A few of my friends have May-June birthdays, and a few of their friends do too.  So it was decided to get a group together to do a hike followed by brunch.   The hike chosen was Bishop’s Peak in SLO.  This would be followed by brunch at a fancy shmancy hotel a few towns over- in our dirty hiking clothes.  🙂   So, bright and early Sunday Morning, we all met up and jumped in the car and headed down.

I have hiked this peak before and there are 3 different ways to go up for about the first mile.  From there they all converge into a narrow, rocky dirt track and switchback the rest of the way up to the top.    The trail head we chose is located in a residential area and parking was easy.   It starts of with an easy dirt road before it starts to get harder.   There were 7 of us out there and we just kept an easy pace going up.  It was fun getting to catch up and talk as we made our way up.    By about halfway we had split into a group of 4 and then a group of 3 a couple hundred yards back.    It was fun taking it a little easier too, I tend to be a little crazy on trails, so this time I was able to enjoy the view.   And what a view it was- seriously, I took over 100 pictures!

It really was great getting to talk to everyone.    Bix and I were even able to reminisce about our loathing of switch backs (Firehouse 5K).   About halfway up, at a particular tricky part, we cracked a joke that we should be singing “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus, but we couldn’t remember the words.  Which was probably a good thing.  🙂  But we made it to the top!     And I was crazy enough to climb up the last few rocks, too.  After taking the obligatory top of the mountain pictures, it was all down hill from there.

Going down, we separated into a group of 5 and and a group of 2.  D and ML and I got involved in a Supernatural discussion, more accurately our love of Dean.  🙂     More and more people were hiking their way up as well; quite a few made comments about our shirts,  apparently we thought alike when we dressed that morning.

The way the trail wraps around, you can usually hear people long before you see them.   About 2/3 down, we realized it had been a long time since we heard from the other 2 so we stopped and waited for them to catch up.  It turns out they had gotten a little lost.  Trail buddy fail!!!!   We all met up again and then we had to step it up to get to the car, we had a reservation at 11!  This is also where I couldn’t help it anymore and I ran.    I love running downhill on trails, I really do.    2 miles up and 2 miles down and we were back at the start.

Then it was quick change time.  Even though we had discussed going in our hiking clothes, 5 of us brought a change of clothes.  So with the use of plenty of wet wipes (so handy!), we were changing in the car by the roadside.   My apologies if I inadvertently flashed anyone.  Then we were in the car and headed to brunch.  The place was packed, we had to park on a side street.   But as one of us pointed out, we had just hiked Bishops’ Peak, we could handle a few blocks.

Brunch was awesome.  The company was amazing and the food was great.  The service could have used some help and when the heck did brunch get so expensive?  Then again, I don’t think I have been to brunch since the last century, so that could be part of it.   We all ate too much and enjoyed our champagne and mimosas.   I don’t really drink, so I’m usually the DD, but this time it was nice that someone else was.   It’s still not my thing but it was fun.   Overall, it was an awesome day.

I did have my Garmin with me on the hike.  I didn’t care about pace but I had wanted the elevation profile.    Well, this blonde had some problems.  #1 was auto pause.  I do not like that feature, I think that it was what tripped me up with my time at the SLO Marathon.  During the hike, it paused when we were going through a cattle fence and never started up again.  It took me almost 1/2 a mile to notice.   Urgh.   Bix had the great idea that I should just start it over at the top, so at least it would be accurate on the way down, and then I could double it.   So I did that, but we stopped about a 1/3 of the way down so I paused it.  Why? I don’t know but I forgot to restart it and didn’t figure it out until it buzzed with the power save warning.   Ugh!!!   So yeah, that didn’t work, but we went from around 350 to almost 1500 and back.

But like I said it was an awesome day and I can’t wait to do it again!

How was your weekend?

 

 

 

 

• chill out
• Eat!
• Slacker