Life of Wry

Trying to get in a little hill work before a trip to the biggest hills in the world.  I’m a little worried that life at sea level in our flat valley will not be adequate preparation for a Himalayan trek.  Earlier this week, I hit the railroad overcrossing over by the Davis Little League fields and ascended that, what, 60′ hill twelve times.  The Sierra are covered in snow, and too far away anyway, so that leaves valley mountains like Mount Vaca, if one is looking for a climb.

Wasn’t the best day for a hike, but then again, it was a great day for testing my foul weather gear in foul weather–something we may get a lot of in Nepal in mid-spring.

Still…. it was WET.  The worms and salamanders were out in force.  This little guy (see above), unlike many of his buds, made it all the way across the road.  There aren’t a lot of cars on this road, but enough to flatten a good many salamanders and worms, we noticed.

Anyway, we began the hike on a morning that looked like this.  Very pretty, very green, very rural.  Our destination is not visible; it looms far beyond, and was hidden by heavy clouds.

It was dry when we started.

But it didn’t take long before the weather, as predicted, turned into this.  It is sleeting.  Yes, sleeting.  Here’s Lorilyn, all smiles.  Always eager for a hike, that girl.

Later, after four and a half hours in this, she was still smiling, but there were plenty of reasons not to: her gortex had failed her, her clothes and boots were completely soaked, her granola bars were drowned in standing water at the bottom of her backpack (but we ate them anyway) and her phone had completely died (due to water damage).   Meh.

Two things: 1. that’s hail that’s gathered in clumps by the side of the road.. we also saw snow and lots of slush, and 2. that creek is raging, but nothing like it was on the return trip.  After a few hours of relentless rain, the creek was torrential and was a swollen muddy brown.

After 2.25 wet hours, and 5 steep miles, we got to the top of Mount Vaca: 2819′.  At least we think this is the topmost point; it was hard to tell for all the clouds.  No promised views of the Sierra, or Mt. Diablo, or Mt. Tamalpais, or the Golden Gate Bridge…

…still, it was a good destination and a nice hike.