take a hike

I mentioned I did a hike recently with aipohaku. It was a lot of fun, but something I was totally unprepared for.

Coworker: What are you doing this weekend?
Empirical: Hiking with a friend.
Coworker: Hiking?
Empirical: I think more like a nature walk.

I could not have been more wrong. This was a hike for sure. I didn't know where we were going. Aipohaku just texted me the night before that I needed to be ready to roll at 630 a.m. on a Sunday. Oh, and if it turns out to be more challenging than we thought we can take it at our own pace. Yeah yeah. No problem.  

Oy. The incline was ass-kickingly intense. Five miles, mostly uphill. Still, I felt good in the cold air and I'm itching to go out again. Here are a few photos I snapped with my mobile phone...

Citizenrobot is an experienced hiker so I asked her for advice. I'm not quite at the point yet where I want to invest a lot of money in gear, so what's passable for a newb? She says she likes to hike in leggings and good shoes and good quality SmartWool socks. Well, leggings aren't too protective, but I'm not rock climbing or anything. I wore leggings under shorts with pockets; a Poketo tshirt; the grey hoodie for warming up and again when we were up in the clouds (brrr!); no socks with my barefoot-technology Merrell/Vibram collabo trail runners (my Disneyland walking shoes). Maybe if I stick with it, I can think of slowly investing in better stuff.

Maybe not too smart to roll with a huge backpack, but I did anyway and I was glad I did; stashed my wallet, keys, tissues (needed it for cleaning glasses and runny nose), mobile phone, and a large bottle of enhanced water. Next time: maybe a banana and some trail mix. It was so early, it didn't occur to me to take a snack.

Aipohaku carried a small pack and kept it lean and simple. She also outran me on most of this hike. She doesn't look it, but she's tough as hell. I could barely keep up! It was great seeing so many people on the trail. All races, ages, shapes and sizes. A lot of dogs. Some dudes on mountain bikes. All skill levels. Everyone was very friendly and supportive. I like this community. I want to be a part of it.