Boy did I learn a lesson on Hike #23. It involved keys, a zipper, and a slouchy drop of my jacket while taking a picture of the number 23 formed with sticks.
Becky, my walking partner, and I parked near the town of Cool, up Hwy 49 South of Auburn, CA. After connecting on parts of the Wendell T. Robie and Olmstead Loop Trails, we bushwhacked along the newly uncovered Pardners Rock Trail with our friends Paula and Eric Peach. Eric is an Auburn Rec Area trail preservationist and promoter, and has been working to uncover old historic trails used by the gold miners during the Gold Rush. Pardner's Rock Trail is one. I doubt I could ever find it again, without Eric's help.
Along the way we stopped for our traditional photo op of the number of our hike - this time a big 23 formed out of sticks. It took a few tries to get the combo of twisted sticks, shadows, gravely background and camera angle right. In the process, I removed a few layers of clothing - indiscriminately dropping them wherever. It may be winter, but it was warming up.
After a 4 mile loop, we arrived back at Hwy 49 and my waiting car. Unfortunately my keys didn't arrive with us. Hmmmm.... can we break in? Can Lexus open it remotely? Did I bring a spare? The loud "NO's" emminating from my brain, punctuated with the $150 replacement reminder for the lost key, told me I needed to find them. So Eric and I took off at a near run to retrace our route. 20 minutes in, as we rounded the bend near the photo op site, there they were in the middle of the trail. Whew - they could have been along the bushwhack trail, where I would have never found them. A total of 40 minutes and we were back at the car, luckier and wiser than before.
I loved the hike - shimmering brown grasses and barren walnut trees dotted the oak filled hillside, while unexpected patches of December snow reminded us it really was still winter.
.JPG)
Our 60 by 60 walks started as a goal to take 60 different hikes within 60 miles of Fair Oaks by the time Becky turns 60 - in September of 2014. To date, we have hiked trails in Folsom, along the American River Parkway Bike Trail, around neighborhoods of Fair Oaks, through the UC Davis Arboretum, and historic sites of Old Sacramento.
We are both top Realtors in our community of Fair Oaks, and are finding this is a great way to add a layer of knowledge and understanding of our community, while staying in shape. And we have solved a few problems of the world in the process.
Next week? We are hiking the exposed lakebed of Folsom Lake. And maybe we will tackle world peace.
Comments(0)