I wanted to find the mine that Jo had told me about so I headed up. At the gate that said no entry there were cattle and I entered. I was surprised to see three cattle there, as I didn’t think that they came down this far. I sang a song and bravely went past them.
Following the road around the base of the hill to the trees that Jo said the mine was hiding behind. I started in. I found the old cement support bases covered with grass and sage.
I went up and found more cement blocks, I went up and found the road that I had left earlier and the mine that Jo had told me about. If I had stayed on the road the trip might have been a little easier but not nearly so challenging. The old mine was barred off and cemented in. someone at one time had lit a large fire right in front of the bars and there was a small wasp nest on the ground about 12 feet in front of it which I avoided. The inside was cool and there was a breeze.
Next I thought I would try to find the trail that Jerry had mentioned that followed the ridgeline half way up the mountain. It was a good workout and I was the only person out there. I reached a crossroads and decided to see how far I could get if I stayed on the road and did not do any cross country .So off I went up again. I did hear a wren, the one with the cascading song.
I did hear chickadees. There were lots of birds out but I do not know all their calls.
The walk was wonderful. I passed the area where Jo and I crossed the road on way up on Tuesday. I saw where we came down and where we went up. We had left the road.
I did not. It continued on and went up. There was a sign . the park boundary and an old water trough. I wasn’t sure if I was leaving the park or entering it. The road continued on. UP. My Heart was getting a great workout with this walk. What great views. Lots of butterfly’s unless it was the same three of four following me up the mountain.
I heard dirt bikes in the distance. I came to a fork in the road and a sign. The sign was for the fork to the left and said ‘No Unauthorized motorized vehicles’. It went up. I took it.
It was another workout of a walk though. When I was halfway up the dirt bike noise increased greatly and I realized that they were coming up my trail.
What nerve, I really hoped they were authorized but I doubted it. The first came by making quite a racket. I stepped over to the side to let them have all the room they would need.
I continued up. Just as I was getting to the top portion of the incline the second biker came up. I asked them how much farther to the top and they said about 20 minutes hiking. They continued on.
I thought about it. The last portion of the trail had taken me 15 minutes. It was 720 am. My legs were still OK but I went down.
The walk down was lovely, much more relaxing. . The portion that had taken me 15 minutes going up took me 5 minutes going down. I took a new road down to see where it went. I rolled up my sleeves to get the morning sun on my upper arms and I rolled up my t shirt to get some sun on my tummy which has not seen the sun in years I don’t think.
What a beautiful morning with my giant sun hat, a bottle of water, quiet and solitude (as the dirt bikers were quite now) and the perfect weather. I tried to figure out which road would take me up to a portion of the mountain I had not been to yet. I think I have a route planned for tomorrow’s hike. there are lots of grasshoppers out there.
Got back to the house around 830 and after my shower had a lovely breakfast with all around 9 then this blog while listening to music with Aunt Mary.
Later we will go to the fruit stand to get some fruit to take home with us tomorrow. We don’t have to cook today either as there are lots of leftovers from the restaurant yesterday.
No comments:
Post a Comment