Two and a half weeks after we were gazing at New York Harbor, we had the opportunity gaze out over the Pacific Ocean. We are very lucky to have great friends scattered around the country. First of all, we are never in want of places to visit. Secondly, it allows us to spend concentrated amounts of time with our friends, without the distractions of everyday life. Despite having these perks, we really wish we could be located closer to at least a sizable number of our friends. Brent and Erin are no exception. We have been able to see them two or three times a year for the past three years or so. Most of the visits involve us travelling west, but we have been able to meet in more "neutral" locations, and last November they even had breakfast in Oberlin with Chief.
On the morning of October 4th we woke up at the wee hours of the morning to head to the airport and catch our separate flights to SFO (Chief) and SJC (Snicks). No complaints about the wacky flight situation, however, as Chief's dad had been nice enough to use some of the airline miles he has been racking up on his trips to China. We were heading to sunny CA to catch up with our friends Brent and Erin and do a little hiking. By 2:00 PST we were both on the ground and on our way to a tasty lunch at Santana Row in San Jose.
After lunch the guys went to REI to rent some equipment for our hiking trip to Point Reyes National Seashore. The ladies... well, Erin was going to cook and Chief was going to nap (she was trying to kick a cold), but instead they got caught up catching up. We left the following morning to Chief's virgin overnight hike. The route to the shore included the Golden Gate Bridge, extremely windy roads, and amazing views of the ocean.
After checking in at the visitors center, we were on our way. The trail was 6.6 miles to the campsite. The first 4 miles weren't too bad (except for dodging tons of horse doo-doo) and Chief was feeling pretty good about the whole thing (note: she only had a day pack). Then we hit the "real" trail. It was narrow, gouged from run off, sprinkled with poisonous plants, and had a few elevation changes. It should also be noted that Chief is officially in her worst shape ever and was overcoming a cold. Thankfully, she had thought to marry a sweetheart who offered to take her day pack in addition to his large pack. What a guy!
Snicks & Chief Ready to Hit the Trail after Lunch
We arrived at the campsite and were amazed by how close it was to the water. We set up camp and then set off for a walk on the beach. We attempted to play Frisbee but were thwarted by extremely strong winds. After our stroll (without packs) we found a nice spot on the beach to cook dinner (we shared lasagna - it was surprisingly tasty considering it came out of a bag). The guys then scoured for driftwood and started a small, but warm fire. After some futile attempts at real flames, we let it die out and headed back to our tents.
Snicks & Chief Enjoying a Walk on the Beach
Brent & Erin - What a Great Couple!
It was already dark and we were tuckered out, so it was easy to fall asleep. It was great to be with seasoned hikers because they knew all of the tricks of the trade. My favorite was filling up a Nalgene bottle with boiling water and then using it as a heater in my sleeping bag. It was heavenly (particularly since the low was 44 degrees). It might have been the waves, or the cup of tea before bed, but nonetheless we all had to visit the "ripe" restroom in the middle of the night. I was just leaving my bathroom when I spotted a skunk. We had been warned that the skunks were "aggressive" at this camp, so needless to say I freaked out! Snicks had just opened his bathroom door so I darted inside and filled him in on the situation. We sat in the darkness wondering what smells worse, the vault toilets or a skunk. After a few minutes we ventured outside and heard some rustling... after a few moments Brent and Erin emerged from the darkness. Apparently the waves were affecting them, too.
The morning was unusually clear, as the day before had also been. We quickly picked up camp and hit the trail. Somewhere we took a detour which made the return to the car more like 8 miles. The detour proved to be worth it, however, as we spotted an elk and two mountain lions. Chief was even feeling good enough to carry Erin's pack for the last mile and a half.
We stopped on our way back to the city at a nice restaurant. Chief and Brent each guzzled their way through a record number of Dr. Pepper's. We each enjoyed a satisfying meal and were glad to be able to wash our hands with warm water. The drive back was memorable. Erin and Chief napped, but miraculously woke up just as we arrived in San Fran. It was Fleet Week and the Bay was filled with ships & boats of all sizes. As we were crossing the Golden Gate Bridge the Blue Angels buzzed the bridge, which was deafeningly amazing.
The remainder of the visit included well-needed hot showers, a visit to the hot tub, reminiscing over old photos, and some tasty homemade ice cream. Sunday morning, before dropping Chief off at the airport, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast at a favorite cafe. The food and company were absolutely perfect. What a way to end a great trip! Thanks, Brent & Erin!
*** Pics were taken by Brent, he's a great photographer!
Hey Snicks - you look just like Dad in that Minnesota t-shirt. Spooky spooky as Annabelle would say. Glad you had a great time. It looks beautiful! San Francisco is tops of my cities to visit list (if I actually had a list...)
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