Ten (count 'em) Ten Mile Hike

Bob tells me that this is a reverse hike . . . first you go downhill and then you go uphill on the way back.  When I try to decline, he assures me that it's a really gentle uphill.  The other thing is that you can hike as long as you want.  The "bridge" is about five miles in, but we can turn around any time.  Since I knew that I couldn't do ten miles, I figured we'd turn around.

When we started out it was thirty-eight (38!) degrees.  He told me that the whole beginning of the hike was going to be in the shade, but 38 degrees!  Brrrrr shiver shiver.  I wasn't prepared for that, but I pressed on!  There was water on the trail that was frozen.  Brrrr shiver shiver.  

A stream ran beside us the whole way which was really nice.  Beautiful views all around.  When we got closer to the stream, there were some really nice rock formations.  I like rocks.  Big ones and small ones.  I like rocks.  At four miles, Bob asked if I wanted to stop.  Aside from the cold, the hike had been so gentle that I wasn't tired at all.  I musta forgotten that I still had to hike all the way back . . . gentle uphill and all.  And, being as goal oriented as I am, I said, "Let's go all the way to the bridge!"  It was only one more mile . . . not a big deal.

We had lunch sitting beside the stream.  It was very nice.  More beautiful views.  After lunch, we ran across a couple of bicyclists coming across the bridge.  The only people we'd seen all day.  If we had eaten lunch a couple minutes longer, we wouldn't have seen them at all.  Then, we started on the *gentle* uphill climb.

Yeah, it was pretty gentle, but five miles of even gentle up is still five miles and is still up . . . especially after you've already hiked five miles!  I was getting really tired.  I kept asking if we were there yet.  Bob would check his GPS and announce how much farther we had to go.  I took pictures.  I got tired-er.  Still more miles to go.

Bob and the two dogs.

Bodie swimming, Moki watching from shore.

When we were almost back to the truck, Moki disappeared.  He had gotten hold of a bone and kept stopping to chew on it.  This time he wouldn't come when I called.  Or perhaps we had gotten too far ahead and he couldn't hear me.  At least, that was his story and he's stickin' to it!  About the only part of the trail back that had a downhill slant . . . very close to the end of the trail.  So . . . I had to walk uphill to find the little turd.  About a half mile.  A half mile after you've walked about nine miles is an awful long way, especially when it's uphill!  I could've killed him when he finally came to me.  I leashed him, but at that point he didn't have the bone anymore, so it probably didn't matter.  Now that he's eaten the bone, he'll probably barf it up tomorrow morning.  

Finally!  The car!  We all got in, Bob drove us home, and Moki and I went into the house.  When I went to feed him an hour later, I noticed that he was limping.  I noticed that I was limping, too.  We were both limping!

Next day, I was exhausted and sore.  And yes, Moki had barfed up the bone.  BIG bones!  I don't know how he gets it down his throat or back up again!  I had already planned to go to town, so I went.  But, I got the brilliant idea to stop at the rec center and soak my aching muscles in the hot tub.  I got my little backpack out, and put my towel and beach shoes inside, then added the lock for the locker.  I even remembered to write the combination on my hand.  I thought I had everything. After going a couple places in town, I stopped at the library to catch up on the internet.  I was trying to plan it so I wouldn't go into the hot tub right after I ate.  I didn't think that was a good idea.

That's when I realized how tired I was.  My thinking was a bit awry.  I had forgotten my frickin' bathing suit!  OMG!