#5 Hidden Valley & Fat Man's Pass hike

Today I went for a long and fun hike with Todd. He has a long gait and started off walking in front of me, until I let him know that I didn't want to feel like a submissive woman! We kind of laughed, but then as soon as we started up the mountain I was able to keep up.

After about 4 miles of rigorous hiking and great conversations we made it to Hidden Valley in the South Mountain area. We had so much fun playing in the rocks and pointing out nature's beauty.



 Shadow yoga, at dusk. I had so much fun playing with the camera and getting creative!



View from within...Fat Man's Pass.
 

I am no fat man!

WGetting goofy inside one of the other rock formations.

#5 Hidden Valley & Fat Man's Pass hike

This afternoon I went on an 8-mile hike with Todd Kallmyer to a place I had said I wanted to hike. It's Todd's favorite hike, and now it's mine too, at least as far as local hikes go.

What a fun spot.

At first Todd had a very fast pace and I couldn't keep up with him. But once we got going up the incline, I was able to keep the same pace.

We had so much fun talking and getting to know one another on the way up. Once we got to the Hidden Valley area it was dusk, and was it ever beautiful. Reality is, I could be almost anywhere on this earth and I'd think it was beautiful, IF it were at dusk. (I tell my kids I want to be buried at dusk because it's so peaceful. That really freaks them out!)

Hidden Valley brought out so much of my creativity. I started playing with yoga-pose shadows on the rocks, seeing images of animals in the lichen,  and capturing creative poses with my camera. Todd joined in the fun too!

#4 Picacho Peak HARD HIKE

I love a hard hike, to a beautiful place, with great people.

Today I went along with David, on an Adventures 2000 group hike to Picacho Peak. I met some great people, had interesting conversations, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

And it was hard.

But I love a challenge these days, especially one like this--cold, windy, steep. But brief.

I can do anything that's hard, as long as I know it's not going to go on and on and on....
And if it does want to go on and on and on, then I'm OK with quitting!

Oh to be 50 and know when enough is enough....

P.S. Mic...age 67, did great!