A New Year!!!!

Hallelujah!!!  I read so many of your year in review posts, and I loved them.  I thought about doing one.  But the truth of the matter is, we really just want to forget all about 2013.   We were eager to say goodbye, and greet this new year.  Clean slate, new beginnings, new year. I wish you all a very Happy New Year!  And may it be a good year for all.  Now...moving on, I have several posts stacked up in my mind to do.  But I will start with what was a really fun day yesterday.  Our daughter and her family had taken a hike in our local foothills on Saturday and raved about how fun it was.  They invited us to join them on Sunday for a repeat.  I reluctantly said yes.  I am very out of shape, but knew that I would love going, so go I did!  We loaded our backpacks with chapstick, kleenex, trail mix, camera, and water bottles.  I put my thickest socks on, and a mediocre pair of tennis shoes.  And off we went.

This photo was actually taken after the hike!  Gennifer got one of all of us before the hike.  You can see that there are many cars parked at the trail head.  From this spot, it is quite a hike just to where the hike begins.  But oh so worth it!

You would have thought that with all of those cars, we would have seen many people on the trail.  But no, we did not!  There are several trails to choose once on the main trail, and so much space, that we only saw a few people.  It was very quiet, and very beautiful!!!  Away we go.

The trail was clearly carved, and it was not difficult at all.  A very gradual incline, making the ascent easy to do, even for this out of shape Grandma.  My two little granddaughters had no problem either.  There was a bit of whining on the way down, but I tried to keep it mostly in....er...actually, it was little Clairey.  And they had done this hike the day before too!!!  So they did remarkably well!!    We ambled our way up, and enjoyed seeing all of the beautiful chaparrel and majestic oaks that surrounded us.  We hoped to see some wildlife, but didn't on this trip.  However, my friend Maryrose and I, have seen deer on hikes in these hills. 

I have no idea how Gennifer had my camera on this shot with me in it???   Oh wait, now I remember.  She took this shot of Greg and I at this spot.

About 1/3 of the way up, we stopped and had some lunch.  There are some benches underneath the shade of the centuries old oaks to rest your tired legs.

 While still having our rest and a bite to eat, up comes this shirtless, and CUT young man, with a very cute girl.  The buff young man was holding the leash of a very strong, and okay, I'll say it....scary looking dog!!!  I was honestly looking at the dog, making sure it didn't come eat any of us, when I hear the muscle man say..."Greg?  Jake?"  And I am thinking this guy must play ball with them or something?  Then he says..."It's BRADLEY!!"  YELDARB!!!!  It's the younger brother of Brian!  Our Brian!  Brian has been a buddy of Drew's forever, and he has become very close to all of us.  We had not seen Bradley in many years.  He had grown up!!!! 

We had the nicest chat with him.  It was so good to see Bradley!!!!!  But the dog still scares the bejeebers out of me!!

After refueling, we kept on going.  Up, up, up the trail.  The higher we got, the prettier it was!!  Water began to flow in the creek, and pools were formed here and there. 

Fallen trees, made good photo ops.

The girls really amazed me!  They were such troopers.  Just trekking along, enjoying it all, and taking it all in.  So much fun!  The trail was beginning to get a little more challenging, the further up we got.  More boulders to climb over, and more water to navigate through.  Lots of ferns, and shade, and beautiful things popping up between the wet rocks.  The micro climates making the changes so interesting, both in appearance, and temperature! 

We heard the bird song of several different types of our feathered friends.  A very large crow, or raven with an apple core in his beak.

The girls climbed every possible boulder!!!

There were old mining caves, that are now covered over for the safety of the hikers, but still allowing the bats to enter and exit.

 Truly, I wanted to keep going.  Up, up, higher.  The more I saw, the more I wanted to see.  I loved it! 

But, we had been hiking for two hours, and what goes up, must come down!  So, reluctantly, we began our descent, and left this beautiful canyon behind.
I was feeling rather smug, having not taken a single fall or stumble.  But, was quickly reminded, that the trek down the hill can be far more difficult, when I took a tumble in some unstable earth, trying to save
Claire from a fall.  Instead I went down.  Hard.  On my elbow and bum.  Both are sore!  Ouch. 
About 2/3 of the way down, I began to feel it.  My body was talking to me.  But I had so thoroughly enjoyed every part of this hike, minus the fall, that I didn't even mind the soreness that was creeping in.
We made our way back down to the start of the hike, taking a few minutes to take in the beauty again. 
Looking a bit disheveled, but still smiling.....downward we continued.

Until finally, we reached the place where we began.

And from this point, it is another mile or thereabouts to the spot where we had parked our cars.  We hiked for 5.3 miles, and just under 4 hours!  LOVING every, single, second we were there!  We took the girls home with us, so that Genny and Jake could go see The Book Thief.  Greg and I had seen it the night before.  Fabulous movie!  Go see it!!!!   We got cleaned up, and then crashed watching a movie.  What a day.  What a hike!  What fun!!!!
Thank you Gennifer and Jake, for inviting us to join you.  We can't wait to do it again!  Well, maybe after I can walk again, that is.  Feeling a little bit sore this morning!  But a good kind of sore.
Thanks for coming along on our hike with me. 
I will be back soon with some of the things we have been doing in the past couple of weeks.
Happy New Year!  And by the way, my word for the year...CHALLENGE!  I am challenging myself in 2014.   Already stepping outside my comfort zone to challenge myself with this hike.  But I challenge myself to accept the things that life throws our way, good and bad.  To greet them head on, and make the best of them.  2013 was a tremendous challenge.  And though it seems odd to use the same word that describes the previous year,  I am challenging myself to handle life's ups and downs in the best way possible for 2014.  So bring it!!!!  I am ready.
XO  Kris