Horseback Riding!

Sunday I went out to my friend Rocksanne's house to practice horseback riding! We are planning to ride the Penasquitos trail together sometime but she wants me to practice a few times before we do it. Good idea because I have no clue what I'm doing! Rocksanne is an excellent teacher and she taught me some pretty fancy stuff that will take me years to get down, but hey, it was fun! I rode Cassy and she rode Jaz- both are pregnant!

I learned about "Posting" which is when you rise out of the saddle seat for every other stride of the horse's forelegs during the trot. This helps smooth out the ride so you aren't jouncing around all over the place. This was very difficult! I'm not that coordinated so it will take some practice. You must squeeze agressively with your knees and as a result, my inner thighs are sore today!

I learned how to correctly hold the reins. Overlap the reins and have them rest between your little and ring fingers with your thumbs pointed up- hands hovering over the withers. Make sure your hands do not pull up when posting- keep them as independent from your body as possible so you don't yank up on the horse's head.

I can hear Rocksanne's voice in my head as she says "Inside rein, bump bump bump!" to get the horse to round the corral corner close to the fence. It works!

I learned how to put the saddle on and take it off as well as the bridle and bit. I learned what some other fancy items are called but I don't remember the names!

We switched horses and I rode Jaz. The posting was much harder and higher and she kept wanting to canter so I mentioned I must be doing something wrong. Turns out these horses are very sensitive to body movement and when I sit down hard after posting, that was her signal to run. This is going to take lots of practice.

We were streaming sweat and the horses were foaming by the time we were done. We wiped the horses down with water and then Rocksanne put fly masks on and sprayed them with fly spray. I'm sure they were glad to be done. Rocksanne then showed me what she is doing to train her other horse Shalimar. She showed me her longing (pronounced lunging) technique which is when the trainer uses a rope and other aids to circle the horse around learning the commands- walk, trot, canter. It also gets the new horse used to the trainer's voice and body language.

After we were done "horsing" around (haha!) we had brunch at the golf course with a delightful view. I had the "Hangover Omelet" with jalapenos, sausage and eggs, cottage cheese and tomato slices. And no, I did not have a hangover! Rocksanne had biscuits and gravy with eggs and sausage. Delicious! I headed on out and stopped at 7-11 to procure a slurpee, of course! I stuck with the sugar-free one this time in a coconut flavor. I like the full sugar ones better but what can ya do.

Check out her website: http://rparabians.com/

Enjoy the horse pictures!

Me and Cassy:



Shalimar longing:



Rocksanne schooling Shalimar:





Shayde (he's a colt):






Cassy after we wiped her down:



Jazzie with her super cool fly mask!



Shalimar:



Dallas:



Leta:

Penasquitos

I went out to Penasquitos for an easy 4.5 mile hike this morning.  Didn't want to bite off more than I could chew with the heat and being by myself.  Pretty standard hike, nothing exciting.  I noticed the bikers out today had very good etiquette.  Every single one called out behind me "Bike!" or "On your left!"  Some had bells they rang so I would know to step aside.  Sometimes I go out to this trail and the bikers don't give any warning as they speed up behind me and I end up jumping to the side at the last minute.  No problems today.  It's also spider season down here in SoCal which means you have to be careful not to face plant yourself right into a web spanning the trail.  I have done it many times.  I have also face planted into webs that have huge spiders in them.  I do a nice scream and dance for those.  EEK!  We have some pretty gnarly looking spiders here.  No face plants today thank goodness.

After I showered up, I took myself down to Carl's Jr. and had a low carb burger and diet Dr. Pepper.  It ran right through me too.  I went to Food-4-Less to grocery shop right after I ate, and had an emergency pooping situation.  LOL!  I was doubled over in the produce section.  The bathroom happens to be on the opposite side of the store from produce so, when I could, I started careening down the aisles, pinging my cart off the end-of-aisle displays.  In my mind I was screaming "Make way, make way!  Pooping emergency!"  I made it to the bathroom and didn't poop my pants.  Phew.

4.5 miles in 1 hour, 53 minutes.  73 degrees to start and 81 at end.

Enjoy some pictures!

Sutherland Dam

I had quite the adventure yesterday out at Sutherland Dam. I had no idea that this gem of a hidden valley was out behind Ramona. Once you get off the 78 highway, the road winds around and drops down into a vast valley that's home to a huge cattle ranch. Only 4 of us showed up for the meet-up group- down from the 10 who had signed up. Maybe they knew something we didn't. There were thunderheads in the distance and the sun was ensconsed behind them. I saw a coyote stalking a group of turkeys. He was stock-still, just a few yards from them. They went about pecking at the ground, seemingly oblivious, but perhaps were keeping a stealthy eye on him.

We started the hike at 64 degrees. Perfect really. I felt really good and was able to keep up with these other three- one had just climbed Mt. Whitney a few weeks prior and the other two were runners and long distance hikers. The trail, or rather dirt road, was mostly uphill for the first half. We took no breaks and the heat started climbing. I wished for some breaks but we pushed on.  We made it to Sutherland Dam and took a few minutes to take pictures. It's really neat up there and the reservoir is open for fishing. It would be a nice alternative to get away from the hordes of people trying to fish at Poway Lake. We walked over an old bridge that had been built in 1913. It was closed to traffic and is now considered an historic site. The new bridge was built right next to it. I imagined the vehicles of the early 20th century or horse and wagons trundling along in the backcountry over this little, tiny bridge. I doubt there was much traffic then.







We headed back and all was well. It seemed really unusually hot though so I continuously swigged on my water and G2. One of the other hikers was sucking down Gu and Shot Bloks and she offered me a Shot Blok so I thought I would go for it, knowing full well from marathon training that these things don't sit well with me. I should have listened to my instincts and not eaten it! Pretty soon I started getting really nauseous. I mean nausea of epic proportions. I slowed WAY down and could barely make it up the hills. We had to stop frequently so I could recoup. I kept regurgitating and it was only the sheer force of will that kept me from spewing Shot Blok all over the trail. I probably should have but I was embarrassed in front of these people. It kept getting hotter and hotter. Even hotter than the hinges of Hades- more like Dante's 9th circle of hell.

The group leader gave me Tums, which helped mightily. He had extra water which he doused me with- pouring water all over my head and upper body. After that I was able to proceed with more purpose. I really appreciated that they stayed with me and made sure I was okay but I felt bad I was slowing them down.

We crested the last ridge and I could see my car shimmering in the distant heat and I called up to the Heavens "Thank you, Jesus!"

I kept my eye on that little blue BMW and kept going. At last we made it back to the vehicles, and if I could have done a joyful jig, I would have. I think that was the most gnarly hike I've ever done. The group members speculated that I was dehydrated because I had done hot yoga the day before and perhaps didn't rehydrate adequately. That could have been part of it but I think that Shot Blok sent me over the edge for sure.

I peeled off my boots and socks, which seemed to be fused to my skin in the heat, and with great relief, put on my Teva sandals. Then it was off to the 7-11 to get a giant Dr. Pepper slurpee. Nothing in my life has ever tasted so good.

It was 99 degrees when we finished! No wonder it felt like a fiery abyss out there. 13 miles in 5 hours, 30 minutes.

Full Moon Iron Mt.

Here we are once again with the full moon. I love my full moon hikes. You get the sunset on one side of the mountain and moon rise on the other. It's simply fabulous. This month's moon is called the Blue Moon. It's the third full moon in a four-full-moon season, whatever the heck that means. It's also called the Full Sturgeon Moon, the Full Red Moon, the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon. American Indians assigned names to the full moons according to the seasons. For example, the Sturgeon Moon is named as such simply because the big fish Sturgeon was at it's peak and easy to catch. Full blue moons don't happen very often and that's where the phrase "Once in a blue moon" comes from. The next Blue Moon won't be until 2015. Okay enough of the history lesson.

I tell you what- no matter how many times I go to the same place to hike, I always have a different experience. This hike started off hotter than the hinges of hades at 86 degrees. But it felt good! I live closer to the coast and it's always socked in with marine layer and typically 15 degrees cooler than inland. I love me some heat. I climbed slowly and took my time, relishing the feel of the heat baking me. The air was resplendent with the sultry summer evening desert smells and sights. The cloud formations were pristine and romantic with their pink, purple, grey, and blue reflections during the sunset. Have you ever just sat and looked at clouds? They have energy and life all unto their own. I happened to have a few glorious moments at the summit by myself (that never happens!) and was able to ponder and analyze the cloud formations at length. Very serene. I said prayers of gratitude for the physical and spiritual capability to enjoy this journey and the beauty of nature.

The people aspect of the hike is always a source of great amusement to me. I saw 72 people on this trip- lots (yes, I counted)! I could hear one guy coming up behind me, actually quite a few switchbacks behind me, but he was singing at the top of his lungs. He was belting out My Way or The Highway by Limp Bizkit. LOL! He kept singing the chorus over and over again:

This time I'm 'a let it all come out
This time I'm 'a stand up and shout
 I'm 'a do things my way
It's my way My way, or the highway!

He barreled around a switchback and came upon me suddenly, abrubtly stopped singing, and sheepishly continued on. I chuckled about it the whole way up. On the way down, I passed by a group of four sketchy dudes. I had to have been about 10 switchbacks above them and I could hear their radio blasting heavy metal music and not the good 80's heavy metal either. I thought, oh great. The closer and closer I got to them, the louder the music. Finally, I came upon them and they were a scary and motley crew (accidental pun for Motley Crue- lol!). I looked each one in the eye and said "Hello!" as they passed. Only one said hello back. I wanted to be percieved as a Confident Wolf (a tidbit I learned in a recent weapons class). They continued on as did I.

The moon rose and cast it's blue moon glow over the mountains and desert. I stopped periodically, as is my custom, to gaze upon it's serenity. Here and there, I said my little prayers of gratitude.

All said and done, it was 3 hours on the snout, my usual time. I had tested out my new silk sock liners to see if I could reduce the ankle chafe. They worked pretty well but I didn't like that the tops of the socks seemed to squeeze my ankle and sort of cut off circulation. I did get a heat rash around the ankles and calves but no chafing. I have a 13+ miler scheduled for this Sunday (and it will be hot hot hot) but hopefully I won't have any issues. I think I got some really good pictures. A stellar moon picture still eludes me though. It's a pretty good picture but still a little grainy.

Boulder Oaks Camp

This weekend I was supposed to backpack Mt. San Jacinto and had received two phone calls informing me that my permit had been canceled due to the fire up in that area.  I have been instructed to call the ranger station after next Friday to see about rescheduling.  In lieu of that trip, I thought I would go up to Mt. Baden-Powell and do a 1 nighter however that trip was also canceled due to fire.  It's fire season in southern California!  So instead of doing that trip, I went down to Oak Boulder campground in east county, hiked 10.5 miles on the PCT, and stayed one night at the campground.  I just had to do something- I was so disappointed about San Jacinto!!  Dennis came out to visit me in the evening before he had to go to work and brought Pico.  That was a nice surprise!  Pico ended up staying with me for the night :-)  I was able to field test my home-made dehydrated food and, overall, it was successful.  The dried apples are awesome.  The teriyaki jerky is scrumptious.  The quinoa/walnut breakfast cereal was delightful.  I did not, however, enjoy the quinoa/black eyed peas/ham concoction.  The ham bits were too hard.  I was hungry and not willing to wait long enough for the whole thing to fully rehydrate so it tasted a little chalky.  I presume that if I had waited longer for it to reconstitute it would have been fine. 

The hike itself was wonderful.  I saw three guys right off the bat coming back in flip flops.  Then I didn't see anyone for hours.  I passed 7 guys doing a 2 day backpack up to Mt. Laguna on my way back and I stopped to chat for a minute with them.  It got pretty warm towards the end.  The breeze had gone away and I felt like I was walking in an oven.  My hiking boots were chafing my ankles and I didn't realize how bad it was till I was done.  I wear a double lined sock (wright sock) and that usually is okay but with a higher top boot, it really chafes!  I'm going to try using a silk liner sock to see if that helps next time.  10.5 miles in 5 hours and 40 minutes (including all my breaks).

I was able to mess around with Dennis's iTouch and took a few videos so that was kinda cool.  I also got my first audiobook (Into the Wild)  and played that while I ate my dinner.  It was nice!

Here are the videos and some pictures:

In this snippet, I have just crossed Kitchen Creek Road, 4 miles in.




Turn around point:



Campsite:



Dennis visiting:

I saw this brochure for a nudist group sitting on a rock at the Kitchen Road crossing.  Are there naked people hiking out here?!

Funnel Weaver spider nest.

My dehydrated quinoa, black eyed peas, and ham dinner.  I opened the package with my knife.

Sunset from my campsite.

My gnarly chafe!

A Wonderful Birthday!

I had a great birthday today.  I had planned to hike out at Penasquitos in the morning.  I hiked myself down to the kitchen and made myself gluten-free birthday pancakes and then hiked myself down to the couch and promptly knocked out for a couple more hours instead.  LOL.  Simone surprised me with sunflowers and coffee so I peeled myself off the couch and chatted with her for a bit.  We went for sushi and stuffed our faces then came home and opened a few gifts and had a lovely raspberry almond cake.  Then I relaxed for the rest of the day.  Wonderful day with Dennis and Simone.



I guess I could have done my hair and slapped some make-up on before pictures but oh well!

Poetry Break

The Men that Don't Fit In
Robert W. Service

There's a race of men that don't fit in,
A race that can't stay still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will.
They range the field and they rove the flood,
And they climb the mountain's crest;
Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,
And they don't know how to rest.

If they just went straight they might go far,
They are strong and brave and true;
But they're always tired of the things that are,
And they want the strange and new.
They say: "Could I find my proper groove,
What a deep mark I would make!"
So they chop and change, and each fresh move
Is only a fresh mistake.

And each forgets, as he strips and runs
With a brilliant, fitful pace,
It's the steady, quiet, plodding ones
Who win in the lifelong race.
And each forgets that his youth has fled,
Forgets that his prime is past,
Till he stands one day, with a hope that's dead,
In the glare of the truth at last.

He has failed, he has failed; He has missed his chance;
He has just done things by half.
Life's been a jolly good joke on him,
And now is the time to laugh.
Ha, ha!   He is one of the Legion Lost;
He was never meant to win;
He's a rolling stone, and it's bred in the bone;
He's a man who won't fit in.