The hike

Eric, Emerson and I went for a hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods park on Sunday. It was a gorgeous sunny day - perfect for a tromp around the woods.

We started our hike into the park from Skyline Drive, which as you might imagine runs along a ridge. The hike descends down into a gulch and then climbs back out of it ("canyon style" I think it is called).

Down, down, down we went! It's a beautiful day! The trees are lovely! The air is foresty and clean-tasting! Oh glory!

I believe we descended something like 1,800 vertical feet.

We had lunch by a very cold stream which Emerson kept trying to alternately jump into and throw things into. Then it was time to head back to the car which, we suddenly realized with horror, was really really far away.

Eric was carrying Emerson on his back and I was carrying the diaper backpack with food and water bottles. I knew it was going to be ugly when about ten steps up the trail I thought to myself "my legs feel tired."

In addition to underestimating the physical challenge of this hike, we had taken the forested, windy, not-too-steep trail down and now found ourselves climbing straight up a steep, wide sun-drenched half-dust half-gravel road.

"I don't think I'm gonna make it," Eric mused out loud during one break for water maybe a third of the way back up.

Miraculously, one foot in front of the other did get us to the top eventually but not without a fair amount of whining from everyone except Emerson who was happy as a clam.