A Weekend Hike

(well, I had pictures to go with this, but can't get them off the camera, so. . .)

I got to go hiking in Malibu with Lyndsay and about one hundred other teen girls and boys and the other leaders on Saturday. I haven't been hiking in a long time, but Lyns wanted me to come, and I thought it sounded like fun (except the getting up early part), and I wondered how many steps I could get. (sick, I know.)

Let me first say for the record, that while all those mansions perched on the hills in Malibu and Bel Air are lovely, I never want to live there. Driving up those twisting, narrow, never-ending hills to get to my house every single time you run out to drop kids off or pick something up from the store? No thank you. And those driveways! The ones that either go straight up, or straight down? Not for me. I like straight and flat. That would drive me crazy and I would never leave. Although we did walk right by Dan Aykroyd, who was standing in the street talking on the phone as we made our way past him to the trail head and he seemed happy. But he probably has other people driving up and down those infernal streets.

The hike itself was fun. And hard. Great company, though, and lots of laughs. My stepdaughter, Caitlin was there too and I got to hang out with her a little. She's so involved in life at school and with friends that I don't get to see her much. She's such a cutie. We stopped and took breaks. Lots of them. We heaved and we hoed. I stopped in a meadow for just a second, overcome with inspiration from The Sound of Music and had to sing a little about the hills being alive. And then we hiked some more. But we made it, and it was worth it.

Isn't it always? That's the thing about life. You gotta push through. It can't be all uphill. And after all that climbing, there's always the view.

Now I am so sore, I can't even tell you. My hips. Oh, my hips! My shins. Funny how the whole way up we delighted in any little 6 feet of downhill trail just for relief. And on the way back, we would stand at the top of the downhill slopes and think, "I just am so sick of downhill!" Hiking is so metaphorical that way.

After our hike, we drove a few miles down the road and had tacos on the beach. Really, really good tacos from some local place with great reviews. I can see why! The water was really too cold, and it was still foggy with the early hour, but it was nice. Peaceful.

I will remember that wonderful day as I hobble around in this one.

p.s.- By the end of the hike? 13,162 steps and it wasn't even 11am!