Oy. Oofdah. Holy Smokes.

My first hike of the year, and my first official training hike, is over. I learned a number of things:

1. I need to train.
2. I need to train.
3. I prefer to hike in more remote areas. Chatty McChattersons on the trail are annoying.
4. Knees. I need to train.
5. Pleased to find that my hiking boots support my foot in such a way that my big toe was not hurting. Too much.

6. Hips. I need to train.
7. It is good to have a goal at the end of the hike. Ice cream does the trick quite well.

I went hiking at Mt. Diablo and drove in to the Regency Gate from Clayton. It's an entirely different world out there. In SF you don't typically see bumper stickers that say: "I don't believe the liberal media." Yes, a whole different world.

The hike was called Falls Trail loop, and I thought this time of year, and especially THIS year with all of the rain we have been getting, it would be a wonderful choice. And it probably would have been, but due to a navigational error, the best waterfall I saw was this.

 Ah well. It was still a gorgeous day to be out, and everything was green - often a rarity in the Bay Area.

I can't say how far I hiked. My planned hike, the Falls Trail loop would have been 6.5 miles, but I don't think my trip was quite that far. I know I was going up for about 2 hours, and then back down for nearly the same, but I am not moving so fast. Stopped a few times for snacks, drinking water, and trying to work out the kinks.

Back home now and am a bit sore, but it's good. And so was the ice cream.