It has been a whirlwind weekend. DH didn't come home until 8 or so on Friday and he had a really weird face when he asked what we were doing this weekend. Turns out he had volunteered us to drive up with some of his work friends to go hiking and camping in the San Jacinto mountains.
Elliott doesn't do the outdoors. In fact, I cried three times when we summitted Mt. Snowdon in Wales two years ago.
Anywho, everyone promised me that it wouldn't be that bad. Tahquitz Peak is seven miles, 8800 feet, listed as "moderate" in the hiking book. The big liars - it was listed as "moderately strenuous" which really means "Holy hell, you're going up Everest!"
Here it is, in all its glory.Anywho...it was a tough hike. Even the serious climbers in our group were surprised at how tough it was to slog through. The beginning is really steep, then it levels out for a mile or so, and then the last two miles are tons of switchbacks and extremely narrow and rocky. I think everyone was feeling the altitude. Having lived my entire life at sea-level, I didn't think it would be that big a difference. HA!
The view from the top, however, was killer. There's a fire watchtower at the top and the lovely ranger let me collapse there for a while. The view is so good that the rangers can spot a fire before satellites can!
So after our hike we headed to the town of Idyllwild, CA and ate at the Gastrognome. Such a cute restaurant. The waitress kept our water and wine glasses filled and didn't blink an eye when we asked for the breadbasket to be refilled a third time. (Some of the group was going to do a 20 mile hike today so they needed to fill up on carbs.)
We pulled in to our campsite around 9, drank bottles of a really good rioja until 10 and then passed the heck out.
Even though it was a rough day, I'm glad I slogged through. DH loves his outdoorsy things and I want him to have fun weekends. I have to admit though, I almost cried when he told me how proud he was that I had pushed through and gotten to the top.
Well, I guess I should go unload the 8000 pounds of hiking gear still in the car. Later, kittens!
The view from the top, however, was killer. There's a fire watchtower at the top and the lovely ranger let me collapse there for a while. The view is so good that the rangers can spot a fire before satellites can!So after our hike we headed to the town of Idyllwild, CA and ate at the Gastrognome. Such a cute restaurant. The waitress kept our water and wine glasses filled and didn't blink an eye when we asked for the breadbasket to be refilled a third time. (Some of the group was going to do a 20 mile hike today so they needed to fill up on carbs.)
We pulled in to our campsite around 9, drank bottles of a really good rioja until 10 and then passed the heck out.
Even though it was a rough day, I'm glad I slogged through. DH loves his outdoorsy things and I want him to have fun weekends. I have to admit though, I almost cried when he told me how proud he was that I had pushed through and gotten to the top.
Well, I guess I should go unload the 8000 pounds of hiking gear still in the car. Later, kittens!
1 comment:
Thankfully, my husband is not into group outdoorsy activities. Just running and biking. Things he can do alone.
I think I'd have needed the wine for sleeping in a tent. Fun when I was 8, not so much at 39!!
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