what I had gotten myself into,” he recalled thinking.
By the end of the second day of the hike, the group had scaled 13,800 feet. They did so over a ten-hour period, going through torrential rains and freezing conditions. After reaching what locals call “Dead Woman’s Pass,” the group then made their way straight downhill for three hours.
Due to his knee replacement, he knew traversing down the mountain was tough.
“The climbing was not going to be such a problem,” Cary said. “It was the downhill part.”
Everyone made it by nightfall, with the group heading into the jungle on the third day. The experience was eye opening for Cary and the group.
“When you come off mountain, we got low enough to where vegetation takes over. Trees come over the trail, with lush foliage,” he said. “At one point, our guard took his walking stick and it went two or three feet into thick vegetation. It was something to see; I can’t describe it.”
Their destination was just in reach. With one more mountain pass, they reached the Sun Gate: a 1,000-foot overlook of Machu Picchu. It was a moment Cary will never forget.
“It was energizing and spiritual experience,” Cary said.
Setting foot inside of Machu Picchu was a “life changing experience” for Cary. He saw how magnificent the human condition can be.
“It is unbelievable. They were able to build a city and farm on top of mountain with no electricity and power tools,” he said. “It was amazing. It’s almost like its Disney world. It’s hard to believe it’s real.”
With Machu Picchu off his list, Cary focuses on other items, such as walking the Great Wall of China and scaling Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. While he is not 100 percent sure his knee can take the Kilimanjaro hike, he is hoping to one day “give it a try.”
He also hopes to return with his wife to Machu Picchu.
Cary knows bucket lists are the norm for people his age. He says those who wish to start one should ensure they aim for achievable goals. Not just physically, but financially as well.
And if they find a happy medium, he believes they will find it is a worthwhile experience. “I’ve been to England and Ireland,” Cary said. “[The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu] was the most exciting trip I’ve ever taken.”
