Monrovia Canyon Falls

It’s been too long since I’ve been on a hike. The photo above was taken at the Monrovia Canyon Falls, after a simple hike (there are a few routes with different degrees of difficulty for more ambitious hikers). My wife and I were dating at this point and once a month I’d pick a trail from Dan’s Hiking Pages (an excellent resource for Southern Californians) and we’d go conquer that trail.

Living in Southern California it’s easy to overlook all of the resources we have at our disposal. I’ve never been a gym rat, so being able to make a short drive to a hiking trail is perfect for me. I’m not a fan of watching television while on the treadmill; give me a pair of hiking boots and a decent trail and I’m more than happy. Not only is the fresh air good for the lungs, but the disconnect from electronic devices of all sorts is great for the mind as well.

One item on my bucket list is to climb Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. I always envisioned doing it when I turned 50 years old, but after the last few years of a torn-up knee, bum back, strained Achilles, and other dings and bruises, I’ll have to do it before then, lest I suffer another physical setback.

If I don’t fulfill my Whitney quest, though, it won’t be the end of the world. I could always re-read Into Thin Air, my favorite book about conquering an even bigger mountain.