February | 2017 | If You Want My Opinion

Hiking is an outdoor activity that covers a lot of ground, literally and figuratively. People who hike do so for a number of different reasons (exercise, health, nature appreciation, social interaction, competition, etc.), and they have so many options of how and where to do this activity. Some folks only think of hiking in terms of backpacking and trekking out into the wilderness for days or even weeks at a time. Others envision hiking as a journey that gets you from point A to point B, or they see it as a test of endurance and distance. Hiking the Appalachian Trail comes to mind.

As with any form of recreation, there may be purists out there who maintain a set of standards or criteria for being called a real hiker. I hope not, because we would certainly fall short. When we hike, my wife and I are no longer interested in “pushing through the pain” to break any records of distance, speed, or difficulty. We are simply enjoying the outdoors and the opportunity to see things for the first time while getting a little exercise. As working professionals, we still operate on fairly busy schedules, so we often find ourselves carving out time to hike. This may mean that we only have thirty minutes or an hour, and we often grab these opportunities while in route. A perfect example was a one-hour excursion we took on our way from Phoenix to Tucson, Arizona, for a short up and back down hike at Picacho Peak State Park.

The drive from Phoenix to Tucson typically takes about two hours. We left Phoenix at about 7:45 in the morning and arrived at Picacho Peak State Park at about 8:45. We changed into our boots, pulled hiking polls out of the trunk of the car, grabbed water and hats and took off on the trail that leads from the parking area to the peak. It is a very rocky but well-marked trail that zigzags up the west slope. It is considered moderate in difficulty, which is a fair assessment. With a few quick stops for me to take some photos along the way, we made it to the overlook in just over thirty minutes. It was a sunny morning with temperatures in the upper 50s F, which was just about perfect.

We are not nearly young enough (admittedly a poor excuse), fit enough, or brave enough to climb rock faces, but we were perfectly satisfied to stop our ascent when we reached the overlook at the base of the jagged outcropping that forms the top of the peak. The view was spectacular looking southeast out across the Arizona desert. Of course, we took the obligatory selfie at this location and absorbed the experience for a few minutes before heading back down the slope.

This out-and-back hike took just over an hour. We were back on the road to Tucson by 11:00 and made it to the city to see some close friends for lunch at noon. More often than not, this is our hiking pattern. We have decided that short hikes like this one satisfy our need to get outside and stretch our legs, breathe in the fresh air, and sometimes enjoy spectacular scenery. Someday, when we are retired, we may have more time for longer hikes, but for now, the short ones are just fine.

People travel for a variety of reasons. Even people who travel for pleasure don’t all have the same agenda. We may be looking for simple relaxation, thrilling adventure, outdoor recreation, breathtaking scenery, cultural or historical education, stimulating enlightenment, or something altogether different. Generally, we are looking for an experience that transcends our day-to-day lives. We seek a opportunity to look at the world with fresh eyes, to be somehow transported if only for a brief time. And, we really don’t have to be in some romantic or exotic location. It can happen so unexpectedly, not because of our plans but in spite of them. It can also happen in an unlikely place — not at all where we anticipated “the magic” would occur.

Several years ago, my wife and I took a trip to San Francisco. We stayed for about a week at a good friend’s house in Port Richmond, a neighborhood in Richmond, California overlooking the bay. It was my first time to the west coast, so we acted like true tourists and visited Muir Woods, the wine country, various places in and around the city, and even took a drive down Highway 1 along the Pacific coast and spent the night in Carmel. It was fabulous. On one afternoon during our vacation, we met up with a young man who is a family friend who lives in the city. He took us to some of his favorite hiking spots at Land’s End and other locations around the entrance of the bay. We came back to the Port Richmond house and settled out on the deck overlooking the bay. We had a few drinks and took the time to catch up with him as the afternoon drifted towards evening. We were enjoying each other’s company and the comfortable weather so much that we decided to have pizza delivered instead of going out for dinner.

We continued to sit on that deck after the pizza was devoured and talked for hours. As we sipped on drinks, we watched the sun slowly sink behind the top of the distant hills to the west beyond the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge and marveled as the lights of the bridge and its endless stream of vehicles began to glow with evening’s approach. We talked and laughed about life, our memories, our hopes and fears. We soaked up the beauty of the bay at nightfall. There was nothing spectacular about the meal, although the setting was certainly enchanting enough. We were together, enjoying each other’s company, completely immersed in the now — the right then and there. We had not necessarily planned for the day to end this way. There was no remarkable event, no famous landmark, no fanfare at all. Still, it was somehow wonderful, and I knew it would be impossible to replicate. I took a photograph of the sunset from the deck to commemorate the occasion. Anytime I can stumble upon a moment like that, I get the sense that I have done more than travel. I have taken a journey.

If You Want My Opinion

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Month: February 2017

Short Hikes Are Just Fine

A Moment in Time