It’s day 4 of this cold, as in a head cold. My sinuses are swollen and my head congested. Today, though, my energy is sufficient and so I must move!! I’m excited to explore some local trails. The crisp air is divine on my face, the embrace of outside welcoming. I’ve been held captive by fatigue, chills and a river of snot and my movements stem from within a fog. A stoked fog no less, for I’m Outside !! Per my handy Hiking Marin book, Deer Island is a small park with a simple loop and one slice through the center. Still, I had memorized the very short route I chose ahead of time. The trail starts to climb straight away and my legs purr! The grade is moderate and so is my pace. I stop ... read more
A Dose of Outside A Dose of Outside is intended to share a bit of nature with you as experienced on my local hikes and other adventures. Take a moment to look out the window or step outside and see what it is you see. What you smell. Notice what’s growing around you. Use all your senses and really get A Dose of Outside! HIKE DATE: November 2, 2013, SDC I’ve had a headache and earache all week so I don’t feel much like doing anything. My husband gently nudges me to get outside, knowing I can only benefit from some fresh air, so off I go. I have once again exhausted this year’s feat... read more
A Dose of Outside A Dose of Outside is intended to share a bit of nature with you as experienced on my local hikes and other adventures. Take a moment to look out the window or step outside and see what it is you see. What you smell. Notice what’s growing around you. Use all your senses and really get A Dose of Outside! HIKE DATE: 10-29-13, Sonoma Regional Park We’re off to the regional park for a little walk because after all, a short walk is better than no walk. It’s bitterly cold and windy! I just got back from LA yesterday and it was piping hot, so this is a bit of a shock to ... read more
A Dose of Outside A Dose of Outside is intended to share a bit of nature with you as experienced on my local hikes and other adventures. Take a moment to look out the window or step outside and see what it is you see. What you smell. Notice what’s growing around you. Use all your senses and really get A Dose of Outside! HIKE DATE: 10-18-13, Matterhorn Peak, Sawtooth Ridge, Sierras We are pretty close to our planned departure time. We’re hitting the trail at approximately 6:15a.m. It’s cold and dark so we all have our headlamps on. My breath produced such a thick mist, it’s as if I am smoldering. Passing by the Mother’s Cookie car, we take a closer look. Wow. Seeing the raw destructive power of the bear up close is humbling. ... read more
A Dose of Outside A Dose of Outside is intended to share a bit of nature with you as experienced on my local hikes and other adventures. Take a moment to look out the window or step outside and see what it is you see. What you smell. Notice what’s growing around you. Use all your senses and really get A Dose of Outside! HIKE DATE: October 18-20, 2013, Matterhorn Peak, Sawtooth Ridge, Sierras - Day One, Part I I left my house extra early for the commute to Berkeley where I’ll connect with my climbing partners, Gary and Layhoon. It’s commute time on a Friday and the roa... read more
A Dose of Outside A Dose of Outside is intended to share a bit of nature with you as experienced on my local hikes and other adventures. Take a moment to look out the window or step outside and see what it is you see. What you smell. Notice what’s growing around you. Use all your senses and really get A Dose of Outside! HIKE DATE: September 9, 2013, Sonoma Developmental Center ... read more
A Dose of Outside A Dose of Outside is intended to share a bit of nature with you as experienced on my local hikes and other adventures. Take a moment to look out the window or step outside and see what it is you see. What you smell. Notice what’s growing around you. Use all your senses and really get A Dose of Outside! Daylight screams its last words Heat Fingers swell, knees creak People Shadows come to life Matching pace with the death of daylight Reflections Up or Down? Color and Shade Effect See them? They dance as though in romance but more likely it is for profit or coincidence Regardless, their movement is g... read more
A Dose of Outside A Dose of Outside is intended to share a bit of nature with you as experienced on my local hikes and other adventures. Take a moment to look out the window or step outside and see what it is you see. What you smell. Notice what’s growing around you. Use all your senses and really get A Dose of Outside! HIKE DATE: Mount Conness Summit, September 7, 2013 There’s no feeling quite like being on top of a mountain. The perspective is unmatched. You are closer to the heavens, far from reality and the certainty of how small we are in the grand scheme of things is ever present. I sit in awe for the last moments before we need to start heading down the mountain. The smoke from the fires is ... read more
Talk about a real life cliff hanger! Here I am, still hanging from the side of the 2ndtower on the north ridge of Mount Conness . . . Maikki rappels as far down as she can go, but contrary to what the book said, the rope is not long enough. Like a pro, she assesses the situation and calls up that she has a plan. Ok. I look forward to hearing what that is when I get down there! Now it’s my turn. I start moving my hand along the secondary rope, pulling up more rope so I can move downward. It’s much slower than I thought. You really have to pull the rope to create slack. It also may be just the way she’s having me do it since I’m a rookie, I don’t know. ... read more
Mount Conness Summit Bid I arrived at the group camp site promptly at 7am. I drove down from the upper campground, figuring I’d be tired after the climb and would not want to trek the probably less than extra ¼ mile back to my space. Additionally, I wanted access to my other pair of boots in case I changed my mind about which ones to use. Steve had recommended the mountaineering boots, but I wanted to leave my options open. Wow! Things had surely changed overnight and I am thankful I decided to get my own campsite. The tents were lined up one next to each other with maybe a foot in between. Some folks were up and milling about, having coffee and starting their day. I heard that people had continued to arrive at all ... read more
