Hiking is fun!
Another Mt. Whitney one-day hike on July 12, 2005, is just a little over 2 months away. With over 6,300 feet of elevation gain and 22 miles roundtrip, I am subjecting myself to the rigors of training and conditioning by cycling and hiking. No trepidation this time!
To date, I have been to the top of the following Orange County peaks: Santiago Peak (5,687), Modjeska Peak (5,496), Bald Peak (3,947), Bedford Peak (3,800), San Juan Hill (1,785). Other southern California mountain summits are Mt. San Jacinto (10,834), Mt. San Antonio “Baldy” (10,064), Tahquitz Peak (8,828), San Gorgonio (11,501), Sunset Peak (5,796), Rocky Peak (2,714), San Gabriel Peak (6,161), and Strawberry Peak (6,164).
And, last but not least, the tallest of them all in the lower 48 states – Mt. Whitney (14,497).
I have made many friends along the way. We share a common bond with our love for the outdoors and the challenge that each and every trail brings. We have sweated, labored, gagged, scratched, swatted, ran, gulped, chugged, sneezed, burped, coughed, clung, skipped, jumped, cussed, waded, scrambled, scaled, erred, double-tracked, slipped, tripped, struggled, whined, dined, and ached. And we still managed to laugh and smile when it was all over with. Is it worth it? It sure is.
Then there is the August 5 hike with my fellow co-workers and friends Garv, Shelly, Kindra, Jonathan and Joe .
