Things I'll miss about SLO #2

Hiking Bishop's Peak. I'll miss the little cows who sometimes appear on the hill, and the mountain lions who might or might not live nearby, and the view you get from the top. On a clear day you can see the ocean. On a foggy day you can see God's breath.  

We did it!

After a month of poison oak, sprained ankles, guest hikers and dogs, lack-of-time-induced arguments, fear of mountain lions, and a friend who passed out on the trail (no names), we have officially completed the Bishops Challenge 2009! At times it was tough, but always it was beautiful and awe-inspiring. We would remind each other, "It's pretty up here," so we wouldn't forget to take in our surroundings. I will miss being forced to experience nature every day. God uses the hills and the ocean to bring a little perspective. 

Day 28

The closer we get, the sillier we get too.

Day 20

Today it rained on Bishop's, and the misty air made me feel as though we could step off the mountain and on to Aslan's breath. We would swoop down to touch the blades of grass and twist between the trees. We would soar over the green hills, and over to the ocean beyond the coastal range. We would go so high that the islands became tiny dots on a sea of blue. 

"Jill looked behind her. To her astonishment she saw the cliff already more than a hundred yards behind her, and the Lion himself a speck of bright gold on the edge of it. She had been setting her teeth and clenching her fists for a terrible blast of lion's breath; but the breath had really been so gentle that she had not even noticed the moment at which she left the earth. And now, there was nothing but air for thousands upon thousands of feet below her...." The Chronicles of Narnia, The Silver Chair

David says I can't run anymore

Yesterday, day 18 of Bishops Challenge, I fell. Not just a little fall, but a full, sprawled out fall. David and I were running down the trail, I lost my footing, I grabbed a branch to slow myself down, and David looked back just in time to see me hit to dirt with the broken branch in hand. 

To some of you, this might sound familiar. Maybe because I did the exact same thing about 6 months ago. Last fall, I was racing in a 10K up San Luis Mountain. Most people chose to do the 5K around the lake, and only the elite runners opted to participate in the journey of death UP the mountain. Needless to say, I was near the back of the pack. David ran with me to keep me company. So we got to the top, and I decided to go fast on the downhill to try and catch up with all the old ladies who beat me on the way up. As I passed this guy, I realized that he was the disabled guy I talked to before the race. He did a little stumble, but managed to stay up. He seemed embarrassed, so I said, "Good catch. This downhill part is hard, huh? It would be really easy to fall." 

I got about 20 yards in front of him, sprinting, and my ankle gave out. I flew like I was sliding into home plate. David was a little bit behind me, and he and the other guy saw the whole thing. My hands and legs were scraped, and my boob felt like it'd been ripped off. I got up and kept running, my entire body covered in dirt. I finally made it to the finish line after about 7 years, and as I was getting water, a guy said, "Are you okay?" I said, "Did you see me fall?" And he said, "No, but it's pretty obvious," pointing to my dirt-covered body.

(San Luis Mountain on the left, and Bishop's on the right.)

To some of you, this might sound familiar. Maybe because I did the same thing, but on a bike, about a month before that. 

I could go on like this for a while. 

Bishop's 2009

Today we finished day 6 of Bishop's Peak Challenge 2009. To complete the challenge, you must hike Bishop's every day for a month. And not one of those short months- a real 31-day month. You can only skip days if you're out of town, but you must make them up at the end.

According to Day Hikes Around San Luis Obispo County (one of the nerdier books in my library), Bishop's is 4.5 miles roundtrip. It is SLO's tallest morro, and "the classic backdrop of San Luis Obispo." From the top you can see the whole town, the ocean, the dunes, and all of the surrounding hills. It's beautiful.

To be honest, I invented this challenge as a way to trick David into being active. Contrary to his super-babe appearance and natural athletic ability, he would rather sit on a couch and cuddle than hike, any day. But when you give him a crazy challenge, with a hint of danger and the possibility of injury, he's all for it.

We took Atticus with us today, and I'm pretty proud of what he did. You won't believe it, but I'm going to tell you anyway. He peed, literally, 23 times. His previous records were 8 and 12. I think he caught on to the fact that we were counting, and he felt his own little challenge. At one point David said, "I hope he gets 22," and just then he stopped and squirted out a few drops for the 22nd time. Incredible.

(David and me at the top.)

Capsizing kayaks and other adventures

My dad, step-mom Jen, and twin brother Gary came to visit this weekend. We hiked up Bishop's Peak, tried on armor and hats downtown, went wine tasting, laughed and laughed, ate nachos twice, made fun of Snuggies, and looked ridiculous while kayaking at Avila. The waves were abnormally large, and we had a tough time getting out there and into the smooth water. After tipping once, I made it through and sat back and enjoyed watching my dad and Jen as they capsized 3 times each. It really was hilarious. There was a crowd of people watching from the beach as the kayak rental guy yelled, "Paddle! Go now! Paddle hard!" Once out there we paddled over to the pier, where my dad got too close to the sea lions and they started barking and jumping in the water. The whole time Jen was nervously scanning the water for shark fins. We actually were kayaking right where the lady was killed by a great white a few years ago, so we are pretty brave. It was quite an adventure. It's strange to think this might be the last time they visit before we move away from SLO. This place holds a special place in my heart. 

(Gary in his very own Snuggie. Actually, it's like a Snuggie, but even better because it ties. It's called a "robe.")