Hike # 31: What does Rose Drive, Richard Nixon, and a Government Shutdown have in common?

My 31st hike!

This is the sign that caught my attention as I traveled to and from the hospital when visiting my mom. A hiking trail in the middle of the city? Between subdivisions? Without any parking? Yep! There it was...all for me to explore.

What really intrigued me was the Richard Nixon Library. I had never been there, even though I had grown up in the area, went to high school and college there, and even worked on his first presidential campaign back in the 1970's . (I know.. I was young... and Republican... don't hold it against me!)

Before I left for home, I thought that I might have time for the short 2 mile walk (hike... I mean hike). It started out great, after I found a place to park my car about a mile away from the sign. The sun was out. People were few. And I was hiking!

Evidently in the 1980's, after I was long gone from the area, the cities of Placentia, and Yorba Linda decided to create equestrian, bike, and hiking paths paths that followed the old rail road tracks. Tracks are long gone, and what is left are wide sections of land that have been converted into paths for horses, bikers, and hikers.

One of the things that make the first part of this hike so much fun for me, was seeing all of the vegetation that I left behind after moving to Idaho. Bougainvillea, lantana, yucca, eucalyptus, and pepper trees abound. But the orange trees with ripening fruit on them were the best! Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them.

As I traveled along the El Cajon Trail, I passed several signs indicating that the Richard Nixon Library was 2.0 miles, which made me nervous. No matter how long I hiked, I seemed to be 2 miles away from the library - not a good sign when you have to catch a flight... So I walked faster!

The further I went, the less "pretty" and less "directional" the signs became. I was on a path, for sure... but was I on the "right" path? Was I headed in the "right" direction? And was the Richard Nixon Library still 2 miles away? I wasn't certain.

So I turned on the GPS on my phone, and plugged in the Richard Nixon Library. Low and behold... it gave me driving directions, which didn't help much, as I was on a hiking path not on Google Maps.

So like any good hiker, determined to find the destination which first precipitated the hike... I marched on.

With my GPS beeping wildly, I rounded the bend and there it was...Tricky Dick's very own helicopter! Wow. I reached in between the rod iron fence and snapped this shot of his presidential helicopter!

With excitement mounting, and little time left before I had to head off to the airport, I walked up to the front door of the Richard Nixon Library and Archives to snap this picture...

Oh well, guess it wasn't meant to be. Not this time anyway. I wondered why I only saw one homeless woman in the parking lot, and one security guard ... that I chatted up as I walked the perimeter of the building trying to get some info, a personal tour, anything? Too bad. The security guard said "Enjoy the outside", as he headed inside.

With my final destination reached - I headed back to the car. According to Endomondo, I hiked for a total hike of 5.5 miles! So much for "pretty" signs. I did, however, make my flight - so it was a good day!

And thanks to the  Republicans...it wasn't even crowded! They sure know how to clear a national park!

Hike # 30: Hospital Hike...A Turning Point

Nothing makes you travel faster (by land, by air, by rail, or by car) than when your parents are in crisis. That is what precipitated Hike # 30: The Hospital Hike. This hike was not only a half way point to my 60 hike goal - it was transformative, reflective, hard, and life changing - for more than myself.

Mom fell on October 7th, after a simple dental cleaning. She tripped on a rise in a cement walkway - directly across the street from the hospital. Sadly, at 84 years old, that fall meant a broken humorous, a fractured nose, renal compromise due to shock, and anemia due to blood loss through extensive bruising. All of that ended my mother in the hospital for 7 days, only to graduate to skilled nursing care. All said... "It sucks to be old!" She would agree.

So, when I needed a break from the hospital care,  I decided to take a hike. A Hospital Hike! Around the perimeter of the hospital I went. I set Edomondo at the emergency room entrance. I charted my course around the hospital block and started on a hike that took me back to my teen age years.

I grew up in this area. It had changed since 1971, when I graduated from high school. I remember driving down Yorba Linda Boulevard in my 1968 black VW bug. While walking (hiking) past this particular strip mall (just around the corner from the hospital), I remembered hurriedly speeding down the road while in college, only to hit a cat, as it ran across the road. Skipping class, I spent hours searching bushes, and knocking on neighborhood doors, trying to find the cat.

That was a traumatic memory from my early college days. But it did not compare to the trauma I felt after seeing my black, and blue bruised, and broken mother in pain in the hospital bed. Nor did it compare to the overwhelming grief I felt as I  wheeled my father to visit her. It was at this moment that I realized that not only would their lives would never be the same, neither would mine.

This tragic fall, led me to take my 30th hike - a hike  that took something more than physical strength, and endurance - it took emotional fortitude, soul seeking, and a whole lot of other things I can't even describe.

Past the strip mall, to the corner. Down the west side of the hospital, I traveled, navigating various rock formations, raised cement, uneven walkways, and assorted other urban hazards. And then I found it. The exact place that my mother fell. It wasn't any higher than 3/4".

But this 3/4" took down a woman that was more stubborn than a mule, feistier than Scarlet O'Hara, and who had a child-like side that rivaled Willie Wonka. It was tragic for her, and  for all of us who knew it was only a matter of time. This was to be the end of  one phase of life and the beginning of another.

After the hike I knew, that I had to move my parents out of their home of 50+ years into a safer place. A place my mother would hate; but one that my father would accept. A place where one sibling would hold me in contempt; but the other would breathe a sigh of relief. A place that would only accept one of their three pets; but would mean finding a way for the others to visit. A place that would assure three meals a day, medicine management, social interaction, and everything a daughter would want for her aging parents; but would ultimately never be a home for them.

Lesson from the Hike # 30, the smallest event can change your  life forever - and sometimes that change isn't pleasant.

Endomondo Stats:
.85 miles
22 minutes
Life changing...and it sucked!

Hike # 29: Rabbit Run

Now that I have almost arrived at the half way point of my 60 hikes, good friends, and family members have been so encouraging. Inviting me on hikes, finding new places to go, and generally giving me the motivation to make it to the finish line. Today, my good friend, Linda, did just that!

This woman is amazing! Although only slightly older than me, she has run marathons, faithfully attended a woman's Boot Camp, tirelessly helps her husband work their 15+ acres of land, and has more energy that I could possibly imagine.  Taking a brief time out for her feet to heal from her exercise routines, she thought that joining me for a hike once a week was exactly what she needed to restore her exercise regiment and strengthen her feet. She was exactly what I needed!

So off we went... to another part of the Boise Foothills I knew nothing about... the Idaho Velodrome, in Eagle.We started at Rabbit Run and only had a short amount of time for the hike - about an hour. In fact, I will have to resolve to turn off my cell phone - coverage is so good that I got calls from my office. 


Intersecting with D's Chaos, we took a trail that had some great views of the Treasure Valley, just bursting with fall. The trees were starting to turn. Lovely autumn colors mixed with lush green - it was a sight to behold! This is the best time of the year to hike in Boise!

When you look over the numerous trails that this area has to offer, you realize that this one section of the foothills could accommodate several hikes. So, Linda and I made a plan to hike each of the trails.

Today, we hiked for 3 miles in 43 minutes! Linda had run these hills for training, so we made quick work of the ups and downs that Rabbit Run and D's Chaos had to offer. Next Wednesday, we will attempt the longer hikes.... and I might even leave my cell phone in the car!

Hike # 28: Five Mile/Orchard Gulch

What a beautiful October day! 71 degrees, blue skies, no wind - just perfect!

Erik ( of Erik's Fly Fishing Blog
http://flyfishingboise.blogspot.com/), and his wife Jessica (a.k.a. Gracey) invited me on a Sunday hike in the Boise Foothills. What made this hike so special was that I married this couple. That's right,  Reverend Roxie married Erik, and Jessica on May 26,2012. Now, they are my hiking buddies!

Here is another thing that is amazing about this hike. After living in Boise since 1994, I never knew this part of the town existed. We drove down State Street to Fort, then turned left onto Reserve. Who knew Reserve even existed?

After all of those trips to downtown St. Luke's Hospital for babies born, emergency room visits, surgical  prayers, and Mert's heart surgery... I never ever noticed that street. But today, we took it - because we were going on a hike!

Reserve Street took us to Shadow Mountain Road, which took us to a dirt road, and then to the trail head called 5-Mile Gulch. The problem was that we didn't actually see that trail head, and  started up an unmarked path, assuming it was the right one... which we did get right - yeah "Fate and Good Fortune" - or Divine Guidance (which I prefer).

So here is the best part... it was beautiful! Fall in the Boise Foothills is beautiful, and wonderful ,and invigorating, and a fantastic place to "step it up a notch". Most of my hikes have been easy; in fact, I sought them out. This was a "moderate" hike. So... I stepped it up in challenge, and in length. Endomondo recorded it at 5.94 - I'm rounding it up to 6. It was for all intensive purposes it was a 6 mile moderate hike - and I was (to put it in 60's vernacular) stoked!

During the hike, we saw so many fun things, and I have lots of commentary on all of them; however, Erik's photos really take me back to the beauty, the challenge, and the fun of the day. So, thanks to Erik (better check out his blog), I have a photo montage of the day. Thanks Erik! Thanks Jessica! It was a great day!

Enjoy the pictures, and imagine the hike.

Still trusting....

Trusting this is the right trail!

The cairn, defined as a mound of stones
built as a landmark  implies that it is...

         

Forgetting about trust ... I was just enjoying the journey.

Erik and Jessica

Assurance at last... we were on the right trail! 5-Mile Gulch!

We encountered mountain bikers.

Hitch hikers in the form of burrs.

Bear scat... filled with rose hips.

Willow tunnels.

Assorted wildlife including birds of prey, song birds, unidentifiable insects
( Mormon Cricket? Cicada? Mutant Grass Hopper?), and a baby rattle snake!

In the end... we found the trail head and I drove home with a great sense of satisfaction and delight. What a great hike!

Hike #27: Toledo - I'm counting it!

No pictures. No stories. No details

All I can say is that I went to Toledo on a business trip and I hiked... for 3 days! Enough said. I did it - the Toledo Hike! On to the next one!

Hike # 26: Ponderosa Park

Lesson learned... don't get an 87 year old woman (who has not exercised since her double hip replacement) over confident about her "hiking" abilities... unless you are willing to meet her challenge! It was Sunday morning and Lilo (my mother-in-law) was raring to go.

"Where are we hiking today?", she asked.

OMG, I thought. Well, I actually had several thoughts, but this is the best I can express at the moment. I wanted to get in one more hike while in McCall, as I am woefully behind. But another Hike # 5?  Now don't get me wrong, I love my mother-in-law. I just wasn't so sure where I could take her.

I started questioning her about assorted necessities like... did she have adequate HIKING shoes?

"These are wonderful shoes," she replied. So I knew I was doomed. Now....where to go?

Hummm... how about Ponderosa State Park? Asphalt. Level roads. And check out her shoes!!! We had to do a hike that was compatible with her shoes! (But hey, doesn't she look darned great for her age! I should be so lucky!... but those shoes...)

Lilo and I started out on solid ground. We made our way to the Public Parking at Ponderosa State park. It was great, and we were the only ones there on a Sunday morning!

Yes, that's my car! The only one in the parking lot! So off we went... lovely view, short walk, and then back to the car. Now what? Well, I remembered Meadow Marsh Trail.

The first time I walked this trail (Hike # 18: Ponderosa Park, Meadow Marsh and Lily Marsh Trail), I saw a family with multiple generations walking the path. The women were attired in saris and  (as a CA girl would call) flip flops. The ages of the family members ranged from  about 3 years to 93 years, by my estimation. So, that is why I thought that  my mother-in-law's "hiking" loafers would be a perfect competitor for the sari ladies' flip flops. That is where we eventually landed: Meadow Marsh Trail. 

I turned on Endomondo and off we went... into the forest. OMG, she couldn't have been happier or more confident! We trespassed over Ponderosa Pine roots, rocks, and pine needle beds... but no matter the challenge, we met it with great GERMAN determination! Huffing, and puffing, and comments like "Don't stop because of me. You have to make your 60 hikes. 1.4 more miles is nothing..." made me wonder if I was doing the right thing.  I anxiously followed behind her... ready to catch a fall. But she was careful, calculating, and confident in her abilities. It really was an inspiration... I want to be so bold at 87 with two new hips~

But the weather was looming and we did choose to take the "road less traveled" shortcut and ended up walking 1.5 miles on this loop, in spite of what the state park map said. 

The lesson of this hike is... no matter your age, German determination matters! Hats off to you Lilo!

Hike # 25: McCall Parks

No pictures to document this hike... so you have to imagine it!

Have you ever been to Legacy Park in McCall?
What about Brown Park?
How about Paul's Market?
Ok... this is going to be tough to imagine if you have never been to downtown McCall!

Imagine this...I had just come home from the Louie Lake Hike. I thought it would take about 3 hours, total, but by the time we drove to the trail head, hiked to the lake and back, then drove home - it took much longer than expected.

All this to explain why we left my mother-in-law all alone at our cabin. Five or six hours later, we were greeted by an 87 year old woman with cabin fever. She was dressed in her proper hiking loafers (remember this from Hike # 5: Things Don't Always Go As Planned)?

"Are we going for a hike?", she asked with such hopeful enthusiasm, I couldn't disappoint her. After a short rest, and lots of pondering on the appropriate location, I said, "Let's hike Legacy Park!"

"Great!", she replied with her enthusiastic German accent. So, off we went - on what I will count as Hike # 25! You can Google the path - love Google Earth - to get a birds eye view.

It actually turned out to be about a 3 mile hike (walk - it all depends on your perspective)! We started off at the Farmer's Market parking lot. Walked the full perimeter of Legacy Park. Walked up to Brown's Park. Rested at the Marina. Walked to Paul's Market for a bottle of wine. Walked back to Farmer's Market and drove home. We were gone for more than 2 hours - that qualified as a hike to me ... and to my mother-in-law. She was so happy she had great walking shoes! I was happy we "hiked" on sidewalks!

Hike # 24: Louie Lake or Bust...

I finally made it! On Saturday, my husband and I hit the trail to Louie Lake!

The trail was steep, to say the least!

.81 miles up. For some that might not be a big deal, but for Mert and I ... it was heart pounding. This is what I imagine that training for hiking the Alps is like... lots of hikes to high Alpine Lakes like Louie.

The trip was worth it! Even though it was a gray and overcast day, the hike was made more tolerable by cool air, gentle breezes, conversation with my hubby, and a great hiking stick.

After stopping to take this picture... Mert disappeared. No word of where he was headed. No thought of the wife he left behind. No care in the world, except to fish! (I just read about this same fly fisherman's habit on Erik's Fly Fishing blog "Over the Hills" flyfishingboise.blogspot.com - guess it is a common phenomenon. And yes, it is rude!) Fly fishermen - you either love them or  want to smack them upside the head. 

In my case... it was both!

So, I went in search of Mert. I reasoned, "He couldn't have gone far. The entire lake was supposed to be walkable." I caught my composure, and realized that today was about my 24th hike. I figured that I'd find him along the way. 

(I wasn't too worried because our cell phones got 4g coverage up there. Not that he could access his cell phone, because it was in his back pack, which was on shore... ahhhh,

but this blog is not about being the wife of a fly fisherman, it is about hiking.)

After about a 1/4 mile hike, I rounded the bend and found a lone (highly satisfied) fly fisherman on the east side of the lake, tucked into a small bay. 

There he was... pulling in cut throat trout like they were coming for dinner.

"I have a great idea," said the fly fishing husband to his hiker wife, "Let's hike around the lake and I'll stop periodically to fish and you can take pictures of the fish I catch!" So that is what we did...

Besides the smile on his face, these were my favorite shots....

One more thing about being married to a fisherman... you can never be too sure if the stories they tell are... well, a bit enhanced for joy of storytelling. This is what I thought was the case when Mert shouted, "Cutbow!"

"What?", I asked.

"Cutbow! Look at how pretty it is! Look at these colors!" Mert could hardly contain his enthusiasm.

"Cutbow?", I thought my hearing was going. "What is a cutbow?"

"It's a hybrid... a cross between a cut throat and a rainbow trout."

And there it was. I am posting this picture to see if other fly fishermen feel that this is an actual fish. To me, the jury is still out. But if you know this to be a cutbow - I need to hear about it!

The day ended as it started... only it was downhill this time.

 .81 miles downhill, steep, toe nail screaming steep. But ohhhhh, it was so worth it!