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Valley Village, California
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Published On: Oct 08, 2008 10:46 PM
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Published On: Oct 08, 2008 10:46 PM
Mishe Mokwa Trail Revisited
Success! Well, mostly.
(Click the thumbnail at left for a larger
image.)
It's been two months. I've been biking to work 2-4 days a week for a month. I'm 8 pounds lighter. Yesterday, it was time to try the Mishe Mokwa Trail again. (Click here for my entry about my previous attempt.)
When the deer bounded across the highway as my Subaru growled up Yerba Buena Road, I knew it was going to be a magical day.
Of course, October rather than July meant cooler temperatures. But the trail was the same; it was I who had changed. I walked right up the initial slope and didn't even have to pause for breath. I kept walking for an hour without stopping, somewhat past the place I turned back last time. A brief water break, and I walked down into Split Rock Picnic area after 1 hour and 15 minutes on the trail!
There were no other people on the trail; lizards, mockingbirds and ravens were my only traveling companions. (A raven's wings taking off and desperately scrambling for altitude make a sound like a helicopter's rotors. It was startling!) There was plenty of, ahem, "evidence" that deer often make use of the trail to get to the creek.
I stayed in the picnic area for 45 minutes, had lunch, and after 3 tries managed a decent sketch of The Rock, shaded among the enormous old live oaks in Carlisle Creek. There was some water in the creek by the Rock, but it was stagnant and clogged with algae. In a normal year, it would still be flowing even in October. The leaves are turning early this year (well, early for Southern California) I suspect also due to drought.
Biking has improved my sense of balance considerably, and the descent from the canyon went much easier... at least until that last slope down to the parking lot. At that point, my right knee informed me that it wanted a REAL brace with side stays like my left knee... I stopped and added an elastic bandage to the small brace already on my right knee, and made it down without more problems. The entire trip took 3 hours, 45 minutes, less than I'd taken on the last try when I didn't even get to the picnic area.
My knees seem OK today, unlike last time when both were sore for two days after. I'm much encouraged. Next time, I'll try to make it farther and see if I can get close to the peaks west of there.
It's been two months. I've been biking to work 2-4 days a week for a month. I'm 8 pounds lighter. Yesterday, it was time to try the Mishe Mokwa Trail again. (Click here for my entry about my previous attempt.)
When the deer bounded across the highway as my Subaru growled up Yerba Buena Road, I knew it was going to be a magical day.
Of course, October rather than July meant cooler temperatures. But the trail was the same; it was I who had changed. I walked right up the initial slope and didn't even have to pause for breath. I kept walking for an hour without stopping, somewhat past the place I turned back last time. A brief water break, and I walked down into Split Rock Picnic area after 1 hour and 15 minutes on the trail!
There were no other people on the trail; lizards, mockingbirds and ravens were my only traveling companions. (A raven's wings taking off and desperately scrambling for altitude make a sound like a helicopter's rotors. It was startling!) There was plenty of, ahem, "evidence" that deer often make use of the trail to get to the creek.
I stayed in the picnic area for 45 minutes, had lunch, and after 3 tries managed a decent sketch of The Rock, shaded among the enormous old live oaks in Carlisle Creek. There was some water in the creek by the Rock, but it was stagnant and clogged with algae. In a normal year, it would still be flowing even in October. The leaves are turning early this year (well, early for Southern California) I suspect also due to drought.
Biking has improved my sense of balance considerably, and the descent from the canyon went much easier... at least until that last slope down to the parking lot. At that point, my right knee informed me that it wanted a REAL brace with side stays like my left knee... I stopped and added an elastic bandage to the small brace already on my right knee, and made it down without more problems. The entire trip took 3 hours, 45 minutes, less than I'd taken on the last try when I didn't even get to the picnic area.
My knees seem OK today, unlike last time when both were sore for two days after. I'm much encouraged. Next time, I'll try to make it farther and see if I can get close to the peaks west of there.
Posted: Sat - October 2, 2004 at 11:27 AM | | | | |