Compulsion

December 4, 2005

 

I don't know if it is apparent or not, but I have issues with sitting still.

I mean really, I had the whole day ahead of me, lots and lots of studying to do and what happens?

A little of this a little of that, I study for a bit, find something else that gets my attention and so it goes.

The day was supposed to be cold and windy, but someone forgot to tell the cold to show up.

Some time around 2 I sat down in the sun in the back yard and started to read some more.

That lasted for like 5, maybe 6 minutes.

I decided that if I got my stuff together, I could set out on another hike and at least be captive to the law review cd's for several hours.

So I gathered up my gear and was out of the house in 20 minutes and on the trail in another 15.

I used to have to get on an airplane and then rent a car and drive for hours to get to places like this, and now I'm on the trail and even into the wilderness in less than half an hour.

I picked this trail because I knew that after a mile or so I would be into a very wooded section that I figured would block the wind. Even though it was in the high 50's, a 20 mile per hour, gusting to 30 wind is chilly.

The sheltered trail worked and I got about three miles in, and turned around for the 3 miles out.

I thought about airplanes while I was climbing up the hill. I wondered for a while, what the hell am I doing, climging 1,500 feet on a sunny afternoon. What I did in about an hour and a half used to take me maybe 2 minutes in an airplane.

I may be energetic but one man power doesn't get close to 300 horsepower, that's for sure.

Since darkness had begun to fall all the camera gear was safely stowed away. Wouldn't you know it though, the trail turned and there was the moon, just asking to be photographed.

I'm not quite sure what gave me pause, but just before I sat down to try line up the shot with my photo hiking pole, I got out the flashlight and saw the cactus I almost planted myself on.

Someone asked just how quiet it is out there overlooking the city, and from this vantage point, it was really quite quiet. Just about the only thing I could hear was the wind gently rustling the pines.

Someone else looked at the last entry and said that it looked like I had been walking in the dark.

Yep, been there, and do it quite often as a matter of fact.

And if you look at the topo up there --- the bottom line starting at 004 is the walk out of the parking lot, and the top line was the route back in. It looks like I missed a turn in the dark, and yes, I did have a flashlight but I perfer trying to make my way by using whatever light is available.

Note however, that Mr. GPS himself wandered around the parking lot for a while and almost went to the ranger station to report his car missing. Suddenly I remembered that if I pulled the gps out, I might just might where the walk began and presto, there would be a car.

Doofus!

At least I'm getting faster at this. 5.9 miles, 1,536 feet up and then down, 2 hours and 18 minutes. Maybe if I didn't stop to take so many pictures (1 hour 15 minutes stopped time) I could get out of the mountains before dark.

Nah, dont' think so.

Tomorrow I'll go buy a headlamp.