I took a New Year's Day hike on the good ol' Valley View Trail. Now that the CDT is just a little more than five months away, now is a good time to start getting into hiking shape. I'll be hiking here a lot more in the coming days, but probably won't post too much about it. I just don't find the trail all that interesting.
I think the reason I don't care for this trail all that much is that there is very little reward for the amount of energy it takes to hike the trail in my mind anyways. If I hike a mountain, I prefer to have views from the top. This trail would take half the day to get to the top of any ridgeline it seems, and one has to deal with the shooting range as well.
Today there were other rewards other than mountain views. There were plenty of interesting mushrooms to look at. Another reward was the warmth of the sun. It's been cold here the last few days. I actually came across a snake warming himself off trail just a bit. He seemed to be more concerned with getting some heat than to bother with me getting close.
Another reward was the exercise. The trail can be pretty steep in places. It will be a good place to train in the coming days. Another reward is the peace of mind that comes just about anytime one hikes in the mountains. Walking is just plain good for the soul.
I ate some lunch on a small knob overlooking the valley, and turned around and called it a day. Probably about a two hour round trip.
Happy 2013 everybody!
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