Friday, June 26, 2009

In The Heat Of The Night

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SEVEN

I am looking forward to this weekend. With expected highs in the desert topping 110º I am thankful that I will be able to hike in the mountains the next three days. Of course, there was still today to get through.

This morning when I got out of bed, the temperature outside was already in the mid nineties so I decided to put my hike off until late afternoon. Even though it was still almost 100º I wouldn't be in the direct sunlight so it was going to be tolerable.

Due to time limitations I just went up to the Bear Creek Trail. I wanted to go up to Mount Whitney but just didn't have the time. Plus, Kahlua just doesn't do that well being in the car that long.

Once we get out of sight of the road, the leash comes off. Just like men, dogs live to be free. Most of the day we are cooped up in our yards or cubicles or homes. Getting outdoors is about being feeling free if only for a few hours at a time.

The moon is not going to be a lot of help tonight so I made sure I brought a flashlight.

The start of the trail is just a sandy wash. Kahlua loves it. She runs around chasing bugs and lizards, hoping to find a varmint but they probably sensed her before we left the house. She's not really very sneaky.

Kahlua just runs right past this sign without reading it. Since she's not a gigantic dog she probably didn't think it applied to her but I figure we'd probably better look for an exit and head back.

We decide to take this trail. We've never really done it before but since the dog haters keep putting out signs telling people where they can't take their pets we are going to need to find new places to go.

We follow this ridge trail back as the city lights start to come on.

We make it to the palms before we need the flashlight.

Good thing, too. Without it I'd have walked right past Kahlua's drinking fountain.

Or, maybe the moonlight might have been enough.

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