Kyle's been wanting to get outside and do some hiking, so I agreed to go on a hike yesterday. Of course, then we had to pick a trail. Kyle wanted to hike Mount Diablo, but couldn't understand why I balked at the 7-mile length. To explain briefly: I ruined my lower joints (ankles and knees) dancing by the time I was 17. Add in that I am in lousy physical condition, and I am not at all certain I can walk 7 miles. Of course, Kyle knows these things, but as we have never been on a hike together, he doesn't fully understand them. I talked him down to a baby-level trail in nearby Sycamore Grove Park instead. We'll work our way up to Mount Diablo.
We set out on the trail at 10:30 (foolishly late, as it was to be blisteringly hot), Kyle with the camera and me with my right knee and ankle all braced up. It actually wasn't too bad in the shade, but there was precious little shade to be had. I practiced being larger than the local wildlife so it wouldn't attack me. And it must have worked! We got home safely.
Here are some of the pics Kyle took. The first is just walking along the trail:
I loved the shape of the grass growing along the trail, and Kyle turned it into a cool silhouette:
We had to turn around early, though. On top of a hill, we came across a building foundation and stopped to rest for a bit. While Kyle was taking some pictures, I took my shoes off to assess the blister situation. My socks had been rubbing on my heels all along, and I knew my ankle brace was making the situation worse (I had already adjusted it once the best I could), so I was considering taking it off and seeing how that would work out for me. When Kyle finished up, he suggested we turn back rather than hiking another mile, considering the state my feet were in. I felt bad about cutting down his hiking experience even further, but agreed eventually that it was probably for the best. And I think it was—I have the biggest blisters on my heels I have ever had (and as a dancer, I've had some large ones). But who knows? Mebbe we would've seen something awesome in the next half mile that would've made it worth the pain!
The real question, of course, is why these exact same shoes didn't cause me any problems walking around all day while we were in Florida. And we have no ideas. But it just reinforces our plan to get me some real hiking boots (at least, if I'm to accompany Kyle on these mad treks he wants to pursue!).
We got back home around 1, I think. Later on, Kyle made bread! And it was tasty.
