TALES FROM THE TRAIL (AND SOMETIMES THE ROAD TOO)

Friday, June 11, 2021

Lunch Hike

IMG_8549I took a lackadaisical lunch hike on Wednesday (June 9). Lackadaisical, because I feel like I need to ease into things. Spring time’s still in the hills (though the tall grass is now brown). And I have fallen out of shape. It’s so hard to get an even balance with mental and physical health. Just when I feel like I’m zoning in on the mental health, (which really is just spiritual health to me), then I start slipping on the physical health. Suspiciously, at the top of my physical health (in my adult years anyway, but probably in my youth as well), that’s where I saw a saw a big decline in my mental health.  Hmmmm. So off into the hills I go anyway, because that’s what I do. But nowadays it’s not just for physical health.

Look, it’s still spring!IMG_8559Wood Creek:IMG_8563

I hiked into one of my secret spots and took a seat up on a cliff. It was a weekday, as expected, the trails were practically empty. Yes, cars were parked in the lot. Some people lingered about at the ranger station. Plenty of people rode or hiked and/or ran up Aliso Canyon. By plenty I mean less than a dozen. But I lost everyone somewhere around Wood Canyon while making my way to a awesome spot that I notice in the distance and wonder how many others see. There’s only 3 places that I know where you can see this spot, and of course there’s a trail to it, so other’s know about it (I just never see them). Let’s just says it’s the road less travelled.

Here at my spot (@ the 3.5 mile mark) I ate my first meal of the day – a tuna sandwich (with provolone cheese, black olives, green pepper, red onion, & dill pickle). I wasn’t really feeling the sandwich and smashed half back into my pack to throw away later. I wasn’t really there for the lunch though. I was there for the company.  If I could upload my “smart watch” I could report how long I spent in the spot (and also my heart rate and elevation). My watch hasn’t figured out yet that I’m in Pacific Standard Time. A few weeks passed before it finally updated that I passed through Central Standard Time. And CST it has remained. This of course seems to be related to,  or at least coincides with the fact that I can’t upload to the app at the moment. I’m guessing that one hour passed sitting in this lovely spot.

Time doesn’t really matter here on this particular day – I felt I had all the time in the world and wasn’t rushed in the least:  
IMG_8573IMG_8586 1IMG_8596

Total miles on this lunch hike: 7(ish)

No comments:

Post a Comment