The secret to endurance hiking: fail to care whether you are comfortable. I went out for what was to be a near-ten-mile hike in Briones, and near the end saw a beguiling ridge I had not climbed in fifteen years, and though my feet burned already and my calves ached, I climbed it anyway, and then the next. I added only two and a half miles to my hike but another 1600 feet of climbing, less than two hundred feet shy of a Diablo summit in 12.2 miles to my usual 14 on Diablo.

I am 15 miles behind my year-to-date thus far compared to last year, but ahead on elevation gain by a thousand feet. This year has been steeper than the last so far.

I am still too locked-in, and the world’s back turned for the most part. The Steller’s jays sang to their own ends today. I sat in oak shade on 13-million-year-old seafloor reading John McPhee. Seventy-five degrees in the shade: six weeks ago we had a hard frost.

I was tired by the time I made the first mile today. I woke a dozen times last night hearing familiar noises in the house. The important thing is to keep going: I walked eleven more miles. The house will be quieter tonight.

1. 
   Rana 2007 03 13 at 11:34:11 am

   This year has been steeper than the last so far. ...The important thing is to keep going…

   Yes.  Yes to both. 

   Hang in there, my friend.  Keep walking.

2. 
   mroberts 2007 03 13 at 5:27:45 pm

   “Seventy-five degrees in the shade: six weeks ago we had a hard frost.”

   Hah!  Last week we had a day with a high of 20 degrees (most of the day was in the teens) - today it got up to nearly 60!  Life in Boston… (c’mon, this sort of thing happened in Buffalo, right?)

   I envy your hike, though!

3. 
   Paula Helm Murray 2007 03 13 at 11:48:52 pm

   Wow.  it’s getting warm here too. 

   Unless Zeke has taken up supernatural residence you’ll get over most of hearing him eventually.  Our brains imprint usual noises, etc. and you hear them even if they don’t happen.

   However, I think my calico queen Aja’s ghost moved with us and I see her out the corner of my eye or occasionnally feel her on the bed, she was the lightest cat I ever had acquaintance with (never more than 6 lbs.) so her touch was light. 

   Hugs across the eways. It gets sort of easier, but in increments.  And it hurts more if you don’t have multiple critters that take your attention once one passes.

4. 
   jeanie 2007 03 14 at 3:08:04 am

   “This year has been steeper than the last…”

   You have such a wonderful way with words.
   I agree with Hank’s post in Void.  I really see
   a book here.
   
   Keep climbing.