Hiking in the Snow

Get up this morning with an itch to do a hike. Yes, just after doing a Turkey Trot yesterday. Cuz you need to stretch out those legs and play outside. Its gorgeous out there. Swing out of bed. Throw the hiking shoes and camera in bag and decide you need a new hiking outfit. It’s Black Friday. One should score a good deal even if its not 4 in the morning (like all you other crazy people). Head of to Sport Chalet, but not before grabbing a Starbuck’s Cafe Misto with 2 shots of Classic Syrup.

First you hit Black Friday at Sport Chalet. No crowd. No fighting. Hit the clearance rack because it’s an additional 50% off. Where you find hiking pants for $22! Because they are size your size but ‘Long’. Perfect. Gotta love having long legs. On the way to the register you pick up a NorthFace t-shirt and Alpaca Wool cap made in Bolivia. Total costs for awesome outfit – $50! Wait, are you suppose to shop for yourself on Black Friday?

Then you drive up to Jenk’s Lake – near Big Bear – to do a picture taking hike. Camera is strapped over. Ready to go.

And discover there is SNOW! Woo hoo! You jump for joy. The weather is perfect. No need for a sweatshirt. Its awesome. You start to walk and flip out your camera only to find out – YOU forgot the memory card! ::dis:: Camera is useless. But you remember your iPhone is on you but only less than 1/2 full of power. Can you make it last to share you hiking experience with all your friends?

You start to hike up and discover the trail is ICY. Should have brought the snow boots instead of the regular hiking shoes – darn it. You turn back because YOU HIKED ALONE and are afraid of slipping down the narrow part of the trail. I mean who is going to find you if you fall? Or the mountain lion eats you? The bears are sleeping, so you don’t worry about them.

You turn back towards the car feeling defeated. Throw you camera in the trunk. And decide “hell no! I am going to be stubborn”. You head back up the trail deciding to take it slow and try to walk as much in the fresh snow as you can and not the icy trail. And you are so glad you conquered it so that you can take it is awesome beauty and the ultra quietness around you.

Of course, you’re still afraid there is a mountain lion just watching you. But you press through your fear – because this is the first time hiking alone - and keep going up the trail. Literally up (pretty steep incline). And you ::dis:: remember you forgot your Garmin to track how much hiking you get done.

(side note: this is the classic on-a-hike Instagram shot for me. sometimes gravel, now snow)

And since you’re alone, you stop to take random shots. You might even let your insanity take over and start talking to yourself. You might even dance and run like those tiny little tree squirrels around you. Nobody is every going to know.

The warmth of the sun feels so good. And you were wishing you had on your waterproof gear so you could just fall in the snow to make an angel. “Next time”, you tell yourself.

You run down this path of the trail because its full of mud. And you let your arms out like you are flying. Wee! ::slosh::slosh::slosh::

And stop to say, “Oh Taunenbaum”. Okay, really… you started singing it. LOL.

(side note: cool shot! The heavens are shinning down on me. )

And then you reach the top of this incline and surrender yourself to its beauty. Your mind is fresh and your soul is renewed.

Still thinking about mountain lions and that you are up here alone, you decide its time to hike back down. With 10% iPhone battery life left, you remember you have the iMapMyRun iPhone app. Yes! Now you can track your distance. You try your luck at recording your route before the cellphone flatlines.

Walk, walk, walk, ice, Run down fluffy snow – practicing hips forward while running, walk, walk, walk, Jump creek, walk, walk, see running tiny tree squirrels, want to run like squirrel, slip on ice, land on butt. Get back up, walk fluffy snow, hit bottom.

Distance in Full: 2 miles of gorgeousness!
Outfit: TurtleFur Alpaca Wool hat, Northface T-shirt, Columbia hiking pants (Hi-Tech hiking shoes, already own)
Score: Beautiful awesome hike, cool outfit and cap, a Starbuck’s cafe misto 2 pumps classic syrup

What did you do on Black Friday? Hopefully, not work.